New York City, Day I, 22.Apr.2010

We flew into JFK Airport at about 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 22. It was perfect for me, because I slept most of the flight. I felt great. It's probably a one hour drive to the hotel under regular circumstances, but we got to the hotel at about 10 a.m. It was a 1.5-2 hour ride. The Queensboro bridge was closed, so the cabbie was trying to go around it. He ended up going in circles several times, and we had to wait in TONS (!) of traffic anyway. Thankfully, the cab fare from the airport is a flat amount of $45 + tolls. We found out later that President Barack Obama was in town. The prior blog includes that story..

To peak your interest - Dennis & my activities for this day were:

1. Tenement Museum attempt
2. President Obama's motorcade

3. David Letterman Show ticket pickup
4. Sheraton Hotel to kill time and watch guests heading to the NFL Draft
5. David Letterman Show taping
6. Walk from 53rd and Broadway to 75th and Broadway to hotel

-Columbus Circle and Alice Tully
Concert Hall along the way

7. Dinner at Manhattan Diner with Dennis' mom, Janet

We got to the Beacon Hotel and left our luggage, and headed out to do some things. We won tickets for David Letterman Show later that night (they called me and asked me a very easy trivia question). They HAD to be picked up between 2 and 3 p.m.

We went downtown to the Lower East Side, to see the Tenement Museum. I was hoping to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge as well, but we didn't end up doing that. The subway is my favorite form of transportation in NYC. Over the years, I have finally learned (well, DECIDED this when I was there in 2004) that the subway is the best thing for my short attention span. It was great going there and taking cabs every single place we went...but, the subway beats it all. It's nice to see the sites and the buildings and the places you hear about on every single corner in every single block. Since EVERYTHING is in NYC, everywhere you look there is something to see...but, even so, I'd rather get to my destination than chance getting in NYC traffic. We got off the subway (#1) and had about a mile to walk to the museum. We got to the museum and realized they had scheduled tour times, which weren't going to work with our Letterman ticket schedule. We left and figured we would go back there later on the trip, which we did on Monday Apr 26. Next we had our "Obama experience".

We took the subway to midtown, so that we could end up at Letterman (W. 53rd and Broadway) at 2 'o clock. We ate at the Heartland Brewery right in the most tourist-y part of the city (Times Square/Theater District/Broadway). It was fine, though. It wasn't wonderful, but good. I had buffalo chicken spring rolls (picture, right) served with sauces of blue cheese and buffalo wing sauce. They were definitely yummy, but just bar food.

We went and picked up tickets to see Dave. We had time to kill so walked over to the Sheraton Hotel one block over from the Ed Sullivan Theater. There were many families there checking in, that were obviously going to the draft later that night. The first round of the draft was right down the street from there at Radio City Music Hall. There were families with special guest NFL stickers, and larger-sized (many black) young men...I like Sheratons/Westins/W Hotels and we stay at them often. We earned an hour of loitering in their lobby until Letterman's taping began. Like I say, the NFL Draft-related people watching there was priceless. :)

Dave's guests on 22.April.2010 were David Spade, Broken Social Scene (music), and the current head of the EPA (Lisa Jackson). Jackson was there because it was also Earth Day. It was fun. Dennis and I both agreed that we don't need to see Letterman live again. It was, without question, much more entertaining when we were there in 1998. The stage was much more cluttered and view obstructed this time.

The taping ended by about 5:45. We decided walking to the hotel would be just as easy as getting on a crowded subway at rush hour. It was a beautiful, nice, fun, site-filled walk!! We walked from W. 53rd and Broadway to our hotel on W. 75th and Broadway. The blocks are actually very short heading that direction in Manhattan. On our walk, we passed Columbus Circle. I wanted to see the remodel: Time-Warner Center...the mall, Jazz at Lincoln Center...I didn't need to go in the mall (which we ended up doing two days later for dinner, when we ate dinner at Whole Foods :), but it was nice to see the renovation. Dennis salivated at the cool huge Apple store...I was excited to see Alice Tully Hall, so got that taken care of on that first day's walk as well. (I saw an hour on Charlie Rose about Alice Tully and it's remodel and what an amazing piece of architecture it is.) We walked by Lincoln Center buildings...the Metropolitan Opera (that's it, just above).

Dennis' mom and I wanted dinner, so the two of us went to Manhattan Diner. I ate there several times when I stayed at the Beacon in 2004...it's my favorite kind of diner. The epitome of a diner!!!

NYC 2010 Travel Journal: Expect the (wonderfully!) unexpected, especially in New York City

2010.04.22
Expect the unexpected

Keith Haring Bathroom Room 210

I love Manhattan. I don’t ever know where to start when I go there. There’s so much more than just a vacation. I always have people I want to talk about and stories I want to tell, in addition to the wonderful things I did and sites I saw. It’s so hard to know where to start. I am going to start with my unexpected experiences.

(For the record, I am thinking of this more as a travel journal. So, it may get a little bit windy, but read if you want, otherwise don’t! I should do this chronologically, but I am going to do it as I want to. Putting my stories in an order that seems appropriate inside my quite kooky mind)

One of my favorite things happened by chance the last day I was in Manhattan. Dennis and I were on our way to the Highline. We stumbled upon the Keith Haring Bathroom. I thought I would miss both the Highline and Room 210 on this trip, but we had a 7:30 p.m. flight so had all day to spend.

We got off the subway that morning, walked about two blocks and there was the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Community Center. I was shocked, because it was on my list of things I wanted to do there. That list had so many more things than I knew I would ever get to do that I thought I wouldn’t get to the center. We spent three of our six days in Lower Manhattan…but with a very specific itinerary. I love it downtown, but the last couple of times we’ve been in Manhattan, we have not spent much time there, because it’s so freaking crowded!! We stay uptown and as much as Manhattan can be: it’s more neighborhood-y uptown. I love it uptown...but, I digress.

We walked by, and I saw the rainbow flag. I saw the center’s name. I turned to Dennis and I said: “That’s where the Keith Haring bathroom is.” He was interested, but didn’t think we’d go in. He’s great and never complains, but a lot of the walking we did was because of me. I wanted to see the Highline, so here we were traipsing down to the Highline and I’m adding on extra site stops! The Highline ended at 18^th street and to his credit, he walked way farther than the end of that park. In total that afternoon, we walked from the subway stop - 14^th street to 42^nd - before we caught another subway. His ankle and hip and knee are all f’d up, but he keeps on trucking. Again, I digress.

I asked if he wanted to go in and he said it was up to me…but I felt like him: I was thinking we should get to the Highline. Hell, it would only be a few minutes to see a cool piece of Haring art not in a museum. I went in and asked the guy at the front desk if we could see the Keith Haring bathroom. He said it “Sure, it’s Room 210”. We walked up the stairs, and I was so excited, and opened the door…and there was a man in there with his computer set up, working away. Yes. I was surprised!!!

I knew going in that it wasn’t an in-use bathroom and was now an “art piece” of sorts, but had no idea I’d see a man working in there!! I thought the guy at the front desk would have at least told us!! It ended up being a very pleasant surprise actually. We talked for a few minutes….but, this bathroom. Wow. Dennis and I love Haring’s stuff, so we were into it…but it was a thing of beauty. I thought, when I’d heard/read it was not in use, I thought that it was still outfitted as a bathroom – with toilets and sinks, etc. But no, it’s completely empty, with the white bathroom/subway-looking tile, and then the entire top half is painted by Mr. Haring himself…(well, the guy had a fold out table he was using as a desk and it had outlets, equipped enough to handle his computer, apparently)

The gentleman working in there was out of work and was doing volunteer work for the center…a six week project. He was great, saying “I’m so lucky that I get to have this as my office, right?” Dennis and I both heartily agreed. I took photos. He asked where we were from and when we told him Portland, he told us he lived in PDX for three years. He lived in NE Portland!! He told us we were lucky to live in such a great city. I told him the same thing about himself!! He also thanked us for taking the time to come by and see the art/bathroom. It was our pleasure, certainly!!

It was awesome. I loved it. I loved that we stumbled upon it by accident. I love that there was a man there to talk with. I loved that he happened to know parts of Portland, Oregon where I live. There’s just something about New York City.

Zola.

Zola, and her Wisteria Waterfall.

We met Zola on the second day in the city. We were walking down 74^th toward Central Park West and a woman overheard us talking about the way we wanted to go (to show Janet, Dennis’ mom, the Dakota Apartments and Strawberry Fields) – we weren’t lost, just deciding to cross which street. She offered directions, then said “Come with me. I want to show you a spectacle. I want to show you a wisteria. It’s beautiful. It’s a spectacle.” She walked us about three blocks down and there was the most beautiful, full wisteria I’ve ever seen. The base/stalk was so thick, it was tree-like. Pictures of both Zola and the wisteria are here/above. She described it as looking like a waterfall. The cutest lady ever!! :)

We chatted with Zola. I asked her where she was from. Argentina. Later, I found out she’d been in NYC over 40 years or “longer than I can remember”. She was so cute and sweet and gracious. We didn’t ask for directions, but she gave us those and more. After we talked for several minutes, she turned around and walked back the other way. We realized that when she told us a few minutes prior that she lived on 73^rd street it was the other way on 73^rd. She just went that way to show us the “spectacle.”! New Yorkers. The best.

President Obama.

We saw the Presidential motorcade. I have never seen a Presidential motorcade. It wasn’t spectacular, but when you DO get to see the President’s automobile, it’s sort of cool to me I have to admit. Indirectly, you are seeing the President, right? You don’t know you’re seeing him, but he’s looking out one of those tinted windows. I’m SURE he waved at me.

(We were walking to the Tenement Museum, from the subway stop. Yes. Walking from the subway stop is a common theme here. I didn’t take one cab the entire time in New York. Dennis had Janet and Granny with him to go downtown to Ellis Island, but they also ended up in very few. I only rode one from and to the airport. Otherwise, we rode the bus once. It’s not an economic, or “I’m so New York, I use the subway” thing. It’s because there is no traffic down there underground. I guess that’s stating the obvious. It’s so quick!! I’m ADD, so I’m impatient. :)

Well, streets started closing off as we were walking. More and more police were gathering. They eventually put up barricades and wouldn’t let people cross the streets. Dennis knew exactly what it was, once I told him the President was in town. He had seen a Bush motorcade before. I won’t draw this out except to say that this was a fluke too – seeing this. Since Dennis told me it was uneventful seeing one, we decided to continue to the museum. We had to pick up Letterman tickets by 2:00 p.m. that day. This was about 11 or so. Well, we got to the museum and there are scheduled tour times. They don’t allow you to just walk through it yourself. The times didn’t coincide to allow us to get Letterman tiks in time, so we walked back (about a mile) to the same subway we took to get there and, hopefully, get to our hotel if we had time before the show.

We got back walking down Housten or Bowery or Delancey – one of those big streets in that part of town - right when Barack Obama came. Dennis pointed out his car, because it always has the Presidential flags. It was cool and something I didn’t expect to see on my trip…or ever, for that matter…and there are pictures to do the rest of the explaining on that one.

Expect the unexpected, especially in New York City…More to come. I think it will be food-themed. I had two very, very good meals there, but both different from each other (7-8 on a 1-10 scale). No spectacular meals there, and lots of just good food (solid 6’s). I took pictures of it all, though.

Happy 11th Birthday Ashe Pollard II

We had a lively dinner at Applebee's tonight for Ashe's birthday. He is having more of a "party"-party in a week or so, but tonight was his actual birthday, so he wanted to go to Applebee's. The Ealys joined us and so did Granny. We all had a very fun time actually. Totally entertaining.

The only thing that Ashe asked for was a Carmelo Anthony jersey. When he actually received it, he was astounded and shocked and so incredibly happy. I assume he knew he'd get it, since that's the only thing he really asked for, but his reaction was still one of shock. I loved his reaction.

He also loved the iPod he got from his Granny (Elaine) and Grandpa (Ole). He went to bed listening to it tonight. :) Cute, cute boy!!

Happy 11th Birthday Ashe Pollard

Ashe turns 11 on March 28, 2010 (at 8:21 p.m. to be exact). I love you, Ashe. Happy Birthday.

Finn's Van Gogh Night and Ashe's Science Fair

Finn, Ashe, Cade, Granny (l to r)

The boys had some big things going on in school for the last couple of months. Both have worked on them for quite some time before the actual presentation of each occurred. For Finn it was a cool thing called Van Gogh Night. His teacher, Ms. Martin, has done this for four years now. She teaches the kids an enormous amount about Vincent Van Gogh -- his life and works. She talks about his mental illness. She talks about him cutting off part of his ear and sending it to a woman. She laughs (but is serious) when she says that she's managed to teach it all these years without mentioning that the woman was a prostitute. It culminates in a presentation to kids' families at Science and Art Night at the school.

Finn's knowledge has impressed me. He knows things all the way from recognizing several of his paintings to his art dealer being his brother to his tragic death and the location of his residence during each of those significant events in his life. I'm so thankful for Ms. Martin's furthering Finn's love of art.

Finn in middle, blue shirt

The video is footage of the amazing recreations the 1^st graders did of Van Gogh’s pieces. Finn is at about 15 seconds giving his Van Gogh quote, which was quite difficult as the teacher acknowledges. :)

Ashe has been working for about six weeks on his science project. He was to design an experiment to test a hypothesis of his choosing. His interest is almost entirely in basketball, so he chose a basketball-related hypothesis: I will shoot more baskets when I am rested than when I have exercised for a half an hour. He proved himself right, but was hesitant to say he came to a conclusion. I thought the results were statistically significant – overall rest won three of the five trials. In addition, in total he made 52 baskets after rest and 46 after exercise. I think I computed that as a 13% difference. Ashe insists this is not statistically significant. :) Photos of Ashe's work below.

Ashe's Highlight Reel? (Lions game 2/27/2010)

Last Saturday, February 27, 2010, Ashe had a basketball game...he plays for the Lions (formerly the Chargers). He's been on this team since 2nd grade...there have been a few roster changes but not many. As with most kids, his goal for every game is to score as many points as possible. He's a good hustler, and he tends to get more rebounds than anything else. I love to watch it when he's on top of his defense (he has a near steal in the third play in the video below 0:19 seconds in). No matter how well he does defensively and helping in other ways on his team, he's disappointed with only two points a game. He had the best time scoring *eight* points :) in this game, so I put together some highlights. Ashe has #2 on his jersey - dark blue on white. Please excuse my poor camera skills!!

Finn the Bush Deer in "Anansi the Spider"

Thanks to Run for the Arts (where kids run laps for pledges per lap/or a flat amount), the boys have had some fun, art-related activities in the years at school. Most recently, Finn participated in a puppet show at school. It was on February 12, 2010. It included everything from casting, puppet-making, rehearsal, and, finally, presenting the play to family members during the school day. The video shows a clip of Finn's "part". He was a Bush Deer. There were several of each animal in the play, except for the main character Anansi the Spider (just one Anansi). The artist who helped them in the play is the voice talking throughout the clip. He thanked Run for the Arts for keeping artists like him at work.

It's sort of cute. I had a much longer clip, but truncated it a bit, just to give you a flavor. Finn is in the purple Lakers shirt, 2nd from the left.

Finn's Got a "Basketball Jones".

Finn pointing to the man he's defending. Blue shorts/yellow trim.

Finn's playing at Montavilla Community Center, through the Portland Parks, this year. His first game was Wed, February 17 at the Center. This is the first year he's actually wanted to play basketball. We only made him last year, so he could try it. We weren't going to force him again. It ends up the kid is as addicted to basketball as his brother. His dad took him to see the Lakers play the Blazers earlier this year and he came home completely obsessed. Love it!!

He's still unsure about a lot of the rules (no back court defense, for instance), but he's a hustler. He leaves it all out on the court!! So cute. Hopefully he can work on his skillz over the summer. Dribbling is difficult to for him to master. Like some kids his age: he's so focused on getting to that basket that he forgets to dribble. He gets in the zone. ;) It was fun. (no score to report - they don't keep score)

Finn with his hands up defending in middle of shot.

Harlem Globetrotters 2010

We saw the Globetrotters at the Rose Garden last night. What a fun time. The boys have seen them twice, and they still enjoy them. This time, they were sometimes riveted, with Ashe even fretting when the Washington Generals got too close to the Globetrotters in score. Do the Globetrotters ever lose? We brought Cade & Tucker with us, and that was fun...Pizza Schmizza first, then the game.

THE BOYS ENJOY THEIR VARIOUS TREATS

DENNIS HOLDS UP TUCKER TO SEE THE ACTION

THE GLOBETROTTERS AND GLOBIE CHECK THE COMPUTER FOR SOME INFORMATION

THE Y-M-C-A

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

GLOBEY

Maybe I'll do another blog or two before too long. We'll see. ; )