More Cold Weather - The Theory of Everything - New York Philharmonic - Life Is Fragile.

Thursday==>Good morning everyone out there in the boondocks, wastelands and hinterlands.

Guess what? It is another cold day here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. Yes ... at 11:00am it is 29º, wind chill down to 17º and it will get progressively colder during the day and into the evening hours with the projected low to be only 8º. God knows what the wind chill will be.

Oh well ... let’s be positive and move on to Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s very positive entertainment event ...

The Actor’s Fund screening of the hit movie ...

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, the story of the brilliant and celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones) and how his physical condition affected their relationship over time.

Billi Pod’s report card==>A+

A totally involving, emotional and educational picture that features an Oscar worth performance from Eddie Redmayne as he transforms from the young and buoyant schoolboy Hawking to the ravaged, paralyzed and physically disabled Professor Hawking. AMAZING!!

Felicity Jones also gives an outstanding performance as Jane, who devoted most of her early life to Hawking and their family.

The cinematography is excellent.

The theater was full and everyone seemed to be transfixed with what was developing on screen.

The film has been very well-reviewed and has received 5 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Leading Actor and Leading Actress.

Billi Pod says==>see this show.

I saw it with my theater-buddy Dian Crystal aka My Lady and she also liked it a lot.

Moving on to today’s entertainment event ...

A classical music concert at Lincoln Center ...

7:30==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA @ Avery Fisher Hall - The program is:

Barber - Violin Concerto (performed by Lisa Batiashvili);

Rouse - “Iscariot;” and,

Rachmaninoff - Symphony No. 2

(concert - discounted TDF ticket)

This is the first of three consecutive classical music concerts that Billi Pod has scheduled ...

Thursday - 7:30==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC @ Avery Fisher Hall

Friday - 8:00==>THE ST. OLIF CHOIR @ Carnegie Hall

Saturday - 7:00==>ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA @ Carnegie Hall

Yeah ... your favorite blogger is definitely in the mood for some classical music.

In closing==>you know, the tragedy that occurred on Wednesday when the Metro North train hit the SUV driven by a suburban mom, resulting in 7 deaths, is a stark reminder of how fragile and unpredictable life is and how we should all live each day to the fullest, one day at a time.

STAY WARM EVERYONE IN THE TRI-STATE AREA!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.21 miles (or, 9,209 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>146.61 miles (average 4.19 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.”

Weather Update - Bryan Dykstra $elling Out - The Theory of Everything

Wednesday==>Good morning from the balmy Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

Yes, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, your favorite blogger is happy to report that at 10:00am this morning it is 35º and the wind chill is only down to 29º ... so it is time to break out the shorts, Tees and flip-flops and head outside to take advantage of the spring conditions ... and ... what? ... oh ... I guess you are right ... sorry ... I guess I was overreacting ... sorry .... whatever ... 

I have just been informed that many of you out there in the boondocks, wastelands and hinterlands would consider 35º, wind chill 29º, to be cold. Also, the forecast for tomorrow is for snow and a projected low of 6º ... oh well ... back into the drawer go the shorts, Tees and flip-flops ... whatever ...

So ... let’s move on to something much more positive ... like ...

Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s Off Broadway show ... 

BRIAN DYKSTRA $ELLING OUT, in this solo comedy Dykstra questions everything from the corrupting influence of money to the pursuit of happiness, in a performance that blends stand-up, storytelling, slam poetry, and down-home preaching==>A

Extremely well-performed, in-your-face funny, and thought-provoking from beginning to end. He tackles the 1% and manipulative corporations head-on, with a pretty brutal swipe at organized religion toward the end of the show.

He is one of the most energetic performers I have ever seen and that energy creates a very positive feedback from his audience.

The house was almost full and was very much into the performance.

Billi Pod says==>if you like funny but different stuff then this is the show for you.

This show is playing at The Playroom Theatre on West 46th Street, just off Times Square, has a running time of 1:30, without intermission, and runs through March lst.

I have to admit that the walk to and from the theater was unpleasantly cold but ... and a positive ... this and some in-apartment walking resulted in some very good mileage==>5.11 miles.

Early this afternoon I am subwaying up to the Upper Westside to spend the afternoon with one of my AA buddies (you know who you are) for some much needed/wanted catching up and stuff. 

Then ... for the evening I will walk down to the AMC Lincoln Square Theater at Broadway and 68th Street for ...

7:00==>THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING - “The story of the brilliant and celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones) and how his physical condition affected their relationship over time.” (movie - complimentary ticket)

This is a special screening for The Actors Fund and will include a Q & A session afterwards with Felicity Jones, who is an Academy Award nominee for Leading Actress.

This extremely well-reviewed film has received 5 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Leading Actor and Leading Actress.

I am really looking forward to this and I am seeing it with my theater-buddy Dian Crystal aka My Lady.

OK ... it is time to post this and then do some left over chores and stuff and then get ready to head uptown ... so ...

STAY WARM EVERYONE IN THE TRI-STATE AREA!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.11 miles (or, 11,166 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>142.30 miles (average 4.19 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.”

Happy Birthday Kathi Bendeck - Blah Monday - Weather Report - Bryan Dykstra $elling Out

Tuesday==>A huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout-out to my daughter KATHRYN NORRIS BENDECK, who lives in Columbia, SC, with her husband, Dr. John. Being the southern gentleman that I am I cannot reveal the actual number other than to say that it is a memorable number of great significance.

So ... Kathi ... hope you and Dr. John have a great day.

Love and hugs - Dad

Now ... moving on ... 

Well, actually, it ain’t moving on very much because yesterday was a totally blah day here in the Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

The weather was nasty from the morning on with snow, sleet and rain ... resulting in, of course, terrible conditions on the sidewalks and crosswalks. Meaning ... your favorite blogger opted to remain in the warm and cozy confines of his apartment, PHC, for the entire day/evening.

And ... man ... was that boring and blah. 

As many of you loyal and faithful readers and followers know, your favorite blogger isn’t a TV person, except for sports, news, Conan and Fallon ... but ... he did make himself sit in front of his new (to him) 42” flat screen TV to watch two movies ... 

BOILER ROOM (2000) - “A college dropout gets a job as a broker for a suburban investment firm, which puts him on the fast track to success, but the job might not be as legitimate as it sounds.”

and then,

THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998) - ‘"The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), who is mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski (David Huddleston), seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.”

Both films were shown, unedited, on the IFC channel. They helped pass the time.

During commercial breaks I did my usual “apartment walk-around” and by midnight I had recorded a passable 3.52 miles for the day.

OK ... I am sorry that I have taken up your valuable time with such boring and blah details ... but ... remember ... this blog is intended to be a record of Billi Pod’s activities, or lack thereof, in The Big Apple ... so ...

Let’s move on to ...

The usual weather report ...

Thankfully, it has cleared up and we have blue skies and sun this morning. The sidewalks and crosswalks are still a mess, however. 

At 11:00am the temperature is 20º, with wind chill down to 10º. It is supposed to warm up just a bit as the day progresses.

Hopefully that will happen because Billi Pod has things and stuff to do during the day which will require him to be exposed to the elements ... and ... 

He has an Off Broadway show for this evening ...

7:00==>BRIAN DYKSTRA $ELLING OUT - “In this solo comedy Dykstra questions everything from the corrupting influence of money to the pursuit of happiness, in a performance that blends stand-up, storytelling, slam poetry, and down-home preaching.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

I have seen Dykstra perform several times and he is very much in-your-face funny, which is just what Billi Pod needs to rid himself of the cold weather blahs.

This show is playing at The Playroom Theatre on West 46th Street, just off Times Square, has a running time of 1:20, without intermission, and runs through March lst.

OK, everyone ... got things and stuff to do ... so ...

STAY WARM EVERYONE IN THE TRI-STATE AREA!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.52 miles (or, 7,710 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>137.19 miles (average 4.16 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.

Weather Report - Super Bowl Headlines - Texas In Paris - Walking Stats

Monday==>It is a nasty day here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, and the forecast is for a combination of rain, sleet and snow for most of the day and into the evening.

This photo was taken of one of my windows at 8:30am. As you can see it is covered in ice.

It snowed overnight and the roads and sidewalks are really icy and slushy. 

The temperature at 10:30am is 29º, with wind chill down to 18º. It is lightly raining.

All of this means that your favorite blogger will remain in the warm and cozy confines of his apartment, at least until the evening. Too bad errands and chores list.

So ... on this happy note ... let’s move on (or back if you are a Seahawks fan like moi, Bill III and Alex) to Super Bowl XLIX, won by the Patriots 28-24.

The following headlines in today’s papers pretty much says it all ...

HOW CHEAT IT IS! - Tom & Pats deflate ‘Hawks - front page of The NY Post

SUPERBAD! - Carroll’s moronic play call at end gift wraps Pats’ 4th title - back page of The New York Post

BALLS OF STEAL! - Patriots’ goal-line interception with seconds left seals wild Super Bowl win - front page of The Daily News

AIR HEADS - Seattle’s senseless goal-line pass leads in INT & Patriot championship - back page of The Daily News

And ... in The Gray Lady ...

One Yard From Crushing Loss, Patriots Seize Their 4th Title - front page of The New York Times

Yeah ... it was an exciting game to watch and those headlines pretty much says it all ... so ... let’s move on to ...

Billi Pod’s report card on yesterday afternoon’s entertainment event ...

The Off Broadway show ...

TEXAS IN PARIS, based on true events, is the musical journey of a man and a woman - one white (Scott Wakefield), one black (Lillias White) - who are invited to France in 1979 to perform at the Maison des Cultures du Monde. They have never met, have no professional singing experience, and face the challenge of working together and co-existing in an unfamiliar world==>A-

Extremely well-performed and emotionally involving as it studies the interaction between two Texans in the late 70s and the legacy of segregation.

My only quibble is that the entire song list was either gospel or country/cowboy and that, for me, got old about 3/4s of the way through the show.

The house was sold out and the audience was very much into the performance especially the gospel numbers. White and Wakefield received a roaring standing ovation at curtain-call. They earned it.

Billi Pod says==>if you want something a bit different, then this is the show for you.

It is playing at The York Theatre @ The Citigroup Center on East 54th Street, has a running time of 1:20, without intermission, and runs through March 1st.

Moving on ... 

As I mentioned above .. right now I have nothing scheduled for this evening. If the weather clears up I may consider carefully walking the 2 blocks to the AMC Theatre to see the Stephen Hawking movie “The Theory of Everything,” another nominee for Best Picture. 

In closing==>one very positive thing about last night’s Super Bowl game was that the endless commercial breaks permitted your favorite blogger to record some decent mileage. Yes ... at each commercial break I got off the couch and walked briskly around the apartment, recording 2.95 miles during the game. This and the mileage going to and from my afternoon show made for a very good walking day==>5.28 miles.

STAY WARM AND DRY EVERYONE IN THE TRI-STATE AREA!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.28 miles (or, 11,553 steps per day)

Total mileage for the week==>31.81 miles (average 4.54 miles per day)

Total mileage for 2015==>133.67 miles (average 4.18 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.

Super Bowl Sunday - Boyhood - Texas In Paris - Walking Stats - Go Seahawks

Sunday==>Yes, my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... Super Bowl Sunday is finally here and the countdown to kickoff has begun.

Your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, and his son Bill III aka The Bill will both be pulling for the Seattle Seahawks to kick butt in what I think will be a close and ultimately a very exciting game.

GO SEAHAWKS!!

I have a show scheduled for the afternoon so we need to get this posting started ... so ... let’s do so with ...

First, the usual weather report==>at 9:30am it is 28º, wind chill down to 22º. This is manageable.

But ... snow is in the forecast for the early evening hours and into tomorrow. Oh well ... 

Now ... moving on to Billi Pod’s Saturday entertainment event, which was a movie scheduled in the late afternoon  ...

BOYHOOD - “Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, this is a story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason, who literally grows up on screen before your eyes. It stars Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason’s parents, with a breakout performance by Ellar Coltrane as Mason. It is an ode to growing up and parenting.”

Billi Pod’s report card==>A+.

Folks, this is an outstanding work that has received 6 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

The running time is 2:40 but it seems to fly by as you are totally focused on this talented young actor actually growing up in front of you on the screen and the emotional and realistic portrayals of the struggles of parenthood by Hawke and Arquette. They both have received Academy Award nominations.

When the show was over I felt emotionally drained but also delighted that I had finally seen this artistic masterpiece.

Billi Pod says==>if it is still playing in your area I strongly urge you to see it. It is well worth the time and energy.

It was about 8:30pm when I got back to the apartment. It was pizza time. I, of course, remained in the warm and cozy confines of my apartment for the reminder of the evening.

Watched a highly educational and entertaining 2-hour documentary film on the life and career of baseball legend Babe Ruth, carried on the MLB channel.

The walk to and from the movie house and my in-apartment walking regimen resulted in another good walking-day==>4.30 miles.

And ... speaking of walking ... your favorite blogger recorded 128.39 miles, or 280,532 steps, during the month of January, despite the really nasty and cold weather during a majority of the month. In January 2014 the mileage was 84.80 miles, so in 2015 it was an additional 43.59 miles. Not a bad way to begin the year, IMHO.

Moving on to this afternoon’s entertainment event ...

An Off Broadway show ... 

2:30==>TEXAS IN PARIS - “Based on true events, Texas in Paris is the musical journey of a man and a woman - one white, one black - invited to France to perform at the Maison des Cultures du Monde. They have never met, have no professional singing experience, and face the challenge of working together and co-existing in an unfamiliar world. Apprehensive of each other, they struggle with preconceptions but forge a surprising spiritual bond that transforms their on-stage performance and their lives.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

Starring in this show is Tony Award winner Lillias White.

I had originally booked this show for last Tuesday, but it was canceled due to the bad weather.  

It is playing at The York Theatre @ The Citigroup Center on East 54th Street and runs through March 1st. I haven’t been able to dredge up the running time.

As I have mentioned many times on this blog and on Facebook, I am a huge fan of The York Theatre Company and its Artistic Director, James Morgan, who is also a Florida Gator.

When the show is over I will subway back to the apartment and then settle in to watch Super Bowl XLIX.

At halftime I will grill an Allen Brother’s steak on my George Forman grill, to go with a baked potato and grilled onions and mushrooms, washed down with my libation of choice, Fresca. Yummy.

OK, my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... time to post this and then get ready to head out for my show.

GO SEAHAWKS!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.30 miles (or, 9,406 steps per day)

Total mileage for January==>128.39 miles (average 4.14 miles per day)

Total mileage for 2015==>128.39 miles (average 4.14 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.