NYC

What a day!





Hugh Jackman is pretty much The Definition of Awesome. If I was the editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, the above photo would be right next to the entry for 'awesome'. Yeah, he was awesome.

I find it quite apt that I went to see the man who made Wolverine famous on the birthday of the creator of Wolverine (& the X-Men), Stan Lee. On the just before midnight drive home from the bus drop-off, I was listening to NPR and Garrison Keillor told me it was Stan Lee's 89th birthday. I also find it quite funny that the only time I don't like Hugh Jackman is when he plays Wolverine. I think it's the hair/fur.

I did a lot of walking around yesterday with some hops on the subway. There was a crazy amount of people in NYC yesterday for matinee Wednesday on a holiday week. It was so invigorating but overwhelming. I did the Christmas windows at Macy's.





Marionettes that danced to music





Nutcrackers that spun





The windows were touch screens in places. Too many kids were swarming them so I am not actually sure what they did.





I did the windows at Bergdorf Goodman, both the men's





and ladies' department stores. The ladies' were my favorite. Each window featured a different textile.





Giant paper gecko head





Porcupine





This is all paper.











Bugs





Mosaic underwater scene





Ringmaster mouse





Metal





I don't remember the rest of this one. I just like giraffes.





This was string, rope, etc. I like the reflection with the moose.

This was another store's windows and they were like wedding scenes with a carousel theme. I liked the scene below except I felt sorry for the bride because I don't think she realizes what an ass she's marrying.





St. Patrick's Cathedral





Atlas





He's so super strong.





Rockefeller Center was pretty much a zoo...























as was Times Square.











Some fun photos:





























That one monkey sparkles. I think he might be Edward's vampire monkey pet.





The US Post Office





The "FUR-ART-BUILDING." at the Fashion Institute



















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Drama Dork, Part Deux

People are taking my picture as I studiously type on my iPad whilst sitting in the window seat of Starbucks. I find that odd.

There are way too many people here. However, it is a matinee Wednesday during the Christmas holidays.

If I was a beggar in a wheelchair, the LAST place I'd be is Times Square. Really.

A little boy was complaining about being shoved by others "on purpose". I just had to laugh. I hate being shoved still.

People (me included) will photograph anything but mine are better.

Just the sight of Hugh Jackman on a poster larger than life makes me swoon. I love NY!

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Me, the Drama Dork

Alarm went off. Got dressed and out the door in plenty of time. Headed north on 695 to the White Marsh park and ride to catch the 0630 Megabus to NYC with plenty of time on my side.

Drove past the exit for 95 north. Didn't realize it until I was in Essex. Clock says 0620 but it runs slow. Panic. Quickly get on 695 back toward Towson to 95 to White Marsh. See the Megabus heading toward the park and ride. Get caught at red light. Panic. Get into park and ride and see ginormous queue for the bus. Sigh of relief.

I have never been so happy to see a long line as I was this morning. I was litruhlee the last person on the bus and have a seat next to the toilet. Lesson learned. At least people are using the hand sanitizer and it smells good. The bus is packed but it has free Wifi.

Random bus thoughts:
1. There are no seat belts on the bus. Hunh. This does make me feel unsafe.
2. I saw a beautiful sunrise over what I believe was the Susquehanna River. My husband is chuckling as he reads this because he knows that I am geographically challenged as well as directionally challenged.
3. The bus had to go through the weigh station which I felt was odd. We passed, so there must not be any stowaways in the luggage compartment.
4. I-95 north and the New Jersey Turnpike both have mile markers every tenth of a mile. That seems a waste.
5. I am sat on the right side of the bus which allows me to experience the Bernoulli effect and cringe when we pass big slower trucks as we get sucked dangerously close to them.
6. People who can sleep anywhere sort of annoy me. You know who you are.


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So Excited

I am heading to NYC solo via the Megabus at zero dark squirrel fart tomorrow. I plan to stroll around the city or perhaps just sit around dependent upon how my foot reacts. (I have plantar fasciitis in my left foot.) Then at 2PM sharp, I plan to be mesmerized by one of People Magazine's Sexiest Men Alive, Hugh Jackman. His one-man show is playing through New Year's day. I am meeting my friend, Gwen, for the show and her husband, Trent, for after the show and the rest of the afternoon.

Any recommendations of things I should see between 10AM and 1:30PM? I was thinking the Guggenheim or MoMA which is closer.

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Stationery Card

Spring Mums Thank You Card

Say "Thanks," with personalized thank you notes from Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Christmas Wishes

I want to wish everyone Season's Greetings from places we've been this year:

Merry Christmas - American English
Mele Kalikimaka - Hawaiian
Happy Christmas - British English
Nadelik looan - Cornish
Nadolig Llawen - Welsh
Nollaig Shona Dhuit - Irish
Colo sana wintom tiebeen - Egyptian
God Jul - Swedish
Glædelig Jul - Danish
Vrolijk Kerstfeest - Dutch

And from other places we've been:

Nollaig Chridheil - Scottish
Bozego Narodzenia - Polish
Frohliche Weihnachten - German
Joyeux Noel - French
Nedeleg Laouen - Breton
Vesele Vanoce - Czech
Kellemes karacsonyi unnepeket - Hungarian
Buon Natale - Italian
Feliz Navidad - Spanish


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The Clock House

A few weeks ago, I went to visit the Clock House via a tour through Baltimore Heritage. This is a privately owned house in Charles Village in Baltimore that is owned by a man named Durward Center. As a child, he was fascinated by electric fans, of all things. He witnessed the installation of a pipe organ in the church of his native Kentucky home and built one in his parents' barn. He then went to work for the Smithsonian after college and began collecting: clock tower mechanisms, pipe organs, electric fans... Bizarre yet amazingly fascinating at the same time.

Firstly, I love light fixtures and apparently so does Mr. Center.He also had some spare lightbulbs lying around
and a giant collection of these temperature thingies which were hanging
everywhere, especially in the transom window areas above the doorways. (a very clever idea)

There were many clocks, small and large.
This one had his name on it!
The Dragon tower clock mechanism is shown above. It reached over two stories of his house as did two other tower clocks which were installed in the house. The two other clocks had pendulums which swung between floors. There was an aperture in the ceiling of both the dining room and Mr. Center's bedroom which was big enough for the pendulums to swing over the dining room table and his bed, respectively.
The counterweights for one of the tower clocks ran down alongside the three-floor staircase.

In addition to clocks, Mr. Center collected boat propellers, electric fans (an entire room's worth)
statues of either Daedalus or Icarus (or both),
pipe organs
and sheet music for said organs.
Here are a trio of videos. The first is VERY LOUD and shows the inner workings of an old street organ from the Netherlands and made me feel like I was there again.

Notice the blue cards that feed into the organ as sheet music.
The second is VERY LOUD and shows the front of the Dutch organ.

This one shows the inner workings of his giant pipe organ that was like one of seven total of its kind which still exists or something like that.

If this doesn't get you into the Christmas spirit, I can't help you.