Impressionism with School Supplies

The ever-changing display in Vanderbilt Hall currently features artwork made from Post-its and pushpins.  Do you see the girl in the photo above?  I'm not sure Monet could have predicted this in his wildest dreams.

Like any good admirer of impressionist art (or its, um, descendants), I viewed the pushpin faces from a distance...

...and then up close.

Grand Central Station.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

In-flight Entertainment

Red Robin in eternity fountain.

Financial District.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

Hope, Rising From the Flames

It was Jolie's 30th birthday a few days ago, and she threw the most interesting, meaningful party - a charity party!  Instead of gifts, guests made donations to sponsor Jolie in the NYC marathon, which she is running to raise money for her organization's education initiative in Liberia.  (That doesn't make me feel lazy or guilty at all.)

And the tiny cross above?  Jolie gave them out at the party (which was at Amity Hall, a classy-looking Irish pub) - they were made by a local artist from bullets that were left on the ground in war-torn Liberia.  Bullets!  Talk about making something beautiful out of something ugly.

West Village.  On Canon Powershot.

Throw Another Shrimp on the Barbie

A few days ago, we went to a great rooftop barbecue held by my friend Polo (a modern day Marco Polo - and Polo, I googled "famous travelers" and got Dora the Explorer, so no complaints about your code name - it could have been worse). The barbecue was so fun, a chance to catch up with friends old and new while dining on grilled shrimp, chicken, burgers and sausages under the (thankfully) cool evening sky.


The barbecue was closely monitored by Polo's nature-defying, gender-confused 22 lb male cat, Lucy (pictured below, in all his-her glory). Lucy was not allowed onto the rooftop, for his own safety, so he watched woefully from inside the sliding glass door. We felt bad, but something told me that Lucy wouldn't starve...

Flatiron District.

Credit:  guest photographer Polo (partly because I was too happy and full to remember to take a photo myself, and partly because Polo is an excellent photographer).

To Have and To Hold...

...especially "hold", since Sarni and I decided to go climbing to celebrate our anniversary, and holding onto the rope is pretty key.  You may think that climbing is not a romantic activity, but when your entire life (or at least the painlessness of your rear end) is in someone else's hands, trust and dependency race to the top of your relationship priority list.

Speaking of trust and dependency, there were at least two or three times that Sarni checked my carabiner and was horrified to find that I had not properly closed and locked the gate.  Um...anyone need a new climbing partner?  I have a great attitude.

Brooklyn.  On Canon Powershot.

Light and Sound

A beautifully-illuminated corner in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Happy anniversary, my dear.

Upper East Side.  On Canon Rebel SLR.

The High Life

Over the weekend, G.I. Jane impulsively organized a fun evening of drinks at Upstairs, the penthouse rooftop bar at the Kimberly Hotel.  That's Jane's blackberry, caught in a rare moment out of her hands.

It was so great to see friends from the Beehive - the Movers and Shakers taking a well-deserved break.  By the way, the beige drink on the above right is billed as the "manliest drink alive" - rum with notes of tobacco.  I feel like arm-wrestling someone just looking at it.

Summer nights in the city can be so unbelievably pretty - especially observed from a cozy chair on top of a building.  Sure, we don't get starlight, but there's no shortage of the twinkle and sparkle.

That's Sarni's pin-striped arm on the right, by the way.

Midtown.  On Canon Powershot.