new year's eve day

 unfortunately, greg and i spent the day with pluto at the doctor's office . . 

 he began vomiting on sunday and then finally stopped yesterday, but he wasn't interested in eating this morning, so i knew something was wrong.

 waiting for pluto to come back from having his stomach x-rayed at our local doctor . .

what a cute picture!

 our vet's conclusion from the x-ray was that there was an obstruction in the stomach and that we should have an ultrasound at the animal medical center on the east side . . so we drove in our car with chanda and emily to 62nd street and york avenue.

 passing the brooklyn and manhattan bridges . . 

 

here we're waiting for the ultrasound test. the woman sitting with her boston terrier (whose name was jelly roll) was in with her guide dog (whose name was jojo and who was lying on the floor) who had eaten something "rubbery;" the doctor who pulled the something out wasn't sure exactly what it was! the poor dog had been sedated and was not in good condition and the woman was not able to leave. after about another hour, when the dog seemed more capable of walking, a technician aide came to help the woman into a cab so she could go home.

 

 eating my deliciously ella energy ball morgan had brought back from london for me, while waiting to be called for the ultrasound test.

 now we're waiting for the ultrasound results . . i actually really enjoy being at the animal medical center. it's a very high energy place with animals coming in from all over the city. there is a constant activity of technicians and doctors coming out to talk with pet owners, aides coming out to wipe up messes, administrative assistants calling out to owners to come to the desk to sign papers and pay bills, and a myriad of different animals in carriers with their owners. we saw cats, dogs, bunnies and birds while we were there. they also still had us in the system from when we visited with our bulldog louise in the 90's, and with jack in the early 2000's. our current vet who recommended we bring pluto, did his internship here.

when the ultrasound results came back, the conclusion was that there was an obstruction and that they would first go in via the esophagus with a camera and try to pull it out from the stomach. if anything had been in the intestines, he would have needed surgery. i went out for soup and a tea at this point, to corrado bakery (one of our favorite places from when the young ones did patrelle nutcracker) and on my way back i heard that he was already out from the procedure.

 so! what was in pluto's stomach causing all the trouble? a long, braided shoelace! with plastic tips! (chanda is trying to process this information!)

 he's finally back out and we're waiting for greg to bring the car around . . 

 it was actually a sweatshirt lace; a very long sweatshirt lace! which had been (supposedly!) on chanda's dresser, but instead was in his belly!

 waiting outside the animal medical center for our ride home.

 passing the brooklyn bridge on the fdr drive . . (and passing korrina's restaurant where she was at work).

 and back on the west side . .

 i kept korrina updated on the events and she sent me a little clip of her evening preparations with her co-workers.

 now we're home and everyone is having a bite to eat before going out to their new year's eve parties, except for greg and i. we plan to stay at home with pluto who is acting like a nut! i've fed him three times already, and he would like more. i don't understand how he can eat so much after such a procedure. wouldn't his esophagus be sore? his stomach? this is how i knew he wasn't well this morning, because he's prancing around now, so happy!

ice skating, pooh bear and a vintage subway train

 i and morgan were up early to meet our friends and go ice skating at bryant park. greg joined us to see the holiday decorations and to have a cup of coffee at the new whole foods on sixth avenue, which he hadn't been in yet.

 we were surprised at the number of tourists already out and waiting to rent skates at the rink.

 it was a typical grey december day . . but not cold at all.

you can see morgana skating here, in a gold scarf . .

my friend olga is in a red coat and i'm just to her left . .

 
 whenever i skate, i whisper a big thank you to my mom and dad who purchased my ice skates years ago when the girls were little. we visited a special skate store at an ice rink on long island to get them. i chose the more expensive pair, and i'm so glad i did, for these skates are still very comfortable (and i've probably had them for almost twenty years now).

looking south, past 40th street, to the empire state building on 34th.

 afterwards, we went to maison kayser on 40th street for a hot chocolate . . greg joined us also, and shared a lemon tart with me.

 we then visited the library, hoping to see the rose room, but that part of the building didn't open until 1 pm, and it was only noon.

 instead we saw the original winnie the pooh and friends, on display in the children's library of the main branch. they had been absent for a few years, undergoing a textile renovation and were reinstated in 2016. (nyc has had them since 1987. they used to be exhibited at the donnell library on 53rd street and when that branch closed for renovation, they were moved to 42nd street.)

 greg and i parted ways here with morgana and our friends (each going to their respective homes).

 and we walked to rockefeller center to see the christmas tree. it was nicer this year as they closed off two side streets, allowing more room for the crowds of people that visit.

this year, the tree is a norway spruce, 77 feet tall, and hails from florida, new york.

it has a special story which you can learn about here, on the today show;

and you can see the tree rolling into rockefeller center on a big truck here.

 we then walked through 30 rockefeller plaza . .

adorned with the american progress mural by catalan artist josep maria sert, which wraps around the lobby . .

 and through the concourse to sixth avenue and radio city music hall . . 

 to the time and life building where greg worked for over twenty years. time moved downtown where rent was cheaper about 2014 or so.

 much of rockefeller center is landmarked, including this pavement . . 

 and the lobby of the time life building (home to several murals by artists fritz glarner and josef albers). the entire building itself has been under renovation for the past two years. i'm not sure who the current tenants are, or who will occupy it once the construction is done.

on our way to the train, we passed by the giant christmas ornament display at 1251 sixth avenue,

 and once down in the subway we were surprised when a vintage train pulled into the station!

 every sunday between thanksgiving and new year's the transit museum ran their 1930's vintage trains along select lines. this year it was the f, d and a lines.

 the cars were incredibly crowded with tourists, local people on their everyday way, and vintage fans, dressed in 1930's clothes celebrating the season.

 

 

you can see a few people dressed in 1930's garb in the window on the left in this video.

i remember my friend joanna posting a ride on the vintage trains last year on her facebook page. i'm not sure if she took a ride this year . . i was certainly excited to suddenly be on an old train, as were most of the people i saw today.

 back in the neighborhood again . . 

sixth avenue with the freedom tower in the distance.