Pondering in White Plains

Greetings from a Barnes and Noble in White Plains, NY, where I’m wasting some time as I wait to pick Carrie and friends up from LaGuardia Airport.

After I finished another fine edition of “The Press Box”, I needed to do something, and here, on this gorgeous Monday afternoon, I decided to come to the city where the bulk of my corporate career took place.  From 1989 to 1996, and again in 2007, I worked in around here.  I’ve watched this city evolve from when it was our main source of large shopping (nothing like Pop and I chowing on cashews at Sears!).  Then it became a corporate haven with a slice of crime before being “reimagined” as this upscale destination.

So I walked.  Walked from my parking spot in the municipal garage, into the City Center “mall” that houses Target, Barnes and Noble and a few others (this was a large Macy’s until they moved down the street to the urban renewal thing call The Galleria.  I made my way to The Westchester, an destination shopping location that includes many high-end merchants.  Eventually, I found myself walking through the…um, no nice words for it, hmmm…well I’ll just call it The Galleria and leave it at that.

The Galleria gave me a cheap thrill, as I watched a Slim Shady-esque hood being led through Macy’s in handcuffs.  Otherwise The Galleria – a primary stop for the 80’s shopping kings and queens – was not all that enjoyable.  I felt like I got some exercise, and that’s about it.

Outside, I passed a company that I briefly worked for in 2007 before they laid me off (said that they couldn’t afford me).  Well, they’re gone.  Nothing more to say.

Back at City Center, I watched a woman leave Target with a cart full of goods.  Nothing exciting there, until a guy in a Mets shirt (the poor thing) bumped into her.  I thought it was some goonery at work, until I discovered that the Mets guy was a member of Target security, and they whisked her into a side door and out of sight.

The woman looked sick.  Kind of helpless.

She was also incredibly foolish.  Well played by the folks at the red bullseye.  Their security is nothing to fool with.  I got a behind the scenes tour from them in 2007.  Very impressive.

I’m sitting here listening to some kind of symphonic rock and roll.  “Live and Let Die” was just on.  “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was heard about a half-hour ago.  Kurt Cobain is rolling in his grave now.

I love some of the Facebook friends that I have made.  This morning I added Fran Tarkenton and I just noticed that Joseph R. Gannascoli accepted my friend request.

Come on!  Vito from “The Sopranos.”

Oh Lord.  We’ve moved on to symphonic “Kashmir.”

Ever type with a heavy heart?  Of course we’ve all done things while moving through sadness.  Sometimes we get hit with news that takes out breath away and we simply don’t have the words for.  Suddenly, the small things – life and such, get a different perspective.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

NOTE: I suppose I can say more, since I couldn’t post this from Barnes and Noble, and am finishing up on Tuesday morning (I wrote this on Monday night).  Tim Parry texted me, and announced on his Facebook page last night that his brother, Jim, passed away yesterday at the age of 55.  I can’t even tell you how sad I am for TIm and his family.