The Bus Dilemma

Our big dilemma after lunch was what to do about the bus. We felt fairly sure that the bus would be cancelled. We were in touch with a couple of people in DC who kept us up to date on the weather there. They said the forecast was for freezing rain to start sometime around 5 or 6 that evening.

The bus was going at 9. That meant 3-4 hours of freezing rain or some sort of slop coming down in DC even before we left New York. At first we were just going to get the tickets. Then we checked the Megabus app and found buses were stilling going to DC.

Back and forth we went. We'd check things after the show. Finally Stu said lets get the tickets because if we don't all we will be thinking while we're at the show is about getting the train tickets.

And that's what we did. We went down to Penn Station and got our tickets. We ended up on the 11pm train because that was the cheapest at $84 per person. The train just an hour early the ticket was $40 more. Trains earlier than that one cost even more.

Turns out we made a very good choice.

The Glass Menagerie

There have been very few times I have come out of a play almost speechless but the Glass Menagerie is one. The other one I can think of is Exit the King. I turned to Stu at the end and we just looked at each other. And then one or both of us said wow. Just an amazing show from start to finish.

Here's some of the reviews:

From the Daily News:

In keeping with the strong, spare scenery, performances are lean and natural. Jones, a stage great who’s won Tonys for “The Heiress” and “Doubt,” endows Amanda with potent vitality. She can lose herself in the sweet-scented memories of jonquils and gentility, but she’s no shrinking violet. She’s fiercely maternal.

Quinto, of the “Star Trek” reboot, streaks Tom, the stand-in for Williams, with exasperation and surliness. His cruel abandonment of his family in the dark is all the more credible.

As the delicate Laura, Celia Keenan-Bolger draws you in with her transparent honesty. A simple line (“Mother, you’ve made me so nervous”) or lifting a typewriter shows how everything is a chore and painful. She has lovely chemistry with Brian J. Smith, who brings easygoing charm as Jim, the gentleman caller.

The fall Broadway season has just begun. This shattering and shimmering “Glass Menagerie” is the first must-see.

From the New York Times:

Brian J. Smith plays the emissary, whose glory days as a high school hero are behind him, in a performance that more than holds its own amid the histrionics of the Wingfields. He makes it clear that while this Gentleman Caller may hail from the bustling land of reality, he, too, seesaws between highs of illusion and the harshness of life as it is. And his scene alone with Laura — in which he gives her and himself a lecture on becoming a positive person — may be the best version of it we’ll ever see.

Perhaps what’s most surprising about this production, though, is how thoroughly it makes us understand that Tom is the center, nay the author, of “The Glass Menagerie.” Mr. Quinto (best known as Mr. Spock in the current “Star Trek” movie franchise) plays Tom with more than a touch of the author who conceived him. This kinetically charged, purple-prose-spouting Tom is an angry young man who, in his way, is as self-dramatizing as Amanda and as much of an outcast as Laura. No wonder he feels he has to run away; at home, there are too many mirrors.

Neither of us had seen this as a play. Both remembered the TV show many years ago that had starred Katharine Hepburn. And that's about all we remembered was that she was in it.

It was just over powering. Even though the ending is far from happy, I didn't leave the theater feeling depressed I was in awe of the performances and still feel that way.

This is a must see.

A Little More on The Glass Menagerie

We came into the theater after the drama of the train tickets. As I was sitting down I got a message from Megabus saying that the bus had been cancelled. We felt very good in our decision.

I'm waiting for the play to start and I think to myself I haven't seen anyone famous yet. I always see at least one famous person.

I'm looking around the theater and I see someone. I recognize him but can't exactly think who it is. I point him out to Stu. He agrees with me. I remember him being in Clear and Present Danger. I get out my phone and look on IMDB to see if I'm right. Stu finally comes up with his name Donald Moffat. Just as he's saying that and I confirm that that is who is in another guy is coming into our row. He sits down three seats from me. Stu recognized him immediately and so did I it was Paul Sorvino.

But it gets even better. At intermission the guy sitting in front of Paul Sorvino turns around and introduces himself. I recognize him. Point him out to Stu who recognizes him as well. We have no idea who he is. But from the conversation I could here between the two of them, it sound like the guy got his first break working with Sorvino.

So ample famous people in the theater and all stacked right next to each other.

After the show, they did a fundraiser for Broadway Cares. As Brian J. Smith says it's rare to auction off one of the characters in the show but they would in this case. As an added incentive, Zachary Quinto would match the bid dollar for dollar. The character was the horse in the show. And the bidding started at $300. One woman bid that much. Then Quinto counter bid. It went to $750 with the proviso from the woman bidding that Quinto personally give her the horse.

If you gave $20 you got a signed program from everyone. For $60 you got a poster and I think a program too. It would have been cool to get the poster but I had no idea how I was going to get it home. So I gave $20 and got the program. I got to shake Cherry Jones had and say what an amazing performance it was. She thanked me very much.

As to our three famous people well Cherry knew all three. In fact the guy whose name we can't think of she knew the best because he got a kiss from Cherry.

And one final really cool thing as they opened the doors (there are exit doors in the back of the orchestra section that go directly to the street), it started to snow.

2013 Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Windows

Probably the best windows in New York are at Saks. Here's a description of them:

For the first time ever, the six animated Fifth Avenue windows will feature the story of the legendary Yeti, who is rumored to live on the Saks Fifth Avenue roof, making snow during the holiday season. Each window depicts a scene from The Yeti Story—from the Yeti’s life as an under-appreciated snowmaker in Siberia to his starring role as a true snowflake artist in New York.

And here are the windows

Here's the light show on the building.

The Ice and Snow of the Last Two Days

Sunday into Monday there was an ice storm. One of the reason I came home on the train instead of the bus from New York. Today we had snow. A couple of very high panic days for Washington, DC.

But there were some pretty pictures to take.

A Slightly Bugger Blogger

The post below was supposed to go up on Sunday. But for some reason it didn't. The Blogger phone app leaves a little to be desired.

But I did make a mad dash to New York. Had an amazing time. Did not get all that much sleep so a full report will have to wait until tomorrow.

In New York

A dash to New York. Left on the midnight bus. Got here before dawn and saw the wonderful decorations with no one around. 

From Peanuts — Laughing with Linus

Here are some very funny Peanuts strips with Linus in them.

Enjoy!

To the Botanical Gardens

One of my favorite places to go is the Botanical Gardens. They are all set for the holidays. As the pictures here and the next post show.

More from the Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden did this cool thing of recreating the Mall. Very fun and very pretty.

Remembering Miriam

I'm remembering Miriam, my mom today. Ten years ago today she died. In some ways it seems like yesterday. In other ways it seems much much longer than 10 years.

I'm writing this as I sit in the National Gallery of Art cafeteria by the waterfall eating chocolate pudding.

Both are important in remembering her.

First, the chocolate pudding. Back in the day my mom would make chocolate pudding for dessert. Now this was not instant pudding but the kind you had to really make and cook on the stove. Once mom was done making it she would put it in the refrigerator to cool down. Now it was important to cover the pudding sot it would not get that hard gross layer on top of it. To prevent this from happening, she would cover the pudding with wax paper (yes wax paper which tells you how long ago it was). The big thing in our house was who would get to lick the pudding off the wax paper once the paper was pulled off the pudding. That's the reason for the chocolate pudding.

Second the National Gallery. This was her favorite of all the museums in Washington. She loved to come here. She loved to have lunch by the waterfall. She really liked the food and it is really very good. She loved the impressionists. And she loved to the Matisse Cutouts that were in the Tower in the East Building. So it seems very fitting to be at the National Gallery.

I made pumpkin cake as my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner this year. I got the recipe from my mom. I'm not sure who she got it from probably one of the teachers she worked with. She converted the original recipe to work in a 13 x 9 pan. I still have the original paper she wrote it on. Of course being a teacher it is written on note book paper. Along with the recipe are a few pointers on making the cake:

Baking soda is cheap to buy, baking powder isn't. IF you don't have the latter you might be able to borrow a bit from a friend in exchange for a bit of cake.

I can just hear her saying those things.
 My visit to the Gallery and having chocolate pudding helped me remember Miriam, my mom, for all the wonderful and great things she meant to me.

Jack and Miriam at my brother's wedding.

What are They Building Here?

There is work going on near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro stop. I can't exactly figure out what they are building here. It sort of looks like a bridge but if it is I don't know where it is going to go.

I'm going to keep my eye on it as the project progresses.

The Kennedy Assassination — What I Remember 50 Years On

One of my earliest and most vivid memories is of the Kennedy assassination.

I was four at the time. I was home with my mom watching TV. It was a typical afternoon for us. We had eaten lunch and had settled down to watch the afternoon soaps.

In all likelihood we were watching the Secret Storm or maybe as the World Turns (I happened on to a video posted on YouTube of CBS' coverage and the first bulletin about the assassination came during As the World Turns).

My memory is a little sketchy about the series of event. But I do know that when it was announced that Kennedy was dead my mom started crying. She went up to the bathroom I’m assuming to regain her composure. I followed up after her. Not understanding what had happened but knowing she was very upset. I remember standing outside the bathroom door the knob probably coming up to my noise and being very very scared as to why my mom was crying. I certainly hadn’t understood what had been reported on TV.

The other very clear memory that I have is the plane with Kennedy’s body arriving at Andrew’s Airforce Base. They were in the process of taking the coffin off of the plane when my dad came home from work.

I don't remember much more than that. But these memories are very clear and distinct. I remember the fear I had because my mom was crying and I didn't understand why or what had made her cry.

Another thing I remember is a Thanksgiving 10 years later asking my relatives where they had been when the assassination took place and what they were doing. They told me and then talked about the Kennedy visit to northern Illinois

In 1960 when Kennedy was running for President he came to Libertyville the town next to where I grew up. He was there for a campaign rally:

Libertyville was predominantly Republican, but that day may have been an exception. In an open Chevrolet convertible, Kennedy arrived at Cook Park in the heart of downtown at 10:52 a.m., about a half-hour behind schedule. The park was described as a mass of color, filled with posters and signs, including a Kennedy banner draped across the grand entrance of the Ansel B. Cook Home, which served as the library.

I don't remember this but my mom took me and my brother to see Kennedy.

It is interesting to me how one event changed this country so much. Even 50 years later there is still a discussion of the impact this one event had on our country.

The events of the assassination are still  being discussed and debated. The conspiracy theories run the gamut from the Mafia to the CIA to the FBI to the Russians to the Cubans. You name it. I don't think any of them are right. I think Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I think part of the reason people believe in the conspiracy theories is it is reassuring in some way. There was some evil cabal that killed Kennedy as opposed to one nut. One nut who altered the course of history for this country and for the world as well.

One thing all can agree on is true the country wasn't the same after Kennedy's death.

50th Anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination — The Kalb Report

Dan Rather and Marvin Kalb

A very interesting Kalb Report on the 50th Anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination Here's a little information on the program:

A Conversation with Dan Rather on a Presidency, a Legacy and a Day that Changed America

On November 22, 1963 time stood still as the nation and the world grappled with the sudden and tragic loss of an extraordinary leader. Now 50 years since that fateful day, we remember the life and legacy of President John F. Kennedy.

Dan Rather was on the scene in Dallas that day, reporting for Walter Cronkite and CBS News, and helped break the story we could not bear to hear. On the next Kalb Report, two legends of journalism, Dan Rather and Marvin Kalb discuss reporting the unthinkable and the profound impact of the events of that tragic day.

Here's a little of Dan Rather's story on that day. He was at the end of the motorcade. At the point where it would pass under a viaduct and head to where Kennedy was supposed to make his speech. He didn't hear any of the shots. He did see the presidential limo race past him. And what he thought at first was make a wrong turn. When the rest of the motorcade didn't follow he knew that something was wrong. 

He was one of the first reporters to report that Kennedy was dead. Most TV networks waited until the official announcement from the government. Everything moved so quickly that there was no time to react to the story. Rather said that happened after that long weekend.

Kalb was at the State Department filing a story. When he found out what had happened he had to walk around the building to calm down. He was of coursed asked by the network if this could have been the work of the Russians or Cubans.

Rather does not think there was a conspiracy. To pull something off on this scale would have taken many people and after 50 years the truth would have come out. He think Ruby acted alone. He said something that was really important he said you are entitled to your opinion (saying this to the people that believe in a conspiracy) but you are not entitled to your own facts. The facts don't support a conspiracy.

Rather went on that the idea of a conspiracy came from the fact that the CIA and the FBI were not truthful with the Warren Commission. They didn't want to be seen as allowing the president to killed. And this was the first in a series of event where the government was less than truthful with people.

Both Kalb and Rather think that Kennedy would not have pulled out of Vietnam as some have said. He was an old fashioned cold warrior and would not have wanted to seen as the president who lost Vietnam. Rather then added an important point. That the war didn't become unpopular until casualties started to mount. That didn't happen until 1967-68.

The also thought that civil rights legislation would have been different. This I agree with totally. Johnson used Kennedy's death to push through the legislation. Another interesting point on if Kennedy had lived was would he have won reelection. If Kennedy hadn't died, he might have faced Goldwater but it is possible someone else could have won the Republican nomination.

Rather pointed out that one thing we should be proud of in this terrible tragedy was the peaceful passing of power. As Rather said tanks didn't surround the White House.

I'll have some of my own thought on the Kennedy assassination in an upcoming post.