Coldest Damned Day in Four Years!

by Pa Rock
Weatherman

Manhattan held a sick call this morning and I fell out for it. I knew last night that I had come down with a New York City flu bug, and by this morning I couldn't even get out of bed. So while the rest of our merry group rushed downtown to see Ground Zero, I stayed in bed.

A graduate of Baker University who lives here and works for the Port Authority, the organization that apparently controls Ground Zero, saw our group on the Today Show on Tuesday and got in touch. He arranged for a special tour this morning. I am certain that I missed a really good outing.

It is bitter cold today, supposedly the coldest day that this city has experienced in four years. When I finally did get up, I ambled across the street and had a wonderful lunch at a local greasy-spoon diner. For a good meal in the Midwest, look for the truckers - for a good meal in New York, look for the working people. It's as simple as that.

Our evening meal last night was at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. It sparkled, with stained glass, mirrors, and Christmas lights everywhere. And the food wasn't too shabby, either! But they didn't have a blue collar special!

Last night's play was Into the Heights, the winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2008. It was a high energy depiction of everyday life in the Jackson Heights area of New York City. We weren't fifteen minutes into the show when I realized that what we were really watching was the grandchild of West Side Story. It was an amazing display of singing, dancing, and drama - almost as good as the Jersey Boys and head-and-shoulders above Wicked!

This afternoon we are lining up for half-price tickets for a play tonight. (That's how Broadway ensures that every seat is filled.) Most of what's playing this season looks to be really good, so I am certain that we will come up with a great evening's entertainment.

The Real Deal New York Pizza

by Pa Rock
Food Editor

This morning we awoke to snow and miserably cold weather. Our first stop of the day was the Metropolitan Museum of Art which was a two-bus trip from our hotel. Carla and I managed to navigate it on our own, and we were deservedly proud of that accomplishment! The snow managed to quit while we were inside, without too much in the way of accumulation.

The Metropolitan is a class act, and much more interesting (to me at least) than the Natural History Museum. We saw displays of Egyptian art and tomb treasures, Roman art and sarcophagi, and Greek art and household items. It was all pretty amazing stuff. I'm glad to see museums preserving art and giving people a chance to experience it, but I have some negative feelings about robbing graves in the name of art.

One of my favorite paintings is A View of Toledo by the Spanish artist El Greco. I stumbled upon it almost by accident at the Metropolitan this morning. A lady and I took turns just standing in front of that masterpiece and soaking up the complexity of the work. That lady, a total stranger, assured me that the gift shop sold prints of the painting, but when I tried to buy one, the fourteen-year-old sales clerk told me that they did not have it in stock. But I was told that you do, I argued. By whom? A tourist, I replied. He gave me one of those looks that said, "I don't get paid enough for this crap!" Later I did find a postcard of the painting. It was a steal at only a buck-fifty!

The Metropolitan has a multitude of naked sculptures. I kept thinking about John Ashcroft and wondering how nuts he would make himself trying to get everything covered up! If he knew that hordes of school children walk among all of that marble nudity every day, shamelessly viewing stone breasts and penises, he would probably be outside protesting and trying to get the place shut down!

We had a snack at the museum - lemon bars for $3.50 each! When it came time for lunch we exited the building and decided to look for something better and more reasonable. We had gone only about half of a block on Madison Avenue when we came to the very small City Market Cafe. They had a great assortment of sandwiches, pizza, and baked goods - and the aromas drew us in. We both had a big slice of pizza and a diet coke - for a total of eleven dollars and change. The pizza was real deal New York, and had to be folded in order to be picked up and eaten. It was the single best meal that I have had in this city!

The City Market Cafe delivers. If you would like to call them up and punk them, their number is 212-535-2070. Or, if you are in New York, stop in as absorb some real food. The cafe is located at 1100 Madison Avenue. In addition to pizza, they also serve up grilled paninis, homemade soups, fresh fruit smoothies, tossed salads made to order, a good variety of coffees and espressos, and pastries and desserts.

This evening we are having dinner at Tavern on the Green in Central Park, and then will be seeing In the Heights, a Tony award-winning musical.

Being on vacation is rough work, but somebody has to do it!