Callooh! Callay! It was a beautiful day! And I got to get out and enjoy it a little bit.
Sunny blue skies and temps in the low 40's - just what the doctor would order to lift one's spirits and make the winter more bearable. I posted on my Facebook page that I was going to go out and enjoy some sun and my cheeky friend Claire from across the pond insisted that I needed "Pictures or it didn't happen!" Sheesh ... force me to take the camera out - the nerve!
So where to take the Nikon to prove that I was out enjoying my day rather than sitting at home and waiting for the next storm to hit? I know, down to the Thames River in New London where I could take pictures of birds in flight with the Gold Star Bridge in the background -
Or a fishing boat docked to unload it's latest catch -
Or the sunken rusted out hull of a what looks to be a former fishing boat that is now home to quite a few seagulls -
Or even better - the United States Coast Guard Cutter Eagle whose homeport is New London; which happens to be home to the United States Coast Guard Academy - a place I would really like to get some pictures of if I can ever figure out how to do so without trespassing on government property and ending up in the brig!
And let's not forget one of my favorite photography targets - trains! I managed to get these two pictures of Amtrak Acelas without having to wait for hours unlike my pursuit of the elusive New England Central Railway train!
After some coaxing Amanda decided to join me outside and sat in the car with her sketchbook while I snapped pictures. Part of the deal, though, was that I had to take her to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. I had offered to drop her off at the movies while I was out taking pictures but unlike a lot of other teenagers I guess she would rather go to the movies with her mother than alone (I will take that as a compliment whether she meant it that way or not!).
I must say that it's most definitely a different take on the Sherlock Holmes characters that I'm used to but that's perfectly fine by me! As it turned out, I rather enjoyed sitting in a darkened theater for two hours watching these two guys -
What is it Claire likes to say? Oh yes ... nom nom nom!!! Yep, I can be shallow with the best of 'em!
Hope everyone had a lovely Saturday and that your Sunday is great, too. It's off to work for me but that's okay as it's Chick Flick Sunday where this week we've got Slumdog Millionaire, The Secret Life of Bees and L.A. Without a Map - which stars David Tennant. Sounds like a good shift to me!
It hit 48 degrees at Bradley Airport, the official temperature center in Connecticut, yesterday and I missed it. Never set foot out of the house as I felt like Death eating a small cracker when I was rudely awoken by my stomach at 6:15 in the morning. I thought maybe if I went back to bed I'd sleep it off but alas, I still felt pretty lousy when I officially got up at 9:00. Lousy enough, in fact, to cancel my planned outing with my mother and spend the rest of the day in my robe and jammies sipping tea and nibbling toast.
What a total waste of a day off with the temperatures above freezing in January. Terrible timing on the part of my digestive system! That's what I get for eating all healthy foods on Thursday, I apparently shocked my system too much!
Ah well, the forecasters said last night that today was going to be another very nice day before a storm moves into the region tomorrow. They can't decide if it's going to be rain or snow so I'm going to hope for rain and expect snow! I'll be at work for 16 hours so it won't be bad for me as even if it's snow I won't be tempted to go out and shovel it! Plus there's no school on Monday so Amanda will have plenty of time to do snow removal should there be any.
In the meantime, I'm going to try to get out and enjoy the nice weather we've been blessed with today - I don't want to miss it two days in a row!
I've always found it rather sad that a Christmas tree goes from being this in all of its glory -
To this when everything is said and done-
It always gives me a twinge of guilt when the time comes to stick our former tree by the side of the curb and wait for the mulching to begin which may be part of the reason why it took me so long to finally get our Christmas tree out of the house this year. Well, that and I smacked myself a good one on the top of my head last week during the initial taking-down of the tree and it took me another week to finish the job! However, the living room is back to just being the living room now and I'm thinking the spot where the Christmas tree was would be an ideal place for a treadmill. No sense wasting all that space, right?
While I ponder that some more, everyone have a great Thursday but before you do that, please pop over to Captain Picard's Journal and ask the Captain to pass along birthday greetings to his good friend, Graham, who is celebrating - I hope! - over in England today!
I think there's probably a distinct possibility that I suffer from S.A.D. - Seasonal Affective Disorder aka the Winter Blues or Winter Depression. Some of the symptoms of S.A.D. may consist of: difficulty waking up in the morning (check!), tendency to oversleep as well as to overeat with especially a craving for carbohydrates which leads to weight gain (double chin check!). Other symptoms include a lack of energy (check!), difficulty concentrating on completing tasks (big check!), and withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities (well, little check on this one). Hmm, now that I look at all that, I may suffer from S.A.D. all year round!
Well, okay, maybe I'm not really that bad but I do know that I get pretty depressed when it's cold and overcast all the time and don't want to leave the house unless I absolutely have to (i.e., work and groceries). Not that I'm a great outdoor person either but there's something to be said about being able to grab my camera and head out looking for photo opportunities - something I really haven't had the inclination and/or chance to do in way too long.
With yesterday being bright and sunny and the temperature almost above freezing, I decided around 4 p.m. that I needed to stretch my legs so I bundled up and took the Nikon down to one of my favorite places - Indian Leap Falls and the railroad trestle where I've spent many an hour waiting futilely for a train to come by! I figured the area around the falls should be pretty well frozen and it was with the cliffs across from the lower falls being covered in a frozen mist that made them resemble very large pieces of frozen cauliflower.
Had I really been adventurous I would have tried hiking over to the area across from the falls just near the top of that picture and gotten a shot facing the falls but I figured with my luck it would be too slippery and I'd slide to my frozen death in the cold waters of the Yantic River below. Chances are good I'd have been a Popsicle floating down the Thames before Amanda realized I hadn't come home to make her dinner and sounded the alarm! See? Sometimes common sense does prevail in my head!
I ended up spending close to an hour walking around the area while hoping that maybe the Train Gods would have pity on me and send a New England Central Railway train trundling down the tracks but alas, no such luck and finally my fingers - even encased in warm gloves - told me it was time to go home so that I could sneak up behind Amanda and place those rather frozen fingers on her nice warm face! Bwahahaha!
It was nice to get out of the house into the sunshine and fresh air for a little while and take a few pictures which I have put into a collage for you below. Everything is of the frozen variety starting with the frozen Yantic River below the trestle in the left hand corner (which looks a lot like the picture I used on my Christmas cards this year!), the frozen embankment along the railroad tracks, the frozen water of the Lower Yantic Falls, a frozen view down into the falls, a frozen tree, more frozen cauliflower-likeness as a result of the frozen mist, a view to the frozen railroad trestle, a frozen flock of birds flying above, and in the middle - the frozen photographer! I believe if you click on the collage you can view it in a bigger version should you desire over on my Flickr page.
It's supposed to get up near 40 or 45 later in the week so perhaps I'll have the chance to go out and take some more pictures somewhere which I'm sure will help to make me happy and less S.A.D.!
Trying to think of positive things about all of this rather cold weather we've been having lately and one of the few that comes to mind is that the skies are certainly blue!
This picture shows the steeple at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Brooklyn, Connecticut which was built in 1771 and stands at the intersections of Route 169 and Route 6. I've always wanted to see the inside so perhaps one of these days I'll be able to catch one of their two services a month but in the meantime, if you'd like to see more pictures of this lovely structure, check out this link to Colonial Meetinghouses of Connecticut.
While you do that, I'm going to go check out how things are going at work on this cold January afternoon!
Now that I have stepped down off of that 911 soapbox that I tend to futilely climb up on every once in awhile, I can concentrate on a lovely little award that I received on Friday from Sher at Fashion After Forty. Sher is a fashion diva but not in that impossible Hollywood way that none of us could ever hope to attain! She's got a lovely wardrobe from places like Coldwater Creek, Newport News, Sears, JC Penny, Target and the like and she models some of it for us on a daily basis managing to look very chic and professional yet real all at the same time. Why, I bet she could even make the uniform I wear to work look great!
Anyhow, even though I am obviously not a fashion blogger, Sher passed on the
to me as I have my own "unique" style. Hmm, I wonder if that's a good thing?? Truth be told I've never thought of myself as having any sort of style (unless one counts sarcasm as a style!) but who am I to argue with a fashionista like Sher? Therefore I shall gratefully accept this lovely award and see if I can come up with the seven random things about myself that acceptance requires.
For the most part I am a fairly healthy person for which I am eternally grateful but for the last couple of days I haven't felt too good. I'm hoping it's just a passing something or other but in the meantime, the watchword is 'bleh'!
Even though I don't give a rodent's back end about what's going on in Hollywood or with the beautiful people I have taken to watching "Live with Regis & Kelly" lately. There are times when I think that Regis and I could have been separated at birth as his take on the world is so much like mine but he gets paid good money for his big mouth while I just have a blog!
Even though I have lived in New England for the vast majority of my life, I don't like the cold and am none too thrilled with my part of the country between January and March. I don't like to rush my life away but at this point - come on April!!
My first car was a 1975 Chevy Chevette and once my friend Carol (from my retro-post the other day) and I drove all the way out to Oklahoma City in it. What an adventure!
I used to know how to play Cribbage but have since forgotten as it was something that my ex and I used to play all the time but since we split up I've had no one to play with.
Speaking of no one to play with, I miss that Amanda is no longer in concert band as I enjoyed going to her shows. I've been meaning to go to the concerts anyway but without her being involved, I always forget when they are!
I seriously need to make an appointment with an eye doctor and see about getting a prescription for progressive lenses as I can no longer read anything without the help of a pair of "cheaters". Progressives would prevent me having to take my glasses on and off depending on what I was looking at so even though they're expensive, I think they would be well worth the money.
So, there you go - seven randomly pathetic things about me which were harder to write than I would have thought! I know I'm supposed to pass this award on but I'm feeling rather peaked so instead will be awarding myself with an early bedtime while I say thank you once again to Sher for thinking of me; it was very, very nice of you!
Yesterday morning the Today Show touched on a subject that is near and dear to my heart during a segment called "Today Investigates". The report from NBC's Jeff Rosen dealt with the results of a three-month investigation into "a dangerous flaw in the the Nation's Emergency 911 System" and began with Rosen saying, "when you call 911, you assume the operator is well-trained and that they can actually get you the help you need but some safety officials now tell us that the system you trust - the system we all depend on - may let you down when you need it most."
If you don't have time to watch the whole video, the investigation seems to have stemmed in part from an incident that occurred in October of 2007 when a young boy in Texas lost his life. Apparently what happened was that when his mother wasn't looking, the 21-month toddler went into his family's backyard, got his head tangled in their soccer net, and strangled himself. Upon finding her son, who had turned blue, the mother called 911 and was - naturally - hysterical. During the course of the 4-minute call the emergency dispatcher who took the call did not give the mother any medical advice and told her to calm down 11 times. Three days after the incident, the boy died at the hospital and the family is now suing the City of Murphy, Texas citing "... [lack of] adequate hiring standards, training, [and] supervision ... of its 911 operators."
The City Manager of Murphy said that the dispatcher was doing the job that he was trained to do trying to calm the caller down while also dispatching the ambulance, the fire department, and the police officers. When asked why the dispatcher was not trained in CPR, the City Manager stated that he was not required to be nor were any of the other 911 operators in Murphy, Texas. The City denies any wrongdoing in the case and says that CPR would not have saved the child but they have since changed their policy and now train all of their 911 operators in CPR.
The results of the 3-month investigation found 911 operators in 18 states in the country are not required to be certified in CPR and receive no 911 training requirements at all. Industry insiders said "...dispatchers dealing with life-threatening emergencies are treated like receptionists and often paid less" and without the training "what you get are major mistakes" but "... until Congress beefs up training and especially funding nationwide then lives are at risk."
Those of us who are 911 operators and dispatchers (telecommunicators) here in the State of Connecticut undergo rather rigorous training in accordance with the Connecticut General Statutes and must maintain that certification once we achieve it. In addition, the Connecticut State Legislature passed a law in 2005 which requires all medical calls coming into a Statewide PSAP (a Primary Safety Answering Point) or 911 Communications Center be handled under what's called an Emergency Medical Dispatch protocol. Those of us who provide Emergency Medical Dispatch are required to achieve and maintain certification in the protocols along with our Telecommunicator Certification.
The EMD protocol involves a series of questions so that dispatchers can determine:
What the medical situation is
If intervention is needed immediately
What resources need to be dispatched (EMS, Fire, Police)
How those resources should respond (lights and sirens or with the flow of traffic)
And if pre-arrival instructions need to be given to the caller (CPR, bleeding control, child birth, etc)
As a certified EMD for over six years now, I know firsthand that people DO NOT like us asking a whole series of blankety-blank-blank questions and just want us to have the blankety-blank-blank ambulance materialize in front of their house with the single push of a button but - unfortunately - it just doesn't work that way. There really is a method to our madness in asking all of those darnd questions and in the long run, those questions provide better care to our patients even if the caller thinks we are wasting time in sending them help. Trust me, we aren't delaying help at all - generally the other dispatcher has started the ambulance out long before the operator on the phone gets anywhere near close to finishing up those blankety-blank-blank questions and providing instruction. There is no delay involved whatsoever and I really wish that people could understand that. However, I also know that time seems to go into slow motion for those who are anxiously awaiting help for a loved one and that what may in reality be just minutes, very well may feel like hours to the person on the other end of the phone.
Had the tragic situation spoken about in the video above occurred in Connecticut rather than Texas, a trained and certified 911 operator would have done his/her best to calm the boy's mother down and then given CPR instructions in order to attempt to resuscitate the child prior to the First Responders arrival on-scene. Instructions are read from a specific script and not just rattled off the top of someone's head so you know that you are getting the proper help for whatever the situation may be. Pre-arrival instructions don't always work - sometimes the patient is too far gone - but I know that at the very least the act of doing something is giving the caller(s) the assurance in knowing that they did everything they could to help the patient.
Hopefully someday the rest of the country will follow suit when it comes to how 911 calls are handled and people will no longer hear 911 horror stories like this but will instead hear stories of how people were able to save the lives of their loved ones following the instructions given to them by a well-trained 911 operator who was able to do more than repeatedly tell the caller to calm down. Granted, calming down is half the battle with any emergency but a lot of times it's easier said than done. Knowing that you've got a trained professional on the other side of that three-digit line has got to help calm a person down some - or at least that would be my hope!
At the end of the segment Matt Lauer made a very strong and valid point ... "if any story should ever prompt people to go out and learn CPR, learn about poisoning prevention and things like that, it's this one - it really is." He is absolutely right. CPR and First Aid instruction is offered in so many places in so many communities that you really might be doing your family a disservice by not learning it yourself. Though you might think you'll never need it, you just never really know and just like insurance, it's better to have it there than not.
As for those 911 operators out there who have not had to undergo training and certifications, I most certainly hope that changes soon as I have no doubt that they can feel pretty darned helpless when someone calls who really needs help and they haven't been trained on how to give it. There is so much more to our jobs than answering the phone and asking "911, what's the address of your emergency?" and I, for one, wouldn't want to walk the tightrope of being a 911 dispatcher without having that safety net of training and certification under me. I am sure that operator in Texas in the story above felt absolutely horrible but I also know that he couldn't give that poor mother what he didn't have - the knowledge and resources to provide possible life-saving instruction.
Perhaps this was a tragedy that those 18 states can learn from. I sure hope so.
All of the posting the last couple days of pictures from my latest trip to New York City with Amanda got me to thinking about one of my very first trips to New York City when I wasn't much older than Amanda in September of 1977. At the time I had just barely turned 19 years old and was stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey which made it easy to hop on a bus and venture up to the Big Apple where I met up with my best high school buddy Carol, still only 18 years old, who had taken the train down from Connecticut.
We were getting together to celebrate my birthday a few days late as well as attend my very first Broadway play at the Helen Hayes Theater. We had chosen Equus as at the time it was starring Leonard Nimoy and Carol and I were admittedly big Star Trek fans which made it totally exciting for us!
Probably the only reason we chose Equus was because of Nimoy as the play itself is rather, uhm, disturbing you might say. Equus was written in 1973 by Peter Shaffer and it tells the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious/sexual fascination with horses. Pretty heavy material for a couple of teenagers especially considering there's full frontal nudity at one point; you've got to remember, 1977 was a totally different time as compared to now and those things were still pretty racy. I can still remember the older lady sitting next to me waking up at just that point in the play and gasping "Oh my goodness!" rather loudly!
Still it was quite the adventure for Carol and I and we had a wonderful time posing for pictures in front of the theater ...
... and then later visiting the Empire State Building where I posed for this picture at the top. The quality is pretty terrible as these pictures are pretty old and were taken with what I believe was a Kodak 110 Instamatic Camera - or something along those lines - so I have no idea if I was pointing at anything in particular or not but I have a feeling I was. I don't believe that was a typical pose for me!
Good Lord, and to think that I thought I was fat back then. What the heck was I thinking??
This picture of Carol was taken back at the Hotel Edison where we decided to stay for the night. That was back in the days when you could actually walk into a hotel and ask if there were any vacancies then get a room without having to lop off an arm and a leg to pay for it! I bet if Carol were to see this she'd be shocked at how young she looks, too!
Anyhow, this trip was just one of several that Carol and I took to New York City while I was living in New Jersey but it may be the only one that I have any pictures of. Obviously I wasn't attached to a camera back then like I am now which is too bad as the memories these pictures provoke are priceless. I can still remember how much we laughed when we went to open the window shade of our hotel room and it came crashing down off of the window or how shocked we were when Leonard Nimoy just materialized in front of us while we were taking pictures out in front of the theater. And what did my brilliant 19-year old mind come up with to say on such an auspicious an occasion? "Oh, it's you!" Duh ...
Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go feel old and fat!
Continuing down Fifth Avenue after leaving the Museum of Modern Art on Friday afternoon, the girls and I came across this statute of Atlas which stands in front of Rockefeller Center directly across from St. Patrick's Cathedral. As an interesting note, when the sculpture was first revealed it was protested by Catholics who thought it was inappropriate that a statute containing a semi-nude man be placed directly across from the cathedral. Obviously the protests did no good as Atlas is still standing in the same spot some 72 years later!
Installed in 1938, the sculpture was crafted in the Art Deco style - as is the entirety of Rockefeller Center. Atlas himself stands 15 feet tall and when you add on the celestial spheres that he's holding on his shoulders the whole sculpture tops out at 45 feet high - or as high as a four-story building. In other words, it's a tall statute!
Another wonderful piece of Art Deco is located at the main entrance of 30 Rockefeller Plaza - the relief sculpture of Wisdom which was completed in 1933.
Carved from Indiana limestone, Wisdom is 22 feet high and 14 feet wide and like Atlas, he was the product of one of the United States most prominent architectural sculptors - Lee Oscar Lawrie.
From Rockefeller Center, we decided to head towards Times Square to find something to eat and on our way I caught a glimpse of one of my favorite places in New York City - Radio City Music Hall.
I've only been to Radio City twice - the first time when we went to NYC for my 8th grade class trip way back in 1972 and once for their Christmas Show back in the early 1990's - but I'm hoping to go again one of these days.
I've got to admit, New York knows how to do it up right when it comes to Christmas lights so I'm going to have to make it a point to go back down that way again next Christmas and take some more pictures! I bet I could even fit in a trip to Radio City Music Hall again, too!
When we got to Times Square we had a chance to see the famous ball that drops on New Year's Eve to signal the beginning of the new year. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've watched it drop from the comfort of my living room and never once have I wished I was in the crowd of revelers who pack Times Square from one end to the other!
It doesn't matter how many times I go to Times Square, though, I still think it's totally cool in spite of - or maybe because of - the hustle and bustle that seems to be there 24/7. It just wouldn't be New York without it! I'm not sure if the girls feel the same way or not but I made them pose for a picture anyway. What you can't see but what was really cool was that there was still confetti swirling in the air above us from the New Year's Eve celebration the night before!
By the way, see the sign for the Marquis Theater up above Sami's head? I went to see Damn Yankees there with my cousin way too many years ago and it was one of the best Broadway shows I've seen - ever! I loved every minute of it and it didn't hurt that Victor Garber was playing the role of the Devil! I used to love to go to Broadway shows but alas, they have become way too expensive unless you sit in the nosebleed section and bring binoculars to see the stage. I really miss the annual trips that my cousin and I used to take, though. Maybe we need to resurrect that tradition.
After dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, we walked back past Bryant Park and the Crumbs Bake Shop that I posted about the other day on our way to Grand Central Terminal where Sami would catch the subway to her home in Brooklyn and Amanda and I would climb on board a Metro-North train back to Connecticut.
I had totally forgotten how close Grand Central is to another of New York's beautiful Art Deco-designed buildings - the Chrysler Building. New York just has so many beautiful old buildings that I could probably walk around for days and still not get tired of looking at them!
One last picture because I thought it was cool - this street sign is right outside Grand Central and I just loved all of the flags on it and the perspective of looking up - something you do a lot of in New York City!
All in all I'd have to say that it was a great way to spend New Year's Day and we were fortunate enough to have decent weather while we were there. It occurred to me as I was nodding off on the train on the way home that there was no snow anywhere in the city and even though forecasters had been predicting lousy weather, we actually saw the sun come out for a little while in the afternoon. No wonder people say "I love New York!"
Actually, the title of this post is probably fairly inaccurate as there was no actual "strolling along" possible when Amanda and I were in New York City on New Year's Day. The number of other people crowded on the sidewalks of one of New York's more famous streets made it downright impossible to stroll, saunter, leisurely walk, or amble. Instead it was more like being inside a pinball game and dodging people every step of the way!
Still, what does one expect when in New York during a holiday - particularly the day after a holiday where thousands of people cram themselves into a relatively small area to watch a ball descend and welcome in the New Year? After all, those people all have to be somewhere the next day, right? And there they were ... seeing the sights on Fifth Avenue just like we were!
But who can resist with some of the gorgeous buildings that were still decked out in their holiday finery? Like the House of Versace ...
... which is right next door to Cartier Jewelers (both places I will never ever step foot in as I doubt I could even afford to breath the air in either place!).
There's also this beautiful building (which houses I'm not sure what!) with its big snowflakes that I'm sure look fantastic lit up at night ...
... and, even though it wasn't decorated (scaffolding seriously does not count!) there's the renowned Saint Patrick's Cathedral whose cornerstone was laid in 1858 and massive doors swept open in 1879.
Upon its opening, Saint Patrick's was declared to be “the noblest temple ever raised in any land to the memory of St. Patrick, and as the glory of Catholic America” and it's pretty easy to see why people thought that way!
Just down Fifth Avenue a bit is the equally beautiful St. Thomas Church which was built in the French High Gothic style of architecture. The current church is actually the fourth building in the history of the Episcopal New York parish's history and was completed in 1913.
I wish that I could have gotten some pictures of the entire church but the crowds made it downright impossible to get more than a couple of shots of the entryways and some of the carvings that adorn the outside of the building.
Apparently guided tours are given each Sunday after the 11:00 a.m. worship service so I'm thinking I need to get a Sunday off at some point and head to New York to go to church so that I can see the beauty that is the inside of St. Thomas as well as listen to the music from the Chancel and Gallery organs that I'm sure is nothing short of heavenly.
Truth be told, I'm not a religious person (I prefer to think of myself as a believer and keeper of the faith without the trappings of organized religion) but I do appreciate the architecture and beauty that went into the houses of worship that people used to build. It's often been said "to God be the glory" and St. Thomas, as well as St. Patrick's Cathedral, certainly does give glory to God.
I'll be wrapping up our visit to New York with some final pictures tomorrow - hope you'll come back to check them out!
I knew that while we were in New York City on New Year's Day that there was another thing I really wanted to see aside from the MoMA ...
Hmmm, now what is that big thing that everyone wants to see when they come into New York City at Christmas time?
I'm pretty sure I've seen it on TV before - especially when we're watching the Today Show at work in the mornings.
Lots and lots of people flock to the City to see it - and I do mean LOTS of people!!
I know! It's the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center! Something that I had never seen in person before the other day and I've got to say that it's very, very impressive!
The girls didn't seem to be quite as impressed as I was but they were nice enough to pose in front of the Today Show studio windows for me as - yes - I can be just as much of a tourist as the next guy even though I try real hard not to act like it!
It's just a good thing that Matt, Meredith, Ann, and Al weren't in attendance at the studios or I probably really would have been acting like a tourist - a goofy one at that!
New Year's dawned not exactly bright and sunny here in Connecticut - more like gray and overcast! - but it was good enough for Amanda and I to head down to New Haven and board the Metro-North commuter train heading south to New York City.
The idea was to take the train down to Grand Central Terminal where this eagle sits proudly outside
... walk down to the Museum of Modern Art (herein referred to as the "MoMA")
... and meet up with Amanda's friend Sami who lives in Brooklyn, goes to college in Massachusetts, and was home on Christmas vacation. Amanda refers to Sami as her "brain twin" which makes it kind of scary for any accompanying adults!
Both girls - and Sami really is a sweetheart - are big fans of Tim Burton and there is currently a Tim Burton Exhibit at the MoMA that runs through April 26th.
The only snag that we ran into was that the Tim Burton Exhibit is in a smaller gallery section of the MoMA and in order to see it, you have to have a timed ticket. Due to the fact that every New Yorker and/or his/her brother/sister decided that New Year's Day would be a fine day to go to the MoMA ...
... the tickets for the Tim Burton Exhibit were sold out which would have defeated the purpose of the trip except that if one became a member of the MoMA, one could bypass that whole "timed ticket" thing along with one's guests. Ah well, I've always wanted to be a patron of the arts therefore, I am now a card-carrying member of the MoMA. Should anyone want to meet up in New York one of these days and spend some time at the MoMA, I can get you in for the low, low price of $5 and even share a few perks while we're at it!
Even with the timed tickets, the Tim Burton Exhibit was packed and there was no photography allowed so I can't show you any of it but suffice it to say that it was pretty cool. Along with his early drawings, there were also costumes from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Batman Returns, Edward Scissorshands, Beetlejuice, Planet of the Apes, and a few of Tim's other movies. The girls just loved the models from The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride, and several other films as well as other pieces of artwork on display. All in all it was worth the trip but I think a second trip will be in order in the hopes that maybe it won't be quite as wall-to-wall with people and we could spend a little more time looking at things without feeling crushed!
After the Tim Burton Exhibit we went over to where the Monet Exhibit is being shown and while the girls sat down and exchanged Christmas gifts ...
... I decided that I really, really enjoyed looking at Monet's Water Lilies and other paintings ...
I've often heard people talking about Monet and how peaceful his painting are but I never really paid much mind to that until I found myself gazing at the pastel colors blended together so perfectly that it really does bring on a sense of sereneness and peace.
Click on the picture above so you can see a bigger version as these pictures really don't do the paintings justice at all but considering all of the people milling around, I'm surprised I got even semi-decent shots! Again, I'd like to spend a little more time with these paintings on my next trip to the MoMA. I believe this exhibit is also there through early April so I'm thinking a trip down before they're no longer there is most definitely in order!
Even though there was a lot more that I would have liked to see, we didn't stay at the MoMA for too much longer as it was getting on in the afternoon and the place wasn't getting any less crowded - plus there were a few other spots I wanted to hit while we were in the City. Besides, now that I'm a Member of the MoMA, I'll be heading back down to the City for a little more culture at least a couple more times in the next year. No sense in rushing through everything all at once!
Pictures of some of our other New York sights will be along in the next post!
In between shoveling the fluffy white stuff that has been falling outside all day, thinking (merely thinking) about getting the boxes out of the basement to put away the Christmas decorations, and drinking copious amounts of coffee while spending too much time fooling around on Facebook, I have been trying to get myself motivated enough to do a post about yesterday's trip to New York City. I think I have the pictures edited but that's as far as I've gotten!
Not wanting to start the new year off by not posting the first rattle out of the box, I thought I should at least show you one of the things that I found in New York City yesterday that Jamie and I couldn't find anywhere when we were there last August ...
Yes, Virginia, there is a Crumbs bake shop across from Bryant Park! It's a tiny little place nestled in next to a FedEx store but it's definitely there and it's definitely got some fabulously big cupcakes in spite of the shop's small size.
Amanda, Sami, and I were on our way back to Grand Central Terminal when we passed it and of course I had to stop, take some pictures, and buy a couple of cupcakes to bring home with me. I bought an Oreo cupcake for Amanda and a coconut one for myself as I just love coconut and we had them with a nice cup of Earl Grey tea when we got home. Yummy! Of course, what I didn't tell Amanda is that was the last cupcake she's going to be getting for awhile as we're both going on a new eating regime very, very soon. Ah well, if you're going to have a "last" something it's always wise to make it a good one and this was definitely good!
Darned good thing the closest Crumbs shop here in Connecticut is a long, long ways from here - it's always better to have temptation like this too far away to easily get to! Perhaps next time we go to NYC it could be a treat as long as we're planning on walking it off again in the process!
Anyhow, I will do my best to get that other post up soon. I just have to try to remember where I put that darned motivation I'm always misplacing!
Not only is another year behind us but so is another decade and as we turn the page on a brand new calendar full of days, weeks, and months stretching out before us I hope that we all have a fantastic year full of good things and good memories with just enough not-so-good to keep us on our toes and thankful for all that we do have. After all, life is an adventure and I've yet to come across an adventure that doesn't have some form of trial or tribulation even if it's a minor one. It makes the journey that much more interesting.
Speaking of journeys, Amanda and I are heading south towards New York City today to meet up with Amanda's brain-twin Sami and check out the Tim Burton Exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. The plan is to take the Metro-North commuter train into the city from New Haven and meet up with Amanda's buddy from Brooklyn at Grand Central Station before tackling the city.
I've never been to the MoMA and am looking forward to checking it out as well as maybe taking in a few other New York City sights along the way. I'm rather hoping that most of New York will be sleeping off the big celebration in Times Square and the crowds won't be too bad but you just never know these days. The weather probably won't be the best in the world but I'll keep my fingers crossed for rain rather than snow and buy a nice umbrella if need be! I'll keep you posted!
Whatever you may be doing on this first day of 2010 I hope it involves family, friends, or some form of fun!
