Mary Oliver

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?"









Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Back to Work

As much as I love my summer breaks, I'm almost always glad to return to work.  I don't think I could ever be a work-from-home person, or at least I would need some serious training in order to be productive.  I really like schedules, at least as a framework.  I crammed so many things into last Sunday, because I knew it was my last free day!  Even this upcoming weekend won't feel free because I'll have so many work related ideas floating around in my brain.  

Since I never got around to posting about my two weeks in New York, I'm going to throw in snippets here and there, mainly so that my photos are preserved somewhere safe.  I'm actually thinking about printing some of them too; do you miss printed photos sometimes?

 

I ended up visiting all five boroughs on this visit, although it wasn't my original plan.  I had two days with Meredith before she and Ryan left on their trip, then seven days alone, and four days with her when they returned, although she did go back to work for two of those days.  It was wonderful to spend that much time up there, and she took me to some new places that I probably wouldn't have seen otherwise.  As a matter of fact, it was her idea for me to take the Staten Island Ferry as soon as she realized I had already been to four of the five boroughs, so of course, I did.

 

I thought about grouping by borough, but I'll just post in a fairly chronological order instead.  im not sure why, but I love taking a photo of my suitcase in the airport; probably because it represents my excitement over traveling.  I do love to travel.
Luckily for me, Ryan was working from home the Thursday morning I got into NY, so I was able to drop my suitcase off at the apartment before I went off exploring.  I knew I wanted to stay in Brooklyn that day, so I went to Woolyn, as I knew they were going to close for a break on Monday.  It hadn't opened the last time I was up there, and I have followed them on Instagram, so was excited to visit.  It was small but cute, and the clerk was very friendly.  Cute ice cream cone display, isn't it?
I was super excited to visit the Books Are Magic bookstore, owned by author, Emma Straub, and it did not disappoint.  Lovely, larger than expected, and a great selection.  She has author events all the time, and I can't imagine not being there on a weekly basis if I lived nearby.  
One of the cool things about having one or two destinations, is that I end up seeing all kinds of things I'd never see otherwise.  The Brooklyn Cat Cafe is one example.  How cute is this "come of shame"?  It's more like those airplane neck pillows!  Looked a lot more comfortable.
And when I wander, I'm always finding cafes to sit in to rest, or gather my thoughts, or to simply soak up the feeling of being somewhere new.  Cheesecake was on my list and this caramel one was heaven, especially with the accompanying cappuccino.
Meredith took Friday off so we could hang out, and had planned for us to meet a friend of hers and take the new ferry to Rockaway Beach.  The ferry leaves South Street Seaport Pier in Manhattan, but since we had some time, she took me to the Occulus.  I had seen the outside of this mall/subway stop last year, but mistakenly thought it was related to the 9/11 Memorial Museum.  It was gorgeous!
 
I'm not sure why, but I take a photo of the new World Trade building every visit.  
A friend of mine loves the musical, Hamilton, so she asked me to take a photo of his grave if I had the chance.  
It's in the Trinity Church Cemetary on Wall Street; I thought the way the sunlight naturally illuminated it looked pretty cool.
I already posted a photo of me with Defiant Girl, but this is another one; the random person who took it for me instructed me to pose just like the statue.
The ferry to Rockaway just started running in May, so it was quite a popular attraction, but it was a great way to see the city.    
Coney Island was one of the places I had planned to visit on this trip, but this is as close as I got.  I felt like going to Rockaway satisfied that particular desire.  I think it would be more fun to visit with someone, so I'll wait until another time.
 
It was a nice beach with a super wide boardwalk, but it is quite the commitment to get there.  Very different from my three block walk.
This was taken from the Rockaway Pier, as we waited to board for the return trip.
The Verrazano Narrows Bridge was so pretty, as seen from the boat.
A different look at the city skyline.
We met another of Meredith's friends at the Lincoln Center that night.  I rarely go out in the city at night when I'm on my own, so seeing it lit up was a treat.
After the two of them left for their trip on Saturday, I went to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit.  It did not disappoint.
O'Keefe sewed many of her clothes, and the craftsmanship on this pin-tuck blouse was amazing.
Eating Mister Softie ice cream is a New York treat for me, and so I had a cone after I left the museum.
I had a neighbor check in on Gracie every day, and she was sweet enough to post this photo of her in Instagram; clearly, Gracie was enjoying her visits!
   
  I hope you enjoyed the first installment of my travelogue.  Now that I'm back at work and have less discretionary time, I'll probably catch up on blogging quickly!  The paradoxical nature of time. Peace and joy to you all.
 

4 comments:

  1. I've looked through the photos and am going to read through again later; I love reading about other people's travels! It's great to hear you are doing well and planning for the upcoming year!

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    1. Thank you so much! I appreciate your comment!

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  2. This is a fun post in so many ways Rose. Love that snap of you and Defiant Girl. You look like you have lost more weight?!?! So cool that you went to the O'Keefe exhibit. I'm envious. I want to see her clothes...Occulus looks amazing. I went to school on Staten Island, so many of your pictures brought back memories. So glad you posted about Gracie being cared for - I was wondering who was looking after her while you were gone.

    Welcome back from what seems to have been a fabulous trip. And happy new (school) year. Hoping all goes well for you.

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    1. Thanks so much, it was a fun trip, and a much needed respite. I hope no one gets tired of my vacation photos, as this only covered three of the thirteen days! I hope you know I posted Gracie's photo just for you.

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