Greetings!

Diane Keaton was a hoot!  Last week at the 92Y (92nd Street & Lexington - UES) she hosted an hour of talk & questions followed by a book signing.   The rain was pouring down as I exited the taxi on Lexington.  I heard laughing & screaming & turned my head to see - just guess - Diane Keaton running by with a group of women, her entourage, she later explained.   She flew by as if she were a girl of 18. Believe me, it was so fun to see and inspiring.
  
Keaton is 68, as she willingly announced, later, from the stage.   The talk was parts reminiscent, hilarious, poignant & fascinating, all delivered in her brilliant & kooky style.   She was harking her latest book, Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty.  Inside the cover of my copy she wrote:  'Hey Lizard!' with her name signed below.   With all of the many people in line to see her & to have their books personalized, Keaton took the time to thank me for coming & shook my hand.  She is a woman who knows the business.   I am glad I went.  

92Y.  This is a great NYC institution.  I love it!  The list of people who deliver talks is staggering & impressive.  I saw Arianna Huffington interviewed by her good friend, Barbara Walters recently; it was another superb evening.   When my catalog arrives (I am a Friend of 92Y) I dive into it immediately to see who is coming next.   Many of the talks are sell-outs; just an indication of who is taking time from their crazy schedules to appear.  The 'on-stage' events are only a fraction of all that occurs here.  Check out the website: 92Y.org. 

Ciao for now!

Tonight.   92Y.  Upper East Side.  Diane Keaton.  

Received my 92Y catalog, saw this event & started making plans.   By the time I bought tickets (3), the main floor was TOTALLY sold out.  We (three) will be in the balcony at the back, the very back.  Carol is bringing opera glasses, Courtney is bringing tissue (nosebleed section) & I will provide the O2 tanks.  It should work. 

Really, the 92Y auditorium is small-ish enough that there are no truly hideous seats (I hope); we will be laughing so much we will hardly notice, anyway.   We will all receive her latest book to be signed by Ms. Keaton following the talk.  Now that makes even distant seating worthwhile.   This evening should be a hoot!


Check out 92Y.org.   What a joint!

 

Mini Metal Maker!!!

 

 

Literally, 'hot off the press!' is this new creation by my nephew, David Hartkop.  Please note my entire name is Liz Hartkop Aiken.  Hahaha.    Dave has created this application which is, well...  you just have to see it for yourself.   Search 'minimetalmaker' via any search engine & there you have it.    Already featured on CNN, Bloomberg News & in Business Week.

 

& then?  Let me know what YOU think!  (Photo below)

 

I want to make mini-lizards to sew into all of my knitted creations.  How would you use it? 

 

FYI:  Dave & his brother, Mike, are also the creator & roastmaster, respectively, of Solar Roast Coffee, ie  www.solarroast.com.   Check that out while you are on the web!

 

Make it an interesting day. 

 

 

www.wsoae.org.  Washington Square Open Art Exhibit.   What a nice way to spend time in the city.  Lasts through next weekend.  Strolling along University Place (which I LOVE), one can check out all representations of art & meet some great people into the bargain, literally. 

 

On NYU's campus, white tents adorn the sidewalks, east & west.  I particularly like to check out photos, glassware, ceramics & then I always find a surprise.  This is a fun way to pick up some one-of-a-kind holiday gifts, too.  Always one-of-a-kind.  These are artists exhibiting their wares, their talents.  I bought a few gifts from local artists & artists as far away as California.  At this point I will 'tell no tales' of my purchases, for obvious reasons, oh please!

 

I also made a stop at two of my favorite shops on University Place.  #42 U.P. is GIGI*K, Japanese fiberworks.  Always beautiful, always intriguing.  Giving away no clues here.   Well, I might just say one word: Polka Dot (or do they count as two?). 

 

Then lunch carryout at #1 U.P.:  Space Market.  Kiddy-corner to Washington Square, this place reminds me of my favorite market in Grosse Pointe, MI, where I grew up (& actually did a TV show episode): Fresh Farms Market  355 Fisher Rd.  So anyway, at Space Market I bought delicious, fresh carry-outs which I hustled back Uptown for a grand & glorious dinner (left-overs, no less!)!  

 

In Washington Square there are all kinds of music & musicians.  Flute, drums, dancers, even a baby grand piano rolled in for classical music.  It is such a sight - the musicians' collective.   Then I actually saw a man in a band play two horns simultaneously.  Man, this was so cool.  I spoke with him & taped a bit on my phone; now if I could just figure out a way to transmit what I saw & heard.  My bro, Tom, out west (doc by day, audio engineer by night) wants to see this phenomenon.  Rasheed Richard Howard.  Rasheed & the Jazz Collective.   On Youtube, he said.  Also, rasheedjazz@hotmail.com.  There you go, Tom!

 

I love New York.  

 

Post Script.

 

 

This is the PS to the previous blog.  Dig this taxi!   It is located in the surrounds of Grant's Tomb (UWS - RSD @ 122nd St.).  It is my favorite mosaic expression there - maybe because it is simply hilarious!  One can 'sit' in (actually behind) the taxi & wave to the crowd.  How absurd & delightful!  Take a picture.  Be fearless & fareless!. 

While you are cruising the tomb, check out the rest of the City Art creations.   I have sent countless pics to family & friends, everywhere.   I sent pics of the guitars to my brother out west who is mild-mannered doc by day & audio engineer by night (built a complete recording  studio in their geodesic dome - talk about under 'the dome').
 

Flowers & peace sign shots went to my friend, the presbyterian minister who has now seen the entire series of benches for herself & taken her own pictures.   The chess board & kingdom photo went to my son with whom, while in elementary & middle school, I played chess almost every night.   Looking at the scenic kingdom & separate chess table remind me of the 'Dimples Phenomenon', but that's another story.   The robots went to my nephew out west who has a fascination for them & has created his own.   The black kitty went to my daughter who has a cat with the same 'look'.  How did they know?  

Yet still, my favorite is the yellow cab.   Hey Taxi!



Hey Taxi!

 

 

I love taxis.  Anywhere, everywhere.  Conveyance of convenience.  More than just the car, which has several options & is improving (?) all the time, it is the drivers with whom I have a cerebral love affair.  I do! 

 

You want to get the vibes of the city?  Ask Taxi-man.  You want to know what is happening at the opposite end of the city?  Ask Taxi-man.   Which route is better-to-best?  Don't tell the man (or woman - I have met one so far!) his job.   Everytime I thought I knew better I ended up with my shoe in my mouth.  Ook, city shoe in my mouth.   They will sometimes ask you which route you prefer, absolutely.  But more often than not, just sit back & let the man drive, would you, please?   UNLESS... you want a truly great philosophical discussion.   Then speak up.   Now it doesn't happen with every ride but it does happen.  Pay attention.   

 

Dulles to DC.  I made my way to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars for seminars, a couple of times.  In & out the same day, returning to DTW, at that time.   I loved those early morning flights.  Easy.   Grabbing a taxi one of those mornings, I was most fortunate to have a driver who seemed to be engaged with life, his 'transportee' (me) & his city.  He loved DC.  He was working crazy hours to support & to educate his family.  Indian fellow, New Delhi.   He believed America was still the land of 'golden' opportunity for his family AND he knew, or he was convinced, that with a solid work ethic he could bring anything to pass, to fruition.  Three kids, two in college already, one more to go.  He was well-spoken, seemed to be well-educated; yet as with many immigrants whose degrees do not always translate well or proportionately in a new country, he was determined to create & to finance a whole new venture.  Failure was not an option.   You gotta like & respect a guy like this!   We chatted ninety miles an hour, all the way in to town & 1300 Penn Ave.  

 

In New York I have had the same fascinating conversations with many taxi drivers.  Let me tell you: many.  With some I know to 'zip the lip' & not ask questions.  Leave it alone (whatever 'it' is).  However,  it is my nature to ask questions of people. 

 

Einstein: Curiosity has its own reason for existence.

 

Exactly so.  Part of it is from interviewing people on TV for years.  Part of it is because I know there is, many times, a wonderful story just waiting to be told.  Or philosophies to be shared & discussed.  There may be a 'buddha' waiting to inspire me.  Certainly there is always something to learn.  So many times the driver & I have shaken hands at my destination & we have thanked each other for a wonderful few minutes of humanity & humility.   Who could ask for more?   

 

So I say, never assume.  Never.  Be open to the people on the paths you cross.   Listen to them & quite possibly, learn from them.   Just yesterday I hit the jackpot!   Both taxi drivers to & from a location were engaged with life & engaging.  Their 'greys & whites' were alive & sparkling, their synapses were firing & capturing beautifully.   The topics flew:  religion (see, you can talk about it with some people), education, the after-life, the now-life, teaching kids the golden values by example, these were the subjects covered in two taxis in the midst of a heat wave (yes, I suppose we must have covered the weather too, briefly.  Actually I may have mentioned SNOW!).  

 

We covered it all & I feel wiser for it.   Thank you, guys!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cafe Lalo

 

So, Saturday was a busy day.  A good friend in the design world was in town from CT.  We hit the Punk Couture exhibit at the Met Museum - I am a member & hit the joint regularly.

This is an exhibit to be relished; it is truly fascinating.  My advice to anyone planning to see this exhibit is to go online, www.metmuseum.org  to read about what you will see;   this will be time well-spent.   Of course, while you are there, take in a gallery or two & the gift shops - they are a wealth of information unto themselves.   I love that place. 

 

Now, this green fellow above has a lot in common with the designers featured at the Met Museum.  He designs his own home, his own 'couture' wear & offers beauty & pleasure to anyone catching him at work.   His green outfit for the day was a perfect match to his environment.  Besides he is organic!  His head was a shocking, glisteny orange.  Man, this guy knows how to dress!   He was in the wisteria vine along the fence in front of Cafe Lalo.  I am always studying things as I walk & love, particularly, the curling tendrils of this vine.  As I was walking & looking, here was the roly-poly guy doing his thing.  He was a fashionplate! 

 

Speaking of plates...

 

Cafe Lalo is a delightful place.  It looks, from the outside, exactly as it looked in the film, "You've Got Mail" with Ryan & Hanks.  Inside as well, with a little reconfiguration of seating.   Delectable food, pink lemonades, gorgeous desserts.  So fun for visitors & city dwellers alike.   The white fairy lights in the trees add the perfect touch.  I think green-guy agrees.