A new week has begun

1/10

Sunny and cold. I showed up a day early for a breakfast. Better that than a day late. Street conversations: my neighbor Sharif, still working on his plans for the so-called “Ground Zero mosque.” They’ve been out of the news lately, which he says is a good thing. Making progress quietly. He invites me to the weekly open houses at his office. I’ll have to go and check that out. Our Presbytery Social Witness Council has taken actions in their support. Eleanor: their holiday season. The amazing creativity of her amazing daughter Isabel. Her preparations for an upcoming Israeli-American Jewish study retreat on the gospel of Luke. The very kind of activities the Centre dreams of sponsoring. I must find a way to get her involved, soon.

The steps themselves are quiet. An empty box of chocolates. An empty cigarette pack. Food containers and an empty apple sauce jar. Someone had a meal. A woman approaches and asks how to get inside, to where the rooms are. I ask why. She’s looking for an OA group. We used to have those, back in the day. She pulls out a green flier. OK, it’s SPSA she’s looking for. Probably the group that used to meet at West-Park. I direct her two blocks down the street. She thanks me and goes that way. A Latino guy in a Northface jacket approaches. Wishes me good morning. Happy New Year. Taps on the scaffolding. “Met-al?” he asks. “ Yes, why?” ‘Met-al? garbage? Any met-al?” ‘No,” I say. And he’s on his way.

Yesterday at Barney Greengrass. Pushing my way through the crowd waiting for brunch to pay for my coffee. I see Gary’s calendar with the long bearded Lubbavitcher rebbes. “Good calendar, Gary, “ I say. “That’s my ZZ-Top calendar,” he says with his smile.

It’s very cold. What can I do this week to get the heat back on? I’m thinking of my friends in Arizona, the e-mails I need to write. 86th Street is looking pretty scruffy. I’ll have to deal with that tomorrow. Time to get the week planned and underway. A new week has begun.