got milk?

This is a good sign (so to speak). Back when I was a 
major food source, I wouldn't have been able to 
do this if I'd gone back to work. But, of course, I wasn't 
working at the country's #1 parenting magazine at the time.

it's a tough job, but . . .

. . . if you have an article with instructions

for making a balloon animal, then you need

to make sure the instructions work.  My

colleague, Lisa, did it pretty well; I managed

to break the balloon.  You should have seen us 

trying to figure out how to make an origami rowboat.

practice, practice, practice!

That's the answer, and you know the question.
Wish I could tell you I had tix for Keith Jarrett
tonight, but no—just happened to be passing by
here last night.  The last show I saw here was
a couple of years ago: the 25th Anniversary
performance of "Alice's Restaurant."
Arlo Guthrie does it every year on the day after
Thanksgiving.  It was great; the audience was
half old hippies and half young kids (their
grandchildren perhaps—Arlo's were there).

it's beautiful, but . . .

More snow.  The Midwest is a sheet of ice

and it's headed our way.  If it's nasty where

you are—please stay off the roads!

Welcome to Greenpoint

One of Brooklyn's great ethnic neighborhoods, where

you can get some primo pizza and the city's absolute

best kielbasa.  It's a bit off the beaten NYC transit track

and therefore still quasi affordable.  Better hurry while

that's still true.  So what's your neighborhood like?

I won!

What? A trip to Paris?  No, I snagged

the title of GF (Golden Finger) of the year

by being the first to log on tonight to my

fave blog and the one that inspired me

to do this, Paris Daily Photo.  Whether you

love Paris or not (and especially

 if you do), it's the very best.

this is how it's done

I'm watching a rerun of the inaugural celebration
and reflecting on the events of the past week.
This really did happen this way, neighborhood
by neighborhood.  Let's keep up the momentum.

read any good books lately?

You'll definitely find a few here—it's the Central Library,

the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. It was built

68 years ago, and their website tells me that more than

1.5 million people (almost the equivalent of the entire

population of Brooklyn) use the Central Library every

year. Including me—but I live only one short block away.

big brother

In Times Square, the NYPD is making sure they 

don't miss a thing.  I'm okay with their overview, 

though I suppose it's only a matter of time 

before we'll all be on "candid camera" instead.

here, kitty kitty

The two lions, by sculptor Edward Clark Potter,

in front of the NY Public Library have been loved

by New Yorkers and visitors since the library was

dedicated in 1911.  In the 1930s, Mayor Fiorello

La Guardia dubbed them Patience and Fortitude,

traits he felt New Yorkers would need during

the Depression. (This is Patience.)

yes, it is!

These folks looked like they were having such

a good time on the rink in Bryant Park.  (It's only

there until Jan. 25, then they have to get the

space ready for Fashion Week.)

On the other hand, this guy told me he still has his inner skater, but had to let go of his outer one. He said he used to play ice hockey and was so badly
injured he was in a coma for six months.
He likes to come here and watch the kids skate.

what I'm wearing today

And I'm pretty doggoned excited about it!

I'm also praying that it all goes off without

a hitch—and that goes for the next 

four (eight?) years too.

Dr. King

They had some special services at Trinity church
(where I took this shot last week, looking past 
the entrance and down Wall Street).
Hoping to see Rev. King's "I Have a Dream" speech,
which they sometimes show on PBS.  Moves me every
single time—how about you?

ticker-tape parades

Although I guess now the rare ones we have are

actually shredded-paper parades. There are plaques

embedded in the sidewalk along lower Broadway to

commemorate past parades.

There are lots of these plaques—this one

 just happens to be my favorite.

American Merchant Mariners Memorial

This is down in Battery Park, just off the Esplanade. It
reminds me a bit of the plane in the Hudson yesterday,
although this sculpture by Marisol is based on an 
incident that didn't end so well.

miraculous

Couldn't get over to the Hudson River, so took this off the TV.
God bless the pilot who managed to land this plane safely 
(albeit in the Hudson River in freezing temps).
The survivors seem pretty grateful (and who wouldn't be?).

killer view

Remember the opening scene of Working Girl?

(and here's where I'd provide the nifty link,

if the %&^# Internet would let me—sorry)

There is still nothing quite like seeing

Lower Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry.

photo op

Some people will take a photo of . . .

. . . anything. Including me, apparently. (And why is it 
that rats are so creepy and squirrels are so cute?)

icy

I hear (through my fave blog, Paris Daily Photo)

that it's freezing in Paris right now—

and we've had a bit of a cold snap

ourselves this weekend.

At least we haven't had our gas heat

cut off by the Russians!

Lady Liberty

She looks pretty cold out there in the snow.

And so do these LL wannabes in Battery Park—
and they are. (My hands were so cold, I could
hardly take this picture.)

outsider art

Though I'm not particularly religious, I
do love the work of Howard Finster.
Shot this at a new museum (the Taubman)
in Roanoke, VA, over New Year's.
So how do you feel about "outsider art"?

play chess with me—or else

Actually, they were just going to have a friendly

game in Union Square Park.

tracks

Couldn't decide what to post today, then I went
(as always) to bombay clicks and got inspired.
Thanks, Rahul.
Train travel isn't as sexy as it used to be, unfortunately.
Pulled into the Bologna train station once on the Eurostar,
saw the Orient Express on the next platform—all shiny
black and gleaming brass—and (literally) gasped. Maybe
one day (if I win the lottery).

You know you want to

Yesterday was Epiphany, aka 12th Night—in other

words, it's official: The holiday season is over.  So

go ahead and devour that gingerbread house!

my cousin the ghost

Went to visit Avenel yesterday.  It's an old plantation house

(built in 1838) that was in my family.  This picture was taken

the day of my cousin Peggy's funeral (held at Avenel when

she died about two weeks shy of her 103rd birthday).

She and her family had shared the house with a famous ghost

called the White Lady (who's been seen by lots of people).

So I guess it's fitting that when this picture was developed,

Peggy showed up in it.  Can you see her? 

(Seriously, it looks just like her.)

Greetings from Motor City

Detroit Airport, that is, where I spent 12

unexpected hours trying to change planes

on New Year's Eve.

Didn't get where I was going until well

after midnight, but Russell (the cab driver

I was with at the stroke of) and I had a

festive, if Champagne-less, moment.

Hope you were exactly where you wanted to be!

gotcha

This is just one of several pieces done by

sculptor Tom Otterness for the 14th Street/

Eighth Avenue subway station. (More of 

his work can be seen on Fifth Avenue 

and at Battery Park.)

I was just coming off the L for Love train,

so-called because some of my daughter

Lila's friends, including the couple here,

met on the L train. I did not see the man

of my dreams, just a rat (granted, it was

dead and down on the tracks, but still . . .).

skywatch

I don't miss my old job, but I sure

do miss my old view!  (This was taken

from the Hearst Bldg., looking southeast.)

a blast from the past

This lives in Lil' Joe's Pleasure Lounge
(aka the barn that belongs to Lone
Sharks bass player Joe Lauro), a party
space par excellence!
Jukeboxes are still around, but somehow
the music's just not as good as it was when
a dime could get you Don't Be Cruel AND the
B side (Hound Dog, of course).

Happy Birthday to . . .

. . . 2009—and also to all thoroughbred horses,

whose birthday is Jan. 1 no matter when they were

born.  This is Rosie and her mom, who live on the

gorgeous horse farm next door to where I'm

staying—heaven for a former 10-year-old obsessed

with horses (who never totally got over it).