I think I am finally coming to terms with my uber-crazy travel schedule hangover. Last week I spent less than 24 hours in Boston and then sat on a plane for 5 hours to Park City Utah [approx 30 miles from Salt Lake City] to spend 2 1/2 days to turn around and get back on the plane (packed with screaming children and uptight adults and a “personal seat entertainment system that didn’t work even after you shelled out $5 to watch a movie that should have been free- I think I have a much clearer understanding of why Delta went bankrupt ). More or less when you spend a month and a half worth of weekends jet setting to this place and that the level of sensitively to all of these annoyances of traveling become compounded and this last weekend really did show me that I needed to take a break. It was either that or my short temper and metal motivation to freak out each time I was pulled aside into a glass box to have my cast swabbed…cause you know you are a terrorist when you have a broken arm. I think the neon pink was a tip off to my connections with the Taliban. Jesus Christ.
So now I am in kind of do nothing mood. The weather being in the mid-90s isn’t really helping my mood to stay in and relax also I am worn out and running at a slower gauge with this arm thing, although as of today I only have 19 more days of pink plaster bliss. I really want to get back to the gym and running the streets (even though all of my running buddies have relocated) and I just want to do summer things like swimming. I didn’t think I would miss it too much. You have to look at the basics when it comes to swimming in New York City, with space at a premium no one is really going to take the space for a pool. There is this pool lady or whatever if it’s referred to up the street in Brooklyn heights, it’s a floating barge with a pool built in, but I am a little e skeptical. You wait in line and the have a timed section you are allowed to swim amongst 175 strangers doing god knows what in the corners of the pool. And if you are saying even as a kid you never peed in the pool…guess what …you are lying. I already have plans to hit up the red hook public pool (I know the macrobiotic inhabitants of that one is no better but at least its familiar waters) on August 1st when I get this thing off my arm.
It’s been nice to be back though. A few weeks ago I was perusing the Prospect Park site and came across the events for the summer, since Eric worked in the food area last year we had become friends with most of the park security and I figured if there was something big to see we could probably manage to get in to see it for a very reasonable price (or not price at all as it may be). I didn’t see much with this summers line up but I did notice that the philharmonic was playing a free show. It took me back to the summer of my junior year at college when I was basically sharing a full sized futon mattress on the floor with my friend Alicia in a 3 (well more like 2 1/2) bedroom on 16th street in Brooklyn right off of the edge of Prospect Park. It was kind of like this bizarre half way house that everyone had come through. I think Alicia had gone back to Albany for the weekend leaving me and the other girl (Rachael) there on our own. I didn’t know her very well but still had nice conversations in passing in the house. She asked if I wanted to go with her to the concert. I remember laying in the grass listening to it and watching the fireworks at the end (I also remember getting a phone call of an interview for a food service job I had applied for while walking around one day, later I would be hired and quit the restaurant within a week. It was the only job to date that I have really walked out on and never turned back). So, I decided to throw out a big email inviting people to bring some food and a blanket to the park and just get a chance to sit and eat and see each other. It was a really great idea. I got a chance to see some friends that have been missing in action for a few months now. But that’s how the city goes; if you don’t make the plans you just don’t see people. At the end there were about 15 of us just sitting and catching up. I was happy to see the fire works at the end, especially since I had missed all of the fanfare over the July 4th holiday
Last night, we had planned to meet Bri and Holland in the city to go see a free Spoon concert (I got in trouble cause I kept calling it ‘The Spoons’... I guess I was just aging myself) but when I got home the sky was about to open up in the mayhem of an on coming storm. So plans for Spoon got nixed and replaced with a setain snacker (setain, bbq sauce and coleslaw on a bun) and some French friend with truffle mayo from Chicory in the neighborhood and a chance to it on the couch and watch City of God. I have probably been meaning to watch this movie for years now. I tired to also watch Repoman. It didn’t really keep me from falling asleep though. They are showing it on a big screen in McCarren Park “Pool” (it is actually run down empty pool area) for free in August so maybe I’ll give it another go. That’s another thing I am trying to do, find as many free in NYC things to do and just go for them, make a big plan with people and go enjoy what the city has to offer.
Side note: another plan I thought of today was making a new cover for our bed, but that will entail getting my sewing machine serviced which I should just bite the bullet and do anyway and then it takes finding a good fabric store. I am sure there are beautiful places here, but so far nothing with the ease and convenience of Jo Annes. We’ll see, but its good to have the creative motivation bubble up again. It’s been a little while. Although I am thinking I will be much more successful in any of these endeavors when I have full use of both hands.
Tonight I am meeting up with Caitlin for a sneak preview showing of Super Bad. Its looks awesome, I can’t wait. After this I just have to find time to go see Harry Potter.
