And the Rest is Cylon(s)

Apologies if you have come here for some of my normal babblings. It's that time of year when the time streams collide, I need to clone myself, all the projects are due, the Christmas to-do lists aren't shrinking, the end-of-year pushes, packing, and utter holiday madness coalesce into one cranky jam-packed just-push-through-to-survive  Nettie Zombie Drone mentality.

On top of that there are behind-the-scenes life issues being addressed, there are parties to bake for, there are neighbors TO LOATHE, and there is a) first a migraine-related bout of something, and b) NOW, a weeklong head-cold/sinus infection/flu thing to kick --- all before we fly in less than a week to climes that are colder than New York itself. I need another dose of The Doctor to head back in time, so I can better prepare. Or take yoga. Or again, CLONE myself.

Speaking of clones ... This year Grand Central decided to go and dress up like a frakkin' Cylon. I think to prove, once and for all, that the deus ex machina is going to get us. (That or the hordes of zombie commuters.)

It's good thing I have things to look forward to in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, and Westchester, and then in the spring when HOPEFULLY, Mr. Simon can sing The Sounds of Silence to me.

Until then,
Blogging will be intermittent for the foreseeable.

Retroblogging: Summer Fridays 2013

Sometimes trying to keep up on this blog can be a real bear. I know it's easier to do it as things happen, but then life and projects get in the way. Life just roars on by and trying to claw out time for intensive posts can make me snarl.

Ad from the railways

Take blogging this summer. I had a project list that I was trying to tackle and prioritize around. And, added to that, the summer heat - while not as bad in years past - was still a bit oppressive due to the humidity. It was NOT a treatwave, contrary to what McDonald's would like to you to believe.

Really advertisers. Does this work?

The summer, and all of it's wonderful Summer Fridays, flew by. I outlined some of them already, and I was organizing, cooking, packing, or cruising on others. 

On a few of my other Fridays, I found myself heading in and out of the City running errands related to some of my other organizational projects. 

Things look lovely from the inside of an air-conditioned train, don't they?

The one treat I did indulge in a few times was a combo of a spicy Jamaican patty and an icy cold Diet Coke from Golden Krust at Grand Central. Don't mind the lap full of crumbs.

So good. Now I want one RIGHT NOW!

The Fourth of July weekend rolled on by and somehow I ended up getting the summer sickness of some sort. Nothing like a fever of 101+ to celebrate a three day weekend. Not only didn't I get up to Caramoor for the fireworks, but I wasn't able to help a friend move.

Instead I felt super crappy and decided to try and cheer up by doing a thematic mani/pedi - with varying success.

My feet are gnarly. I need professional help.

After so many years of having super short nails due to piano and then food service, and also not being able to wear polish due to the aforementioned food service, I feel weird with polish on my nails. It also chips and smudges and snags within seconds of application - on me, at least.

I also enjoyed watching the Twitter feed of the Boom Box Parade from ye olde  hometown of Willimantic. Social media is great for bringing far-flung community members together. Some of us started reminiscing about parades and politicians of yore and I pulled out the last of the family souvenirs from and snapped a picture to share. Talk about memories. The family used to have a HUGE stack of these potholders from Sam Gejdenson.

The one surprise I stumbled upon on these summer Fridays was exactly what these Fridays were for - finding the little secrets of the City that I've missed after over 20 years in the area ...

Library Way, at 41st Street

According to an article in Library Journal:

"The two blocks of East 41st Street that lead to the landmarked Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the largest of The New York Public Library (NYPL)’s research libraries, have a tale to tell, but to read it, you must walk with your eyes cast down at your shoes. Inset in the pavement are 96 beautifully sculpted rectangular bronze plaques with literary quotations and whimsical illustrations."

 

 "Each plaque has a passage from a writer and a related artwork. For example, for Francis Bacon, two books are set at sharp angles to one another and each book has a “bite” taken out, accompanied by the quotation: “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested . . . .” Each bronze plaque is rectangular, and each is approximately two and one half feet by one and a half feet in size.  Other quotations are from Descartes, Emily Dickinson, E.B. White, and Virginia Woolf, among many others."

The full article in the Library Journal can be found at: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/07/library-services/library-way-my-way/

I need to go back when the light isn't so blinding, now that it's not so hot, and with my real camera. Most of these pictures are from the iTouch and they and I couldn't see what we were shooting for the most part.

I miss three day weekends. I will ALWAYS miss three day weekends.

Photo of the Day: Fresh Air Fund

Mountains of Northern Idaho

New Year's Eve, 2012

Pretty as a postcard and Mountain Fresh

Good to clear the head from 2012 

and get a fresh breath before 2013.

Happy Fourth of July!

While I'm enjoying a "staycation" July 4th this year,
I hope you're enjoying all kinds of holiday traditions.

Perhaps you are traveling?

Pay attention to the little quirky things you see on the road --
Like these menus from Idaho local haunt.

Maybe you are enjoying traditional American fare. Perhaps fried chicken and an Idaho russet swimming in butter, or an iced cold A&W root beer or ice cream float after a long drive on your Harley?

What's more American than apple pie made from local apples from your farmers market or local general store?
Or enjoying a quick coffee, a local drop of flavor in America's culinary melting pot?

Maybe you are using the day to indulge in a bit of wood working? Making some handicrafts?
You never know. They may end up in a museum in Chicago, to be enjoyed by people from around the world, like this Whirligig at the Art Institute.

Perhaps you are enjoying a day of hauling out and revving up the old artillery, for a bunch of parades and/or
in preparation for an evening of sparklers and fireworks?

Just be careful in drought areas.
One spark could equal wildfires. Take caution -- or just watch the extravaganzas on the television.
(Only you can avoid forest fires. ~ Smoky the Bear)

On behalf of Lady Liberty, Uncle Sam, and The Shushing Librarian, we wish you a Happy Independence Day.

Emily's Big Adventure II - The Movie

Emily's Big Adventure II - Return to New York

This fall -- no, this YEAR -- is passing by too quickly. It was *just* Good Friday, when my "niece" Emily and her mum Wendy took their first duo Tours by Auntie Nettie (patent pending). They then booked a return trip for the first fall school holiday, Columbus Day. Well, that day came and went, along with Halloween, Election Day, and Veterans Day, and now I'm finally getting around to blogging about it!

Weather wise, Columbus Day turned out to be everything that Good Friday was not, namely, dry, clear, sunny, humidity free, and warm. It was GORGEOUS. Clear and sunny, with highs reaching the low 80s! Perfection. So perfect that I am glad that we didn't have plans to spend time inside at shows. Wonderful fall days like this are in short supply, so you take advantage of them while you can.

Since it was so wonderful, we decided to walk most of the day. After meeting in Grand Central, we headed out to travel 42nd Street. I wanted to show them the Public Library, the lions, and Bryant Park before heading up to Central Park and the Upper West Side for a special behinds the scenes tour of a local drama program where I may or may not have connections.

My loose plan for the day was to be away from the Columbus Day Parade route as soon as possible. I had forgotten when the parade started, and was grateful to learn that it was later than I remembered. We were therefore, able to take our time on our rambles. All the better for Ms. Emily to use her recent birthday present to document the day.* (She's 13! Can you believe that? Neither can her mother.)

Here's Ms. Emily taking in the sights of the Library. (Moments like then when she was standing still and quiet were few and far between.) The Library was closed for the holiday, so we went around the block and explored Bryant Park. I managed to get the pair of them to pose for me in a garden arbor.

Bryant Park usually doesn't have pergolas, patios, swings, fire pits or pretty verandas like this. This was a corporate promotion, made possible by Southwest Airlines. Already at 10:30 in the morning, it was full of New Yorkers and tourists alike taking advantage of this wonderful outdoor living space - things that 95 percent of us don't have. We took our time exploring while we waited for Le Carousel to open.

Emily may be 13 now, but we totally had to circle around the Park until the ride opened so she could get on ... and then she not-so-patiently waited for the nannies, mommies, babies, and toddlers to take the first ride so she could get on and ride the frog that she'd been eyeballing.

Look at the smile. Look at the mugging for the camera. I have lots of video that I still need to edit of her on the ride. Every time she went around there was another pose. Wendy and I had to laugh. She may be 13, but that was an indication of how the day was going to be. A big kid in years, but still wanting to be a little one for a while longer.

One of my favorite parts of Bryant Park was the itty bitty outdoor library and reading room for the little tiny kids that come with parents, or more likely, the nannies. Even the park chairs were scaled down. It would have looked weird for me to go over and look at the books, and besides ... Emily was ready and raring to go to the Big PARK! Central Park.

We headed up Broadway, stopping in practically every single ticky-tacky tourist shop looking for NEW YORK sweatpants (to no avail), getting pretzels and liquids, and then dodging those annoying carriage ride and pedi-cab vendors, to get to Central Park. We wound our way in ... ending up at the Heckscher Playground. While these are only two of the photos I have of Emily playing there, Wendy and I spent a lot of time "resting" while Ms. Em crawled through concrete structures, claimed the castle, scampered up the native rock slope seen in the background, and then tried to get a turn on a tire swing. In the meantime, Wendy and I caught up, re-hydrated, watched lots of fathers take their turn with their offspring (since it was a holiday) - some who were better at than others, got an eyeful or more of very uninhibited kids running through the water features, and then watched Emily try and deal with Big Apple kids. Even though they were younger, they did not give an inch to this "big kid" and Emily never did get a ride on the tire swing, though I think she did get to swing once or twice on a regular swing. Eventually it was time to head out and look for food.

My original plan was to end up at what used to be the Tavern on the Green restaurant and get some food from the food trucks now allowed to set up shop there. Unfortunately, the options didn't work for us (though the bathrooms were needed), so we headed out to a local West Side diner to eat before getting our tour.

Due to the nature of our behind-the-scenes tour, there are no pictures. I just hope Ms. Em enjoyed what she did get to see, and it gave her some ideas for the future. We have tentative plans for another return trip in the spring to see some productions at this venue.

After the requisite stop at the Gift Shop (again, no sweatpants), back to Central Park it was. We headed north toward the Delacorte Theater and Belvedere Castle. Before we could get to the Castle however, we got sidetracked. Emily wanted to go play in the Diana Ross Playground, so Wendy and I got to rest some more, watch a pick-up co-ed soccer game of the cutest toddlers ever, and watch Emily futilely try to get on yet another tire swing. As a consolation later, she got a Popsicle from a Central Park ice cream vendor, which we enjoyed at the base of the Castle stairs.

Wendy is not going to be pleased that I'm posting this one, but tough: Old Friend Privilege! Because we spent so much time at the playground, we missed the cut-off to go in the Castle, but the views of the Turtle Pond, the Ballfields, and Delacorte from the Castle landing were gorgeous on a pseudo-Indian summer evening.

Ms. Em picked our paths through the Park, and we ended up rambling part of the Ramble. This was a first for me as well. I tend to get lost in the Park, so stick to the main drags. My little print-out map wasn't so good, but as long as I could get my bearings off the skyline and sunset I knew we were. There is a GPS "app for that" of Central Park, but none of our phones were smart enough for that. Which is fine. When your head isn't pointed down at a tiny screen of a phone, you can point the tiny screen of your digital camera at things like this ... boaters on the Lake. If you look closely, you can see the diversity of New Yorkers in rented paddle boats. There were gondolas out as well, and there was a traffic jam under the bridge as the pilots steered their ships to shore before the light was gone.

Ramblers in the Ramble or Rabble Rousers? -- at the Stone Arch

You would think that with all the dining options in New York I would have had better plans for dinner. I didn't, though. I was waiting to see where the day would end up, plus I had to consider some dietary and budgetary restrictions. We ended up at the same corner of the Park where we started, right at the corner by Columbus Circle ... and then I had a thought.

Part of my "tours" of New York are showing Emily what life is like on a "typical" day. She's seen Grand Central, done the subway, been to my office, and walked my streets. I try to show her that it's not like the movies or television shows. Hanging out in the Parks was a perfect example of what New Yorkers do on days off. You walk. You rest. You read. You eat. You hang.

Since we were so close to the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, I decided to show Wendy and Emily where people shopped on the Upper West Side ... and had occasion to eat. Whole Foods. Not glamorous, sure. But I also figured that with all the options at the dining court, we'd find something that everyone could try and eat without too much gastronomic distress.

After figuring out what to get, we were lucky enough to find three seats together so we could eat. Or, more precisely, Wendy and I could eat. Emily was so busy people watching and listening, I don't know if she actually tasted her food. She got to listen to local college students complaining about classes, heard about every language under the sun, watched mothers finish shopping and then try to feed two kids, and watched and watched and watched until her eyes must have been exhausted. My one miscalculation was remembering it wasn't a holiday for everyone and getting us to the check-out line madness after the rest of the office-drones that had to work had rushed to the market for their dinners.

Dinner done, we exited the madness of the mall to this delightful scene. A PERFECT fall evening at Columbus Circle. Hey -- Columbus on Columbus Day. (Aren't I smart like that?)

No day in New York could be complete for Emily without a subway ride, and she had fortunately brought her MetroCard from her last trip with her. With swipes for all, we headed into the bowels of the system and within minutes was back in Grand Central with time to spare for bathrooms, refreshments, and securing seats on Metro-North back home.

I can't believe how fast time is going. Ms. Emily is 13! 13 is that magical age: when you look at her you can see both the little girl that she was and the young woman she is going to be. Scarey for this "auntie," not to mention her mother!

Aside from her annoying habit of shoving the new camera in your face (*and by that I mean up your nose and blinding you with the flash), it was a delight, once again, to share "my" New York with Emily. I hope she had a good day. Can't wait for the spring, when she can have yet another Big Adventure in New York City. Maybe I'll have finally found those darn sweatpants for her!