Bad Luck Charm

Another Mets loss (Chan Ho sucked). Why do I keep going to games? Because I love baseball.

RFK

The Mets won 1-0 on a Carlos Beltrán homer.

DC art

(This is going to be harder than I thought. I'd be better off just starting fresh, instead of trying to remember stuff that happened two months ago.)

Took the Amtrak down to DC for the weekend. I really did not enjoy waking up so freaking early on a Saturday; yeah, it sucked. Pulled into Union Station, found my way on the Metro to DuPont Circle.


I had to gather myself before we headed off to the first ever artDC show. It was beautiful Spring day and we stumbled across several yard sales during our walk downtown. I wasn't feeling much of the work on display, but I also wasn't looking to buy anything either.


Back "home" for some food & MJ. Waited for ZS's friends who were super cute (they always are) and we girls (plus me) embarked on another walk (this time uphill) to the "best dance party in DC!" The police eventually came to shut it down, so I guess that means it was a good party. And there were hot dogs. And origami.

DC and Back Again

I can't sleep (maybe I'm sick?), I have a lot on my mind.

Another outing to a ballpark awaits, this time old RFK Stadium. Though not as decrepit as The Vet (now demolished) used to be, RFK might be the worst ballpark in the major leagues right now. It's the last of the 60's era multi-sport stadiums still in use for more than one sport (MLS's DC United is the other home team at RFK while Shea Stadium is currently baseball only and Qualcomm aka Jack Murphy Stadium is football only).

Arts in LIC

More things to do in the neighborhood.

Visit Richard Meier's studio in LIC.

Check out the Long Island City Culture Alliance's Summer in LongIsCity Opening Weekend (May 5th & 6th).

Eat Me

A reminder to myself to read the Michael Pollan article from this week's NYTimes Magazine.

And this bit of Yum-O.

And lastly, bye-bye Serena.

Afternoon at Shea

JYC and I got to the ballpark early enough to hear the Star-Spangled Banner. A class/team of disabled kids sang the national anthem. It seemed like most of the fans in the upper deck were kids on class trips to see the Mets. They were probably there for Kid Fitness Education Day (also Senior Stroll Day). I don't remember ever going on a trip to a baseball game when I was in school. Oh yeah, Mike Pelfrey and the rest of the Mets pitching staff got shelled (Rockies 11-5).

The Mets win the ballgame!

They have been winning (in 1st place as of tonight), but it's the first game they've won when I actually attended the game. So they're 1-3 now in my games. I'll probably go to at least a dozen more before the season is over. And tonight (85°F high) was a beautiful night for baseball.

OHNY Times Square

Woke up early to get to my volunteering stint for the week, OHNY's Peeling Back The Neon tour of Times Square. As described on their website:

Peeling Back the Neon! April 21, 2007
Think Times Square is all electric glimmer and gloss? Join OHNY to catch a glimpse behind the neon. Offering a look at a century of design, The Times Square Alliance tour guides will take you to spaces and places that will help define “The Crossroads of the World.”

We began the tour (led by Judy) at the Times Square Information Center (located inside the now landmarked Embassy Movie Theatre). She started off with a quick history, both of "the Deuce" in general and of the Embassy Movie Theatre and the story of its landmarking in 1999. She then took us outside to view the Louis H. Friedland designed building (1560 Broadway) from its 46th Street side; Judy pointed out the four statues along the 2nd floor of the building. Turns out the then (1927) owner of the bulding, Israel Miller, wanted to pay homage to the theatre stars of the day and commissioned Alexander Stirling Calder (the mobile dude's daddy) to make them. The women so sculpted are Mary Pickford as Little Lord Fauntleroy, Rosa Ponselle as Norma, Ethel Barrymore as Ophelia, & Marilyn Miller as Sunny.

Pics of the statues here.

We ventured farther away from Times Square along 46th and stopped in for some quiet reflection inside the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin aka Smoky Mary's. Judy told us a hilarious (though probably incredibly sacrilicious) story that happened in the church years ago.

Back outside on the plaza next to Father Duffy Square (the former and future site of the TKTS booth) where we saw the Naked Cowboy honing his craft and grabbing some ass. An article about the old TKTS booth with a mention of The Israel Miller Building's landmarking. I was too far away from Judy to hear what she was saying above the roar of the traffic around us and the screeching subway below, so I reverted back into usher mode and discussed future volunteering efforts with the OHNY coordinator.

Our final stop on the tour was André Balazs's Hotel QT (shouldn't it be Hotel DL?), famous for its stylish/budget party vibe (the rooms originally had no doors/screens for the showers and still have no doors to the main bathroom area). Maybe I'll stay there next time I'm out on the town...

Yummy Noodles

Another (crispy) noodle shop, Yummy Noodles. It was pretty good, (*nods head*), pretty good.

Sunnyside CSA - Farmers edition

My 2nd Sunnyside CSA meeting. I got to meet the farmers, Farmer Maggie & Farmer Matt; they were a cute couple (sunburnt in a farmer's way). I made them a dollar bill origami butterfly while I chatted with them - I felt like I monopolized their time there. Maggie & Matt mentioned they were going to have dinner at a neighborhood restaurant, Quaint, that I've yet to visit. Looking forward to harvest!

Green Grits & Baked Eggs

I made a dinner of green grits and baked eggs for my friend tonight, because I missed her. We sat and watched TV. I was content.

Baseball v the Weather

I was supposed to go to four baseball games at Shea this week, but I only ended up going on Wednesday and Saturday, because of the insane weather this week - 8 inches of rain in Central Park! The Mets may have lost both games, but I still think they'll finish in 1st place come October.

What You Say?

This clip from Saturday Night Live, not my slew of baseball games, might have been the highlight of my weekend. The lyrics to the song remind me of this insane collage of a website.