Bits

Jet lag continues...though I am less draggy, my mind less mushy, with each passing day. 

I am exploring my new phone, digging Dragon's Way class which started last night, chipping away at bills-y kind of paperwork, getting back into the saddle of the schedule, etc.

I have Louise Erdrich's new book from the library for eight days.  Have not had the wherewithal to start it...

I read a poem I liked this morning.  You can read it here.

After Comic Con we walked from the Javits Center to Midtown Comics and from there to my mom's.  It was cool to be on foot passing the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel...new perspective of a familiar landscape.

Peace and love.

Bountiful beauty brooklyn style

What an amazing day.

The company:

Cara, Stephen, Cap and I were all freshman hallmates in 1984.  A group of about a dozen of us remain close friends of ours, to this day.  There is something so wonderfully easy about hanging out with old friends.  Even the kids (our three families happen to consist of two boys each, very symmetrical), who don't see each other but once every year or two, have a level of comfort with each other that is more akin to family than friends.

The event:

Our plans to gather happened to coincide with the Brooklyn Book Fest.  Which happens to be the baby of a fellow university friend, Johnny Temple.  The book love was abundant and palpable.  Cap got to see a comic writer/illustrator he admires greatly on a panel called "Building Worlds Over Time".  I was thrilled to pick up some literary treats (despite not really getting much browsing time due to being chief kid wrangler).

A literary magazine, two novels, and a collection of poetry for $40.  That is some serious festival love.

The architecture:

When in a city, I am often looking up.  There is something I love about how buildings meet sky.  I also love discovering the details of a structure, both functional and decorative.  Growing up in NYC provided me with lots of opportunity...and no doubt inspired me at a tender age.  We drove through lower Manhattan today, over the Brooklyn Bridge and into Brooklyn Heights.  The festival was at Borough Hall.  There was much oohing and aahing.

The weather:

A truly picture perfect northeastern US Fall day.  Bright, hot sun, a brisk undercurrent to the breeze, wonderfully dry.  Colors popped, the best of summer lingered, it felt so good to be alive.

The pics:

Peace and love.

NYC w/B : : 2

The phone pics.

Lunch was at Otto.  A scrumptious meat board a simple salad (baby spinach, ricotta salata and truffle honey) and sublime gelato (olive oil, caramel) and sorbet (grapefruit campari).

A stroll of about a mile (still love walking in the city...thirty years strong) to the New Museum.  A nifty building with some exhibits I truly enjoyed.

Dinner was at Veselka (Bowery location).  Cara joined us from Brooklyn.  I had beets in my soup (skipped the bread), beets in my pierogies (did not skip the dumpling dough) and beets in my dessert (chocolate beet brûlée).  All beet-a-rrific...in an earthy fabulous way.

NYC w/B :: 1

In retrospect it seems dreamy.  At the time my feet were firmly planted and my senses were grounded.  It was a wonderful day in and of the city.

Mitsi

I saw Mitsi today!  We had a good old NYC foodie time: coffee at Dean and Deluca and lunch at The Carnegie Deli.  Afterward we took a short stroll over to Central Park despite the temps in the 20s.  It was so good to see her, I miss her already.