Two Very Good Advices

After I locked myself out, I rooted around the internets for some NYPD safety advice.
Apparently, the NYPD has trouble with people not locking their doors.  Obviously I don't have that problem, but I have encountered people who habitually leave their doors unlocked, which I find stunning.  In one case, the person had some very intrusive neighbors who thought it was ok to just open the door and walk into the apartment when they wanted.  I said "Lock your door!!" but my advice went unheeded.

NYPD even has a QUIZ! on when to lock your door!  I took the quiz and the NYPD is very happy with me, apparently.

You can take the quiz too!

So, good advice #1: lock your door.

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Back in 2009 when I went to London, I met up with the amazing and beautiful Soulbrush.  We went on a ferry ride down the Thames, and we stopped to get tea from one of those outdoor food stands.  (I loved that they had tea as a matter of course).  When we finished our tea, Joss asked me if I needed the spoon.  I said no.  So she took it, saying that her husband, Neil, said "Always carry a spoon with you.  You never know when you might need one."

Ironically, later that same evening in my hotel room I needed a spoon and there was none to be found.  So I remember that advice every time I travel and am not staying with a friend- I always pack a spoon.  And it has truly come in handy.

Good advice #2: always carry a spoon.

Locked Out

Last week I acquired a New Life Skill.

When I was taking out the garbage, my door shut behind me before I could flip the lock into the non-lock position.  So I locked myself out.  In my jammas. I have a talent for doing this, which is why I always have 2 sets of keys in my purse.  But this time I had no keys, just an unhelpful bag of garbage.  And Daya was in New Jersey.

The super was not home and would not be for at least an hour.  My next door neighbors with the connecting fire escape were not home. I got creative and surveyed my resources- the super's daughter let me use their abnormally tall stepladder, and I also needed the 2 large plastic garbage/recycle bins from the laundry.  And some serious acrobatic skillz.

Millie might be very upset with me for posting this, as I had it on Facebook for a couple of hours and she guilted me into taking it down.  Because it made her anxious, and I don't want her to be anxious. I love Millie rather madly.  But really, I am not concerned about someone repeating my stupid and dangerous (but very clever!!) acrobatic stunt.  I barely made it, and if I was just a very little bit larger or less nimble, or less willing to be mostly upside-down on the fire escape I wouldn't have been able to do it.  It also caused a bit of commotion- inside and out.  My apartment is not window-entry friendly at all.

It actually makes me think about the fire escapes and how larger people could really get out (or not??) in case of emergency.  They are definitely built to go down, not up- and out, not in.  I guess they are meant to be used with fireman assistance.

I really would not have minded if a fireman came along and helped me out....

Foot Undeez

Among the 7 dance classes Daya takes, one is Acro. Which is floor acrobatics. When Daya first started the class, she told me she needed foot underwear. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: What? foot underwear?  What's that?
Daya: It's underwear for your feet and I need a pair.
Me: It's actually called 'foot underwear"?
daya: Yes!

Well, ok. We went to the Capezio store and sure enough, they had these things called Foot Undeez.

They cost $25.

Of course the ones she has been using all year are the wrong color for the recital, so I will have to buy another pair of Foot Undeez.

$50 for foot underwear.

Foot Undeez

Artistic Inertia

I have two (2) more Hudson posts, but I'm going to take a little break.

Carey sent me a text about her total lack of motivation, and if I thought she needed a big canvas to help get motivated.

I told her that yes, she probably does need the large canvas- but I have done exactly the same thing (for real!) and it didn't help get me motivated.  It might help her though, and I hope it does.

Sometimes Stape Kearns calls me to chat, which is nice because he is really interesting and, well, cool.  I enjoy listening to his stories and his perspective.  We had a nice chat the other day. He is a workaholic. Work, work, work, for him, constantly.  I wish I was more like that.  I am definitely NOT a workaholic, as much as I would like to be.  Stape has a lot of inertia- the movement kind. I have a lot of inertia- the still kind.  But then again, Stape's art is and has always been his livelihood.  I don't have that kind of pressure.

Time is not my problem.  Like Carey, I DO have the time.  Energy is not the problem- I DO have the energy.  I also have ideas.

What discourages me is when I do show up at the easel-  and I can't get it together.  So then I think why bother, showing up at the easel won't get the energy flowing.

Perhaps I need to go outside and paint.  When it is just a little nicer outside I'm going to go paint on the nature trail in the Bronx Zoo.  Dru and I are going to take a nice day trip to the river walk in Poughkeepsie. And the Hudson Valley in general is very accessible, especially now that I don't really have to get Daya at a certain time from childcare.  So things are opening up, slowly. New surroundings, new energy.  I need that.

What I think I am is overwhelmed.  That makes me shut down and I really think that is the heart of it in my case.  What overwhelms me? My stupid apartment is the first thing that comes to mind.  I need to get some semblance of organization.

LOL

Hudson: Eats

There is some really good food in Hudson.  Coming from NYC, I readily admit I am rather spoiled where good food is concerned.  But Hudson was absolutely wonderful.  We went out to eat because that way no one had to wash any dishes.  I may now have a serious addiction to French breakfast.  Luckily there are a few places near me that I really NEED to check out.  In fact, they are right by Daya's dance school, so...easy.

I did post this Tea vat before, but it is so awesome I have to post it again.  And also, I NEED a few of these. Tea, in good style.  They are on Amazon for about $20 each, but I'm going to look and see if I can find some for less.

Wonderful Tea Vat

 Spicy Mexican hot chocolate!

Daya wanted sushi.  No arguments from Dru or me!!

 We listened to the sign.

The bread you see was amazing.  The owner of the restaurant basically imported a French baguette oven over from France........oh the bread!

I think that Daya and I may need to have French brunch again this weekend.

Hudson: Beasties

Dru describes her cats as big and stupid.  I describe my cats as annoying and stupid.

To be honest, Dru's kitties do look a bit...blank...sometimes, but they are both pretty awesome and friendly.

Emo and Dorin (did I spell that right?)

They have their own fountain, tunnels, mesh boxes, scratchy things, and a toy that looks like a tea bag.  I forgot to take a picture of the cat-tea.

Emo does look a bit blank doesn't he?

The cats have Cool Stuff.
They had an inconvenient scratchy place in the kitchen, so Dru accommodated them with a scratch post.  They do not use it.  Silly kitties.

 My cats need these.

Meow!

THE RATSES!

They are so cute and wonderful!  I miss rats. Dru has nine.  They live in two massive rat-estates. They are wonderful and fat and happy.

Daya and Bindi

Hudson: Tea

There is a lot of tea in Hudson. 

Wonderful Tea Vat

I was happy

Verdigris Tea Library

There were some really lovely tea sets on display, at the tea shop and throughout the various shops.

I love tea.

Hudson: Drusilla

My main (and best!) reason for going up to Hudson was, of course, to see Drusilla.  I have been friends with Dru for a long time.  Amazingly, she still likes me after all this time!  Dru is my Ratly Art friend.  She was a Manhattanite for a really long time and now she is in Hudson.

Aside from her ability to draw better than God (as the late great Dave Passalacqua would say), she is a supremely wonderful human being.  She has great stories and a wacky perspective. And her hair was purple this past weekend.

Also, her apartment is full of Really Cool Stuff!!

Dru's bathroom has black walls and a really fun color-changing night light.

The night light

I don't know what this thing is but I LOVE it.

Dru has paint and a brush farm.

 And many stacks of papers.  It truly feels just like home.

Dru has a naked mole rat stuffed animal.  Seriously, how freaking COOL is that??

Naked Mole Rat

If you want to see the rainbow night light against a white background, no problem.
Just head to the kitchen.

There is a cat gargoyle on the steps outside.

It watches the glass rats.

Best New Yorker cover EVER.

Just like me, Dru loves her tea.  She guards her tea collection very effectively.

 Here are some tiny rats in tiny bottles.

There are some assorted beasties who live with Dru, but they deserve their own post.