Sunday, March 28, 2010

Oh, New York...

I spent a great 5 days in the city - exploring on my own, catching up with great friends, and taking in all the city has to offer. Loved it.

I found this beautiful little fountain as I walked west towards the MOMA at about 50th and 6th?

I found this artist and her special exhibit at the MOMA to be odd... She just sits in one of the foyers in the MOMA and asks patrons/guests to come sit with her - to experience what it is to be art??? You can read about her below...


I stopped in the MOMA store on my way out and she had a book available of her art. She basically goes around the world and poses nude in different scenarios under the pretense of how comfortable she is with her body to exhibit it. I guess NYC was taken to be too conservative (in comparison to her European exhibits) for her nude art.

Monet's water lilies was also a special exhibit at the MOMA. I had been to a lecture a couple nights prior at the Met by a former professor of my friend's. He presented his vast knowledge of Monet's gardens at Giverny and how he nurtured them for his paintings.




In Monet's later years his paintings became more and more abstract. This painting below is his famous Japanese bridge, but of course it differs greatly from the one familiar to us.

There was also a Tim Burton exhibit, which was interesting. And packed full of people.

Barnum and Bailey Circus was coming into town on Monday at midnight. They bring everything in gradually, I'm sure, but I guess in the last couple years they've kind of made a parade out of bringing in the elephants. It would have been really fun had it not been raining. I also was expecting more elephants. But what other time are you going to see elephants walking across 34th street? Turns out my friend Lauren was just a block away from where I was at 34th and Park waiting with her kids, but we didn't even know.


Lauren and I met up and headed for some lunch in Soho at the Spotted Pig. Delicious salad. Delicious burger.


On Wednesday I headed to Brooklyn to see my good friend Nicole. It was great to catch up and to see her new baby girl. Brooklyn is wonderful. We went to Prospect park and played with the kids. This beautiful building is at the edge of the park...it belongs to a historical society -- the name I do not remember.


I love Le Pain Quotidien. Simple. Delicious pear, apple turnover.


It's good to be back in VA though. I just don't know about work tomorrow.

I realize my blog isn't all that exciting, but at least you aren't getting lists, right?

My friend yesterday was making fun of me for my list making. I guess I've exposed it to her through this blog. I told her to stop though, because I'm not a frequent list maker. She agreed with this, but then told me when I did I was very thorough. Yes, yes. This is true. So I'm sorry for having exposed my lists; however, it's been a long time since I've made you read one. This one friend told me she's made a list of everything that's wrong with her and everything that's right about her. My response?
me: omg.
what does that even mean?
10:54 PM how can you say what's wrong with you?
the wrong things might actually be what allows the right things to exist.

Excited to go to Eastern Europe in June. Excited to start training for a sprint triathalon. Excited for my sister to have the baby.
Pictures of this adorable (I'm sure) baby are forthcoming!!!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

My friend, Kate

Kate is my almost relative who let me stay with her in NYC while I was there last winter trying to make connections and find a job. NYC didn't work out, but I'm so glad Kate and I have become close friends.

She wrote an article for an online women's magazine called Hopscotch. Read it and see just how great she is.

Her concluding thought: "Germany ceased to be a distant, exotic place. I began to love and regard it as the familiar home of some of my own family, and as an essential piece of my history and identity."

Someone reminded me I had a blog...

So excited for spring break and to be in this park next week, and, hopefully, it won't be raining.
To finish reading this book:
To read this book:
And this one:
Do you have any other reading suggestions? I'm reading a book a month this year.

Kate and I are also going to ski at Hunter Mountain.