New York City!

I love going to New York City!  I suppose if I had all the money in the world I would go much more often.  Until my lottery win comes in, I’ll have to settle for these occasional--but great!--visits.

A summary of this trip:  arrived in NYC to pouring rain and hail!  The shuttle let me out and the driver said the hotel was right around the corner; which it was if you count half a block as around the corner.  I arrived soaked through and through.  And they had Roger and I in a king room; while I'm very fond of Roger, I do not want to share a bed with him.  They had no more doubles, so we ended up in a queen room (don't say it!) with a cot; that actually worked out nicely as the cot was very comfortable--and Roger slept on it.  Mostly relaxing and wandering around that evening--once we dried off.  Roger's flight from Amsterdam was late.

The next day were the beautiful fountains at the 9/11 Memorial; very moving, too.  Then the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  The statue was closed as the pedestal is being remodeled and cleaned, but it was nice to walk around it.  Then to Ellis Island where we just took in one exhibit.  Each leg of the journey required standing in line for 30 to 45 minutes--three times standing in huge lines and there was no choice as that's the only way on and off the two islands; by the time we got to Ellis I was in a lot of pain.  Still, I did enjoy the cruise, but I was glad to be back at Battery Park.

That night off to see Ricky Martin and Elena Rogers in Evita.  Both called in sick and their parts were played by understudies!  Just my luck.  Of course understudies on Broadway are hugely accomplished performers, so we loved the show anyway.  But we had gone to see Ricky Martin perform.

Next day was the stunning visit to the terri-cotta warriors exhibit at the Discovery Museum.  These magnificent statues take one's breath away.  They stand about 7 feet tall.  Each face of the 2,000 or so statues is different (only five of the complete statues and a horse were on exhibit, though) is different.  It was truly awe-inspiring to stand in front of these statues.  And there were lots of other items exhibited from the site--including ancient Chinese sex toys.  Oh my!  Who knew?  Anyway, a great, great exhibit and I am so glad I had a chance to see these rarely exported items.

That night was the musical Newsies, probably the best of the three shows we saw.  Predictable plot, good, although not great, music, but I have never seen such dancing in all my life!  Wonderfully exciting.  Here is a sample--and this is the cast we saw (everyone showed up): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3vtPAFA6sY.  Just now seeing it again I found it moving; such a talented bunch of young men.  Imagine two and a half hours of this kind of dancing!  Truly a great evening and that alone would have been worth the trip.

The next day was rain all day, so we mostly stayed in and rested.  My knees and legs were really hurting by now.  Then that night was Peter and the Starcatcher.  What a theatrical experience that was.  It's a total slapstick fantasy.  The premise is an explanation of how Peter Pan came to be Peter Pan and how he ended up in Never Never Land.  I haven't laughed so much in the theater for years.  You can see a pastiche here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZj5yj8SDBA.  The guy who plays Black Stash won the Tony--and he was a delight.  It's not technically a musical, but there are some musical numbers.

The last partial day we loafed and packed and relaxed--much needed.

All told I loved the trip.  The only part that I hated was the standing in line at the ferry and the islands.  Liked to done me in.

And on a side note:  today is the anniversary of New York State granting marriage to same sex couples.  Congratulations, New York.  And those fundamentalist naysayers must just be beside themselves to see it working out so well--and lighting not destroying the whole state.  Nor Massachusetts, nor the other states granting this simple civil right.  Now, when will it come to the other states--and when will the federal government recognize such marriages--and eliminate that dreadful DOMA.  Somehow, I remain hopeful.

Undisturbed Memories

Yesterday, I was downtown at the library looking for a book I had just read a review of, Spider Silk, and glancing around the shelves, as I tend to do in libraries, I saw several volumes by Jean-Henri Fabre; I immediately had a flash back to the past.  Somehow, in elementary school I first ran across the works of this great French naturalist, and fell in love with his writing--enough that I decided to become a naturalist.  That didn’t happen, for reasons I’ll leave for another blog, but I was totally captivated by his books and read all I could find.  So yesterday I pulled one of Fabre’s books from the stacks, a dusty, rebound volume called Fabre’s Book of Insects, translated and published after his death in 1915.  From the look of the pages, I suspect this book has been in the library from its beginning.  I decided, with some hesitation, to check it out.

The hesitation comes from the few times I have tried to read books from my early youth: I have inevitably been disappointed, both with the quality of the writing and my lack of enthusiasm.  There has been, I fear, too many books under the bridge, to wildly mix my metaphors.  I tried The Wind in the Willows, and couldn’t get through it.  Some of the SF novels I devoured in those days have held up better, but many have not.

And some I have been too afraid to try.  If I had to pick the most influential author of those very early years it would without a doubt be Richard Halliburton.  I poured over the works of this mostly forgotten adventurer and writer, reading each volume multiple times.  I wanted to be him and follow him on his travels and, no doubt about it, I was more than a little bit in love with him, too.  So a few years ago I had a chance to purchase an autographed copy of  The Royal Road to Romance.  But I’ve never had the courage to reread it.  My memories of these books are . . . well, sacred, in a way, and I can’t bear the thought of reading them again after all these years and finding, perhaps, that he wasn’t as good a writer as I remember, or the adventures are not as exciting.  I like to think I’m not hooked on the past, but in this case, at least, I want the past to remain unsullied.  I don’t see myself reading The Royal Road to Romance any time soon.

Thus I picked up the Fabre with great misgivings.  And I am delighted to report that the book is just as wonderful as I remember!  Fabre was a self-taught naturalist, and he always wrote from an autobiographical point of view--he is always a part of his reporting with no attempt at objectivity.  And his writing is as rich and personal and inventive as any modern naturalist.  What a pleasure to read this book again and be delighted just as much as I was 60 years ago.

Here’s a quote from Fabre’s Book of Insects, one that captures what I’m talking about; this is the closing of the chapter on cicadas:  “Four years of hard work in the darkness, and a month of delight in the sun--such is the Cicada’s life.  We must not blame him for the noisy triumph of his song.  For four years he has dug the earth with his feet, and then suddenly he is dressed in exquisite raiment, provided with wings that rival the bird’s, and bathed in heat and light!  What cymbals can be loud enough to celebrate his happiness, so hardly earned, and so very, very short?”  Wow!

So, maybe I’ll open up The Royal Road to Romance soon.  Or maybe not.  I want Richard Halliburton enshrined in my memory as he was then, untarnished by the passage of my time.

All Good Things . . .

Today was the last day for Savor the Flavor, the local coffee house that has made such a huge difference in my life.  I am terribly sad to see it close, but I am heartened by two things: one is my friendship with the amazing owner of Flavor, Geri; and second is that I am excited for Geri as she moves on to a new adventure in her life.

Geri has had Savor open for eight years; I’ve been going about four.  In the last three or so I’ve become a regular--as in every day except Sunday, sitting in the same corner, drinking the same coffee.  “The Old Man in the Corner,” as Geri affectionately calls me.  Going to Savor every morning has become a ritual I delight in.  And I’ve met some wonderful people there, too, most I hope to continue to see semi-regularly, wherever we end up having our morning coffee; others have become close friends, and we’ll stay in regular touch.

But besides having a great coffee shop, Geri has had a greater impact: she has changed the community.  Many of the regulars have lived near each other for some time, but through Geri, and Savor, they have become friends.  Geri has made a difference in the community of Lincoln Park.  And we are all grateful.

Geri’s approach to customers was unique for a business.  She introduced herself to every customer and asked his or her name.  After two or three visits, she would remember your name.  She always had a smile and made everyone feel like they were special.  So many businesses could learn from Geri.

Today was the last day.  I made it by twice.  I had intended to stay to the bitter end, but my lousy knee was in terrific pain today--I could barely walk.  So I hobbled home before she closed for the last time.  That’s probably just as well.  I’m a sentimental old fool, and I would have been in tears, no doubt.
 

I wish you luck Geri.  And I know that wherever you go and whatever you do, you’ll continue to make a change in the world--a change for the better.

Love you, Kiddo!