Sharp On This Winter

It’s a sunny day at least.  The sky up behind the Chrysler building looks sharp on this winter morning.  I imagined that we’d stride about the city for while, taking in the cityscape and we do all this but it is so cold.  We don’t get far and we decide to duck into Grand Central.  We’ll need to go there later to catch the train but we may as well have a look now and warm up.

The stalls are largely closed at 9:00AM.  A few are slowly stirring.  But its not the Nordic festival of small shops that I was told might be here.  Instinctively I drive for the main concourse and it has the desired effect: “This is an old building.”  My brother in law utters staring up at the ceiling and then the windows. I try to date the building for him, and suggest to him that my father and his father before him would all ride into the building and head off to work day after day. 

We walk up Madison Avenue for no reason in particular.  I’m have a meeting in the upper east side in a few hours and figure I’ll head that direction.  Wrongly, I assume that the day will warm up as nine turns to ten but it begins to snow lightly and it appears to be getting colder as the day continues. There aren’t many Christmas shops of interest or much of any reason I can discern to justify going in doors, walking uptown on Madison Ave.  We’d strolled along Fifth Avenue last night so I don’t want to head over there.  As we reach 59^th Street I direct us east.  “Let’s go in the Plaza.”  I think to mention the Beatles stay here and the book “Eloise” I’d read my daughter’s but figure it’s all a bit extraneous.  The Palm Court looks lovely, but we aren’t especially hungry. 

We head on up the Park and make our way from the east side north.  The trees are all denuded of course, but they look strong, and timeless.  I want that iconic view of Central Park South looking south from the park and we climb a big black rock slab and wait for the Spanish tourists to finish and then ask one of them to take our photo.  A group of Russian speakers is ready to take our place as soon as we are done. 

Down below is the ice skating rink, half of which appears to be closed.  The walls of the rink have the Trump brand name prominently painted from a more innocent time when his influence did not extend much beyond the five boroughs.  I think to explain this to my brother in law, lest he think we randomly post the name of our presidents on public buildings. 

Wednesday, 12/13/17