A Much-Needed Nap

Photo by myself on the subway.

Yet another photo of a New Yorker catching some shuteye on the train. A suited passenger served as a human shield.

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Thanks for all the recent comments. Sorry I haven't been visiting many blogs recently; I've been busy and on the verge of a cold.

I'm sure everyone is looking forward to trick-or-treating and the weekend.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Related posts: Asleep on the D Train, Subway Sunset - On the Ride Home, Sleeping on the Job, and Wednesday Portraits - The New York Times.

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Fall From Above

Photo by myself high above Central Park.

I took a picture from the job site of one of my projects, a three-bedroom apartment on Central Park West, Wednesday morning. The sky was overcast, but the park below was awash in the color of fall foliage.

Not a bad view, eh?

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Happy Autumn, everyone!

Related posts: The View From on High, The Sky is Falling and Shooting (Film) in the Park.

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From The Sidelines

Photo by myself in Red Hook Brooklyn, at a pee wee football game.

Mark and I watched from the sidelines as these kids became warriors.

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Related posts: Random Shots, Tomorrow's New York Giants, On The Superbowl and Fancy Living.

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The Space of Chance Encounters

Photo by myself on the subway ride home.

I like the above photo for the man in the poster, who seemed to be a part of the scene. I also like how dark the shadows are, and how bright the highlights.

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I love the subway, but the ride to and fro can be stressful. When you can't get a seat, when the trains are late, when they seem to careen out of control, when you're 5'-3" and clinging to a pole. But the subway is also the space of possibilities.

A friend of mine met a fling on the subway. There were flirtatious looks passed back and forth. Later, my friend looked on the 'Missed Connections' page of Craigslist and found a message posted to him. (It would be a short-lived encounter).

And of course there was the story this summer about a fellow who was smitten by a woman he spotted on the subway...so much so that he created a website with a hand sketch to help track her down. The story made it to major newspapers and tv shows.

And he found her. And they dated. And they broke up.

Ah well, c'est la vie!

Related posts: Subway Sunset - On the Ride Home, Asleep on the D Train and A New York Frame of Mind.

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Cold Noodles and Hot Shows

Photo by myself in the East Village, around 10th Street and Second Avenue.

Mark and I are quite smitten by the noodle dishes at this tiny Japanese restaurant that has a handful of seats. They have a couple cold noodle dishes here that are perfect for summer days.

Alas, the cold noodles will have to wait until next year!

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Speaking of food, this season's Top Chef takes place here in New York, which premieres November 12. I'm sure I will be addicted to the show even more than usual.

And speaking of Top Chef, you can meet this season's contestants today in a Five Borough tasting event.

That's right. Between noon and 3pm, Bravo TV is hosting a tasting event at Vanderbuilt Hall, at Grand Central Terminal. Fancy restaurants from each of the five boroughs will be showing their food.

Tickets are 30 bucks and all proceeds will go to charity. The list of restaurants looks scrumptious.

I wish I had known about this event earlier. I would have taken the day off to eat well and go to the gym!

Related posts: On Japanese Food and Fish, Food on the Brain and Food For Thought.

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On Fish, Cats and Dogs

Another snapshot from the fish market in Brooklyn, Chinatown.

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The last couple weeks I've been digging into the photo stash. Our new puppy has been a handful.

Rupert, who is three months old, has been great. He's learned to sit on command, and has adjusted well. The cat and he have slept near each other, without any injuries.

The only thing is, we wake up around 5 am to take him out to pee. The cat has also been very needy, meowing late into the night. The result? Mark and I are very, very, very tired.

So we took the Friday off to relax. I slept in a little. Then we drove into Sunset Park for lunch, where I snapped a couple photos. The weekend has been pretty low key.

Hats off to all parents of human and animal children out there, who manage to care for their little ones, get spotty sleep and somehow function. I honestly don't know how you do it without going nuts.




Above, Rupert at home after an afternoon of exercise, and then on the sofa with his compadre.

Related posts: Boston (Terrier) in New York, On Bowling and Critters and Radio City and Rupert, Day Two.

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Fish Market, Chinatown

Photo by myself in Chinatown, Brooklyn.

Sunset Park in Brooklyn, around 60th Street and 8th Avenue, has a large Chinese and Vietnamese population. There, you can find open fish markets and restaurants that rival those in Manhattan.

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Thanks to Tr3nta of Madrid Daily Photo Madrid Daily Photo blog and Fredrik of Ystad Daily Photo, for awarding me with awards lately. Each awarded me with the BFF award, or 'Blogging Friends Forever'.



I am flattered. Both are wonderfully, talented photographers. Do check out their sites!

Here are the rules for the award:
1. Only five people allowed
2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world
4. You must link back to whomever gave you the award

I rarely give awards because it's so hard to choose. Here goes:

1. Tammy, of Mom Knows Everything, a lovely mother of two and one of my first readers

2. Kelly, of Geneva Daily Photo, fellow Daily City Blogger

3. Tam, of It's What You See, a great photographer from the West Coast

4. Lily, of Long Island Daily Photo, fellow photoblogger out on the island, and

5. Islipian, of 365 Days in Islip, out in Islip, New York.

Congrats to my peeps!

Related posts: Live, From Chinatown, On the Sidewalk, Chinatown.

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Riding High

Photo by myself, in midtown, around 6th Avenue and 40th Street.

There's something about horses that inspire a bit of fear.

I've been told by horse people that these animals doesn't really know how big they are, so despite their size, they can be easily spooked.

Related posts: NYPD Blues, Heigh Ho.

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We The People

Photo by myself near Columbus Circle, earlier this year.

A crowd tries to get a view of a large screen television, near 59th Street and Columbus Avenue.

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For those of you not living in New York, here's an update on local news. Today (Thursday) we find out whether the mayor can extend the usual maximum of eight years in office.

Traditionally, mayors have adhered to term limits, however Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the self-made businessman and billionaire, is petitioning to extend his stay due to the current economy.

So far, I think Bloomberg has done a good job. Quality of life has remained the same for residents, and energy has been put into making the city a desirable place to visit.

We'll see today whether New York has the chance to have Bloomberg around another four years.

To those New Yorkers out there, what do you think?

Related posts: The Latest Urban Adventure, A View From The Streets and Mass Mentality.

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On Street Corners in the East Village

Photo by myself in the East Village.

A number of lamp posts in the East Village are adorned with hand made mosaics commemorating New York and 9/11.

It's nice to run into these intimate creations accidentally on a street corner.

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Related posts: Six Years Ago, Life Goes On, Almost and Code Yellow.

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Stray Cat, Brooklyn

Photo by myself of a stray cat in Brooklyn.

Between seeing homeless humans and animals, I've come to realize that one of the most important things to any living thing is the sense of 'home'.

Animal have homes, but not always ones with human guardians. These guys tend to stay within a distinct territory. Homeless humans are the same. They stay on particular street corners, subway stations or benches.

It's unimaginable to me to be completely without a home. To not have a home is to not have an identity or sense of safety.

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I've noticed a lot more stray cats recently. I'm not sure whether it's because of the areas I frequent or because of the economy.

I sometimes see homeless people sitting on the sidewalk with a dog or cat, and it's a heartbreaking aight. It's easy to assume that the homeless person uses the animal to provoke more donations, but the animal is never on a leash or held against its will.

Related posts: On Louie and What's New on TV, More on Louie, and Louie.

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Live Music, Union Square

Photo by myself at the Union Square subway station.

Jam sessions at bigger, well-trafficked subway stations are typical. Many of them sell cds of their work.

Here's a nice picture to start off the work week. These fellows were playing a feisty tune for commuters during rush hour.

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Related posts: Music To The Ears, All That Jazz, Recovering From Friday Night.

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On Bowling and Critters

Photo by myself, from the lanes at Bowlmor, a bowling alley on University Place.

There are bowling alleys in the city, but you have to know where to find them. I went to one last week for a friend's birthday party, which was fun.

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Meanwhile, Mark and I have been homebodies with Rupert, the puppy we brought home last week.

Rupert and the cat have been getting along surprisingly well. There's been some hissing and some wary looks, but generally it's been fine. The two share a love for napping and not doing much. Sometimes they will sleep on the sofa, next to each other.

Rupert is lucky to have Mark as a devoted Dad. Already, Rupert understands the idea of wee wee pads, and the words 'no', 'sit', 'come', 'good boy' and his own name. There have been some accidents, of course - but much fewer than I'd expected.

All those episodes of The Dog Whisperer have paid off!



Here's Rupert's first quick video


Related posts: Boston (Terrier) in New York, Our Extended Family

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Bright Lights, Big City

Photo by myself in Midtown.

By the time I leave the office, the sky is dark. But there are always streetlights, headlights and store lights brightly lit.

Just ahead, a street vendor sells water and pretzels. Across the street lies Duane Reade, a popular pharmacy chain in the city.

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My apologies for not writing much this week. Between trying to train the dog to poop (actually, watching Mark training the dog) and my intense work load, there's little time for anything.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Related posts: Celebrating Another Week, On Christmases Past and I Deserve A Break Today.

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Commuting, Computing

Photo by myself underground.

The ease of laptops these days means you can get your stuff done anywhere.

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It's been stressful and I've been working hard the last few days. I'm just looking forward to a weekend of hanging out with Rupert, our new puppy.

TGIF, everyone!

Related posts: Working The Streets, The Trains are Hopping and What Makes Your Skin Crawl.

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The Night Sky

Photo by myself, hurtling down the FDR Expressway.

I took a cab home from work Wednesday, since I worked late. We flew down the FDR Expressway along the East River. The city looked brightly shiny.

Ahead, you can see the Brooklyn Bridge stretching across the roadway.

Related posts: From Under The Bridge, More of the Brooklyn Bridge and Not a Bad View From Here.

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Neon Storefronts, Midtown

Photo by myself in Midtown.

The area around Port Authority and Times Square may be cleansed, but there are still gritty bits in the city here and there.

Seeing these places open and running in the mornings, I have to say, is quite weird.

Related posts: Life's Seedy Underbelly and All You Can Eat.

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The Bandshell, Central Park

Photo by myself of the bandshell in Central Park.

The shadow cast by the half dome reveals that the concrete surface is curved and coffered.

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If you're planning to visit New York soon, it's perfect timing. Not only is the weather wonderful, but the New York Times featured The City in its travel section.

One article makes some economical suggestions to those on a budget. The attempt to stick to a $500 budget for two people over a weekend proved very difficult. The hotel stay ate up most of the money, while galleries and parks provided free sources of entertainment.

The second article lists other suggestions of what to do while here.

At least we can be sure that the city parks will always be free.

Related posts: Shooting (Film) in the Park, Sundays in the Park and Welcome to New York.

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Radio City and Rupert, Day Two

Photo by myself of Radio City Music Hall, around 6th Avenue and 50th Street.

A photo taken a while ago of Radio City Music Hall. I liked the colors and curly-cue script.

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The last couple of days have been spent nesting with Mark and our new dog, Rupert. I hope to get out of the house and taking more photos soon!

Only the second day that Rupert has been with us, and already we're a family of couch potatoes - me, Mark, the cat and wee Rupert nicely ensconced on the sofa. At times the cat and Rupert sleep on neighboring cushions.

Not all dogs and cats can adjust so quickly to each other, but Rupert is a very, very mellow pup. He keeps his distance and behaves like a pickle in a jar.

I imagine it's only a matter of time before I find Dida cat and Rupert pup locked in an embrace.



Above, Rupert shamelessly asleep during one of his many long naps.

Related posts: Boston (Terrier) in New York, What the World Needs Right Now.

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Boston (Terrier) in New York

Photo by myself in Brooklyn.

The long-awaited day came Saturday. Rupert, our new Boston Terrier, came home with Mark and me. It was a day full of getting acquainted, buying a leash and attempts to pee.

I'm happy to report success on all counts!

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Yeah, yeah, this is a blog about New York, not Boston, but I can't help myself.

Rupert is eleven weeks old and a New York dog. Mark and I picked him up Saturday from his home in the Long Island suburbs.

During an afternoon walk, perfect strangers ran across the street to greet us and see the puppy. So the whole thing about attracting attention with a wee, cute animal is completely true.

There has been some nervous sniffing between Rupert and our cat, Dida. So far, both sides have been politely curious.

I'll post photos of Rupert now and again as he grows up. It's just been one puppy nap after another.





Related posts: Our Four-Legged Friends, Keeping Your Dogs in a Row, What the World Needs Right Now and Dog Days of Summer.

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