Thursday==>Yes, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, yesterday was a totally AMAZING day for your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.
In summary==>9/11 Memorial Museum; being with friends; Yankees extra inning win over The Cubs; New York Philharmonic concert; seeing Lenny & Marie; and, logging in 9.07 walking miles (yeah, that’s the correct number).
It was totally impossible for me to even attempt to post anything yesterday ... so ... let’s get today’s posting started with ...
9/11 MEMORIAL MUSEUM
At 9:00am (as directed/ordered) I met Dian Crystal aka My Lady at the corner of 14th Street and 7th Avenue. Dian had secured our 11:00am tickets for the very first day that the general public was admitted into the Museum.
The Museum is located at what was Ground Zero and houses, among many other things, more than 10,000 artifacts, 23,000 still images and an archive of more than 500 hours of video. Also, it is where the remains of the 1,115 unidentified victims are stored.
We walked over to The Westside Highway and then headed downtown. At Christopher Street were met Carrie Feinstein, who had actually witnessed the attack and then the building(s) collapse in person.
The three of us continued our walk downtown. We then met up with Julie Miller at one of the two reflecting pools, that have the names of all of the victims inscribed in the walls.
In this picture it is Carrie, me, Julie and Dian.
At this point, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting, I must tell you that many of the pics that will appear from this point forward were taken by Dian. Thanks, My Lady, for letting me share these with my readers and followers.
Our tickets were for 11:00am and we were actually permitted to enter The Museum at 10:45am. Conde Nast had provided free tickets for this historic opening day.
Once inside we agreed that we would each go our separate ways, so we split.
Folks, what happened for the next 2-hours was totally amazing but also very very emotionally draining. There is so much to see. The live videos and captured voice messages, TV reports, etc. are constantly in the background.
Photography is permitted in some, but not all of the multiple floors. Of course, I took tons and tons of pics, as did Dian.
I will share just a few of the scenes because there is no way that I can do justice to all of them in this blog ... so ...
The Steps to Escape
The last column
The victims
As anticipated, there was a large crowd but it was tolerable. There was a lot of tears and sobbing. Grief counselors and staff were everywhere.
For me, the most heart stopping scene was a video showing people leaping to their deaths from the top floors of the two buildings as the fires raged beneath them.
This brought back memories of being in my East 51st Street apartment, transfixed in front of my TV on the morning of 9/11 and seeing the falling bodies in real time. It has been a scene I have not been able to erase from my memory.
At 1:00pm I just couldn’t take any more so I sent Dian a text that I was headed home. The last pic I took was of what the outside area between the two buildings looked like prior to 9/11.
I know that the above report can’t do justice to the total overall effect of The Museum. It must be seen in person ... so ...
Folks, when you come to The City, this is a MUST-SEE!!
I subwayed back to 42nd Street. It was 1:45pm when I opened the door to PHC. I was tired and emotionally drained. I had already recorded 6.78 miles on my WeightWatchers Pedometer.
Took a nice hot soaking bath for my legs and that worked as expected.
As I was reading the Times, in the tub, I discovered that the Yankees/Cubs game from Wrigley Field was at 2:15pm, rather than in the evening, as I had thought.
I quickly turned on my new 42” TV and settled in to watch a nail-biter of a game that the Yankees finally won 4-2 in 13-innings.
Had my usual fruit and cheese plate and then it was time to head up to Lincoln Center for my entertainment event for the evening ...
7:30pm==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC @ Avery Fisher Hall. The program was:
Szymanowski - Violin Concerto No. 1; and,
Prokofiev - Selections from “Cinderella.”
The violin piece was just so-so but “Cinderella” was beautiful and received a standing ovation.
To add to the pleasure of the concert and the awesomeness of the day==>I was seated next to my friends Marie Taylor and her husband Lenny Gordon. As you loyal and faithful readers and followers know, I had just spent the weekend with them in Sag Harbor in The Hamptons.
When I got back to PHC after the concert I have to admit that I was totally drained. What a day!!
To add to things, I had walked a total of 9.07 miles ... not bad ... not bad at all for anyone, but especially not bad for an 80-year old guy ... I hope you agree.
Moving on ...
Since I didn’t post yesterday I have not shared my report card on Tuesday night’s entertainment event, which was ...
ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK @ Carnegie Hall, performing Bach’s St. Matthew Passion==>excellent.
The orchestra, chorus and soloists were terrific, especially the tenor Nicholas Phan as the Evangelist (the narrator) and bass-baritone Kevin Deas as Jesus.
Both performers received glowing reviews in today’s New York Times.
My comp. seat was the aisle seat in the 3rd row, center orchestra. A bit close. At intermission was able to score a seat about halfway back and that was great.
Moving on some more to tonight’s entertainment event ...
7:15==>SIMON GREEN: SO, THIS THEN IS LIFE - “An exploration of paths untrod, mistakes repeated and ridiculous responses to an ever changing world, in a marriage of word, music and truths that aims to transport you to a former, more innocent incarnation of yourself.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)
This show just opened at the 59E59 Theatre Complex, one of my favorite venues, has a running time of 1:20, without intermission, and only runs through June 1.
OK ... now ... this overly-long posting will draw to a close with just a bit of sports ...
Tonight @ 8:10pm The Yankees (24-21) will play the first of a 4-game series against The White Sox (23-25), in Chicago.
On the mound for The Bronx Bombers will be David Phelps (1-0) vs. Chris Sale (3-0) for The Sox.
Time to post this, finally, so ...
Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>9.07 miles (or, 19,824 steps)
Total mileage for 2014==>512.48 miles (average 3.63 miles per day)
GO YANKEES!!
Billi Pod
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
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