To think that I saw it on Mulberry Street

The ornamental cherries in Columbus Park are in bloom.

Not one or two stray flowers: branches covered with small white blossoms, on several different trees.

Columbus Park is in Chinatown, where cattitude and I were walking after eating lunch, thinking in terms of buying some roast meat for tonight's dinner. We were at Bayard and Mulberry when I noticed the flowers. We crossed the street, and saw that yes, there really were flowers (not dried-out leaves or an illusion), many of them. Mostly of the cherry trees are protected by fencing or boulders, but Cattitude was able to reach one flowering branch and pull it down enough for me to touch the soft petals.

A few other people were paying attention to the flowers; most of the people in the park were either playing basketball, eating lunch, or standing in a circle around, I assume, some sort of event that we couldn't see.

I'd been thinking of getting tangerine sorbet already, and the cherries decided it. So there I was, in my old down jacket, eating sorbet and thinking about flowers, with my beloved. A few hours earlier, we'd been discussing the last few green leaves on the honey locust trees in Inwood Hill Park, and noticing that the leaves on the jimson weed were showing signs of last night's freeze, the first of the season.

To think that I saw it on Mulberry Street

The ornamental cherries in Columbus Park are in bloom.

Not one or two stray flowers: branches covered with small white blossoms, on several different trees.

Columbus Park is in Chinatown, where cattitude and I were walking after eating lunch, thinking in terms of buying some roast meat for tonight's dinner. We were at Bayard and Mulberry when I noticed the flowers. We crossed the street, and saw that yes, there really were flowers (not dried-out leaves or an illusion), many of them. Mostly of the cherry trees are protected by fencing or boulders, but Cattitude was able to reach one flowering branch and pull it down enough for me to touch the soft petals.

A few other people were paying attention to the flowers; most of the people in the park were either playing basketball, eating lunch, or standing in a circle around, I assume, some sort of event that we couldn't see.

I'd been thinking of getting tangerine sorbet already, and the cherries decided it. So there I was, in my old down jacket, eating sorbet and thinking about flowers, with my beloved. A few hours earlier, we'd been discussing the last few green leaves on the honey locust trees in Inwood Hill Park, and noticing that the leaves on the jimson weed were showing signs of last night's freeze, the first of the season.

Gym

In the course of today's workout, one of the trainers said something like "I see you here a lot, what's your name?" She told me hers is Liliana, and we talked a bit about my workout. She said something about squats, and I mentioned never having done them and asked her what they do (gluteus and abs) and to show me how to do it. Mostly, I found myself using my quadriceps (great big muscles in the front of the thighs: mine get lots of work and hence are all ready to take on a new task rather than leave it to less-exercised muscles) instead. She also showed me some stretches; I told her I'll probably ask for a refresher on all this next week.

There's stuff I do now that works those muscles; from my viewpoint, the advantage of squats is that at the basic level, they need no equipment, so I can do them at home (and while staying with out-of-town friends), as well as at the gym. The same is true of the crunches and yoga "tree", though I don't actually do so very often.

( workout details )

Gym

In the course of today's workout, one of the trainers said something like "I see you here a lot, what's your name?" She told me hers is Liliana, and we talked a bit about my workout. She said something about squats, and I mentioned never having done them and asked her what they do (gluteus and abs) and to show me how to do it. Mostly, I found myself using my quadriceps (great big muscles in the front of the thighs: mine get lots of work and hence are all ready to take on a new task rather than leave it to less-exercised muscles) instead. She also showed me some stretches; I told her I'll probably ask for a refresher on all this next week.

There's stuff I do now that works those muscles; from my viewpoint, the advantage of squats is that at the basic level, they need no equipment, so I can do them at home (and while staying with out-of-town friends), as well as at the gym. The same is true of the crunches and yoga "tree", though I don't actually do so very often.

( workout details )