Sunday, February 07, 2010

Spring is not that far off

February is usually the worst month in terms of Cold. In NYC the winter has been mild
we haven't had one of those spells with below zero weather. In the era of front wheel
drive cars getting out of the snow seems easier.

In March the circus will be coming to town. The circus is something Marxist commies try to ruin for Americans. I will be taking a young child to see her first circus. This is a magic moment in a child's life. When I was growing up there were smaller circuses. There was a small parade when the circus came to Liberty NY. It didn't matter
that it was not Ringling Brothers, because the whole family was together. We sat on horrible benches, but nobody cared.

There are moments kids never forget and many of them are small. I went to the art museum and for me the special place is the Temple of Dendur. There is an Egyptian Temple in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. However, little girls are more prone to want to be little princesses and there is also a castle front. I had been to this museum countless times and forgot that the Greek Art was in between our destination.
Midway through cries of "theyre naked" and a very short explanation about how Greeks considered the human body itself an art form was my magic moment. I also reminded her that she is not Greek. She basked in the front of the castle and enjoyed the sculpture garden.

On the way home we went for a milkshake at an old style ice cream shop. I did have to explain to the staff how to make a Cherry Lime Rickey. I am learning this is some type of forgotten art. In fact I had to do this in VT. The locals including the owner
were amazed at the skills I had not practiced for 20 years. An authentic Chery Lime Rickey looks like a mad scientists creation as it has three separate color rings. The third is created when the syrup drifts downward. I remember my first one in Grossingers Hotel thirty years ago. I remember perfecting it at the Concord for the rare customer that would ask. I remember my coworkers thinking I was crazy as it took me a few attempts to perfect it. I had one at a street fair in Brooklyn but it was a crude imitation without the appearance an about 70% of the taste. Anyway much to my amazement I was asked "What was that?". I explained the lost world off egg creams, cherry lime rickeys and vanished Catskill Hotels to a sweet kid.

Oddly our magic moments don't cost that much. A trip to the museum and soda shop or when I was growing up the sping water at Parksville didn't cost much. However, the memories were priceless.

10 comments:

The_Editrix said...

"...we haven't had one of those spells with below zero weather."

Celsius or Fahrenheit, Beak? Believe it or not, we had many nights with temperatures dropping below 0°F here this winter.

beakerkin said...

Fahrenheit. Usually, NYC gets one or two really nasty cold snaps. It has been mild here.

AOW who lives in Virginia would disagree as she is under around 20 inches of snow. In NYC we got a mere three inches. Front wheel drive cars can drive through this.

The_Editrix said...

I have missed to have my tyres changed in time which had been stored at the garage where I used to live before (winter tyres are mandatory in Germany now) and I'm thus stuck without a car since the onset of winter after Christmas and I don't even have a front wheel, but a four wheel drive. It would have been madness to drive, apart from the fact that it is forbidden. Finally I managed to get the tyres over here and they will be changed tomorrow. The snow piles at the road side are up to shoulder high. We have about 70 cm of snow (my estimation) that would be almost 30 inches, right?. It may be more. Here is a webcam. We are living next to the church (=Kirche). I'm from the lowlands and just not used to this sort of climate. Ah well, next winter won't find me so ill prepared.

Ducky's here said...

You should have been in D.C. editrix, nothing like a good 3 footer. I cannot believe that monster completely missed Boston.

Ducky's here said...

The circus is something Marxist commies try to ruin for Americans.

---------------------------

Why would we want to ruin the circus? Besides The Circus being my favorite Chaplin (the Little Tramp's greatest exit) I have very fond memories of it.

Just a little guy and I was trying to take it all in and I turned and looked up and there was a guy high on a piece of apparatus that looked like a large crescent moon doing a handstand. That's how I remember it and it's stuck with me all these years as well as the big cats and the clown with the banana in his ear and caramel pop corn.

Why would anyone wish to ruin the circus? Besides, Russians and East Europeans are terrific circus performers. The Moscow circus is one of the greatest.

beakerkin said...

Ducky

Kindly remind the animal rights crew
to leave well enough alone.

The_Editrix said...

"You should have been in D.C. editrix, nothing like a good 3 footer.2

You mean 3 foot of snow? Oh well, always good to know that others are even worse off.

Ducky's here said...

Yeah, some areas got 3 feet. Very nasty storm.

Ducky's here said...

Beak, how did PETA become commies? You are quite childish the way you throw the word around.

It seems that anything you oppose is commie. Do you realize how ridiculous you're being?

Cateran said...

And on an amusing note, here in the Great White North, where the Winter Olympics are about to be held, there is no snow.

La NiƱa has quite a good sense of humour, it would seem.

Oh well, unless an act of God occurs, there is always ice on the Hockey rinks.

And that's all that really matters anyway.