Week 44
November 8, 2016
Election Day
Midtown
Train In/Out: Fairfield, CT
Miles walked: 7.2
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 with m.Zuiko, 12-40mm PRO
So 52 weeks...let's do this single digit thing. This is #9 left (not that anyone is counting...except me). :)
Today I did my "I make the rules" and went on Tuesday instead of Monday for a couple of reasons. I was in Pennsylvania this past weekend for an Olympus event. I thought I would get home very late on Sunday night so I pre-decided to do a Tuesday 52MM, which happened to coincide with Election Day. And then I was back early on Sunday but I still stuck to my Tuesday plan because it was such an historic Election Day...to say the least.
Onward.
So who did I get to meet afterall??
Matilda. The Algonquin Hotel cat. If you are following 52 Magic Mondays then you know that just a couple of weeks ago I went to this hotel with my friend to see if we could meet Matilda, the "hotel cat".
Once again, Matilda was no where to be seen. I was fine with that. I chatted with Edwin, who was at the desk. I knew from my previous visit that the hotel staff would not 'wake up the cat' because someone wanted to see her. I totally respected that. So I was just casually chatting with Edwin, told him about 52MM and that I would "be back" to see Matilda again.
I had a couple photography friends meeting me in the city and I was going to take a seat in the lobby to wait.
And a few minutes later I heard "Miss...Miss.."" as I was ignorantly scrolling through my iPhone for a minute. I looked up...
Edwin was a brave man and roused the cat to say hello to me. He told me Matilda can have, well, an attitude at times. :)
She was not at all thrilled to meet me.
Clearly she doesn't follow 52 Magic Mondays. ;)
I love her.
This is Matilda's cubicle at the front desk.
So my time with Matilda for 52MM is probably complete. I was so happy to meet her. And Edwin. What a kind soul. I am grateful to Edwin for making a special 52MM moment happen. xo
Election Day. This is Times Square around noon. Everyone prepping for the big coverage.
This is a terrible photo. I do not do well shooting into the sun - and particularly with this lens, which I love, but it really has lens flare issues.
Trump mask. If you didn't notice.
The white iPhone was the asian man's phone. The police officer was helping him use it. #awesome
The guy with the tie and blazer is famous! He is the Australian "Today Show" guy. Karl Stafanovic (Google him). He was cute but I had no idea who he was.
Of course, "coincidentally" (I don't belive in coincidences) an Australian couple next to us recognized him and had their picture taken with him. Then they were walking by us so my friend, Pam, asked who he was. And now we now.
FYI, ALL the news guys you see on TV at coverage like this..they wear a white shirt, tie and blazer..and tight jeans and cool shoes. We saw a bunch of them. It's the uniform. They don't wear "suits". Ha!
She was fabulous, seemed to be live Facebooking or something. And notice her 'medal'. I saw many people with the Marathon Medal today. Congrats to all of you running the New York Marathon! I can lift some weights, but running...I bow down to you all for your miles of running. God did not bless me with that ability.
Because liked it.
Scarf lady.
PAHLEEZE. You really do not have to go to this much effort to make my #PeopleLeavingDrinks page. But well done!
Fading into the light.
Worked for me.
Ahh. Voter Polling Station. I researched and found people could vote at the library on 56th.
Movie playing, a few kids, and adults watching.
I want to see someone in my town at a school or town function wearing these shoes! If I was wearing these, I would be crossing my legs all the time hoping someone would notice! :)
And now the chesnuts are roasting on an open fire...I've been at the 52 Magic Mondays a while. Started with the freezing cold and chestnuts roasting...and now we will slowly end with them.
A castle in the sky I probably won't get invited to. Kinda looks like it was added after the fact but who knows.
Ahhh...so the dump trucks. This was the theme for Election Day. Turns out, they park these trucks filled with sand (or salt/sand, not sure) in front of buildings that are high risk...at least that was my observation.
This building is kitty korner to Trump Tower.
At the block before Trump Tower. No mail for you.
Dump trucks!
His sign says "Hillary cares about black votes not about black people".
The black man holding the selfie stick was in a heated debate with the Trump supporter.
Judgy Megan is going to say she is too young to wear those buttons. Let her observe the world and come to her own conclusions. I don't care who she supports. I think we are all souls with our own thoughts but we are told too young what to think. IMHO
Interesting to observe the Trump supporters totally co-mingled with the haters.
And then there was this little girl. She was from New Zealand! With her "Mom" in the boots. Interesting to take a moment to look at the world from her perspective. What her worries are for the day. Mostly to be loved and cared for. xo
I include this for two reasons:
1) I love the new TV show "This Is Us" (and I don't watch much TV)
2) THIS IS US. Right here on 5th Avenue, right?
Very cool.
This guy.
And this guy. PLEASE, if someone reading 52MM can tell me why this guy had a, big blanket?, tied around his waist I would love to know.
Trump Tower is a block or so from Central Park, another destination for the day. Thought I would visit Emil, my flag man friend I met on Week 6 of 52 Magic Mondays and who I have visited a number of times throughout the journey. If you follow along you will probably remember him.
So there was all his stuff setup in a slightly different area at the entrance to the park, but clearly no Emil.
He had buttons for sale. I stole a few.
Just kidding, Emil.
Central Park. Needed to vacuum off the top of that pond to get a better pic!
I remember this story. A 17 year old boy lost his leg in Central Park in a bizzare explosion at the south west corner of Central Park. Horrible.
A talent I SO DO NOT HAVE. I cannot draw a stick figure. Maybe he can't take a good photo?
The Plaza Hotel...shortly you will see a similar picture at night below.
So we made our way to the Javitz Center where Hillary was having her event on Election Night. By this time we were tired and things were super blocked off. Seemed like in the distance (near the blue "H" sign) there was more going on, but it was hard to get to and we needed to grab some dinner and head back up to Columbus Circle for night photography as part of our plan for the day.
Again, I love that animals share the planet but don't give a $sh!t about politics!
So we now all know that didn't happen.
I walked by this place one other time on 52 MM. This time I went in for dinner. Vegetarian Chili. OMG, THE BEST!!
Yeah, I took the pic to document the election on the news. But more importantly...this place had Pumpkin Cheesecake and I did not get a slice. #fail
My friend, Pam, on the right. Our waitress on the left. They totally differed on opinion with the election. Fun to watch the discussion. A very awake waitress IMHO.
I can't help but to think of Elaine from Seinfeld when she accidentally ripped off a Ziggy cartoon and submitted it to the New Yorker on an episode of Seinfeld. Good stuff.
Election Night!
Yeah, so that happened during 52 Magic Mondays.
Night at Columbus Circle.
Perhaps the favorite of the day.
Central Park, The Plaza reflecting and a very cool moon.
And that's a wrap on the most volatile political year we've had in quite a while.
Until the next Magic Monday!!
xo,
~MC
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