NYC
SAT evening went to dinner party hosted by this young guy who teachers history at Princeton. He is Italian and is therefore named: Giovanni. Talked with a young scientist from Switzerland who studies viruses. Hepatitis C mostly. His name was Ivo but when he introduced himself it sounded like he said “evil”. We joked about that. I wanted to say “I’m Good, and later we will clash in a momentous battle. Good luck to you. I am fair.” I talked with an arrogant gallery curator named Cicily who was falsely tanned and who was incrediblly bored with what I had to say until I mentioned an obscure artist who I liked (not THAT obscure…Charles Sheeler….big dealio). THEN she perked up. But it was too late. I moved on. No time in the world for such arrogance. Talked with an interesting lawyer woman who got through law school by dancing at a strip club in San Francisco. She does sexual abuse cases often now. She’s married to a sculptor who created Zoob, a building block “toy” that allows more options then Legos. It made them very rich. They like to buy very expensive chairs and put them in either their San Francisco or New York house. Eenie Meenie Minie Mo.
Today I met with a film maker named Maggie. Makes good espresso and held no grudge for me being late. She’s trying to find someone to make a short movie trailer for her about a young rap star named Half A Mil. I looked at footage today. I also had another interview. With a hiring agency. Not very inspiring. And I didn’t have enough samples for her see. Something she never requested. I had no résumés (!) to give her (she saw it online). She said I need to get my “game hat” on. It was defeating/deflating/waste of time. Didn’t even care to say it’s “game face” I sat in a park afterward to get my “happy face” back on. Later I rode a green bike across Brooklyn to Queens. Took a long, dusty, time and I had to ask directions no less than 3 times but while pulling up my sleeve to look at my watch at one point the kid I was passing said: It’s 4:15.
He was right.
Yesterday I asked an older guy on the street where I could find good coffee because I wanted good coffee but also I wanted to have a random conversation and he smiled at his friend and pointed at a steamy cup sitting on the newspaper dispenser and said that’s it. Come Here he said and walked me into a market and gestured to the coffee maker and I went to serve myself but he said NO NO let’s make a fresh pot (he didn’t work there)and so we did/he did and we talked and his name was Douglas and his buddy was George and Douglas could describe the front of the building I’m staying in because he lived in the hood his entire life. It’s called the Liberty Building he said and I didn’t even know that. He went on to tell me about The Morning Crew, a group of older guys who show up at 6 in the morning and get coffee and sit on milk crates in the back of the store and solve the world’s problems.
Glad I asked.
Took two nice rides today on the green bike and enjoyed a green-bottled beer on the roof of the sublet building with some friends and strangers and some good weather. One guy, Owen, recently bought 20 acres of land in Arizona for 20 thousand dollars off of Ebay and has a 3 part plan which will eventually end in having a house somewhere on these 20 acres.
Yesterday I saw Tim Robbins, the celebrity I most look like, filming a movie where at some point he is wearing all black and carrying a large knife. Concealed. He saw me too. BUt there was no stare down of doppelgangers. He’s graying now so the similarity is changing. Perhaps our semblances will meet up again in the years to come. I took out the cell phone I was concealing and stole a snapshot. Puketzarazzi. THen, a block away, I saw Bill Irwin (Brilliant performer in the vein of Charlie Chaplin…had a beautiful character on Northern Exposure…a guy who could fly). He gave ME a double take for some reason. Thought I was Tim Robbins? I think I’d be great as a face reader at the airport trying to spot dangerous, mug-shot people. My mind works quickly at determining if I’ve seen someone before. I’ve been challenged at times — DAVE, That’s not him…..So I have to walk over and prove it. In an odd way, I think it helps to have been told by many people I look like someone else, something I largely attribute to having “definitive” glasses.
My Metro swipe card twice said “card not valid here”. i added money to it, thinking it out, and tried again. Third “card not valid here”. I talked to the vested guy. He put in machine, and it verified a tidy sum. We walked back to the swipe turnstiles. I asked him to try, “maybe you have a better touch”…It worked for him. We laughed….he said” there IS a touch to it. Did you see the Post today? THere’s an article about it. I laughed and told him it was only my 2nd week in New York so it’s likely that this is it…..” I touched his shoulder as I told him this, for emphasis. More laughter as I strided away towards the 4,5,6 stairs. Later, I remembered I was gonna buy the Post….but it was getting late and it seemed like the scene had enough input to remain enjoyable, without this final touch.
I’ve discovered something. If you live down the street from the Brooklyn 911 dispatch center and the Brooklyn 84th Precinct Police Station and a Brooklyn fire house, Division 11, it can give you the impression that Brooklyn is noisy during certain hours when emergencies happen. Oh, you’re right….emergencies happen ALL THE TIME. The other morning, this alarm clock I’m borrowing went off with a loud ER ER ER ER ER ER ER ( I usually can’t tolerate the shock these alarms give you…but it’s the only option on the radioless clock) and I folded the sound into the soundscape of downtown Brooklyn streaming through the windows I keep open because it’s so hot these days.
Travelled to Red Hook because Time Out magazine said I should. Disturbed by a mom’s behavior on the bus. Smacking her smiley son on the head and calling him “shit face”. She yelled at her other son too but he was old enough to feel less physical threat than his younger bro. He actually leered at her, tauntingly. The little guy seemed to rally and understand his mom was crazy. I gave him as many smiles as I could. Had that feeling again that if I intervene he’s gonna have hell to pay later. So, smiles.
Art show at Red Hook Waterfront. Best title: Gnomeland Security. Garden gnomes guarding the premises with menace and authority.
2nd place, good title for art: Intruded Nude. Large woman standing in tub with shower curtain drawn open, revealing her. Her expression is not that surprised. She knows the person.
Nice paintings by:
