Broadway conquered for SD26

Last July I had a "Lost" experience on the way to meet friends for a NYC Restaurant Week lunch. I was not as "Lost" as are the Oceanic 6 (coincidentally there are 6 of us also); but I was in fact on Manhattan Island, there were "others" on the island, and I was feeling displaced. Something had happened when Broadway met me or I met it and I was all turned around at Times Square. A native New Yorker! I described all the happenings in the "LiamLicks" story in August 2009. "Meet at Quality Meats". Refresh your memories by clicking-
http://liamlicks.blogspot.com/2009/08/meet-at-quality-meats.html

I had learned from that trip that Broadway is a trickster, it hypotenuses Manhattan, creating a diversionary Square/Park/Circle whenever it angles across an avenue just to delight and confuse you, and sets you off in another direction.

I had also believed back in July that there were no directions for walkers. I have since learned that there are. Google has them. Therefore, I was fine. My destination SD26 , http://www.sd26ny.com/a lunch meeting at a newly opened highly anticipated restaurant. I arrived at Penn without adventure (unusual for me) and set out on my walking journey. It was New York winter cold, sudden whipping winds at the corners, heat blasts from stores as doors opened; colder than it should have felt because the tall buildings block the sun and the shadows give involuntary body chills even under down coats. Swirling slicing gusts whip through your hood/hat covered hair, freezing your ears and forcing protective tears from your eyes.
I had my Google map and this time, Broadway and I were going to stick together no matter what park we crossed. I got through Greeley Square at 34th, Broadway tried to lose me, as I traversed the square, I refused to be confused, finding Broadway again at the far end of the park. I continued on, turned before Madison Square Park, almost lured by the oasis, but resisting another Broadway "Square" trick. I did not enter the park, but turned the proper left. ( to the right my map, my head shows my walk and two green balloons show the start -A-and the finish B-).


And there it was. SD26, the next photo is my view looking in; the glass captures in its reflection the grandeur of the surrounding tall buildings and creates a tableau all its own. A light infused space, airy, ripe tomato red chairs in the wine bar area, filled with cozy alcoves and unexpected indentations for sitting, and secret rooms for dining. Black, red, atrium white and some jazzy primary color weaves for accents. Oh HGTV, come here to SD26-The first 2010 meeting place of the famous 6 restaurant week lunchers!

I am not lost or last this time.

Thought I was first, but seems Liam is waiting, do not understand how he got in-the dress code is causal elegant-guess he walked under a patron
wine bar area preceding restaurant, Liam at the right of the pic
Our meal was 3 courses and 3 picks allowed from each course, I'll show a few we enjoyed
bean soup- farro and bolotti bean soup
wild bass acquapazza zucchini, fregota sarda, diced tomatoes
assorted sorbets

and moka bar and the conversation (lively and passionate), ambiance (cool and cozy) and service (engaging and good looking) were outstanding.
I especially enjoyed playing with "kindle like" wine list, a mini IPOD like PC.

We lingered, and as the lunch crowd emptied, we realized it was time to go.

Liam had fallen asleep after enjoying some Chianti Classico at the eclectic wine bar
see the little guy laid out in the right corner, look close

SD26-yay!
Thanks to our organizer, James ooh, whoops, wrong James' photo. I have "Lost" on my brain and Sawyer's broken heart.

Speaking of hearts and preventing them from being broken-keep hearts healthy!
Liam loves women and wants to remind everyone, all species, to wear red in support of the Women's Heart Health day on Friday, February 5, 2010.
http://www.goredforwomen.org/
Tip from Liam, Valentine's Day hearts work well for this day, pin them on yourself and others, what fun!

Woof, Woof

Petty Thief / Petite Thief

I might be a petty thief or because of my stature, a petite thief. I never, ever would have thought of myself as one, but my hubby Paul called me on my actions last week. He said that I was stealing electricity. This theft occurred at Saturn in Hempstead where we were undergoing a final checkup (see last week's LiamLicks-Suns Sets on Saturn). I noticed that my Blackberry had lost a few bars and was not fully charged. I like my BB to be at full charge, any loss of a bar causes anxiety to seep into me as the power seeps out of it. I spotted a free electric socket and plugged in my Blackberry. I always carry a charger with me. I am quite proud that I am always ready to give the transfusion necessary to the device that is my lifeline to the world.
Paul and I spent two hours waiting for our cars to be routinely maintenanced. Sassy was done first. I unplugged my BB and announced "fully charged." Aah, Sassy and BB both bursting with life. It was at this point that Paul announced my indictment "don't you think that you are stealing from Saturn by using their electricity? The electricity belongs to them, not you." Steal...... me? "Are you kidding?" I replied, "I never thought of it that way." I recharge in many locations. I recounted my uses of electricity; as I ticked off my BB chargings, a profile of a serial electricity stealer took shape.
I recharge at my hair salon, Starbucks, restaurants, pubs, people's homes, train stations, hotels, cruise ships, doctor's waiting rooms. As I ran through the litany of my abuses I began to think how bold I had been, albeit unknowingly. I did not even wear a mask or brandish a note when committing these thefts. Paul was incredulous. "You really never looked at it as stealing." No way! I am scrupulously honest.
Paul has often commented on how I rarely turn off a light. How I leave the TV on, the radio, the PC. I counter that I like sound, light and life. What a delightful spirit I have! He does not buy it. He feels that my ignorance of the cost and ownership of electricity is a result of growing up in a city housing project. Here we go again. Fact-it is true, We did not pay for gas and electric in my housing project. Did growing up in Pomonok houses lead to a life of electric crime? Would Chief Justice Sonia Sotomayor ( a product of city housing) have pity on my petty thefts? http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Background-on-Judge-Sonia-Sotomayor/
Without any research I have determined that my thefts are small, minor, petite. Why? The blackberry is small, the time it takes to recharge is short, I am small/ short). Hence, petty (in the best sense), petite, petit applies.

I checked the definitions the words petty, theft, and petite to ensure I was on the right track.
http://legal-dictionary.the free dictionary.com/petty+theft and dictionary.com

main entry: petty thief/noun
definition: petite person who steals
synonyms: bandit, moonlighter, pilferer, purloiner, heister, lifter, harpy, poacher, pillager, marauder, pirate, rustler, cat burglar not dog burglar Liam is happy, pickpocket, filcher, thug

main entry: petty/adjective
definition: minor, of little importance, marked of narrow interests
variation petit- from French

main entry: petite/adjective
definition: small, dinky (Brit. informal) bantam, flyspeck

main entry: Carol/noun
definition: petite thief, never petty in the "bad" small sense

Am I the cause of Saturn's downfall? Starbuck's loss of revenue and its humiliating foray into instant coffee?
If I stop plugging in, will the economy turn around? Our President pledged to focus on the job situation in last night's State of the Union address. Was electricity usage mentioned? Liam watched the speech and wondered

Some of the places I have plugged in for electricity
Starbucks, Chelsea, NYC
Starbucks, Bellerose, NYC
Starbucks, Great Neck, NY
Saturn, Hempstead Long Island, NY
Legend's Pub, NYC
Sister-in-law's, Forest Hills, NY
Crabtree's Restaurant, Floral Park, NY
Touch Of Class II Salon, Floral Park, NY
Niece's home-Millington, NJ
Childhood friend's Lake House-Hopatcong, NJ
Beekman Arms, Rhinebeck, NY

The enormity of my crimes is crushing me. I want to hide. How do I measure what I owe? How to repay? Community service, house arrest, Open my home for public cell phone charging?

Of course, I have stopped using.
No, I am not in a program. Just did it cold turkey.
If I ever need some juice, I will always ask, never plug in without permission

Liam is mortified Doesn't want to show his face. His Mommy is far from pawfect.

Snow covers impawfections and out in the snow today Liam is
exploring sniffing running in the winter wooferland and then a nap
no pilfering, no purloining, no pillaging like his Mom- no cell phone needed for Liam to connect with his world
all tuckered out Woof, woof

The sun sets on Saturn

Saturn was once the company where customer service was king. No haggling, everyone paid the same price for the same car. You bought a car, they took your picture, you received an invite to your group's party. Your group being those who had purchased a Saturn in the most recent quarter-the party was a shared sweet gathering of proud owners of what we all believed to be the best car from the best company. Free tours of the plant, car service home if your car had to stay overnight, free car washes. The management principles of teamwork, service, inclusivity, employee participation, pride- all lovely concepts, were part of their mission statement "People First." http://www.saturn.com/history/
I bought my Saturn, christened Sassy, in September 1996. So although it was deemed a 1997 model, I actually owned it four months before 1997 rolled around. Sassy is now almost 13 1/2 years old. How did she become a teenager? Sassy is green, my favorite color. Actually, one of the top colors of the early nineties for cars was green.
Now, almost half the cars on any street are silver. http://www.buyingadvice.com/popular-car-colors.html
When did everyone get a new car? I never noticed this fleet of silver/grey/platinum cars replacing all the other colors. I still get a thrill when I spot the Saturn logo on a car I feel like saluting our commonality. I have mistakenly plopped into other Saturn's after shopping. They all feel like home.
In 2003, Sassy became the stay-at-home car, the second car, spending her days resting in front of the house, no more bumpy, pothole jolting, stop and start jarring rides through the Queens streets to work. A quiet life, a semi-retired life, a life that prolonged her sassiness. I joined her in retirement in 2008 and adopted pup Liam- Sassy and Liam Sassy is the car that took puppy Liam to his checkups, to the dog run, to his pet hotel. The car he sat in like a co-pilot, stepping on all the console controls causing all windows to roll up and down simultaneously, mirrors to pop back and forth while he leaned in with rapid wet licks as I frantically tried to regain control of all the apparatus in Sassy while driving on the Grand Central Parkway
For thirteen and a half years, we have adhered to the routine maintenance schedule of every three months (Paul has a Saturn also). I am just as committed to keeping my regular doctors' checkups, and I sometimes slipped when making doctor's appointments; when asked the reason for the appointment I would reply "routine maintenance."
Our Saturn service office in Hempstead had every current day newspaper, a wide screen TV, bagels, butter, assorted teas, clean bathrooms and folks who had worked there forever. They remembered you and addressed you by your name. The camaraderie among the waiting Saturn owners was convivial, lively, familiar, comfortable. Hey, we all were special, we were Saturn owners. We had its mission statement beaming down from the wall, visible from all corners of the waiting room.

Our mission is to earn the loyalty of Saturn owners and grow our family by developing and marketing U.S.-manufactured vehicles that are world leaders in quality, cost, and customer enthusiasm through the integration of people, technology, and business systems."

As the dealers began closing over the last two years, our Hempstead crowd grew as we welcomed Saturn clients from Roslyn and other area service centers who had closed. Our seating area swelled. Then came the news that Saturn would close by fall of 2010. Our last service visit was in October 2009. Our regular agent was not at the desk. No food. However, all else was the same. The crowd was a bit smaller, but still calm, confident, content to read, watch TV, chat.
Not so this January 18, 2010. We had received a call in December- there would be no more Saturday service. Saturday was our regular appointment day, so we switched to this past Monday and as we drove up to our street we found it blocked off by police. Is this an omen? Why won't they let us down the block where Saturn is? We angled around, snooped out of a side street, angled into Saturn's street and slowed to a stop. Where is Saturn? How can this be? There is no sign a part of its famous logo visible on the left by the word "service" Is it closed?
I look in, open my car door, peek in- "anyone here?" Someone comes out from the back. The Saturn signs are down. The lot deserted. Plants dead No papers, food, tea. Saturn's avuncular manager, Vinnie, is staffing the desk. The cases that used to display Saturn accessories, such as teddy bears, caps and the like are empty. The mission statement gone, walls marred with glue where it had been. A painting I always liked is still on the wall, it occurs to me to ask about it, then decide the workers need something to look at until the end. I feel as if I am in a store that has been looted, left nameless, its employees homeless, without its identity and history.
We wait, get our checkup and retrieve Sassy, only car serviced. We do not make a next appointment.
Sassy will retire this year. It is time. The sunset of her life just as the sun sets on Saturn
It has been a pleasure.

and thanks to AC and all of CNN for an outstanding job in Haiti woof woofer


Wooferful

Top Chefs at Leisure

Food Network is gone for now from three million homes. There is still the Bravo Network and that is where the very popular Top Chef show resides. http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef
Through the foresight of a dear friend who ordered the tix, I was on my way to see some stars of Top Chef, courtesy of the NY Times Arts and Leisure week- perfect way to jump start the new year. http://artsandleisureweekend.com/
Our discussion was for Saturday January 9, 2010 at 2:00-3:15 PM. There were a series of discussions/interviews going on all day long. It was a frigid day in Manhattan, the 9th in a series of brutally cold days of 2010; however despite the cold, people were out displaying their booklets, advertising where they had been and where they were going-a badge of honor if you will. You could spot them all over the streets surrounding the Times Center. A sense of kinship, camaraderie, a New York experience.
As I hurried down 7th Avnue to meet my friend, two folks walking briskly bundled against the cold, booklets in hand hurried passed me. I warmed to them just because they were doing the same activity I was; their exchange pierced the cold air:

Woman: What the F_ _ _ ! She was such a bad f_ _ _ _ _n bad interviewer. F_ _ _ _ _n terrible discussion.
Man: You are so F_ _ _ _ _n right

OMG. Such passion, such heat, such vulgarity and crudeness. Hope my audience members are not going to be like this.

I meet my friend and we are waved to the very first row by work colleagues who spotted our notable heads. And there we were in the first row. A dream.

We found out some neat behind the scene stuff.
During one judging session, Tom Collichio held a gin and tonic between his legs
Scenes are edited to make us think a certain way.
All contestants' calls are recorded and screened lest a relative whisper a souffle recipe over the phone.
The judges have no contact with the contestants.
They do really dislike some contestants.
If you admit you screwed up, they respect you more as a chef and you might survive another day over a cocky clueless know it all..
Judges must be unanimous in their choice, they will stay all night until they reach consensus.
They have never regretted a final decision.
Each challenge is unique unto itself. Like starting all over each time. So why so many tests? Just pick one winner one time. I guess if you keep surviving until the end, then you are a Top Chef, since on each particular previous day someone was worse than you.
They want and need more women to make it to the top four, Yay Jennifer, season 6, Top four, Go girl.

Padma- a dramatic funny earthy Diva. Laugh out loud funny, not like the statue she portrays on the show. Very pregnant, I was seated next to her doctor

Gail- tiny, petite, passionate, smart

Eric Ripert, Chef at Le Bernardin- French-could not understand anything he said even with my hearing aids turned up. The audience loved him, it was me, not him.

Frank Bruni- Charming, smart, witty and low key-my hero-a New York Times food critic who has multiple eating disorders. Read his Memoir, out now "Born Round"

Back at home in New Hyde Park that same day

Paul has a chop (pic from Crabtree's 1/08/09)

Liam watches football with Daddy Paul

Liam plays * pic taken Tuesday

Liam enjoys a Top Chef meal of lamb and brown rice * pic taken Tuesday

That was Saturday.The world changed since then, and now we are all watching the horrific images of Haiti.

I would like to share a message I received from a friend.

Hello my old friend Carol,

I am very uncomfortable doing this, but I thought that you have mastered the communication network

I have volunteered as an RN for the Red Cross - for 9/11, Southern hurricanes, Hurricane Katrina/Rita , locally all year round.

There is a simple and easy way for all to quickly donate $10.00 to the Red Cross/Haiti - use your cell phone, text: HAITI and enter 90999. Will be charged to your cell phone.

Can you please help me to distribute this information?

You are so good at this!!

My mom's neighbors in Hollis are all from Haiti. They speak in French to my daughter whenever we are back there. My heart is broken for them and for their country.

Love and thanks,

M

I did it, it works

Liam stands with his canine friends who are helping in the Haitian search and rescue and is happy to be safe at home stretching at peace dreaming of a better world

woof woof