Pano of Yesterday's View

This sun burnt me yesterday... And not too long after I had been bragging about last year's success of no sunburns! The weather was too perfect to be inside and after spending time outside drinking an iced coffee, wondering Greenpoint, down to the East River Park, and then ending on the roof of the bar Berry Park, my skin had reached its max of sun! Today, I'm miserable, red, and welted! I am disappointed that I was burnt this year... But now I am reminded!

9 weeks until summer break (not that I'm counting - 44 days). I cannot wait to have many days of time to myself!

PS: Like the cool panorama of the city? My friend, Scott, knows how much I like photo aps and introduced me yesterday! Pretty cool!!

Last day of Spring Break

And it couldn't get better than this! The weather is beyond wonderful!!

Spring Break

I spent Spring Break back home so I could meet my sweet, sweet nephew, Tristan. He's the most adorable little guy :) I miss him already, and I cannot wait for this summer when I get to see him again!! By then he'll probably be doing some more moving! I'll have to baby-proof my house for his visit!

He's really lucky to have such a sweet mama too!

I am the Luckiest Aunt!

Meet baby Tristan! His sweet mama let me cuddle him to pieces this
afternoon!!!

Zach G????

Seth has been growing his hair out, on my request... He's starting to look like a slimmer Zach Galifianakis. He's been told many times in the last week that he resembles this funny guy! See for yourself ;)

Looking at Art

Yesterday was my first day in a long time to explore the city freely... I didn't have anything I HAD to do, just the things I have been wanting to do. I finally got in a trip to the MoMA (I've been wanting to get there to see the German Expressionism show & to take in the NY Abstract Expressionism - which is being changed soon :(... Plus I wanted to do a walk through of Picasso's Guitars, another favorite special exhibit) Anyway, I am throwing around the question of what role the color black plays in pieces of art.... Here are a few pieces I looked at yesterday at the MoMA. (& for those of you who can't visit the MoMA with the ease of a quick subway ride, have I shared this awesome link with you??? Art Project - by Google... PRETTY SWEET! Just click on the MoMA, or any museum you please!)

Willem de Kooning "Painting"

(I saw on the MoMA website that there is a de Kooning special exhibit coming up in September! I CANNOT WAIT!)

Arshile Gorky "The Leaf of the Artichoke is an Owl"

Bradley Walker Tomlin "Number 20"

Monday in the City

MoMA Monday!!

Sand Art in Union Square

Foggy View of the Brooklyn Bridge

Another day of foggy, rainy weather (with this morning being downright horrible!!) Yet, tonight was filled with dinner and catching up, reminiscing and enjoying the company of a good friend! Makes me think back to the two years we worked together and realize how much I miss working with her!

Tonight, we ate at Bubby's, a restaurant with a view of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges in Dumbo. In less than 10 weeks, we'll be celebrating her and her fiance's marriage there!! (CAN'T WAIT!) :)

Two more days until Spring Break starts and less than a week until I get to cuddle up my new baby nephew and shower him with smooches!

MIA

I have been quite absent lately from the blog... No real explanation as to why - I spend most of my evenings hanging out with S watching Dexter, movies, or other TV shows (including catching up on the most recent season of Californication - to which I cried because it felt like not only was the season ending but also the show... I tend to get really attached to shows and cry at the end of them because I feel like I'm losing something ;)

I've been reading a few good books (books I'd love to dedicate a whole post to... but don't seem to get around to it) So I'll give you the short and the sweet of it:

*The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - This is a non-fiction book written in a narrative-like form, making it quite enjoyable and quick. Skloot sprinkles in the scientific information throughout the book so you don't feel like you are reading a text book. It is so crazy though, that I almost found myself not believing it! And then, to think, that still today, your cells and tissues can be taken from you and used for research and EVEN PROFIT without you having much say at all (of course there are consent forms and what-not... but those didn't seem to make much difference for people in the recent past 50 years...)

*I also finally completed the 5th book of Harry Potter and have the 6th book waiting in line after I finish the May book club book (maybe by tomorrow)! I definitely want to zip through the 6th and 7th book, and I've even considering giving in and seeing a few of the movies!!! (I think I've only seen the 1st and 2nd ones - maybe?)

*Right now, I'm reading May's book club book, The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It's a really quick and easy read too... but quite dark. I think I might finish it tomorrow. I'm interested in reading No Country for Old Men, which is also my Cormac McCarthy... Not usually the type of book I read, but I do like the way McCarthy writes in The Road and, as messed up as the movie was, I did like No Country for Old Men on the big screen...

*And I'm still slowly (a page or 2 a day) reading Little Women. I will finish it in a year at this pace... maybe I can focus some extra attention to the book someday, but for now, I'll just read it bit by bit :)

Others books waiting to be read, especially because a few are borrowed and their owners might want them back some time sooner than later:

• The Likeness
• Water for Elephants
• Gone With the Wind (after Little Women)

I have been doing more than just watching shows on the television and reading books... I started a drawing class about a month ago. It's a figure drawing class with a live model. I'm horrible, but looking back at some of the first drawings I did and what I did in the last class session, I feel like I am at least making some improvements (even if they are quite small ;) Next week, I need to check out the summer drawing classes and decide what I'm going to register for. Summer class registration is in the beginning of May... Probably going to continue the drawing class I have now, and then add one more class - possible another drawing class.

Well, I'm off to bed (I am surprised I'm still up... at 8:05 I told Seth I was heading to bed thinking it was 9:30!)

Pink Park Flowers

We have had many rainy, gray days lately... But despite the gray
Sunday, I searched out the pink trees in Prospect Park to remind
myself that spring is indeed coming-here-almost here ;)

Counting down the days until Spring Break starts (only 3 more!!)

Another Sign of Spring

Magnolia Spring!!!

The first blooming magnolias of spring!!! I cannot tell you how much I
love love love this time of the year!!! Now if the temperature would
remain around 70 it would be perfect :)

Monopoly Night

I officially Lost at Monopoly! (surprise! I always lose!) Our good
friends, P&C came for dinner and game night tonight!! I love these
guys! Right now, the girls are trying to convince the boys to quit
(past our bedtimes) and they are arguing to keep going (boys, ugh!).

Art Class

This is my message to myself! I have been planning to sign up for an art class for a few months now, and every time I pushed myself close enough to doing it, I'd come up with reasons and excuse about why I should wait... I still have reasons for waiting... Weekend plans, flying home for spring break, work commitments on a Saturday in April, etc. etc. But today, I decided to not let myself keep me from doing what I really want to do. I decided that it was time for the rest of my life to work around me! (and I really wanted a good excuse to by some more art supplies ;)

So, despite my fears, I headed straight to the Art Students League of NY after work and am now signed up for a drawing class starting Saturday. This feels like the first actual art class I have taken. I did, however, take art in 8th grade and an art class for educators in college... but I feel like those don't count... I took them, loved taking them, but was thrust into by class requirements. So much of me regrets never choosing art in high school or college... I put writing first and then education and literature. But, I am now registered for my first class.

Putting myself into new situations, for example a drawing class where I'm sure there are people who ACTUALLY know what they are doing, makes me realize a thing or two about myself. I consider myself terrified of doing new things. The prospect of not know what to do can sometimes be enough to slow me down from doing something I kind of want to do. And even though I feel like the only person in the world who suffers from this, I am pretty sure I am not. This is what I tell myself to push myself out of my comfort zone (So IF I am the only person in the world who thinks this way, just nod and act like there are others!! ;). To try new things. To just do whatever it is that I am wanting to do... And, if I look a little foolish along the way, then whatever. I know it's my first time. I know I am new at it. And eventually, I might have a slight idea about what I am doing.

If there is one thing I love about my twenties (or at least the first half of them) is the realization of who I am and the ability to push myself beyond that. I know I don't know a lot about a lot of things. I know I am terrified of trying new things, but I also know, I don't have to let my fears hold me back. I hope I only get more and more confident and daring as I age.

Hope my first drawing class doesn't turn out to be horrifying... maybe I'll share a little about my experience this weekend!