My room is littered with friends, but I really mean that Lauren is on Trischa's bed and Sara C is curled up on the floor. Its been a long day and a longer weekend so we kick back, laughing, laughing, laughing at HBO's entourage. Here's the way the crazy busy but not stressful weekend broke down:
On the beautiful Saturday, Lauren, Erin and I met Sara C at Central Park. The four of us did our "artsy girl" thing, and spent the afternoon reading, writing, and eating a fabulous picnic of fresh food. Honestly, I love vegetarian friends (like Erin and Sara C) because they eat so much better! We were fresh food-aholics with olives, cherries, tomato and mozzarella salad, and the best bread I have ever tasted.
At school I do the majority of my writing in a journal, but here I do most of it across a variety of livejournals. I spend much more time connected up to a computer, so writing in an actual paper journal doesn't make as much sense. But it made even less sense to tote my laptop out into the world. So I enjoyed taking my big black book of reflections out on to the streets, or rather one of the parks, of New York City. I really feel as though I have a completely different writing process when I am putting thoughts down in a finite space. On a blog, or even just writing on a computer, there's no way I can fill up all the space available to me. Really, the only limit I have is the attention span of my audience!
After leaving Central Park, Erin, Lauren and I went down to DUMBO, the area under the Brooklyn Bridge. Erin had heard about an Australian performance art group called Strange Fruits which was performing said performance art around 6 pm for free. As you all know, Lauren and I do almost anything free we hear about.
The show was called Swoon and they were actually really cool. It was four artists on single stilt things, moving around to music. And when I say it like that I've somehow demolished any spark of interesting it may have had, and believe me, it did have many of those awesome-sparks.
The performance was only a half hour, so we explored DUMBO once it was over. We found a great record shop and a fun used bookstore. But an author was doing a reading and Erin had evening plans that couldn't be pushed back. So we ducked out quietly and trekked back home.
Lauren and I went out to dinner and then came back here to hang out before I made it an early night. We ate at a place near my work and counted blocks on the way back home (something I am much too distract-able to do while walking by myself). It turns out that I walk sixteen blocks to work each day. Its odd, I swear it feels more like five or six blocks. But I suppose that's New York City Living!
Today, Sunday, I got up early and met my AWESOME Aunt Kim (of the Dispatch tickets), practically-uncle David, cousin Abby, and John, Abby's boyfriend. We met at Penn Station and then drove to the zoo, and was it ever weird to be in a car! The five of us went to the Bronx zoo today, an almost repeat of last weekend except I got to see all of the animals I missed on that trip. And that was fantastic. Although my favorite was the exhibit full of guinea pig-like creatures, I know that they aren't especially exciting. More fittingly picutred for this entry are the Asian grey monkey family and the panthers.
It was great to see family. Really being with the Drapers feels almost like being with my parents and my sisters. After having the past few days stuffed to the brim with new friends, it was lovely and relaxing to be able to spend time with people who have known me since birth - mine or theirs!
I miss my real family in a horrible way. But life here is fabulous. It is busy and crazy and lots of fun! I can't believe I barely have a month left! And this is me, signing off for the night:
