Girls just want to have fun
I come home in the morning light
My mother says when you gonna live your life right
Oh mother dear we are not the fortunate ones
And girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun
Cyndi Lauper
On Sunday, Dogust 1, as Liam stayed home celebrating his third birthday
I made my way to a city day celebrating shared August birthdays with a dear friend. That is where the title word Peridot comes in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peridot That would be the green stone assigned to August, loved by me, despised by my friend. See what you think, my jewelry modeled by our Vermont Teddy bear
there are many peridots there
designed by Jacgues Hemsi for me for this new decade birthday in a new decade 2010
http://www.jewelryofchardavogne.com/
I was, as usual taking the LIRR in to NYC . I chose to subway up to Lincoln Center, our first destination. We are seeing a play there. Not sure why I did not walk, I think the threat of rain and higher than usual sandals. I arrived at W66th Street stop and emerged on my favorite trickster street Broadway, doing its devious, hypotenusing again, crossing Columbus, trying to go east. But Lincoln Center is so big, that even Broadway cannot lead me astray this time.
I search out the theater. There are many venues in Lincoln Center, many arenas for performances, outdoor sitting for displays, for meeting. Of course, the fountain.
I find the theater and with an hour to wait decide to go to Starbucks at Broadway. I get my latte 
easily (sometimes there is a problem with the crowd control). I walk back to Lincoln Center complex and find a huge outdoor seating area. I join the group who most likely are waiting for any one of the three plays or concerts or operas starting at 3PM. I have the NY times, a book on Buddhism (from which I can only read one page at a time, only on a trip to the city, and only one time in a week).Why? Each thought is too big for my brain and I respect each concept too much to flip through.
I have my latte, a great perch from which to people watch. and time flies.
My friend texts, she has landed, we are meeting inside. I gather my belongings and move off the sitting area. I begin walking and suddenly I lose my balance and know that I will fall. One hand has a latte, each shoulder has a bag, I am suddenly off kilter, wobbly and might be looking at the pavement quickly. But no. I do what I term an upward fall in place. That is when everything flies up, and your body struggles mightily to stay erect and does, but with consequences. My latte shoots up onto my face and a second eruption soaks my shoulder, my ankle twists a bit, and then it is over like a mini quake. I am still standing. The damage- wet face, latte shoulder, shaky ankle. I continue walking and looking at the ground as if there is a giant crevice. I cop this attitude to alert all watching that none of that was due to any thing I did. No worries.
Hey, It is NYC, no one cares.
The play - The Grand Manner
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/theater/20gurney.html
The play is okay. The real treat is Kate Burton, especially the last scene, and the company of my pal as well as roomy seats and no too big heads in front of us. Add the upper scaleness of Lincoln Center and the culture I feel and it all is a plus.
The dinner Perilla's
http://www.perillanyc.com/
The restaurant is Harold Dieterle's, winner of Top Chef, the first season. He is from Long Island. Peridot Pal and I are both Top Chef aficionados and hope to see Harold.
We decide on the Summer Prix Fixe menu and here are our choices in words and pix and unintentionally mixed fonts
Appetizer
Hearts of palm and Bibb salad
if you are a foodie read on-manchego cheese, mango and toasted macadamia nut vinaigrette-
how creative and all ingredients complimenting each other
Entree
Sauteed Skate Wing-quinoa, wood ears, heirloom tomatoes, sweet and sour eggplant basil sauce
astonishing!
Side-Farro risotto, artichoke confit, parmesan and chili grape salad
OMG (that is from me)
Desserts local blueberry crisp-almond streusel and ginger ice cream
sorbets, peach, strawberry, plum
all luscious No Harold. No matter.
I arrived home at NHP station around 9:30. Met by the boys, Paul and Liam. Happy to have had a pawfect boy day-Liam watches Paul plating dinner in the Top Chef kitchen
And I was happy to have had a pawfect peridot pal day.
All birthdays celebrated in a Grand Manner, and the new decade birthday celebrations to continue.
A little change in Cyndi's lyrics to best describe our experience.
Girls just want to have fun
I come home in the morning light
My mother says when you gonna live your life right
Oh mother dear we are the fortunate ones
And girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun
Liam has fun with his peridot birthday gift ballWoof
Woof
