at the us open last night. our "ticketed" seats were way up there where the air is clear and you get a little dizzy. (i'm not kidding. we were in row Z.) but even from "the Zs," the view of the court is great. the jumbo-trons, help add an up-close-and-personal touch. heck, i was just so excited to be there, on a night when nadal was playing, it didn't matter where i sat. but thanks to a rain delay, and to the many folks who were too tuckered to brave it, everyone was invited to move down, and fill in the prime courtside seats, to enjoy what would be the third and final set. it resulted in the biggest game of musical chairs you can imagine. people pushed and scampered between points, games, hopping from one seat to a closer one. we got pretty lucky. we were behind and to the side of the service line, right above the player's entrance to the court!
my photos aren't great (i wish i'd brought my "real" camera) but these will serve as a nice memento of how near to nadal i had the chance to be...
one of my favorite films of all time is mildred pierce. there are so many things to appreciate about it, the performances by ann blyth and joan crawford, the cinematography... the plot twists...but what stands out for me is how evocative it is of los angeles in the 30s and 40s. it's like time travel. or a visual american cultural history book. a highly romanticized book, of course! it's dreamy. the drive-in is one of my favorite things in the film...
the save the derby website also offers a glimpse into the work of wayne mcallister, the consulting architect...hopefully, they'll be able to provide some information on the architect of roland h. crawford, since a quick and dirty google search doesn't offer much. the message board has a few neat photos.
i love caviar. love love love it. but it's dear, and therefore a rare indulgence in my life. usually, i'll get my fix from crisp, salty bubbles of ikura from my favorite local sushi place, sakura hana. a few years ago, while on a lean budget, i decided to splurge on lunch at the grand central oyster bar. i ordered a caviar sandwich. black, russian caviar between 2 slices of toast--simple, salty, and special. sitting alone that afternoon, with the restaurant nearly desolate after the lunchtime crowd had sallied forth into the midtown madness, i was in my own private heaven.
this morning, i took a quick stroll around the corner to russ and daughters for some caviar cream cheese. yes, that's right, caviar cream cheese. purists might be appalled, but it's really a terrific blend of cream cheese, scallion, and a touch of caviar. it's milder than a lox spread, just a whiff of the sea on your tongue. i basically made the "poor man's" replication of the caviar sandwich, and it was darn good!
