Endless Fun
‘Life in us is like the water in the river. It may rise this year higher than man has ever known it...’--Henry David Thoreau, WALDEN
Our New York City trip was spectacular. We managed to do so much in a matter of days. On April 4th we arrived (me, Alan, Gloria, Lauren and Carrie). Alan is so good at hailing a taxicab.
I love the scenes in and around New York City. Ther is always something new to see each time you visit. I like the sounds and looks of water fountains.
We went to visit Alan’s cousin, Bobbi Rosenzweig-Shmaruk in Ft. Lee, New Jersey. She was so welcoming, and we took a few group photos in her apartment.
While walking in around the Soho (South of Houston) district we came across a vendor who was selling scripts. I noticed the GLORIA script from the 1980 film written by John Cassavetes. I had Gloria hold it up and snapped a pic of her with it for memory’s sake. The Soho shops are fun to walk by, drop in or just peek at their dressed-up windows.
We also met up with Gloria’s stepdaughter, Candice and her husband, Tony Sabatini, while in Lower Manhattan. Tony and Candice walked with us up to Union Square. I took a few pictures there, too.
On April 5th I saw cool looking townhomes on the Upper East Side. I just love them. We also went to the MET MUSEUM where we saw beautiful diamonds on display. The hustle and bustle of cars and taxis and the ever-changing billboards are hard to miss. I took photos of my favorites.
We also took the Staten Island Ferry and visited Bob and Joanne Feinman. Lauren got to see their son (her former prom date), Craig. It was fun to visit them and get a look at the Staten Island life. I prefer Manhattan.
And so, we returned to Manhattan, walking down Fifth Avenue and the Bell Atlantic phone booths with the advertisements were too good to pass up; whereby, I ordered Alan to pretend he was on a phone call. Another good photo for the memory books.
We went shopping here and there. We took the subway. We had dinner. It’s endless fun.
On April 7th we went to the Corinthian Building at 330 East 38th Street to see Alan’s other cousin (and Bobbi’s brother), Elliot Rosenzweig, and his wife Annemarie Veronica Burton-Rosenzweig. Annemarie is from Hungary. She married Elliot in 1993. Elliot’s first wife, Alice Ferber-Rosenzweig had passed away many years before.
Annemarie and Elliot were also quite kind. Annemarie dotes on her little puppy as if it is really her baby. They have another dog that isn’t as cute looking.
Springtime is beautiful in New York when you see the tulips on Park Avenue and other flowers in Central Park or wherever. I like the colors.
I even like ‘bebe’ advertisements that I see or PERRY ELLIS ads on billboards. They’re so larger-than-life. There was a cool JOCKEY underwear ad that I liked. I know that it will be long gone one day, and I’ll always have the memory of it from my photo. It looked like such a fun photoshoot for the models.
One of my favorite things to do is photograph Alan amidst a bunch of other New Yorkers. The photography becomes a sort of ‘Find Waldo’ photo but of course in this case it’s ‘Find Alan’.
Carrie and Lauren were having a great time, bonding and laughing with their grandmother, Gloria, all over NYC. Gloria had so many NYC stories from when she lived in The Bronx. I still wish to visit The Bronx, but people say you must go during the day because it’s dangerous at night.
We eventually pooped out and it was time to sleep!
On April 8th we went to Fifth Avenue where Alan’s first cousin, Ilene Rosenzweig-Kaplan, lived with her husband, Donald. They had a co-op apartment. A co-op is not an easy apartment to purchase. The buyer must be approved by the Homeowner’s Board. It was worth it for Ilene and Donald to acquire this place because it had an amazing view of Central Park, right across the street. One of their neighbors is the actor, Charles Grodin. I loved him in the 1973 movie called THE HEARTBREAK KID (and actress, Cybill Shepherd, was gorgeous in the film while actress, Jeannie Berlin, was hilarious). Ilene, of course, is the sister to Elliot and Bobbi who we’d seen only days before. Don and Ilene’s son, Jared, was at the co-op apartment. And Craig Feinman, Lauren’s pal, met up with us and joined in for our get-together.
A “For a Special Cousin” Card was sent to me by my Cousin Marie Antoinette in Pueblo, CO. It was a simple handwritten gesture but it still means the world to me that she took the time to do it. My niece, Leigh E Armijo, did the same with a thoughtful card.
We did more of a walkabout the next day and I loved this billboard ad for OREO Cookies. I thought it was so clever.
I managed to photograph Alan and another Bell Atlantic phone booth with the Broadway ad for the musical adventure, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL.
All things must end, but the adventure remains in our minds for a very long time. I’m sure Lauren and Carrie were exhausted. I couldn’t get enough. I think I could live in NYC full-time quite easily.
I had a couple of cool letters waiting for me in Los Angeles from my cousin, Marie-Antoinette and niece, Leigh Armijo.
April 12, 1998 Dearest Cousin, Wishing you a wonderful Easter...
Please forgive me for not writing but I’ve been so overwhelmed with various things. Well, you’ve got to admit that I did become a nuisance for a little while there. Now I’m back. Tee-Hee!
I hope you have a wonderful Easter, so I’ve sent you a small sample of goodies. God Bless you and Take Care.
Love Always, Marie Antoinette & Family
April 13, 1998
Dear Uncle Mike,
I wanted to Thank You for the Barbie, you gave me for my Birthday (March 29th). I also wanted to Thank You for the two beanie babies you gave Lauren and I. Valentino and the other bears are hard to get. A lot of places are selling VALENTINO for $35. Other beanie babies are $5, $5.50 or $6 usually—unless they are hard to get. Then they cost more. I am also using the stationery you gave me for Christmas.
Love,
Leigh
Now I’m back to my old grind. It’s my usual Monday through Friday work grind. Yet, I still can mark my calendar for the next adventure. I must always have something new to be excited about.
“Ah! There are duties to society that one cannot avoid.” --Maurice LeBlanc, GENTLEMAN BURGLAR, The Escape of Arsene Lupin Chapter
