New York City — Page 4

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September 26, 2018 at 9:57 am by Claudia

Oh my heavens, yesterday was a pain in the tush! We had torrential rain ALL day long, both here and in NYC. I left the house around 7:15 am and didn’t return until 9 pm. Walking anywhere in the city – and I had to walk 12 blocks to rehearsal – was treacherous. Puddles everywhere, umbrellas banging into each other, me constantly hiking my handbag and a tote bag with my script in it back onto my shoulder while juggling an umbrella. Then doing it all again at a fast clip as I made my way back to the bus station. The bus ride home was much longer than usual because of the rain.

As Don said, “Our routine is off!” And it was.

I’m happy to be home and I’m really tuckered out. I seem to go from peaceful daily living to, suddenly, a day packed full of exhausting activity, then back to normal.

Speaking of Don, I took this picture of him the other day:

Pretty dreamy. My crush continues.

And here’s a photo of my other guy:

Mr. Henry. I love that boy.

We’re are suddenly panicked because we’re leaving for our trip in a week and a half, and we have a lot to do before then! How can it be only a week and a half away? So we spent the morning with this little book:

It’s pocket-sized and will definitely be accompanying us on our trip.

We’re supposed to get even more rain and thunderstorms this afternoon. I am so over rain. It seems like we’ve had nothing but rain this summer and fall. One of my readers mentioned that she had read that morning glories don’t like too much water. I think that’s why they haven’t bloomed. That’s the one difference this year from every other year. Way too much rain. Dang it!

Anyway, have to go pay some bills and practice French and start making lists of everything I have to get done, including buying some good walking shoes and a fall jacket/coat.

Happy Wednesday.

Camera Day

July 16, 2018 at 8:36 am by Claudia

We are exhausted this morning!

We didn’t get into the city until about 1:00. After the deluges of rain that hit this area, the humidity increased, both in the city and here at home. Let me just say, it wasn’t pleasant. We headed south to B & H (which is on 34th and Ninth Avenue) and entered the highly controlled craziness of that mammoth enterprise on a Sunday afternoon. Don had been thinking about getting a used 35mm camera for creative photography – he’s very much into film right now – something lightweight, in contrast to the mammoth vintage camera he was going to get later in the day. So he went off to the used department and I trotted off to the new Canon camera department. When we finally met up, I had the order for my camera, and he had the order for a vintage Canon a1 (which, I believe, was the exact same camera my dad used many years ago.)

I dropped off my Holga film to be developed, we moved through the ultra efficient checkout and then moved on to the pick-up section, where our cameras magically appeared, bagged and ready to go.

All that high tech and the vast amount of people shopping on a Sunday afternoon made us tired from sensory overload, so we stopped at a diner for a piece of pie and some water. Then we looked at the clock and made the decision not to visit the community garden. (Sorry!) There just wasn’t time to travel up to 48th Street and then back down to 43rd for our visit with Louis Mendes, all the while lugging bags and sweating.

So we sat on a bench and rested. This was our view.

On to Louis. He was waiting for us on 43rd and Sixth Avenue, holding Don’s camera.

There it is! I’ll get a better picture of it when Don reassembles the whole thing. The bulb flash is part of the package, it sells the camera, but the electronic flash on the right is the only flash that is actually used. It has a Polaroid back. Don will be using this camera for street photography.

We moved on to Louis’ apartment, which had no air conditioning and was sweltering. Apparently, he is impervious to the heat, because he had this jacket and hat on the entire time we were there. Meanwhile, yours truly had sweat pouring down her back and beads of sweat were rolling down Don’s face!

I love Louis, he is truly an original, like no one else I have ever met. He taught Don how to assemble and disassemble the camera, gave him the original vintage case and after about an hour or so, we departed.

As we headed to the car with not one but three cameras, we were tired and hot and overstimulated by all that happened in the six hours we were in the city.

Heading across the George Washington bridge.

And later:

I have yet to open the box my new camera is in! Another cup of coffee first!

Happy Monday.

And, He’s Back Home

July 9, 2018 at 10:38 am by Claudia

Well, we’re back home at the cottage after a lovely and, at the same time, exhausting weekend.

This morning we shared a cup of coffee in the Secret Garden, which, it turns out, Don loves. It’s quieter, more secluded, and slightly magical. He’s starting to let go and relax. He needs to rest and heal.

I drove into the city on Saturday morning. We had decided that Saturday was for pleasure; we would just have fun. Sunday would be for packing and all the emotional and physical stress that would bring.

First stop: Prince Street down in Soho. Don has been following a guy named Louis Mendes, who is famous around NYC for his Polaroid Portrait street photography. He is 78 years old now and he has taken more street portraits than you or I can imagine over the course of his career. He uses a vintage Crown Graphic Press Camera. He is usually stationed near B & H Photo (one of my favorite places). Anyway, Don has had several talks with him, and I have also met him and chatted with him. He has taken our portrait. We both follow (on Instagram) one of the many photographers he has mentored, Jean Andre Antoine, so we set off to try and meet him. He is usually stationed on Prince Street, near Broadway.

To our delight, he was there. What an amazing soul he is, gentle and kind.

We spent a lot of time talking to him; Don especially.

There’s the camera. A Polaroid back has been added to the camera. It’s the coolest camera – from the 40s.

Don has his Holga camera with him. We both have one of these inexpensive Japanese cameras – toys, really – that have a cult following. Each one is different, with distortions and vignetting that are never predictable and always amazing. There is a massive group of Holga followers and a lot of them post on IG under the #holga hashtag.

Anyway, we asked Jean Andre do a portrait of each of us. I cannot believe how amazing his work is, how extraordinary his eye.

A picture of the picture. Just by chatting with me and watching me, he knew to ask me to lean on the ledge, telling me to put all my hair to one side. I usually detest photos of myself, but I really love this one.

And Don:

Isn’t it amazing? Jean Andre’s street photography is extraordinary.

Don has really been taken by both Louis’ and Jean Andre’s work, and…he’s going to study with Louis. Don has a great eye, loves photography, and really wants to engage with people and take their portraits. It’s something he can do when he’s not acting. I’m really excited for him. He’s so passionate about it and I think the thought of studying with Louis is helping him through this transition. If you’re interested in doing so, google Louis Mendes and you’ll learn all about him. The whole idea – since the film is expensive – is that the photographer only has one shot at the portrait. So he has to know what he’s doing.

After this, we walked north to Greenwich Village and Washington Square.

This incredibly talented classical pianist somehow rolls a piano into the park (I have no idea how) and plays for hours. We sat down and listened to him and the music was lovely.

Also: I fell in love with the text on the piano, which Don tells me is a message that Woody Guthrie used to have on his guitar.

It wouldn’t be Washington Square without something like this.

The park was full of New Yorkers. It’s such a great place to people watch. If you look on the left side of the photo, you can see a dog who was having the best time playing in the water.

A rainbow was just what we needed to see, because Sunday was all about packing up the apartment, loading up the car and heading home, officially ending the six months that Don has lived in the city.

All packed and ready to go. Don wisely hired three guys who do bike deliveries for the restaurant next door to lug everything downstairs for us. Going back and forth, up and down four flights of stairs would have been exhausting for us.

The front of the apartment building, taken while I waited for Don to come back with the car. Thankfully, there’s a loading zone right next door, so I kept watch over everything and Don pulled in, put the hazard lights on, and we loaded up the CR-V. An hour and a half later, we were home. Then we unloaded everything.

We were really tired at the end of all of this.

Right now, Don is happy to be home. It’s a big adjustment. He’s also sad, of course, that the show has closed and he would jump right back in if he could. But we’re coming to terms with things as best we can.

I’m back to my particular reality, which is mowing the lawn. That’s on the docket for today.

Don needs to rest his legs and knees, so I’ve told him firmly that I will handle it this week.

Glad he’s home. Sad the show is over because I know how much he loved every minute of that experience. Now we begin to readjust to being back in the same house together. He’s had his routine in NYC. I’ve had mine here. Now, we try and mesh.

Happy Monday.

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Camera Day

And, He’s Back Home

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