Wednesday==>What an emotionally charged and draining couple of days it has been for your favorite Big Apple blogger. So much was going on in his life that he was unable to find the time to post yesterday ... so ... let’s get started with Monday and move on ...
The highlight for Monday was a Birthday dinner with John Scott Reed aka Fabson at the trendy steakhouse, Strip House, located on East 12th Street in the Union Square area.
The Strip House is really upscale: “Experience the combination of charred cuts, perfectly paired with decadent sides set in a siren-red interior where old-world glamour meets modern style and sophistication.”
We had a great time. The food was super-excellent. Our appetizer was roasted bacon and then we shared a huge porterhouse steak, with sides of goose fat potatoes and charred broccoli. Desert was creme brulee.
Trust me ... it has been a long time since I had eaten this much food.
As wonderful as the food was ... the highlight was the facetime and catching up. Scott has just returned from a FacebookNY business trip to Israel and he was able to share some, but not all, of the details with me. WOW!!
So==>thanks Scott for a wonderful time.
Moving on ...
Monday was an emotionally driven day, starting with my semiannual checkup with my heart doctor, Dr. Fred Feuerbach, who practices with New York Cardiology Associates on East 61st Street.
Fred was my treating physician when I was admitted to the hospital back in June 2001 due to congestive heart failure. He saved my life. I have seen him regularly since then and we have developed a friendship that goes beyond the doctor/patient relationship. It has been a pleasure for me to witness his two kids, Little Leo and Anna, growing up.
This results of the EKG and other tests were, in his words: “Bill is doing well. No change clinically.”
There was, however, a major downside. The fasting bloodwork results indicated a substantial increase in my PSA level, which had been stable for the past 5 years. Luckily I have an appointment next week with my urologist and we will address this issue, of course.
I have to admit that it was very emotional when I took the selfie.
So==>Thank you Fred for your professionalism and friendship. I am here today because of you.
Then, at 1:00pm I met up with my friends, Dian Crystal aka My Lady, Marty Kosarik aka Whatever, Vera Olichney, Julie Miller and, later, Cathy Altholz, at our favorite Ethiopian restaurant, Meske, on West 47th Street in my Hell’s Kitchen ‘hood. They were also treating me to a Birthday dinner.
In the photo it is, left to right, Vera, Dian, Marty, Julie and moi. Unfortunately, Cathy didn’t arrive until after the picture was taken.
We each ordered the usual, the Vegetarian Platter, and it was AWESOME as always. Then, for desert was this unbelievable multilayered chocolate cake ...
When they finally tired of stressing that I was really nothing more than an “old-fart” the conversation turned to things much more interesting, including the just announced Tony Award nominations. Needless-to-say, everyone had a different opinion, especially regarding the snub given to Harvey Weinstein’s “Finding Neverland.”
It was a great time ... so==>Thank you everyone, thank you, thank you!!
Then, for the evening, I had an Off Broadway show, in very early previews ...
7:30==>WHAT I DID LAST SUMMER - “With her husband overseas near the end of World War II, Grace fights to save the splintering bonds of her family by taking her teenage son and daughter to spend the summer on Lake Erie. She finds that her attempt to restore normalcy may have only fractured their relationships further.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)
Billi Pod’s report card==>A.
This comedy/drama is from the gifted playwright A. R. Gurney, who is the Playwright-In-Residence at the Signature Theatre.
It is well written, emotionally involving and extremely well-performed. Yes, there is a lot of yelling, screaming and cussing, but the characters are all likeable/believable and that makes it OK/tolerable.
The staging is incredibly complex and too difficult for me to even attempt to explain. It is all enhanced by an on-stage drummer.
The cast is excellent, headed by Noah Galven as the 14-yr old Charlie and Kristine Nielsen as Anna Trumbell, the wildly spiritual art teacher who tries to expose Charlie to "radical" ideas about life and love.
Billi Pod says==>see this show.
This show is playing at the Signature Theatre on West 42nd Street, has a running time of 2:00, with intermission, and runs through June 7th.
Before the show I ran into my friends Michael Pederson and Dennis Dohman and that was nice. Later Michael gave the show an A and Dennis a B.
I plan to treat them to a “Thank You” dinner sometime next week, so stay tuned.
Now ... on the sports scene ... for you Marty ...
Last night out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, the Yankees beat the Rays 4-2 as Chase Whitley (who???) won his season debut.
I made it back to the apartment in time to watch the final innings of the game.
There was also some very bad news==>our ace Masahiro Tanaka was placed on the 15-day DL due to right wrist tendinitis and a slight strain in his right forearm.
So, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, I hope you understand why I was unable to post yesterday.
Moving on to today ...
At the moment my plans are to stay in this afternoon to watch the final game of the YANKEES/RAYS series, @ 1:05pm from the stadium.
On the mound for the Yankees (13-8) will be Michael Pineda (3-0) vs. Drew Smyly (0-0) for the Rays (11-10)
Then ... for the evening will be another Broadway show ...
8:00==>AIRLINE HIGHWAY - “In the parking lot of The Hummingbird, a once-glamorous motel on New Orleans’s infamous Airline Highway, a rag-tag collection of strippers, hustlers and philosophers have come together to celebrate the life of the iconic burlesque performer Miss Ruby, but she isn’t dead yet.” (Broadway - complimentary ticket)
This show opened to very mixed reviews although it got a very positive one from the NY Times. I thought I would give it a shot.
It is playing at the Friedman Theatre on West 47th Street, has a running time of 2:15, with intermission, and runs through June 4th.
Advance alert==>I probably will not post tomorrow because I have something very different scheduled ... in the early afternoon I will take the Metro North train up to Pace Law School in White Plains, NY, where I will meet up with soon-to-graduate law student Justin Allen Pifer. He will give me a tour of the school and then I will become one of 6 “jurists” in his final moot court trial. How ‘bout dat. I will, of course, fill in all of the details in the next posting, whenever that will be.
OK, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, you are now up-to-date ... finally.
GO YANKEES!!
Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.22 miles (or, 9,231 steps)
Total mileage for 2015==>461.14 miles (average 3.91 miles per day)
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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