My Apple in the Rain, Part 2

Hit a bit of a wrinkle here.

Loved taking in my city yesterday. Felt that pre-Christmas ripple in the air. Random observations from my walk:

• The color red. Santa red, holly-berry red, tomato red. On swingy or slim coats worn by stylish young women.
• NBC's open windows that let you peek into the studio. I glimpsed Hoda and Kathie Lee perched on their stools...looking pretty, from tip to toe.
• Michael Kors store at Rockefeller Center. Our niece Florida Orange worked there all fall, until last week. I saw a glittery silver top in the window--would be nice with trim black skirt. That's what I'm talking about.
• Crowds pouring into Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Wanted to stop in, but was pressed for time when I passed by.
• The windows at Saks. I hope to get back and really drink them in. Fairy tales! So fanciful. But again, I was watching my time. [Then ending up sitting in doctor's waiting room for nearly 1.5 hours.]
• Dean & DeLuca on Madison Avenue. It's great fun to look at all of the holiday treats....from perfectly decorated cookies to fresh greens with red trim.
• William Greenberg Desserts. Didn't have to step in. From the window, I could see the blue and white Hanukkah cookies and the gingerbread homes being built. Holiday in the city!!!!
• Central Park. Gray and grim? Never. Not even on a rainy winter Tuesday afternoon.
• Bergdorf Goodman Beauty Level. Ducked in and found a 40 percent sale on certain styles in the Wolford alcove. Also combed the sparkly hair accessory collection but couldn't settle on one for Figgy this year. In the past, I often did. But now that she's in college and feeding herself in her apartment, she said what she really wants for Christmas is gift cards to Whole Foods, Utrecht Art Supplies and maybe CVS. I was eyeing a metallic gold leather hairband, but then I figured...no. It's hard to buy hair accessories for someone else, said the blonde woman with bangs who has helped me in that department for many a Christmas.

In the midst of this flurry of festivity, this blizzard of candy canes and gumdrops and silver Bergdorf's boxes, there was one sour lemon note. A young man working at the Christian Dior counter on the Beauty Level was not very nice. I was pricing the perfume--Figgy loves the one with the silver bow around the bottle neck--and he looked me up and down, sizing me up. He seemed to think I couldn't possibly afford a bottle, and didn't appear to believe me when I said I had two at home and my daughter loves them. I had gotten caught in the rain with a broken umbrella. I had my sneakers on, my beloved heels in my bag. My paper bag had torn in the rain and so I had stuffed it in my canvas tote. I did look nearly homeless, I guess. But I did not like being treated like that. Not one little bit. I feel a bit squeamish writing this because I don't want to badmouth someone. But this didn't feel good.
With the sour came a drop of sweet: The young man told me many people don't know that when the bottle is empty, you can remove the silver bow and use it to thread your scarf through....I didn't know, and I do love that tip.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Boot camp in the park. Nice warm day!
2. Walked Sug around block.
3. Took this time to blog.