"Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing about."
Ben Franklin
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| Yorkville NYPL |
I have been reminded that I am behind on my blog
posts, again. I’ve been busy, frustrated
beyond belief, and feeling at peace again.
During the “Polar Vertex” I had scheduled myself to go across the street
to volunteer at Computer Basics at the Library.
Due to the cold, very few Seniors showed up. I had a nice chat with a college student instead
reaffirming how blessed I am, and that my true hard work ethic in life has had
its rewards.
Later that evening, I ventured out into the frigidity to Midtown to take part in
Gotham
Writers Open House. It’s been on my radar for awhile, and I thoroughly enjoyed
my Creative and Memoir Writing classes.
Since it was Tuesday, I then met my neighbors at Sojourn.
Having discovered a few years ago that it can pay to
be in NYC in the cold of January, early one morning I got up early and went to
the Bernard
Jacobs Theatre to try my luck at Rush seats for Once.
Scored! Kristi and I met at Bar Centrale for cocktails and a bite
to eat before the show. Once was
wonderful, totally different, and better
than the movie. I highly recommend it. A
wonderful evening with one of my favorite People!
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| Line outside...the beginning.. |
Thus began the Woes..One of my favorite Family members
is about to go on the journey of a lifetime.
My Cousin’s Daughter is a Junior at Bates, and going on a three
continent abroad program for the Semester.
To do this much bureaucracy was involved. Being in New York, I happily went to pickup
her Passport that was in NYC in order to get the visa for India. What I quickly discovered when I went to a
nondescript building in Midtown (I was confused as I had passed the Indian
Embassy on my visits to the Frick just off 5th Avenue in the Museum
Mile area) was that the Embassy outsourced this type of work to a company called
BLS International Services (forevermore in my mind the big loser s…heads). OMG, three visits on three different days,
many hours, many texts and phone calls with my cousin, after having been yelled
at, discriminated against?, I finally had the passport with visa stamp in my
hands. I haven’t been that frustrated in
a very long time..
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| UCB from Yelp |
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| Houndstooth Pub from Yelp |
Around these lovely visits, of course I did not sit
around wallowing. I went to the Frederick Douglass
Center on the UWS and spent some time with some adorable, rambunctious first
graders at the Bedtime Stories Project (reading, crafts, etc.). Later that evening I stayed on the West side to
meet a friend from Rooftop Films to see an Improv Show at Upright Citizen’s Brigade in Chelsea (which
was quite good and provided some much needed giggles), On the way to the show I stopped into Houndstooth Pub for a bite to
eat. Here I must share an amazing small
world story.
If you know me at all, you know how much I have
truly loved working with, for, and “on”, so many People in my career as a
Dental Hygieinst. My Patients kept me
going, literally, on many levels.
In my eleven years working in Southie (South Boston), I had the privilege
and pleasure of treating many families, sharing in their lives. Some actually followed me to other practices
on the South Shore when I left Southie.
One such Lady was the catalyst for my first mid-life crisis. I was reading the Irish Sports pages
(obituaries) when I saw that my Patient had died from melanoma leaving her
husband to raise 3 babies. I joined Katie in Italy that fall while she was back-backing
around Europe following her graduation from college. Fast forward to this
January night in NYC. As I was enjoying
my dinner at the bar of Houndstooth Pub, the woman next to me frustratingly
exclaimed to her friend :”Jesus, Mary and Joseph....” At which point I turned and said: “You must
be from Boston.” We then shared a lively,
wonderful chat. She’s from Southie. Her Brother is the Widower of my Patient. I was in tears.
There have been meetings for VDay, One Billion Rising for Justice. One was at ABC
Carpet and Home, an amazing space, a store that has a well recognized
restaurant. I will go back to explore
further. (I am now Volunteer coordinator
for the “Just Love” and “Rise NYC” events to be held at the Manhattan
Center/Hammerstein Ballroom on February 14!).
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| 4th U |
As a natural segue, a Woman I met at the VDay
meeting invited me to join a group of Ladies doing Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues”
and “The Good Body”. I went to the 4th Universalist Church
on the Upper West Side across from Central Park and met yet more lovely Ladies. I jumped in with both feet, am now the
Bracelet Lady (can’t get away from those “B”things), amongst other bits and
pieces. The Organizer-Producer wanted to
know where I came from.
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| Flea Market |
After that inspiring meeting I poked around the UWS stopping
in at one of my favorite Flea Markets on Columbus and 76th Street,
managing to find some treasures. I then
decided to do some food shopping and walked over to Trader Joe’s. I am now used to lines in my new city, and
waiting in them. However, I draw the
line! at waiting to enter a grocery
store! I found a perfectly good Fairway
instead.
Happily my Philosophy Class started up again. So many familiar friendly faces, and our tutor
from last semester is with us again. I believe
she’s delighted as she comments often on the true bond our group has
formed. This session’s theme is “love”,
already providing some interesting, if tough, discussions.
When I finally had that hot little package (my Cousin's Passport) in my hands,
I walked to a UPS drop-off shop as I
was not going to trust UPS Brown Boxes for this. Only a human would do. I passed an Ann Taylor Loft, and yes, did
what was necessary, treated myself to a bit of therapy A block later, I found “Mail Boxes and
Beyond.” It’s a tiny Mom and Pop store,
and sitting behind the counter was a very grumpy Indian Man! I wanted to laugh out loud and run. It was pouring and I was hungry. I smiled, gave it to the Gentleman, and said
a little prayer. The package arrived the
next day, and my young Lady is leaving this week on her adventure.
To continue my celebration of getting my Cousin’s
passport sent off, I went down to the Village to the Cornelia Street Cafe for Tom Pryor’s “City Stories: Stoops to Nuts,” a
story-telling show. Tom has this event on the second Tuesday of every month. I enjoyed a great meal, sitting with an
interesting man, Otto, who published Tom’s book. It was
an amazing time. I will be back.
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| Piano & player @ Marie's |
From there I headed down Bleeker Street, stopping
in at a small shoe store, Toosh, whereupon the Salesman greeted me with: “You
look tired.” Not wanting to regale him
with my tails of woe (the bureaucratic bs of my week), or unleash my wrath, I
started laughing and proceeded to have a lot of fun with he and his Saleswoman
co-worker. Two pairs of boots, and a
pair of sandals later, my therapy complete, I, ala Julia Roberts in “Pretty
Woman,” very happily trotted over to one of my absolute favorites, Marie’s Crisis (Grove Street at 6th Ave),
and had a couple of wonderful hours, leaving in time to catch the last set at
my Sojourn.
I joined one of my all-time favorite museums, The Frick.
Usually I just join one museum a year, and I just renewed my membership
for the MET. But there was a very
special Lady at the Frick. She came in October.
I went the Sunday after Thanksgiving to visit her but the line was
around the block. I decided to wait til
the city was “quiet” in January to go back.
Time flies, and before I knew it, the exhibit was about to close. The crowds had been unprecedented for this exhibit. The only way to visit Vermeer’s “The Girl with
The Pearl Earring” appeared to be to join.
So I did, and I was absolutely not disappointed. She is stunning. (I must digress a bit
again. I have surprised myself over the
years by how moved I get seeing certain pieces of art. When I had that first mid-life crisis and
joined Katie in Italy all those years ago, I cried when I saw The Pieta at the
Vatican, David at Accademia, Boticelli’s Venus at the Uffizi. Katie asked if I was going to cry for the
whole two weeks.)
Kristi and I enjoyed Bedlam Ensemble’s “The Tennessee
Williams Project” at the Gene Frankel Theatre.
A member of my Writing Group’s (and my new hairdresser) Daughter wrote
and directed this play which was a compilation of five Tennessee Williams’
plays. It was very good, and the costumes
were great.
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