A blog about New York City, my books, and my cats. Mostly.
This place used a blow-up doll in their Christmas window. I think she’s supposed to be Santa. Ish.
I watched the movie Up yesterday and it still holds up. Very moving. I had to fast-forward during some tense moments, though. How is it that I am getting worse at dealing with these moments in movies as I age? The ones where your hero is in trouble of some sort? I’d seen the movie before in this case, so I even knew how it would all end up!
I feel like I’m the last to know, but this artist, Jon Rafman, has been collecting screen grabs of photographs from Google street views, he calls the project 9-Eyes. There are a lot, but I had to look at every single one. You’ll see what I mean when you start looking. Here is a link to Jon Rafman’s page on Artsy.
I took this picture because I was noticing how every establishment, no matter how humble, makes an effort to decorate for Christmas. Damnit. Another series idea which I will never do. But now I want to do a series of these poignant Christmas tableaus, delis, etc.
Speaking of tableaus, scroll down …
The creche outside St. Anthony of Padua at Hudson and Sullivan Streets. Forget something St. Anthony’s? (No baby Jesus.)
I went to a party Monday night with the people who worked on the book New York Diaries: 1609 to 2009. That is the author, Teresa Carpenter, on the far left, and I’m going to be writing more about New York Diaries at the beginning of next year. I was a fact checker for the book—best job ever—which I’ll talk about.
The gentlemen in the picture is Stephen Pascal. He edited the journals of Leo Lerman, and the review I’ve linked is just so evocative of a world that I must have this book. I also wish Stephen Pascal was my next door neighbor and best friend so we could grab a cup of coffee and talk every day about our lives, New York, books, and what is gone and what is left. to Stephen’s right is one of the editors for the book Victoria Wright, also fabulous.
I must say I’m very disappointed in my upper arms. I swim or work out daily. I’m in great shape, I’m thin. They should look better! Damnit. More cut or something.
I read this article in the Times and immediately laid in a supply of B12. “A B12 deficiency can creep up without warning and cause a host of confusing symptoms that are likely to be misdiagnosed or ascribed to aging … [such as] muscle weakness, fatigue, shakiness, unsteady gait, incontinence, low blood pressure, depression and other mood disorders, and cognitive problems like poor memory.”
Anything having to do with memory always gets my attention. For instance, I don’t know how many times I’ve consulted my camera manual to learn how to do something and then I forget. The other night I was trying to get a picture of Grace Church and a Christmas tree and I couldn’t remember how to do this manually to get the shot I wanted. Resulting in this. I couldn’t figure out how to retain the sparkling lights on the tree.
I have to go back to the manual and re-read a section I have probably already read a billion times. I retain nothing!
NO. Can’t we just, well, make them stay? I read the bad news that the actress who plays Amy Pond, Karen Gillan, is leaving Dr. Who, and that Arthur Darvill, who plays her husband Rory, will also be written out. Why oh why must the things I love change?? Oh, Darvill is also a composer I see. Interesting. Anyway, I loved the chemistry between the three characters, this is killing me. Sob.
I was walking around, enjoying the Christmas decorations, when I saw this very simple and original display in a window on 11th Street. To me it says: “Here I am! Hurry up, Santa! Don’t forget me! Here’s a candle so you don’t get lost, because I’m totally afraid that happens!”
Or, more concisely: “Mine, mine, mine!”
