Another Ordinary Day

My life in New York. That was initially the theme of this blog. And a theme that makes it hard to distinguish from an on-line diary I might add. I wish could argue this but I cannot.

I guess my certain goals are to keep my friends and family informed on what I am up to, learn blogging techniques, and practice writing every day.

Today was a great day to be alive in Manhattan.

I got up. Or grogged up as I go to bed way too late and never seem to awaken with a spring in my step. This being a good thing as I sleep in a loft and the spring in said step could maim me.

I went to the gym. Life - saver.

I went to the dentist.

Next to the barber I hate going to the dentist. With the barber it is the sitting still. (Notice any oil paintings of me? no. ) and with the dentist is the the flossing shame mixed with the stain shame with both being dwarfed by the receding gums shame. I floss everday and my stain is way down since I quit smoking. But the recession.

We are in one and I am in one of my own.

They keep on at me to get the surgery, but I keep refusing because of the cost. The financial person at my dentist always has a gruff exterior. And I think a pretty gruff interior to match. She is hard to penetrate. Socially. And we have a "same time every six months" relationship where you remember her, but she can't possibly remember you. This morning I asked "Is your son back from Iraq?" THIS made her whole day and she thanked me so profusely (what other word does one use here? I feel we are forced to use that one.) and told me that he was. This indeed was good news and proved once again my theory that people are as nice as you allow them to be. Anyway, later when the dentist said I have to deal with recession stat she knocked the price down even lower for me I feel because of our Iraq/son exchange and I now get to put ONLY $1000 on the credit card this Thursday when I go in to have wall reinforcements built from the roof of my mouth.

Where am I going with all this: I got up, I went to the gym, I went to the dentist... Heck you can and do that in any city. But it is the how and the what and the where that make New York City so FABULOUS. (Damn, the F word. Rarely use it. Less than the C word even.)

Stay with me here and you will see the difference. You can play along at home:

Waking up.

I got up in my 1892 brownstone with terrace overlooking the iconic water towers. I made coffee from Citeralla.

Working out.

I went to the historic Westside Y by Lincoln Center to exercise. The theatre there is in fact where Tennessee Williams premiered one of his plays.

A Dentist appointment.

I walked through Central Park by Columbus Circle to go to my dentist in a highrise on Central Park South.

A meeting.
I strolled from there to midtown to attend a meeting. I passed by the Christmas decor near Rockefeller Center and noticed that Hilary was just offered Secretary of State on a scroll by one of the major media outlets.

I love me Christmas balls.


Lunch.
Later I met my friends Helene and Daniele for lunch at MOMA. We had the corner table overlooking the sculpture garden.

I must do a quick MOMA aside. If your therapist ever says to you, "You need to be more international and anonymous." or "You could use some 1960's cinema verite in your life." Or "You need to not understand what you are looking at but look like you do." Or "You need to walk around and feel beautiful and pout more, but not over life, just pout." If you get any of these just walk around MOMA. You will feel it all and see some amazing art and installations. Am I alone in this?! I think not.


ArtA happening Me in my own art.



Commuting home.
I got out of the subway at Lincoln Center and there was this HUGE street party. I found out it is called Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square.

It was fabu. (nearly that word again.) I heard Cajun music, there were loads of people, Christmas lights and a tree and gangs of food booths from local restaurants serving amazing food for $1 or $2 dollars. I had turkey jambalaya (can you say repurposing?) and hot apple cider. Both were PERFECT for this cold winter night.

That is the thing about New York - festivals happen here seemingly out of nowhere.

My excellent dinner for $3.

(only this woman in foreground is not having a good time. Everyone else is.)

Evening plans.

I went to Chelsea to a screening of Revolutionary Road. There was a Q & A afterwards with Kate Winslet, Leo DiCaprio, Sam Mendes, Kathy Bates and others. It was wonderful. They were wondeful. What must it be like to be them?

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone - moderator, Sam Mendes, David Harbour, Leo, Kate...


So that was all of it -get up, work out, dentist, business, commute, relax - New York style.