Monday, December 29, 2008

Off TV Topic: Jackie Does the Tourist Thang

Well, I had today off and my knee is doing well. Plus, it was a gorgeous day! Since the first surgery on the knee, I've done very little photo-stomping. Manhattan (NYC) is one of my favorite places to to go said photo-stomping. And, the holiday doings are still going strong. So I did it. I took a gazillion photos, but here's a sampling of my day. I still have to go through the photos more thoroughly.

I started by taking the train from Westfield as I had a few errands to run before going in. I feared the toy soldier would attack me! But, no. I should have just watched where I was walking. My nightmare happened -- I tripped on a curb, falling on both knees and both palms. Ow. But the knee replacement knee did well. I even got up well. But the "good" knee is all black and blue tonight.

Clicking on any of the images will make them larger.


I took one of the fancy-schmancy double-decker NJ Transit trains in. One of my regular conductors was on it. He just placed a seat check on my seat without thinking that this wasn't my work commute time or direction.


So I got a free ride to Penn Station Newark. My line has to transfer at Penn Station Newark to go to Penn Station New York as its diesel and NYC only allows electric trains in the city. The ticket I bought is good for a year, so I'll use it another time.



Hey! Amtrak gets a food service car? SOOO not fair! I remember the Metro North trains from CT often had a bar car. NJ Transit is bring your own food, bring your own booze.


I didn't take the PATH train from Newark Penn into Manhattan as it wouldn't take me really where I wanted to go. I bought a ticket for the leg on NJT to Penn NY.


Ah, Penn Station! Look -- some people are in shirtsleeves! It wasn't THAT warm, I don't think. The high was in the high forties today. Since the Empire State Building got whited-out in my bad exposure shot above, here it is below.


The top of the Empire State Building is lighted in red and green at night for the holiday.


A kid catches some air outside of the Borders connected to Madison Square Garden.


I decided to hit Grand Central Station to catch the holiday laser light show. And, sheesh ... you'd think it was Grand Central Station with the crowds!


Above is the laser light show on the ceiling of Grand Central -- it was moving all around and changing, thus a bit of a blur. And, below ... I'm two days early for...


... Times Square.


Now I remember why I avoid Times Square even when it's not New Year's Eve. The crowds! Ack. I always love that NYPD station with its pink and blue neon, though.


Look WAY up (above) ... it says 2009. I will NOT be there to greet it!


The humanity! The humanity! What have I stumbled onto? I can't breathe! I can't move! Did that man pinch my butt?


Oh. Never mind. It's just Rockefeller Center. You don't want to know how much it costs to skate there. No, I didn't skate.



Above is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Below are ...


HORSIES! I don't often see the mounted cops in Manhattan, but there were six of them sitting there. When I told one he was going on my blog, he schnuffled me and got horse drool on my jacket.


I can't help it. I'm a sucker for horses.


Yeah, more horses. Got a problem with it? :-)


"This is our holiday. This is our New York." No, I didn't go to the Top of the Rock. I thought it was enough to be at the bottom of the Rock.


And now I'm home and so tired (see above). Mind you, not tired enough to panhandle in a subway tunnel under Times Square. They have these weird Burma Shave type signs on the ceiling. This woman set up under "So Tired." I decided to follow the direction of the one which read "Go Home."

16 comments:

Delee said...

So sorry to hear you fell, but what a test for that new knee.

Wonderful shots and the stories with them. NYC at Christmas is beautiful, it has been years since I was there, but I remember.

I am a sucker for horses too!

Thnak you for sharing your day!

Sydney said...

Got no problem with horses, lol.
That last one is amazing Jackie! O tired! A figure, all in black, hunched over with a cane. I loved the graphic effect of the one with the empire state building, the blurry crowd in Times Square and the classic figure skaters at Rock Center. How BIG was the tree? And boy, you really got around. This was a wonderful visit with you in NYC!

dla said...

Ah, Jackie, thank you for the journey to Manhattan! I have been unable to make it there for the holidays for the last three years, and I miss the experience. Love all the pix, and I sure am happy to hear that your knee(s) made it through a tumble with just a bit of black and blue.

Did you catch the Saks Snowflake Spectacular? That is always one of my absolute favorites, and I have been viewing on youtube every day through this holiday season to live vicariously...

You deserve a good night's sleep! Sweet dreams.

Donna in Alabama said...

Oh Ms. Jackie, thank you for the tour. When you have the time, please post more of your pictures! I have never been to NY but because of you and others on the blog, I would like to visit now. My sister-in-law and I have talked about visiting to see the Christmas dressed windows sometime in the future.

I hope you are not sore today from all the exercise and the fall...I bet it felt good to be able to get out and do all that walking and "sight-seeing".

I did not mind seeing the horses but the police on the horses were more interesting since I see horses everyday! My neighbor even has a horse drawn carriage he rides up and down the road in. I'll have to remember to get pictures next I see him.

TV is boring so I am looking forward to more of your OFF-TOPIC stuff!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you again, Jackie, for sharing with us! I am from the Midwest & won't ever get to see these sites. So I really enjoy your photos! The best to you (and your knee!) in 2009!

Sydney said...

Jackie - just occurred to me -- what happens with your TV writing assignments when it's down time like this on the telly?

Anonymous said...

Terrific shots! New York City is my favorite vacation spot. I will be there in June. A bunch of us old ladies (all own Beagle dogs) get together once a year is one of our states. No kids, no spouses, no dogs. Just a few days of fun.

Anonymous said...

What a fun adventure!

I'm so jealous....

RBennie said...

Thanks for the great pics Jackie. You made me proud to be a New Yorker. Okay, I was already proud of it, but you reminded me. So sorry you had that tumble at the beginning of your adventure, but as usual, you didn't let that stop you.

Petals said...

LOVE the horses. The last shot - of the bent begger under the "so tired" sign - was classic. Especially with the young, upright smiling couple strolling blithely past her.
Wow.

meb said...

Love the pictures Jackie... and getting pinched on the butt might be something I'd look forward to since it's been so long ago. Just kidding, I probably would have punched somebody, anybody cause I'm sure if it was that crowded you wouldn't really know who did it.

Loved the panhandler under the "So Tired" sign... and you'll notice the love birds passing by didn't even take a first look, much less a second look.

Thanks for the tour...look forward to more, more more...

meb said...

Petals, you must have been posting as I was typing... notice that our comments are so close ... great minds as we say.

Anonymous said...

Jackie,
thanks for the tour. I find your walks amazing. Especially since this is your everyday life. I have never been on a train, or seen a real train up close that carries passengers. That is on my "bucket list". It was so cool to see the pictures you took up close, when I have seen them on TV. It was so good to hear your knee did so well. I am also facing knee repacement sometime this year, and admit your ordeal this summer was making me have second thoughts but so happy to hear that now it is working well. I have co-workers who are worse after the surgery (and also some who have done very well)So I lap up all info you say about your knee.

Thanks for the tour and Happy New Year to All!!!!

RJM in SC

Anonymous said...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thanks for letting me be a part of your 2008 everybody!

Delee said...

Everyone have a safe and warm New Years Eve and a marvelous New Year.

Freezing cold and windy here for the next few days...ugh. I will be home watching PSU try to win over USC. Should be interesting. Pork and sauerkraut is my family's good luck meal for the New Year, so that is what I am having on Thursday. Down south it is black-eyed peas, even after 12 yrs in AL, those are not on my menu.

Anonymous said...

My husband insists on having black eyed peas and I bought a can of them for him. I tried cooking them one year and didn't like anything about it.

Here is an assortment of New Year's around the world.

http://www.earthcam.com