Welcome to my little experiment. This site was never intended to receive visitors en masse. Instead of saving the scripting for my more public weblog, babel, I simply created a new one to test out these ideas. While I wish that these ideas were original, most of the scripting was lifted from a Xanga skin designed by a seanmeister. While competent enough to adapt the scripting, I am not good enough to create it on my own. While I like a command line interface, The "Matrix" motif is just me being silly.
The growing adoption of Linux as a standard operating system is creating a large base of users who are comfortable with a command line interface and I believe that more webpages need to reflect this. If anyone knows of a CLI engine for webpages, if you want the code for this, or you have suggestions, please let me know. Thank you again for visiting and feel free to stop by my other page at babel any time. Take care.
Kit
47 Comments:
Basically, what the guy before me said, except you almost deserve to be famous for this blog. Just giving you the thumbs-up, man.
This is still really cool. It's neat.
hey, this blog of yours is great. if you could send a copy of the code my way, id be very grateful. please, thanks
vicven2@yahoo.com
amateur blogger here, been toying around with html for 'bout a year. if u're not too busy, i hope u could send me the code, thanks in advance!
ukcuf(at)hotmail(dot)com
my goodness... the best thing i've seen in web design since ... erm.. since nuthing else.. my gdness... oh ya.. if ure free btw i wud like e code too.. drummer695@hotmail.com.. oh ya... thx alot.. i wud appreciate it
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Hey brother,
No doubt seanmeister had done a great job, but you did the best job by getting it to the masses. I shall, like all other enthusiasts, would like to have a look at your code. I shall really appreciate it and in case I modify it to use it on any of my weblogs, I shall let you know. Thanks
Modi. [hemalmodi @ gmail.com]
Hi everyone,
While I don't deserve credit, I'm glad that you've stopped by. I'll send code out to people, just drop off your e-mail address. Thank you again for visiting.
Kit
I would love the code as well too. Great idea BTW.
I have never seen anything quite like this, it really is amazing. I'm glad I checked it out. If it isn't too much trouble, could you send me a copy of the code for this thing? I couldn't help but notice how many other people have asked for it; you deserve the popularity. Morovian@hotmail.com
Nice work. It's hard to find anything novel on the Web these days, especially in format. I always preferred the pre-Web Internet of the early 1990s, with Pine and Unix and Emacs. Sometimes "more" isn't really better. I'm not an expert, so I won't ask you for any code. Just wanted to say, keep it up!
I too am very interested in what you've done here and would appreciate it greatly if you would send me the code. I've only seen this sort of thing once before on the web, but it's no longer available. If you have time, please send the code to canoblog@hotmail.com.
Thanks a lot.
PS - I also enjoyed checking out your other site.
I could fall in love with your genius. Awesome site. I'm just as interested with the code, but I'd rather not bother, since I'm a tad html-illiterate.
Thank you for making blog browsing interesting.
~pam
Cool, it's really cool ^______^
It makes me remember the linux console.
I really interested in your code, would you like to send me the code to ochep@bluejack.binus.ac.id
Thanks In Advance ^___^
I am completely enthralled by this blog concept. It reminds me of back when I was a kid fooling around on my Dad's old DEC computer... I am highly interested in the code used. I think it could make for something really cool provided enough comands are written in for various queries, etc. (Like, "Who is Morpheus?" or "What is the Matrix?" -- yes, imadork). Anyhoo, would love the code, my e-mail is dreamoutloud@gmail.com. Cheers!
This is great!Can you make the code avaialable for download?
WOOOO.....W. Great blog design, i'm spechless. would you share the code to me. my email: bistok@operamail.com
just one small problem... Try $profile & any other command next... it doesn't line up :(
Also try $profile on a page with comments :(( I tried, but couldn't manage it yet... may be you will accept this minor challenge as well.
Awesome!!!
excelent interfaz!!! , it had never seen something like this. my blog is http://newsstar.blogspot.com
congratulations, are very good.
oh WOW! This is like the COOLEST! :D
hey there...honestly, i wish i had sumthin original to say but im simply blown away by this. if u wouldn't mind sending an amateur the code...it'd be much appreciated.
v_jeff@skidmore.edu
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
http://ameerhossein.blogspot.com
Wow, this is really cool! It's like nothing I've ever seen! A very original idea indeed!
hey
Great job! I like it so much that created a similar one myself. its at Curious experiments.
-Rumple
Amazing work never seen such thing in my life.. Greate Idea ----- www.gauravcreations.com
Hi! Wow, that's what I should say first when seeing your blog. I love the design, it's simple yet rich and has deep touch hehehe... Well, I'm really interested to learn how to make one of this for my blog, so if you don't mind, you can drop the codes to my email: cirebon@mailhaven.com
Thanks a lot. I might need a big help hehehe..
wow! this site is just super! just can't say anything else...can i have a copy of the code too? it's at tequila_and_sunsets@hotmail.com
hiiii .. haa i am not sure whrther my posts i up so i decided to post agian :P sorry ..... email : woowah_80@hotmail.com. Thx alot ;)
Leslie Siegel, ksiegel61@yahoo.com loves the whole thing about this thing and I've utilized it to actually post my poetry to the world... Leslie Siegel even posted two of her original novels; Donna & Gloria Wood, Where The Woods Were; Locked Universe, original love story...Thanks to all.
Leslie Siegel, ksiegel61@yahoo.com, latest original poem April 22, 2005!
IS THE SKY FALLING AGAIN?
Again, a missed day yields resentful vibes floating on mounds
Thinking all was fine in this row of cumulus
I know, I know – playing right into that role of scapegoat
Covering a blue, shiny sky lit display
Nothing has been the same
My mouth shot bullets of glossy gossip
Buckshot landing in my own butt
Trying to bolster more solid friends from the rubble of decline
Some pretend to forget and forgive, most let it fly by
Just have to prove more trustworthy
Keep the tongue thunder heads at bay
Friends, not foe, flip-flopping too and fro
Is the sky falling again?
From gold to pyrite in two breaths of smoke
The fog should have cleared weeks ago
The one that told stares awkwardly, jealously and ready to strike
Overcome the showers and refrain from talking tabloid
Believe the fluffy white cotton clouds
Shifting and covering the hot sun of being bold
In the end, rays of light and cool winds will neatly caress a beaten brow
Bent egos and paranoid states will fade and out comes the rainbow
dude this rocks!! if u could please send me the code to ed20kg@gmail.com.
THX, to u and all the people behind this.
this is awesome. could u please send me the code?
cparis@mail.pt
FOUND IT! Gods your blog is hard to find once it dropped off the "blogs of note" list.... anyway, i would love to get a copy of the code, just for the fun of driving my friends nuts with an interface that they have to think about....
Bohemianbabe@gmail.com
If you send it thanks, if not, well hey, ill find somewhere to get it...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
please send over the code mailto:ytechie@gmail.com
Please send over your code.
ytechie@gmail.com
Very nice. Could you send me the code? longlostmariobro@gmail.com
Very nice. Can you send the code to longlostmariobro@gmail.com
Hm, and here I thought I was being original(ish)... Same thing, but in WordPress: thrind.xamai.ca
LIVING LIFE AT THE UN PLAZA NOVEL at HTTP://asphodelband.blogspot.com TO SEE FULL UNITED NATIONS PLAZA NOVEL ABOUT LIFE AMONG CELEBRITY TYPES!
"LIVIN' LIFE AT THE UN PLAZA" LIFE AT THE UNITED NATIONS PLAZA AS A KID BY LESLIE SIEGEL NOVELIST!
"LIVIN' LIFE AT THE UN PLAZA" TRUE LIFE NOVEL BY NOVELIST LESLIE SIEGEL! THE OSBERG FAMILY LIVED AT THE UN PLAZA IN NEW YORK CITY DURING THE 60's & 70's! LIVIN' AT THE UN PLAZA IS ABOUT THE OSBERG FAMILY WHO LIVED AT THE UN PLAZA & WHOSE KIDS ROY, RICHARD, ELIZA AND GLINDA HAD MANY CHILDHOOD ADVENTURES IN NEW YORK CITY SIEGEL LIVED WITH Johnny Carson his wife Joanne Carson Cliff Robertson Robert F. Kennedy Truman Capote and many more celebrity types who visited the Osbergs through the years!
HERE IS THE NOVEL "LIVIN' AT THE UN PLAZA"
LIVIN’ AT THE UN PLAZA
LIFE AT THE UNITED NATIONS PLAZA
1966 – 1976
By: Leslie K. Siegel
It was 6:00 p.m. as the Bill-Dave youth center van drove down FDR Drive. Eliza, her sister Glinda and Brother Richard sat in the back seat. It was winter and as they zipped in and out of lanes. Eliza’s eyes were going snow blind and bugging out from all the white snow whizzing by out the window as the green van sped by huge piles along the curbs and streets New York City.
They’d been in Central Park all day, after school. Eliza’s fingers were dirty and just now thawing out from the afternoon’s activities in the park. Lenny, the obnoxious but experienced driver was constantly gunning the engine and making them lurch forward along with 10 other kids riding in it too. Some of the ‘diehards’ enjoyed the rumpus ride comparing it to a rollercoaster, but Eliza hated it and it showed on her pale face.
Eliza was fighting car sickness and tried to put the first memory of throwing up out of her brain. Eliza was a 1 year old fussy baby in her crib! Someone was teasing her and shaking the contraption and the 10 year old still recalled the fuzzy memory of being on all fours vomiting. She even remembered what it looked like ... baby food, vegetables mixed with formula clumps, Oy Vey!
“Are you going to get sick again?” asked a cute pixy looking black girl sitting a few seats away from Eliza.
“I don’t know Sheri.” Eliza turned to Lenny. “Can you slow down?”
Lenny quickly gunned the engine again and imitated Eliza… “Can you slow down….Oh, no, boo-hoo, boo-hoo!”
“Stop it Lenny!”
As they teased poor Eliza, another memory took hold in the cute little girl's sharp mind. It was of her father placing her on an amusement park ride between her 2 brothers. The ride had been a terror, traumatizing the 3 year old, but she had said to her father that she wanted to ride with her brothers so her dad obliged her against the wishes of their mother Lena. The ride had only aggravated the car sickness mode Eliza would fall into when riding in a bus, car or even a park ride.
“Are you going to get sick Eliza?” he asked using a little girl’s voice as the trickster guy weaved in and out of New York traffic erratically with one hand on the wheel. He really was a very good driver and had his license since he was 12 and he knew he had full control of the van. It just was so easy and tempting to tease poor Eliza.
“She’s going to be sick, she’s gonna’ lose her cookies,” said another little boy riding in front, a good looking imp of a rascal named Cyrus. Everyone took his cue and began mimicking Eliza. Even the usually quiet Gaby and her little pudgy fat sister Lauren who was always sucking her thumb were a bit hyper too.
“Eliza’s gonna’ get sick, she’s gonna loose her cookies!” They made it into a chant and kept it up, a sing along like ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’.
Glinda felt sorry for her older sister and seemed to bare the ride fine and same with the shy and quiet Richard. “Why don’t you leave her alone!” she yelled at the kids, but to no avail, the banter went as they sped up 2nd Avenue, Lenny gunning the engine.
At that moment Eliza wished she could be her older brother Roy who didn’t go to the youth center because he was at a different school and therefore on a different schedule than the other 3 Osberg kids, so he was spared the rough ride home back to the UN Plaza.
The second oldest Richard was introverted, shy and remote and didn’t say much due to a slight stuttering problem mixed with an overbearing mother with good intentions, of course, but sometimes the way Lena doted on the boy could have contributed to his quiet nature as well. He actually had an afro, his brown hair frizzed out like Don King. He even had a large afro comb black kids at their school used to "pick" their hair and it was sticking out of Rich's back pocket like a wallet. A few children in back whispered about it and were kicking the seat. Rich ignored them and pretended to be somewhere else looking out the little windows of the rickety van.
It wasn’t all negative like this, and Eliza knew more positives than negatives in her 10 years! All the Osberg children did! Sometimes, if not most times, their lives were a picnic filled with fun, surprises, fine arts and candy! That’s why Eliza couldn’t wait to get home to their apartment at the UN Plaza where they’d lived for just over a year.
But to the Eliza and her Osberg siblings the UN Plaza was this huge playground of sparkling crystal and glass. The revolving door was their merry-go-round, the elevators were fun rides at Disney; the hallways were bowling alleys and the children were gaining quite a reputation for themselves in the year they’d lived there. Other tenants constantly complained about their noise and uproar, their conduct and rabble rousing antics through the cavernous lobby. Usually it was Eliza instigating it in some form! People got used to it and conditioned to it and Eliza was sometimes blamed even if it was some other kid.
Lenny spoke up trying to get Eliza’s mind off the ‘an up-chuck’. “Are there really 6 bathrooms in your apartment?” He smiled at her, his big white teeth glowing slightly in the waning light of the day. He wasn’t a bad looking guy, but he had a rough, kidding side that sometimes showed his Irish roots. It was a bit much, but always at the end, he stopped and gave the ‘sorry speech’
“You kids know I’m only kidding around with you,” but sometimes he would take it too far, too rough and tumble; pushing it just a little too much, just enough! There was something about Eliza that made Lenny want to speed up and make her feel off balanced. It was just Eliza’s personality, which was a bit hyper, yet inquisitive and bold even when she was quiet and subdued. Even when the girl was calm, her silence burst in the air like fireworks! "...just the... What was that word Lenny was looking for that he’d heard at a James Taylor concert in Westbury, NY last month … 'the vibe', yes, that was it."
“Yes, and 4 bedrooms,” said Glinda proudly.
“Sounds nice and roomy with all those rooms,” said Lenny in his calm voice!
"I guess so," said Eliza, looking down at her penny loafers. Lenny wasn’t so bad when he wasn't pissed off. All she could think of was a nice hot bath in their nice bathroom up on the 23rd floor of the UN Plaza.
"Hey, it's not easy making you kids obey even though deep down inside I care about this job and all of you kids," said the usually joking Lenny. He wanted them to learn and he wanted to teach them, but the man could be a bit gruff.
“Yea, and we have a den, living room, even a maid’s quarters, kitchen and dining room,” bragged Glinda, seeming to be the spokesperson for the Osberg kids at the UN Plaza.
“Hmmm, the whole nine yards I would say!” Len drove onward into the city.
Now everybody was making fun of Eliza. Then Lenny felt he had to take control, “… and who knew, maybe the kid would complain and he’d lose his job!” He looked out the side of his light brown eyes and saw tears rolling down the curly-headed tomboy’s face. He didn’t want her to think he cared and was a ‘tough love’ sort of counselor even at Camp Wineko where he was during the summer.
“Hey,” he said as they approached some traffic as he turned and put his large hands gently on Eliza’s curly mass of curls as he was prone to do. He had to slow down. “Eliza, come up front okay?” He had second thoughts about teasing her when he realized she might even vomit in the back and he didn’t want to spend his Friday evening cleaning the van. He also began joking with the other children trying to get their minds off Eliza. But now that everyone was quiet in the van at the traffic stop Lenny could still hear the chanting in his ears.
Right in the slightly wet street Lenny opened his door, came around to the side hatch and opened it for Eliza. For an instant, due to Eliza’s fear of the heavy traffic, her adrenaline pumped up, the nauseous feeling was dissipating for the moment. “I can walk from here,” said Eliza, knowing she could if he’d let her.
“Right, sure, sorry Kiddo, no dice.” He pointed to the van.
As Lenny made sure she was secured in the front seat, Eliza remembered a few months back the kids had riled Lenny up so badly and he really had gotten very angry, that the driver actually pulled over way up on 3rd Avenue and 99th Street and got out of the running van and left them sitting there. Everyone was quiet for about 3 minutes and just about the moment Glinda was about to lose her little mind, thinking they’d been abandoned and she’d never see her mother again, Lenny appeared and got back in the van and slammed the door hard. No one dared question him and for the rest of the ride no one said a word.
This time other kids complained – “Why does she get to ride in front?”
“Because I said so,” barked Lenny to all the kids in general. “Besides, I can keep my eye on her and if she loses her cookies, I can roll down the window faster.” Everyone agreed with a nod.
They drove further into the city and dropped off kids at some very ritzy New York City addresses – The Excelsior, The Pierre Hotel, The St. Regis and even the Waldorf Astoria where Lenny dropped off twin siblings Gordon and Gwynne and Jamie and Mary respectively.
Lenny knew that living at the UN Plaza was very exciting and upbeat with gleaming black limos, fancily dressed doormen, immaculate elevator men, glittering celebrities and foreign dignitaries milling around the lobby and grounds, which were sprawling and elegant. He always hoped to see some of the ‘Well knowns’ who lived there; Johnny Carson and his wife Joanna Carson, and even famed “In Cold Blood” author Truman Capote roamed around. The distinguished and dapper Robert F. Kennedy with wife Ethel and their 9 children lived there too! That must be interesting. Eliza told Lenny once that the Senator had spoken to her once or twice, even joked with her for a split second before he was whisked away by men in black coats and ear phones and she was gently pushed aside by security and a report was made that she’d spoken directly to Kennedy, whatever that meant!
“It means you’re in deep trouble,” joked Lenny, as usual. But he sounded so serious even with his jovial clown-like features plastered to his face. In the end, Eliza waited for the cops to come and get her, but they didn’t.
Eliza was quiet and trying to fight her growing restlessness and nausea. She couldn’t wait to get home and away from the van and cold air and smelly odors of the city as twilight settled in and the air got nippy.
Suddenly Eliza started to talk to Lenny, and it helped her growing woozy feelings. "You know, we live on the 23rd floor of the UN Plaza!
Lenny took on an old Jewish woman's voice. "Yes, that's where Eliza Osberg and her family live.
The tomboyish oldest daughter sat in the van trying to transport herself to her bedroom she shared with her 8 year old sister Glinda.
"You should see the window view we have. It's a full length directly out into the General Assembly Room at the United Nations Building," bragged Eliza for the first time.
"Hmmmmm. Nice," said Lenny trying to imagine it all.
"And it's very warm and cozy!"
"Lots of rooms with white walls and interesting paintings and drawings and we draw our own stuff too. My daddy said one of the paintings on our wall in our room is called ‘Hands meet with flowers’ and it's neat," said Glinda.
"I'll bet it's a nice room done up in expensive wall paper," wondered Lenny.
"Yes, a lush, deep orange wall to wall rug," said Eliza.
Their beds were side by side and sometimes they would make a tent out of the bed spreads and sleep in it with Rich. It was great fun and they had flashlights. It was such a relaxing bedroom.
The van continued riding through the city, Lenny even allowing Eliza to crack the window for air even though it was very chilly out. He was tired of maneuvering the van through some of the worse traffic in weeks due to the snow that seemed to come from nowhere and dumped a good 2 feet on the city. He wanted to get home and wished everyone everyone out of his van so he could zoom lightning fast to that same old familiar 2 room squalor apartment in Brooklyn to relax and have a cold beer and watch the tube. He switched on the radio. A scratchy barely audible version of the the song “Lion Sleeps Tonight” droned on, “…In the jungle, the mighty lion, the mighty Lion sleeps tonight!” That song always calmed Eliza’s spirit and made her think of the outdoors and fresh air.
It was obvious Lenny was really getting a bit sloppy in dropping off all these sassy rich kids but he’d usually saved the Osberg children for last. It was fun driving into the UN Plaza and watching the doorman scurrying about. He knew one day he’d spot Johnny Carson or some other movie celebrity passing by his van.
“Are there really 4 bedrooms up there?” asked Lenny, although he already knew from what other people told him.
“Yes, and a lot more, we even have a hiding place behind the wall in the den, and no grown ups can fit in there only us kids, so it’s like a club house,” said Eliza, for once proud of it.
Lenny nodded with interest.
The UN Plaza Apartments were laid out in two sections – East Tower and West Tower. A red velvet lobby with crystal chandeliers, marble tables and floors was only scratching the surface of this residential opulence. It was, in Eliza’s Osberg’s opinion, “humongous”! 38 floors with each hallway on each floor decorated differently.
Lenny felt just a bit empowered as they finally drove down the driveway of the large apartment buildings although his stomach always seemed to flutter and that was unsettling sometimes for him.
By this time, there was a slight drizzle and the doorman was bundled up like a World War II soldier with gold tassels on either side of his shoulders of the dark blue jacket, and plastic around his doorman’s cap. His nose was red and when Eliza got out of the smelly van, she got a whiff of Sam the Doorman’s odor which was a pleasant smell of winter snow, expensive tobacco, jacket and cologne. Fog was coming out of his mouth as he hailed a cab. Eliza could detect the slight odor of Clorets Gum as Sam waved Lenny away after the kids were safely on the curb. He knew Lenny the van driver well and did not like the crass man, so he said with body language “get the heck outta’ my territory now!” But sometimes, on a warm evening, he talked with Lenny and found the driver pleasant enough and then Lenny would drive away feeling good as Sammy joke about him to the Osberg kids, which would break the tension in them, especially Eliza, he noticed. She seemed to be the worst for wear in the year he’d helped her out of Lenny’s fume infested coach! And to think that the Osbergs gave this guy Christmas money!
Sam always knew that the Osberg kids treated the hired help at the UN Plaza like pals they met in the schoolyard and that gave them a certain charm to the workers at the UN Plaza. It made working there so much more bearable because their family was so intriguing in so many ways and no one really knew what to make of them sometimes, so that made the job more fun because in the break room they all discussed the Osbergs, and even the service elevator guys got in on the action and it made them feel like a real union or something like that. The kids even joked around with the guy who ran the service elevator. “Hey Dum-Dum,” yelled Glinda and Eliza if they saw him peeking around the corner looking bored. They lit up his world in a funny way, but they were disruptive and the building could not ignore that. The Osbergs had been living at the UN Plaza on the 23rd floor for almost 1 year. It was getting really very turbulent and the times called for more protests at the UN Building, the Vietnam War, Hippies, drugs, pot and even Israel and Palestine! It was starting to make security at the UN Plaza a bit tighter than usual, and so that is probably why the kids were singled out sometimes.
Sammy the doorman could not resist Eliza, and was constantly bantering with her and all the Osberg kids, they were so full of life and news and questions. But how long would management at the UN Plaza put up with it? It all depended on who was on the side of the Osberg’s side! For now the kids came and went and it was actually lonely and quiet like a church when they left for a long vacation with their folks, but then they’d clamor back home and Sam would smile and pretend indifference when he saw Tom the Deskman looking at him from inside the building where he sat at a huge mahogany desk you’d usually see in airports.
“Hey kids,” he said like Santa Claus.
“Hi Sammy,” they answered back.
Eliza’s nauseous feelings dissipated as the doorman led them to the revolving doors. Once in the beautiful, richly smelling lobby any discomfort Eliza felt melted away, her rosy cheeks returning. Her nose picked up more expensive perfume, leather, glass even the cigarette smoke aroma was pleasing and evenly fresh.
They ran to the elevators laughing and carrying on as usual. A bank of 3 elevators stood like pylons to the sky. Glinda pushed the up arrow button. John McGrath was on duty and took them up to the 23rd floor. Fresh, sweet perfumed smelling warm air was coming out of the elevator fan hanging discreetly above. Eliza put her face up to catch a whiff, like the odor of a brand new car. It felt good on her face and felt revived to be back home. And at least Central Park had been fun and she’d gotten cotton candy for her treat there. The remnants dotted her faced and lips. Eliza also had some cotton candy stuck in her matted curly hair.
“Cold out?”
“Yup,” said Richard, who didn’t converse very much, but liked John, so made the effort to speak a few words and show recognition. “We played soldiers.”
“I’ll bet,” he said as he straightened his name tag.
“It’s really nasty out there,” said Eliza.
“Where you kids coming from?”
“The youth group.”
“Oh.”
“We were playing in Central Park!”
“Oh.” He stared down at them with a huge smile on his big gentle looking face. His black uniform made him look more official than what the position of elevator operator was, but the kids had always treated him like he mattered to them and was important in their eyes. They looked up to him and that’s what he liked most about them. Mrs. Osberg was very generous around Christmas too.
“Where’s Roy?” He asked.
“Probably upstairs by now and sipping hot chocolate,” said Eliza
John slowly reached into his front shirt pocked.
“More sports pins, John?”
John nodded knowingly and retrieved a pin with a little football attached to it. “Oh yes!”
“Wow, why does he get that?” asked Eliza.
“Because he is the oldest and he loves football!” said little Glinda.
“Give him this, Rich, okay?”
“OK,” said John placing the little trinket in the palm of Rich’s plumpish hand.
Finally they reached 23 just as Eliza’s ears popped.
“Bye kids, be good!”
“Bye John,” they all said in unison.
They walked to their apartment and rang the bell. The door slowly opened and Roy was there smiling at them. The little dark haired oldest Osberg smiled. He wore braces and glasses but was dressed immaculately in a white tailored shirt and black dress pants with shiny men’s shoes that always made Glinda and Eliza laugh when they talked about them because their next door neighbor Mr. Ackermann wore the almost same ones, except his had little designer holes in them.
“Hey you guys,” he said excitedly as he let them in. He could be a handsome boy one day when the braces came off and the eyes cleared up. But for now he wore them like badges, not seeming to mind or notice, and he even had to go through getting his wisdom teeth out at a very early age in his teens. It would probably make the robust looking kid stronger when he got older. There was also a barely visible scar on Roy’s left thumb from when the boy ran through a plate glass door when they lived in a house in New England. He’d almost lost that thumb if not for the quick thinking paramedics that responded.
“Roy!” said Eliza, happy to see her older brother. She hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Here, this is from John,” said Richard, handing Roy the football pin.
“Hey, thanks.” Roy looked at the little pin and hooked it on Eliza’s shirt lapel.
“Roy!” She wore it like a metal and this one was special with a little golden plated football attached and it was the Washington Red Skins.
“Look, it’s Indians,” said Roy, knowing full well his kid sister’s love for the Indians!
“Thanks so much!” said Eliza.
The kids walked into the beautiful co-op. It smelled like fresh flowers and their mother’s expensive cologne, plus Mr. Osberg had come home tonight and everyone was in the den and Eliza could smell him clearly with his Aramis Cologne and expensive suit smell mixed with rich cigarette smoke. Sometimes she got a whiff of his breath after he’d had a few bites and sips of his Vodka and Herring delight he so loved; and it was comforting, not smelly nor offensive. He was such a fastidious man and was so clean shaven and put together so right, even with a toupee.
“There’s a lady here who is going to take care of us now,” revealed Roy.
“No more Vera the terror?” screamed Eliza.
“Nope, she’s gone!”
“Really?” asked the disbelieving Glinda, even getting up and looking out the den door into the long hallway leading to the maid’s quarters.
“This new woman’s in the den with mom and dad talking. She’s really nice, I met her!”
“Wow, neato!” said Rich.
They all walked into the cozy den. This room was decorated in very expensive brown intricate wallpaper and a huge Marc Chagall hung ever so exquisitely above the expensive Italian couch. The windows faced toward the tip of the Empire State Building, as well as the PanAm building to the right, and the Chrysler Building’s twinkling church looking lights to the left. The East River was lit up all around, and the George Washington Bridge stood to the foreground, cars flashing like stars. Trash and tugboats slowly drifted on the water, their little portals shining and cozy looking! When they came in and were seated, everyone sat quietly for a moment looking at the view that never seemed to get tiresome. In fact, it exuded their parent’s tastes.
Each child kissed their dad and sat on the couch. Mrs. Osberg was in the French chair dressed to the nines. The apartment itself was immaculate and glamorous. Mrs. Osberg was very particular about her decorators and furniture.
Lena Osberg could have been someone! With her almost Broadway career behind her and the contacts she stayed in touch with it was easy to still entertain with the idea of being known and ‘in the know’. The way she dressed and carried herself was very elegant and well put together. Blond long hair in a bun, her trademark cherry lipstick, signature white outfits and nifty flat heeled shoes in all colors and styles. The smell of Chanel #5 or A’rpeage French cologne at $100 an ounce. She shopped at Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and even I Magnin. The glamorous woman knew a lot of well heeled, high placed people and celebrities, singers and character actors. Her charity work and past paired her with many a surprise actor or singer who had even babysat them when they stayed at the UN Plaza apartment.
Their Mother Lena loved glamour! That mixed with the need to be different than all the rest, and know she was sparked with a special aura about her. Mrs. Osberg was gorgeous; she knew it. Lena was elegant, she knew. The woman who loved wearing all white and mink was outspoken and to the point; everyone around her knew that. Lena was simply smashing, gorgeous and vivacious. She didn’t smoke nor drink, except sometimes socially. She’d taken good care of herself through the years of having so many children. If all had went as planned there would have been many more kids, but she did have a few miscarriages. She and Victor had been busy, as the Kennedy’s were.
Lena could carry a conversation on for hours and absolutely lived for being in “The Know”. She was smart and raised well, fine bred in the Fine Arts, she sang opera like it was a walk in the park; Lena could play the piano and once had aspirations of either being a concert pianist or singing in the opera, but after a stint on Broadway, she met Victor Osberg and her mothering instincts overcame loving living out of a suitcase. But on the other hand, Lena used her theatrical background to her advantage; her public speaking skills took her to various forums and panels, as well as at parties in the “industry” both media and music, plus movies. In many ways it was rubbing off on Eliza, but more so with Glinda. Some called her over-dramatic, many called her beautiful and a great opera singer and the woman could raise funds for just about any cause related the The Arts!
“Kids, I’d like you to meet Gemma,” said Lena.
A young, petite light skinned black woman sat on the chair and smiled brightly.
“Kids, this is Gemma, our new housekeeper!” added Victor.
“Hello,” they all said in unison.
“She’s going to take care of you and cook, clean and keep our apartment orderly,” said Mrs. Osberg.
“I’m from Jamaica,” said the bright eyed lady.
Eliza remembered the sneering, ugly, old white face of Vera, and this new lady seemed anything but terrifying, Eliza could sense that right away!
“Wow,” they all said again in unison.
“You kids are cute, Ras…!” exclaimed Gemma, using the word “Ras” as in “Wow”.
“And she cooks!” said Eliza’s mother. “And I know what you’re thinking Eliza! You can tell right away that Gemma is a really sweet person, unlike Vera,” added Lena. She turned to Gemma. “That’s the lady we’d made the big mistake of hiring last year before we moved here to the UN Plaza, so things were a bit hectic.”
Eliza would always be haunted by Vera and remembered the incident with her younger sister getting her mouth washed out with Phisoderm nursing soap by Vera. Eliza recalled Glinda’s face turning beet red and she was screaming in terror, they both were.
Eliza stared deeply into Gemma’s twinkling brown eyes, and saw only kindness and depth she never saw in Vera’s dark grey winkers.
“I only have bad memories of Vera,” said Eliza.
Little Glinda and even Roy nodded. They would always carry the harsh memory of Vera the Terror, as they all called her.
“It takes a lot to push Roy to lose his temper like Vera and her sister Loretta did to the kids behind our backs!” admitted Mrs. Osberg.
Eliza cut in, “He ended up chasing them around the apartment with a steak knife until they locked themselves in the den bathroom.”
“They’d rile the kids up and tease them, and then claimed it was Eliza who was riling them up. Once Eliza had a terrible ear infection,” explained Mrs. Osberg.
“The school called and Vera come in a taxi and practically dragged Eliza by her sore ear to the cab and home,” explained Mr. Osberg easily remembering the incident and how they hadn’t seen how Vera was at first. “An aide saw the whole thing out the window and phoned us both!”
“Instead of trying to relieve Eliza’s apparent pain she told my daughter to go straight to her room, undress and get to bed with no t.v. on,” said Mrs. Osberg. “She told us that Eliza had been sent home from school for pretending to be sick, so at first of course we believed Vera…” She shot a loving glance of guilt toward Eliza and this had not been the first time Lena hadn’t believed her daughter hurt or ill. It’s just that she didn’t want her kids hurting, and sometimes she assumed they were playing wolf.
“But eventually by that evening the truth was out about Vera. Now that’s wrong and I should have seen that one coming. Luckily I called Fern and she and her sister flew in and took care of things for awhile until we found you Gemma!”
“Fern?” asked Gemma curiously.
“Oh, yes, we employed 2 sisters Fern and Ginny, wonderful women, to care for the kids years before Vera came into our employ,” said Victor.
“Remember, they have their own families,” said Mrs. Osberg.
But Eliza knew that Fern and Ginny just can’t stay away from the Osbergs, and the pay was very lucrative and the work was very fulfilling and busy, plus they get the fringe benefits of staying at the prestigious UN Plaza when their services were needed!
Mrs. Osberg added easily, “We would never ask them to uproot.” She leaned forward as if telling a secret. “The bottom finally fell out when Vera got so brazen as to steal my Bloomingdale’s charge plate and bought a $90 coat. She told everyone that my husband gave her permission!”
“Me Ras!” said Gemma almost dreamy-like as her cheery eyes took in the elegance of 23E.
“She was unceremoniously fired and we’ve never heard from her again and if we do the police will be involved. I did make a complaint!” said Victor.
Eliza didn’t mention that the kids had seen Loretta, Vera’s redheaded sister. She said Vera got another job on Park Avenue for some family and was making big bucks and that if “you kids want to come up to my place, I’ll make you a nice spaghetti dinner” to which the kids never accepted. As she walked away Eliza and Glinda would make fun of her.
Now this wonderful, young, friendly lady, eyes dancing with fun, stood before the kids laughing and carrying on with them.
After that, before dinner Eliza started to run her bath, Gemma came up and a said, “We’re gonna’ have so much fun, ras child! She even helped Eliza run her bath, and then washed her tangled naturally curly hair for Eliza which was a luxury. Even Glinda hopped in the tub as Gemma began to wash their hair and laugh with them. The Jamaican’s hands were supple and gentle and her demeanor kind. She had 4 children of her own and lived in Brooklyn with her husband Lev, whom Mrs. Osberg ended up getting a high profile job working at the UN Garage.
“Gemma, I like you,” said Glinda as she rinsed off.
“Me too!” added Eliza as she dunked her head under the warm cloudy water in the tub and all the grim and dirt of playing in the middle of Central Park came off of her like a second skin! It felt great to be clean and warm. Her fingers were still a bit frozen and were thumping, but soon that would subside once she was dry and in her night gown watching the latest t.v. show this evening.
It’s going to be my first night staying with you kids!”
“Yea,” cried both girls.
Gemma would sleep in her quarters and all the children were looking forward to it. That evening Eliza’s parents left for a glamorous party upstairs where Mr. and Mrs. Glass lived.
Gemma said, “I’m going to make ya’all hamburgers and French fries – a real treat for you!”
It looked good and all the kids were talking and conversing. “We’re so glad Vera is long gone. Gemma can you be a real ‘Gem’ to us?” asked Eliza.
Gemma smiled nicely and nodded.
They all watch TV in the den. Then Glinda fell asleep on the couch and Gemma ended up carrying the cute pixy to bed.
“Good night Gemma, thanks,” said Eliza as Gemma tucked them both in.
“Sure Sweetie. Kiss me dede,” she said kissing them each on the forehead.
Hey,, this is a great blog?!!
Can you give me the code??
Pliisss
in ferrypratamax10@gmail.com
i'm wait for your code
It's so cool... :)
from the beginning to see your template, I was very surprised and amazed. because your template is very cool. and I wish I could make a template like you.
and finally, I've managed to create a clone of your blog template. I beg your permission to use the template. and do not forget to put your link as a resource and reference.
thanks before
visit my blog
http://x-sacrificezone.blogspot.com/
http://oem-sacrificezone.blogspot.com/
url is only temporary, I promise will soon be looking for a replacement
Hi, I'm in love with this desing is really remarkable. May I have this blog script, please send an email to mr.chimin@gmail.com or mr.chimin@live.com thanks
I would greatly appreciate it.
Post a Comment
<< Home