what about the plastic animals?

Christmas Morning

Dan, Zoe, and Emma

Judy and Emma

Zoe and Emma

Emma

Zoe and Santa Pez dispenser

For Christmas I went to visit my sister and her family.  I managed to have my presents wrapped before leaving this year but I did have to drop a few Christmas cards off at the Rocky Hill, Connecticut post office.  Soon after arriving at Judy's we headed up the street for a superb Christmas Eve dinner with Nancy, Adam, Sam and Eliza.  I was awakened the next morning by someone who was very excited that Santa had arrived.  Judy and Dan hosted a Christmas brunch later in the day.  There were fresh Cape Cod clams and oysters as well as much ham, scalloped potatoes, egg and sausage bread pudding/quiche, and four different Danish pastries to be had.

It won't be much of a passage way for a day

Times Square passage way near the 1/2/3 lines (by Jack Beal's "The Return of Spring/The Onset of Winter" mosaics.)

Times Square passage way near the N/R/Q/W line

Then again, it hasn't been much of a passage way for a year or two.  Walking through the Times Square subway station yesterday morning I almost stopped to take a picture of the sign in the bottom photo when it read "Dec 29, 2005" figuring it would change.  Little did I know that the date would be pushed back by later that afternoon.  The original re-opening date was July 2005, then September, then November, then December 19th, then December 29th, now January 28th or 29th.

The Perfect Day

I did not do much today.

Tomorrow promises to be busier.  A hot pastrami sandwich at Katz's is calling my name.

Happy Holidays! No diversions scheduled.

The MTA may not have any diversions scheduled but I do!  I'll be away for a few days.  Merry Christmas everybody!

Two Hats

A photocopy of my winter hat and my winter hat.

Holiday Display Modifications

Orang of La Mancha

Stegosaurus with ginger snap

But for a couple of exceptions, one of which can be barely seen in the top photo, I put the animals out in a mostly random fashion.  I like it when people start re-arranging them, like putting the orangutan on top of the donkey.  Even better is when the animals get fed.  Ginger, coconut and sesame are big flavors this year.

Previously:  First Glimpse at Holiday Decorations.

Into the Brine

After ten days of soaking in water the fresh olives started looking and smelling like cured olives.  This evening I began soaking them in a brine of one quart water and one-quarter pound of salt.  You don't want to drink water that salty, trust me. 

Full disclosure:  The olives aren't soaking in Aunt Mary's lasagna pan as pictured above.  I put them in a big plastic jug so the olives would be totally immersed in the brine.

Interesting fact:  Olives are more dense than tap water, they sank to the bottom of the pan.  As you can see, however, they are less dense than very salty water.

Previously:  Olives at the market.

Staring Across the Street

morning exhaust

no exhaust

lots of exhaust

Staring at the building exhaust across the street one day I got to wondering what the exhaust would look like if they were averaged over time.  Would the exhaust be skinny or spread out?  Would there be a bright spot or would it be a dull gray?   One, warmer, night a few weeks ago, I took a bunch of fifteen second exposures of the exhaust.  A few of them are in the montage above.  Full size pictures are in a flickr set.

Bike with Cupcake

Is there anything more cheery than finding a cupcake sitting on the seat of an abandoned bike?  No, there is not.

Further west on Bleecker Street an SUV stopped in the middle of the block.  The driver gestured toward the Magnolia Bakery and asked to nobody in particular "Why is everyone standing in line back there?"

A guy walking in front of me replied "A lot of people think it is famous so they stand on line for a cupcake."

I passed on the bike cupcake and the cupcake bakery and had a spicy hot chocolate from the Chocolate Bar instead.

Harlem Goes Upscale?

When I first saw my apartment building five years ago it was still under construction.  Driving down Lenox Ave that day I distinctly remember seeing the building above at 120th St.  I remember it because it was being renovated and had a "NASA Construction Co." sign on the scaffolding.  Not much was different with this building when I moved here four years ago.  A couple of years after that still not much had happened.  Someone said the developer had run out of money. 

Renovation must be close to complete.  Within the past few months the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company has moved into the building.   I peeked inside yesterday and, much to my surprise, there was a display case filled with caviar.  Caviar!  Just what Harlem has been clamoring for!  We don't have decent grocery stores or dry cleaners, and Amy Ruth's is bankrupt, but at least we'll be able to get one of the last tins of $200/ounce imported beluga caviar.  According to the NY Sun, Emperor's Roe Gourmet Emporium and Caviar Bar will be opening very soon.  The Times says the store is stocked with "caviar, smoked fish, foie gras, cheeses, pâtés, tinned delicacies like escargots, olive oils and various condiments" and that the owner also plans to open "a lounge and silvery tasting bar".