With new plants scattered about the front and back, I’ve started a loop to water things every evening. No phone, no podcasts and sometimes no shoes. Just a moment to regard things while making wide arcs to avoid getting the hose stuck on corners.
Afternoon snack
The day was dense with meetings and one consultation with a floor installer. I wanted to understand possibility and cost to replace a perfectly fine vinyl floor with real wood.
Given the options and consultation with friends, the solution is likely to put down more area rugs or speak with a hypnotist to ignore said perfectly fine flooring.
Spent the afternoon working on a photo book with a friend and had a snack.
Dinner with Kathryn’s parents
A fun thing about spending time with a friend’s parents are experiencing the souls that formed the person you know, plus also little mannerisms passed down and remixed. Bonus? Sharing too many dishes to maximize trying things on the menu.
Gardening at night
All the excitement from plant shopping was almost dashed by the realization that the root network from a neighbor’s tree makes digging in the dirt a near impossible task. So the hydrangea got moved to this empty corner while the lillies with their shorter depth requirements went in another.
I see how it begins now… You fill in all the corners with stuff, then you run out of corners and creep out into the middle. Gimme a few years and there won’t be much lawn left.
A tiny bit terrifying and entirely exciting gamble
First weekend day with no obligations afforded a trip to a garden center.
I felt totally lost without mom.
Usually I’d go as chauffeur, enjoy all the colors and nod in agreement with the choices she’d make for her garden. With the tables turned I had to look up the difference between annuals and perennials just to be sure what was what.
Can we take those flowers out of the hanging baskets and put them in pots? (The helpful associate said yes.)
Does just afternoon sun equal full sun? (Another yes.)
We picked up some flowers for the porch, a few roses to replace the ones that didn’t survive last season and a hydrangea for the back yard. Oh, and a couple lilies just for giggles.
It all felt like a tiny bit terrifying entirely exciting gamble.
Friends Pride Concert
The Cincinnati Men’s Chorus and Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus teamed up for a concert to kick off Pride Month celebrations and dang if I didn’t swing between verklempt and delight throughout the performance. (Snapshot of program song list)
Other highlights of the day included a REALLY good burger from Milkman, seeing my brother and a cocktail from Pilar afterward.
I never knew how to spell handkerchief until today
Honestly didn’t know there was a ‘d’ in there.
In other news, it is Friday, the weather has been glorious, Kesha has a new album out and Edie is doing well despite my shenanigans. I really think she could get used to outfits.
The fastest growing sport in America
Somewhere mid pandemic I heard it for the first time.
Pickleball.
Friends were like “Oh it’s really fun!” and totally glossed over the name which is right up there on the silliness scale with cornhole. I’m like what? And then a year later there’s a segment it on CBS Sunday Morning and they’ve opened up a big indoor/outdoor pickleball court with restaurant in Norwood. It‘s called Aces. Stopped by there after lunch for a peek while monitoring progress on the Jeni’s Scoop Shop.
Full circle
Back in the saddle whipping up concepts and whatnot. Many end up in the bin, like this one about failed ideas.
I couldn’t find a good photo of wadded up paper online so I made this one.
The concept didn’t end up being used, but it was fun to do and for a moment? Everything felt full circle.
KER N
In the mid-2000s I failed to pick up one of these KERN zip-ups from Veer. So I was happy when Simple Bits re-stocked this t-shirt to tickle the typographic fancy (or ire) of folks.
I was on three Zoom calls today and it elicited smiles each and every time. (I clearly work with nerds.)
Strawberry and Rhubarb Croissant
One last parting gift from Thor was a few croissants from Eleven Madison’s weekend pastry pop-up called Bake It Nice he dropped off as we headed off to the airport.
Managed to keep them intact through the journey and overnight. They made breakfast all the better. Oh, and they’re made with magic and vegan.
In other news, I have entered the echelon of bifocals.
Checking out of The Hotel Chelsea
Ten years ago I snapped this photo of The Hotel Chelsea and always wondered what it looked like inside. This, the place that housed folks like Mark Twain, Jack Kerouac, Stanley Kubrick, Jane Fonda, Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Madonna and Leonard Cohen.
Condé Nast Traveller has a bit of history leading up to the 11 year renovation that completed last year.
Saturday Night Live’s Season 48 intro was filmed there.
And it served as home base for this trip and scratched an item off the bucket list. Though the room was small and the bohemian spirit at odds with $26 cocktails, the place was fetching in every detail.
I mean, they went so far as to put a monogram on the doorknobs of the closet. I made a short video showing a bit of the room.
(Another tip of the hat to Thor for the flat pack vase and flowers, a gift so I could re-enact Sarah Sherman’s bit from the SNL intro. 💐)
