Wednesday, November 12 - A gorgeous day, recalled

Post 1308, Day 316 of 2014
- 1,412 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I am going to celebrate Monday, November 10, 2014.

I had been enjoying a mini-vacation in New York City, traveling down on Saturday, up on Tuesday, hooking up with old friends and my brother and sister-in-law (they're old friends, too, and more), sharing a lot of laughs and good food and stories and feelings and more laughs.

Then Monday rolled around. A day that, unusually for me on vacation, began with morning plans. A visit to the Museum of Modern Art for a special view of the otherwise time-stamped visiting that pushes large crowds through.

With an unusually warm and sunny forecast for the day, I decided to walk from 18th Street to MOMA on 53rd.

Great decision.

The day was crisp and clear - cool but not cold - and I hadn't done any walk-touring of midtown Manhattan in three decades. It was a straight walk up 5th Avenue. Past the Flatiron building. Past Madison Park. Beautiful. Energizing. Past Borsolino Hattery. Past the Empire State Building. I was going to step in for a quick look at the glorious lobby, but the SWAT team guarding the entrance dissuaded me.

I did post a walk-by pic of the NY Public Library building, with a "Good Morning, NY" tag on Facebook. It was just exactly how I felt. The walk was feeling like an old friend, and was invigorating me, filling me up with old memories and good feelings from my first solo forays into the City, to my early 20s working down the street and eating lunch on the steps or in Bryant Park.

Next, past Radio City. Lots and lots of great memories here, beginning as a toddler, when our parents took us for extended touring, through an early birthday, which meant a day in the City, and featured the TV studios tour; extending through my mid-teens when I worked on Music Row/48th Street, and my ride (the owner, my friend Johnny's father) parked in the Radio City underground garage; then later, late teens, when I worked at the penthouse of 535 5th for Louis Harris pollsters (thanks to Thom Jones's mother, Pearl, RIP both);and finally, showing it to Alex as part of our numerous walking tours of Manhattan.

I met Harold, my host for the special showing, early at MOMA, so we had a little breakfast - a toasted pumpernickel bagel with veggie cream cheese, if you must know - and then we were among the first admitted. This gave us an uninterrupted hour to take in the show, but we spent another hour there, trying to stay ahead of the regular-hours visitors, who quickly filled the exhibit and blocked sight-lines doing it.

The exhibit was everything one could ask for: New insights into familiar works, new insight into Matisse, his art, philosophy, and techniques; and, of course, seeing in-person works previously only seen in reproductions. I was energized and thrilled.

And thankful for the day, off to a wonderful start.

We checked out some more special exhibits (all cool), but didn't spend much time on the permanent collection. We decided to walk through Central Park, to the Guggenheim, where there were two interesting, promising new exhibitions.

We almost didn't make it to the second museum, because the Park was gorgeous. The day had gotten a little warmer, people were out enjoying it, but it was far from crowded. As we slowly made our way, scene after beautiful scene, vista after Autumn-brilliant vista presented itself. We stopped frequently to take it in, paying our respects to Frederick Law Olmsted, the architect of Central Park.

Central Park, NY, NY - November 10, 2014

From almost any perspective, this clear and crisp, seasonally warm Autumn day was magnificent. The late Fall light made the City look clean, and made the foliage dazzling! We slowed our pace, and drank it all in.

We met up with Merv at the Guggenheim. With no real schedule, we all arrived at the same time. The shows were great. All the artists were new to me, although I was glancingly familiar with the Zero movement that began in Germany after WWII. There were a few pieces that stopped me in my tracks, and took a few minutes to fully appreciate what was immediately attractive.

A short walk in the Park, and beers all around at a table overlooking the boat pond, and we decide on the next course of action, coordinating dinner.

Indian food is decided on, and, nearly sunset, the temperature begins to fall. We take a cab to the restaurant, where we meet Lena, and I clock another great meal, say good-bye to my friends, and set off to more friends.

There's nothing really meaty or profound in this discussion, but I have to tell you, I really enjoyed recording the day. It was one of my best visits to Central Park ever; it stimulated a lot of good memories, a lot of nostalgia, and provided me with a lot of joy and fun.

I wish I could have shared it with more people. I missed Alex being there, in particular. I have taken him to Central Park a few times, but never on as perfect a day as this, and I had sharing the day with him on my mind (having recently shared good days with him at his fantasy-land). 

And I was thinking of Andy, who I took out for a Winter tour of the Park on his 9th birthday. Same thing - it would have been wonderful to share this non-Winter day with him. 

Anybody who'd been with me, like those who were with me, would have had a great time.

This comment is dedicated to Joan, who asked for something a little different in this section.

As always, I have so much to be thankful for.

Food and Diet Section

2014 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:          207.2 lbs

Previous Weight*:        206.4 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:       + 0.8 lbs
                          * Friday, 11/7
Diet Comment

My weight today is a lifestyle victory! After eating wonderfully, for taste rather than by plan for four days, I gained less than a pound. Woo-hoo! 

Food Log 

Breakfast
A Quest bar.

Lunch

Salmon salad (Wild Alaska pink salmon, celery, mayonnaise) on baby kale, baby spinach, chard, black beans and cole slaw mix.

Snack
A Quest bar.

Dinner
A cocoa-hemp-kale protein shake (almond-coconut milk, kefir, kale, large organic egg, whey powder (24g protein), hemp seeds, hemp protein (7g protein), raw organic cacao powder, fermented coconut water, chia gel, moringa leaf powder, cinnamon and stevia-inulin blend. Also, Ezekiel 4:9 Flax bread, toasted with butter.

Snack
A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake   
Coffee:  28 oz.   Water: 112 oz.

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