A Rare Opportunity

This morning Jason and I, along with only seven other people, got to go to the New York City Ballet archives to view a select few artifacts: costumes, programs, photographs, even a little handmade book from Andy Warhol to one of NYCB's premier dancers, Tanquil LeClerq. It was downtown in the same vault that at one time housed all the gold for the federal reserve. We were 5 stories below ground in what looked like a bomb bunker. 

As I viewed the artifacts, I thought, What a time to be alive, NYC in the 1950's and 60's, with all those artists of so many genres rubbing shoulders and sharing influences!

Photos:

Costumes l-r on front row: Maria Tallchief, Gelsey Kirkland, Tanna LeClerq 

Back row, man's (forgot his name!) from Swan Lake, Tanna's costume from 'Cage', and Violet Verdy's tutu

Closeup of Violet Verdy's tutu

Andy Warhol's little book of hand-drawn cats nestled between the costumes.

My only regret is that I didn't touch the things more, or take more pictures. I was in too much of a reverent awe to think logically.

Only in New York

So some guy buzzed our apartment one afternoon:

"Uh, hi, I'm from the show 'Law & Order: SVU' and I was wondering if I could look at your apartment for a possible episode for the show?"

Jason was home, so I let the guy in. He was very nice, and liked our apartment. The next day a crew of 6 people, including the director, came and scoped out our apartment. For $4000, they would move all our furniture out in the living room, store it in New Jersey, block off our hallway to the bedrooms to make the apartment look smaller,  and film the episode (titled, "Liberties"). We said sure. As they were leaving and the Locations Manager was leaving, I posed a concern: Our floors are the original (1860) pine, very soft, dent easily. Would there be protection for them while they did the filming? She suddenly got concerned, as there would be a ton of heavy equipment and 20-30 people in our apartment (!), and although NBC's location insurance is top-notch, would they want to go through the hassle of replacing a plank or two that got damaged?

Long story short, she never called back, and I never called her back. But isn't this story still just as crazy, even though it never ended up happening?

To Be Filed Under "The Social Experiment Continues..."

Been in Texas for the past week. It was hard. I felt restless, bored, jittery, caged, oddly alone surrounded by my family. But now that I'm used to being here I'm happy and relaxed. I think I need to expect there actually being a 'de-programming' or 'de-toxing' of NYC-ness every time we travel. If I know to expect it, I'll be OK for future trips. I honestly didn't think I was getting changed living there, but I guess that energy seeps in and you miss it when it's gone, even if it makes you crazy sometimes. (See: This whole winter and why I've been too melancholy to blog.)

Daisy noticed a San Antonio Taxi Cab on the freeway and pointed it out, to which London said, "But Daisy, that's not a real Taxi. Those are only in New York."

Leaving Target today in Texas, I asked McAllister to carry the gallon of Bubble Solution we bought. He got suddenly overwhelmed at the idea of carrying it all the way back to his cousins' house (3 miles away). London reminded him that we drove and he was instantly relieved. He happily carried it through the parking lot to the car.

Folks, the kid forgot we drove! He was fully expecting to walk it back the 3 miles' distance!

What is it going to be like, growing up as these kids? As I mulled over that question, a vision in my mind came of some B-movie mad scientist looking over his frankenstein-y robot thing covered in a sheet. With bubbling chemicals and electrical wires all around, he gleefully rubs his hands together. Then thunder claps, and as the lightening strikes, he exclaims, "The transformation is complete!"

Let's just hope at the end of this story the scientist remembers where (or in this case 'if') he parked the car.