"I Can Stand," thank you

Our day in New York City started on a very sweet but unsettling note. As we moved to the rear of our 42nd St., cross-town bus a man stood up and offered my wife his seat and THEN, a sweet young woman sitting next to him got up and insisted I take her seat. Wow! Who said New Yorkers were not polite?

The flip side, however, was we didn't think we looked that OLD. But to young eyes I guess we do. Pleased as we were by the courtesies of these two nice people, it gave us pause. I thought about getting a lapel buttong that shouts "I CAN STAND, THANK YOU." On second thought that would be rude.

Actually we soon realized we weren't as spry as we thought we were. I've worked in NYC most of my life and I've always felt a surge of energy when I exited the Port Authority Bus Terminal onto Eighth Avenue. I automatically quicken my pace and start weaving in and out of tourists and other slow pokes.

My wife, not so much, anymore. She constantly has to slow me down so she can keep up. One time, I was talking on my cell to my grand-daughter, who we were meeting in mid town, when I started walking across the street. Suddenly I heard a familiar voice. "Hey, you left me standing on the sidewalk." Guess who?

But it was a successful day. We met our accountant and took care of our 2010 Income Tax return. Then met said grand-daughter for a moment in front of the Madison Avenue art gallery where she is an intern. And THEN found a wonderful restaurant for lunch. Noisy, bustly, immediate seating, great food at reasonable prices. And this in mid-town Manhattan. Unbelievable.

A leisurely stroll (we seem to do that a lot, don't we) down Madison to 42nd, through Bryant Park, across 41st St. to the PA and bus home.

Very nice.