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.
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.)
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.
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. 💐)
Another jaunt to New York is in the books and it has created a backlog in posting to the journal. This trip was spent in Manhattan and involved lots of museums, a few shows, glorious food and so. much. walking. Clocked in 9 miles one day.
I figure once things settle I’ll jam on a consolidated gallery and append to these posts.
Until then, today’s shot is from the Marriott Marquis in the heart of Times Square. (Thanks to Thor for the tip.) They have a tiny outdoor patio called the Perch and it’s a great way to escape the absolute dense turmoil on the streets and grab a drink. You don’t have to be a guest — plus also? Bathrooms. It’s a great way to watch all lights, which are now large LED screens in lieu of neon.
Thor’s barber is an artist that has resided in The Hotel Chelsea for many years, long before the property underwent a huge renovation. His apartment is the same as it was, along with the other handfuls of folks that managed to keep their places. I can only imagine the stories of what transpired in these rooms and hallways.
A movie about these residents that kept living there is out, it’s called Dreaming Walls. There’s a trailer along with some good insight here: The Eerie Story of the Chelsea Hotel’s Last Bohemian Residents.
If you have an iPhone and Apple Pay set up, you no longer need an MTA card to ride the bus or subways in New York. Feels weird the first few times (Face or thumbprint ID isn’t even required… Just proximity with the ”tap”), but then it’s kind of lovely.
Somebody posted a gif or something on one of the social media micro-blogging sites. There are so many now. (I think it was Merlin Mann.) It was a scene from White Noise in a grocery store (no spoilers) which inspired a viewing this evening.
The book this film is based on was a favorite when I read it in the 90’s. Thing is, I honestly don’t remember why or what it was about. A blurb on my old favorite books page doesn’t help much.
It felt like a very literary film bordering on stage play, which can also mean complicated and wooden for someone feeling fidgety. But the visuals are super fun — every frame is chock full of 80’s details.
All the density makes me want to revisit the book, or maybe the Cliff’s Notes.
I’ve lost count how many US President’s have said they’d fix the main artery of I-75 between Cincinnati and Covington. The Brent Spence Bridge has seen better days. There are accidents aplenty, chunks of concrete have fallen on to vehicles and a fiery crash between semi trucks happened in 2020.
It was built to support 85,000 vehicles per day and sometimes doubles that capacity. (Wikipedia)
The only good thing is the recent removal of the 4th street entrance ramp from Covington, which likely ranks among the worst traffic engineering designs when it was active — with a merge ON the bridge with multiple lane spits that would require getting from one side of the road to the other. It was harrowing.
It’s still harrowing insomuch that there are no shoulders — just a tight four pack of lanes that are a major trucking route.
I can’t figure out where the latest plan landed, but it might look like these renders below from the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor website.
