Friday, July 29, 2005
~ Well, New York is booked for the end of August and I could not be any more excited. We are renting an apartment in the East Village instead of paying out the ass for a closet with a doorman in Times Square. Our one bedroom apartment is costing us approx. $125 less per night and comes with the added bonus of not being surrounded by groups of people dressed in matching t-shirts and fanny packs with their noses craned upwards all while walking WAY too slow. Please note that I do realize that to a native, I might as well scream TOURIST while walking down the street but in my little divine bubble, I blend.
~ There is something a brewin’ and it is HUGE. And I am not going to mention details because really, there are none at this point in time, but if it happens – oh my fucking god.
~ Even with the goodness above, there is still an overwhelming feeling of overwhelmedness. I am not at all prepared to deal with the consequences of getting older and when I verbalize that I am going to be thirty-two or that I am about to celebrate my ten year wedding anniversary, well, it makes me feel decrepit and this feeling of obsoleteness takes over and all I want to do is cower in the corner and sob. It is so hard to be thankful and appreciative when you are surrounded by shit. I get this cutter mentality and begin punishing myself because if the people that I love are suffering, why should I reap in the benefits of good fortune? I am not trying to be a martyr or a saint or make it appear that I am experiencing this unprecedented grief but Jesus Christ – it’s never going to fucking end.
… Seems that the wrath of the Gods got a punch on the nose and it started to flow; I think I might be sinking.
~ There is something a brewin’ and it is HUGE. And I am not going to mention details because really, there are none at this point in time, but if it happens – oh my fucking god.
~ Even with the goodness above, there is still an overwhelming feeling of overwhelmedness. I am not at all prepared to deal with the consequences of getting older and when I verbalize that I am going to be thirty-two or that I am about to celebrate my ten year wedding anniversary, well, it makes me feel decrepit and this feeling of obsoleteness takes over and all I want to do is cower in the corner and sob. It is so hard to be thankful and appreciative when you are surrounded by shit. I get this cutter mentality and begin punishing myself because if the people that I love are suffering, why should I reap in the benefits of good fortune? I am not trying to be a martyr or a saint or make it appear that I am experiencing this unprecedented grief but Jesus Christ – it’s never going to fucking end.
… Seems that the wrath of the Gods got a punch on the nose and it started to flow; I think I might be sinking.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
After much editing (I think my eyeballs have permanently attached themselves to my monitor) I finally finished the New York gallery on my site.
There are a few things I learned on this trip and they are, a) I absolutely fucking love New York and I have already spent many hours figuring how to spend all of my free time there. b) After taking SO many pictures where less than 10% are of a decent, hang on your wall quality, it makes a girl realize that she needs a whole hell of a lot of instruction. And finally, c) Being a photographer is really lonely and I am afraid that I am missing a lot of important stuff while hiding behind my lens.
Enjoy and comments are welcome.
There are a few things I learned on this trip and they are, a) I absolutely fucking love New York and I have already spent many hours figuring how to spend all of my free time there. b) After taking SO many pictures where less than 10% are of a decent, hang on your wall quality, it makes a girl realize that she needs a whole hell of a lot of instruction. And finally, c) Being a photographer is really lonely and I am afraid that I am missing a lot of important stuff while hiding behind my lens.
Enjoy and comments are welcome.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Between trying to find a bed & breakfast in either Lower Manhattan or Brooklyn and researching Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma I really have not accomplished all that I could have accomplished at this point in the day. Am I really to blame for this diversion though because the way I figure it, when your brain is ping ponging between New York and cancer, it really is difficult to concentrate.
Last night I went through the 1140 photos that I took and chose about eighty-five for my site. Now comes the editing process, which in my estimation will take about one billion years to finish. I managed to tidy up fifteen of the photo’s last night which if I say, only seventy to go, I might just go into some sort of anxiety ridden panic and never finish so I will continue to lie to myself about the enormity of the project. It’s really not too bad, a little burn here and a little crop there and we should be good to go. It’s just a large amount of small tasks, which can be as daunting as a couple of really LARGE ones.
New York was incredible though. I am even more smitten now but I knew my obsession would be a healthy one once I returned. I am trying to be patient though with another trip on the horizon and we might even go up for a quickie in November. We did it all though, well at least as much as one can do in a five-day period.
Day one we began our adventure in Times Square and the various goings on in Times Square. We then walked down Broadway to the Empire State Building but opted to traverse to the top another time. We then walked to Union Station where Gov. Pataki was conducting a press conference and thank God because the flurry of police activity (to include a bomb detonating truck), news vans and men in three piece suits running around with their index fingers permanently attached to their ear pieces was a little unsettling. We decided to walk Eastward to the UN where well actually we looked at the building from an overpass in Tudor City. After that we walked up 5th Ave. to St. Patrick’s Cathedral then we sat for a moment in the ostentatious lobby in Trump Tower. Then off to Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, The Ed Sullivan Theater, Rupert G’s for cherry slushies and other various stops before we were back in Time Square and on our way home to Brooklyn. We ate at Two Boots in Park Slope then collapsed from exhaustion.
Day two we decided to spend at the Met and at the Natural History Museum due to the rain. We ate at the world famous Junior’s. The chocolate egg cream’s (milk, chocolate syrup and carbonated water ) were to die for but the food was over priced and tolerable. Frankly I was underwhelmed. Junior’s later redeemed itself when I ate a piece of their cheesecake. I hate cheesecake but this small, incredible slice of dairy dessert goodness. We walked back to Fort Greene and again, collapsed from exhaustion.
Saturday we started with a walk to Wall St. and the New York Stock Exchange after a short stop at a beautiful church, we walked to Ground Zero. I really don’t think I need to go into detail about that experience. We then walked to the Staten Island Ferry where we opted NOT to wait in the throngs of people for a boat ride and a close up glimpse of Lady Liberty so we hopped on the subway to the East Village were we ate the best pastrami in the world at the 2nd Avenue Deli. From there we shopped, stopped by CBGB’s then walked to SOHO, Chinatown then to Little Italy. We then went home where we later went to DUMBO and had ice cream and gawked at the most amazing view of the Manhattan skyline.
Sunday we spent the day at Coney Island, which in and of itself deserves an entirely separate post. But I am getting bored and I actually do have things to do but I do reserve the right to purge at a later date. We rode the Wonder Wheel, The Cyclone and ate at Nathan’s and the people watching is astounding, I mean, where in the world other than at Coney Island can you find a Mariachi band walking onto the pier, obviously hoping to make a buck or two performing for the masses who are there to cool themselves from the hot New York summer heat. We bought lots of goodies and I am currently engrossed in a book detailing the history of the famed locale.
Monday we finally went to the top of the Empire State Building. A word of advice. Pay the extra $15 bucks for the express pass. You will thank me when you do and if you don’t, you will cuss the people who did and who are making your wait all that much longer because they get to bypass everyone waiting in line who was too damn cheap to splurge. Time is money people. Time is money. When we came down we shopped then spent the rest of the day in Central Park. We rode the carousel, walked through Strawberry Fields, saw the Alice in Wonderland statue, Bethesda Fountain, Belvedere Castle and Cleopatra’s Needle. Hot and sweaty, we hopped on the 5 train and headed back to Brooklyn. We ate dinner in Williamsburg then were given a tour of the city by car.
My feet are almost healed and my lower back has decided to forgive me. I wanna go back NOW!!!
Last night I went through the 1140 photos that I took and chose about eighty-five for my site. Now comes the editing process, which in my estimation will take about one billion years to finish. I managed to tidy up fifteen of the photo’s last night which if I say, only seventy to go, I might just go into some sort of anxiety ridden panic and never finish so I will continue to lie to myself about the enormity of the project. It’s really not too bad, a little burn here and a little crop there and we should be good to go. It’s just a large amount of small tasks, which can be as daunting as a couple of really LARGE ones.
New York was incredible though. I am even more smitten now but I knew my obsession would be a healthy one once I returned. I am trying to be patient though with another trip on the horizon and we might even go up for a quickie in November. We did it all though, well at least as much as one can do in a five-day period.
Day one we began our adventure in Times Square and the various goings on in Times Square. We then walked down Broadway to the Empire State Building but opted to traverse to the top another time. We then walked to Union Station where Gov. Pataki was conducting a press conference and thank God because the flurry of police activity (to include a bomb detonating truck), news vans and men in three piece suits running around with their index fingers permanently attached to their ear pieces was a little unsettling. We decided to walk Eastward to the UN where well actually we looked at the building from an overpass in Tudor City. After that we walked up 5th Ave. to St. Patrick’s Cathedral then we sat for a moment in the ostentatious lobby in Trump Tower. Then off to Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, The Ed Sullivan Theater, Rupert G’s for cherry slushies and other various stops before we were back in Time Square and on our way home to Brooklyn. We ate at Two Boots in Park Slope then collapsed from exhaustion.
Day two we decided to spend at the Met and at the Natural History Museum due to the rain. We ate at the world famous Junior’s. The chocolate egg cream’s (milk, chocolate syrup and carbonated water ) were to die for but the food was over priced and tolerable. Frankly I was underwhelmed. Junior’s later redeemed itself when I ate a piece of their cheesecake. I hate cheesecake but this small, incredible slice of dairy dessert goodness. We walked back to Fort Greene and again, collapsed from exhaustion.
Saturday we started with a walk to Wall St. and the New York Stock Exchange after a short stop at a beautiful church, we walked to Ground Zero. I really don’t think I need to go into detail about that experience. We then walked to the Staten Island Ferry where we opted NOT to wait in the throngs of people for a boat ride and a close up glimpse of Lady Liberty so we hopped on the subway to the East Village were we ate the best pastrami in the world at the 2nd Avenue Deli. From there we shopped, stopped by CBGB’s then walked to SOHO, Chinatown then to Little Italy. We then went home where we later went to DUMBO and had ice cream and gawked at the most amazing view of the Manhattan skyline.
Sunday we spent the day at Coney Island, which in and of itself deserves an entirely separate post. But I am getting bored and I actually do have things to do but I do reserve the right to purge at a later date. We rode the Wonder Wheel, The Cyclone and ate at Nathan’s and the people watching is astounding, I mean, where in the world other than at Coney Island can you find a Mariachi band walking onto the pier, obviously hoping to make a buck or two performing for the masses who are there to cool themselves from the hot New York summer heat. We bought lots of goodies and I am currently engrossed in a book detailing the history of the famed locale.
Monday we finally went to the top of the Empire State Building. A word of advice. Pay the extra $15 bucks for the express pass. You will thank me when you do and if you don’t, you will cuss the people who did and who are making your wait all that much longer because they get to bypass everyone waiting in line who was too damn cheap to splurge. Time is money people. Time is money. When we came down we shopped then spent the rest of the day in Central Park. We rode the carousel, walked through Strawberry Fields, saw the Alice in Wonderland statue, Bethesda Fountain, Belvedere Castle and Cleopatra’s Needle. Hot and sweaty, we hopped on the 5 train and headed back to Brooklyn. We ate dinner in Williamsburg then were given a tour of the city by car.
My feet are almost healed and my lower back has decided to forgive me. I wanna go back NOW!!!
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
So I am home. Tired as fuck, my feet are finally healing and my back is no longer aching. I really have no idea how I am going to manage work tomorrow or really, living in Atlanta. I would gladly put up with the blisters and the lower back pain to live there and not here but hey, whats an established woman going to do? I took exactly 1140 photos, of which I am sure about 1.5% are actually decent. Coney Island is indescribable. Central Park, beautiful. I am tired and need to go to sleep and prepare for the rest of the week.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
I can hardly articulate just how excited I am because this time tomorrow I will traipsing around New York City. We fly into Laguardia around 10 p.m. tonight and apparently the view between Laguardia and Brooklyn while traveling on the BQE is astonishing. I will try not to look too touristy but hanging out the window of a cab, tongue flopping in the wind like a over zealous dog, taking photos of the New York City skyline might just give me away. I have to admit that I am a bit overwhelmed. Traveling via subway and by cab, especially coming from a city where you might as well be dead in the water without your very own vehicle is a bit intimidating. Reading all sorts of conflicting info like, It’s okay to open a map on the subway; under NO circumstances do you ever open a map on the subway; Coney Island is cool in a carnie, sideshow kind of way; Coney Island is scary and dirty and should be avoided, doesn't help the situation either. Plus, I think I am officially experiencing information overload.
Are we there yet Pappa Smurf?
Are we there yet Pappa Smurf?
Sunday, July 03, 2005
There is only one band in this world that I would pay upwards of a grand to see and although I did not have the pleasure of seeing them live, hearing them play for the first time after twenty-five years almost made me cry. These are SO worth the wait.
...Far away across the field. The tolling of the iron bell. Calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spells.
...New car, caviar, four star daydream, think I'll buy me a football team.
...And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts? Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change? And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
...When I was a child I had a fever. My hands felt just like two balloons. Now I got that feeling once again. I can't explain, you would not understand. This is not how I am.
...Far away across the field. The tolling of the iron bell. Calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spells.
...New car, caviar, four star daydream, think I'll buy me a football team.
...And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts? Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change? And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
...When I was a child I had a fever. My hands felt just like two balloons. Now I got that feeling once again. I can't explain, you would not understand. This is not how I am.
