I noted as I surveyed the car that 11 out of 12 were wearing black, at least three people reading paperbacks and the rest were thumbing away and toying with their phones. All the nifty tricks technology can offer, books online in this case, impress me but I'll have none of that. Maybe I'm becoming a little old lady petrifying into a party-pooper of modern technology. I just can't see myself staring at the screen for hours on, reading Wuthering Heights. I can't even see for crying out loud.
Technology is creeping into our lives at an accelerated pace, we can complain all we want but it's here to stay. After working in the industry that put plenty of food on my table, I'm sounding like a thankless twit, don't I? I'm not, it's just that when it comes to decisions on purchasing new gadgets I can be my worst enemy and here's one to prove it and annoy all you techies out there! Let me digress.
Tippy tap. Save. Tippy tippy tap. Save. Tippy.....Poof!
And then it dies. For some time now, I'd be clicking and typing away on a wing and a prayer. Until my laptop finally went to rest. After living past its life span with almost 8 years of hard labor it had every right to do so. Trouble is I procrastinated. I'm pleased with Windows XP, I tried to hang on to that for as long as I could. Whenever friends talk about their new computers equipped with Vista I just nod. That was a deal breaker. I figured I'd wait until the kinks are no more or maybe I was just biding my time something I do a lot of.
Finally, I got the new toy with Windows 7 without the demands for hardware upgrade that Vista requires or so they claim. Let the doomsayers say that 7 is just a spin on Vista but hey, I thought long and hard about this, and I'm keepin' it. At least now the family won't think I'm such an old fossil. So let's blog away.
Anyway, back to my story. Despite all the distractions, I got to the city in time for the concert and reception at the David Rubenstein Atrium at the Lincoln Center campus. Touting its greenness, it features two 21-foot tall vertical gardens lush with living plants. That's neat but let's see how they maintain that. A huge media wall also displays LC performance information for the day. Cool.
Like most of my endless forays into Manhattan, I always meet some interesting people. This time, it's Carol, a native of Hawaii who is here on a parent day visit with her son studying vocal music at NYU. She's quite excited about his recital this weekend.
We were later joined at the table by Julia a retired teacher, an avid jazz fan and a member of the Duke Ellington Society. Together with her daughter Nina and grandaughter Sophie we enjoyed the program while partaking of some light snacks served by 'wichcraft. Young Sophie entertained herself by alternately dancing to the music and doodling away. If anyone knew how to appreciate good sounds, these folks did.
The Asphalt Orchestra entertained us with an eclectic collection of part parade and part halftime music. I couldn't figure out what to call them, a marching band of sorts which reminds me of Seventy Six Trombones. It was a refreshing change with this mix of young musicians so down to earth with their jeans and shirt/shorts garbs parading around us, banging away and having a good time. They were followed by the Juilliard Jazz Ensemble a group of students from the Juilliard School with their brilliant rendition of some of John Coltrane's music. It doesn't get any better than that and what a way to relax and decompress. It was also wonderful to have met Carol and Julia and of course cute Sophie and Nina.
By the way, I'm not going to dump my old notebook or "unfriend" my old friends after I befriended new ones. Old is good but they don't make those kind anymore, they're the best.
