grayb

Happy New Year!



I hope that 2010 is treating you well. I have no complaints yet!

Christmas and the entire Yule season was really excellent. I spent many hours with my best friends. I loved the gifts they choose for me and was very pleased that they appreciated and enjoyed all those that I picked out for them. The only real disappointment was that I never made it down to New York at any time during the season this year. I love all the decorations and always visit the Museum of Natural History to see the annual tree decorated with Origami. I was just too busy with everything that was going on around here.

I finally did get down to the city this past Monday. I didn't visit any museums though - I was much too busy eating and drinking everything in sight! My friends and I started the day off with hot dogs and juice drinks at Gray's Papaya then immediately moved on to Azuri Cafe and enjoyed a bunch of Ezra's famous Falafel. We then drove across town and parked across the street from Ninth Street Espresso. My first cappuccino (with jelly cookie) was so good that I had to down a second. After all, I needed to be fully alert for all that lay ahead.

We walked back across town to the High Line, New York's new linear park. Once an elevated railway line, now it's an excellent place to stroll, bask in the sun or enjoy the sights on the city's west side.

By now it was getting dark so we walked across town again and met another friend for beers at one of our favorite bars, d.b.a. We walked back up to the car (eating pastries along the way) picked up some other friends and headed over to Bayside, Queens to visit my friend's Mom and brothers - stopping for Sicilian Pizzas along the way. The drive home took us right by one of the city's oldest and best White Castles... I'm always hungry, but my friends all managed to find room for a big bagful of the famous "slyders" and fries as well.



The other big recent New Year expedition was to take my friends to see the Croton Dam, reservoir and old aqueduct - they'd never been there. We were all fascinated by these strange, star shaped fractures in the ice just below the old reservoir railroad bridge. The biggest ones are quite large, about 5 feet (1.5 meters) from tip to tip. I have no idea how they were formed.



There was much less ice a couple miles closer to the dam at the old gatehouse bridge. Ten percent of New York City's water supply gets sucked in right below where I was standing so I guess that everything moves around enough so that not much ice forms there.



We had an excellent time hiking around and climbing on the dam,



then ended the day at (where else?) one of our favorite local bars. I first visited The Blazer Pub back in the late 70's with my first (and yes, favorite) wife. The burgers were wonderful then and



they are wonderful now.



I hope that you are well and happy...
All the best!