More Woods, On-Trail & The Rest of Sunday

We went out in the woods again but stayed on-trail this time.

So I did not get anyone, or myself, in trouble.

I am completely peopled-out and kept back a ways from Mark and Jane to try and get some solitude in nature.

I found a weird mushroom.

Everyone who was left from yesterday (7 of us) went to brunch.

Jane and I drove back with Mark and he showed us some submarine stuff.

I think it's the USS Nautilus? Mark is a submarine expert but I can't remember everything he says.

In the afternoon I was SO READY to be home.

Honestly I was past my limit.

Jane and I took the train back together which was nice but I needed to just zone out.

We navigated disgusting Penn Station again and got home safely.

I was SO SO happy to be home!

(Even though my visit to CT was really nice.)

Here is the painting I bought from Drusilla.

It looks great next to Pizza Rat.

You can see all her beautiful ratfest paintings here:

(Dru if there is another link to use pls tell me and I'll update)

Pebbles doesn't want me to leave again.

Ratfest 2022

Cathy and I hosted another Ratfest, the first in 10 years.

It was really nice to see everyone.

A few people I haven't seen in 10 years.

I can't believe we did this for the first time 20 years ago.

Where the hell did time go.

Our major accomplishment was getting Jane to join, and I'm so glad she did.

All seven cats were sequestered in the cat room, and they were miserable and pissed off and wanted everyone to know it.

I embellished the sign mark printed out, for emphasis:

The Magic Ratfest Box got an update to account for 20 years.

Group photo:

I did the cake again.

By Saturday evening I was completely peopled-out.

I knew I would be.

My preference was to leave Sunday morning but due to train schedules and then Jane, it is a late-afternoon trip.

But I am at my people limit.

That doesn't mean I don't like them, but I have been away from home since Thursday and i have lost a lot of energy.

I can get through tomorrow though.

Don't Let Me Take You for a Walk in the Woods

This morning I joined Cathy's husband, Mark, on his morning walk in the woods with the dog.
I love the woods.

Mark is a great guy for many reasons, and one of those reasons was his willingness to let me show him my off-trail (and illegal) path over to the reservoir!

It's a bit rugged.

(I admit that's an understatement)

I really wanted to find the tree I marked with blue artist tape to see if the tape was still there.

We walked through the woods..................

...and made it to the reservoir!!

I took a picture of Mark with Gypsy and sent it to Cathy.

AND THEN..........................

A utility company vehicle drove past us!

This is the first time I have ever seen ANYONE on that road.

The lady pulled over and asked me where we came from.

I said the woods.

She asked where did we park?

I said we didn't, we walked.

She said from where? 

I said the woods.

She said the road is not public access and we have to leave.

I said ok, what's the nearest way out?

She pointed down the road and said about a mile that way.

Since I know that road quite well, i knew exactly where she was directing us.

It's a LONG walk back to Cathy's from there.

No hecking way!

I did not tell the lady that though.

I apologized and said we would leave.

Then Mark walked up and she asked him where did we park?

(I guess she didn't believe me)

He said we walked.

She said from where?

He said from the houses on the other side of the woods.

She still looked skeptical... like why would anyone do that?

We promised to leave and she drove away, in the direction she told us to go.

We were both in complete agreement that we weren't doing that, so we cut back through the woods and found the trail again pretty quickly.

I did not find my blue-taped tree, sadly.

I hope she drove back looking for us and didn't see us anywhere, and wondered where we went-- or even better--- if we were ever there at all!

So that's how Mark and I got in trouble and got kicked out of the reservoir, and it is 100% my fault.

Will I ever walk through the woods to the reservoir again?

HELL YES.

**************

When we got back Dizzy came out to say hi to me.

Dizzy absolutely knows and remembers me.  

She always gives me a nice purry greeting.

Mark is a retired navy commander, and we went to the sub base to pick up some tables.

Penn Station is Still an Embarrassing Shithole

I’m going to Connecticut this weekend.

So that means Amtrak and Penn Station.

Oh, August left some parting gifts with my train ticket….. a couple of days ago, I went to put the e-ticket in my Apple Notes for easy access, and I couldn’t find it.

That was very strange.

As it turns out, the Amtrak site doesn’t like my credit card, because the saved one I have in there expired, and my new one has the same number. So the website threw an error and I missed it and I discovered I DO NOT HAVE A TRAIN TICKET.

This did NOT feel good, especially since I had the whole trip booked for around $100 because it was booked so early. I KNOW I booked it!!! I remember doing the whole thing!

A last-minute trip is very expensive.

I had no choice.

AND those trains get very full so I was scared it would be sold out, and it almost was!!!

I also STILL could not use my credit card, and finally had to use the joint one I have with Daya.

That error message is really small and I definitely missed it and then probably got sidetracked and just thought it was done.

This fun error cost me about $150, which is literally the last thing I need right now.

(I also got hit with about $100 in medical expenses from Daya’s MRI…. (Insurance confirmed I do have to pay it but after this I’m for reals done.)

I honestly feel like I’m drowning a little bit right now but next month should be better.

None of these expenses I have had lately are ones I can control.

Hecking life!!

I have cancelled two out-of-town painting trips with friends to cut costs.

This one I have to do, because we are having another Ratfest at Cathy’s.

The first one in 10 years.

I’m out of that community these days except for a few people I have known for like 20 years.

Jane and Dru and Branwen will be there!

*********

When I left home and got in the train, I saw a h u g e rat just strolling along giving zero shits.

I suppose that’s one way to start Ratfest weekend…..

********

So anyhow, Penn Station.

It’s a dump.

The city spent i dont know how much money making that nice new Moynihan Hall, and that’s the only part of Penn that is actually decent.

Getting there is NOT decent.

The Up escalator was running but blocked off, so unusable.

WTF?

And people were just lounging on the stairs so carrying a suitcase up was…. Well, a challenge.

The caverns leading to the non-working escalators up to the new Moynihan Hall are gross.

So this beautiful new train hall doesn’t do much to make Penn Station even close to hospitable, or nice, or even more functional.

It’s like putting a band-aid on gangrene.

Double-Cat, Judged

I have a Double-Cat.

And also a Judgmental Cat.

Senior Year Schedule

Daya's schedule this year is basically all dance.

Daya dances at LaGuardia for three hours a day, 5 day a week.

Then she dances after school six days a week for a base total of 30 hours a week in dance..... and this is not including extra performance rehearsals etc. (I think it is too much but there is no stopping her.)

Oh and there's the mandatory monthly Move|NYC workshop that is alway on a Sunday, so every month Daya is going 2 weeks straight without a day off.

She is not taking a weekly day off from after-school dance this year because...................

She's only taking 2 academic classes, well she will be once she gets her schedule fixed.

She's dropping first period java because she really hates the teacher.

I tried to encourage her to maybe take something else instead, but she got mad at me and started yelling about how she was so stressed and exhausted last year**** and I'm putting so much pressure on her (I'm really not) and it's HER senior year not mine and just because I want her to, she's not going to.

SIGH.

I give up.

(***I do not think being in dance for a minimum of 30 hours a week and going half the month without a day off is going to help with being exhausted and stressed)

My wonderful friend Grace (who is Chinese) told me to tell Daya to be glad she doesn't have an Asian parent.... so I did and Daya told me I was being racist, until I said Grace told me to say that. 

Then she was just mad.

I reminded Daya this is the life SHE chose, this is what she signed up for, what she wanted.

Sharon (correctly) said one class at this point isn't going to make a difference, and she's right but that's not why I'm upset.

While I do prefer Daya takes advantage of her current educational opportunities, my major problem is how she communicates with me. Therapy has not helped.

I'm pretty sure Daya's spirit animal is a hornet.

So fine, she's taking 2 academic classes and I'm not saying anything.  

Whatever.  That's not even the issue.

Daya insists she has ADHD so last year I found her an ADHD- specialist therapist.

I remain neutral/I-don't-know on whether I think she has it or not.

Her teachers last year all thought no.

I don't see how it is compatible with her doing what she is doing.

It might be a factor though in how she perceives and processes emotions, and anger outbursts.

But I think she's just like that with me.

She's great with everyone else;  Daya is universally loved by everyone who works with her.

So maybe she's just being an intense angsty teenager.

It's too complex to sift through, knowing what might be a real issue and what is just the age.

In any case, she's at an age where she needs to learn to deal with her issues, whatever they may be.

Rained Out

Ever since last year on 9/11 when I painted the lights I planned to do it again this year.

David was planning to join me.

But.... ugh we got rained out.

Just in case the weather was wrong I brought my gear to the boathouse but it was pretty gross out.

So I went home and took a hot bath instead.

Plein Air Nightmare!

I went to sleep early last night and had weird dreams.

Today I'm not sure what I'm doing, I'll probably end up doing a bunch of nothing... but I was thinking about going to Prospect Park to paint,

And then I had a dream about it.

I dreamed I was walking around in Prospect Park with my painting gear, which I can generally walk around with for a long time with no problem- but it was SO HEAVY.  So heavy I could barely walk.

There were a few really cool spots but one had no standing room because of an overgrown stick-ish tree, and another had a NO TRESPASSING sign.

So I walked around more and found a very interesting spot in shallow water along abandoned train tracks.

I thought that was ok and interesting, and I was wearing my waterproof hiking boots so the water was fine.

Other people were walking around there too, and as I was setting up a lady came over to tell me a man had stolen my backpack!! (I had put it behind me to try and keep it out of the water.)

She pointed me to where he went but then said she didn't have time to help me further.  I left half of my stuff in the watery place and chased after that man.  I found him and took my backpack.  He didn't really seem to care but I sure yelled at him.

And then I couldn't find my way back to my stuff!

I wandered and wandered and finally remembered I could wake up from this stupid dream so that's what I did.

**********

And then I fell asleep again and dreamed Daya was dancing a show with her old studio and she had a solo.  I was getting to my seat and there were SO MANY STAIRS and I got seated just as she finished.

**********

Oh man, waking up was a relief.

I am NOT going to Prospect Park today.

My Dance Paintings are Hanging on the 8th Floor

Daya sent me a picture of those dance paintings I did in June- they are hanging on the 8th floor!

I was actually very surprised she sent this to me.

Isn't it cool?

The Last First Day

Daya is a senior.... 

This is the last first day of school picture.

I have a whole set in this spot since preschool.

Obligatory Pebble-bomb...........

I wanted a selfie in front of school but I didn't like the first one so I made Daya re-take it.

Neither is great. But at least she actually did it.

And here is her professional headshot from Move NYC.

Photo credit David Gonsier.

Stressy

I was supposed to go into the office today.

I even woke up and got dressed and was ready to leave at 7:45.

And then I did a Smart Thing........ I checked my meeting calendar.

Because yesterday a meeting was booked but I didn't pay attention to the time.

8:30.

No way could i make it to the office in time for that.

Janet texted me saying the trains were really messed up. (She went in today.)

It is overcast and dreary.

By the time my meeting ended at 9, I could have gone in but then there's no way I would actually be ready to do anything  until 10:30 (bc the commute), and I couldn't face the commute anyhow so I'm home.

Daya is also home and probably disappointed that I'm not in the office, after all.

I would be too if I was her.

**************

It's a slow work day because I am waiting on people, and she asked if we could stop at Costco.

I said sure.

Even tho we just went on Sunday and it cost me ......$344....... mostly for Daya-food.  Prices are through the roof but it is still a better value.

I did another Smart Thing and logged into my bank account to see the state of things, just to make sure i could handle a Costco run. (Costco is limited in credit cards they accept and mine isn't one. So I have to have cash.)

Well oh shit.

I'm overdrawn.

That hasn't happened for a very long time. I do have a lot of expenses but I am responsible and stable, and I think I manage my responsibilities pretty well.  However, I do NOT like being overdrawn.

I'm actually not too worried about it, it's one of those timing things when everything hit at the same time and it just just doesn't align to my pay schedule. Everything will resolve on Friday. 

I am fine.

But I'm not going to costco today!

**********

My energy bill is abnormally high, and this is particularly distressing because Daya was gone all day every day for three weeks in August.

Apparently this is - once again- happening to everyone.

Daya was also gone three weeks in July.

My habits haven't changed.

My Aug bill should be mostly the same as the July bill.

Clearly it isn't.

I'm not the only one.

(Janet's bill was high too.)

And apparently the rates went up 10-12%!!!

I found this article.

It addresses an important point but gives no good resolution.

**********

THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH

August always brings the renewal lease in the mail and I pretty much always have an anxiety attack over it.

The rent-stabilized increase is HIGH this year.

LINK HERE

New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized apartments will soon pay higher rents — 3.25 percent more on one-year leases and 5 percent more on two-year leases —

the sharpest increase in nearly a decade.

Despite pleas from tenants for a rent freeze or even a reduction, on Tuesday New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board voted 5 to 4 to raise rents. The increase comes as soaring rent costs have concerned New Yorkers for months. In May, the median rent in Manhattan reached $4,000, a record high.

Mayor Eric Adams called the system “broken,” in a statement. He said, “the determination made by the Rent Guidelines Board today will unfortunately be a burden to tenants at this difficult time — and that is disappointing.”

“At the same time, small landlords are at risk of bankruptcy because of years of no increases at all, putting building owners of modest means at risk while threatening the quality of life for tenants who deserve to live in well-maintained, modern buildings,” Mr. Adams said.

***********

WTF and OMG.

I'm trying to keep that cost down so I renewed on a 1 year lease.

FWIW, I'm not one of those tenants paying well-below market rates.  

I'm actually pretty close to the current market value.

With the hope the vote won't be so high next year.

But increases stack on top of increases each year.

I have serious deep FEAR over the damn rent.

The solution is not to stress tenants more, and landlords DO need to cover their costs.  

THIS IS WHERE THE CITY NEEDS TO STEP IN AND HELP.

FUCK YOU MAYOR ADAMS!!!

**********

I mailed in my lease a couple days ago and I am still dealing with the lingering fear and anxiety about just maintaining my home over the long-term. It's pretty bad. I'm working at reigning it in.

I CAN handle the increase even though I don't want to and it isn't great.

So rent increases are spiking, energy is up, food prices are also up about 12%, and guess what isn't....

Yup, my salary.

And you know what? That isn't just me either.

This is such a deeply broken system.

***********

In addition to this rent-fear and inflation and soaring costs, I think I might be a little bit depressed.

Again, it's nothing to worry about, and I am ok, I can manage it, but I think I am a little depressed. Stressed for sure.

We are living in an extraordinarily difficult time.

Daya still needs stuff for school and dance, I don't like how she treats me AT ALL, and I'm feeling very emotional about this being her senior year.

My self-care is good, I eat well, I sleep, I exercise, I have good friends, I do things I enjoy but I am completely worn out. 

I am fatigued beyond what I ever thought was possible.

Todaybor is Labor Dabor

This morning I was very worried abut Carey because she did not post the annual Labor Dabor video.

I texted her.

She's stuck in August, she didn't make it out this year, it's a bad situation.

There was a Labor Day potluck at the boathouse.

I volunteered for a few hours and stayed for a bit.

Daya stayed home.

Bitz and Hector tied sharks to their patrol boats.

The sharks are named Graeme and Martin after 2 of the board members.

Brigitte lost her cat on Friday to kidney failure, and she brought her kitten.  She did not want Tiger to be alone today.

Tiger was very chill and friendly and definitely liked all the pets she got from everyone.

Little Island and Grace

Last night I could have gone to the boathouse, I just could not face the getting-there.

Today I also didn't want to go out, but I really thought I should so I asked Grace what she was up to.

We decided to meet up.

The timing was also good because we were both just incredibly slow.

I painted Little Island again.

It's not a great painting and I'm not feeling artistically good at all.

But I showed up.

I also- despite wearing long leggings, got a ton of bug bites.
(I did not use my bug spray but I should have.)

8x10 oil

This painting is weird to photograph, and my on-location shots didn't come out at all.

Grace took a few pictures of me painting.

After Little Island we went over to Chelsea Market, sat at a comfy table and talked for HOURS.

It was really nice.

Looks Like We Made It!

I'm not even joking, I woke up with that Barry Manilow song in my head that I haven't heard probably since middle school. Only that one line tho, it's all I know!

I had to google it to figure out where the heck that music phrase came from.

I daresay, is it actually.... SEPTEMBER????????????

My phone says it is??????

Ohhhh school starts on Sept 8th....senior year.... I am not ready!!!!!

Senior year officially started for me last weekend when Daya danced her solo.
It's very emotional.

So many "lasts" this year.

I am NOT ready!!!

*******

How are Furball and Isis always so synchronized????