Early yesterday morning, I was standing in the freezing cold waiting for the M5 bus to take me across town for an appointment. Other numbered buses went by, but finally, after 10 shivering minutes, my bus arrived. It was crowded with NYers on their way to work, and because most of them were glued to their phones, the bus was amazingly quiet. There were no empty seats, but I was so grateful to be out of the freezing cold I was happy to stand even though I had to hold on tight to the pole because the driver seemed a little reckless. He was weaving in and out of traffic on Broadway as if he was driving a car rather than a big NYC bus and screeched to a stop when we got to Columbus Circle. A few people filed off, and a seat became available, grateful I wouldn’t have to keep holding on for dear life, I sat down, pulled out my phone, and soon became engrossed in scrolling through the morning’s news.

  I ride this bus frequently, so I wasn’t paying much attention to the overhead announcements, but suddenly I jerked to attention as the bus turned right onto 7th Avenue. It wasn’t supposed to turn until 5^th Ave. Puzzled, I figured maybe 5th Avenue was closed off for one reason or another, as it sometimes is, and the driver had to take an alternate route. I glanced around and saw a few puzzled looks, but no one seemed concerned. A few blocks later, as the driver continued on this odd route, I became convinced I had accidentally boarded the wrong bus and started to get up to check with the driver. About 10 other people were of the same mindset and were heading up the aisle in front of me. After talking to the driver, a woman turned around and announced to us that the driver had forgotten what route he was on. Huh?! Seriously?! Fortunately, I had left early (surprise, surprise) because what was supposed to be a 15-minute trip took 45 minutes as the driver cut down a side street filled with bumper-to-bumper traffic.

  I think what may have shocked me even more than having a reckless, absent-minded NYC bus driver take the wrong route, was the continued silence inside this wayward bus. No outward signs of frustration or anger were expressed by anyone. Who would ever imagine a busload of New Yorkers, all most likely late for work, would just get off at various illegal stops without uttering a word of complaint?

One of the many reasons I love New York is its unexpectedness!

On Wednesday morning, it is clear that Trump has won and that Democrats have lost control of the Senate. Control of the House remains open. Democrats and people who love America are grieving. That is understandable. Everyone will need time to express feelings of shock, anger, and fear. Respect those who need to talk about what happened and those who don’t want to talk about it. Everyone will need to process the results in their own way. It will take time to digest what happened and why it happened.

Then on Wednesday they will be heading to PA for 5 more days of door knocking. No matter who you are voting for (and we sure hope it is Kamala) you would have to love opening the door and seeing these two adorable charmers standing there!

I started out the day crossing Lincoln Center Plaza and saw these three deeply engrossed in conversation. I have no idea why she was dressed like that but she looked great!

Then I saw this lady who was fully engrossed in a conversation with the pigeon. I stopped to take this photo and listen for awhile I don’t know what she said but she definitely called the pigeon George

I boarded the bus and snapped this from the window in front of the Deutsche Bank Bldg at Columbus Circle (in case you can’t make it out, he is applying eye makeup).

A minute later this girl got on the bus and was oblivious as I (and many others) watched her apply an entire arsenal of makeup. Fascinating!

I think these photos capture some of the unique energy and spirit of New York like nothing else.”

The Great Elephant Migration has taken over the Meatpacking District in NYC

These 100 life-sized, intricately detailed elephants are on display through October. They were created by members of The Coexistence Collective, a community of 200 Indigenous artisans in India. These eco-conscoius sculptures are crafted from lantana camara (it reminded me of bamboo), a fast-growing invasive weed known to push animals out of their natural habitats.

This amazing exhibition is a joint effort between The Meatpacking District Management Association (whose goal is to promote the area for businesses, residents, and visitors) and Elephant Family USA, an international non-governmental organization, that aims to promote conservation and coexistence between humans and wildlife. I loved that you can walk right up and touch them. They each have a name, and all are for sale. If you buy one, please don’t separate a baby from its mother:-) If only I had a bigger apartment!

I spent last evening writing postcards to Georgia voters. It was me & 99 other NYers participating in a well-organized joint effort by local churches and synagogues under the umbrella of the “Center for Common Ground, Reclaim Our Vote Campaign” to urge registered voters in Georgia to go to the polls. Because most volunteers wrote at least 20 cards, some more, some less, 200,000 GA residents, most in small towns, will receive a personalized hand written non-political postcard saying the following:

Dear Ms or Mr …….Our rights are on the ballot Nov 5: reproductive & voting rights, affordable housing, healthcare, good jobs & public schools! Vote early, avoid long lines. Bring friends & photo ID (yes GA requires a photo ID to vote).

Here’s hoping it works!