So much snow and ice! This frigid white stuff seems to have become the most prominent theme of my life over the past thirty days: Shoveling, Olympics, Heated Rivalry.
It all began with the exceptionally large snowstorm which spanned the final weekend of January. I counted 18 inches of fallen snow— which I shoveled over five separate sessions. The problem wasn't the shoveling; I ran out of places to pile it! Then the bitter cold, which never rose above freezing for 17 straight days, ensured that the increasingly dirty mounds hung around for three long weeks. At long last, the weather rocketed into the mid-forties. I turned-on the backyard faucet and hand-washed my car. (It felt so good.) The warmish-week also melted all the old snow. This morning we awakened to a heavy dusting—though we are likely to be spared the brunt of the accumulation which may bury New York City with a vengeance.
Then there is (was) the Olympics. My national cable provider was having a contract renewal fight with our local NBC affiliate. This happens every two or three years, during which time we lose NBC. So the Olympics began and we couldn't watch it. We decided to try NBC's Peacock—despite my aversion to juggling so many different streaming services. Peacock did allow us to stream pretty much everything we wanted to see (skating)—though, I admit, watching the traditional television feed (in years past) did force us to broaden our viewing into the other sporting venues. On the upside, the viewing was "narrow and deep": we got to see a lot more of the international skaters (which NBC does not show in primetime). We also could watch (or re-watch) it at our convenience. But Peacock was also a frustrating hassle: the screen was very hard to navigate and they discontinued the event recordings after a couple of days. Silly me, I thought the whole purpose of a streaming subscription was to access a permanent library of options at one's convenience. But we did get to live through the heartbreak of following Ilia Malinin—considered by many the world's best living skater—through his increasing Olympic successes followed by a sudden, precipitous downfall. We'll be back and cheering for you, Ilia, in 2030!
Then there's Heated Rivalry. I admit it: I'm obsessed. Last night I began my fourth viewing of the six-part series. I often have believed that the best creative endeavors are those produced within constraints—be it money, time, space or other restrictions—and Heated Rivalry hit a home run on a shoestring. Its quality also is the result of its creators' uncompromising vision—their insistence on making the show their way (even if it meant living on that shoestring). Heated Rivalry would have been very different if it had been made in America, for Americans. Which is why I am so glad that it was not. Let's hear it for Canada! We love you!
Shown above, a little ceramic bear cub—rolling in the snow. He was made in Denmark by Royal Copenhagen in the Sixties or Seventies. He exudes the right balance of realism and whimsy. Click on the photo above to learn more about him.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.