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It was a typical Saturday Morning at Lily’s house.  I got up and took the dogs out to the back yard.  We are lucky that she has a big back yard with a double fence; hurricane and wood.  Thelma, the huntress, who is usually the first one to find any form of life invading HER yard…ran up to the fence and started sniffing.  The week before she had found a dead baby bird inside of a tree….I was hoping it was not the same.

So, I walked over to where she was fixated on the fence and found a poor turtle stuck on a branch up against the fence.

Charley thinks someone must have thrown the turtle over the fence as he says turtles don’t climb.

I was able to get the turtle unstuck and back on the ground.  However there were no places were the turtle could get out under the fence.  So, I decided to wake Charley up to both help me free the turtle and to take some pictures

I grabbed one of Lily’s big stock pots to put the turtle in once I caught him.  I dug a path under the wooden fence and had to grab his shell to get him out.  I never knew how strong a turtles legs were!  He fought but I was able to get him under the fence and in the stock pot. 

We walked across the street and took a few pictures, then deposited him next to the river…and watched him scamper, then swim, away.

 Where’s Washington Heights????

The word Demographics has been a large part of my vocabularity in the past year as I tweek reports at work for the marketing dept.  Demographics is big business…and in a way, shapes business.

With that said:

Today I received a piece of mail from the New York Magazine.  It was a solicitation for a subscription.  Inside of the envelope I found a bookmark sized “subway map” of Manhattan.  I have scanned it and included it in this post.  Now, what really bothered me was that this “map” only goes as far uptown as 145th Street!!!   Essentially it has cut off the top 1/4 of Manhattan…including my neighborhood, Washington Heights.

When people hear “Washington Heights” they either think of the well established Orthodox Jewish or Hispanic populations. While both of these groups are present here, the demographic continues to change. Our neighborhood has continued to be populated by members of the Broadway community, musicans, actors, and the young upwardly mobile seeking an investment in affordable real estate. Washington Heights is a fantastic neighborhood with a lot to offer…yes, we are missing a NY Sports Club and a nice sized grocery store (but Fresh Direct does deliver here!)… otherwise I have no complaints.  It is also a very green area of the city, and the Hudson River is just outside my front door. 

 When I first moved to NYC in 1999 I sublet my friends apartment here in the Heights…then after meeting my husband, I moved back here from Queens as he owned an apartment here.  I have lived permanently in the ”Heights” neighborhood since 2003.  My husband and I own a coop apartment in the building my husband originally bought an apartment in 1989.  Within 3 blocks of our building the restaurant selection includes upscale Latin American, Chinese, Sushi, Indian, Greek, a Cafe, and a Bar that serves food (owned by some Rockin’ Morrocans).  Not to mention the Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald’s and various Pizza Joints.  We also have Ft. Tryon Park which hosts the Cloisters and Sir Williams Dog Run…which is the largest dog run in the city and is frequented by dog owners from all over the city.

Here is a great article AM NY recently did on the Heights.

I went as far as to write New York Magazine.  To ask them if a 37 year old, white, married, female was not a part of their demographic?  And being part of that demographic…should I be living below 145th Street? 

—————————————–

Ok, just a little update. I was Googling Washington Heights to read more about the history. Guess who has a page with info…yep, New York Magazine. However…there directions to the neighborhood are completely wrong! They say take the 6 train to Parkchester….that the BRONX! This article was dated in 2003 and with further research, I found that the magazine has been sold since then.  Here is there current Marketing Package.  And, I guess they like their “younger demographic”  as 48% of their readership is 18-34…suddenly, I feel old.

 In case you’d like to visit this fantastic neighborhood,

You can find the entire New York City Subway Map HERE

Tonight my husband reminded me of a poem that I sent him when we first met.  

I don’t remember where or who this originally came from.  But, I feel it is so appropriate.

 And, I’d also like to present it as a nod to an old friend who is hugely pregnant right now and due on my birthday.

 So, with much love…here it is…..

The Song of A Life

When a woman in a certain African tribe knows she is pregnant, she
goes out into the wilderness with a few friends and together they pray
and meditate until they hear the song of the child.

They recognize that every soul has its own vibration that expresses
its unique flavor and purpose.

When the women attune to the song, they sing it out loud. Then they
return to the tribe and teach it to everyone else.

When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child’s
song to him or her. Later, when the child enters education, the village
gathers and chants the child’s song.

When the child passes through the initiation to adulthood, the
people again come together and sing. At the time of marriage, the person
hears his or her song.

Finally, when the soul is about to pass from this world, the family
and friends gather at the person’s bed, just as they did at their birth,
and they sing the person to the next life.

In the African tribe, there is one other occasion upon which the
villagers sing to the child.

If at any time during his or her life, the person commits a crime or
aberrant social act, the individual is called to the center of the
village and the people in the community form a circle around them.
Then they sing their song to them.

The tribe recognizes that the correction for antisocial behavior is not
punishment; it is love and the remembrance of identity. When you
recognize your own song, you have no desire or need to do anything that
would hurt another.

A friend is someone who knows your song and sings it to you when
you have forgotten it.

Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or
dark images you hold about yourself.

They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness
when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your
purpose when you are confused.

You may not have grown up in an African tribe that sings your song
to you at crucial life transitions, but life is always reminding you when
you are in tune with yourself and when you are not.

When you feel good, what you are doing matches your song, and
when you feel awful, it doesn’t.

- Author Unknown

I got up early this morning and took the dogs up to Ft. Tryon Park.  The first Sunday of the month the Local Dog Group holds what is called the “Coffee Bark” at the dog run.  I have never participated in this and the weather was very nice today…so I ventured up there and alas…no coffee…and the small dog area of the run was wet, muddy, and full of this purple berries that were staining everything.  Fortunately, there were not too many big dogs and I just hung out in the run with the girls for a little while.  Then the desire for some coffee and my own home took over and I headed back home.  It’s about a half hour walk (at a leisurely pace — allowing for stopping and sniffing) from the apartment to the park. 

I spent the rest of the day hanging out and watching movies.  HBO on Demand is offering the first three Star Wars Episodes: which I began to watch until the tiling of the digital image was just too much to bear.  I ask myself why we pay so damn much for cable if we can’t enjoy it!  So, I turned to my stack of Netflix movies. 

The first movie we watched was “The Painted Veil“. Ed Norton and Naomi Watts are featured as a married couple that venture to China during a cholera outbreak.  Ed Norton is a bacteriologist and Naomi Watts is his wife who finally discovers herself as a result of this experience.  I would give it 3-4 stars on a 5 star scale. 

The second movie we watched was “Water”  An absolutely georgeous film from India.  It is the story of Indian widows.  It starts with an eight year old girl who has become widowed (yes, child marriages and subsequently child widows were very common in the first half of 20th century India)  and is sent to an ashram.  She befriends another young widow who eventually meets a tragic end.  However, the movie ends with hope for the young Indian widow.   The movie is subtitled and worth a viewing.

And, yes we watched a third movie.  “Because I said So“…staring the incredibly talented Diane Keaton.  Now, this movie is the epitomy of the “chick flick” but, with wonderful twists and turns….motherhood, sisterhood, the quest for love…and lots and lots of laughter.  And, Diane Keaton is wonderful…wacky…heartwarming…and takes a few cakes in the face!

I love hanging out on Sundays with the dogs on my lap and my husband next to me in his big chair. 

Tonight Charley and I were watching a set of Johnny Carson DVD’s that we received from my mother-in-law last Christmas.  It was the first time we had gotten around to watching them, and what a treat.  I grew up watching Johnny Carson with my Dad and didn’t really understand his  humor like I do as an adult…of course.  It was wonderful to see Johnny crack himself up, along with the rest of the world.  And to see some stars when they were very, very young….not to mention Bill Clinton while he was still the Govenor of Arkansas.

Anyway, one of the guests said;

“I sometimes feel like the world is wearing a tuxedo, and I’m a pair of Brown Shoes.”

I have never heard the feeling of not fitting in described in such a wonderful way.  Charley and I laughed so hard.

I myself— am a pair of Teva sandals…

My husband loves finding gadgets on the internet. We have been very annoyed by the presence of flys in our apartment. We should have known this would be a problem as the previous owner had left a fly swatter behind in the kitchen

Anyway, we bought some of those gross sticky fly strips you see hanging in take out restaurants…and that helped a little. And then Charley found the “electric fly swatter”. And it works!!! We often laugh at the translated instructions that come with gadgets we order from the internet. Here are the directions for the swatter….

INSTRUCTIONS

1. INSTALL TWO 1.5V BATTERIES AS INDICATED ON THE BATTERY CASE.

2. TO KILL THE INSECT, HOLD THE HANDLE, TURN ON THE SWITCH AND WIELD THE SWATTER TO MAKE THE INSECTS TOUCH THE NET SURFACE.

3. AFTER TURNING ON THE SWITCH, THE LAMP LIGHTING BE CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH THE NET SURFACE.

4. INSECTS KILLED ON THE SWATTER SURFACE CAN BE BRUSHED OFF OF SHAKEN OFF IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT USE WATER.

5. CHANGE THE BATTERIES WHILE THE VOLTAGE IS LOWER

6. CHILDREN BELOW 8 YEARS OLD NOT USE THE SWATTER.

It was only $9.95 and can be found HERE

   My morning commute begins at the 181st street A Train station.  If I’m on time I catch the train that arrives around 8:12 in the morning.  I have never known the trains to run on an exact schedule…mainly you can expect an A to arrive every 6 to 10 minutes.  

I hope to get a seat as I ride the train all the way to Brooklyn Heights, the first stop in Brooklyn, and it takes about 45 minutes when the train is running on schedule.

So, it’s Friday morning, I’m tired as it’s been a very busy week.  I get a seat…a middle seat…not the ideal seat but fine as I am tired.  Now there are a variety of different conductors with different styles — some rude, some nice, some all business–and then there is the 8:15am conductor.  I believe he’s from Trinidad…he has that lilty island accent…and often between 125th and 59th street he provides some commentary.  It’s always funny.  Whether it’s what to buy your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day or some other advice, it is kind of a nice break to a monotonous commute.

So, this brings me to the point of my post.  As I said, I was really tired Friday morning.  I got on the train, got a seat…middle…and thought about how I rather be in bed.   181, 175, 168, 145, 125…..the conductor comes on the speaker…

“Ladies and Gentleman”, “When you leave your air conditioned homes, to get on the air conditioned train, to go to your air conditioned office….please keep me in your thoughts next week”

We all pause…he pauses

“Next week I will be undergoing some very serious radiation treatment”

Again, we all pause…and some gasp as we all really like this conductor

“I will be going to my home island of Trinidad, to lay on the beach and soak up the rays….white sandy beaches….ocean breezes”

a sigh of relief….he’s okay…then after a brief pause he says

“Eat your heart out!!!”

The entire car erupts into laughter.  This man, the conductor, has done a very rare thing…make an entire car of otherwise gritty new yorkers, laugh.  It was wonderful. 

Right before arriving at 59th street he comes on the speaker again.

“I’ll see you all in a week!”

I got off and 42nd street this trip as I was heading to corporate…and I waved to him and said

“Have  a great time!”

And I proceeded with my day feeling a bit better about humanity.

I bought the cube sets for my husbands birthday. 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/722a/

 He has put them together on his desk and his boss has labeled each to match one of the members of the IT Department.  Then depending on the mood of the day, or the happenings in the department—the figures get moved.

 I guess today was a pretty fun day.

In the word’s of Pat McCurdy ”Hey sister, whatcha doin?”, “Hey sister, bbq’in”

“Hey sister, it’s Memorial Day!” 

“Hey IT, whatcha doin?” “Hey IT, play’in TWISTER!!”  “Hey IT, it’s Memorial Day!”

My brother sent this to me.  I think it’s funny that will all my travels, and living in NYC for 8 years, I still retain the Wisconsin Accent.  I can crack my step-kids up when I put it on really thick.  However, I call soda, soda…but, do you know what a bubbler is?

Today was the “Easter Bonnet” which is a Broadway fundraiser for Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS.  I worked on Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” for 5 years of my NYC life.  I dressed the ladies ensemble and was responsible for the Enchantress trick. 

During my time at “Beast” I made some wonderful friends, learned how to SCUBA dive, got kicked in the eye during a fast change, lost a friend/coworker to cancer (he was 37…the age I am now), and met and married my husband.  Lots of life changes.  “Beast” is closing this summer…hence the last year in the “Easter Bonnet”….and all former cast and crew were invited to take part.

I stood on the stage holding the hand of on of my girlfriends and tried to sing the end of the Finale…emphasis on tried.  I really couldn’t stop smiling.  I think I even had goosebumps at one point.  The lights were so bright that I couldn’t see the audience but I tried to look in the direction of my sweet husband who was sitting in the mezzanine.

I realized two things today.  First, I am happy that I choose to leave my profession as a dresser and move on to other things.  However and second, I do miss the companionship that I had at “Beast”.  But, many of the gals I loved the most have also moved on with their lives.   I saw a few of them today…and recaptured the feeling of community that for a short time I shared with some very exceptional and talented folks.