Fun in New York!

We missed New York in 2012 and made a return trip this fall so Jerry could go to a Yankees game with a client.  I was happy to tag along and visit some of my old haunts while he was watching baseball.  At the last minute, plans changed with the client and I got to use the ticket.  I've been to New York well over a hundred times, but have never been to Yankee stadium, so that was fun.

We flew up on Thursday morning and wandered the streets, stopping by my original NY office at Grand Central Tower, with lunch at the Comfort Diner, and a quick visit to Grand Central Station.  For those of you that haven't seen it, about 10 years ago they restored the ceiling to its original glory ...

Passengers running to make the next train ...

Later that afternoon our car picked us up to head to the Bronx ... Yankee Stadium here we come and what a beautiful sight it is.

 

Inside the stadium is just as spectacular ...

 



Before I go on, I need to say that Jerry's client is the ultimate Yankees fan.  He has never lived in New York, but owns a pair of Legends Seats, which provide the users with an amazing experience ... from dining in the Legends Club

... to the fourth row seats near first base and all the perks that accompany those willing and able to support the team at this level.  I have no idea what these seats cost each year, but it's entirely possible that number exceeds BrewerETC's annual profits!

As we were sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic from the mid-town to the Bronx, we were talking with the driver about the Yankees record and how the game didn't mean anything in terms of the season - but it did.  As it turns out, by the Yankees missing the playoffs for the first time in ages, it was the last home game for Mariano Rivera.

Exit the Sandman ...

They had a special ceremony and presented him with a watch and some other memorabilia.  The weather was great and we had a good time - in spite of our allergies.

Near the entrance, they have a tribute to the original stadium with a huge bronze medallion from the building.

We headed back into the City and ended up walking part of the way back to our hotel because traffic was INSANE due to the UN meetings.  I have not seen security that tight since the weeks following 9/11.  I'm talking concrete barricades in the streets around major hotels, bomb sniffing dogs in and around our hotel and others, police sub-stations set up in tents every few street corners.  SECURITY, with a capital S.

Here's one of my favorite sights ... the Helmsley and Met Life buildings on Park Avenue at night.

Friday was another walk & shop-a-thon that started with Jerry's shave & facial at the Art of Shaving.  We covered Manhattan from the Carlyle at 76th - with stops along Madison and 5th all the way back to the Roosevelt at 45th and Madison.  For anyone familiar, YES the Roosevelt has remodeled since the Chase days.

Here's a view from our window and the building across the street where I watched and waved at the sniper on the observation deck.  He waved first.  Frankly, he looked bored and probably thought we were nuts for leaving the drapes open.  Needless to say, we felt very safe!

When we're in New York, if it's Saturday it's SoHo and this trip was no different.  Breakfast at Balthazar's ... scrambled eggs in puff pastry and sour cream hazelnut waffles ... who can resist?

For a couple of "foodies", New York is paradise and the only saving grace is the walking.  We put in about 8 miles a day as we happily shopped, ate and enjoyed a few cocktails!  SoHo is always fun and we have our favorite spots that would bore normal folks.

American spirit was in full swing at the Converse store. This wall is covered in red, white and blue Converse high-tops forming an American flag.

Just as the NY stores feature a wider variety of merchandise - they get the new stuff first and many items that never make it to other parts of the country - the merchandising is designed by some amazing creative folks.

The Ralph & Ricki Lauren store featured two walls of antique sewing machines - very cool for anyone interested in antiques or fashion.

You'll see a lot of things in New York, but something I'll never get over is the sight of ancient water towers on top of buildings in the middle of the city.  They're everywhere!

And in contrast to a century old wooden water vessel is the gleaming new Freedom Tower ... rising up in glory against a sky as blue as the day the twin towers fell.  We're headed back to New York in December and I can't wait to get a closer look!

And if these beauties are still at the Kate Spade store when we go back, I'm wearin' them home!

The Homeless Kittens

I think you all know about the expansion of Jerry's bank and he's been dealing with construction and interior build out for several months ... everything from security alarms to buying the TVs for the waiting area to managing the construction have fallen to Jerry and we've made a number of quick, after-hours trips to the bank lately.

One evening, as we were on our way back home after a false alarm, we're driving down N. Post Oak between the Houstonian and Memorial and I look to the right by the Texan building and see snow white kittens scampering around on the lawn.  Oh no!

As fate would have it, Jerry and I had gone to PetsMart and made a few other stops before getting the call about the alarm, so we actually had cat food with us.  JB pulled over near the dumpster and sure enough, there are five homeless kittens ... well, homeless in the traditional sense of the word.  They were pretty smart about their shelter and fast a lightening when scared.

I saw three white kittens and two tabby kittens - no adults. They were old enough to survive, but it was upsetting to see them in such a dangerous place.  The Texan building is an eyesore and the garage looks like something out of a horror movie.  The plot of land is adjacent to the back of the service station on the north side, with N. Post Oak Road running along the west - maybe 20 yards from the kittens den - and the 610 freeway/feeder road runs along the east side.  NOT a happy place for kittens ... or cats ... or anything susceptible to being run down by drivers who simply do not care.

We put out some food, backed away and then caught a glimpse of one HUNGRY, brave white kitten and a tabby who crawled out of their under-the-sidewalk den to get something to eat.

White kitten on the left and you can barely see the tail of the tabby between
the white kitten and the Fancy Feast box.

The next day, I called several agencies - including the SPCA near me, who require an appointment to "surrender a stray".  Are they serious?  How am I supposed to make an appointment to surrender a stray that I can't even capture? 

I considered a safe trap, but we were headed to New York later that week and I couldn't set a trap and then not be able to check it several times a day - and then GET AN APPOINTMENT to drop them off.  Life is hard on homeless animals and anyone who wants to help them is basically on their own.  After being rejected by the folks I thought could help, I decided the only course of action was to provide them with food and water and pray that they don't get run over.

The next day, I arrive on the scene after working out and see this:

I instantly feel both better and worse.  Better because their mom is with them and worse because they are in a hopeless situation ... doomed to a life of scrounging for food and water and dodging fast-moving cars. 

Who dumped this pregnant cat to have kittens alone in an unsafe environment?  What heartless human could have done that, when they could have easily dropped her off at the same SPCA who rejected me.  Voluntary surrenders are given priority over the homeless, which is at least something I guess. 

I don't fault the SPCA - they do a wonderful job, it's a lovely facility and there are simply too many unwanted animals and irresponsible people who refuse to spend a few bucks to have their pets "fixed", which would ultimately eliminate the problem.  But enough about that.

Tabby is hard to see due to his "camo coat", but he's there at the new
self feeder & self waterer.

This brave white kitten wasn't near as afraid after learning the day before that being stalked by a crazy woman bearing cat food can be a good thing.

Of course, the feline group scattered when I initially approached and I snapped this photo by holding my phone under the edge of their sidewalk bridge.  It's dirty, but safe unless there is a flood or they decide to tear down the building.

Mother cat with one white kitten in the way back and one white kitten
with a tabby beside her.

I bought them the feeders as a way to keep them alive while we were out of town.  I've kept them filled, but haven't seen the mother cat or the other kittens since we returned.  The next week, the only kitten I saw was the brave little white one.

You can see his ears poking up on the other side of their sidewalk/bridge.  I don't know where the others have gone, but I haven't seen them as "road kill", so I'm taking it as a good sign.  The food and water continue to disappear and it's possible that they have moved into the garage now that the kittens are big enough to climb and jump the 4+/- feet required to come and go over the basement wall.

Maybe they've been captured, tamed and are now living in a safe environment ...

Rockdale - Part 2 of 2

After check-in, we headed "into town" to locate the cemetery where Grandma Skinner and Pa are buried.  I haven't spent time in Rockdale in decades, but it's amazing what you can remember ...

On the way to the cemetery, Jerry starts asking me if I hear something.  "No, I only hear the grinding of wheels on old pavement."  Are you SURE you don't hear anything?  "No, but my ear is ringing.  What do you hear?"

We found the grave and removed the old, faded holiday oriented flowers and replaced them with these pretty (fake) hydrangea blooms.  Grandma's favorite color was always red, so we thought she would like them. 

As we were working on the flowers, we look up and see this beautiful double rainbow.  I think it was a sign that Grandma did indeed like the flowers!

After working on the flowers, Jerry returns to the subject of his car and how something is definitely wrong. I'm thinking maybe we have a flat or near flat, but he's already looked at that. So I get down on all fours and see that a fairly large piece of SOMETHING has fallen off the bottom of his car and has been dragging the ground since half-way to Baylor!

By now, I'm thinking Grandma and Pa must be rolling over with laughter because the small double rainbow had turned into this ...

I've already got cutting and digging tools in my hands, so I get the bright idea to pry the only remaining fastener loose and throw the thing in the trunk.  Easier said than done - neither of us could make it turn loose.  We left the cemetery, drove to dinner, the Brookshire Brothers and back to Rainbow Courts dragging this piece of the car all along the way.

When we pulled into the gravel parking lot, our friendly black cat RAN to the car and immediately inspected the strange piece of plastic sticking out from the car.  We were cracking up.  These cats sleep under the cars at the hotel and I guess he hadn't ever seen anything like it either.  With some serious elbow grease, and under the watchful eyes of the kitty, Jerry managed to get the thing off the car, so at least we didn't have to worry about it dragging around the rest of the trip.

Whew, that was enough excitement for one day.

The next morning we headed back into town for breakfast at the new McDonalds, which was about as dramatic of a contrast as you could see.  The interior was sleek and wild and "modern" - looked like a throw back to the 70's to me - and we laughed about what those farmers drinking coffee must think about the bright orange sitting stools and techno-modern art. Ha!

After our pancakes and scrambled eggs, we hit the Library for a little research.  YEARS ago,  Mary and I went with Grandma to a Sesquicentennial Ceremony where Rockdale residents placed letters and other small items into a "time capsule" to be opened in 2024.  Although I don't remember exactly what we put into the capsule, I remember writing a letter to my then toddler-aged niece Britt.  Grandma wrote letters too and the older I get, the more curious I am about what's in there.  If I'm able to attend, I'll be there in 2024 to collect the items we "preserved for the future" - it will be a fun look back at our family and spending time with Grandma Skinner.

Next we headed to the Harmony Cemetery and it's sporting a brand new marquis - fancy!

Just inside the gates we noticed a new marker commemorating my grandmother and Mrs. Foster for their tireless work and dedication in keeping Harmony together throughout their lives.

The headstone looks great and we replaced the existing flowers with some big colorful (fake) sunflowers in an array of fall colors.  Mother always liked the "fall palette", so I hope they like them.

Front

Close up

Back

After the Harmony stop, we headed to "the farm".  I haven't been there since Grandma died in 1995, but I remember so many good times there.  As a really young kid, we would go out there and just look around.  There was an old cabin on the far side of the spring-fed lake, but it was in terrible condition, and Grandma was "deathly afraid" of snakes, so we never stayed there.

As a middle-schooler, Grandma bought us a horse and we began to spend lots of time at the farm.  She would drive us out there and sit with her friend Edie Arrington in the 100 degree weather or in the dead of winter and let me ride Red for hours.  Soon, there was so much renewed interest in the farm that the family worked together and built another cabin - now close to 40 years old.

There are still cows, although less than when Grandma was living nearby to manage their care.  Uncle Bozo lives in Austin, but it's a lot to handle.

The trees around the lake have really grown up in 15 years and the lake is low.  I could tell stories of playing in knee deep quicksand and the "mud pies" we made as kids.  Spending time with Grandma Skinner was ALWAYS an adventure!

It's still a pretty place.

Baylor Bears - Part 1 of 2

For a long time - years - Jerry has wanted to go back to Baylor, where he played basketball his Freshman year to look around the campus and maybe see a game.  His good friend, Don Trull, who was a star quarterback during that time, called Jerry and said he was going to the game and would get us tickets if we wanted to come up. 

I had also wanted to visit Mom and Dad's graves and refresh the flowers for fall - Ed and Uncle Bo have been carrying the load on flowers and keeping a US flag flying in honor of Dad - and I had not been back to Rockdale since the funeral last spring.  So we decided to take advantage of the tickets and then swing back by Rockdale after the game, staying at the Rainbow Courts.

We arrived at Baylor and it didn't take long to locate the Gym where Jerry played basketball and spent hours running the bleachers for exercise.

And the Student Center where he studied.

His dorm has been replaced by this beautiful facility ... the name is the same, but it didn't look like this when he was there in the early 60's!

Of course, we had to check out the bear den.  He said it's in the same place, but these bears enjoy a pretty fancy set-up with tree trunks and water feature to keep them entertained and cool.  That said, it was 100 degrees on Saturday!

We tailgated with Trull and other Baylor alumni, then he got us into the Letterman's Club to cool off in the AC.  Thank goodness - I might not have made it to game time without that AC break!  Lots of Alums congratulating Don on his upcoming induction into the NFL Hall of Fame, this December in New York.

We got to see a fun Baylor tradition - the running of the Freshmen - where they all pack into the end zone and are led onto the field by Baylor President, Ken Starr.  For all his "fame", he seems like a pretty down-to-earth guy - he was hanging around the tailgate area and talking to people and looked like he was having fun running around in the heat with the kids.

Look at them all in the end zone!

The game turned into a blow-out and with the TV time-outs one quarter took an hour to play.  Since we needed to get to Rockdale and check in, we decided to leave the game just before halftime.  The timing was good, as we got into a strange weather situation ... big dark clouds, with cloud-to-ground lightening and at least one funnel cloud that never dropped low enough to be a danger.  It was sort of pretty with the open fields under the dark cloud.

As we were cruising down 79, we saw many strong downbursts that sent tree limbs to the road and these strange swirls of gravel/dust in the air.  All of this and not one single drop of rain.  At one point, we couldn't avoid a limb in the road and ran right over it - we were in Jerry's car, not mine, so we were lower to the ground.  We sort of flinched and kept going, but later realized we had a problem.

As we were nearing Rockdale, we drove into a storm and that was a good thing because the whole area really needs the rain.  We checked into our little Carriage House at Rainbow Courts and by then the rain was barely falling.  It lasted a short time, but certainly not enough to dent the drought.

Although they were in hiding until later that evening, we did see the 6 (maybe more) four legged, furry residents of the Rainbow Courts.  I was prepared this trip with cans of cat food that ours won't eat.  This friendly, sleek black cat was grateful for the meals!