Chronicles Continued

Had a film shoot last week on Staten Island.  Had to catch the early morning ferry across.  Love each time how close the Statue is to everyday life.  When I first came to the City at the age of 12. It seems so isolated and far out in the water.  Little did I know.

One forgets what it looks like, until one is confronted.  Theatre at 1:00 pm on New Year’s Eve Day.  Found the time strange. and only when I arrived at the corner of 44th an 8th. did I understand.  You could only proceed further if you had a theatre ticket in hand.  The theatres had clearly staggered their beginning times in order to make the process more manageable.  But that is a tough process.  Out-of-towners who understand so little of how the City works in the best of times, were flummoxed at the detour and wait.  I had to navigate around them to get to the line to pass through. The Sanitation trucks were doing barricade duty and the policemen were many.  The trash cans all had locks on them, allowing trash only to be deposited in the clear bags attached to the outside of the trash containers.  These soon were overflowing and the trash was spilling over onto the street. The reverse was true when we exited the theatre, three hours later.  The only way out was via the 8th Avenue way we had entered.  That was fine with me as the A line is right there.  Glad to see it was still accessible.  Apparently there was some ‘threat’ and the precautions were in place.  Suddenly I realized that the sanitation driver, who normally is ignored in society as he drives the vehicle with the basket-emptiers-hanging on to the rear bars, was putting his life on the line for all of us.  If there was a bomb to go off, he would be in harm’s way.  Do they get paid extra for this.

From the news I gather there will be 65- 20 ton trucks weighted down with an additional 15 tons of sand.  This is to prevent the truck-driven disasters of Nice and Berlin.

 

and do I ever mean that.  2016 was a rough one on so many fronts.  Personal. Political. Friendship. and more.  Am looking forward to the 7 in the New Year.  May it be a year of fruition, change, peace, prosperity – whatever that means to you and most of all contentment.  May we understand one another’s viewpoint more clearly, may we be more generous and loving and most of all, more caring for each other.  Again, Happy New Year may it be a clean slate.

Walked down this block two days ago and the box has been removed. Makes me wonder if it was a ‘film prop’.

Since the day after thanksgiving the tunnels of trees line the sidewalk.  The pine smell is all-encompassing as you walk between the rows on either side.  The festive quotient is also at a high.  The trees this year look better, fuller and more varieties appear to be in the selections.

Noticed in the last couple of posts, some grammatical errors; another proof-reader fired.

Sorry about the errors.

On my way to the theatre… came out of the Subway Back-asward and ended up on 41st Street and walked toward the corner of 9th.  While waiting for the light, I hear someone saying “Ma’am, ma’am”, must be me I figure and I turn to face them.  A couple of sweet-young-things.. “Do you know”, they ask, ‘Where Carl’s is”?  Looking at them I reply. “It is on the corner of 42nd and 8th.” and add, “You mean the guy who was on TV for cupcake baking or some such.”  “Yes!” they reply all enthusiastic.  I explain how close they are and how to get there and then check in with myself, the part of me that eschews cupcakes… how did I know that?

There was a reaction from a WestCoaster to a post about the City having a problem with P-elect maintaining a presence here, due to cost and congestion  For those of you in the City of Roses. imagine the P-e living in the Meier & Frank Bldg.  And the need for security. Might just mess with your town, right?