HOME, SNOW AND THE LAST POST

We have our last visit with Hannah in her apartment.  She is cleaning and packing and very excited about her visit to her friends at "Western" in London, Ontario. She leave NYC on Thursday morning returning Sunday evening.

When we return to our apartment we say goodbye to the doormen, superintendent and maintenance man in our building.  They have all been very good to us while we have been here in NYC.
We get ALL of our suitcases downstairs and into the car which arrives at 5.30pm.  We have 3 suitcases all just barely under 50 pounds.  Cathay Pacific still allows us 2 suitcases each, 50 pounds each, to be checked.   We also have Terry's guitar and 2 carry-on suitcases a backpack and a handbag.  It takes us an hour to get to the airport.  I thought it might take longer as the roads were very busy.  We get checked in with no problems and head to the gate.
Our flight home was uneventful and we arrive in Vancouver just after 1 am.  We arrive at our home at 2am.

                          OUR HOME NOVEMBER 25TH  2010  AT 11AM

                                      OUR STREET NOVEMBER 25TH 2010


We had a wonderful time living in Manhattan but it is very nice to be home.  Roision has done an amazing job looking after our house and yard.  She raked leaves and shoveled snow.  I did not anticipate the snow thing when I left on August 24th!!!!  Our house is spotless.

I have enjoyed writing this blog and look forward to rereading it at a later date to refresh my memory of the adventures of the "2 Canadians on the Upper East Side"

I thank you for reading it.

GOODBYE

LAST DAY

Dinner last night was lovely.  We went to a restaurant right around the corner from our apartment. "Bistro 61"  It was very nice.  Our 2 hosts were very nice and seemed very pleased to have had Terry working with them.  It was interesting talking to them and realized, like most of us, they do not take advantage of living here.  They do not go to the museums or the Broadway shows.  I guess when your life is full of your professional and family commitments those things seem to pass you by.  I need to get myself off to the Art Gallery and museums in Vancouver.
After dinner Hannah joined us in our apartment to watch "Glee" after which she went home.

This morning Terry and I have been taking things in and out of suitcases.  We have too much stuff.  We are allowed 2 suitcases each and 50 pounds in each.  The problem is, Terry brought his guitar so that is taking the place of one of our allowable suitcases.  We will leave some things in Hannah's very small apartment and pick them up the next time we come to NYC.  We will try to pack things under her bed as I do not want to take up any more of her limited space.

We will head off to Hannah's in a short while.  We will not stay long, it is too hard saying goodbye.
I know she will be home soon.


I will let you know how our flight home is before signing off on this blog.

MONDAY AND BUDDAKAN NYC

Monday was Hannah's last day of school for the Thanksgiving break.
I meet her at her apartment around 4.30pm.  Prior to that I spent the day clearing out things that I do not need to bring back to Vancouver and moving suitcases from upstairs to downstairs.  Hannah suggested that we go out to dinner.  Terry cannot join us as he has a meeting until 7pm and then a conference call at 8.30pm.  Don't worry, I make supper for him before I go out.  We go to one of Hannah's favorite restaurants,  "Buddakan NYC"  I have been twice before with Hannah.  She tells me it was featured in the Sex and the City.

                                HANNAH COMING DOWN THE STAIRS AT
                                                                        BUDDAKAN

                                                   BUDDAKAN

After dinner, which was wonderful, Hannah and I share a cab.  She gets out at her apartment and I return to ours.

TUESDAY   more cleaning and packing.  Oooooo  it's a tight squeeze.   We have been invited out to dinner tonight by two of the surgeons that Terry has been working with.  They have chosen a restaurant that is just around the corner from our apartment.  Hannah will come join us.  I will tell you all about it tomorrow.

Talk to you soon

FLORIDA

We set the alarm for 4.30 am but in reality I am awake at 2.30 am.  We fly to Tampa and  arrive at Terry's mom's place in time for lunch.   She has some delicious soup ready for us.

Our first stop in the afternoon is to visit Lokey KIA dealership.  Terry's mom is looking for a new car and is interested in a "KIA" 

She test drives a couple of models and decides on a red "Forte"

                                     AT THE LOKEY KIA DEALERSHIP

                                   MADGE PHANG IN HER NEW FORTE

Next, for Madge Phang, is a visit to the AT & T store to look at an IPad.  

She may be the coolest Grandma in Florida.

                         GRANDMA AND HER IPAD

For supper this evening we head to Indian Rocks Beach  and go to a restaurant called "PJ's"

                                              PJ'S AT INDIAN ROCK BEACH

                                              FUNNY GUYS OUTSIDE PJ'S


After supper we head home where Terry gives his mom an IPad lesson.

SATURDAY - we are up and back to the KIA dealership to pick up the car.  Terry finds what he would like for Christmas.

                              CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR TERRY MAYBE?????


OK - so I am just kidding - but I had to take a picture.


We attend Mass at 4 pm at St. Justin Martyr in Seminole, Florida                              

                                        OUTSIDE ST. JUSTIN MARTYR

                                         INSIDE ST. JUSTIN MARTYR


We head back to Indian Rocks beach to catch the sunset.  The sunsets in Florida are beautiful

                                          FLORIDA SUNSET

                                                   FLORIDA SUNSET

                                        TERRY AND HIS MOM

We have supper tonight at a place called "Keegans" just  further up the road from PJ's.
We head home and continue with the IPad lessons.
Off to bed for a good night's sleep.  No honking of horns, which is constant in NYC,  but I do hear 3 emergency vehicles.
Anyway, until tomorrow

SUNDAY - Terry's mom has a neighbor who lives across the way from her.  She calls him Georgie Porgie.  He is very helpful to her and looks after her home when she is in Minnesota.  He comes for a visit.  He had been shopping for new clothes and comes to show us.  He looks very dapper.

                                                  GEORGIE AND MADGE

  Terry's mom drives her new car to the gas station and we fill it up before we head back to the Lokey KIA dealership.  We have some papers we need to hand in.  She looks so good in this car and it fits her so well.  I think she is going to love it.
We drive to a fishing village called Tarpon Springs.  There are lots of Greek restaurants and bakeries here.  The village is 100 years old.  It is beautiful.

                                        TARPON SPRINGS

We have lunch at a Greek restaurant called "Hellas" before heading home to pack up.
We leave for the airport at 3.30 pm for a flight back to New York City.
It was a lovely weekend.

Talk to you soon.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

Thursday,  Hannah, Terry and I go to Radio City Music Hall to see the "Christmas Spectacular".  It was a lot  of fun and something I think you should see if you get the chance.

                  3D GLASSES NEEDED FOR PART OF THE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

                                        ROCKETTES

                                        ROCKETTES



The city is gearing up for Christmas - even the buildings are are being "dressed"

                                BLOOMINGDALE'S

                                        CARTIER

                                        FENDI

We have trouble, again, trying to get a cab for Hannah.  We walk a few blocks and eventually get one for her on 5th avenue.   She returns to her apartment and we to ours.

We go to bed - for a few hours as  we have an early morning flight.

WEST SIDE STORY

Wednesday night Hannah come up for supper.  We are so excited.  She wears her new coat from "Zara's"

  
                              HANNAH IN OUR APARTMENT IN HER NEW COAT

Ater supper we head off to the theatre.  Interestingly enough we cannot get out of the subway on 49th we need to walk a little underground and come out at 47th.  The theatre we are going to is on 47th so it is not a problem.  We still do not know what was going on but this is what we saw.

                
                                               49th and 7th - TIMES SQUARE


There are fire trucks and police cars - no ambulances so I think that is good.  New York is never boring.

We head to the theatre and see "West Side Story"  Hannah really enjoys it.  Terry and I think it is "ok"  I do like the dancing.  We agree that it is probably time for it to leave Broadway.  It finishes in January.

After the theatre we look for a cab for Hannah.  In the past, it has never been a problem, but tonight we cannot find an empty cab.  Amazing, in New York City.   It is 10.45pm and I really do not feel comfortable letting Hannah take the subway this time of night.  Usually she takes a cab and Terry and I take the subway.  We eventually decide that Terry and I will take the subway with Hannah and walk her to her apartment and then we get a cab on 1st avenue, much easier to get a cab in the East Village than at Times Square.  Everyone gets home and off to bed.

Talk to you soon.

LAST FEW DAYS

Monday, I took myself off to Little Italy for one last look.  I am surprised to find the Christmas decorations are going up - it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

                                       GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS


Tuesday,  I stay home most of the day and start packing.  I have one suitcase packed and one half full.   I do think I should buy another one.
We go out for dinner tonight to the East River Cafe, which is just around the corner.  We meet Doug and Sola Wong.  We met Doug and Sola while in Minnesota, actually I think Terry and Doug knew each other before that.  They are a lovely couple who live here in Manhattan and we always get together when we visit NYC.

Wednesday,  today I head off to Times Square to pick up tickets for "West Side Story"  Hannah, Terry and I will go to the 8pm show tonight.  This musical is leaving Broadway in January so this will be our last chance.  When I return home I "skype" with Julia and then Roision in Vancouver.

Hannah had to get up early for registration today.  She did get all of the classes she wanted but not with the teachers or at the times she wanted.   She is ok with it though.  Can't remember if I told you about the birds that were living above her ceiling in her bathroom (we thought the noise was coming from mice)  Well the superintendent opened up her ceiling to find feathers and a hole to the outside.  The birds had set up home.  Anyway, they came this morning to fix the hole.

THE HOLE IN HANNAH'S CEILING IN ORDER TO FIX THE HOLE ON THE OUTSIDE
                                                    BYE BYE BIRDIES

Hannah will join us for dinner tonight before we head off to the theatre.

I will tell you all about it tomorrow.

Talk to you soon.

LAST SUNDAY AT THE MET

This is our last Sunday in NYC (next Sunday we will be in Florida visiting Terry's Mom).
We attend Mass at 12.30pm at St. John Nepomucene Church.  It  is close to our apartment at 66th Street on 1st Ave.  It is beautiful.  It is a Slovakian parish.

                    
                                           ST. JOHN NEPOMUECENE  CHURCH

                              INSIDE ST. JOHN NEPOMUCENE CHURCH

After Mass we walk to the MET.  We have really enjoyed being able to visit the MET every Sunday afternoon.  It is so beautiful.  Perhaps we should visit our own museums and art galleries in Vancouver more often.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is really spectacular.  I am so glad we bought a membership.  The tour today was either Roman, Greek or Egyptian and we both felt we had done enough of those.  We decided we would do our own "Highlights" tour and go see what we want to see.
We head to the European paintings -

                                              CYPRESSES by VAN GOGH

                                             IRISES by VAN GOGH

                                  WATER LILIES by MONET
                                                

                                            SUNFLOWERS by MONET

                                          CRUCIFIXION by SALVIDOR DALI

We continue looking at paintings and Terry takes me to a room that I had not been to before.  It is circular and has a 360 degree painting of the Palace at Versailles.  It is beautiful.  I knew that I could not do it justice by taking a photo - so no photo.
We continue to the Frank Lloyd Wright room.

                                 THE LIVING ROOM FROM THE LITTLE HOUSE

                                                  
                                                    DYSON VACUUM CLEANER

We find a Dyson in the Modern Art wing.  How cool is that.

                          GRAND STAIRCASE AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM

We leave the Museum for the last time - at least on this trip.  Not without a quick visit to the museum store....

As we head along 82nd Street we see something I have to photograph -

You are covered - if you are hot, he has ice cream, if you are cold, he has hot soup.....

As we continue our walk home we pass the "Whitney Museum" for American Art.  This is a museum we did not visit but it is at the top of our list on our next visit to New York.

                                                WHITNEY MUSEUM

We return home.  We chat with Hannah, who is on her way out for dinner with the York House girls who are here on an Art Trip.  Every year girls from the art department and the teachers  come for a visit to New York and they invite the grads who are studying here in New York for dinner.
Terry and I have a quiet evening at home.

Talk to you soon.

HELL'S KITCHEN

Hannah sleeps in this morning.  I am so happy to have her here.  We decide we will go to "Serendipidy" for lunch.  This is a fun place on 60th Street that we walk by all the time.  It is famous for it's Frozen Hot Chocolate.  I think it has even been featured on the Oprah Show.  Anyway, we get there about 12.30pm to be told there is a 2 hour wait.  Oh well, maybe another time.
We end up having lunch at a place called "Johnny Rockets".  It is apparently a burger joint from California.  Hannah and I share a  "rocket burger and fries".  I am not sure if I like what they are now doing in a lot of the restaurants here - showing the calorie count of everything you order.  Most burgers are apparently 900 calories - yikes.  We feel better when we share one.
From there we take the subway to Times Square and walk down to 39th Street and over to 10th Avenue by the Hudson River.  We are headed to Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.  This takes place every weekend.

                       ENTRANCE TO HELL'S KITCHEN FLEA MARKET

It is ok but nothing really jumps out at us.

  HANNAH AT THE FLEA MARKET - NOTE THE OLD SINGER SEWING MACHINE

After the Flea Market we head back home to the Upper East Side.  At 3rd and 59th is -

                                DYLAN'S CANDY BAR

                                  DYLAN'S CANDY BAR

Dylan is Dylan Lauren, the daughter of Ralph Lauren.  Her candy bar is a 2 level store full of candy.
It is very colourful and always busy.

We return home and have a cup of tea.  Terry calls us, he is at the gate in Tacoma on his way home.
Hannah does some homework and then leaves to return to her apartment.  She will go out to a show tonight with her friends who are studying jazz at the New School.
Weather was great today. Sun shinning and close to 60 degrees.

All in all, another great day in the Big Apple

Talk to you soon.

ZARA'S AND A SLEEPOVER

Friday, Terry went into the hospital for half a day.  I did grocery shopping and laundry.  After lunch Terry left for JFK airport for a flight to Tacoma, Washington.  He is presenting a paper there at a conference, The North Pacific Surgical Association.  He took the subway to get to JFK.  Took 3 different lines and took about an hour and a half.  He is only gone for one night so he had very little in the way of luggage.

Hannah had school until 1.30pm and then headed over to "All Saints' where she is interning.  She worked there until 6pm.  I took the subway from my place down to Soho and met her at 6pm.  Boy, Soho is buzzing on a Friday night.  It is dark by 6pm and from Broadway looking north you can see the Chrysler Building all lit up against the dark sky.  It is beautiful.  We hope to go shopping for a black cardigan for Hannah, (she lost the one she had)  Next door to her office on Broadway is "Zara", a very nice store. Not as expensive as I thought it was going to be.  I watched "The View" this morning  and managed to see a fashion show with some very nice things from "Zara".  Anyway, we came out with a black cardigan, a coat and a pair of leather boots for Miss Hannah.  The coat is so cute - I need to take a picture.
We head across the street to "Sephora" where we stock up on some face cream and hand cream and some new OPI nail polish.  We are having a sleepover tonight and you know that means  doing  our nails.
We walk up to and along the Bowery to a restaurant that we tried to get into for my birthday.  On my birthday is was closed for a private event.  We manage to get a table tonight.  The "Double Crown" is very nice.  There are 2 rooms, we are seated in the back room called the panel room which is a little quieter.  As it fills up it gets noisier.

                                   PANEL ROOM AT THE DOUBLE CROWN


 We see people walking through, what seems to be, a secret panel door in the wall to yet another room behind this one and wonder???  A  couple of gentlemen, who are French speaking, seated next to us asks the waiter about the influx of people to the secret room and we are told there is a gin bar behind the door.   All very interesting.
I have a delicious Butternut Squash Curry with Jasmine rice on the side.  Hannah has the Hanger Steak with Chinese Broccoli which is also delicious.  We try a glass of wine recommended by our waiter.  I have the Riesling  and she has a red from Lebanon - did not know Lebanon was a wine producing country.  It is always good when you can say you have learned something new.  I have since learned that Lebanon has been producing wine for a very long time.  In fact, it is apparently believed it was Lebanese wine that was served at The Last Supper - who knew????  I am always happy to tell people that the first miracle Jesus ever performed was turning water into wine.  Must be a good thing.
After dinner we walk to Hannah's apartment, have a little chat with Simone, her roommate.  Hannah picks up some overnight things and we take a cab to my apartment.
The main job tonight - apart from the nails - is to look at the class choices Hannah has for next semester. She will register on the 17th.  She has the essential classes to take but she needs to decide on 2 electives.
I think we manage to have a plan - and a back up.  Parsons has changed the way it allows you to register, at least for Hannah it is different than last year.   Unfortunately, it sounds a bit like the way Western in London Ontario does it.  The students are divided into 2 groups,  one group can register half an hour before the other. Hannah is in the second group.  There was a random draw to decide which group you were in.  We can only hope the classes she wants are still available to her when it is time for her to register.
We Skype with Roision and then with Julia, both in Vancouver.
Terry calls us when he arrives in Tacoma - 11.30pm  NYC time.  It has been a long day for him, although her gains 3 hours by being on the west coast.  He decides it is cheaper to rent a car than to take a cab to and from the airport.  He calls again when he arrives at the hotel, 12.30am.  Just as well Hannah is here or you know I would be asleep.
We head off to bed and look forward to tomorrow.   Oh, by the way, we did get our fingernails painted - maybe the toenails tomorrow.

night night

LEST WE FORGET

NOVEMBER 11 2010

Today is the day that reminds us how fortunate we are to live where we do.  We also need to be so grateful to the men and women who, every day, put their lives on the line so that we may have the life that we have.
I am very thankful to those, in the past, and present who have chosen to live this life of sacrifice.
I AM THANKFUL AND PROMISE NEVER TO FORGET.
Thank You.

"MEMPHIS" AND FLORIDA

Had a fairly quiet day on Tuesday.  Started packing up and trying to decide if I have to buy another suitcase.  Still don't know yet.  We make our way to Times Square in the evening and head to the Foxwoods Theatre where "Spider-Man" will start - sometime.  We need to return our tickets for the 17th as the previews and opening night have been postponed to the end of December.  They are having so much trouble with this show.  Hannah meets us there and we then make our way to the Schubert Theatre to see "Memphis".

 This show won the Tony for best musical this year.  The music and lyrics were written by David Bryon, who is the drummer for Bon Jovi.  It was very good.  It is about the music scene in Memphis in the 50's and also an interracial relationship when it was frowned upon in the 50's.  It was really good.


I always say life with Terry is never boring.  He has come up with the idea that we go to Florida for the weekend - our last weekend - to visit his Mom.  I am thrilled to be married to a man who thinks of his Mom so often.  Anyway,  it means I better get organized.  We booked our flights this morning.  We will go for 2 nights and return to NYC for 3 nights before we head home to Vancouver.

I did get to "Skype" today with Roision and Peggy.  Roision is so good.  She went to Peggy's house to pick her up and bring her to our home.

WALDORF and MARATHON

Thursday and Friday I was a little out of it.  Had some pains and aches and decided to lay low.
Saturday was an improvement because I discovered "Aleve",  a painkiller my friend Peggy told me about.   It worked really well.  The real thrill was getting together with Hannah.  She came up to our apartment and all three of us went out to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for afternoon tea.  We were a little "underwhelmed" - I think,  perhaps, our expectations were too high.  Our Secret Garden in Kerrisdale is much better.

            HANNAH AND I AT THE WALDORF ASTORIA NEW YORK CITY

                       HANNAH AND TERRY AT THE WALDORF

After the Waldorf we walked home along Lexington Avenue.

HANNAH ON LEXINGTON WEARING CALVIN KLEIN 

We walk up Lexington on our way back to our apartment.  I cannot resist taking photos of Hannah whenever I can.

CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE      

We pass by the Central Synagogue.  I wonder if I can go inside?  I ask Hannah to ask Simone who is Jewish.    I would love to see inside a Synagogue,  I have never been inside one.  This one looks beautiful. 

Only in NYC - Cupcakes out of a van.

1ST CHRISTMAS TREE IN NYC

We return home after buying some groceries.  Hannah stays with us for supper and we do her laundry while she is with us.   It is such a thrill to have her here.  We try to persuade her to stay over but she really likes her bed in her own apartment.  She leaves at 11pm and takes a cab home.  It was a great day. 

SUNDAY is Marathon Day in New York City.  We are in a wonderful location for the marathon. The runners all say that it is hard for them to run across the Queensboro Bridge.  There are no supporters and it is uphill part of the way.  They have been running through Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens, they are getting tired but when they get off the bridge and turn into 1st Avenue the crowd waiting for them is amazing.  It is their first stop on Manhattan and it is on our corner.                                                            We had to leave at 10.30am to go to Mass so we miss the elite runners.  We attended Mass at St. Ignatious Loyola Church at 84th and Park Avenue. We have wanted to attend this church for a long time  at last we can.  We take the subway as it is on Park at 84th.    

ST. IGNATIOUS LOYOLA ON PARK AVENUE     

INSIDE ST. IGNATIOUS LOYOLA      

ST. IGNATIOUS LOYOLA 

After Church we make our way over to the MET.  On our way we pass by Jonathan Adler's store.

JONATHAN ADLER'S STORE

ENTRANCE TO JONATHAN ADLER'S STORE 

If you get the chance, go onto the Jonathan Adler website www.jonathanadler.com and click on their manifesto - it is fantastic. (well I think so)

We decide we will do another "Hightlights Tour" at the MET. 

The volunteer can choose what she show us.  We have really enjoyed these tours of the MET.

TIFFANY WINDOW AT THE MET

TIFFANY FOUNTAIN AT THE MET   

THE TEMPLE OF DENDUR AT THE MET

This temple was given to the MET only if it could be viewed 24/7.  The museum built this room with floor to ceiling windows looking out towards Central Park so it could be viewed anytime.

FLOOR TO CEILING WINDOWS LOOKING OUT TO 

CENTRAL PARK 

After our visit to the MET we walk home.  We arrive at 1st Ave and walk up to our apartment on 62nd.  The marathon is still on.  We have missed the elite runners but still manage to find some characters.  

MARATHONERS ON 1ST AVENUE

WELL WISHERS ON THE ROOF OF AN

APARTMENT BUILDING ON 1ST AVE.

It is great to see all the well wishers lining the street and on the roof tops and cheering on the Marathoners who are feeling some pain.  I am so impressed and cannot imagine running over 26 miles.

THE CLEAN UP ON 1ST AND 62ND 

Sunday, on our way home from the MET, we call Hannah and she is available to get together for dinner with us.  She has so much work to do and has, in fact, been working all day.  We agree to go to her in the East Village to have dinner.  Terry goes for a run - I rest me feet - go figure.  We meet at Hannah's around 6pm and go to an Italian place called "Supper" on East 2nd Street.  Hannah goes back to her place to continue with work and Terry and I head home.  It has been another good day in the Big Apple.

MONDAY,  I get a surprise email from Hannah this morning telling me her math class has been cancelled and that she is free from 11.45am - 2pm - would I like to meet her for lunch - well really - thats a no brainer.  I meet her at school and we go to a place called "French Roast".  I have the potato leek soup and she the French onion and we share some hummus and pitta.  We chat and enjoy each others company.  When we leave Hannah goes back to school and I head up to "Anthropologie" where I find the bed cover that Hannah has been waiting for since she arrived here in August,  so of course I pick it up for her.  I return home and call the Foxwoods Theatre to inquire about my Spiderman tickets - yes, our show has been cancelled so I need to return them to the theatre for a refund.  Maybe we will get to see Spiderman next year sometime - if it ever gets started.  I think I would like to see "West Side Story" as it will leave Broadway January 2nd.   I call my friend Julia who has a birthday today.  I know she will be at The White Spot in Kerrisdale with the other Curvy girls and Roision.  I am so happy to make contact with her.  I hope she knows that my thoughts and best wishes are with her.  I am looking forward to getting together with my friends when I return to Vancouver - I am down to counting the sleeps.

17.......

,