Thursday, April 30, 2009

Onward, General!



William Tecumseh Sherman, that is, being led by an allegorical
figure who represents peace.  They can be found in Grand Army
Plaza (not this one, but the one by the southeast entrance to
Central Park).  It was so named not because of its size, but for
the Grand Army of the Potomac (i.e., the Union Army).

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

abc Wednesday — O is for "om"



Not the sort of thing one expects to find
in Italy perhaps—but the savvy glassblowers
on Murano aren't exactly marketing their
wares to the locals. (I like it because it
matches my tattoo.)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

"The River"



For some reason, when I'm taking a photo of
a painting or piece of sculpture I like to zoom
in on a hand if I can.  This one belongs to
Aristide Maillol's "The River," which lives in
the sculpture garden at the museum of
Modern Art.  Here's a much better 
shot of the whole thing.

Monday, April 27, 2009

going out on a limb



Another perfect day in the garden 
(although the cherry trees aren't quite in 
full stunning gorgeousness just yet).
Here's what I love about the BBG: It's so
accessible.  It's not too big, and you're
welcome to lie in the grass, touch the plants,
stick your nose in the roses and lilacs—and
even climb the trees.  That's a real treat for
a backyard-less, apartment-dwelling kid!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

big apple in bloom



If you wanted to sell an apartment on this
block, this would be the week to do it,
don't you think?  (And that's the library
in the distance—I've shown it to you

Saturday, April 25, 2009

the night shift



Sometimes it seems as though they never
ever clean the subway stations, but as you
can see . . .
I've even seen them using big hoses to
power-wash the walls across the tracks.
Of course, all this scrubbing takes place
in the wee hours after midnight.

Friday, April 24, 2009

love is in the air



Pollen too, no doubt—but they don't care!
It's amazing I got this photo, considering
the hordes of people in the immediate
vicinity.  But this was such a private little
moment in the midst of all that.  Well, I
guess it's not so private now.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Nike of Samothrace



AKA "Winged Victory," my all-time favorite
thing in any museum anywhere (if I had to
choose, that is).  There was a time when the
Louvre was free every Sunday, not just once
a month, and I would try to get there every
week, even if all I had time to do was stare
at this for a few minutes.  Maybe that's why
this is my favorite moment from one of my
favorite movies.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

abc Wednesday — N is for "nice"



Although perhaps "nice" is understating it when
you're welcoming your baby boy home from Iraq!
This is my cousin Beth and her youngest son, Ben.
This was his return home on leave, and now he's
home for good (though he does have to stay in the
Reserves for a few years, so keep your fingers
crossed). It was indeed a VERY nice moment, and
I was so happy to be there for it.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

you got a problem?



The laptop, with all the photos, won't connect to
the Internet, and the desktop won't upload any more
photos . . . and I have this little blog I'd really like
to post to.
Hey, I have a spare room—maybe some young computer
whiz would like to move in and be my own personal
techie. I do realize that in the grand scheme, mine is
not exactly a tsunami-sized dilemma, but still . . .
(did I mention it's been pouring down rain all day?)

Monday, April 20, 2009

園 *




* Which, as some people probably already know,
means garden.  This is the lovely, tranquil
Japanese garden that's set within the Brooklyn
Botanic Garden.  It's one of my favorite places
in any season, but right now—wow!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

it's a good day



. . . to come out of your shell and
enjoy the gorgeous spring weather!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Atlas shrugged



. . . and we all know what happened then. 
 Here's the well-known statue on Fifth Avenue, 
right across the street from St. Patrick's Cathedral 
and in front of the International Building
 (part of the Rockefeller Center complex).

Friday, April 17, 2009

los hermanos Cubanos



This sign—put up at Lexington Ave. and 38th
Street by in-your-face Rudy Giuliani about 12
years ago—honors a group of Cuban exiles who
used to look for people trying to flee Cuba by raft.
Later, they flew into Cuban air space to drop leaflets
and two of their planes were shot down. Here's the
thing:  The permanent Cuban mission to the UN is
also at Lex and 38th.  They made a big stink at the
time, and I actually thought the sign was gone.
Guess NYC doesn't back down so easily.
 (Hey! You tawkin' to ME?")

Thursday, April 16, 2009

3D Impressionism



When I saw this from down the street,
I admit it—myopic me was fooled for
more than a few seconds. If you like
J. Seward Johnson's work, there's more here.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

abc wednesday — M is for mountains



Alps, actually. Took this from the plane
(obviously) on the way from Paris to
Venice.  Who knew they were so blue?

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Sometimes it's spot on . . .



For example, yesterday that young woman
spoke to him, and his advice to her was to
wear boots and a short skirt today.  Would
you take advice from this guy?

Monday, April 13, 2009

buds



Not that many trees in Manhattan. So I did my bit to 
save some by doing my taxes online today.
Thanks, TurboTax (and thanks to the ex for his help)!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

flowers



They had a very nice selection at the Union
Square greenmarket this week.  All the
others featured bad spelling ("Easter lillies,"
"Ester lily"), so I chose these for you. 
 Now I just need to use my two lips 
to wish you a Happy Easter!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

skateboard



The board is belly up, but this guy just
keeps going anyway!  Skateboarding always
looked like fun, but I've never tried it (it also 
looks like a surefire way to break your butt).

Friday, April 10, 2009

Move over, Lance!



Hey, you think he would?
Another gorgeous day like today, and Fury2
(named for the bike I had when I was 10, which
was named for the horse in a '50s TV show) is
coming out of the basement bike storage and
taking me for a nice canter in the park.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

5 Pointz



I hate graffiti, but I love graffiti art. This old
warehouse in Long Island City (in Queens)
is a major mecca for taggers.
(And I took this through the subway window,
which was marked up by a no-talent "scratcher.")

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

It won't be long now



. . . before this boatyard down on the
Jersey Shore will be up and running
for the season and boats will be tied
up cheek by jowl.  To tell you the truth,
I rather like it this way.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

window shopping



or not.   Because I just have to say:  I really really
DON'T want it.  At all.  Any part of it.  No, no, no!
Show your arms?  Hey, who do I look like? 
 Michele Obama?
On the other hand . . . those big red sexy exclamation
points are pretty darned compelling.
So maybe if they say it one more time . . .

Monday, April 6, 2009

The U.N.



The Secretariat building, to be exact. Where
there will no doubt be a lot of discussion in
the next few days and weeks about North
Korea's little stunt. What is it about those
insane fanatical-dictator types that they
just can't seem to play by the rules??

Sunday, April 5, 2009

a tree grows in Brooklyn



. . . right across the street from my place.
It's a sycamore, and this little guy just
moved into his new home—can't you
tell how house-proud he is?
P.S. -- he got it for a song!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Downtown Sunset



It rained cats and dogs all day.  Then it all
cleared up long enough for a fireball
sunset, then started pouring again.
Lesson:  You have to be in the right place
at the right time—with a camera.

Friday, April 3, 2009

dwarfed



These buildings in Tudor City look like
they're about to be inundated by a big
steel and glass tsunami.  I checked:  A
lot of these cars have diplomatic plates.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

on the avenue I'm takin' you to



You can stand on a little bridge that runs
over 42nd Street at the eastern end, and
see all the way to New Jersey (13 long
blocks and a river away).
Nice view, I think, and not just because
it includes my fave NYC PTDD building.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Theme Day



Okay, I'll play along.  Today's theme is "yellow"
and here's NYC's iconically yellow thing. 
So why does it make me think of PHX-CDG?