corpho

So it hasn't quite been a month since my last post, but that's still a lot of time for things to have happened in the meantime. This will probably be quite long, so here goes.

My husband had gone to Russia for a short tour with Spielerfrau last month. He was back home for a little under 13 hours before he had to turn around and go on a month-long tour with James Hunter which will end at the end of this month. Part of why I don't visit SG that much is now that I don't have to compete with my husband for use of his computer (my dead laptop has not been replaced because I'm not feeling a yearning to just yet) I actually don't feel like being on the web that much. I've even surprised myself by how much I've been keeping busy all by my lil' lonesome, and with the help of various friends, of course. Needless to say, this results in funds I would have hoped to save up for my yearly after-Christmas trip to Ireland being dipped into more than is wise. Oh well, the holiday season makes saving pretty damn hard, too. But I digress....

Here are a few of the many wonderful pictures the new bassist from Spielerfrau took when they were in Russia. When I looked at the whole album online, I was just dying with envy. I'm glad they had a lot of fun, but I will be sure to tag along next time they go. They had been trying to get me to go on this trip, but I didn't want to come up with the money; they had all their expenses paid by a tour promoter, so I think it was easy for them to just say, "Aw, you can pull it off if you really try!" But since the singer is Latvian and used to live in Russia, I think the chances of their going back are rather good. And now, courtesy of Brad:





I love this picture of Brad on the long train ride to St. Petersburg from Moscow. The fiery-haired train conductor provides a great juxtaposition to his aw-shucks grin.


This is one of the pretty chocolate bars my husband brought back from Russia. I love this one in particular because the art is quite beautiful. I don't want to eat any of the chocolate so it won't be ruined!



Brad's girlfriend is a friend of mine from Houston. We didn't know each other in Houston, but my ex-boyfriend, who is also from Houston (but I didn't meet him there, either!) went to high school with her... um, in Houston (I don't blame you if you're confused.) We hung out a little bit when she moved to New York in 2001, but we kind of drifted apart mostly because I was drunk and obnoxious (not like now! ) and I didn't like her friends all that much. We got back in touch, her boyfriend ended up playing bass in Spielerfrau, and everything's hunky dory again. She invited me to go to some art gallery openings with her last night, and then to an exhibit opening party at the Guggenheim. I met her at the New Museum Store in Chelsea, and because the opening was for a new line of designer watches (not very riveting), we decided to move on up to the Guggenheim. Sonia wanted to take pictures in the cab, so... we did. She doesn't realize how loudly she speaks sometimes, bless her. I kept expecting the cabbie to bark at her to zip it! She's so sweet and disarming that it's hard to get mad at her, though.




She said I looked too sad in the first picture she took of me, so I hammed it up for her.




We made it to the Guggenheim to drink some wine, watch rich art patrons in oddly geometric outfits chowing down on tortilla chips like they hadn't eaten in years, and drink lots and lots of more free wine. This was the exhibit:



Did we see any of the art? Sadly, no. Why? Well, Sonia and I hadn't had a really good talk in years, so by the time we finished gabbing and having heart-to-hearts, they were no longer allowing people onto the upper floors. Sonia's friend works at the Guggenheim, and when we told her we never got to see the art, she looked at us like we were crazy. I hope she doesn't bar us from future events. Oops.

Sonia said she didn't want to "break her seal" until absolutely necessary. She thinks that once you allow yourself to pee when you're out on the town, you'll just keep having to go. We eventually had to break down and pray the line for the single-occupant bathroom was not too ugly. When I pushed on the door and was met with no resistance, I couldn't believe it. I wonder if Frank Lloyd Wright even picked out the toilet paper dispenser. I hear he was a notorious control freak.


(Where else can you see breathtaking images of toilet rolls but on CorpHo's journal, eh?)


I had something I've never had before: sparkling red wine, and in true art swank fashion, there was an endless supply of it. It's quite delicious, like alcho-pop. We were feeling rather goofy after a while.







The floor got more attention from me than any of the priceless paintings upstairs. Priorities gone awry...?




Sonia was cat-sitting for a well-off coworker who lives on the Upper East Side, so since it was close to the museum, I went there with her to crash. The view from the high-rise condo was stunning, especially this morning. I tried to take pictures from the woman's terrace of the amazing skyline, especially since the gondola (cable car) to Roosevelt Island passes right by her windows, and you can see the people riding inside. The layering of buildings, bridges, river, and sky was beautiful, and I'm sad the batteries in my camera crapped out right as I snapped a picture from the terrace. Sonia and I had given up on trying to sleep fitfully thanks to the booze from the night before. Besides, one of the kitties kept getting in the bed and using her head and front paws to bash into my side, and she dug into the covers like a dog trying to dig up a bone. It was so cute and such odd behavior for a cat, I couldn't help but be amused. Even the pillowy comfort of the luxurious bed wasn't enough to keep us from going home at 7:30 in the morning, after we nourished our bodies in the Temple of the Golden Arches. Egg McMuffins and hashbrowns from there don't even taste mildly appetizing to me any more. I hadn't had McDonald's in at least over a year, so I was encouraged by the fact that my taste for junk food has been greatly diminished.

One of the things I've been so occupied with is knitting, now that winter is around the bend (although you wouldn't know it since New York has been very warm for this time of year). It's one of the very few things I can actually do for hours, obsessively, until what I'm making is done.


I'm still shutterbugging like crazy, too (witness this journal!) This was a shot I took of the TV through my wine glass. Can you recognize what show the image on the screen is from? Afterbirth probably would.








Well, I am also greatly looking forward to a Thanksgiving visit from SurlyMike and HolaGatita in my humble Brooklyn abode. It will be a short visit since they will be on a very tight schedule, but I'm sure it will be just super. I've been hearing rumors that SurlyMike thinks I've suddenly lost interest in my SG friends, simply because I don't visit the site that much anymore. He must think I like to throw the baby out with the bath water. *tsk, tsk* I would like to set him straight on this point, or perhaps give him a spanking when he's here. Uh oh, now I've gone and gotten his hopes up.


I hope you are all well, and that life is treating you kindly. I appreciate your good wishes and greetings, and I will be wishing you a good night and endlessly pleasant dreams.