A telephone call from my son, Gregg, (Tuesday, Jan. 25):

"Meet me in the rotunda of Madison Square Garden in front of Cosby's Uniform Store at 6:00 p.m. I am taking a good client to the basketball game (St. John's vs. Rutgers). He is an avid Rutgers fan, so don't overreact in rooting for St. John's," my son said.

"Yes, sir," I replied.

Without questioning the weather (snowy and icy) and my advanced age (over 60 ... and getting younger), I set out to catch the 4:23 p.m. off-peak Long Island Railroad (LIRR) train from Hicksville. A game at Madison Square Garden is a pleasure as you don't have to leave Penn Station and go out into the frosty evening. I parked in the snow-filled lot at the Hicksville station and paid $7 for roundtrip, senior citizen fare and went up to the platform.

The 4:23 pm train arrived exactly on time. I stepped into the empty car and opened my New York Times crossword puzzle. Only then did I discover that the railroad car had no light and no heat. I settled into my seat and started the puzzle in natural daylight. It was cold and dark, but I was absorbed and relatively comfortable.

At 5:17 p.m., the train entered Penn Station, almost exactly ontime. The puzzle was finished, even though I had to stop working every time the train entered a tunnel.

I met Gregg and his Rutgers client, his client's wife Harold and Schneider (co-workers) and the six of us proceeded into Madison Square Garden.

The "Garden" always gives me a thrill. It is the true Mecca of basketball. The hanging, numbered banners recall past glory (Bradley, Reed, Monroe, Holzman and McGuire). When the Garden rocks with excitement, it is glorious just to be in the building.

The game started out bad for St. John's as they came out flat and missed their first 11 shots. The ball just didn't fit into the basket. Neither team played well, and the score was 29-26, in favor of Rutgers at half-time.

Gregg was wearing his gray St. John's sweatshirt and his client was wearing his bright red Rutgers shirt. His client was a true fan and the cheering was strong, partisan and passionate.

We dined on oversized hot dogs and pepperoni pizzas, washed down with Coca-Colas.

The lead kept changing hands and every foul shot and basket were crucial. The game ended with a St. John's victory 61-57. It was sloppy basketball but being at Madison Square Garden with my son and his business associates was a father's true pleasure.

After some sincere good-byes, and a bit of condolence to the client, I returned downstairs in Penn Station to the LIRR. I caught the 10:02 p.m. and was back in Hicksville at 10:50 p.m.

It had snowed and blanketed the parking lot. My car was a sheet of ice. The engine started and I sat for 20 minutes while the front and rear defrosters did their jobs. I had no ice scraper and that delayed my return home about 15 minutes.

At midnight, I reached my driveway which was snowed in. A plow, manned by Nick Craziose, a long time friend and Hicksvillian, was plowing driveways on my block. With four deft passes of his magic snow remover, Nick allowed me to return to my home and worried wife, Lorraine.

This Winter's Tale is not really exciting or adventuresome, but it sure was a lot of fun for an aging suburbanite.

New York City, the Big Apple with all of its wonders is only a short train ride away. Don't be lazy. Do it!