Most of the content at patrickWeb is related to technology but there are also stories about hiking, motorcycles, music and other topics. One of the subtle but important things about blogs is the ability to archive things — corporate press releases, progress on a project or healthcare related matter, and even personal trips or events. In a sense, a blog can be an online diary. Perhaps nobody will care much about what I am going to write in this posting but someday my grandchildren’s grandchildren may find it of great interest.
e-tirement started more than seven years ago but somehow I seem to be getting busier as time goes on. The latest blast of activities started with a visit to the Lake. I rode the trike over (with heated vest — hard to believe it was that cold) to get some rake modifications made. Turns out the parts were delayed and so I have to go back over at the end of this week and ride the trike back to Connecticut. The visit at the lake had the potential to be relaxing but then the grandchildren arrived and then there was not a dull moment. After they left, we had one really great day of weather and took advantage of it by taking a hike and discovering a geocache (as previously discussed).
After nearly two weeks at the lake we drove home then a day later to the PhiladelphIa area to serve as babysitters for the grandchildren for a few days. After an overnight at our home in Connecticut we went to New York City for an annual gathering of friends — this was our 26th year of the tradition.
Much has changed among the five couples but the tradition lives on. My wife and decided to go in to the the City a day early. It was an uneventful train ride to Grand Central Station but then there were a number of not so uneventful happenings to follow. After checking in to the hotel we decided to walk to our lunch reservation (OpenTable) in Greenwich Village. After ten or so blocks I reached in my pocket to check our location on the iPhone and in the process a piece of paper fell out. I went back a few yards to pick it up and then proceeded down the street. My wife was out of sight. We had discussed whether to branch left or right just seconds ago. I retraced steps and tried both forks in the street but no sign of her. I continued on thinking I would catch up to her but this was not to be the case. Knowing that she did not have her cell phone and also knowing she is confident in any situation I finally decided to get a cab so as not to not lose our reservation at Monte’s Trattoria – regrettably we were the only two patrons in the restaurant. Years ago I recall losing one of our four children at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, but I had never before lost my wife. I got to the restaurant and my iPhone rang. It was my wife calling from a taxi driver’s cell phone — she was on the way. After a very enjoyable lunch, we picked off a geocache called “Golden Swan and the Cage” located next to a famous basketball court called The Cage and then walked fifty blocks (seven miles for the day) back to the hotel. Along the way we stopped at the Forbes Magazine Gallery. I was not aware of this very interesting and impressive treasure trove of model airplanes, boats, and toy soldiers. We recognized a model of the Forbes Highlander yacht, having been on it ten years or so ago for a dinner cruise around the Statue of Liberty.
After a short rest it was off to dinner at Felidia’s and then to Lincoln Center for a spectacular concert of Verdi, Puccini and Respighi conducted by Riccardo Muti. As always, Stanley Drucker was one of the stars of the evening (see prior stories in patrickWeb about Drucker). It was the taxi ride back to the hotel after the concert that was not so uneventful. A black limousine had been swerving in and out as we came down Ninth Avenue. At one point our driver slammed on the breaks to avoid a collision with the limo and this apparently infuriated the limo driver who jumped out of the limo and began an unprovoked attack swearing and punching the taxi driver. The bloodied taxi driver called 911. I gave the taxi driver some money and began to leave the car but he begged us to stay and be witnesses. After twenty minutes I was ready to leave but the driver, who had a heavy accent, said the police would never believe him and he needed us to stay. A crowd at the outdoor dining area on the corner had witnessed the whole affair and one of them retrieved the license plate number of the limo. When the police arrived they took all the information, including my driver’s license and phone number, and they called an ambulance for the taxi driver. We left with an uncomfortable feeling that the driver’s taxi would be towed away and that he would end up losing his job for having gotten in a fight. I can only hope that a detective will call me and corroborate the story.
The brunch at Tavern on the Green was much more serene than the cab ride. There were nine of us that were seated like sardines. The Tavern has a great view and beautiful chandeliers but service and food were not quite proportional to the price. We got to the Richard Rodgers Theatre just in time for the matinee performance of “In The Heights“. The new musical is a journey into one of Manhattan’s most vibrant communities, with an amazing cast, incredible dancing and a story that is deeper than many on Broadway. Somehow it seems that each year the seat space gets smaller, but no complaints — I feel fortunate to have been able to make the annual trek.
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