The view

No work for this girl today. I was booked from 7:30 am through dinner tonight. It was supposed to be the busiest day of me week. Instead I called my boss and told her I'd be staying in bed.

I called housekeeping and asked for some fresh towels and for someone to empty my tissue filled trash cans as they were getting out of hand. A very nice lady arrived and completely refreshed my room while I answered emails on my laptop. She left me a couple of extra boxes of Kleenex and some toiletries. She was very motherly and seemed to be worried about me. She even put an extra blanket on the bed for me. Her work alone made me feel better. I took a nap then checked some more emails.

I've had the tv on all morning and tuned to some terribly cheesy movies. I've been drawn to the big stars but it seems even Lauren Bacall, Deborah Kerr and Gregory Peck made some clunkers. No matter, it's just the comfort I need while nursing a sinus infection far from home. Besides the tv, here is my other view:

Can you see the view from my window? Here is a better shot:

Some might find it a bad view but I like it. Like most views in New York it's the view of the wall of windows in the next door building. What I find interesting is that it could be mistaken for a tenement building but inside one window I can see some people seated around a table working. There seems to be lots of paperwork and discussion going on. The hardwood floors are beautiful. Pretty much every window in the city is framed in stripped, distressed wood. I suppose they figure why bother painting, much less replacing, window frames that only the neighbors can see. I like the attitude and think they're right. I love how practical New Yorkers are. It's a no nonsense kind of place that has been forced to make due with what already exists. Sometimes a building is completely renovated but the bones of the structure never changes. The bathrooms in almost every restaurant I've visited are in the basement. I don't know what folks with bad knees or in wheel chairs do around here when they need the facilities. There are open holes in the streets for loading goods into the basements of stores and restaurants. I wonder how many times a year somebody falls down one? There are water towers on every roof. Are they still in use? I've asked and nobody seems to know yet still they stand. Of course, I doubt anyone would make the effort or expense to tear one down unless it was a safety hazard. Many of the streets are still made of original cobble stone. Again, why change it if it's still working? I'm sure it's the enemy of all high heel wearing drunks but it's the risk you take in the meat packing district. The plumbing is consistently either slow to drain or slow to bring hot water. At first I called maintenance thinking the trouble was with my room then, after a few trips, realized it's just that New York hotels are housed in old cranky buildings.

Aside from being a voyeur I managed to trip upon another spectacular architectural blog. It's not your average shots of glorious structures but instead ones devoted to abandoned asylums and hotels. Why do I LOVE that photographic subject? I'm not sure I know the answer. All I know is that they rarely creep me out. Instead I'm just plain fascinated by them. I could explore pix like this all day long.


Oh, and here is one more shot for your viewing pleasure. Remember that $63 dinner I mentioned yesterday? I had soup and salad again last night and took a picture for you. Here it is in all of its glory:

Pretty weak for $63, huh?