Central Park, one end of the 2-mile-long park just a few blocks from our hotel.
So .. Maria tends to start conversations and make friends with people wherever we are. Doormen, waiters, trumpet players, and birds who seem to be following her as we stroll through the park.
Yes, it’s possible to get lost in Central Park. We decided to head back, then walked past the same blossoming tree twice, got directions from a friendly local, turned in the opposite direction and followed a main road back to the corner where we’d started. LOL.
We found Cassidy’s Irish Pub on the way back and had a late lunch. My current favorite storefront with 3-D flowers up high:
An early evening glass of excellent red wine + dessert.
On a lark, we got up at 6 am, quickly put on warm clothes, walked a couple of blocks, went through security, and lined up along the barricades for the Today Show. From 6:30-7:00, a producer and two staff members prepped us for the show, did short interviews to find groups to feature, followed by little rehearsals and filming short clips.
When it began to rain, the staff brought out orange ponchos for everyone.
We were able to watch the entire show, with sound and without commercials, on a big screen. 8:01 – there we were on the big screen with my (in Maria’s words) “electrocuted hair”. Our rehearsed phrase, “Celebrating 50 years of friendship .. from Sacramento!” Smile and wave.
The hosts came out to film and visit.
All were friendly and gracious and walked the entire perimeter, chatting and posing for selfies. Fist bump with Al Roker:
Morning walk past St Patrick’s Cathedral side entrance
to Rockefeller Center:
Times Square. At lower left in the picture where sign says “tkts” was a list of Broadway shows with seats available. We got in the long line where Maria began a conversation with an oceanography high school teacher and his wife from Connecticut (btw, this happens wherever we go) which made the time go by quickly.
We were able to get some great seats (Orchestra center, Row 9) for today’s matinee performance of The Book of Mormon. We had just enough time for lunch at a Celtic pub before heading to the theater.
The Eugene O’Neill Theater.
Great show! After, we did a bit more shopping on 5th Avenue, then back to the hotel.
The morning view from our hotel room on the 25th floor.
We decided to check off my #1 wish – a trip to Mood Fabrics – just a 20 minute walk from our hotel. 3 floors of fabric – an overwhelming choice of fabrics – most of the bolts lay horizontal on deep shelves (like the upper right part of the picture) which makes searching for something special a bit challenging.
Since it’s impossible to find good buttons in Sacramento, this array was enviable:
A whole section of trims:
We walked back along 5th Ave and browsed in a few stores, Lulu Lemon and Saks Fifth Ave were impressive. In the afternoon, we went to the West Village for a food tour. Our guide, Amanda (red shirt):
First stop: Mamoun’s for falafel.
Bagel with cream cheese and scallions from Bagels on the Square:
Cupcakes from Molly’s Cupcakes:
Molly was a 3rd grade teacher before opening her shop which is decorated like a classroom including (well-anchored) swings at the counter. Also on the tour were friends of Maria’s from Lake Wildwood, Heidi and her mother-in-law Sheree. While all 3 of their husbands are golfing in Arizona, we are having fun in NYC!
The owner of the next restaurant is a 28-year old woman whose father had a newsstand for 30 years on the same site. When he retired, his daughter opened Taco Mahal. Because her father is Indian and her mother is Puerto Rican, the food she serves is a fusion of the two cultures. We had a delicious tikka masala taco:
There were many other points of interest along the way. Chumley’s was a speakeasy whose actual address is around the corner which is where the cops showed up during Prohibition. Meanwhile, the customers came out this door to mill around until the cops left. This is where the term “to be 86’d” came from:
The building from the tv show, Friends:
On the right, a public school. During the week, this street is blocked off so the kids have a place to enjoy recess.
The only wood-built house in Manhattan:
A “slice of pie” from Two Boots Pizza. “The Duchess”:
And, finally, a cookie from Chip City where cookies are always served warm.
Now stuffed beyond anything reasonable, we went back to the hotel to regroup. Later we met Sheree and Heidi at:
Sheree’s niece is the lead singer in a group called Young Me and the Moons. In 2014, a group of friends at Harvard Business School started a band performing hits from the 80s to make a little extra money. Now graduated and scattered across the country, they get together once a year in NYC for a one-night stand.
We were seated in the VIP section with family members and friends off to the side – yay.
Where will we land next? Stay tuned … a few hours later .. a couple of hints:
We settled in at our hotel – Lotte (pronounced LOW-tay) New York Palace in Manhattan – then walked a couple of blocks to have a beer and bite of food. We were quite tired having gotten up at 2:30 am PST.
For the past four weeks, in between everything else, I’ve been working on a lined coat using two colors of denim from my stash. I added a few embroidery details at the hem and the triangles on the upper pockets.
On Saturday, everyone came over for dinner at my house. I made lasagna and a maple walnut 3-tiered cake. Maple candied walnuts between the layers and on top.
at H Allen Hight. The first thing students do after they get their bike is the ABCQuick Check.
I had the red group for street rides. One class out of five:
Huge thanks for Rachel, Maria, and Paul who volunteered as sweeps for street rides:
When a student needs to go back to campus, one LCI goes along while two groups are temporarily merged. A “bicycle sandwich” – useful for teaching purposes:
Friday was the final day with three fun bicycle activities. I did the slow race but also tried out a running race where the student only holds onto the saddle.
I worked every day this past week teaching PRS at H Allen Hight School – 38 hours. The fifth grade classes are on the second floor at HAH – 26 steps. Admittedly, I haven’t worked this hard in a long time.
arletelouise 