NYC November Diary: Caution, Bad Shoulder Ahead!

Polloplayer is gobbling twice today – here’s a second post to catch you up with our visit to the city.

We arrived ten days ago with an ambitious list of to-do’s: museums, performances, restaurants and whatever else the Apple might be offering up.

Fall color in Central Park

First up was a rousing performance at Avery Fisher Hall by the Vienna Symphony: young French pianist Lisa de la Salle played Rachmaninoff’s yummy crowd-pleasing Second Piano Concerto and then the orchestra played a lush Beethoven Symphony No. 7.

Just 23 years old, La Salle made her debut in Avignon, France at age 13. (image from yca.org)

The reviews of the performance were on the tepid side, but the crowd was more easily pleased – there were multiple standing ovations. We were off to a great start sampling the wares of our favorite city.

And then everything changed!

The next morning, son-in-law Bobby was riding his bicycle to work and took a spill. Big, big ouch! Shoulder broken in three places!

We are especially grateful this Thanksgiving  that we just happened to be here when it happened so we could fill in a bit when needed. Man down + two active boys = one very harried mom! Poor Angie and Bobby!

He looks pretty good for a guy who had a five-hour surgery and three nights in the hospital. Hang in there, Bobby!

Lovely home decor accessory: the torture chair for rehab

The CE went from herding chickens to wrangling grandkids – his managerial skills are eminently versatile!

Thomas, Grandpa and James

Jamesy!

Thomas pummeled the CE at memory game

A rare break in the action for Ang: why is this woman smiling?

We’ve managed to squeeze in a few sightings of Daniel and friends when we’re not playing with the small fry. We met up with them all for dinner at Cafe Fiorello and then went to see Immortals, or, as I would have called it, Blood with a Side of Blood + Extra Blood. A must see for severed-head fans and anyone who wants to see Freida Pinto in a diaphonous red gown.

So good to see the Boookie!

Daniel's friends Mary and Jeff. I hear they're big fans of Polloplayer:-)

And we also fit in a visit to the Frick Collection’s current must-see exhibit: Picasso’s Drawings, 1890–1921: Reinventing Tradition, now through January 8.

Picasso Self-Portrait, 1901 (image from frick.org)

Last weekend we made a quick drop-by to the Met to see the newly unveiled Islamic Art galleries there. The CE was in Oriental carpet heaven!

image from metmuseum.org

Fifth Avenue near the museum was clogged that day with a scruffy OWS group bent on a drum-circle annoyance mission near Mayor Bloomberg’s Upper East Side residence. The drummers were not especially talented and seemed to be outnumbered by journalists and cameramen. I’d give them a ho-hum C- at best. Of course, Hizzonor was not even nearby – he was busy that day arresting a would-be terrorist. This guy seemed more popular than the OWS group:

He's got something to say. (polloplayer photo)

Yesterday we battled the pre-holiday traffic to go downtown for a super-fun lunch at Balthazar with Daniel, Chris and Victoria, who is visiting a friend in the city for the holiday.

Daniel, Victoria and Chris

We haven’t made it over to Barney’s yet, but this balloon next to our building is a reminder to go visit the Lady Gaga-designed holiday windows there.

As always, Lady Gaga is larger than life!

And last night, Taylor arrived. He impressed us all by downing an ENTIRE pizza at Cafe Fiorello.

Yay! Tay Tay is here!

And he came hungry!

It’s been kind of a different visit so far, but, as always, a great one. We’ll take our bite of the Apple however it gets served up!

This full-size elephant at Columbus Circle is part of a whimsical installation of pieces by sculptor Peter Woytuk all along Broadway.