33 years old!

A man was building a boat on the sidewalk a block from my loft building. When I asked what he was going to do with a boat in Brooklyn, he answered, "Row it, I guess."

Anevay and Courtney

Street vendors add a lot of color to the grey buildings of downtown Manhattan.


Sleeping man, probably homeless, amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown Manhattan.

A group of kids skateboarded around him, but he didn't stir.



Note the fallout shelter sign. It's become a hobby of mine to find them all over Brooklyn and Manhattan...

The restaurant where we ate this evening.
I have no idea what these glasses contain.

Nor these... although maybe the ones on the left hold tapioca?

Anevay and a friend daring each other to try something new.

Lauren showing Anevay how to ride a ten-speed.

Street signs in China Town.






Today was my 33rd birthday. For the first time, I planned nothing. In the past I've had big birthdays. Last year I shared a birthday party with a friend, stayed out all night, drank too much, danced a bit, ate a lot... T'was fun, what I remember.

This year I had no desire to share myself with a group of people. I planned only to work on canvases and clean my closet. I've been working myself pretty hard lately. I think I'm trying to make up for the last three years at my marketing job- trying to pack in many of the things I had wanted to do in that time. Make things, be things, feel things. Working in corporate America, although good for some people, I suppose, was detrimental to my being. It made me feel dead inside. I've been filled with a frenzy to make things lately- perhaps a part of this is simply to make up for time I feel was mostly lost.

With some of this in mind- or at least a strong sense of drive- I had decided to work today. Felt like I owed it to myself, I suppose. Who knows, there are probably other reasons behind it- I could probably come up with one or two, although I'm not sure I want to share them over the Internet..

My friends had other plans for me today. Last night a girlfriend called to see if she might take me out to brunch today. I declined, but was touched by her offer. And today I've had a slew of calls asking if I might want to grab a bite to eat or a drink. I politely declined all these offers as well. Finally, my friend Courtney called, then showed up at my apartment, and then took me out in the world...

We picked up Anevay and one of her friends from school, then wandered through the municipal district into China Town, out to eat, then for ice-cream, and then home. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Tonight my roommates came home singing 'Happy Birthday', with flowers, Prosecco, wine, and saki in hand. They gave me a gift certificate to Sephora, too (Clare knows all too well about my guilty addiction to Shiseido products, as well as my utter lack to be able to pay for them these days!!). I felt very touched.

As I write, I'm plopped down on the couch in front of a film ('Tony Takitani') with my roommates, and I'm about to get to work on finishing a canvas.

It's been a lovely day... a somewhat reflective day. More about this later, perhaps. For now I'm going to enjoy the end of my movie and finish my glass of Prosecco!

Who knows... Maybe I'll plan a late birthday dinner for later in the month. It was nice spending time with people today. So much for my total reclusiveness!!