Tracks to Clementine

Office Hours

It's powerful warm here in New York City.

Today is my lazy day. Sure, sure, one might assume that all days are lazy when one is on vacation, especially if those days contain heat hovering near 90 degrees, but it's just not so.

Well, sort of.

I've been holding "office hours" as follows: when my computer's battery runs out, so do I. It's a pretty great gauge and results in accomplishing enough at-home-efforts that I feel at ease for the remainder of the day. The past few days I've been tapping away at a cafe, complete with many other laptop users (two of whom inquired as to where I purchased my bag), tasty snacks, and French accents. Today, however, a working connection magically appeared at Ian's apartment, thus aiding my lazy day.

Some notes:

Philip Glass's Powaqatsi at Jazz at Lincoln Center
This piece was so mesmerizing that I forgot that it was just images and music and kept thinking I heard voices. Granted, that may also have been the combined effect of Philip Glass's music mixed with my having not slept on the plane at all. But it was quite satisfying and the sound system was freaking incredible. Oh, and Philip Glass himself was one of the musicians. Upon noting that I thought "oh, hey, right, he's just a guy."

Seaport Yarn
This yarn store is like a little rabbit warren ("You stupid bunnies, you got no mates!"), a very little warren entirely contained within a marketing research firm. There were all sorts of fun to touch yarns and welcome conversation. They also only took cash, which greatly aided my ability to resist purchasing yarn beyond the plans Ian and I had made (we're making washcloths and bath mitts). And then I left my water bottle there so I have to go back.

The Lion and the Lamb
This upper East Side yarn store is nearish the apartment (if you've been wandering across Central Park) and I needed to get a smaller needle size. So, in I went. Holy fuck, immediate stereotypes in action! There were five older Jewish women all knitting and needlepointing and talking about how well their relatives knit and about other people's unfortunate ailments. I lingered just long enough to hear the phrase "How do you know her? The diamond industry?" before I checked out with my needles. Upon checking out I noticed that the computer mouse was entirely encrusted with hot pink diamondelles.

Skype
This program was utilized to great success during the Annex Company meeting. QT and I were voices on the Drooping Acres stereo as we huddled together, one iPod headphone apiece. And free!

Other than that, I've been walking everywhere possible or taking the subway everywhere possible. Good food, good window-shopping, so many plans for my remaining days (known elements include: Chunky Move at Dance Theatre Workshop, Rain at the New Victory Theatre, some Seattle friends at SketchFest NYC, and MOMA).

And, yes, I've been asked for directions--even before I hit surface-side on my way to Ian's from the airport.

Posted by Ida at June 8, 2005 11:44 AM