Posts from — August 2011

I was walking around downtown Manhattan just days ago exploring the area I love
Where the lower-east-side meets Chinatown, the area some now call Bel-del or the lower-lower east side. I love the little hood that has risen and sadly already turning uber hip around Ludlow and Broom Street and around Orchard and Hester Street but the still somewhat edgy area around East Broadway and Henry Street is the one that still holds some semblance of 1940’s Jewish immigrant life however quickly the old “Shuls” and businesses are being bought up and turned into galleries and cafes. One such building the glorious Jewish “Forward” building is of course already condoed.

Some streets in the area feel entirely Chinese, some feel like the East Village ten years ago mostly it still feels like the NYC I loved not the super clean, designer, edge-less city it is quickly becoming.

I had dragged my significant other L on this tour and she would have much preferred lunch in soho but she went along trying unsuccessfully not to mind the stench of lots and lots of garbage in the street. All of a sudden on a side street dozens of screaming Chinese people came running out of a building. One crying young woman holding a Pomeranian screamed the building is falling down. We observed dozens more Chinese people along the whole street.

“Still want to live here? I think the construction is a little shoddy!” L said.

But as we turned the block and saw hundreds of frightened people in the street it began to occur to me that this was more then one building.

A call came in my cell, one of the few calls that would come in that day due to over-kill of phone calls, my pal A called to say we were having an earthquake.

“Let’s get out to the seaport where no buildings can fall on us!” L said and so we walked to the water.

The feeling in my chest was familiar, sort of calm meeting panic and fighting for who might win. As the day progressed, I found out my building was okay, my business was okay and most importantly my friends were okay. But I could not shake the nervous feeling lodged in my chest.

New York City and earthquakes not a good combo.

Then just days later, the warning of hurricane Irene hits the news waves. At first like most folks I didn’t take it too seriously, although I did have a wedding to cater in Dumbo for a really sweet and lovely couple on Saturday… today.

The more we cooked for this wedding the worst the news got.

Mayor Bloomberg is closing the subways.
Battery Park is being evacuated.
The nervous feeling grew in my chest.
I decided to pay for cab fare to get all my waiters home if need be
anything so that the show must go on.
Being a wedding caterer means never, ever, ever konking out not matter what the odds. If the bridges had been closed, i probably would have rented a helicopter. (not really kidding)
I emailed the clients to make sure all was still going on.
No one canceled and we finished our work making sauces, marinades all sorts of great items including the best lobster salad in the world for what should have been a gorgeous wedding.

Late afternoon Friday, the groom called to cancel. There was a mandatory evacuation of the area.

My heart sank. He sounded years past a good cry, sad and defeated but eerily calm. I really like this couple and had worked heart and soul to give them a magical day. I think I felt almost as sad as he did.

So here we are, I had three flashlights, gave one to a friend in need, have two left, some candles, lots of food, water and L sleeping in the bed.

I woke up with the same nervous feeling in my chest that I have had since the earthquake and I can no longer mistake what it is, “leftover 911-itus” or maybe post traumatic stress or a roaring case of “here we go again.” Maybe these are all the same? The sky already looks dark and I hope all this will blow over easily.

I recall the big hurricane in the 80′s that was coming and we taped all our windows and nothing happened. Couldn’t get the tape off my windows for years. Mad as I’d be, I’m hoping for a big wad of nothing this weekend too.

We had tickets to broadway on Sunday for a great pal’s birthday. When I found out that even the show couldn’t go on. I knew it was bad. Wedding caterers and broadway, two acts that never cancel.

Mayor Bloomie took a lot of heat for the terrible job in the big blizzard in December, many think he’s over-reacting. I don’t know. But it’s sure scary stuff.

My friends on the Jersey shore (not that Jersey shore YUCK) were evacuated. My friends en route to Fire Island postponed their trip. My friends en route to Long Island canceled their trip. My family is safe inland and far away.

So I guess in this last bit of calm before the storm I’m feeling happy to be safe indoors, maybe not so close to the windows.

I wish you all safe, dry, warm harbor and good wishes. Love to those who need it and calm to those who can’t muster it up.

Nature is pretty scary this week, but we will prevail.

And to the sweet loving couple who did not get married today and all the many many many others who had their weddings canceled this weekend I say roll in the love you have for each other if you can, I do think this will be a story you tell your grandchildren about. I hope you will laugh when you do so. Be safe and be in love. the rest is not nearly so important.

the money goes up
the money goes down
the whole world freaks until it reboundsss and it’s a crazy trippppp
sung to the tune of what the hell is that song anyway
oh well

well kids i guess i’ve actually been around long enough to see a few ups and downs

not like my parents being depression era babies of course
but i did live thru the gas lines of the 70′s
the 80′s crazy excess when it was spend, spend spend fever
the 90′s super tanking recession when it was ruin and doom
back up again only to go for another dip after 911
back up again for a huge whopping dip in 2008
crawling back up again a little then a little more for another slap in the face
with the stock market dive this past week

so much of it is based on crappy politics
hey partisan pricks you do realize all this in-fighting and politically bull-doody has now hurt your portfolio big time!

and of course most of it is fueled by fear

fear the number one reason for loss of moolah and jobs
i say

anyway
my motto
stay honest
try to keep laughing
deep deep breaths
and stay ethical

first question of the day
can i look at myself in the mirror and feel good about it?

then take it from there