Winter is really here.

Mercury falls to teens and it feels really cold since we were spoiled with mild winter last year. But even in this temperature and even with added icy wind little sparrows are sleeping on the bare pear trees up the block, not huddling together but individually perched, which always fascinates me. Though so small, I guess they have enough feathers? When I was a runner this totally didn't discourage me from going out for a run in the morning. It's a perfect sweat icicle weather; I would come back from a run and feel my sweat that got frozen stiff melt down around my neck inside warm apartment. If it's in single digit I may hesitate, but weather in general was hardly ever an excuse for not going out there. So last weekend when Taiyo announced he wanted to go to the park, I was totally in. It was a long weekend with Monday off, and we spent too much time inside. "I want to go to Pumpkin Square Park," he said. So we went to deserted Tompkins Square Park. There were very few kids and adults in this usually busy playground. I decided it was the perfect time to really run around with Taiyo- besides it was just too cold to sit around. We hopped from one gym to another, playing pirates on ships. We also just chased each other and played hide and seek. I enjoyed sliding on the tall slide which was really smooth and fast. It was just a perfect day for it. When we saw flurries we went across the street to 7A for late brunch.

This is one of the few places still left in the neighborhood since I moved to Manhattan in 1990. Like Sidewalk Cafe across the street, I'm sure management has changed at least once because it just does not feel the same, but I do appreciate that it still bears the name. It was great time for us to be there after brunch rush. We got to sit in a roomy booth near the back. Taiyo no longer needs one, fortunately, but they seemed to have plenty of high chairs. I wasn't expecting much for their food, just being nostalgic to go to my old hangout, and I was pretty sure this popular joint was child-friendly. Taiyo didn't get any notable service or attention, but there were a few other family diners in the restaurant which made us more comfortable. In any case Taiyo was acting crazy as usual pointing his new potato gun at people, bubbling, jumping up and down on the booth, and I just had to get something to shut him up. Blueberry pancakes with sausage. It was kind of sad looking. But Taiyo was so excited and he totally sat quietly and cleared the plate pretty much all on his own. So it was really nothing notable about the food and I would not order it again unless it was $3. But Taiyo was so happy and kept him in his seat, so they did something right.