NY Bagels

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I’ve been here one week, and have not indulged in a breakfast of bagel and cream cheese yet. Decided that it was time to correct this, so I headed for Ess A Bagel on Third Avenue. First problem was what to order… there are about 12 different kinds of bagels, a huge selection of cream cheeses, plus chicken salad, chopped herring salad, eggplant salad, smoked salmon, and almost any other kind of sandwich filling you could want. Since I was still in breakfast mode, I settled for a sesame bagel with light cream cheese.

The counterman, who had a name tag reading Uncle Bill, asks “want anything else sweetheart?” I was not offended. Uncle Bill can call me sweetheart anytime he wants to. The toasted beauty he handed me was warm and surprisingly heavy. I kept thinking … this is going to be in my stomach, in a few minutes I’m going to be this much heavier. Oh, well, you can’t think about that if you want to enjoy, and yes, I did enjoy. The outside was crispy and a bit chewy, the inside, dense, the cream cheese smooth and flavorful. Eating neatly is a bit of a challenge. I’d advise you to only go with people who you don’t mind seeing you with cream cheese on your chin. The sandwich is large and the cheese sort of squirts out the sides when you bite into it. I solved the problem by opening it, and eating each side open faced. Don’t even want to know how many miles I have to walk to work it off, but trust me it is totally worth it.

From there I continued up Third Ave. to 51^st street. If you turn east, 51^st dead ends at the Peter Detmold Park, this is a quiet, shaded respite from the city. I cross the bridge to the walkway along the river. I love the benches overlooking the river. I wonder who fashioned the decorative arms, the little curved detail on the backs. Someone who cared, someone who wanted to make a beautiful bench for a public space. How many people have sat here watching the river? What stories to they hold? Idea’s like this capture my imagination? I wonder how long they have been here. I’m sure they are quite old.

I’ve enjoyed my morning, and I’d love to linger, but it’s time to go to work. I board the bus to the site, put on my headphones, keep on my sunglasses and hope this sends the message to anyone sitting near that conversation is not welcome. I’d love to catch a little nap on the 30 minute drive out to Flushing Meadow.

As much as I don’t want to shoot Dementieva, I need photos of her for next year’s calendar so I head to Louis Armstrong Stadium. The match is uneventful, but I get a couple of decent snaps, and move on to Haas... much better view thru my long lens. Unfortunately he lost, so I’m glad I got a few images before he packs his bags.

Federer and Alves is next up on Arthur Ashe. Alves is an unseeded Brazilian, and surprisingly gives Federer a bit of a match, Federer won 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

Gold medalist Aaron Piersol who won the 100 meter backstroke in Beijing is here, and he and Federer meet and exchange a few words about the Olympic experience. They make an announcement in the media center that there will be a photo op with the two of them, but I’m having lunch out in the Plaza and miss it... not a big deal, plus I know that Susan has the photo if it’s needed.

Here we go again. Its 11:20 and Gulbis has just taken the first set from Roddick. Does this mean another REALLY late nite here? I want Arod to win, but I definitely don’t want to get out of here at 1 or 2 AM