i am not on a boat. i am on a bus. i’m going to boston for the night and coming back with what sounds like a gorgeous dining room set. it’s sort of a wedding present (although we don’t want wedding presents… yet…). i haven’t seen it but it’s supposed to be beautiful, old oak, matching chairs etc. and i’ll get some time with my dad, and my cousin, and some old friends. which is always nice.
i have been up to so much that it’s hard to remember all of it. we had a massive jam session on friday with lyrics and chords projected on to the wall. with some amazingly talented musicians and friends from across the country present, we managed to banjo/harmonica/handclap/found object percussion our way through decades of classic sing-a-longs. as usual, we performed part of your world from the little mermaid. the song below (hey! they’re on a bus too!) was pretty awesome as well, thanks to my favorite personal trainer tickling some serious ivories.
spring is in full effect here (no more winter, please!) and we are taking full advantage. our friend works at a mindblowing art studio in red hook and we rode our bikes to visit him. they have been working on a stop motion movie of a barrier reef for many years and it was remarkable to see. it is made entirely of found objects. everything around the studio was just beautiful, creative, entrancing, magical. here is a bird made from strips of pizza boxes. it is animatronic.
in red hook, looking out at the harbor in its glorious magnificence, the statue of liberty towering over the serene blue water, we took care of some unfinished business. you may have forgotten that a few weeks ago we hosted a ball-off, a potluck where everything had to be shaped like balls. the crowd favorite was a ball that was really more of a work of art. it was called SpHERE. it was a giant popcorn ball, two feet across and dyed groinstrong pink, which i always appreciate. even with a good crowd, we barely made a dent in the thing. so on saturday, standing on the edge of the water, we set the ball free.
thus the SpHERE completed its artistic life cycle, as we returned the popcorn back to its natural oceanic habitat. and it will find new life in the bellies of the many birds, gulls and terns and others, that swarmed the marshmallow-covered gooey goodness. the SpHERE held its shape for a remarkably long time as it floated along the breakfront. i hope birds like marshmallows.
of course sunday started with brunch, as sundays should. as many of you know, the last section of old elevated subway track in manhattan has been converted into the high line park. it is absolutely stunning, a new way to look at the city, a new way to see the urban environment in all its glory and chaos. the park is full of interesting, experiential art, like the installation of stained glass that slowly shifts in tone and mood as the day passes and the sunlight and shadows crawl.
the art and the stroll with my loving and lovely wife was not all the day had in store for us. above the high line sits the standard hotel, which has become infamous for its exhibitionist clientele. the windows of the hotel look down on the park, and as kathryn and i walked in serious conversation, we glanced up and saw a couple at their window. they were draped in towels. they waved. we waved. suddenly OOPS! the man’s towel fell. it must have been an accident…
this coming saint patrick’s day marks four years since i moved to new york. the word on the street is that it takes five years to be a local.
but i have now seen a naked man at the window of the standard hotel.
i have finally arrived.
