Bar Hopping

That's what we did after the show. It wasn't exactly hopping but a bit of a train ride to Marie's Crisis. I should have remembered to be sure that Barb had photo ID. Given that she didn't we gave up having been in the queue for about half and hour and headed back to Lillies on 49th. The trains on the weekend are such a pain. I know they need to fix things on the tracks to keep them running smoothly for the working commuters but still it makes for a very time consuming and painful commute.  We eventually made it to Lillie's for a drink but getting a seat at the bar was again tricky and it was about midnight!

On a bench or a bar even ...

Barb arrived and we headed out for a drink at her favourite bar Lillie's. Unfortunately Friday night at around 6 is not the best time to do such things- post work crowds filled the place so we headed for 46th Street in search of a bar she thought she knew that had cars in it.  Well that was a futile effort really. However we happened upon Barbetta. 

Barbetta, having celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2006, is the oldest restaurant in New York that is still owned by the family that founded it. Barbetta is also the oldest Italian restaurant in New York, and the oldest restaurant in New York's Theatre District.
This three-fold distinction makes this historic restaurant a landmark among New York restaurants. Its landmark status has been recognized by the prestigious and highly selective Locali Storici d'Italia, which has designated Barbetta a Locale Storico (Historic Establishment,) the only restaurant in America to have been so named. Founded in 1906 by Sebastiano Maioglio, Barbetta is now owned by his daughter, Laura Maioglio.

The barman Gus was so Manuel-ian but older and charming. The cash register is an original and only registers to $9.96 or there about. It fills one corner of the bar. Barb's account of the event is linked here.

Vale Alan Pollard

Everyone of his friends and staff at AVPS were posting photos of roses to memorialize Alan Pollard. He loved roses and he was a fabulous gardener, teacher and all round nice guy.
I was in a classroom and there was a lovely red rose- Alan made it to the school in the Bronx.

You gotta park it somewhere!

...so I finally got around to doing the return on the modem to Time Warner Cable who had sent me two by mistake. It was a free upgrade of modem and bless his cotton socks Andrew with the assistance of Nick and the TWC chat line had sorted it out for me. All I had to do was return the old one but also had to return the extra one. I schlepped two lightish but largish boxes to UPS at Staples on 8th and 48th only to realize as I thumped them down on the counter that it wasn't UPS that TWC use but rather  Fed Ex. Having established that Fed Ex was on 47th and 6th I headed off cursing the f*&%ing tourists and got to the store without my eyes going completely crazy from the allergens. On my way home a police woman dismounted from her horse and then led the horse into the car park (parking garage for my US reader). I'm not sure whether she was parking the horse or finding a loo or getting water for the horse or who knows!

Allergies

Oh my oh my oh my! What was in the air?! It started at work in one particular building my eyes just went bananas so to speak and itchy and ghastly.
So when I got home I did the shower, wash the hair, use eye drops trick and confidently left for dinner with the crafting buddies. I walked to 2nd and 38th- big mistake by the time I got to the dinner venue the eyes were streaming again but I  thought I'm inside in an air con place they'll clear. Nuh!
So I had to leave my crafting buddies and head home- straight to bed and slept for hours.
I did have the sense to snap the lovely Chrysler Building on the way :).

Fastened

I love my silver bracelets that as i write this are hitting the computer and making a scratchy clanging sound.
The other ones are my USVI bracelets.



.... residents and frequent visitors know the secret significance of the area’s signature piece of jewelry–the Virgin Islands Hook Bracelet.

The hook bracelet has a unique and simple design. Usually, it’s a beautiful gold or silver hook that slips into a hole created by a wrapped wire, which looks like gold or silver fishing line, to catch the hook– thus the name.

Shannon Sterling according to her story,long ago on the island of St. Croix, a beautiful young girl fell desperately in love with a sailor, and they planned to marry. She wanted to present her husband-to-be with a wedding gift that would signify their deep and unending love, but wedding rings–or access to them on a scarcely populated Virgin Island were not an option. So, she raided his tackle box for fishing hooks and heavy leader and began to create. She snipped and smoothed the hooks, wrapped and braided the wire, and the first Hook bracelet was born. She made two,and on their wedding day, they clasped the bracelets around each other’s wrist with the open hook facing toward their hearts. They did this to signify that they were “hooked” to each other in love, and the tradition continues today.

If the open hook is worn facing the heart, it means you are lucky enough to have found your true love. If it is worn with the open hook away from the heart, good fortune will smile on “your every cast” and one day, you are sure to reel in true love.

The signature hook bracelet style is still the most popular among locals and tourists alike, yet there are more than 30 different Hook bracelet designs, each signifying different things. Some of the Hook bracelets are designed to commemorate storms that were devastating to the islands, like Hugo and Lenny. Local celebrities, like country artist Kenny Chesney, wears a hook bracelet to bring love and luck his way.

 The Hook Bracelet is for both men and women, and is popular among couples who want to pledge their love to one another.

Packing in progress

The move is happening so the packing has to be done. The bedroom is well underway and the hall cupboard done. A system is in place for placement of things to go to Australia and things to go to Harlem.