Stuff

I mistakenly forgot to thank this guy. RIP. He was a philosopher and a poet and will be missed.

One bit of his that I have always loved and is particularly relevant to my life these days:

The Nutmeg State

New Year's Resolution: Keep up on this damn blog. After my last post I felt like I had given birth to an island. NYC was fantastically amazing and totally exhausting. I don't think I could live there. I don't have the energy.

The perfect cure was to head out to the suburbs. This is what I look like in Bristol, CT. Bonfire was just what the doctor ordered.

I had the good fortune to tour the CBS Radio studios here. I have for a long time been interested in the radio industry, so the opportunity for a tour was really exciting. I got to sit in on a live broadcast of WTIC AM 1080. I also got to chat with the onair talent, Jim Vicevich, after his show ended. He is known locally as Connecticut's Rush Limbaugh. I have no idea why. He is a libertarian, vegan, bluegrass lover... Good guy. Hopefully I can see him again before I leave.

That night we went out. Got some great shots:



This is my host:He may look familiar to some. Looks exactly the same, yes? We haven't seen each other since high school. Such a good host. I have added two days to my Hartford stop because he has planned out so much for us to do.

I had to stretch my nerd muscle, so I headed down to the Connecticut State Capitol. So beautiful. Look:
From what I was told, its the only Gothic style State capitol.

Went to a graveyard. Apparently one of the convicted "witches" was buried her. We didn't find her, but I did see:

This is also a dead guy here who was born prior to 1492! We didn't see him either, but that is pretty amazing.

Culturally it is very different out here. There is a lot of old money. There seems to be a lot of value placed on status and designer possessions. At least in the circles I am running around in. I was told I have a California accent?! It seems that there are a lot of really rich people and a lot of really poor people and not a whole lot in-between. And talk about institutionalized racism... Its built into the bureaucracy and city planning.

I think I am fortunate, however, in that my exposure to the culture here is through the lens of Hartford's gay community. Everyone I've met is so cool and sweet and welcoming. I will admit that I am struggling to keep up with the party scene. I haven't partied like this since New Orleans! Weird yes? I thought so too. However I did last longer than this guy last night: For all I know that guy is still passed out in that chair.

Some interesting facts I have learned:

People of note born here in Connecticut: Stalker George and Ralph Nader (the man, not the euphemism).
State Hero:
Hartford's claim to fame: The insurance capitol of the world
Hartford is also the setting for one of my favorite TV shows and one of my favorite movies; Judging Amy and Far From Heaven. In fact the beautiful Amy Brenneman of Judging Amy grew up here in Glastonbury where I am staying.

More Connecticut adventures to come. Its beer-thirty here so....

I heart New York

This is going to be a long one football fans. Sit, back, grab a beer, and join me in Brooklyn, NY.

Driving there from Philly was an adventure of its own. My trusty GPS directed me through many more tolls (about $15 end to end), through the Holland Tunnel, into lower Manhattan (technically through Tribeca and Chinatown), and to the Manhattan Bridge. Those of you that have driven with me in SF can only imagine my state of mind driving Manhattan. Saw this (read the sign):
That picture needs sound effects. Someone owes someone a couple thousand dollars. And they were often honking at me.

Finally got to Brooklyn and met up with Cod. First time we had seen each other in about 7 years! And there was Babe minutes later (her babe, not mine. As soon as I figure out how to link other blogs you can read all about them. They have grand New York adventures all the time.) So great to see these two again. It was like 7 years never happened in a way. They took me to a dinner party in this fantastic place also in Brooklyn. Good times. Then back to their super cute apartment. Spacious and comfortable. I had my own room! This is there view:Jealous? You should be. I am.

So Friday Cod and Babe have to work because they are responsible adults. I ventured into Manhattan, leaving Jolene behind. Cod suggested I go to Greenwich Village, so I got off at the appropriate stop and realized I didn't bring a map. The chef had given me a guide book, but it was a little outdated (it suggest I go to the World Trade Center... ) so I didn't bring it along. So I just started to wander. Ended up stopping for a nice cold beer here:

Chatted with mom and my abuelita on the phone while drinking my tasty beer, which was really nice. My abuelita is so funny. Everyone who can, go call your grandmother. Or your mother. She will appreciate it. Go on now. I'll wait...

Saw my first New York celebrity sighting:
Can you guess who he is? The one in the hat. Special prize to the first correct answer. Cod and babe no fair, because you know.

And stalker:He is multiplying. When will this guy leave me alone? He says January 20 for realsies this time. Not like 4 years ago. Lets hope so.

After beers I wandered into here quite by happy accident:Friend's of Dorothy may know the significance of this site. Other friends can learn up here: Click on the image to read. Talk about walking into American History. I had only ever read about the riots and aftermath. To actually be there... It was significant.

Met these guys in the park:
On the right, a twEEker who said I looked like Chloe Sevigny. Maybe one of the best compliments I've ever received. Yeah, he was a tweeker, but I've had a girl crush on her since Kids. Oh yeah, then, when he left on his bike, he drove right into a cab. Hilarious!!! On the left, a strait hairdresser from Greenwich Village. Sure... In the middle... I forget. I was ready for another beer, so the "strait" hairdresser suggested Duplex. Apparently if you know the scene, that is really funny. Cod saved me and we met up with Babe at the White Horse Tavern (different from the White Ho' in Oakland). Apparently Dylan Thomas used to hang out there. I love historical beer.

Day 3 I intended to be mellow. Possibly a trip to Coney Island. Not really sure. Went to the coffee shop on the corner. Chatted with a fellow patron about education reform. Went to the Bank of America on the corner. The ladies were super nice and not at all helpful. Went to go check on Jolene, and saw this:It may look familiar to some of you. Yes, that is broken glass. In Jolene's front seat. Because some ASSHOLE broke into my car. I walked up to her and noticed my camping lantern on the street next to my car. It had been taken out and the guy opened it and couldn't put it back properly. Weird... Then noticed the broken window. Oh yes, the same window that had been busted back in April. On first assessment I thought he only got a roll of quarters. I realize now he also got my brand new carjack and emergency roadside kit. What a dick. Why didn't he just pop my tires so I'd be triply screwed. So no Coney Island for this girl. We instead ventured into Brooklyn to get it fixed. Parts of Brooklyn they had never been. Cod and Babe were so nice to accompany me and Babe was the superstar of the day for driving. I would have lost my damn mind had I had to deal with that alone. Jolene is fine now, physically, but she feels totally violated.

I was on my own that night so, to treat myself, I decided to this:
So amazing and wonderful and clever and just super super great. The Broadway experience I had always dreamed of. Came out of Berkeley Rep. actually, so some of my more cultured friends may have already seen it. Anyone? A coming of age story that involved drugs and love and art and being real. Superb music and acting. And so funny and smart. Go if you can.

Going to Passing Strange involved walking through Times Square. It looked like this: I hated it. Surprised? I wasn't. I knew I had to go, but didn't want to. Idiots everywhere. Thousands of them. And can I just say, I hate strollers. Cause I do. One good thing that came out of Times Square was I got a flyer for a comedy club doing a midnight show. I really wanted to see some comedy while in New York, as its stand-up scene is known world-wide. The comedians were very good. The crowd was lame. All tourists. No locals. One girl in the front row was texting throughout the acts. So rude. I felt really bad for the performers. They were bombing cause the audience was lame. So sad. Hung out a bit after with some of the comedians and met this really cool chick that gave me some good travel tips. Hailed my first cab! Cabbie was a sweetheart from Sacramento. Great night.

Day 4 involved the AfroPunk Block Party right on the street my wonderful hosts live. Here was our view from up above: Great music and commerce. Got a cute bag, a wallet, some coasters, and my groove on. Brooklyn is awesome. Said to be the Oakland of Manhattan. Both are better than their west coast counter-parts in many many ways. Gold star once again goes to Babe for being such a trooper while nursing a hang-over all day long. Met my east coast doppelgänger. Same name. Same recent experiences with men. Same winning smile. She was a total sweetie. Then NY Italian food. Yummy!!!

Day 5 was nerd day in NY. First stop, the World Trade Center. Because I just had to see it. Here is tower 5, the first one to be rebuilt:
The bad part looks like this right now: I can't say I was affected. Not like when it happened. And not like when I was in Oklahoma City doing the same thing many years ago. I think probably because I never knew what this area looked like before. There was no tribute that I could find in that immediate area. A lot of construction. I did see photos of the intended memorial. It looks amazing and moving. Plan to visit in 3 or 4 years. This I found in Battery Park which did affect me:Its an art piece, ironically meant to symbolize word peace that stood in the World Trade Center Plaza for about 30 years prior to 9/11. There is some damage... Also an eternal flame. That was heavy. I was affected. Damn...

Had some time to kill so I began to wander, cause that's what I do. The exact moment my foot stepped onto Wall St. my financial advisor called. Can you believe it? Chatted with him right in front of the New York Stock Exchange. He wanted a pic, so here you go Money Bags:

Went to the building where George W(ashington) was inaugurated. Also went to Fraunces Tavern. Oldest building in Manhattan. Thought I would grab another historical beer. Nay. Went in the little museum instead. Lots of good artifacts, but sub-par after what Philly and D.C. had to offer.

On to the Statue of Liberty. If you are coming out to New York, be sure to skip it. Tourists everywhere. Rude tourists. The rudest so far. Very time consuming and not at all worth the effort. The museum was fine, but could be missed. I did get some great pics from the pedestal. This is my favorite:

Ellis Island was a far better experience. If you have the time and patience, it actually is worth it. I took the audio tour which I also think was worth the extra $2 or so. I realized it was a perspective of American history largely ignored by other places I have been. National Park Service strikes again! This is where a lot of history happened:

Back to Brooklyn for a free concert in Prospect Park to see the New York Philharmonic. So amazing. Great music. Good people. And this:It doesn't get much better than that people. Then maybe the best fireworks I have seen on this trip. Visually thematic. Very entertaining. Perfect evening.

My final day in NYC I decided to go to the Met. I had very limited time so I saw a little bit of a lot of stuff. My favorite was the musical instrument exhibit. Pieces from all over the world and ancestors of instruments familiar to us in this culture. Here are some highlights that make me think of people I love. You know who you are:



Never found Washington crossing the Delaware. Oh well.

Wandered into Central Park, just for a moment, and this is what I found:
That's what I love about New York. Happy accidents are everywhere.

On to the All-Star parade. The game was that day over at Yankee Stadium. I hear it was intense. I could care less, but the parade was star-studded. Hung out in front of The Plaza with this women in her 80s who has lived in the same neighborhood of Queens her entire life. That women LOVES New York. We chatted about this and that and how much we don't know about baseball. Cool lady. Reminds me of my abuelita. Anyways, hundreds of greats, such as:

Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford
Tommy Lasorda
Jim Palmer
George Brett
Rod Carew
Hank Aaron
Reggie Jackson
I was about to snap a picture of Derek Jeter when my camera died. Jeter killed my camera. Fucking Jeter. I never liked that guy. Many other greats that I am sure would mean more to someone who follows baseball. Pretty much went for you guys to experience it since you couldn't.

Wandered around a bit more. Nothing spectacular. Had the best ruben sandwich of my life. Was exhausted and it was time to go.

Thanks go to these two beautiful people: For letting me stay so long, for helping me when Jolene was broken, for great recommendations, for introducing me to your great friends, and basically making sure I had the most awesome time possible in NYC. Thank you for being cool and funny and helping me break in my new piece. Lets not let another 7 years go by again.

brotherly love

I had a great time nerding it up in Philly. Came into town on July 8. My wonderful cool hosts were still at work, so I just started roaming. Happened upon the Old Swedes' Church, the oldest church in Pennsylvania. It was closed, but there was a neat old cemetery that I enjoyed for a while.
The guy who claims to be the first president of the United States is buried there:
I guess there is some controversy about it. I am not going to comment on such a sensitive political issue as the Articles of Confederation. I wouldn't want to offend.

Leaving there I went in search of a hair salon to clean up the do. They couldn't take me right away, so I wandered into:

If I called you from Philly, this is where I was. Cool place. Nice people. My wonderful hosts met me here and then took me to a hockey game. Almost seduced a hapless young man for a ride on his Zamboni. "Almost" being the most important word in that sentence. Mom, you will be happy to know I am still a Zamboni virgin.

Day 2 was touristy nerd day. First stop was a cheesesteak for breakfast. I don't know what they are serving in California, but it ain't no cheesesteak. So good.

Then on to the National Constitution Center. Essentially all of 8th grade history learned in 2 hours. Fantastic. When you go, make this your first stop. Gives one a historical base for everything else. No cameras allowed so you'll just have go and see it for yourself. Though was able to meet these guys:
In conversation I found out they chose not to sign The Constitution. I thought that was kind of lame so I met up with this guy:
We hung the rest of the week. Cool cat. Really smart. So cool, in fact, that I went on to a walking tour of his life led by a park ranger. Can I just take a moment to say how much I appreciate the National Park Service, especially in this town. Wonderful, sweet, helpful people. Amazing exhibits. Saw where Benny's house was, a print shop, artifacts, and the post office he started. If you got a post card it was mailed from here. There is supposed to be some kind of special post-mark. You tell me.

On to Independence Hall. This is where it all started people. Please take a moment to appreciate.


In this room the Declaration of Independence was developed, debated, and signed, as was the Constitution. Every freedom you enjoy was started in this room. George Washington presided and that chair is the one original piece of furniture.
Heavy.

Speaking of heavy, on to the Liberty Bell. Kudos again to the National Park Service. The exhibits leading up to the bell were really cool and informative. I knew nothing about the significance of the bell, specifically as a symbol of the oppressed. The bell itself was what it was. Bell. Big crack. Smaller than I thought it would be. This here is the best part. The reason it became a symbol of freedom for those that were not free:


Late in the day at this point, so on to City Tavern where the founders would go kick it after a long, hard day of birthing a nation. In the guide books it seemed to be advertised as authentic. I was stoked to drink a beer where John Adams may have gotten shit-faced himself. It is sadly a reproduction built by the wonderful National Park Service in 1979, so it was still great. Had a few ales made from original recipes of Thomas Jefferson and Martha Washington. So they say. Delicious either way. Met my new boyfriend:
He's a patriot with a strong dislike for the loyalists, of course, so politically we are in sync. He's also a merchant and y'all know I love a man with a J-O-B! He is not thrilled with the fact that I was a woman in a tavern, or that I read. He'll get over it though. They always do.

Went home and enjoyed a home-cooked meal, the first since South Carolina. We talked and laughed and enjoyed this:


Day 3 was more nerdiness. This was the best part. I am not going to tell you where it is, because I had to seek it out myself (thank you National Park Service. Again.) But it is stunning. Looks like a painting right? It is all Tiffany Glass. 15 by 49 foot mosaic.



Then ran into my stalker:
Thinking about getting a restraining order. He is so smarmy.

So I went to go hide in the National Liberty Museum. Celebrates great Americans, so I figured stalker wouldn't be there. My favorite parts were the extensive 9/11 tribute and the wall that celebrates great Americans with disabilities. Worth the admission price, especially if you are visiting with kids.

Last stop:


They don't allow cameras. At all. I had to stop off at my car before going. Understandable though. I loved it. You maybe not so much if you are not as nerdy as me. Learned I am a numismatist. Don't worry. Its not contagious.

And then on to NYC baby!!! One last note:
What did you do today? Besides read my blog. Get off your ass and go change the world people! Sheesh.

Thank you so much to my hosts. Thank you for bus tokens and good food and wine. Thank you for the best futon ever. I didn't get a picture of them, so y'all will just have to imagine there awesomeness.