Thinking about New York

Coffee at 8th Avenue and 23rd Street, NYC
charcoal on bond paper
18 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010

On the last morning in New York we had the breakfast thing
figured out. That was the only meal we had to plan -- every
other meal was beyond great. I'm an oatmeal fan, but I also
need coffee, and in recent years this means Starbucks. There
is no shortage of Starbucks cafés in NYC. But we realized we've
been spoiled by hotels with room service on our once yearly
trips to Nova Scotia.

People who deliver breakfast in hotels bring it in on a steam
table covered with a linen cloth, and on hot china plates,
under silver domes. The breakfast guy or woman in uniform lifts
the covers on your steaming hot plates, shows you where the milk
is, pours the coffee, and asks if there's anything else you need.
So after a few years of loving this treatment for about four
mornings a year I don't like cranky servers.

After a few less-than-cheerful starts we figured out a
workable routine -- get the coffee first at Starbucks, then
go to another spot for oatmeal and Steven's eggs over easy.

The Starbucks we preferred in our neighbourhood -- very
sunny -- singing, great music on the stereo -- happy clients --
The Starbucks at 8th and 23rd St. The couple I drew tonight
looked extremely happy, and self satisfied with their tidy
Mother's Day clothes. I asked if I could photograph them
for a painting, and they said yes. I hope to turn this drawing
into a painting at a later date. I'd like to do a New York series.
We'll see how it goes.

After coffee we headed off to a great bistro serving oatmeal
and super eggs over easy -- but the coffee was milky and not
quite warm enough. We drank it anyway because everything
else was great, including the elegant lady, a Sloane, next
to us who told us some wonderful stories about her life.
The pre-breakfast giant Starbucks worked: we were awake and
happy, so cold coffee wasn't the end of the world .

Have a loving-your-breakfast day

P.S. Breakfast at home? Starbucks coffee - two, made at
home, oatmeal and skim milk, and for Steven eggs,
toast, coffee. All good. Throw in the paper, CBC on
the radio, a couple of cats, a dog, maybe a few pages
of the novel, and a tall kid, and it's a great morning.