Bowne & Co. Stationers

This is another photo from my NYC trip a couple weeks ago.  I did a little bit of wandering, trying to find the Brooklyn Bridge from the Wall Street Ferry Terminal.  What you don't see is that there is a woman sitting on the front steps of the building next to this one, and she's yelling at no one (or maybe everyone) in particular about immoral people and hell and damnation.  This man just sat there through all the yelling, looking too tired to move out of earshot of her fire and brimstone sermon.

Crossing The Bridge

I feel like I've been walking across a really long bridge, and that I've come to that place in the middle, the gently sloped apex, from which I can see where I've come from and where I will go should I choose to keep walking. This and this by the magical Jen Lee have left me feeling blessed and at the same time perplexed as to where I am to go from here.

I am trying to Live in the Land of Holy Want, as my friend Diane would call it.  I am trying not to be so gullible when the lying voices cackle in my ear.  Why is it so much easier to believe lies about yourself rather than the truth?  I think part of it may be the fear that you will never live up to your potential, or, rather, your perceived potential or the way others perceive your potential to be.  Part of it may also be that self-pity is strangely sweet and possibly addictive.

I think it all goes back to dismantling fear...

New York, New York--A Few Highlights

BBQ with total strangers in Nyack who welcomed me with open arms.  Nyack rocks, 'Nuff said.

We wandered around a lot.

Some of us held hands. Hmmm. Now I'm wishing I'd held hands with Susanne.

We sat in Washington Square and people-watched. I can people-watch forever and ever amen thank you very much, and New Yorkers are very interesting to look at.

We pretended to be superheros guarding the streets of our fair Metropolis (actually, I just made that up).

My camera kept wanting to take photos of Susanne.  Can you blame me?  I love how she color coordinated her shirt with the streetlights.

We crossed streets.  Lots and lots of streets.

We browsed 18 miles of books at Strand Bookstore.

Susanne found the book of her dreams, in the $1 bargain rack no less.

We watched Joey Joey from the Bronx juggle, swallow swords and unicycle in Washington Square.

I took the obligatory bar bathroom mirror self-portrait.

We raised glasses and drank craftbrews from Belgium and Dupage County in IL.

Then we streaked naked in the night all the way to Union Square and back.  Ok, no, we didn't, but Susanne and I DID belt out Depeche Mode and New Order all the way from Greenwich Village to Edgewater, NJ.  I'm giving Susanne honorary Korean status for singing Bizarre Love Triangle with me, which is the Korean American national anthem, at least if you were K.A. in Chicago and graduated high school in the 80's/early 90s.

Dianas Galore

I did in fact stop in at the Lomography Gallery Store in New York so that I could get a 35mm back for my Diana.  I couldn't help but drool over all the cool analog cameras and accessories they had.  Just look at how prettily the cameras sparkle!  It took considerable restraint on my part to walk out of the store with JUST the 35mm back.