Dear friends,
Here is the 2011 edition of my valentine – the 17th in the series. This has been an exciting year full of literary adventures and world travels. Shakespeare & Co. is a famous bookstore in Paris where Ali and I spent an afternoon in real life this fall. It seems I spend most of my time these days with my nose in a book or writing one, inspired by all the artists around me and that came before me.
Wishing all of you a happy, healthy and lovely 2011,
Christa
Happy Valentines Day 2010, friends.
I’m happy to share this – the 16th valentine in my series. My inspiration this year was my love of ice cream. Moving to Brooklyn last year gave Ali and I expanded horizons on which to seek out the wonders of east coast frozen delights. Gelato, Italian ice, diner shakes… the list goes on. Our favorite ice cream stand is 3 blocks from our house and is one of the sweetest rewards on a summer’s night.
I wish all of you a happy, healthy, and sweet 2010!
Yesterday Ali and I circled the universe to accomplish a very important mission: shopping on post-Boxing Day! We first hit the Adidas Originals store, a staple destination for Ali. Place was mobbed by Italian tourists, many of them buying $40 classic-style sneakers for toddlers. Ali found her dream shoes, and bought them online later.
Broadway was appropriately mobbed, and like good New Yorkers we wove our way in and out of the crowds, barely distracted by the double-decker tour buses riding by. This time last year I was way overwhelmed by crowds, holding my breath as I played frogger with cars, bikes, and mid-west tourists. But this year I’ve noticed I’ve got the hang of it.
When we first moved here, I took stock of couples and pairs of friends carrying on smart conversations or laughing, even, as they wove through crowds. Back then, I wondered if that would ever be me. Yesterday, it was. Easy city navigating paired with deep and meaningful conversation and laughter at funny New Yorkers or overheard conversations. Brilliant.
Seems strange that it has taken almost fifteen months of living here to feel this way. Ali and I both thought our transition into New Yorkerhood would be much swifter. Being here is lesson in patience in more ways than one.
We walked up to Union Square past the holiday market and took the L to Williamsburg. I’ve been dying for some hometown espresso, and remarked to Ali as we stepped off the train that I wondered where they brewed Stumptown. We decided it was in Greenpoint, not Wmsbrg.
I can count on one hand the times I’ve been to hipster mecca (avoidance due to inconvenience and lack of interest), but it was cool to go there again with a clear mission. We hit the overstuffed Buffalo Exchange and came out with some socks. Then we headed to the South side, with a quick stop into the Rabbithole to get a surprise Stumptown latte! It wasn’t quite right – but it was a taste of home.
We ended our shopping at the Brooklyn Industries outlet (our second BI of the day) where we both got schweet new discount duds: Ali a hot blue polo, and me a coveted stripey sweater and sleek black pants. Our recession-style sale shopping was a mighty fine way to celebrate our holiday vacation together. We walked back to the G and topped off our day with a couple of rounds at Barcade. My favorite game is Moon Patrol.
Ali’s submission is featured on Overheard in New York.
With my tax return, I’m gonna buy new boots– a big event in my life. Last night after dinner at Laut, a Thai/Malaysian restaurant in Union Square, Ali and I walked down Broadway in search of the shoes. We went to two Shoemanias. Neither of them had the right size or the right color.
We made our way down to Miss Mooz. Just as we arrived, they were pulling the gate closed and I saw my boots in the window. I think there was a spotlight on them! The shop guy saw the disappointment in my eyes and said, “Don’t worry, when you come back tomorrow, I promise we’ll have your size.”
Mom and brownstones
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted and, now, in the blink of an eye, my Mom, Janie, is in town for Thanksgiving! This visit is the best because we get to show her around our new habitat and she gets to share the hometown love. It just doesn’t get better than this.
Mom got in in late on Tuesday evening, and after wrestling with car service, made it to our apartment unscathed. We stayed up till all hours chatting about the weekend’s activities. In the morning I went to work at my brand new job and Ali showed Mom around Brooklyn. They went to Bergen Bagel and to St. Augustine’s, one of the most progressive Catholic churches in NYC.
They came to meet me for lunch in Ft. Greene and while we were walking to enjoy BBQ sandwiches and yummy soup at the Smokehouse, we saw a big movie star. We headed into the madness to see the Macy’s parade balloons. Mom snapped this photo of the new Buzz Lightyear balloon before we hightailed it out of the crowds.
Buzz Lightyear, tethered.
The next morning we got on the 2 train to Penn Station to get on the NJ Transit train to Madison. Ali’s mom, Joanne, picked us up and whisked us off to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at George and Barbara’s. Interspersed throughout the Madison visit were the inevitable mom-bonding conversations. Ali and I left Janie and Joanne chatting away while we snuck to the basement to watch big screen cable HDTV. Glorious.
On Friday, my Mom and I got a chance to catch up in an unlikely place: the Morristown Memorial emergency room. After a delicious Italian lunch at Firehouse, Mom had a funny sensation in her chest that we wanted to have checked out. Lucky for us #1, a number of tests confirmed it was just a bit of dehydration. Lucky for us #2, we had 5 hours to have epic mother-daughter catch up. I’m glad she’s okay because I love spending time my Mom and that scared the turkey out of me.
We took the rest of the Madison trip easy and Joanne drove us back to Brooklyn on Saturday, after a delightful visit to Bagel Chateau. Mom helped us rearrange a bit and decorate for Xmas. And we recorded a National Day of Listening conversation about remembering my Grandma Edna’s apartment in Mesa, AZ and what it was like for me to move to Vancouver, WA when I was 11.
stockings hung by the kitchen counter overhang, with care
Today, we’re taking a trip into Manhattan to see some things you can only see at Xmas-time in NYC: the Macy’s windows and the tree at Rockefeller Center. She jets off to Bothell tomorrow. I’ll miss her smiling face in my apartment in the mornings. She brought home to me for the holidays. Sniffle sniffle.
In the last two weeks I visited Ohio, experienced my first NYC Halloween, and elected a new president of the United States. Big fun and big changes. We flew into Cleveland and drove to Columbus to meet up with Portland family for the 10th annual International Drag King Extravaganza. It was a great weekend of love from home, catching up, and glitter-fabulous performances. After IDKE, we drove to Ali’s college in Oberlin. She showed me around and told me even more stories of her four years there. We went to her favorite restaurants, Black River and Weia Teia, and drove out on country roads to her favorite ice cream shack, Miller’s. In Ohio, I saw my first Amish horse-drawn carriage. Fantastic!
Ohio- land of Amish and ice cream
Comfy cushions at Oberlin library
Space-age "womb" chair at Oberlin library.
My family has a tradition of making doughnuts for Halloween. This year, Ali and I made them for Sarah and Amber’s pumpkin carving party. Delish! On Halloween night, we went to the famed NYC Halloween parade, along with 2 million others, which was crazy and exciting. Then, if that wasn’t enough, the next night we went with Bill and Lauren to a cool costume party in Park Slope, where Ali won the best costume prize for Speed Racer. We rounded off the night at a party at the Freakshow house, complete with rooftop views of Brooklyn and new friends.
spooky Twin Peaks owl pumpkin. Boo!
Award winning Speed Racer!
Lumberjack, or if you prefer, the Brawny man.
Ali and I don’t have TV, so we spent the first couple of hours on Election Night on our dueling laptops reading the live blogs on the Huffington Post. Then we met Amber at the Bell House and got there just as CNN called Ohio for Obama. As we were standing in line for free gin and tonics, we got interviewed by the New York Times. The rest is history. We walked home in a glow amidst the revelers on the streets. Happy Brooklynites honked their horns and banged on pots and pans like it was New Year’s. We high-fived folks all the way home. Yay for change!
me, Ali and Amber when they called Ohio
when they called New Mexico
when they called him President Obama we screamed for 20 minutes.
Obama mannequins on 5th Ave.
Obama and me.
Last night Ali and I went on a date to the Shake Shack, a delicious burger and fries extravaganza in the middle of Madison Square Park. I had a Shack Burger with American cheese, Ali had a chicken hot dog, and we shared a black and white shake. Yummm. We dined outside under pretty white lights with the Empire State Building as our backdrop. Tres romantic.
The sun had set as we left left the park, headed to our next destination, the film festival Cinemarosa. As we stepped out to the street, flashing lights caught my eye. We walked back toward the park, and saw “Pulse Park,” an installation that lit up the whole green area with flickering, pulsating lights. It was beautiful.
Incidentally, the Empire State Building is lit up according to events or anniversaries happening in the city. Check out the ESB’s lighting schedule for upcoming light displays and their meanings. Last night’s was purple for the Alzheimer’s Association.
As you may recall, Ali, Jodi, Bill and Lauren and I participated in the Improv Everywhere MP3 Experiment #3 about a month ago. They put up the New York video today! Check it out here.
If you look closely, you can see me, Jodi and Ali walking off the Governor’s Island ferry at :19 seconds. We’re wearing green.
Enjoy!
