When the Battery in the Camera Poops Out...

Marquis for (probably) the best play I've ever seen

When the battery in my camera gave out this morning, I knew it was TIME, time to head home. And so it is; I'll board a plane this afternoon and 5 hours later step off in Seattle. I hear the weather is rainy and cool; 65 degrees compared to 95 degrees in New York City.

I'll post more about my trip once home. There's much to share about The Highline Park and the Broadway plays we saw, in particular Next to Normal which blew me away.

Cattails  in High Line Park, NYC

Images of NYC 2010

The Naked Cowgirl of Times Square

I love New York City.

As a kid, I spent at least 3 summers here while Dad attended summer school, working on his doctoral degree. Then there were the times we spent just an overnight or two in the city on the way to upstate New York to visit family. My memories are patchy, bits here and there but they come alive when I'm plunked down in the middle of all the action again.

As a young adult I visited the city half a dozen times for various reasons. Then there was a long hiatus, some twenty plus years before I walked the streets of one of my favorite cities again, this time with my teenage daughter. Her enchantment and excitement made my experience all the richer as I witnessed her response to sights, sounds, smells of NYC.

The BlogHer Conference compelled me so completely that for 2 days I never left the Hilton Hotel. I might have been in Anywhere, USA. But with the final wrap up session of the conference today, it was time to once again walk the streets, experience the subways, people watch, and take in another Broadway play.

Something uniquely interesting attracted my eye constantly. Enjoy....

E Train

Times Square

View from Highline Park

Times Square Cops

Halal Street Vendor

Hot temperatures (I've become a wimp since moving away from Texas) in the high 80's and low 90's  mid day had me overheated big time, especially two levels below the street waiting for a subway. By evening, temperatures cooled off and the wind picked up. Glorious weather for a promenade through traffic, pedestrians and a never ending new array of sights.

The Feet of BlogHer

Overwhelmed with the size and schedule of the Blogher Conference 2010?  Yep.

Struggling to put the experience into words that make sense?  Yep.

Resorting to a default topic?  'fraid so.

Here are (some) of the feet of BlogHer.

Who might this be, you ask? 

Mr. Potato Head roams the halls with us.

More about the conference when my brain comes into simmer mode. Right now the pot boil-eth over.

Art and Life

Paul Cezanne 

 

 

 

Skyline Divide Hike, Mt. Baker, WA

Still whirling from the contrast between the wilderness of the North Cascade Mountains and the sophistication of the big city, I found these images an interesting visual comment on art and life.

Countdown to BlogHer 2010

Even though we slept in until just after 9 AM today, MM and I never stopped from that point on. Coffee was on the urgent must-do list as soon as we were dressed. Somehow we found ourselves in the hotel restaurant where the least expensive breakfast item was 15 bucks (no way).  We settled for "just coffee, thank you" and the tab came to 9 dollars. Yikes!

Heading out for the Museum of Modern Art and the Matisse exhibit, we split a  giant hot, salted pretzel from a street vendor. That was breakfast and it held us perfectly until lunch at the museum restaurant. MOMA was overwhelming; so much to see and so many people. The "people watching" was as wonderful as the art. Non-flash photography was allowed in portions of the museum so in addition to patrons texting and talking on phones, cameras were everywhere. The day was hot (94 degrees at 5 PM) and muggy so folks were dressed scantily. Lots of sandals, lots of bare arms and legs.

By mid afternoon we were sated with art and headed back to the hotel to re-group and cool off. With nothing on the agenda until a Blogher cocktail party at 7, we ventured out and underground to the subway station on 7th Avenue and headed downtown to Century 21 ("Fashion Worth Fighting For")  for a look-see. Crazed and wonderful all at once; an endless array of handbags, jewelry, clothing, shoes, all at bargain prices.

Although I'm not entirely sure where the surge of energy came from, we decided to walk from Church Street north for block after block, past Canal Street and on to West Broadway. Great people watching, sights, sounds, energy. It's New York, after all. What else can you say? We did call it quits at Washington Square near the NYU campus and hopped the subway back uptown. My feet, despite the practical shoes, were a swollen mess by early evening.

The Blogher party tonight was a bit disappointing. I went for the drinks; mine and half of MM's. They were weak; barely felt a thing. MM has been sleeping for a few hours now which is precisely what I should be doing. Tomorrow, bright and early BlogHer 2010 begins.

Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite! (not funny since NYC is in the midst of a bed bug infestation right now) I'm beginning to wonder if these "mosquito bites" on my legs might not be something more sinister. Hmmmm.

From the Woods to Times Square

Sunday and Monday Denny and I camped 25 feet from the south fork of the Nooksack River, all sounds but rushing water drowned out.

Tonight I'm in the big city, amidst mobs of people and honking taxicabs. The contrast is....well, leaving me a bit tongue tied.

What I do know is that 48 hours in the wilderness with a can of Deep Woods OFF spray left me free of all bug bites. Who knew that I'd benefit from the spray here in the city?  My legs are peppered with mosquito bites after our walk tonight to Times Square and back. Hmmmm.

More later. Much more.

The Moment is Now...

We were here to witness the sweet unfolding and the intoxicating aroma permeating the night air. We awoke to the bloom spent, her glorious moments passed. Live in the now. Life is short.