They are a bit tired and destined for le garbage but they’re still roses. My reflection in the mirror of me is blurry, but its still me.

This past weekend we spent some precious time with little Frances, Paul’s niece, who can light up anyone’s day.

My family hasn’t had much luck with purebred cats. They are more prone to health issues due to the intense and controlled breeding processes purebreds go through. Callie, my mom’s current cat is a siamese mix — healthy, a good mouse hunter and one of a kind.

A squirrel-proof bird feeder is a tough thing to find. As we were eating our breakfast, this little guy took a flying leap to his (hers?).

I took this photo about a year ago for my roll-a-day class (actually on my way to class). When I was in the east village yesterday I noticed that the building that was under construction then is now complete. I hope that all this “progress” doesn’t encroach on what makes this neighborhood so full of character.

Whenever I’m feeling under the weather a good bowl of Pho usually does the trick. This delicious Vietnamese national soup is a combination of heady broth, chewy rice noodles, sweet spices and scintillating herbs and can be further boosted in flavor with the addition of thin slices of beef tendon, tripe, brisket and the like. Koreatown, on 32nd St. is where you can find the best.

The main characters in this dance are the street cleaners, those unfortunate enough to have a car in the city and the parking police — all set in a typical NY neighborhood. Twice a week, I get in my car not 2 minutes before 11:00 a.m. when the street cleaning is to begin. I pull out of my space and drive around the neighborhood for at least half an hour or until I see the wet brush marks of a street cleaning truck alongside an empty curb. Along with the dozens of other cars circling around we begin to pull in, grabbing the prime spots. Then we wait. Books, magazines, cell phones, beach chairs (I’ve seen it) — anything to kill the time in or around our vehicles until 12:30 p.m. (they will ticket you if you are not in your car before the street cleaning time is up). Three days later it begins all over again. This was my view from the car for about an hour and a half.