It was Hannukah which came early this year but there were lights electric and otherwise as well as symbols and this painting from Jeff to ward off insanity as the table was set and the latkes began to appear thanks to Josephine as Jeff posed and the vegetables beans and chicken were readied as were the nuts and chewables while holiday drinks were made according to this recipe and Jeff and Ben admired the cheese as Peter Suzanne and Seva conversed and waited for applesauce and vegetables to cook as Jeff's plate was assembled early and Steven Sara and Seva waited as another drink was mixed (not a drink recipe we will repeat) ad food was served so that my plate could attract the others who came to eat as we admired the lights and then did the ritual lighting of some of our own

before Ben opened his gifts both promised and real and posed for thank yous.

A few days later, Rick Register came by and signed on for his new job so that I could go to New York and meet Sarah for dinner at the Carnegie Deli where this was her sandwich, this was my Greek salad, this was her and this was me.

New York was not just a lark, there was work to be done and I recorded the awarding of Sloan Foundation thanks to Hector by Michael before the Computer Science committee posed with Mr. Sloan himself. All of this hard work led to a celebratory dinner where once the flash was turned on, this was my main course and Suzanne's and our shared dessert as Suzanne and I celebrated the Amalia Restaurant with its menus and marched off to view the Hannukah lights beginning at Cartier and traipsing down Fifth Avenue past well lit vendors (again for Hannukah)

to Rockefeller Center with its Xmas theme and the tree

and the skaters with many photographers in line not to mention the official photo location. Next came the store windows with the introduction the broad views and the individual windows

with the church looking down on us as hours were recorded which told us we were too late for FAO Schwartz but could still see the Apple Store and decorations on the way back to our hotel.

The next day began with a visit to Moma which began with amazing structures built by Martin Puryear

and the helicopter and then moved through the galleries to this picture that didn't exactly capture my mood and the shaving pictures followed by some sculpture this artwork and Martin standing in the corner for punishment which led us to the cafeteria where as number 245 we were served water this salad and coffee for Suzanne and this panini for me before we headed back to optical illusions

and this installation which celebrated the Fibonacci numbers as we made our way into the modern collection seeing our friend before joining the crowds at and around the Warhol soup cans

and then celebrating technology with the phone the tire and the kitchen of the 50's before we headed back to some squiggly art

and viewed down to the Puryear before admiring a Magritte a Matisse a Picasso and a Mondrian and calling it a museum day. Next we stopped at Rockefeller Center to see the pennies, all 100,000,000 of them

and the men raking them which led to this movie and an appreciation of their vastness of the woman sorting (not by year but by shinyness) and more raking as I took these long views

and then recognized the cause they were there for. While I am impressed by the pennies and appreciate the good works of the people doing this, I do have trouble understanding why they not be sorting by year and why they would let their penny field be poisoned by nickels, dimes and quarters.