Funky Friday: The Huge Organ

For 100 years the "Boys" in Philadelphia have been able to say, "meet me at the Eagle and I will show you the huge organ"and this was a perfectly acceptable plan. Now in New York the Eagle would be a particular leather bar and the organ would inevitably be smaller than described. But in Philly the Eagle is a huge cast bronze statue. The huge Organ, is not a euphemism for a male body part, it is a very large organ built for a world's fair, bought by Wanamaker's Department Store in Philadelphia and installed in the grand  courtyard of the store about 100 years ago. I have seen the organ, it is HUGE.  

Wanamaker's was bought by Macy's and the store has slowly closed, one floor and department at a time shrinking, and recently it was announced that the store will close this spring.  

The demise of department stores has been long ongoing, painful, and slow. Death by a thousand cuts.  I have fond memories in the middle 1960's of the massive JL Hudson's department store on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit.  The first time I was there, I bought my first pocket size transistor radio. Up on about the 12th floor was a department that sold radios, televisions, and cameras.  I saw the radio in the case, insisted that I had to see it, then surprised the daylights out of my father when I peeled off the cash to buy it. As I recall it was about $20, I was about 10 years old, my father was surprised I had that kind of cash and no one knew about it. Being quiet about having two-nickels to rub together started early for me.  Slowly department stores did away with departments.  Hudson's closed electronics and cameras in the early 1970s, along with hats, gloves, mens formal wear. There was a time when you could go into a store like Hudson's or Wanamakers and buy anything you can buy today on Amazon. The departments and selection have steadily declined over the past 60 years, now you have a choice of 20 shades of blue and grey trousers. 70% of the floor space in a typical department store in the US is ladies clothing.  The stores have closed one cut at a time, at the same time alternatives have expanded. Hudson's is also a victim of merger with Macy's is closing three of the few remaining stores this year. 

So what about the Eagle and Huge Organ in Philly?  Those items are protected by the historical society, they can't be changed or moved without approval.  Negotiations with the building owner are centered on continuing public access to these treasures. It would be a great building to convert to a hotel or apartments, with the central courtyard remaining open to the public. 

The grand Hudson's store on Woodward Avenue, it was imploded about 40 years ago. The video of the implosion brings tears to my eyes.    

The Thursday Ramble: Snowbirds

In the United States a person who lives in the north, and goes south for the winter is known as a snowbird.  Here on the eastern side of the US they commonly go to Florida for at least part of the winter.  There are places in Florida where the population doubles in winter. In other parts of the country people go to the Gulf coast of Texas, or to Arizona. 

We have had a couple of weeks of cold - at times snowy - weather that makes me wonder if there isn't some wisdom in going south for the winter. 

My family has a deep history of snowbirding.  My parents started spending winters in Florida when I was in the 8th grade.  They were following in the footsteps of their parents.  My father's parents had owned a small home in Florida since the early 1960's.  My mother's parents started going south in the offseason from farming just after World War II.  I was raised on a funny farm, my father and his father were large scale bee farmers. In Michigan honey bees are a seasonal farming operation. The work started around the first of April, and was finished by November 1st.  Disturbing the bees during the cold months most often did more harm than good. 

My father's first attempt at snowbirding was when I was in the first grade, we went to Phoenix for the winter.  With four kids in school, it was a disaster for a couple of us, and we didn't try that again until it was down to my sister and I in school.  We were pretty good students. We went to Florida instead of Arizona, because it was closer and the grandparents were there. My father never lost his love to for the desert southwest, and never really grew to love the humidity of Florida.  

My snowbird high school experience was unusual.  I would start classes in Michigan in late August, transfer to Florida around the first of November, transfer back to Michigan around the first of April and finish out the school year in Michigan.  For some classes I gained with brilliant instructors in one school over the other, in some classes I suffered from teachers who couldn't or didn't want to teach. (A unemployed PhD NASA physicist who didn't teach high school chemistry in Florida, but was paid to teach it.) 

After I finished High School, I moved to Florida and lived there almost 20 years. Then moved back north.  Every January and February when the weather is cold and slippery I wonder why I moved north, every hurricane season I am reminded why. (Love and opportunities also were a huge factor in moving north, I have had a great life.) 

The Condo keeps the water in the indoor pool at 88 degrees (f). The hot tub is 104(f). The air in the room feels tropical.  It has become my retreat. An hour there a day, keeps me thawed out.  

My World of Wonders aka The Wednesday Ws January 15, 2025

What is challenging my brain this week?  2025 not 2024.

What has the weather been like? Cold, cold and snowy, a dusting of snow, cold. Have I mentioned that is is cold out? Even the snowman is sheltering from the cold. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen?  A Panettone bread pudding with creme anglaise.  Panettone is an Italian christmas bread or cake, sweet with candied fruits, very light leavened with yeast. It also makes heavenly french toast. It is the first time I have made pastry cream, it was good, but I slightly over cooked it. I slow braised a pork shoulder, made pulled pork, then a pork pie.   

Who have I seen this week? The gang at the pool, Ruth the neighbor down the hall returned from her holiday travels, Erica my replacement at the office for a couple of meetings. Amy, Jacob, people I worked with.  

What have I finished this week?  Writing a book chapter on Identity Theft.  Colleagues are writing a book on cyber crime and scams, and asked me to write this chapter. Against my better judgement, I said yes. It is done and sent to the editors.  I need to learn to say no, if my heart is not in it. 

When is the next adventure? I am headed to Phoenix in a couple of weeks, for a few days. 

Where have I been this week? Home, the gym, the pool, the grocery store, the library, to the salon for a much needed haircut, and I took the subway into my old office for some meetings, then a long walk across monumental DC to take the subway home. 

Who deserves an atta girl this week?  The lady at the hair salon.  67 years and I never know how to answer the question "how do you want your haircut?" I know it needs to be scissors only or it looks like it was hacked at with a machete, beyond that, shorter than it is, but not too short.  She somehow figured this out and I have a nice cut. The best cut since the little twink on the cruise last spring. 

HoW am I doing?  Overall very well, something I ate Monday night didn't agree with me, Tuesday I slept late and had a very slow day. 

 

Travel Tuesday: Eisenhower Memorial

 Dwight David Eisenhower was a commander of the D-Day invasion, who entered politics after military service, and served as President.  An impressive figure in the history of the United States.  After years of debate and negotiations a memorial was built on Independence Avenue in Washington DC, across the street from the Air and Space Museum, just across the corner from the American Indian Museum. It is a block wide, and a couple hundred feet deep. I find it unimpressive, there is a lot of open space, the attempt at a metal tapestry is nearly impossible to visualize. 

Like last week's entry, exit the DC subway system at L'Enfant Plaza exit A on the upper level, and walk straight ahead when you reach the top of the escalators.  There are three exits from this station, the other two will leave you lost in official office spaces. 

The massive metal lattice work has a mural woven into it.  I have never seen it when the light made it easy to see the art that is intended. 

Here you can see some of the lines of the tapestry in the metal screen. The building behind, the Department of Education, at least as long as it exists. 

The Eisenhower Memorial is just across the block from the National Museum of the American Indian, both are in the shadow of Capitol Hill. 

Monday Moods: Promises To Myself

Almost everyday, I take a walk for an hour or so. If the weather is nice, I enjoy a long walk outside. If the weather is unpleasant, I spend an hour on the treadmill. The Condominium Community Center is just across the drive, from the back entrance to the building we live in.  A 200-300 foot walk outside.  A few years ago the association built a new fitness center, with big windows overlooking the ravine and hillside, the room has good equipment.  

Getting my daily walk in is a promise to myself, that I will keep my body moving. My doctor tells me, good job, do more, and I largely ignore her.  I am not doing this for her, I am doing it for me.  A promise I have made to myself to move as long as I can do so. No excuses, as long as the body is able - the promise to myself needs to overcome the excuses and distractions.  

My hour gives me time to listen to podcasts and watch YouTube videos.  Feeding my mind and entertaining myself - most days a mixture of the two.  

There are many temptations in life to skip the walk, to eat things that are unhealthy or in unhealthy quantities, to drink too much (or at all depending on your health.) I remind myself that I have made myself a promise to eat more carefully, to never endure a hangover again.  I remind myself "that is contrary to the healthy promises I have made to myself."

There are many other promises to myself.  I work hard to not disappoint myself. 

The Sunday Five: Cars

I would have to make a list to figure out how many cars I have owned, lots. In my early years I bought less expensive cars, often well used, drove them for a year or two and then traded for another one.  Some were great, some have not. 

Yorkshire Pudding recently posted a photo of a French car, bringing back memories of something I owned in the early 1980's, and triggering this Sunday Five. 

1: What was the nicest car you have ever owned? 

2: What was the worst car you have ever owned? 

3: What was the most fun car you have ever owned? 

4: What car did you drive the most miles (and how many?) 

5: What is the fastest car you have ever driven? 

My answers: 

1: What was the nicest car you have ever owned? A 1999 Cadillac Eldorado, it was luxury sports car. 

2: What was the worst car you have ever owned? A 1972 or 73 Oldsmobile 88, my first car, it a POS. 

3: What was the most fun car you have ever owned? My little VW puts a smile on my face everytime the top goes down. 

4: What car did you drive the most miles (and how many?) A 1994 Honda Accord, I bought it new the day that model was released for sale in the USA, I drove it about 130,000 miles. 

5: What is the fastest car you have ever driven?  The red one above, we took factory delivery of it a few years ago and drove it on the autobahn in Germany,  I was going about 110 miles an hour when a Porsche passed me.  

Please share your answers in the comments. 

 

The Saturday Morning Post: 50 states in 52 weeks: Alaska

I have been to Alaska twice.  It is the northernmost state, and one of two states that are not contiguous - it borders no other state.  

The first trip was work, I was hired by AARP to present a training on elder abuse at the University of Alaska one May.  I flew into Anchorage late in the evening, arriving at the hotel at about 11:00 PM.  There was a note from the training coordinator to call her when I got in, to let her know I had arrived.  The front desk connected me to her room, she answered the phone, looked at the time and flew into a panic. She had a meeting at 11:30 and she was going to late.  I assured her the meeting was 12 hours from now, and she insisted it was daylight outside and I was wrong.  It took me a minute to calm her down and assure her the sun sets very late at that time of the year that far north. 

I had arranged a partial rest day, before the training.  I booked a float plane tour, from Anchorage to Denali National Park, with a landing on a glacial melt lake. It was an amazing experience.  The training went well.  

The second visit to Alaska was an inside passage cruise from Seattle in the fall of 2008.  It was my first cruise and it was great fun.  We had four port stops, and a day of cruising glacier bay.  The cruise was selected to allow us to ride the White Pass and Yukon Railway. If you enjoy trains, and mountains, and amazing scenery, go ride this one. 

I would gladly go back to Alaska, maybe 2026?