Funny Glasses

Last night, after dinner in Dumbo, we headed towards the water to show Seth's sister the beautiful view of the bridges. While we were admiring, a group of girls asked us to take a photo of them with the city as their background. They laughed as they put on funny glasses, calling them "Japanese toys". We laughed at how funny the girls looked with them on. After the photo was snapped, they offered us the glasses for our own photos! Of course, we laughed even harder looking at each other with these ridiculously funny glasses.

I think I want to get my own pair of them. Don't we look good???

No Parking

Williamsburg Bridge

Seth's sister is visiting NYC for work, and of course, we are squeezing in as much family time as we can while she is here (and not busy working). The first night she got in, we met up for dinner in Williamsburg. Seth's brother suggested after dinner we walk across the Williamsburg Bridge. It was my first walk across this bridge, and I loved it. It was very different from the Brooklyn Bridge, not as many people and obviously not a popular tourist destination. There was fencing up on the sides of the walkway (which can get in the way of tourists' photos). Graffiti covered many of the surfaces surrounding us, and bikers sped past us quickly on their way home through the dark. But I loved how, despite the grunge of the bridge, I was inspired by the beauty, by my city.

My first walk across the Williamsburg Bridge.

Dear Blog,

I know I've been missing these last few weeks. I promise I haven't forgotten about you. Please keep my reader's coming back, even if there's nothing new going on your pages.... I promise to return soon with great photos to share from Labor Day weekend. I guess these photos are not only absolutely stunning, but they are also symbolic to the official end of my summer and the coming of something new, a changing in my life.

Unfortunately, blog, I am not posting those photos tonight, as I just looked at 150 other posts on other blogs (sorry, was sharing my love with the others blog, please forgive me? I'm just soooo far behind on reading blogs). And I'm really hungry. And I have lots of typing to do and some reading about what young people thought of Obama's speech on goals and the school year. And some analyzing of numbers. And hopefully in bed before 9:30 (because 5 a.m. Hurt Bad this morning).

So blog, I promise to keep in touch. Tell all my readers that I miss them, and that if any of them knows how to get a few more hours squeezed into a day, I would love to hear their secret! Also, please let them know that I am happy to be back at work after the summer off and feeling really good about everything :)

Xoxo, A

Union Square Meet Up

I love watching people come together... especially when they are doing something that I couldn't do myself, like this group of people, chanting, playing music and doing a martial arts that lacks actual physical contact (don't know the name off the top of my head this moment, and too tired to research...) Anyone know it?

Martin Loves Jen

The Boys

Spent the day with Seth and his family. He's insanely happy to have his brother in town... So much so that he won't let me even sit by him (for the weekend, my spot is Ian's spot!) It's sweet.

Piano Player

A shot from tonight... the piano player on the platform at Union Square tonight. Last weekend there was a discussion about how exactly this man got his piano down the stairs there and kept it in tune (by the way, I am so out of touch for what in tune means... I wasn't the one who brought that fact up!).

Another shot from tonight here, one I think love.

Been working all week (found a bullet hole in my work window this afternoon... hmmm...) but I think I'm looking forward to returning to work. And I'm taking the day off tomorrow to hang out with my brother-in-law and father-in-law who just flew in today from back home.

Garden Painter

Spotted this painter under the trees at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. I also so another painter or two, taking in the park, being inspired by the beauty around them. I often see people creating art when I visit the garden. I hope to visit the garden a couple weekends this fall when it isn't so terribly hot.

Friends

Pulling this from the file... Never ended up posting it in July after April and Chris visited. (Look at me... Can you guess that this photo was taken in the early morning??) Here we are waiting on our stoop for the car service to come and pick up our friends and take them off to the airport and back home to Kansas. It was so wonderful having them as our guests. We spent evenings playing cards, toured around the city, and enjoyed each others company. They stayed with us over a week, and even after so many days in our small apartment, I was terribly sad to see them go. They are definitely friends I wish we lived closer to.

Juggling Fire

Earlier this summer, while wondering through the South Street Seaport, we caught a street show of a man juggling fire, an apple, and a small sword/large knife. As if that weren't enough, he was balancing on a board and ate a bite out of the apple at three different times during the juggling performance!

I especially love coming upon good street performances. This one was definitely a great one to catch. I get pulled in... I have to get right up close and see what is going on, to become a part of the show. I sneak my way between people, getting a closer look. Sometimes I wonder if the people I am with would have stopped to watch if it weren't for me, if it weren't for the magnetic pull they seem to have on me. I can't help it. When I see one, there is nothing else I'd rather be doing than watching.

Getting his balance...

And the juggling begins...

And onto the apple biting. Amazing.

I love this moment. The expression on his face, the lines on his face from years of smiling.

This woman was with him. I didn't catch her part in the show, but I had to capture her, in her costume, watching as the juggler collected money after his performance.

Right Where I'm Supposed to Be

There just isn't anything better is there? It's hitting strong these days... And everything is how it should be and each moment I'm right there to enjoy it, to take it in, to feel it. Yesterday, when Seth and I went to Central Park, we wondered our way in, me still amazed that I actually live in New York, that I can actually go to Central Park when I feel.

We paused for a rest on one of the large rocks that shoot up out of the ground in the park. Seth laid out. I stayed sitting up, watching people pass, feeling how alive the park was. We were both taking in the saxophone player (the guy that's always near the tunnel by the ice skating rink... if you've been to that area before you've probably seen him before, or better yet, heard him before). The weather was perfect and I knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. In that moment, I was not to be doing anything else, but sitting next to my love, living, breathing.

My life is about to get very busy, very overwhelming. But I think I'm ready for it. I have some ideas of how to make things better... and I'm ready to try them out. I'm ready to see if I can make a change, for myself and for others. I thought I'd lost this hopeful feeling... I know I lost touch with it last year, during all the horrible moments (that I've somehow forgotten with two months of relaxation). I guess we'll see what happens then, but for now, I'm enjoying the prospect and the preparation of something good to come.

P.S. Who doesn't spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Central Park and NOT feel like they are right where they are supposed to be!?! Maybe that's why I love NYC so much... There are so many places that I go to, and instantly, I'm hit with that feeling... And I know this City is my place, at least for now :)

Bridge Shirt

I should have just bought the shirt from the man on the bridge. He designed it himself... It's perfect & printed on an American Apparel V-Neck. Where would I find a better one? He told me he's there often, but I've been back twice and haven't found him yet. Maybe one of these days, and just in case, I'll carry $20 cash each time I walk the bridge in hopes of finding him selling his art in the form of tees.

Penguins of Central Park

Spent some time this afternoon at the Central Park Zoo. The penguins were adorable... Standing on the rocks with their arms hanging out at their sides, swimming through the water...

Dear Saturday,