what about the plastic animals?

Trees and Sky

Trees and clouds in Central Park this afternoon.

If You Need Help With The SNOW!!!!!

Seen on Morningside Ave this morning.

Luckiest Car in New York

Unlike these guys I got lucky in that the wind made sure there wasn't much snow on my car.  This picture was from Monday morning.  Most of that snow was gone by today.  It took a couple of attempts to get over the pile of snow but I was quickly off to work this morning.

Did anyone listen to NPR this Sunday morning?  Somewhere south of Hartford they had an interview with a judge who had gone on a thank you note writing binge and was now trying to cash in with a book of those notes.  The interview was extremely superficial and glossed over weird parts of the judge's story.  The first note he wrote was to his son, but he did not know his son's mailing address.  You might think the interviewer would be curious as to why a father doesn't know where his son lives but she kept going as if this was perfectly normal.

The judge then had brunch with his son.  At that brunch the son repaid his father several thousand dollars that he had borrowed.  The judge did not recall loaning his son the money.

Several thousand dollars.

Would not the next question be "Wait.  You don't remember loaning your son several thousand dollars?"  I mean, how do you not ask that question?  That question was not asked.  The interview went on and became more mawkish.

Soon the deadliest phrase on public radio "Joining us now is Weekend Edition Pu..." - that's how long it takes me to switch stations - came on and I was once again enjoying the greatest hits of the '70s played for the millionth time.

Peek-A-Boo

That was a nice blizzard!  I started out very early yesterday morning and arrived home about twenty minutes before the snow started falling.  Luck or meteorological perspicacity?  Later in the day the weather wasn't fit for man or beast but these two ducks (actually there's a third duck just outside the frame) in Harlem Meer didn't seem any worse for wear.

Three Holiday Bikes

These three decorated bikes are on the Broadway side of the Flatiron Building.

Time for another break.  There are presents to wrap and miles to drive.

Merry Christmas everyone!

At the Westin St. Francis

My room at the Westin St. Francis was pleasant, if a bit stuffy.  There was a chandelier above the bed!  I don't know if I've ever stayed in a room with a chandelier before.  The southern view wasn't anything special.  I believe the hill in the background is Potrero Hill.

The sign on the "refreshment center" was a first for me.  Not that I've ever paid for it, but I understand how the captive market of a tired hotel guest lets them get away with huge price mark-ups on pretzels and soda.  But to threaten a guest should they so much as open the door and move a soda?  That's not hospitality.  Wouldn't they make a lot more money if they just charged every guest an extra dollar a night and not worry about someone removing a soda so they can put a yogurt in the fridge?

Oh, man, writing that last sentence it occurs to me that I forgot to have a little crock of the awesome Saint Benoît yogurt on this trip.  Maybe next time!

Riding the Cable Car

It was a good trip to San Francisco.  I worked a little, shopped a little, went touristing with friends, ate a lot, took the ferry to Sausalito, rode the BART, rode the trolley and went on two cable car lines.  Here's a video of the ride from Stockton to Grant on the California Street line.

 

Blanket of Brown

These leaves, which I found on a tree on Morningside Drive behind St. John the Divine, look like they are some sort of oak.  The closest I could find in the New York City Trees book is Swamp White Oak.  I am not entirely convinced that is the case but I don't have an alternative.  Does anyone know what they are?

I'm off to San Francisco bright and early, more accurately dark and early, tomorrow morning.  I should be back here in a week or so.

Also In Cooperstown

A few other sights from Cooperstown.  The extravagantly aforelocked James Fenimore Cooper, son of the town's founder and namesake, is next to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  The rare plaster cast of Cooper's torso was on the other end of Main St.  An exuberant Brooklyn Dodgers fan, Stanley Bleifeld, sculpted both Johnny Podres and Roy Campanella in honor of the Dodgers' only World Series title.  Bleifeld gave the sculpture to the Hall of Fame.  Finally, no comfy mall or department store for Cooperstown kids!  If they want to see Santa they've got to stand in line outside. 

Otsego Lake

Busy tonight.  Have a look at Otsego Lake from Cooperstown.