The Plaza

Things have changed a bit here, since it
was built 102 years ago, and a single room
cost a whopping $2.50 a night!  Apparently,
the Vanderbilts were the first to sign the
register.  Now, you can't even get a cup of tea
in the Palm Court for $2.50.  Even so, I still
like to come here and channel Eloise and her
turtle, Skipperdee.

skate while there's still ice

They're getting rid of it sometime in early April,
so make like Dorothy Hamill (or Scott Hamilton)
while you can.  Used to skate here when I was 4 (!),
under the watchful gaze of Prometheus.
And do (or did?) you skate?

Argosy Book Store

This place has been around since 1925.

Not exactly a discount bookstore, but

there's always the classy "bargain bin"

out front.  Sorry now that I didn't buy the

Albert Schweitzer book.  Maybe I'll go

back and see if it's still there.

Fontana di Nettuno in Bologna

Speaking of pointy-topped doo-dads! I lived
here for a while, and love this outrageous fountain.
As the pope said when he heard about it, "It's good
enough for Bologna." Thought my laptop was fixed,
but when I turned it on my dock had disappeared.
My advice to anyone buying a computer: Pay for the
extended warrenty (so glad I did)!

back in business

I hope. Went to the flagship Apple store on 5th Ave.

(where you can buy, learn, or fix anything Mac) this 

morning and wound up being there for 3 hours.

Gotta say—those kids really are geniuses, and they

went above and beyond for me today.

As a bonus, on the way out I stopped on the

glass staircase and saw a building with a

pointy-topped doo-dad on top for Shell.

Asia?

No, Flushing—which is in the borough of Queens.

Used to live there and still go back to see friends

and eat the best dim sum.  Flushing was the site

of two World Fairs ('39–'40 and '64–'65) and is

home to Shea Stadium, where the Mets play.

Currently it's also known for having the largest

concentration of Asian-Americans—99% of the

Asian-Americans who live in Queens live here.

spring has sprung

At least on the windowsill in my office.  On the

other hand, this is an amaryllis, which I always

associate with Christmas—but it decided to

bloom full out on the 1st day of spring.  Nice.

[I'm not sure what you guys will get from me in

the next week.  My laptop—where my photos mostly

live—is currently fekakte (more Yiddish for Eric)

and iPhoto has gone missing (oy vey!).  Will do 

my best with what's on the desktop.]