Art in DUMBO

I've had a couple of days off to catch up on sleep. Yesterday I swore I wouldn't do anything other than rest and eat. It felt good to lay around watching television until I started to feel bored and lonely. Bored, lonely but still tired.

Laura wanted to go for drinks after meeting one of her old college friends after work so I eventually did get up and shower. Then I got a voicemail from Sarah Humphrey asking if we'd like to go to an art exhibition she and her colleagues were doing in DUMBO. The exhibit was projecting the work of four different video artists onto the side of the Manhattan Bridge, with a reception at a bar called Rebar. Laura and I were up for it so we met Sarah there. We saw the videos both in the bar and projected on the bridge and enjoyed the wine and champagne.

Today I'm still feeling really tired. The only thing I really have to do today is get some groceries, there's nothing here for me to eat, but I am seriously putting it off. I don't want to do anything! Seriously!!

Rearranged!

At the end of my Easter Vacation I made the choice to take the overnight bus back to VA and arrive the same morning as I was supposed to be back at work. That way I got an extra day with Jake and would just have to sleep what I could on the bus and stick it out at work on Wednesday. So at 1am on Wednesday I got on the bus and I arrived back here at 7am yesterday morning. I came back to the apartment and had a nap before I went in to work at noon. When I got up again and had my shower and coffee I was thinking it wasn't going to be so bad but when I got on the train I only wanted to lay down.

At the end of my train ride I get out at the 96th street station. It has been under construction since I began working up there. They have been building an above ground station in the median section of Broadway. Anyway when I got off the train yesterday morning the stairway where it had always been was covered in plywood and instead of going down it everyone was going up a stairway that didn't use to be there! I was so confused. I stood on the platform looking at the boarded up down staircase and looking back at the staircase up. Finally I followed the crowd up the stairs and out into the bright sunshine in the center of Broadway. Since the station is new the intersection was a mess as people who used to come out of the station on one side of Broadway or the other were now all coming up in the center and everyone had to cross the street. Once I had gotten my tired brain and body through all this newness and was headed down Broadway in the usual direction to work I thought seriously about going to a different stop to get back on the train. I didn't think I could handle all that again, as tired as I was feeling. Unfortunately for tired, mind blown me, when I got to work things didn't improve as they had rearranged the entire store! Everything that was on the left side was on the right side and vice versa! Also everything that had been in the window was gone, leaving much more visible through the windows and the upstairs area had been completely filled with frames on the walls. They even moved the clock. I felt like the world had moved a little, and like I'd been gone a LOT longer than 4 days! Geez!

Then I found out we had a birthday party scheduled for my shift.

Today I slept until 1pm. I'm feeling much better now :)

Easter Break

Yesterday morning while I was getting ready for work I tried to call my mom three times. By the time I got to work and had a moment to check my e mail she had sent this e mail:

haven't heard since sat. did you get back ok? Could not find recent blog. mom

Mom sends e mails like they are telegrams or something. She'd be great at texting if she got into it.

Anyway to ease my Mom's worried mind and catch everyone up HERE is a recent blog post.

I just got back from a wonderful holiday with Jake. I took the Chinatown Bus down to Richmond on Thursday night which was mainly uneventful, though very long. I got on the bus at 5pm and didn't arrive in Richmond until 1-something am.

Friday we got up late at Jake's grandparents house and headed to their rental condo at the Wintergreen resort. Jake's grandma had packed us tons of great food and instructions that we were to try out the grill and make sure it works. Ok, if you insist! Jake invited his friends Jason and Gordie over for grill. After eating we watched Jason's favorite movie, The Warriors, which is about 70s street gangs in NYC and culminates in a battle on Coney Island.

Saturday we came to Strasburg for my Grandma Betty's 80th Birthday party. It was really nice to everyone from that family and catch up. Everybody was really excited to hear about New York and wanted to come and visit. It was fun and Grandma really enjoyed it. She was surprised and some of her family members had come from far away just to see her. All her kids were in one place which doesn't happen often.

Jessie, Grandma and me at Grandma's party

After the party Jake and I headed up to my Dad's house on the way back to Wintergreen. We went out to dinner at Cracker Barrel for Markee's birthday and then went back to Dad's for cake and Trivial Pursuit. Dad also told us some really spooky stories about Jerome, where his family are all from. He told us stories passed down from his great grandparents and aunts and uncles about mysterious lights and sounds encountered if you went down by the creek at night. Jake and I really wanted to go out to Jerome and try to see scary lights, that is until we got in the car to go back out to the mountains for the night. Then I got seriously creeped out. Anyway, Daddy and Markee both stomped us at Trivial Pursuit and then we headed back up for the night.

Sunday we were supposed to go to Church but we didn't get up. We spend Easter relaxing together at the condo, playing cards and watching tv and just generally enjoying the quiet time. Monday was much the same but we did leave the condo for dinner at the Edge restaurant which was fabulous.

Tuesday we came down the mountain and hung out in Richmond until my 1am bus back to NYC. I wish it hadn't ended. I sure love VA and spending time with my family and friends there.

Laura DeWitt's Birthday Party

Wednesday was Laura DeWitt's birthday and to celebrate she reserved two lanes at Frames in the Port Authority Bus Terminal last night. Frames is a fancy New York bowling alley which means that is is luxuriously appointed and offers fancy specialty cocktails. Oh and it costs a lot more than Massanutten lanes. Laura is super generous though, and for her birthday her mom provided the lanes. I abstained from fancy cocktails as my stomach was in an uproar from the Jello shots mentioned in the previous post.

We had two lanes and our own waiter named 'Reddick' who had dark wavy hair and an accent. I told Laura he was my birthday present to her and our party did our best to annoy poor Reddick all night with orders for drinks and appetizers and more drinks and more appetizers.

Without beer my bowling wasn't so great, and I didn't get that second beer boost. We all had a lot of fun and I think Laura had a great time!

The Birthday Girl

Elizabeth and Laura are posing for 'headshots'

Today was opening day and the Blessing of the Rides at Coney Island!! I had to work. Laura took her friend Ashley down but they didn't ride anything, and by the time I got off work and all the way down to Coney everything was closed up again and deserted. I almost feel like Laura was making it up. Soon enough it will be warmer and the rides will stay open and I'll be able to ride the Wonder Wheel. We even tried to go to a boardwalk bar we'd heard about from the guys at 773 but that was shuttered when we got to it. We did get corn dogs at Nathans and then coffee and a doughnut each at Dunkin Donuts in the subway station.

Shot Girls

A few nights ago Laura and I grabbed some pizza after work and then went for drinks at 773. We were talking and watching some basketball and chatting a bit with the regular crowd. Billy, the owner came over and was talking to us about how the bar was having a band Friday night called Memphis Train. He asked if we wanted to come sell Jell-o shots for cash so that he wouldn't have to charge a cover to have the band. We could keep all the tips and he would pay us a little something after as well. Of course we jumped at the chance. Getting paid to hang out at the bar and listen to a band?


Yesterday was my day off. After Laura finished with work I met her, along with our friend Ashley, visiting from Maryland, in Union Square and we went to the movies. We had been anticipating the opening of Hot Tub Time Machine since the first time we saw the commercial on television.

After the movie we came back to our apartment to change for our working bar night. We got to the bar around 9 and it was very very quiet. The band was setting up and the regulars were there but the band crowd Billy had anticipated wasn't there. We got some beers and sat for quite a while talking. Once the band had begun and had been playing a while we headed to the back to fill our trays. We loaded up with dixie cups filled with jello and liquor. We made a round and sold most all of the shots on our trays. Some people were excited and bought a lot, some people were less enthusiastic but played along and bought one or two. We attempted a second round to empty the trays but couldn't so we decided to take them back to the kitchen to sit in the refrigerator for a bit. After another hour we went back for the trays and tried to make another round but everyone who was going to buy jell-o shots had already bought all they wanted. We probably sold a third of the shots that Billy had made for us. It was not the success we'd hoped for for the bar, but we drank and ate for free and the bar payed us more than they took from the cash we did make. When we finally took the trays back to the refrigerator to call it a night we might have thrown a couple back ourselves. We might also have done a little kitchen dancing. I don't wanna say for sure though.


All in all I'd say it was a pretty successful venture. I'd be happy to repeat it if asked. I think we need to go to the bar one night soon and pay for a change!

I Read The News Today, Oh Boy.

This morning on the train I decided to write a blog of 'A Day in the Life of Katy'. I was a little groggy at the time but grew more and more determined throughout my commute. I even e mailed myself notes once I got to work, which is more thought than I usually put into a blog post. Lets see if its as interesting as I was sure it would be early this morning.

8:00 Alarm goes off but Laura is in the shower. Going to work a half hour later messes up the morning flow around here for me. Try to lay in bed and listen for the shower to stop but my radiator is going absolutely nuts. Get up grudgingly to start the coffee.

8:10 Get into shower.

8:30 Our of shower, get coffee, get dressed.

8:55 Head to train station.

9:00 Catch Manhattan bound Q. Its rush hour, still, so even though I walk all the way to the front car I have to stand. Feel grouchy about standing. Try to stake out who will vacate a seat first and stand near them.

9:30 Arrive at Times Square and transfer to the uptown 3. I do not have to stand. I notice a man in Ralph Lauren overalls and wonder why. Feel grouchy about overalls.

9:45 Arrive at work 15 minutes early but notice that the opening person hasn't shown up, leaving me a hot second to do everything needed to open the store. Scramble to open the store by 10. Feel grouchy about scrambling.

10:00 Boss arrives. Manager calls and gives me a to do list to complete. Boss gives me more not so fun clerical tasks. Nobody knows where opening person is.

10:15 Begin tedious clerical task which thankfully involves sitting at a desk.

10:17 Opening person arrives 45 minutes late.

2:00 No portrait appointments today. I begin to wonder if 4pm will ever get here. Feel grouchy about Clerical task and all customers.

4:00 Head home. I get to sit on both trains and read my book which makes me very happy.

5:10 Arrive home, call Jake to say hi. Eat some candy. TV and supper and Facebook await.

Most of my days involve a lot less feeling grouchy. Today was just a crabby day from start to finish. I blame the weather. Also most days I do not do anything clerical although I do do a lot of tedious things. We didn't have any photo appointments today at all so we all had to do those tasks we'd been putting off for a while.

I have a lot of fun things coming up this weekend and also I can't wait to see Jake at Easter time.

Sunshine and Photography

Its been so warm and beautiful the last couple of days. It makes it much easier to feel positive and cheerful, unlike the harsh New York City winter. I hope it holds. I'm certainly ready for nice weather. Apparently so is everybody else. The sidewalk near where I work was so full of people it took me twice as long to get from work to the subway. I had to dodge and weave among all the people walking slowly, four abreast, and chatting.

Today is decidedly cloudy though. Good thing its my day off. I'm meant to do laundry today but I might not get to it. That's bad because the baskets not getting any less full but its such a hassle. I'm getting really good at putting it off.


At work we have been doing training for a month! Since we are offering people a free print to come have their picture taken by trainees we've been booked solid and I've gotten lots of opportunities to take pictures. They want me to begin doing solo shoots after this week! I'm getting better in the studio setting although sometimes I still get completely overwhelmed by the pressure and the baby or child who doesn't feel like performing and the parents who don't feel the need to help or just be helpful. Sometimes I feel like hiding behind a big light until they go away or just tagging out and letting somebody else at work do the pictures and I'll confirm appointments or count the drawer or something I've mastered in my months of not being able to take pictures alone.

It'll be a quiet couple of weeks and then I get to go to Richmond for Easter with Jake. I can't wait!