well CE needs to adjust his line of sight. Rather than looking down at the shmutz lining the streets, CE needs to see the beauty and the qualities that makes NYC the beacon of hope that it is. Is there another city that offers the possibilities that New York offers? What I should have learned yesterday is not that I was exploring a city where people don’t care but that I was exploring a city that gives hope and light to the world.
The streets of New York
It is rare that CE spends non working time in NYC. Today CE was asked to assist Mrs. CE with a few grand parenting duties. So between giving baby CE a bottle and making two coffee runs there was an unusual amount of downtime to explore the city. Much to my regret the city seems to have regressed, the streets, corners and curbs were practically filling up with garbage before my eyes.
Is this phenomenon of mindlessly discarding garbage a simple lack of respect for others? Is it due to a lack of community and no sense of civic responsibility? Are those who are inclined to litter residents of the area or are they simply passing through and don’t give a damn? Where is the anti littering campaign of my youth? Would no littering signs make a difference? Does anyone care?
You can now judge a book by its cover
it’s official, In a matter of a few years paper books will no longer be available for reading.
Physical books will be represented in various art forms as exhibited recently in Lennox Massachusetts
The library room is for contemplation and reflection the books are there to give an ambience not for reading
CE rememberers with fondness the feel of actual books, flipping through the pages and then back again. Using actual bookmarks or just folding over the corner of the page.
Those days are disappearing
Faux wall capital One bank 56th and Broadway NYC
Chiao books.
Manners
Where have all the manners gone, long time passing? Where have all the thank you sir or ma’ams gone long time ago? where has our civility gone it’s gone to a world that I’m not on. Oh when will we ever learn oh when will we learn again?
“Please have a seat the doctor will be right in”
How many times have those meaningless words been said? CE has heard them too many times to count.
The process typically begins with a nurse that ushers you into one of the examining rooms to take basic complaints and vitals. And then you are left sitting on the uncomfortable examination table for up to an hour.
Complaining about this is comparable to honking your horn in bumper to bumper traffic. it doesn’t get you anywhere faster but it gets it out of your system.
cheers!
See, I feel better already.
CE
Mail box post script
Well CE was hoping to insert a video but sadly I have no clue how so we will have to wait a few years until CE learns which buttons to push.
Another sign of the apocalypse
Once upon a time in a land far away before CE existed, you could go to a mailbox with a bunch of envelopes and letters and small packages and put them in the mailbox with ease. But lo have the times changed.
Ryder Cup
The entire CE family from our eldest at 92 to our youngest at 9 weeks wishes Tiger Woods and Team USA a successful trip across the pond.
The 42nd Ryder Cup Matches will be held in France from 28–30 September 2018 on the Albatros Course of Le Golf National in Guyancourt, a suburb southwest of Paris. It will be the second Ryder Cup to be held in Continental Europe, after the 1997 contest, which was held in Spain.Wikipedia
No room at the Inn. The Labor Day weekend misadventures of CE and family
Hello
As per our conversation earlier today you have asked me to recount the misadventure that we suffered at your hotel last evening that lasted into the wee hours of this morning. Our first indication that things were not quite what they should be was when we inquired of your staff if it would be possible to get a dehumidifier or air purifier because as soon as I walked into the room my allergies erupted.
We were advised by Maura that no such equipment existed on the premises. And to the question of switching rooms to perhaps a less musty room we were told that no rooms were available both of these statements were later in the evening discredited.
At 11:30 PM we arrived back to the hotel with our group to discover to our dismay that our daughter and her cousins room could not be accessed with their room key. after determining that there was a larger issue Maura called in the maintenance supervisor. Maura told our daughter and her cousin to have a seat in the lobby and wait there because once again she advised that there were no other rooms available. After waiting for over an hour Maura remembered that there was indeed an available room that the girls could move into because the maintenance supervisor ( who was a gentleman)was unable to access the door. When we asked Maura what the girls should do for sundries and clothing Maura suggested at 1:00 in the morning that they go to Rite Aid which is open 24 hours we asked Maura to find out if Riteaide would have the necessary supplies and clothing and we asked how she thought the kids should get there at one in the morning. Maura was not at all helpful with this and was actually rude and insolent. although her co worker Audrey made an unsuccessful attempt to call over to Riteaide.
During the course of my conversation with Maura she informed me that I was harassing her and that she would call the police and demanded that I leave the lobby. my wife was on the phone with me as I was speaking to Maura and she placed an initial call over to the police and we explained the situation to them.
Within five minutes six police cars arrived at the hotel entrance way and several officers spoke to my wife and me while several other officers spoke to your staff. as they left your hotel the police expressed to us that they believed that the hotel should have done right by us and should never have escalated this situation and clearly we were due a standard of care higher than what was being delivered by your staff.
Also, on her way back into the hotel, when my wife stopped to ask Maura for her name she refused to give it to her and told her to leave the lobby because, she said, my wife was creating a disturbance. What an interesting and bizarre statement by Maura; it was by that time 1:30 am and we were the only people In the lobby.
Go figure.
A voice of reason in a sea of confusion
The photo is out of focus but the message is spot on.
Say it ain’t so Joe.
Contact Us
CE is pleased to announce the creation of an email account. You can contact us at Caveatemptor@outlook.com. Although chances are due to CE’s advanced age that if you email us we will not be able to locate your email.
As always, caveatemptorbuyerbeware
The dumbing down of America
sign at Pottery Barn. Shoppers must be entering via the windows.
More signs. Do this don’t do that can’t you read the signs?
CE and Mrs. CE were stuck (as usual ) on the Cross Bronx Expressway today. We decided to call 311 and ask if anyone in the city cared about the problem of trucks traveling in the left lane? The 311 operator politely asked, “what do you mean” to which CE replied; “well the sign doesn’t say you need a membership card to drive in the left lane, but the sign does say “ no trucks no buses and no trailers in the left lane” after several moments of silence, the 311 operator said “ what do you want me to do about that?” Well I suppose as the song lyrics go, the only thing we can do is “ get me a pen and a paper and I will make up my own little sign” The nice 311 operator was not convinced that my sign would be an improvement so he suggested that I leave a comment for the Mayor.
To be continued.
Signs signs everywhere the signs
if a picture tells a thousand words what message are these pictures sending?
Handle with care does not mean try to break.
CE is a huge fan of our postal delivery service. Books about the Pony Express were among my favorites as a kid. Today however our local postal delivery person must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. At approximately 3:00pm this afternoon (captured on camera) a box marked fragile was thrown to the ground by our front door. As CE’s father would say, “I’m surrounded”.
Don’t put your poop in my backyard
sorry this is a repeat but it is an ongoing problem
Clearly seeing is not always believing
Mrs. CE wanted to make a stop to pick up her glasses at our favourite glasses store so we checked the website which clearly states that closing time on Saturday is 4:30. Not do fast, we arrived to learn that they close at 3:30pm.
Moral of the story is don’t believe everything you read on the web.
As ususual, caveatemptorbuyerbeware
Emergency Room
Unfortunately CE spent the better part of the weekend visiting a loved one at the emergency room. Thankfully the doctors nurses and staff at The ER were amazing and everything will be ok.
One rather bizarre almost mind numbing takeaway is that the vending machines in the ER waiting room are stocked with unhealthy drinks and snacks. Might this be a way for the hospital to drum up business? Shouldn’t the hospital be the last place to find sugary fat laden food?
As always caveatemptorbuyerbeware
anyone want a piece of that kit cat bar?
oh I get it “a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down”.
“Facebook is therefore I am”
why do adults insist upon posting their lives to social media. Why does CE get the impression (false or true) that most people who are active on Facebook lead unbelievably wonderful lives. Isn’t Facebook presenting a shallow narrow narcissistic view of the world?
there are exceptions of course, check out beautifulself.org to see what happens in the “real world”.
so what are the rest of us doing Tikkun Okam ( to repair the world )?
Help I need a doctor
sorry but the doctor just told us that he won’t be in on August 3rd. What? I’ve waited two months for the appointment. And I scheduled my vacation around the appointment. Well I am sorry the next available date we have is September 21st
CE will keep you posted.
Caveatemptorbuyerbeware.