The Almost Very Bad Very Nasty Flood

I worked from home today.

A is usual, the cats have their routine of sleeping, bugging me, eating, sleeping, and repeating the whole cycle.

They got hungry, so I got up to feed them.

My cats eat wet food, and after I feed them I rinse out the can and put it in recycles.

I rinsed out the can.

Black water overflowed from my sink.

???!!!!????!!!!!!

There ARE some dishes in the sink because it is Daya's turn to do the dishwasher, but everything is still functional.

My drain has not been slow and there is absolutely nothing in the sink to cause a flood of.... nasty black water!!

I was so grossed out.
I took all the dishes out of the sink and it was FULL of black water!!

YUCK!! This water was NOT going anywhere.

To make some space in the sink, I brought several bowls-ful to the toilet, then I called the super.

THANK GOODNESS I WAS HOME!!

Basically what happened was the pipe on the whole line got blocked, and everyone's water was coming into my kitchen!
It happned so suddenly!

I'm on the bottom of the line so I'm the one who gets the blocked pipe results.

The super contacted everyone directly above me and told them not to turn on their sink.

Then he spent the next hour taking out the pipe, snaking out the whole mess, and putting it back.

He said the same thing happened on the other side of the building but the tenants werent home and came home to a huge nasty flood!!

YUCK!!

I bleached my whole kitchen.

At least it is nice and clean now but... YUCK!!!

First Plein Air of 2023

I haven't painted yet this year, because of Life or Weather, or sometimes Life and Weather at the same time.

But I went out today and made the effort.

I stayed local- went over to Flushing Meadows again.

I need to get back into my groove, and I'm feeling not-great in general... I'm in quite a bad funk to be honest. Artistically and otherwise.

But at least i got out and did.... something... this painting took a little over an hour.

8x10 oil

Senior Dance Luncheon

I took the day off work to help volunteer for the annual senior dance luncheon.  This year it as on the 8th floor at school.

Last year I also helped out, and it was downstairs in front of the concert hall.

The kids were very happy with their catered lunch.

I finally got to see my paintings in-person on the 8th floor! They look really good.

And of course, it wouldnt be a proper day at LaGuardia without the neverending stairs................

I'm really going to miss volunteering when Daya graduates.

Winter Dance Showcase

Daya performed in the LaGuardia Winter Dance showcase this weekend.

There were three shows, 2 on Friday and one on Saturday.

I went to 2 shows, Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

The show is overwhelmingly, as all LaGuardia shows are.

Home, Finally

The red eye to Atlanta was only about 3 1/2 hours.

I tried to sleep but really couldn't because it was SO SO COLD in that plane.

On the way over to LA they gave out blankets, but I guess it's ok for people to be cold for 3 1/2 hours... apparently the flight duration didn't qualify for blankets.

I think it's pretty incredible we can almost cross the country in 3 1/2 hours...

That was not a fun plane ride though.

I haven't been to Georgia in many years.

I do not like being in Georgia.

If you have been to Hartsfield Int'l Airport, you know there is a train that goes between the concourses.

Back in the 90s there was a really scary artificial voice that did the announcements.

It is on youtube!!

And here!!

Last time I was there it had been updated, and it has been updated again since.

I could not wait to get home.

And I did manage to sleep most of the way from ATL to LGA.

(The plane was warmer and I was so exhausted.)

Pebbles came out to say hi but Isis and Furball did not.

All was well at home except Isis spite-pooped in the bathtub.

Eventually everyone got over being mad and came out to say hi and be clingy.

I made Oden (Japanese hot pot with fish cakes) and took a long nap.

I am SO GLAD to be home!!!

Audition Day

Even though Daya does not want to go to USC and it is absolutely the wrong school for her, getting a callback there is kind of a big deal.

Only 1/6th of applicants received a callback.

So I'm very proud of her for that alone; it is an accomplishment.

Call time was 7:30am.

The audition was several classes from 8:30am to 1pm.
The rest of the afternoon as 10-minute appointments where students interviewed and did their solos, privately.

Daya's solo/interview appointment was 7:40pm.

During the audition, USC had arranged for parents to go on a tour of the LA Music center, which is like their Lincoln Center.  We toured all the theaters and it was actually a really good time.

The tour started with the Disney Theater designed by Frank Gehry and I forgot the names of the others.

After, I walked around a tiny area of the USC campus.

The Glorya Kaufman dance building is really pretty.

I didn't take this picture... I thought I took a picture of the Glorya Kaufman painting but I guess I didn't.

It really is a gorgeous space.

MORE RAIN

When I took this picture Daya was on the other side of that door doing her solo.

Daya had a very unfortunate time slot... she had been up since 6am and already had been dancing all day.

And I know the jet lag was hitting her hard... it was hitting me... I know her body thought it was 10:30pm.

She said the classes during the day went fine but the solo did not go ok.

They even called her back into the room.

They were really really extremely very nice.

You know what though?

It shouldn't matter.

They already know she can dance, she made their tiny callback cut.

Also, they have been watching her ALL DAY.

I was there when she came out (upset) and I told the admissions lady she's jet lagged.

And I thanked them for being so nice.

I asked if she would have done better if her appointment was earlier, and she said definitely, yes.

Honestly it doesn't matter because she is not going to this school, even if she gets in.

I'll say no.

It is 100% the wrong school for her even though their program is fantastic.

One of the studios.

We left immediately for the airport.

In the rain.

Our Uber was a red Tesla... Slick!

except....

it hit a pothole on the freeway and blew a tire.

The driver said that's the second time in 2 weeks.

So we had to get out and get another Uber.

We were stuck in LA traffic, in the rain.

But we still made it to LAX in time for the red eye to.....

.... ATLANTA.

__PRESENT