I Went Out Places After All

I packed painting gear and went to Brooklyn Botanic.
And again I did not paint.

I maybe have forgotten how.  I don't know what's wrong with me.

But it was nice out and I relaxed for a while.

I walked barefoot in this wonderful grass, which I have done many times before and something bit me!!
It really stung and I could see a definite bite!

I have no idea what bit me and if I get poisoned and die then you know what happened.

The bite stopped stinging as much after about 15 minutes.
I thought that was a good sign.

Then I went to the boathouse.
I stayed on the water for 3 1/2 hours!!

I found this wonderful log!

It's big, it's heavy it's wood! 

It's better than bad, it's good!

Ed and I tried to bring it in, but by the time we got a tow rope the log had floated  to where we could not get it.

We went on a trip to the dock at Christopher Street.

These people caught a HUGE FISH!

The guy in the red/pink clothing is holding it!

Summer Hibernation

Is summer hibernation a thing?

If it is, I'm in it.

It's Friday morning.
I haven't left my apartment since I got home from work on Tuesday.

Yesterday and today are vacation days, and I did absolutely nothing. I made it a fasting day too, which my body really needed.

In all honestly I could probably do that again today (not planning another fast day though) but it's probably not healthy so I'm going to force myself to go out.

I should go paint.

My mind is just so.... sluggish.

I really think I'm in summer hibernation.

Tuesday Heat Wimp

Franca was in the office today! I was so happy to see her!!
I saw Linda last week..... I have not seen either of my coworkers since before covid lockdown.  It was so, so nice to see them in-person again!

I was planning on going to the boathouse after work and also meet up with Grace but I was a weather-wimp instead, and I went home.

The "feels-like" temp was 97, and I'm not dragging boats around in that.  Nope.

Patsy's with Grace

Grace is in town for a week with her daughter, who is taking some classes at Manhattan Youth Ballet.

I was in the office today, and went to see her after.  She's staying in an Air BnB on the Upper West Side, in one of those really old 180os buildings.  They are pretty amazing. The elevators are hit-or-miss though, and today was a miss.  So, 6 floor walkup.

Exercise.

We got a pie at Patsy's for dinner.

This is a REAL pie.

More Alternate-Side Planning

What a Monday-ish Monday.

I’m back in the office today and tomorrow.

Drusilla was supposed to visit me from Wednesday evening through Monday morning.

While I was getting ready for work I got a text that branwen has covid pretty bad, and she is Dru’s roommate so……… the visit is cancelled.  What a bummer!!!! :(

My friend Grace is in town this week and I will see her probably today after work but now i have to invoke alternate-side planning for the rest of the week.  I’ll figure it out. I have thurs and friday off as vacation days, and I’ll probably just keep them as vacation days instead of cancelling them.

So that was Thing One.

My commute was crap again, I once again attempted to take the 4/5 downtown except there was a track fire at Astor Place which messed everything up.

I got to work and my monthly friend arrived a little early with no warning whatsoever.

I was sitting in the wrong desk which- as soon as I had settled in- the person who reserved it came in so I had to move… and realized I did my desk bookings for the wrong days- Tues and Weds instead of Monday and Tuesday. I fixed it.

I left my airpod case at home so I can’t charge them.

The view is nice though…

Alternate-Side Planning

My painting trip to NJ got postponed again. My friend isn’t feeling well.

So, alternate-side planning is in effect today.

My friend Sharon’s daughter is at Earl Mosley’s Diversity of dance summer intensive over at Hofstra university on Long Island.

They are performing today and I went.

It was an early morning and all-day thing, even though I only went to the 7pm show.

I got to Sharon’s at 7:15am, I was very shocked I made it EARLY let alone on tine!

We had to follow her daughter’s schedule a bit so we all hung out and had breakfast, then Darci’s dad went golfing.  My friend and heer in-laws went to the 2pm show.

I painted.

The Hofstra campus is really beautiful.

My painting isn’t very good, but it was a decent test-run of my new box.

I am going through one of those phases where I feel sluggish and fog-headed, and also I have forgotten how to paint. It happens.

The day was still a really fun day and the show was fantastic!!

This building has Pantone color plates on it!

Important Information!

I needed to get out this evening so I went to the met to float around in my sluggish fog-headed daze.

I did not do much and I did not see much.

The roof garden is open and I went up there.

I lasted about three minutes, and half of that was finding the exit.

It’s LOUD PARTY NIGHT on the roof at the Met during the summer.

It was awful.

Blasting LOUD horrible noise-music!

I asked information how one would go to the roof garden without the loud awful noice.

Apparently before 4pm on the weekends, and I guess during the day during the week as well. 9Except Wednesdays because they are closed.

This shadow was cool:

New Pochade Box!

I ordered a new pochade box from Alla Prima Pochade, and it arrived today!

For a few years now i have been wanting a larger box.My favorite size is 8x10 and this box is an 8x10 box that expands to 9x12.  It also has a divider to carry a 6x8.

Although I still love my old Belly River Box, I think the Blackfoot is probably the best size for me.

I’m supposed to go to NJ this weekend and paint with my friend.

Pebbles approves of my new box!

Furball on Thursday

I was talking to my friend Janet and Furcall came over to hang out with me.

Furball is an excellent and sweet and perfect cat, but she does drool a LOT when she’s happy.

And Furball is happiest when someone is petting her.

Gross!

The Office Got Better!

I had to go into the office today because my coworker needs to test some camera equipment for a meeting later this week.

My job was to walk around and be tracked.

It was a success.

This is the first time I have been in the office actually working for….. a long time.many many months.  Maybe last year sometime. And… it got a lot better! There is hot water, milk in the fridge for tea, and a good working internet connection!

The locker system is also working (there are no dedicated desks anymore, they have to be booked) and it really, really helps to be able to leave things here.  It isn’t as good as a dedicated desk like i used to have but it is workable.

The views are amazing.

Also, i found a hidden beer drawer.

I do not like beer but if I did I would absolutely have taken one.

There are no buttons in the elevators. There are touchscreen displays in the elevator banks and you have to pre-select your floor outside the elevator.

I went to the boathouse after work to help put people in boats and take them out again.