Buy, Buy, Love

I'm in NYC again for work. My Mom hates it when I'm here because she worries I'll get mugged or whatever the kids are now doing to out-of-towners in NYC these days. The funny thing is that I'm far more likely to run into a friend on the streets of New York than I am at home.

I come here to work with companies in the apparel industry. The folks I visit are in a very small area, just a few blocks, around the Empire State Building and Herald's Square. I run into work friends every day I'm in New York. I go shopping in Macy's and run into friends. It's weird but a lot of fun. Once I was, I wouldn't call it lost but, wandering around outside the Empire State Building trying to figure out which direction to head in when I ran into the owner of a company I've worked with for over 6 years. It was like running into a favorite uncle. He gave me a big hug and walked me to my next appointment. That's what I love about spending time here. It's finally starting to become familiar to me and I'm comfortable when I'm here. I never thought I'd get to that point but here I am and it feels good.

It was a beautiful day in the city today. Almost too great. I was all set for some fall weather but I walked out of the hotel at 8:45 am and it was already at least 70 degrees. Oh well, it seems to make my New York friends happy.

Here are some of the sites I took in from the morning cab ride to my first appointment (Please excuse the poor picture quality. These were taken through the window of my cab as I whizzed by):

St. Patrick's Cathedral. I went inside the first time I visited NYC but got mad when they wanted $2 to light a candle. I gave them the 2 bucks because my favorite uncle was dying of a brain tumor and it just seemed wrong to be in that miraculous building and not send a little prayer out for him. I must have gotten over the annoyance quickly because I then went to the gift store and bought a St. Patrick's Cathedral key chain that's been hanging with my keys ever since. Maybe that Catholic batism I received as a baby seeped in after all.

This one is of the store front for Saks Fifth Avenue. I heard they now have an entire floor dedicated to shoes. That's an entire city block in square footage. It's so big it got it's own zip code. It's a publicity stunt but still, an entire city block of fabulous shoes is enough to turn even my head. It's difficult to see but the windows are huge envelopes addressed to the shoe department with small snippets of letters written on paper above each envelope. I think it's a clever way to cover the windows while they start dressing them for the holidays. I love it!

Ok, I took this one because I'm endlessly impressed with the attention this city pays to details. I know it's hard to see but that basket on the sign post is overflowing with beautiful flowers. Those baskets were all up and down Fifth Avenue. I've only seen that kind of thoughtful detail in small cities like Sierra Madre. It's incredible in a city of this size.

What can I say... It's Cartier getting ready to build up their holiday displays. They are so spectacular that , sorry to say, the blood diamond trade fades from your mind. I wonder how they address that issue or if they've even bothered. I guess I should just be grateful I don't work in the diamond industry. OH! But that reminds me, have I ever mentioned the jewelry around here? Maybe it's that everyone has a relative in the diamond industry, but seriously, the women around here have the biggest diamonds I've ever seen. Nobody in LA can compare. My boss, who lived here for ages, has a ring so big it took me about 2 months to stop staring at it. I'm not talking just big diamonds, these things are the coveted variety with incredible clarity and quality. I don't drool over jewelry much but these diamonds are knock outs.

This mornings cab driver kept locking the doors every time we stopped. He'd then unlock them when we were driving. As I paid him, I asked "Why do you lock the doors at each stop? Do people jump in or something?" He explained that it was a feature of his mini-van. It's a safety feature to keeps kids from jumping out. Hmm. Who knew? Maybe I'm not as comfy in NYC as I was beginning to think.