Doug Wheeler | johnozed

Well after having the past Saturday and Sunday off, it was back to work for me on Monday and now a day later I am off of work again. I’m not complaining. I am looking down the road of a four day stretch at the cigar shack and that shouldn’t be so bad. Still I have my reservations since whenever I think I have a grip on things at work, something goes awry and I realize my grip is not so firm after all.

Today has been an alright day, Bill was up and out at the craziest time of 4:30AM. He was driving a bunch of people from a non-profit theater group up to Albany NY for a rally regarding arts funding. Last night we exchanged Valentine’s gifts, I gave Bill a gift certificate for the Dramatist’s Book Shop and a card with cars on it that light up and flash underneath the statement, You Drive Me Crazy.

He gave me a heart shaped box of chocolates from Godiva. When I opened the box I found all the chocolates melted and fused together. I was surprised and Bill was greatly disappointed. I wasn’t upset but Bill certainly was and will return the heart shaped box with misshapen chocolates tomorrow.

He went to bed soon after that since he had to get up so early in the morning. I stayed up and watched nothing in particular since there was nothing on anyhow. I slept quite soundly and was awoken briefly by Bill kissing me goodbye and wishing me a happy Valentine’s Day and I mumbled in return for Bill to be careful.

I wanted to sleep later than I did and I guess a half an hour of extra sleep was good enough for my body. I was up and out at the supermarket, thanks to Bill making another pot of coffee before he left. I did not need too much just some milk and rolls.

I had a tentative plan to attempt once again a visit to the Doug Wheeler installation with RoDa but I had too much to do today and that would have done me in. I texted RoDa about it and he was OK with it. I also suggested that he should go alone and that perhaps that might improve his chances. Since I had seen it in January the installation would not have the same effect.

I think he thought it was a good idea though I am not sure if he had gotten it together to go. I had laundry to do and I also wanted to head into the city. I decided to go once again to get some under garments as well a water filter for the pitcher that Bill and I have in the fridge. Last week I blanked on the type of pitcher we have but this time I was quite sure what kind it was.

So I got the under garments and the filters and since it was a nice afternoon, I walked up the avenue to the bus terminal, enjoying a cigar. I would not have been able to squeeze in the visit to the art gallery and do all these things.

Now I am home again, did not watch much TV, instead watched quite a few Al Green videos on YouTube and posted most of them on Facebook. I also posted some Otis Redding, Elvis Costello and ABC with their song Valentine’s Day.

It was a productive day somewhat and now I sit waiting for Bill to come home. He’s made it back to Wally World so it should only be a short time.

Happy Valentine’s day y’all.

11 – Love Letters Ketty Lester

Well it is day two of two days off. And it’s been good. Today was better than yesterday despite the rain and the cold and the dampness. Last night was better than the day as well. I was in a better frame of mind when Bill came home from the gym. He was relaxed and happy to be home and I was quite happy to see him.

We settled in for the evening and watched the Betty White birthday show on TV. It was actually pretty good, and Bill of course laughed uproariously throughout the program. After that was a version of Candid Camera featuring senior citizens playing pranks on young folk. Bill and I both agreed that it was cute but corny.

Then we watched Bill Moyers and Company on PBS. I’ve met Bill Moyers a number of times and definitely trust him and his shows. And last night was no exception. It’s not candy floss news like Brian Williams on NBC, this was real and intelligent, which is why it was on PBS and not the other stations.

Bill went to bed midway through the 11:00 news and I stayed up watching the Colbert Report, followed by 30 Rock and then finally I went to bed. Slept quite well and had a few dreams about the cigar shack, including one where Jimmy Seltzer had a moustache. Bill was up and back to work and I have little recollection of him kissing me goodbye as he always does. I’m sure he did though.

I do know that he made a very good pot of coffee which was waiting for me when I got out of bed. And outside it was raining which made me want to stay in bed longer. But I had plans today and I got out of bed and got myself activated. A trip to the supermarket where I was online for my favorite cashier Isis, and I found myself behind my former favorite cashier, now retired Linda.

My sister met Linda once and said she was reminded of our grandmother, Nana- my mother’s mother. A nice chat while on the line with two sweethearts. Then it was home for breakfast and then I was out on the street in the rain.

I caught a bus to the Path train and rode to 14th Street. I walked over to 10th Avenue and wound my way up to 19th Street, to the David Zwimmer Galleries. I read over the weekend of an installation by Doug Wheeler and it had me curious. Since it was in the New York Times, I figured it would be crowded.

I walked into 533 West 19th Street and saw the On Kawara exhibition which I enjoyed but tired of it rather quickly. Still I was glad to have seen it. There was no one else there except for a security guard. I asked the receptionist on the way out where I could see the Doug Wheeler installation and it turned out I walked right by it.

I walked into 519 West 19th Street and was told I needed to take my shoes off to see the installation. They had some disposable slippers and of course as I took my boots off I realized I had a hole in my sock. I felt like Paul Wolfowitz but did my best to cover up the hole quickly.

I walked into the room where the installation was and I was overwhelmed by light. It was incredible and hallucinatory. A woman was nearby behind me as I started to laugh out loud. It was great. No sense of depth or what was in front of me. And throughout all this I could see paramecium floating in front of me, which turned out to be my eyeballs.

Sometimes if I look a certain way through my eyeglasses I can see the paramecium (or whatever it is- floaters?) and here it was again. I never said anything about seeing these things throughout my life, but I asked the woman nearby if she was seeing what I was seeing, and she said something that I didn’t quite hear.

Still it was a giggle and I was soon taking off my disposable slippers and putting on my boots and back on the street. From there I walked up to 23rd Street stopping by the Mallick Williams Gallery after the exhibition by Lindsey de Ovies caught my eye. It was a lot of fun and I was able to take some snapshots before heading to the Vivian Maier showing.

The Vivian Maier show was part of a show with Weegee, two photographers I’ve admired throughout the years. Most everyone knows who Weegee was and there was so much of his stuff that it overwhelmed the Vivian Maier photos. And it was crowded. I didn’t last too long there and soon headed up to the bus terminal enjoying a cigar in between raindrops.

And now I am home after yet another lovely dinner with Julio, Stine and the one & only Alexander. I bought him a coloring book and some crayons as well as a slide whistle. Not as much fun as Stine’s iPad but then again I guess I am old school.

Juan is in town and wanted to do something fun, but I was at Julio & Stine’s when he texted and I simply can’t entertain tonight since for me it is back to work tomorrow. So he is off to some bear bar in Jersey City.

Not sure if I will be posting tomorrow since WordPress is having a black out against SOPA. So I guess we will wait and see. You should all protest SOPA. I mean if Rupert Murdoch is for it…