Winter In New York (c) by Michael Shanahan

"Bloomberg Snowed In", reads the headline on the Daily News.  The local News channel NY1 is reporting on the recent snowfall and showing a clip of the mayor every ten minutes from earlier in the day.  Mayor Bloomberg looking very ill makes the following statement, "We are analyzing the response from the various departments and we are going to see what we can improve upon for the next time."  A reporter from off-camera asks, "There are rumors that the sanitation department ordered a slowdown in order to punish you for the cuts to their department."  "Is there any evidence of this?"  The mayor looking quite pale responds, "There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by anyone during the storm so far."  If any wrongdoing is discovered those parties will be punished."  "So far it appears as though it was just the amount of snow that fell in such a short period of time that made it impossible for the plows to keep up."  The clip is always followed on the news by interviews with many unhappy residents of the city all having complaints about the clean-up in their area, and telling stories about how at best the storm and the following attempt to clean-up inconvenienced them and at worst endangered their lives or the lives of their loved ones.  Later in the evening the Mayor thinks to himself as he is going to bed, he shivers from the flu and briefly reviews the day's events. He affirms to himself that this is not going to be how his administration is remembered.  He will see to that.

A few weeks later the the mayor is within the fence of the Staten Island Zoo at the burrow of the Zoo's local celebrity named Staten Island Chuck.  Chuck's handler Ken briefs the mayor on how to handle the spring predicting groundhog.  Mayor Mike asks Ken if there is anything he can do which will help Chuck to see it the way that millions of winter weary New Yorkers would like Chuck to see it.  Ken responds that Chuck can use a nudge in the right direction.  Ken tells the Mayor, "If you really reach in there and get Chuck with the gloves in a solid grasp and get him outside the burrow and tempt him with his favorite treat then he will be less likely to return to his burrow. 

About an hour later all the local press has gathered to see the Mayor of New York rouse Chuck the groundhog to see if there will be six more weeks of winter or if spring is on the way.  The Mayor reaches deep into the burrow.  He gets a solid grip on Chuck.  The Mayor is determined to get a favorable outcome and forces him out of his burrow.  No one is quite sure if Chuck sees his shadow, but everyone is keenly aware of the groundhog spinning around and biting the Mayor's hand.  Mayor Bloomberg winces, grunts, and then drops poor Chuck right to the ground.  Chuck sees his opportunity to get away from what is obviously a dangerous predator and go back into his warm, safe burrow. The Mayor ends up with a hurt hand, a trip to the emergency room, and a media circus.  Spring will come, we will get there, and the Mayor will too.  Pretty soon we will be complaining that it is too hot. 

A New Day In The Deli (c) by Michael Shanahan

Robert looks up at the clock in the corner deli in which he works and sees that the clock has just struck 12AM. This time marks the end of his shift and the beginning of his me time. Outside waiting for Robert to get off are Alan, and Mike. Two local characters who drink and fish with Robert after he gets off work. Alan and Mike get government assistance for various reasons and do not work. They are good fishing buddies for Robert though who is just a small step from destitution himself. Alan and Mike have their fishing gear ready to go but Robert has to get his out from the hole in the wall apartment he is sharing with the other worker in the deli whose name is Bill. He gets his gear and they all buy their drinks for the night at the deli and then walk with their gear to the pier down the block. They are not picky about drinks and get the cheapest drinks in the store which coincidentally are the most intoxicating. They call it the most bang for the buck. It is the last day of the legal fishing season and it is getting cold. They set up their gear and begin to fish. It is dark but they have bells on the poles which will signal if there is a fish at the end of the line. Mike asks Robert if he thinks he might be able to land a fish tonight for a change. Robert responds by saying, "Just shut up and fish". There wasn't much action fishing that night until suddenly Robert's pole bent over doubled. The rod was held there propped between the wire mesh and the metal bar of the fence, and fishing line was peeling off of it. Robert stumbled quickly to the pole and picked it up to begin fighting the fish. He could hear his buddies rooting him on. The line continued to peel off the reel even as Robert started applying some serious pressure. Whatever it was it was big. He continued like this for a while and then very slowly, between runs he began to take line back. He felt the fish roll and shake its mighty head on the end of the line. As the fight neared its conclusion Robert saw a huge swirl on top of the dark water and this confirmed his suspicion that this may well be the biggest fish he had ever faced. Then the fish fought its way to the ocean floor, it rolled again and shook the hook loose. Robert reeled back the line with an empty hook and sinker. His buddy Mike laughed and asked if he had lost another one. Robert confirmed that it was gone with alcohol influenced slurred words. The three buddies fished another hour without event and then they all went home.

The next day Robert awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. When he picked up he discovered it was his ex-wife Nicole. He answered in his groggy state that he knows he is behind in the payments he is just trying to get his finances in order and he will be able to catch up soon. He said that he knows Robert Jr wants to see him and maybe they can work something out soon. A little later it was time for another 12 hr shift.

The workday was uneventful besides the regulars coming in for coffee, beer, cigarettes, and some not yet illegal new age vices. A few people came in for toilet paper and other odds and ends. Later that night the change of shift came about and Robert knew that his friends would not be waiting outside for him now that the fishing season was over. Robert decided to get some of his favorite beer to mark the passing of another season. He had put a six pack in the walk-in fridge so that it would be there when he got off and now he was claiming his reward. He could hear the other deli worker tending to a customer after he was in the fridge. Then he began to hear excited voices shouting. One of the robbers that he had originally thought were customers shouted at the other worker, What don't you understand about give me all the money? Robert decided that he wouldn't be much help since he was unarmed so he continued to hide. He knew that this armed robbery could go south very fast, and he knew claiming this six pack might very well be the last thing that he would do. Since all he could do was hide he thought about his life and took inventory of the many regrets he had. He has a son. Maybe drunken carousing and fishing shouldn't have been his highest priority at this point in life. He thought about how he looked up to his father and if he could have that same influence on Robert Jr then surely he could help him to avoid the pitfalls he had fallen into. He knows his beer tab alone could pay for his child support payments, and that would definitely be a better way for the money to be spent. Yes, if I get out of this situation alive I am going to be a better father, pay the support payments and help my son to do better than I did. The yelling outside got frantic and he knew Bill must have made a move for the gun under the counter. The yelling was followed by a gunshot and then he heard the thugs say to get out of there. He waited a few moments to be sure they had left and then went out. Bill was behind the counter bleeding profusely. Robert called emergency services and told them the situation. Bill was unresponsive. They came and took Bill out in an ambulance but Robert knew he wouldn't make it. He answered the questions of the police and the owner of the store and was told he was lucky to be alive. He felt lucky and had not forgotten his conversation with himself.
The murdering robbers were apprehended from the descriptions people gave who were outside the store. It turned out they were responsible for a recent string of armed robberies but Bill was the only person that they had murdered.
Robert and Robert Jr went fishing together many times in the following year. On the last day of the season Robert Jr caught the state record Bass in the category of fishing line he was using. Robert was proud of his son and proud of the role he was now playing in his life.