'Tis The Season...

For Mariah Carey's Christmas album!!

Since 1997 I have owned three copies of this album, and just bought my fourth on iTunes (only $7.99!)

It's Mariah Carey doing her finest vocal gymnastics, and, production wise, it honestly could be one of the best albums ever made. For serious. You can't listen to her version of "Joy To The World" and not be happy.

In case it isn't obvious already, I love Christmas and all the schlock that comes with it -- Christmas albums, Rockefeller Center and especially Christmas cards. This weekend I sent out my first batch of them. If you're on the A-list, yours is en route. ;-)

Two Randoms From Today

Since TR and Andre are both giants, I sleep on the couch most nights. At least no one steals the covers from me. 7:30 a.m. (Andre has no love for his toddler bed.)


Do the 6 train shuffle! Grand Central, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Yet another reason why I walk to work.

Oddly, This Store Does Not Sell Cats

I thought I might find Peppe's replacement in here. Instead, jewelry?

Why the false advertising?

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Enjoy your feast!

Was Ist Das?

It's videos like this that make me wish I spoke better German.

Dispatches From Last Night: The NYJL Fall Fete

Last night was the New York Junior League's Fall Fete. It was at the Hudson Terrace and it was fantastic. I was on the committee from 2009-2010, so have a real attachment to the event.

First, the dress! Because you can't wear just any old thing to a New York Junior League event.


Second, Erin C., my plus-one. She had never been to a League event before and said she, "Fell into cocktail dress heaven."


The room. It was incredibly well attended. The Hudson Terrace is two levels and a fantastic space for any occasion.


Unphotographed: The dive bar across the street that we ended up at afterwards.
11th Avenue and 46th Street is not the hottest neighborhood in town. At 12:30 a.m. we knew it was time to go when some dockworker guys tried to send us over some drinks.

The IRS Does Not Play

This is an actual bill I got this evening. Would love to see what the late fee charges are for an $8.47 bill.

Clearly the United States of America cannot function without this important revenue.

Taxi Cab

Rainy days like this make me think of this song.

Idyllic Fall Day In Manhattan

Andre and I hit the Central Park Zoo today as well as a little playground on 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue.

It was a perfect autumn day in Manhattan. He slept all the way home.

TR, and others, often make jokes about how I photograph everything. When I'm 80, though, I'll have plenty of photo evidence of what a bon vivant I was in my hey day.

I'm Walkin' Here!

Today in Murray Hill I could barely cross the street because the traffic was insane. The Dark Knight is filming on the Queensborough Bridge, so everyone had to use the Queens Midtown Tunnel, which is right by my apartment.

Pedestrian Rage is very real, and brought on by suburbanites who don't understand the most basic rule of Manhattan driving -- don't block the box. Worse, they get aggressive trying to get one block closer to where ever they're from and tend to gun it through yellow, and even red lights. If there was ever a valid argument for taking the Long Island Railroad, the East 30s this evening is it.

Otherwise, I turn into this.

If you need a book like this to make you sound smarter, then you're probably a lost cause.

Good, clear writing is simple, uncomplicated. Nothing is sadder than someone using big words out of context or incorrectly. Nothing is less smart than that.

Peppe Goes To That Big Litterbox In The Sky...

Longtime readers of this blog will remember when I randomly adopted a large orange Persian back in 2007. I never knew exactly how old Peppe was, but when I saw him on Petfinder, I knew he was too gorgeous to stay in a shelter. And so, like Eddie Murphy in Coming To America, I went to Queens. Queens!

Peppe has been out in Pennsylvania for the last few months with Tom's parent. Two days ago he curled up to sleep, and never woke up. It's good to know that a scruffy shelter cat from Queens, by way of Italy, spent his last days in a big suburban home and eating proscuitto with his sidekick, Val.

My War On Semi Colons

Anyone who has taken my Intro To Nonfiction writing class knows how much I loathe the semi colon, simply because no one uses it correctly. I advise students not to use it at all. It make sentences longer than they need to be which, in turn, causes readers to lose interest.

When I saw this on Twitter today, I needed to share it. So true.

Halloween 2.0

Andre's pre-school Halloween party got snowed out last weekend, so they tried it again today. Perfect weather, tons of food and families. St. Vartan's Park in Murray Hill was quite the scene for the under-five set.

Since I'm at work all day and Tom takes the boy to pre-school, I think some people were surprised to see that Andre does, in fact, have a mother. (And she wears golden shoes!)

If you have a father who considers himself handy, this is pretty much how his mind works.

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Yesterday Andre met some professional BMX bikers in the park. He liked their wheels.

Seen In Zuccotti Park

I stumbled into Zuccotti Park while out on a client visit yesterday. It's quite the tourist attraction and it doesn't really smell. The signs are probably the best part. If I had more time I would have taken photographs of more of them.

It's also becoming a capitalistic opportunity, as food and souvenir vendors have set up shop around it, and seem to be doing quite well. Defeating the purpose?

Obey.

I'm the last in line to laud any advertising effort, but this ad from WQXR to promote November as "Beethoven Awareness Month" is awesome.

The full New York Times story is here.

And if anyone needs a holiday gift idea for me:
"'In the same vein,' Limore Shur, chief creative officer at Eyeball added, 'WQXR is considering adding T-shirts and tote bags designed by Eyeball that declare, 'Beethoven was def.'"