Snow Plein Air & Solstice

We got snow!

So of course I had to go out and paint.

However, it's also Saturday in the middle of holiday mayhem here... so I wanted to avoid that.

I haven't been to Brooklyn Botanic Gardens for a while so I went there.

Here is a quick painting in the Cherry Esplanade, 8x10 oil

It was quiet in the gardens, only a few people were there which was perfect.

Today is also the solstice, the longest night.

Normally I'd go to St Patricks and light candles, but it's Saturday which means insane crowds and I can't face it.

So this year I just lit a candle at home.

Solstice & Week, Backwards

Today is the Winter Solstice, and also my last day of work for the year.
Since I'm working from home, going to St PAtricks to light candles is just not happening.

That's ok.

I went for a good walk to the church in the neighborhood to light candles.

This church doesn't use actual fire candles which is definitely not as good, but it gets the job done.

I lit three candles: one for me, one for Daya, and one for my cats. (for them to be healthy)

The church was really empty which was nice.

I may go there to paint at some point.

After I lit candles I went over to Trader Joes for a few things.

On the way there, I almost texted my friend Sharon to see if she was also going to Trader Joes (she goes there all the time too). But I didn't.

On my way out, I ran into her.

So I went back in and we had a fun time chatting.

Not only should I have texter her about trader Joes, I should have also texted her asking if she wanted to decorate cat cookies again this year, but she brought it up first.

I'm going over to her place on Christmas day to decorate cookies and do Jewish Christmas.

If you are not from NYC you may not know what that is-- I'm not sure if it is a thing outside of NYC.

Basically, on Christmas if you're Jewish, you order in Chinese.

I'm totally down for Jewish Christmas.

Daya is also invited and I told her about it (she knows my friend and the family for many years) but she's such a bummer she might not go, which makes me pretty sad. 

Daya did get promoted at work though! I'm really proud of her and she's been working long hours.

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Today, Furball snuggled with Pebbles for a change.

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Yesterday was my last day in the office for the year.

It was empty!

Weirdly, work has been very busy this week, in contrast to the empty office.

Views are still good.

I left around 3pm.

There is a nice tree in front of the NYSE.

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On Tuesday evening I met up with Kedrin, Bitz, and Janae for Ethiopian food.

The restaurant is at 10th ave and 46th st. Best train is the  A/C/E to 50th street or 42nd st.

I got on the E and was feeling very self-satisfied for having plenty of time to arrive a little early.

Except suddenly I was at 42nd/Bryant Park (6th ave).......oh no!!

I looked at the time.

5:28.

I had exactly 32 minutes to get over to 10th ave.

So I thought, "It;s fine, it doesn't take a half hour to get to 10th ave from 6th ave."

What I didn't factor in was the wall-to-wall holiday crowds, which are TERRIBLE in midtown.

I realized this when I got out of the train.

Walking over in that crowd wasn't going to happen.

The bus?

I went to 5th ave to check out the M42.

Next bus was 16 minutes away, plus with all the traffic.....

I'd never make it.

More quick thinking on the Dreaded Route........

The only possible way was to get back in the train, do the walk/run in the rat maze of tunnels and get over to 8th ave that way.

I HATE that walk and will even exit the train on the street and re-enter to avoid it.

That's what I did.

It was terrible.

The city is packed full of tourists who do not know how to take the train or walk.

I ran the long rat maze.

It involves paying the fare again, stairs, ramps, winding turns, and a very long slippery corridor.

I also got on the uptown E since it was right there, thinking the crowds at 50th might be less than at 42nd st, since the walk distance is the same from both stations.

I made it over at exactly 6:02.

Phew!

Ethiopian food is wonderful.

We had a lovely evening.

There was a Questional Ketchup Bottle in the bathroom.

We determined it had some kind of cleaning (???) liquid in it, not ketchup.

Still, this is a puzzling thing to see in the bathroom.

Solstice

I had a pretty busy day at work today and didn't realize until right now that it is the summer solstice!

Days start getting shorter after today.
The year is half done.
It's been a weird one.

Daya leaves for Chicago in 2 weeks.

Then she starts her Senior year, and this upcoming year is a year of lasts.... it's already starting to hit me.

Solstice Sundries

Today is the Winter Solstice.
It is my last day of work for the year, but I have wrapped everything up so it is slow.

I went to pick up my Pizza Rat friend.

He is MINE and I love him so much!

Then I did my yearly tradition of going to light candles at St Patricks.

I lit one for me and one for Daya.

It's pretty in there but the whole half back is still blocked off.

On the way home I was switching trains and an ancient J train pulled in... which is very weird because I'm nowhere near the J line... and a couple of seconds later the rest of the garbage train appeared. That made a lot more sense.

Here is the garbage train, posted for no other reason than it happened.

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Drawing tonight- model was the lovely Katie in an AMAZING dress.

Simon said do Memling do I did.

7 mins

20 mins

And the 1 hour, colored pencil, Memling-inspired.

I don't know why I am using such S L O W mediums like colored pencil in such relatively short poses- 1 hour is not enough time for colored pencil but it's what I had out to work with.

COMMISSION UPDATE AGAIN:

My manager received the painting yesterday and today we had a quick call (work, but the painting came up). He likes seeing it in person but is still lukewarm about it because it isn't a smiley happy baby... and he seems surprised that it has gotten really good response on social media.

So I guess he still doesn't like it, he's honest but nice about it.  And that's ok.
I wish he loved it but it is what it is.

Solstice

Today is the Winter Solstice so I decided to go over to St Patricks to do my personal ritual of candle-lighting.

On the way, of course, is the tree at Rockefeller Center.

Our poor tree has barely any admirers this year.

I have 5 personal wishes this year.
And I lit 3 candles- one for me, one for Daya, and one for Everyone Else/NYC.

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Daya gave me her Christmas list SUPER LATE.
AND she got mad at me when i bugged her about it over 2 weeks ago.
So I said fuck it, we aren't doing Christmas.

I don't need to get yelled at for asking my kid for her Christmas list.
There are so many children out there who have NOTHING.

I did give to a local NYC charity this year that fills childrens' Christmas wishes.
So maybe someone will appreciate what I am willing to give.

But she sent her list, late but she did.

And on that list is a rather large stuffed shark from Ikea that does not ship.

So I went to Red Hook in Brooklyn.
It is a trek, and also not a good area.

The Ikea there is HUGE and an overwhelming maze.

But... I found the shark!!

Manhattan from the Smith-9th St station:

If you have a child or children, this is absolutely something you just do for them.