(un)Official LIC storm report

The wind and rain picked up as it got darker out, but I went to bed around midnight.  Then around 5 am Irene woke me up.  The wind and rain were pretty loud so I quickly checked Twitter to see what was up.  No big news so I rolled back over.  I was surprised to be woken up by sunshine this morning around 9am.  The sunshine was short lived but the storm was essentially over.

I stayed inside a few more hours per the Mayor, but by one I had to get out.  Armed with my camera, phone, and some cash I took a walk around the hood.  Not much to see.  There was one window out in one of the high rises under construction and I saw one tree down, but it looked half dead.

More disturbing is the fact that the subways are still down and almost all the stores and restaurants were closed.  Sweetleaf was open so I bought a latte just because I could, but now I'm back in my apartment and the city is unsure the subways will be up and running for tomorrow.  I wish Irene had ruined the workweek instead of the weekend.

Sweetleaf still boarded up, but open

Stormy skies over Manhattan

IRENE!!!!

My first real hurricane... not real excited.  As channel 7 just said, "she's putting the motion in the ocean".  I was spreading the news at work today about "knowing your zone" and preparing evacuation kits and filling bathtubs (I guess I'll fill my sink, I don't have a bathtub).  I dug out my flashlights and stopped by the grocery store tonight.  What are people buying in NYC?  Water, bread, peanut butter, chips, and beer seemed to be the top sellers.  The craziest thing yet is that MTA is shutting down Saturday at noon.  I'm in zone B, which means I'm not being evacuated, but only a few blocks away from zone A, which was told to move to higher ground.  The building I was living in last year at this time is being evacuated and they are warning people above the 10th floor to move down.  

Anyway the weather was pretty lovely today and I have several magazines and knitting to keep me occupied.  

And something that makes me happy everyday on my way home...  When entering the subway and you swipe your metro card it may tell you one of four or so things.  1) Please swipe again 2) Please swipe again at this turnstile 3) Insufficient fare or 4) Go  Well the middle turnstile at the northwest corner of 41st and 7th ave tells you...

GOO

Makes me smile every time.

On the side of the road

During one of my "training runs" I ran by some wooden boxes in a trash pile by the curb of a nearby restaurant.  They looked pretty cool so after I finished my two miles I circled back to investigate.  There were about six or so old crates and they were fairly clean and in good "rustic" shape.  So I grabbed two.  I would of taken two more, but they were kind of heavy and awkward.  I wiped them down and set them up in my living room.  One is holding old magazines I want to keep and the other has some of my yarn and knitting supplies.  I think they look great and complement my urban country decorating scheme.

with my knitting basket, which is made from recycled rubber

yarn!

I've been hanging some more things on my walls lately....

Socrates Sculptures Summer 2010

A week or so ago I biked over to the Socrates Sculpture park to check out the new installations and the farmers' market.  As usual there were some great pieces and some uh interesting pieces.  The market was small, but I found some veggies to take home.

I thought this was pretty

neighboring building

house chimes

Hallet's Cove

not sure what this is trying to say about John Deere

to market to market to buy a fat pig

from outerspace

Grow bottle

During lunch the other day I was reading O magazine in the Reading Room in Bryant park, one of Oprah's favorite things was a grow bottle from Potting Shed Creations and there was a discount code so I decided to order one.  They are recycled wine bottles turned into kits for growing herbs.  I ordered the basil one but the discount code was expired (darn old magazines in the reading room).  I still ordered it and finally received it two weeks ago.  The instructions were long and complicated so I let it sit a week, but last weekend I put it all together.  Much to my surprise they sprouted in 4 days!  The instructions included spraying them with water each day and keeping it covered with a bag until they were an inch tall.  So day I finally got to remove the bag and sit it in a warm and sunny place.

Under the stars

Every Friday this August the parks department is showing movies in Gantry State Park.  Last Friday was The Man Who Would Be King a 1975 film staring Sean Connery, Michael Caine, and Christopher Plummer.  I got free popcorn and the grass was crowded but not packed, very delightful, but somewhere between India and Kafiristan I decided I had enough.  Next week is the Lion King (can't wait!) (notice royalty theme).

movie under the stars & lights of Manhattan

Bike upgrades

Ever since I started taking spin classes where I strap my feet to the pedals, when I climbed on my road bike things just didn't feel right.  After a little internet research and talking to some friends I decided I wasn't ready for clip in shoes.  I went to my local bike shop where they hooked me up with some toe clips (and installed them! yea for shopping local).  I also picked up a bell, because NYC requires you to have one and last time I road there were a few people I wanted to ring/warn/scold.  I've only gone on a few short rides since I've gotten the new additions.  I haven't had trouble getting out of the toe clips, but still have trouble getting in.  

What's the trick?  

ring ring

i'm so fast now

Under the High Line

Last Wednesday I had a softball game scheduled, but there was rain in the forecast.  As game time approached I kept checking back on the website to find that the game was still on.  During my trip to the field the rain started coming down and right as we started the game the skies opened up and it began to POUR.  We were playing on turf and there wasn't any lighting so we kept playing.  I had to wring my hair out about 20 times, a bat slipped from one guys hands and flew about 50 ft, the umpire used an umbrella, and one girl on my team was wearing a full rain suit.... it was a lot of fun!  We ended up winning big and headed a few blocks up to the The Lot under the High Line.  The Lot is a temporary plaza with beer on tap and food trucks (oh and a rollerskating rink... but that was closed).  I had some delicious Brooklyn High Line Elevated Wheat Beer and tried Kimchi Tacos.  I got one pork and two beef tacos.  They were good, but a little spicy for complete enjoyment.

last bite

tables and trucks

PS 1 Warm up

After two years and three summers in LIC I finally made it to PS 1 Warm Up this past Saturday.  One of my work friends who has been a lot was going with her finance and some other friends.  I was excited when I got the email, but was heading out the door on my bike to hit up the Socrates Sculpture Park greenmarket.  I figured since I know have toe clips, I could make it there and back in no time!  It pretty much went that way even with battling the wind and people parking in the bike lane (people, don't park in bike lanes!).

I quickly showered and walked the few blocks over to the PS 1 museum.  In order to keep the community happy with the influx of hipsters every Saturday, LIC residents get in free!  Not only did I get in free, I got to cut the line that was wrapping around the block, double score.  The PS 1 hosts DJs in their courtyard every Saturday during the summer months.  Each year groups compete to decorate (I guess they are called art installations) in a functional way (keep it cool and entertaining).  They also sell beer and food.  With admission to the dance party you also get admission to the museum.  My friends were half way through the museum when I got there so I didn't see the whole thing, but the current installation is eh, interesting.  It was all artwork of this one lady, who mostly took pictures and videos of herself.  Not the best stuff I've seen at PS 1.

The DJ's were playing Techno while we were there (my friend explained to me that this is different from house music and electronica).  It had a nice beat and I was able to bop around with the rest of them.  Best of all was the people watching... amazing outfits, hairstyles, and attitudes.

Courtyard from inside the museum (5 Pointz in the background)

In the courtyard, the trees will be donated to the neighborhood after the summer

View from the dance floor

Live at the Gantries

I made it to my first Live at the Gantries concert tonight.  They have fun Tuesday night concerts all summer long.  Tonight it was Gamelan Orchestra- Yowana Sari.  The Orchestra was made up of Queens College students and some native Balinese people from the community.  Yowana Sari is a Balinese orchestra.  It was pretty cool they explained all the instruments.  It sounded a bit like a bunch of chimes and flutes and gongs playing all at once.

Warming up

Kids dancing

In concert garb

I got home from work early today so before the concert I took a walk around the neighborhood.  I found some artist in action at 5Pointz.  They were working on a bright, pretty, aztec looking piece.  It looked pretty awesome (some of the art is creepy and gross) so I'm definitely going to swing by and see the finished mural.