In case you were worried, I am still living in NYC and still loving it!

Full disclosure, a few days ago I spent hours writing and editing a very witty and erudite (take my word for it !) post about an unusual experience I had in the grocery store…..here’s a word of advice, remember to always save your documents before exiting!

So… this is my best recollection of that story!  On a recent Sunday afternoon I zipped across the street to the Gourmet Garage to buy some fruit. As I was checking out the cashier looked over my shoulder and said “Tom, your wife needs chives”…huh?! Everyone within ear shot stopped in their tracks to wonder about this unusual reminder from a cashier to a customer. The checkout girl on the next register asked her if she was clairvoyant, (exactly what I was thinking, which gave me an eerie suspicion that mindreading skills might be a prerequisite for Gourmet Garage employment). Being a very clever “girl” I heard myself asking her if she knew if I had forgotten anything!

My question actually elicited a smile, a huge achievement since the GG employees often make me feel like an unwelcome interruption in their busy day. But now that we were buddies she confessed that Tom had forgotten his cell phone and since chives were a crucial ingredient for the dinner party they were having that evening and since Tom was wearing a bright orange shirt and had an Aussie accent his wife assumed, correctly, that if she called the store and explained her plight it would eliminate the need for Tom to have to  head back to the store:-) …voila, problem and mystery solved!  As Tom left the long line to find chives I mused that I wasn’t the only clever “girl” in NYC!

P.S. Notice I saved my work this time!

The bank of 4 elevators at the Manhattan JCC are notoriously capricious. Usually 3 of them are out of service at once which means I am often riding the 7 floors to my weekly foreign policy discussion group with way too many people crammed in the same car (which, I might add, speaks to my personal growth after a lifetime fight with severe claustrophobia). Add to these issues the mechanical glitch that forces the elevator to respond to every button pushed on individual floors, e.g. when someone on the 3rd floor presses the button for the elevator it immediately overrides any buttons pressed inside the elevator and heads to the 3rd floor. This mechanical inefficiency means a ride from the lobby (or any floor) can take a frustratingly long time as you travel up and down hoping no one will call for the elevator until you arrive at your floor. My usual strategy is to ride up and walk down.

Last Friday as I was leaving my discussion group the elevator magically appeared! No way could I resist such a rare opportunity so I boarded with 4 other classmates. We pressed the lobby button and, as you probably guessed, headed straight up to the roof! The doors opened and Jim, one of my classmates said very warmly, “get on, there’s plenty of room”. An invisible voice answered ”but there are 20 of us” !! Just to clarify, I was standing off to the side so I couldn’t see anyone but obviously heard there were 20 of them! “No problem” assured Jim as 18 three and four year olds and their 2 teachers filed in. My immediate thought of bolting from what appeared to have suddenly become a clown car was impossible because I was quickly blocked in by the little ones who had taken the elevator from their nursery school on the second floor to their rooftop playground. Only in NYC would kids take an elevator to their playground!

But wait, there’s more…. the teachers kept expressing their gratitude – “no one ever lets us all get on with them” they exclaimed (really? I can’t imagine why!). Next Mr. Jim, our newly appointed elevator/camp counselor, suggested we sing a song. The kids were not so sure about this (me either) but with Mr. Jim enthusiastically leading soon all 23 or 24 of us were happily singing “The Wheels on the Bus”. We got through at least 6 verses as we rode up and down stopping at almost every floor (some of them twice) and amazingly managed to get to the lobby without anyone else joining our sing along!! As we filed out I enthusiastically informed everyone that this was the best elevator ride I ever had!!

This short video is truly unique and great fun to watch!! My friend Carole Caplan-Lonner wrote and produced it for her play  THE KIDS LEFT. THE DOG DIED. NOW WHAT? Carole was a beautiful, funny and multi talented woman whose philosophy of life was that the glass is always 3/4 full.  Sadly Carole passed away a few years ago but she is remembered with a big smile by everyone who knew and loved her. I am very grateful to her daughter for giving me permission to share Computer Chat with you . I’ve watched it many times over the years and never cease to laugh out loud-please enjoy!!

How do you entertain your 21 year old grandson for 4 days in NYC? Let me say right up front, with no prejudice, Jacob is pretty close to perfect 🙂 and he is graduating from the University of Oregon in June so this had to be a very special trip. Of course we spent time with family (who are also close to perfect:-),went to the theater (Curious Incident), out to eat ALOT ( at restaurants too numerous to mention ),visited museums etc. etc.

Much as I hate to admit it, getting around the city is still quite a challenge for me. Even with google maps, waze, citymapper and my compass I often manage to turn the wrong way and usually when  I am only a few blocks from my destination. Jacob says it isn’t that we’re getting lost, it’s that we’re on an adventure-believe me we spent 4 days on a lot of “adventures”!

Most of the time we took public transportation, in my estimation the best way to get around the City, and if you are so inclined, to interact with other NYers.  The day we decided to visit the recently opened Met Breuer involved a new adventure-the cross town bus (embarrassing to admit that I rarely take the bus, I’m a subway kinda gal)! As we boarded the M72 I realized my bus mapper app didn’t clearly show me the closest stop to the museum (Madison & 75th). Truth be told , short of it yelling at me “get off now” I don’t really trust the accuracy of my bus app.  As we boarded I asked the driver if the bus stopped on Fifth Ave and 75th (no idea why I asked about 5th avenue instead of Madison!) “Close enough” she said . When we found seats I also asked the woman sitting behind me if the bus stopped at 5th and 75th. She repeated the words of the bus driver, it stopped close enough.

As the bus wound its way to the east side and became more crowded Jacob stood up to give his seat to a nice lady (told you he was close to perfect). I loved her immediately when she told me what a good job I had done with my son! At the risk of sounding like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man I decided to also ask her if the bus stopped near the Met Breuer. The magic words “Met Breuer” elicited corrected directions,” get off at Madison and 70th and walk 5 blocks, definitely not 5th & 75th”!  Meanwhile a very panicked looking young man overheard her giving me directions and asked for directions for himself as well-it turned out he was a courier and was lost! She asked him for the exact street address he needed and assured him he was on the right bus, headed in the right direction and that she would tell him when to get off. Meanwhile a man in a suit and tie standing close by told the courier that he was getting off at the same stop and would make sure  he headed the right way when they got off.

Soon I heard the driver announce on the overhead that next stop was 5th ave and that the lady and her “son” should exit-I swear it really happened!!  Fortunately we were in the back so the bus driver didn’t see that I was ignoring her instructions! I did however have to explain my error to the woman behind me when she leaned over to tell me this was my stop.

Now it gets a little confusing so pay close attention!-In a few minutes the woman next to me pointed out our stop was next and noticed the courier heading to the exit. Both she and the man in the suit grabbed one of his sleeves at the same time and said “not here-this is their stop”! We exited at the correct stop and I have no doubt the courier made it safely to his destination as well.

Can you imagine encountering so many  caring strangers on one bus in a city known for its indifference and “NY attitude”? Take that Ted Cruz!!  I rest my case!

Heading up Columbus Avenue to the gym two mornings a week I often see dads walking little ones to school (looks like a lot of dads happily take the morning shift). I occasionally  think its a good thing no one in the mix is a slave to fashion,  or maybe they are and wholeheartedly support the wearing of two different shoes or coats belonging to a much larger sibling! Sometimes  they are on scooters,  often carrying backpacks larger than they are (the kids not the dads) and are usually deep in conversation (often the only time I see an adult talking to a visible person!). These encounters never cease to bring  an early morning smile.

Then there is the uniquely NYC kid story that Peter, my Pilates instructor, shared. Peter is a doting and devoted uncle-in case  you need proof,  he took his nieces and nephews to Toys R Us in Times Square the day before Christmas which also happened to be the last day for the toy store at that location, I get agita just thinking about it! Now for the really unique NYC part…  Peter and his soon-to-be 3 year old nephew had spent the afternoon at the playground. On the way home the little one told Uncle Peter he was too tired to walk . Instead of putting his arms up to be carried like kids everywhere else he walked over to the curb and put one arm out to hail a cab! Another “only in New York” story!

My friend Sue (made up name) recently told me about her experience involving a long lost sorority sister and the Westminster Dog Show.  I think the details are blog-worthy and since Sue doesn’t have a blog I feel it is my responsibility to fill you in.

It all began with a phone call from Mitzi (made up name) after having had no contact with Sue for almost 50 years. Mitzi’s two dogs were being considered for a spot in the  Westminster Dog Show so she was coming to New York from her home in the Santa Fe outback and wondered if she could stay with Sue for a few days.  Remembering Mitzi as a beautiful, kind, fun loving sorority sister Sue said she would be delighted! Mitzi warned that she walked with a cane but then again so did Sue who was recovering from a painful fracture after a recent fall and they both had a good laugh! Mitzi had two V.I.P tickets to the last night of the Show (very impressive!) so between reminiscing, catching up and attending the very prestigious Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden there was alot to look forward to.

Mitzi arrived on Sunday afternoon and, as mentioned she did indeed have a cane, however she had neglected to say that she could barely walk, with or without it! The situation went from bad to worse as Sue quickly realized Mitzi needed help with everything including getting in and out of bed, in and out of chairs, in and out of cabs, up and down steps and perhaps the most challenging task, help putting on and taking off her boots!  After 3 days of waiting on her Sue was approaching crisis mode, not to mention that the pain from her fracture was getting worse, as were her house guest’s demands!.

As it turned out Mitzi’s dogs did not get show spots but a friend’s dog did make the cut so Mitzi’s disappointment was tempered by the excitement of knowing one of the show dogs and having dinner before the event with the owner of a “star”.

This is where the story goes from being less about my worn out friend and more one of comic relief (no pun intended!). After the ordeal of putting Mitzi’s boots on and getting her in and out of a cab, an exhausted and aching Sue accompanied Mitzi  and Mitzi’s friend to dinner.  Unexpectedly they had to find a dog friendly restaurant because the handler of the “star” got a last minute assignment leaving the unhappy owner “babysitting” her own dog!  The group wound up finding a suitable restaurant near Grand Central Station and since Sue was the NYC resident, the disgruntled dog owner demanded to know where she could find grass so her champion could relieve himself. Grass?!! -around Grand Central Station!!  ( in case you don’t know GCS is located almost in the center of our concrete jungle and  quite far from the green grass of Central Park).  Sue explained that dogs in NYC use the street or the curb, hence the signs all over Manhattan “please curb your dog”. The owner was appalled and indignantly informed Sue that this was a show dog and needed grass, not concrete! “OH NO” Sue thought, what next?   As the evening wore on though an amazing thing happened, the dog learned to read the signs!

Attending the Westminster Dog Show after dinner once again involved alot of heavy lifting, and even though Sue’s four legged dinner companion didn’t win the ribbon for Best In Show, in my estimation he definitely deserved a blue ribbon for learning to read!

Mitzi’s 4 day visit finally came to an end and my exhausted friend may still be recovering!