New York Stories for Mimi!

[Guest guest]

> Yes, you can...as a native New Yorker..it's when

> people say stuff about NYC and they've never been

> here..that annoys me..LOL!

Uh-oh, I seem to have insulted you, Mimi. Hmm. I lived in the Bronx for

seven years. Does that give me the right to say things about NYC (and I

enjoyed living there very much by the way, but the sidewalks WERE dirty).

>

> What rats..?

>

Well, I used to see them in the Bronx! Maybe Manhattan doesn't have any...

> > > NYC is not dirty..it's the people who are slobs

> > and

> > > have no consideration for others that make it and

> > any

> > > other place dirty!

Yes, and there are millions of those people without consideration messing up

NYC.

Here are a few Enrique in NYC stories for you.

1. When Enrique was two, we were waiting at a bus stop on the Upper West

Side. Enrique looked around at the people waiting with us and said, " Can't

we catch a cab? " Such a little New Yorker.

2. When Enrique was just toddling, Lou thought it would be really nice to

take Enrique to the New York Botanical Garden so that Enrique could run

freely in all the beautiful grass. He arrived at the Garden and went on to

one of the lawns that stretch out before the main building and he placed

Enrique right in the middle of it. Enrique was TERRIFIED! He was afraid of

all that grass! He didn't move. Lou had coax and coax him before he would

venture a step. Now that's a city baby! It's also probably an AS baby, but

we didn't know that then!

3. Enrique at three arrives home with me from visiting my parents in a

small university town in Ohio (Oxford, for those who care). We are walking

to the store together and he is looking at the trash blowing along. " New

York, City of Garbage, " he announces happily. He is glad to be home.

4. I am riding a subway through the South Bronx with a just-talking

Enrique. There is a subway preacher of some sort, shouting at us all and

telling us we will go to hell. " You're all going to DIE! " the man shouted.

It was making me rather nervous. Enrique piped up, " DIE! " in a happy voice.

The man turned and focused on him, " Yes, " he shouted, " DIE! Even the

smallest of you. " " DIE! " shouts back Enrique, and they continue this

pleasant dialogue for some time, while I think nervously, " Uh-oh, I hope he

doesn't plan to speed us on our way to death... "

5. I am riding the subway with two year old Enrique and baby ,

just three months old. We are again riding through the South Bronx.

starts to cry because he wants to nurse and I am too nervous to

nurse him on the subway (also, likes to lie down to nurse and I am

really not going there...) He disturbs a unkempt man sleeping on the subway

who sits up and begins to shout at me to shut the baby up. I am terrified

and then delighted when the whole car turns against the man, yelling at him

and telling him to leave me alone. One woman delights me by saying to him,

" I remember you from high school. You weren't worth nothin' then and you

ain't worth nothin' now. "

6. When we first moved to the Bronx, I was terrified to go to the park

across the street from us. I could see teenaged boys hanging out there and

they looked dangerous to me. It took me TWO YEARS to venture into that park

because of those teenaged boys and when I finally got there, I found that

those boys were, for the most part, doing dangerous things like playing

basketball and tennis and swimming and playing volleyball and, um, well, it

occurred to me at that point that maybe that was what the park was designed

for? Oh, well, I enjoyed the park very much for the next five years.

7. We lived a ten minute bus ride from Orchard Beach and I used to go there

a lot with Enrique and . One day, I was there with a friend and

her young son, when we heard gunshots. No one on the beach reacted at all,

and no one seemed to say anything, but slowly, gradually, almost

imperceptibly, over the next ten or fifteen minutes, the beach emptied. No

one hurried, and no one seemed anxious at all. It was as if everyone

suddenly remembered that it was time to go.

As I suppose it was! I certainly left.

Hope you enjoyed my little stories.

Salli

[Guest guest]

wow! Just wow! I am definitely a country mouse through and through. I think I

would have a nervous breakdown in the city!

CHRIS

New York Stories for Mimi!

> Yes, you can...as a native New Yorker..it's when

> people say stuff about NYC and they've never been

> here..that annoys me..LOL!

Uh-oh, I seem to have insulted you, Mimi. Hmm. I lived in the Bronx for

seven years. Does that give me the right to say things about NYC (and I

enjoyed living there very much by the way, but the sidewalks WERE dirty).

>

> What rats..?

>

Well, I used to see them in the Bronx! Maybe Manhattan doesn't have any...

> > > NYC is not dirty..it's the people who are slobs

> > and

> > > have no consideration for others that make it and

> > any

> > > other place dirty!

Yes, and there are millions of those people without consideration messing up

NYC.

Here are a few Enrique in NYC stories for you.

1. When Enrique was two, we were waiting at a bus stop on the Upper West

Side. Enrique looked around at the people waiting with us and said, " Can't

we catch a cab? " Such a little New Yorker.

2. When Enrique was just toddling, Lou thought it would be really nice to

take Enrique to the New York Botanical Garden so that Enrique could run

freely in all the beautiful grass. He arrived at the Garden and went on to

one of the lawns that stretch out before the main building and he placed

Enrique right in the middle of it. Enrique was TERRIFIED! He was afraid of

all that grass! He didn't move. Lou had coax and coax him before he would

venture a step. Now that's a city baby! It's also probably an AS baby, but

we didn't know that then!

3. Enrique at three arrives home with me from visiting my parents in a

small university town in Ohio (Oxford, for those who care). We are walking

to the store together and he is looking at the trash blowing along. " New

York, City of Garbage, " he announces happily. He is glad to be home.

4. I am riding a subway through the South Bronx with a just-talking

Enrique. There is a subway preacher of some sort, shouting at us all and

telling us we will go to hell. " You're all going to DIE! " the man shouted.

It was making me rather nervous. Enrique piped up, " DIE! " in a happy voice.

The man turned and focused on him, " Yes, " he shouted, " DIE! Even the

smallest of you. " " DIE! " shouts back Enrique, and they continue this

pleasant dialogue for some time, while I think nervously, " Uh-oh, I hope he

doesn't plan to speed us on our way to death... "

5. I am riding the subway with two year old Enrique and baby ,

just three months old. We are again riding through the South Bronx.

starts to cry because he wants to nurse and I am too nervous to

nurse him on the subway (also, likes to lie down to nurse and I am

really not going there...) He disturbs a unkempt man sleeping on the subway

who sits up and begins to shout at me to shut the baby up. I am terrified

and then delighted when the whole car turns against the man, yelling at him

and telling him to leave me alone. One woman delights me by saying to him,

" I remember you from high school. You weren't worth nothin' then and you

ain't worth nothin' now. "

6. When we first moved to the Bronx, I was terrified to go to the park

across the street from us. I could see teenaged boys hanging out there and

they looked dangerous to me. It took me TWO YEARS to venture into that park

because of those teenaged boys and when I finally got there, I found that

those boys were, for the most part, doing dangerous things like playing

basketball and tennis and swimming and playing volleyball and, um, well, it

occurred to me at that point that maybe that was what the park was designed

for? Oh, well, I enjoyed the park very much for the next five years.

7. We lived a ten minute bus ride from Orchard Beach and I used to go there

a lot with Enrique and . One day, I was there with a friend and

her young son, when we heard gunshots. No one on the beach reacted at all,

and no one seemed to say anything, but slowly, gradually, almost

imperceptibly, over the next ten or fifteen minutes, the beach emptied. No

one hurried, and no one seemed anxious at all. It was as if everyone

suddenly remembered that it was time to go.

As I suppose it was! I certainly left.

Hope you enjoyed my little stories.

Salli

[Guest guest]

> 7. We lived a ten minute bus ride from Orchard Beach and I used to go

there

> a lot with Enrique and . One day, I was there with a friend and

> her young son, when we heard gunshots. No one on the beach reacted at

all,

> and no one seemed to say anything, but slowly, gradually, almost

> imperceptibly, over the next ten or fifteen minutes, the beach emptied.

No

> one hurried, and no one seemed anxious at all. It was as if everyone

> suddenly remembered that it was time to go.

Hey - that is Los Angeles, too!

We'd be drinking at a bar, hear gunshots outside, and I used to say, " Gawd,

will someone go out there and shut them up??? I can't hear anything in

here! "

LOL - still amazed I lived through those years without being slaughtered...

Grace

[Guest guest]

Yes living in the Bronx counts..LOL!

Oh, Salli, I love those stories! You didn't insult

me..I was kidding when I said there were no rats in

Manhattan..unfortunately, there are always a few of

the little critters scampering around on the train

tracks..down in the subway.

Wow, you lived in the Bronx..what area did you live

in..alot of my work friends grew up there. Although

they moved to Woodlawn, my friend and would to

go down to Fordham Road to shop all the time..and to

Orchard Beach!

My mom was born and raised and lived all her life

right here in Westbury, Long Island. My dad's family

was from Coney Island..in Brooklyn..and my mom hated

going there..she thought it was dirty, the houses were

too close together..my dad loved the place.

Before we all had kids, and I, and my brother

and his wife took my mom to a few Yankee games..she

was a nervous wreck, walking around..looking with

distaste at the dirty sidewalks..etc.

To me, even with the dirt and rats..NYC is beautiful!

Mimi

--- bunnytiner wrote:

>

> > Yes, you can...as a native New Yorker..it's when

> > people say stuff about NYC and they've never been

> > here..that annoys me..LOL!

>

> Uh-oh, I seem to have insulted you, Mimi. Hmm. I

> lived in the Bronx for

> seven years. Does that give me the right to say

> things about NYC (and I

> enjoyed living there very much by the way, but the

> sidewalks WERE dirty).

> >

> > What rats..?

> >

> Well, I used to see them in the Bronx! Maybe

> Manhattan doesn't have any...

>

>

> > > > NYC is not dirty..it's the people who are

> slobs

> > > and

> > > > have no consideration for others that make it

> and

> > > any

> > > > other place dirty!

>

> Yes, and there are millions of those people without

> consideration messing up

> NYC.

>

>

> Here are a few Enrique in NYC stories for you.

>

> 1. When Enrique was two, we were waiting at a bus

> stop on the Upper West

> Side. Enrique looked around at the people waiting

> with us and said, " Can't

> we catch a cab? " Such a little New Yorker.

>

>

> 2. When Enrique was just toddling, Lou thought it

> would be really nice to

> take Enrique to the New York Botanical Garden so

> that Enrique could run

> freely in all the beautiful grass. He arrived at

> the Garden and went on to

> one of the lawns that stretch out before the main

> building and he placed

> Enrique right in the middle of it. Enrique was

> TERRIFIED! He was afraid of

> all that grass! He didn't move. Lou had coax and

> coax him before he would

> venture a step. Now that's a city baby! It's also

> probably an AS baby, but

> we didn't know that then!

>

> 3. Enrique at three arrives home with me from

> visiting my parents in a

> small university town in Ohio (Oxford, for those who

> care). We are walking

> to the store together and he is looking at the trash

> blowing along. " New

> York, City of Garbage, " he announces happily. He is

> glad to be home.

>

> 4. I am riding a subway through the South Bronx

> with a just-talking

> Enrique. There is a subway preacher of some sort,

> shouting at us all and

> telling us we will go to hell. " You're all going to

> DIE! " the man shouted.

> It was making me rather nervous. Enrique piped up,

> " DIE! " in a happy voice.

> The man turned and focused on him, " Yes, " he

> shouted, " DIE! Even the

> smallest of you. " " DIE! " shouts back Enrique, and

> they continue this

> pleasant dialogue for some time, while I think

> nervously, " Uh-oh, I hope he

> doesn't plan to speed us on our way to death... "

>

> 5. I am riding the subway with two year old Enrique

> and baby ,

> just three months old. We are again riding through

> the South Bronx.

> starts to cry because he wants to nurse

> and I am too nervous to

> nurse him on the subway (also, likes to

> lie down to nurse and I am

> really not going there...) He disturbs a unkempt

> man sleeping on the subway

> who sits up and begins to shout at me to shut the

> baby up. I am terrified

> and then delighted when the whole car turns against

> the man, yelling at him

> and telling him to leave me alone. One woman

> delights me by saying to him,

> " I remember you from high school. You weren't worth

> nothin' then and you

> ain't worth nothin' now. "

>

> 6. When we first moved to the Bronx, I was

> terrified to go to the park

> across the street from us. I could see teenaged

> boys hanging out there and

> they looked dangerous to me. It took me TWO YEARS

> to venture into that park

> because of those teenaged boys and when I finally

> got there, I found that

> those boys were, for the most part, doing dangerous

> things like playing

> basketball and tennis and swimming and playing

> volleyball and, um, well, it

> occurred to me at that point that maybe that was

> what the park was designed

> for? Oh, well, I enjoyed the park very much for the

> next five years.

>

> 7. We lived a ten minute bus ride from Orchard

> Beach and I used to go there

> a lot with Enrique and . One day, I was

> there with a friend and

> her young son, when we heard gunshots. No one on

> the beach reacted at all,

> and no one seemed to say anything, but slowly,

> gradually, almost

> imperceptibly, over the next ten or fifteen minutes,

> the beach emptied. No

> one hurried, and no one seemed anxious at all. It

> was as if everyone

> suddenly remembered that it was time to go.

>

> As I suppose it was! I certainly left.

>

> Hope you enjoyed my little stories.

>

> Salli

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

LOL..it takes some getting used to!

Mimi

--- &

wrote:

> wow! Just wow! I am definitely a country mouse

> through and through. I think I would have a nervous

> breakdown in the city!

> CHRIS

>

> New York Stories for

> Mimi!

>

>

>

> > Yes, you can...as a native New Yorker..it's when

> > people say stuff about NYC and they've never

> been

> > here..that annoys me..LOL!

>

> Uh-oh, I seem to have insulted you, Mimi. Hmm. I

> lived in the Bronx for

> seven years. Does that give me the right to say

> things about NYC (and I

> enjoyed living there very much by the way, but the

> sidewalks WERE dirty).

> >

> > What rats..?

> >

> Well, I used to see them in the Bronx! Maybe

> Manhattan doesn't have any...

>

>

> > > > NYC is not dirty..it's the people who are

> slobs

> > > and

> > > > have no consideration for others that make

> it and

> > > any

> > > > other place dirty!

>

> Yes, and there are millions of those people

> without consideration messing up

> NYC.

>

>

> Here are a few Enrique in NYC stories for you.

>

> 1. When Enrique was two, we were waiting at a bus

> stop on the Upper West

> Side. Enrique looked around at the people waiting

> with us and said, " Can't

> we catch a cab? " Such a little New Yorker.

>

>

> 2. When Enrique was just toddling, Lou thought it

> would be really nice to

> take Enrique to the New York Botanical Garden so

> that Enrique could run

> freely in all the beautiful grass. He arrived at

> the Garden and went on to

> one of the lawns that stretch out before the main

> building and he placed

> Enrique right in the middle of it. Enrique was

> TERRIFIED! He was afraid of

> all that grass! He didn't move. Lou had coax and

> coax him before he would

> venture a step. Now that's a city baby! It's

> also probably an AS baby, but

> we didn't know that then!

>

> 3. Enrique at three arrives home with me from

> visiting my parents in a

> small university town in Ohio (Oxford, for those

> who care). We are walking

> to the store together and he is looking at the

> trash blowing along. " New

> York, City of Garbage, " he announces happily. He

> is glad to be home.

>

> 4. I am riding a subway through the South Bronx

> with a just-talking

> Enrique. There is a subway preacher of some sort,

> shouting at us all and

> telling us we will go to hell. " You're all going

> to DIE! " the man shouted.

> It was making me rather nervous. Enrique piped

> up, " DIE! " in a happy voice.

> The man turned and focused on him, " Yes, " he

> shouted, " DIE! Even the

> smallest of you. " " DIE! " shouts back Enrique, and

> they continue this

> pleasant dialogue for some time, while I think

> nervously, " Uh-oh, I hope he

> doesn't plan to speed us on our way to death... "

>

> 5. I am riding the subway with two year old

> Enrique and baby ,

> just three months old. We are again riding

> through the South Bronx.

> starts to cry because he wants to nurse

> and I am too nervous to

> nurse him on the subway (also, likes to

> lie down to nurse and I am

> really not going there...) He disturbs a unkempt

> man sleeping on the subway

> who sits up and begins to shout at me to shut the

> baby up. I am terrified

> and then delighted when the whole car turns

> against the man, yelling at him

> and telling him to leave me alone. One woman

> delights me by saying to him,

> " I remember you from high school. You weren't

> worth nothin' then and you

> ain't worth nothin' now. "

>

> 6. When we first moved to the Bronx, I was

> terrified to go to the park

> across the street from us. I could see teenaged

> boys hanging out there and

> they looked dangerous to me. It took me TWO YEARS

> to venture into that park

> because of those teenaged boys and when I finally

> got there, I found that

> those boys were, for the most part, doing

> dangerous things like playing

> basketball and tennis and swimming and playing

> volleyball and, um, well, it

> occurred to me at that point that maybe that was

> what the park was designed

> for? Oh, well, I enjoyed the park very much for

> the next five years.

>

> 7. We lived a ten minute bus ride from Orchard

> Beach and I used to go there

> a lot with Enrique and . One day, I was

> there with a friend and

> her young son, when we heard gunshots. No one on

> the beach reacted at all,

> and no one seemed to say anything, but slowly,

> gradually, almost

> imperceptibly, over the next ten or fifteen

> minutes, the beach emptied. No

> one hurried, and no one seemed anxious at all. It

> was as if everyone

> suddenly remembered that it was time to go.

>

> As I suppose it was! I certainly left.

>

> Hope you enjoyed my little stories.

>

> Salli

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Wow, you lived in the Bronx..what area did you live

> in..alot of my work friends grew up there.

I lived in the Eastchester section, near Gun Hill Road and Adee. Lou was

teaching at Fordham University, but he didn't get tenure so we moved.

Although

> they moved to Woodlawn, my friend and would to

> go down to Fordham Road to shop all the time..and to

> Orchard Beach!

I loved Orchard Beach! Well, you could tell it was a city beach, sometimes

it was kind of messy (but you are right, that wasn't the beach's fault, but

the stupid people who didn't have enough decency to throw their stuff away).

We lived in an unairconditioned third floor walk-up and as we were the top

floor of the building, it was HOT in the summer and I tried to get to the

beach as much as possible. Besides my little boys loved it.

>

> My mom was born and raised and lived all her life

> right here in Westbury, Long Island.

My sister lived (she died two years ago of ovarian cancer) on Long Island,

but far up, near Mattituck. Her husband is from Long Island. We still have

the family Christmas there but I never go any more because it is too hard.

My dad's family

> was from Coney Island..in Brooklyn..and my mom hated

> going there..she thought it was dirty, the houses were

> too close together..my dad loved the place.

>

> Before we all had kids, and I, and my brother

> and his wife took my mom to a few Yankee games..she

> was a nervous wreck, walking around..looking with

> distaste at the dirty sidewalks..etc.

Well, that is certainly not the nicest part of the Bronx, LOL.

>

> To me, even with the dirt and rats..NYC is beautiful!

>

I enjoyed it very much those years and there are things we still miss: the

Bronx Zoo, well, in fact, ALL the zoos of the city, but we were members of

the Bronx Zoo and went almost weekly for years, the Transit Museum (for

train-loving boys that is near heaven!) in Brooklyn, the Museum of Natural

History, the Botanical Gardens, and many others too numerous to list.

Also the PIZZA. Nowhere else is the pizza so good. Sigh. It took me years

to forget it so that I could enjoy pizza again.

Salli

[Guest guest]

Does Enrique remember living in the Bronx..or was he

too young when you moved?

Mimi

--- bunnytiner wrote:

> >

> > Wow, you lived in the Bronx..what area did you

> live

> > in..alot of my work friends grew up there.

>

> I lived in the Eastchester section, near Gun Hill

> Road and Adee. Lou was

> teaching at Fordham University, but he didn't get

> tenure so we moved.

>

> Although

> > they moved to Woodlawn, my friend and would

> to

> > go down to Fordham Road to shop all the time..and

> to

> > Orchard Beach!

>

> I loved Orchard Beach! Well, you could tell it was

> a city beach, sometimes

> it was kind of messy (but you are right, that wasn't

> the beach's fault, but

> the stupid people who didn't have enough decency to

> throw their stuff away).

> We lived in an unairconditioned third floor walk-up

> and as we were the top

> floor of the building, it was HOT in the summer and

> I tried to get to the

> beach as much as possible. Besides my little boys

> loved it.

> >

> > My mom was born and raised and lived all her life

> > right here in Westbury, Long Island.

>

> My sister lived (she died two years ago of ovarian

> cancer) on Long Island,

> but far up, near Mattituck. Her husband is from Long

> Island. We still have

> the family Christmas there but I never go any more

> because it is too hard.

>

> My dad's family

> > was from Coney Island..in Brooklyn..and my mom

> hated

> > going there..she thought it was dirty, the houses

> were

> > too close together..my dad loved the place.

> >

> > Before we all had kids, and I, and my

> brother

> > and his wife took my mom to a few Yankee

> games..she

> > was a nervous wreck, walking around..looking with

> > distaste at the dirty sidewalks..etc.

>

> Well, that is certainly not the nicest part of the

> Bronx, LOL.

> >

> > To me, even with the dirt and rats..NYC is

> beautiful!

> >

>

> I enjoyed it very much those years and there are

> things we still miss: the

> Bronx Zoo, well, in fact, ALL the zoos of the city,

> but we were members of

> the Bronx Zoo and went almost weekly for years, the

> Transit Museum (for

> train-loving boys that is near heaven!) in Brooklyn,

> the Museum of Natural

> History, the Botanical Gardens, and many others too

> numerous to list.

>

> Also the PIZZA. Nowhere else is the pizza so good.

> Sigh. It took me years

> to forget it so that I could enjoy pizza again.

>

> Salli

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

> Does Enrique remember living in the Bronx..or was he

> too young when you moved?

Enrique was six and a half and he does have memories, but they are the odd

inconsequential memories of small children: the stroller we left on the

landing of our apartment, the whale in the Museum of Natural History.

probably doesn't recall much. And when I realized we were moving,

I took them both to the Statue of Liberty so that they would have it as a

memory. was not yet four and what I chiefly remember is that I

had to walk up ALL the steps of the Statue of Liberty carrying him and his

stroller.

But it was a cool rainy day in March and there was no line at all to speak

of and so, in the end, it was well worth it.

Salli

[Guest guest]

What a great memory of NY...I should bring the kids to

the Statue of Liberty..and the Empire State

Building..the only time we ever bring them in is when

's company has the family day thing at the Big

Apple Circus..and we drive in..the weather is always

awful so we never get to do anything else but go and

come home.

You definately qualify as a New Yorker..carrying a

four year old and the stroller up all those

steps..LOL!

Mimi

--- bunnytiner wrote:

>

> > Does Enrique remember living in the Bronx..or was

> he

> > too young when you moved?

>

> Enrique was six and a half and he does have

> memories, but they are the odd

> inconsequential memories of small children: the

> stroller we left on the

> landing of our apartment, the whale in the Museum of

> Natural History.

> probably doesn't recall much. And when I

> realized we were moving,

> I took them both to the Statue of Liberty so that

> they would have it as a

> memory. was not yet four and what I

> chiefly remember is that I

> had to walk up ALL the steps of the Statue of

> Liberty carrying him and his

> stroller.

>

> But it was a cool rainy day in March and there was

> no line at all to speak

> of and so, in the end, it was well worth it.

>

> Salli

>

>

__________________________________________________