Snow Day

Photos © 2010 Brian Adams

Yesterday, snow began to fall in Brooklyn, steadily dusting the streets, sidewalks, and trees with white lace. Brian and I walked several miles through Prospect Park to our favorite lakeside bench and returned bearded and coated in snow, but we had no idea that by the afternoon, all of New York City would be frozen in a weather-driven panic. The streets in our neighborhood piled with snowfall, cars crawled with their hazards flashing, cyclones of wind and flakes obscured our view of the building across the street; we even heard several neighbors say that it felt like the end of the world.

Perhaps the most astounding thing is this: The New York Times wasn't even delivered--not to the corner stores nor any of our neighbors.

This morning, however, despite the wash of white that buried cars and stoops, the feeling was much different; families walked in the middle of the streets together, pulling children in sleds, and strangers smiled and said hello to us everywhere we went. Everyone seemed cheerful in spite of the cold and inconveniences, as if the entire community was united by a shared powerlessness in the face of the winter elements. It was as if Brooklyn was given a snow day--allowed to break the rules, close up shop, and walk in the street.

An Adams Family Christmas

Photos of the lake and Rockefeller Center © 2010 Brian Adams
Photos of , Brian, window, quiche, and pie © 2010 Ashley Adams

This Christmas was our first as a married couple and our first in New York, but it still felt like us. As with most holidays, we celebrated in our own way, which is to say leisurely and simply.

Our meal wasn't traditional (dairy-free quiche with ham, vegan cheese, and broccoli, cranberry sauce, French bread and vegan cheeses, pumpkin pie, and Piraat), and neither was our day, but we enjoyed every minute of it. After a Brooklyn morning of crosswording (Will Shortz, you devil, you) and coffee, we tried to do something touristy by going downtown to see the tree at Rockefeller Center with the intention of possibly ice skating. The wait for skating, unfortunately, was almost 2 hours long, and as we pushed through the Manhattan crowds, we missed the cozy, friendly streets of Brooklyn. So we headed back to Park Slope for another lovely stroll and about 2 hours of phone time with family and friends, and then we sat back, clinked glasses, enjoyed a meal and each other.

It might not have been a traditional yuletide celebration, but it was a very merry Christmas all the same. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Haircut

Growing up with a hairstylist as a mother, haircuts have always been something special and particularly emotional. Some of my favorite memories of my mother are those in her salon, with my head over the cold, porcelian ledge as she washes my hair with her hands. Like feeding a baby bird or washing a diciple's dirty soles, it is an act that is so humble and neccessary--to maintain the body of someone you love. To this day, everytime I have my hair cut, even just a trim, I cry.

This week, Brian needed a haircut, and because he didn't want anything more than a buzz and we didn't want to spend over fifty dollars in a Manhattan salon, we took matters into our own hands. We bought clippers from the drugstore, set up the chair in the living room, turned on music, and that was that. You can judge my success for yourself, but we like the results.

Photos and Text by Ash Adams