Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 8, 2015

I'm SO late with this week's off television topic reflection of the past week in both words and photos I've taken along the way! But, I did way too much walking around (and standing around) yesterday. I overslept and I'm a bit on the lame side today. Okay, I know some people consider me usually lame ... but I mean physically! Sheesh!

I took so many photos yesterday when I went to see 'Misery on Broadway' with Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf that I'll have to post some Plainfield area photos and some of the NYC ones next week, too.

Here's the week in rough --

• Four day work week as I requested Saturday as a vacation day to go see the show. Yay!
• I also have a four day work week next week as I've requested Saturday as a personal day for the Plainfield Public Library Photo Competition. I have my doubts about winning first place again as the theme wasn't a great one for me.
• I left early yesterday to go into Manhattan. I had to pick up my tickets at the box office before the 2pm matinee show. I got to town around 10am, got my ticket, ate a late breakfast and roamed around Times Square until about 1:30.
• I will post a full review of the show and theatre later tonight.
• It's very weird, but three of the people I talked to during the day were from Los Angeles. One was a 20-something woman who put a cling on a pole I was leaning against in Times Square. I looked to see what it read and she said, "I'm taking it down. I just need to get a photo of it with Times Square in the background." I didn't care if she left it there. It turned out that her fiance had designed the cling, was killed in an automobile accident and they had dreamed of coming to Times Square together. Aww. She and I talked for about fifteen minutes. Sad story, very nice young woman.
• The other two were a lesbian couple outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Fun people! We mocked some of the people passing by and counter-intimidated a surly bum who approached us for money. We talked East Coast vs. West Coast and really had a pleasant conversation as we stayed out of the lane of pedestrians by standing up against the building.
• The show ended late (started late, too) and I ended up taking the 6pm bus home. Oh. The 6pm bus was late, too.
• While I had a seat alone heading into the city, I shared a seat with a young man from the Ukraine here to go to college. He was interesting. He's been in the USA for only two months and didn't know any English before he came here. While he has to hesitate at times, his English is much better than many!

Onto the gazillion photos for this week. Clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger window.

West 44th Street

Although it's technically NOT Broadway, this block is the home of many Broadway shows. The expensive Sardi's restaurant is across the street from the Broadhurst Theatre where I saw 'Misery on Broadway' but that was way out of my budget. I ate a late breakfast at the Evergreen Restaurant over on West 47th Street and a not really lunch at Ben and Jerry's which is past the bowling alley in this photo. I ate dinner at home.

SO cool ghost sign!

They're doing construction on West 47th Street and this is now exposed -- a ghost sign for the Hotel Longacre, Rooms $1.00 a day, Rooms with bath $1.50. Lunch is 40 cents, dinner is 65 cents and, I assume, the "Club Breakfast" comes with the room. I wonder how many years back it dates.

Who wants lunch?

A sign I saw in the window of Pete's Fish Market on East Second Street in Plainfield this week.

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Lamp in foliage

Looking up at one of the Plainfield Train Station lamps.

Some Trader Joe's goodies

No, I didn't just buy junk even though this photo shows the Uncured Bacon Ganache (dark chocolate and bacon!), bacon jerky (a bit too salty), Hard Root Beer (very tasty), Turkey Stuffing flavored chips (mmm), Kona coffee chocolate truffles and a couple of PB&J bars. 

It's kind of fun to do the impossible

This bench is at the Cranford Train Station (NJ Transit) where my bus into the city entered, passing the NO BUSES sign, and then had to back out as the construction there won't allow a bus to make the needed turn.

Our bridge is up

They still have to put end-pieces on it. But the trains are going over it without incident and the street has reopened. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

Autumn leaves in Plainfield

Well, the bottom half turned pretty

This tree at the Friends (Quakers) Meeting House on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield is usually stunning in its autumn colors. This year, the top turned only like a dark burnt orange and the leaves came down. What remains has turned pretty!

I like that cool building

I'm talking the one in the middle, of course.

Before noon in Times Square

The bumming costumed characters outnumbered the tourists in spots. I wanted to see a costumed character fight as some have occurred in the past. No go with that.

Costumed characters meet-up

Church on West 47th Street

A low fog is almost obscuring the skyscrapers behind it.

Times Square is getting busier

I edited this shot to just leave Mickey at the Disney Store in color. But, these crowds are why I usually avoid Times Square.

Eek! She's coming at me!

Support his ganja fund

Although I'm sure he can walk without crutches, this man is older. But, when people approach him, he offers his collection cup up and asks them to support his Ganja Fund. I'm not really sure what he's supposed to be other than a dude who likes his ganja.

The Jesus Shouters of Times Square

Yes, they were amplified.

Times Square now boasts a Kiss Cam

Kind of like the one at sports games. I deliberately did NOT sit in the area they film. As it progresses, a heart forms around the image of two people in the crowd, there's a countdown to kiss, then the still photo remains up for about twenty seconds.

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna

He was walking around trying to sell his Buddha pins or coins (whatever they are). He didn't approach me. I saw everyone he approached turn him away.

Waiting for Misery

The box office guy told me I didn't need to arrive until ten minutes before the show. This is why the show starts later than it should. I was in line (with tickets) a half-hour before the show. The line stretched down the block. I actually butted in because a car trying to get in the parking garage split the line and I was talking to others. I just kind of stayed there with them. No one said anything. Heehee. As others walked by trying to get to the end of the line, one guy told them we were the line for 'Obama, the Musical.' They believed him. Heh. He and I decided that could be an interesting show!

Opposite end of Times Square

Although it looks like the New Year's Eve ball drop location, it's not. 

The Broadhurst Theatre

The signs touting Misery on Broadway

The Naked Cowboy

A fixture for years in Times Square. He even has people imitating now, but this is the original. I've never really encountered him before because I usually avoid Times Square or, if I'm there, it's evening and I'm passing time waiting for my bus home from nearby Port Authority Bus Terminal. He seems to work the tourists in the daytime.

And, there he is.

On West 47th Street

I ended up talking to the officer. The horse is named Patriot.

Patriot waits patiently ...

(Note that Evergreen Restaurant is where I had my late breakfast.)

Oh my gosh! Is he parking Patriot?!?

In a PARKING GARAGE? What are the rates for that?!?!?! 

A different horse, but of the same color

This horse isn't Patriot. This one was walking through Times Square. Now, some folks are up in arms and want the work horses on the hansom cabs to go away. They claim, more than anything else, that the horses don't belong on city streets with the traffic and crowds. Yet, you don't hear the same fuss about police horses which often have to work in very diverse situations involving unruly crowds and arrests even though they don't pull a hansom cab. I've never seen either an unhealthy-looking hansom cab horse, nor police horse. They all look extremely well cared for. 

Interesting stage seating tourist bus

This is a new one on me. I'm used to the open top double-decker tour buses. You can see a woman with a microphone talking to the people on the bus.

YIKES!

The bus crowd all started doing The Wave at us! That was a bit creepy. 

Rush is neglected

I'm not sure if he even has a show anymore. But his sign in Times Square has surely seen better days.

The Silver Man

Jekyll and Hyde Restaurant and Bar

West 44th Street.

Olaf Krisha, Olaf Krishna

Before the show started

Filming is not allowed at the Broadway shows. I took this shot as we waited for the crowd to get seated. It's the outdoor part of the revolving set complete with snow falling. This was taken from my seat. Yes, I loved my seat. I'll go more into the theatre review along with a review of the show in a later post today. 

As we were leaving

Another section of the revolving stage set. This is where most of the action happened.

The St. James Theatre

Man on a tall bike

Sure, he can see over the crowd. But that's much farther the fall if he goes down!

The lighted sign over the Broadhurst

The TKTS line

Oy. I know you can get Broadway show tickets relatively cheap at TKTS. But you may not get the show you want to see. They get the cancellations and unsold seats and such. To me, my time is worth more than the money I'd save possibly not getting a ticket to the show I want to see when I want to see it! 

Requisite Times Square shot

Lurking about

I took this shot while lurking around the Port Authority Bus Terminal waiting for my bus home. I also had a beer at the Heartland Brewery while waiting. I also talked to two women from Los Angeles while waiting. We scoffed at a bum together when he approached us.

Vincent got a gift