He's listening

Blooms in the Bronx

 Walking along Ward Avenue Bronx these blooms look like hydrangeas but are they?

The Elder Avenue subway stop  decorations/art. Bronx Trees by Jean White Savage and Nick Lyle installed in 2011.

Feet

 Summer brings out all manner of fashion statements. The toed shoes caught my attention after  the boots.
The boots had me pondering all manner of things like...
Why buy them?
Why wear them during the day surely they are "evening wear"?
Wouldn't they be hot on a hot summers day?

Weekend commute...

The subway platforms fill up with families and workers trying to make sense of the changes in train schedules. The MTA uses weekends to do work on the tracks so express trains sometimes end up being not so express and local trains start running on express lines and missing the stop you planned to get off at :). One needs to give oneself lots more time to get from point A to point B and remain patient.

Curly

I had thought with this prompt I would get a photo of Lynne's lovely, curly locks and then this man was on the subway. It gave me the chance to add to my subway series of photos and to make a contrary statement. He read that book on JS Bach for a great length of time then pulled out  a Harry Potter book.

F/1.4

I haven't managed to do a shallow depth of field photo but this shot I got on the subway was too good to pass up. I think the boys were twins and the one closest has a dinosaur doll. Gotta love a lad in a hat.

Vibrant

Some subway journeys are more vibrant than another ... This one was way too vibrant...

There were two homeless people begging at separate times one a woman with a soft voice just wanting food and then a louder man who was apparently 23 and had no job and was normally not engaged in this type of thing. His wife was incarcerated on 5 felony charges and he and his six year old daughter were now looking for another shelter the fourth they have been to. I didn't know there was a shelter on Park Avenue. 

There was a tall gangly man in a corner  seat near the door who spent time sleeping and then chose to get up and go and stand between the carriages and return to the compartment. Too scary to think what he was doing. 

He had been sitting next to an elderly couple I presume they were a couple because they were practically sitting on top of each other to avoid making contact with the gangly man I suspect. They each wore a beret and were engrossed in crossword (him) and sudoku (her).

The woman next to me admired the woman next to her's nails. They were long and quite ugly I thought but the first woman talked about them at length so the lady with the nails proceeded to talk about the history of her nail growth and the wonderful woman in the Bronx who does them for her. They both got out there cell phones and they exchanged the name and number of the salon. The nails only cost $36 despite the fact that we're were eight jewels on each of her index fingers. 

Students were engaged in loud conversations nothing of which made sense to me but we could hear the cacophony of it all adding to the vibrancy of the train journey.

Silky soft?

Not exactly... More like wet and slushy that was the morning commute.

Getting out onto this platform was actually a relief. It was one of the few times on the subway that I felt particularly threatened by another passenger. Fortunately it was near the end of the journey. I was sitting minding my own business doing some emails and packed up my phone ready to disembark at the next but one stop so was gazing through the window opposite. The passenger sitting to the left of the window chose that time in which to start whistling so I glanced at him, he had sunglasses on so no idea if he looked at me but next thing I know he is quietly but aggressively, as the kids would say "holding up his ride ringer" resting his arm along his leg so that said finger could be left erect presumably until I noticed it. So I tried to not let him know I had noticed. He then waved his other hand to catch my attention. I continued to avoid acknowledging that I had seen said gesture. My added fear was that I had to walk past him and that he would trip me up but fortunately when I stood up he tucked his feet back. I have to say a frisson of fear was running through me. Consequently I was truly pleased to emerge into the platform and well out of that space. 

Another subway story was enacted on my cummerbund last night. At one of the Bronx stops a group of middle schoolers got onto the train along with their after school teachers. They were loud and goofing around with the central pole. The smaller boy in the group was obviously the class clown and was doing his interpretation of a pole dancer. The two loudest ended up sitting either side of me. They were funny and amusing each other in a harmless way. At one point we went through an area where there were bright lights for the repairs of the subway line. My friend the class clown leapt up from beside me shouting "the lightings perfect" and proceeded to do a couple of gyrations at the pole. The teacher apologized and the kids said "but she's laughing Miss", which I was. Then just before we reached my stop the teacher leaned down holding onto the pole to check which station we were coming into

and the kids squealed "You just went down on the pole" 

Teacher: No I didn't

Kids: Yes you did( to me) she did didn't she?

My departing remark was "Yes she certainly did." 

Subway journey

The J train is an interesting commute... catch the Q or N to Canal and then up a flight of stairs to the J train platform. Yesterday when i did that trip there was a rather large rat at the end of the platform that I kept a close watch on as I waited for the train to arrive.It was scared onto the tracks by a young fellow commuter :)
We journeyed swiftly or as swiftly as a J train goes until we pulled into a some stop in Brooklyn where we waited on the platform for a while then the announcement that a train was stopped ahead of us and needed so mechanical issues addressed so someone was going onto the track for a look see (my words not theirs).
Next it was announced the next stop would be Broadway junction involving expressing through a few other stops. Fine by me we'd catch up time. Then we did another express to get further ahead of the train behind. Then we pulled into Crescent Street and again going express- given that Cypress Hills where I was headed was the next stop I got out of the train along with a number of other commuters and as the train pulled out of the station this was the sight we could see...

 

A sharp intake of breath! What happened here and how long will it remain like this.

I turned around to look at the other side of the platform and what a contrast !

Soon another train arrived and I traveled in a rusty old train dragged out from somewhere. A boy from the school i was heading to was made anxious by the delays as he wanted breakfast at the school and he was/did miss it.

A little meandering...

 In true form... when one has done the work one needs to get done for work on Monday what does one do? Yep reward oneself. This is part of my plan to Live this year.
I managed to Look, Investigate, View and Enjoy my trip to Dick Blick store on Bond St. Found a few of the essentials for my crafting year and purchased a few not so essential but interesting bits and pieces.
I then decided to stop in at The Ink Pad. This involved a shortish walk- one mile or so so this mixed in with my goals of walking each day.

 The walk took me through Washington Square Park a place I have not explored before (oh yes! another of my 13 in 13- #2 place I have never been before!)
 Some information about the park- I like researching, can you call googling researching? stuff (usually after) an event.

• Washington Square Park is named for George Washington (1732-1799),
• The parkland was once a marsh fed by Minetta Brook. It was located near an Indian village known as Sapokanikan or “Tobacco Field.” 
•  In 1797 the Common Council acquired the land for use as a Potter's Field or common burial ground. The field was also used for public executions, giving rise to the tale of the Hangman’s Elm which stands in the northwest corner of the park.
• The site was used as the Washington Military Parade Ground in 1826, and became a public park in 1827.

•  A number of wealthy and prominent families, escaping the disease and congestion of downtown Manhattan, moved into the area and built the distinguished Greek Revival mansions that still line the square’s north side. One of these provided the setting for Henry James’ 1880 novel, Washington Square. In 1835, the park also hosted the first public demonstration of the telegraph by Samuel F.B. Morse, a professor at New York University, which is adjacent to the park. 

It was in reading this that I remembered that the park was also mentioned/ the setting for the mansion in The Heiress- a play currently playing in the theatre next door-The Walter Kerr Theatre.

• Soon after the creation of the Department of Public Parks in 1870, the square was redesigned.
•  The marble Washington Arch, modeled both structures on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, was built between the years 1890 and 1892 to replace the popular wooden arch erected in 1889 to commemorate the centennial of Washington’s inauguration.
• Fifth Avenue ran through the arch until 1964 when the park was redesigned and closed to traffic at the insistence of Village residents. 
•  With the addition of bocce courts, game tables, and playgrounds, the park has become an internationally known meeting ground for students, local residents, tourists, chess players, and performers. 

My source for the above info is the Parks and Gardens website.

There is even a blog dedicated to reporting/talking about the park.

My walk to The Inkpad took me up and across 6th Avenue via Greenwich Avenue. It was a glorious sunny day by this time and I was also in time to get caught up in the dismissal of kids from a local school. The parents clogged the footpath so I had to walk out onto the road.

At one stage on my journey in the subway to get to home there was an eclectic mix of experiences a man with intellectual disabilities was trying to beg for assistance, another young male passenger listening to loud music via ear buds that didn't block the sound for us was telling the begging passenger in very explicit terms that he wouldn't be getting any money; another female passenger beside him shushed him ; two people got on  with the most enormous old steamer trunk- on a wheel thing- it was about 4 feet by 3.5 feet (does that sound big? it came up to their waists and they were average height).

Back in NYC

“Our great and glorious masterpiece is to live appropriately.”
-Michel de Montaigne

 

This was a quote from the Happiness Project  daily quotes. It kinda summed up my day. 

What is a great way to spend part of a weekend in NYC and thus live appropriately? Go to a class with Dina Wakley and get inspirations left right and centre. 

Sorry Dina about the bad photo

Getting to the venue , Westbeth Gallery involved a train trip to W14th St. In the same carriage as me on the subway was a man carrying a standard lamp, tourists tracking their journey on subway maps and me carrying art supplies. Who knows what other interesting things were going on in the relatively crowded carriage at 10am on a Sunday. 

Walking through the streets of Greenwich Village along cobbled streets and paved roads taking the twists and turns that Map Quest guided me through it was delightful just to look around at the lovely brownstones and the wrought iron rails and fences as well as the occasional window boxes.

The class was fabulous- as one would expect of Dina. 27 participants, all intent on getting their piece of work done. She showed us a range of techniques for backgrounds for art journaling or for anything really. It was messy and speedy- so that in the three hours I have a nearly completed little book.

 

Continuing to live appropriately for the city I stopped at a little Italian restaurant and had a delightful lunch of spaghetti carbonara and some lovely bread and olive oil at a little restaurant called Malaparte. I have since checked their reviews which are mixed but I loved it. 

I had a brief respite back home and continued to live appropriately by going to a singing lesson with a meetup group called Vocal Brilliance. There were only 5 of us in the beginners’ lesson that went for two hours. I learned a lot and have some things that I can try to practice if I can begin to be more serious about trying to improve my singing. Is it ever too late to do something about that?

Back home and I was truly exhausted. I perhaps am leading and over stimulated life but then that is appropriate for NYC.

Views of NYC

 The 1 subway line runs from South Ferry, Manhattan   to Van Cortland Park 242 St in the Bronx. On my way to work/a meeting I had to get off the train at 125- this is the only point in Manhattan where the 1 runs above ground (I think) or if I am wrong it is the southern most point at which it runs above ground. Before and after this stop it is underground and at this point it is welll and truly above ground. So many steps to get to street level.

The beauty of the station didn't escape me on the way to work so on my way home I decided to soak in the station ornamentation and the view.

Looking south

the detail on the fence/walls

the locale

the view

Friday at last

The week seems to fly by but still it seems such a long week! Even autumn is progressing rapidly but seemingly taking its time.

 This tree was a blaze of yellow glory yesterday!

 As well as taking photos of signs of autumn progressing I should been taking signs of Halloween progressing! I took this shot obviously from the opposite platform but he was too swift for me. His Spiderman mask is on his lap- he popped it on for a bit of a practice and whipped it off again- it must have been  uncomfortable . Then he put it on again for a photo but was facing the other way.

 We went out for dinner at Spice in Chelsea- great Thai food. I was going to then go on to a scrapbooking crop but just went home and collapsed into bed.

I had been trying to get a photo of Bernadette, Sue and Kate on Sue's phone but managed a better one on mine!

Snahshops from Saturday

The challlenge is getting close to the end and one last Saturday snapshots for August. Katrina set the following (she too has a class, photography class at Get it Scrapped)

Week #5! I hope you've been enjoying these. I thought we'd try an old favorite again! Scavenger Hunt time! Wander around today, see what you can find.

1. Red
2. Sweet
3. Four

So you could take a photo of four strawberries and have this one covered or you can stretch and find three unique things! Whichever path you take, enjoy! (oh, and for extra challenge fill the frame or try a different angle as you shoot)

The decision for me was to trawl through my photos or use the challenge as a different way to look at my day.

We spent much of the day indoors watching Ted Kennedy's funeral- what a wonderful tribute to the man and his family. We couldn't stop watching!
So pottering around and then continuing to clear out heaps of stuff from the apartment. I think the purging of the family home helped me in the quest to de-clutter here somewhat. Still more to go but the process has been started.

Then we met Margie in the foyer and headed to the subway and our dinner at One a restaurant in the Meatpacking District. And so to something red in my day.

The subway journey involved going to 14th Street and the exit sign like this is only at a couple of stops in Manhattan. I took my personal GPS that walks and talks and shares my apartment, ie Sue (well to say I took her is possibly a misstatement as we went together with Margie but why ruin a good story with accuracy) and she helped us find our way through that tricky part of NYC. Anything out of the grid that is Manhattan I get lost- to be perfectly honest I get lost coming out of the subway on many occasions- I just get turned around and directionless hence the need for the personal GPS (Good Person Sue).
Our purpose in going to One other than to indulge ourselves was to celebrate Julia's birthday and this is where the sweet comes in. I completely forgot to photograph our dessert which is what I planned to do, silly me! So I decided the sweet was the gift we gave Julia. A silver brooch from Santa Fe

The silver Sharman brooch based on Bill Worrell's work

It was a great night spent with four friends who have traveled together in more ways than one.Annie, Julia, Sue and Margie

The food was great, the service good and the walk back to the subway and then home very pleasant- it didn't rain, it was warm not stifling and in all a lovely Saturday night.

On the train

On the train this morning there was a really amazing little boy (about 4 years old) and his mum.
He was next to me and like all little kids had no awareness of space ..... he was relaxed and leaning up against me during his conversation with his mum.

He and she were sharing his book which was a book of the fifty states of the US. She was reading about Rhode Island ...... reading him information about the capital and asking him questions. He was really genuinely excited when she read one particular thing about Rhode Island.


Then he asked her to try and trick him so she was asking the names of capitals of different states, their emblems, what the state is famous for etc etc. A few times she said "are you sure isn't it such and such" and he'd say no and find the pages in the book and point out her mistake. She was the one who was tricked. One time he said the capital of Oklahoma is Oklahoma City and she looked at him as if to say are you sure... he just flipped the book open and read the information to prove he was right!

She eventually said I can't think of any more states and he said what about Alabama and Alaska. He truly was amazing.

My concern is what is going to happen to the poor darling once he goes to school and they insist on teaching him his colours and the alphabet.

Dog in a cart

If you look carefully you'll see the little white, fluffy head peeking out of the shopping cart. I had struggled up the subway steps behind this person who was struggling up the steps with the cart. My thoughts were other than kind. Then when she was settled further down the platform I noticed what it was she was packing in her cart.... her little dog! It was a quick snap at a distance!

It happens sometimes

There are some trips on the subway that are joyous and exciting and interesting and then there are others that are downright frightening. Today's journey fell closer to the frightening end rather than the joyous.
It was okay until I changed to the express N train. We pulled out of canal street and a very drunk and fruity aroma-d homeless guy lurched down the carriage apologizing as he made his way toward the next carriage moving pinball like from pole to pole. He opened the door and stepped on to the platform between carriages and stopped there!
Everyone in the carriage exchanged looks for a range of reasons. If he couldn't manage walking down the carriage how was he going to stay on the platform between carriages. Why was he staying there- aahhh the bathroom! Thank goodness he chose to "go" out there. But as the express train continued on its speedy way we were all a tad concerned for his welfare. Would he fall?
Others were more concerned about the stench and moved along and away in the carriage as the aroma wafted through. I kept glancing in the direction worried he would fall any second when he finally made his way back into the carraige he started berating me saying "what you looking at ya interfering white b***h". So I decided that retreat was the better part of valour and as we pulled in to the 14th St station I swapped carriages and arrived home safely, if a tad edgy!

Jacques Tati eat your heart out

There is a scene in Monsieur Hulot's Holiday that resonated with me today.... I was successful in getting to the school where last week I had spent a futile 40minutes wandering in circles in the snow and cold. It turned out this morning that the school scaffolding (yes another school being renovated in some way) can be viewed quite easily from the corner near the station, if one knows what to look for that is! I blame the sun in my eyes, the ice on the footpaths, the snow on the street signs and my stubbornness, for my getting lost last week. However back to today's adventure.....
Having spent an entire day, not entirely fruitfully, working on a grant application for the school I headed back to the "J" train to make my way home in midtown. The train pulled into the station and traveled two stops and then they announced that the train was terminating there at Myrtle Avenue. Off we all pile and wait for the next train which duly arrived and while we waited for all the people to get off the announcement came from that train that it was terminating at this stop. Only by listening to the other passengers did we hear that there was problems on the Bridge- a work vehicle was stuck or something.
So what to do? Listening to the young commuters talking about what they would do helped me figure out my options. One young man was saying he had to get to his grnadmother's in Queens. His friends suggested that they all had 4 options- Wait for the next train, get a bus, walk to another subway (which in their opinion was miles away) or go back the way we came but on the M which stopped at another part of Myrtle Avenue and connected with the "L". Now that sounded like a good idea to me but I thought I'd wait to see if the next train was getting through.
No it wasn't to be- the next train arrived and a similar announcement- now here come the Jacques Tati piece.... I went down the steps and up the other side to the platform for Brooklyn bound trains just s I reached that platform another train arrived back where I had left and they announced the next stop would be Flushing Avenue so that sounded like the trains were heading over the bridge again. I headed back down the stairs and up to the platform arrving just as they announce the train won't be going beyond this stop. So back down the stairs I rush as the train to Brooklyn was arriving- I checked to see if it was an M or a J and lucky for me it was an M - not so lucky for others who had to leap off again before it headed out. The remainder of the journey to Myrtle Avenue and the subsequent transfer to the L and the the N at 14th Street went without incident. Unfortunately the N stopped at 42nd St for an inordinate amount of time but I wasn't going to get off and walk those 9 blocks I had had enough and was content to sit!