Wednesday morning....

no work, kind of glad about that--I had a very long and arduous schedule (a mixture of two teachers whom I was substituting for) and my body can stand a little rest. No work scheduled as of now for the rest of the week, but that could change.
Some reports:
Saturday evening---decided to attend a movie at Film Forum by Jean Pierre Melville--le circle rouge---it is a beautifully made film about (essentially) a hunt by a humiliated chief of detectives for a man who has escaped while he was guarding him. Style very deliberate and intriguing, even as I write about it would like to see more of his films (about eight of them are showing now) but probably will have to settle for one, if at all, an unknown film of his that the Film Forum is showing all next week. Interesting thing about it was that the theater was packed for a 4:50 Saturday show---mostly older people but some young film buffs as well. Just about every seat was taken.
It was over around 7:30---much time to kill on a Saturday evening, and I did not want to go to another movie. So then what? After walking to second avenue from the forum, had a pizza slice on 2nd and 2nd, then figured I would see if I could watch some baseball at Standings. But the place was packed,  mostly with patrons watching hockey---so instead headed next door to Burp Castle where my friend Erin was bar tending. We talked for about a half hour---she is still adjusting to living in eastern Bed Stuy with her boy friend---and then I headed out---was hit by another hunger pang, and so I crossed second avenue at 14th street---away from the seven or eight bars that line the street and of course were packed---and headed to Gramercy Tavern on second and 20th, not far from Friends.
Place was empty by comparison and my new friend Amanda, who bar tends on weekends, was there. Had a good conversation with her and a nicely filling grilled cheese sandwich. The place is really reliable. By then tiredness had set in and I headed (slowly) back to the upper west side.
 
     Sunday; a nice free day. In the early afternoon I visited the Brooklyn Historical Society on Pierrepont Street to see the Jackie Robinson exhibit--a must for someone like myself, a baseball fanatic in my early days (the fifties). Slightly disappointed -it is enclosed in a small space- but some of the artifacts,  pictures and statements were very interesting. Also some pictures taken by a friend of Truman Capote of Brooklyn Heights in the fifties. He lived on Willow Street in a house owned by Oliver Smith (scenery: My Fair Lady and West Side Story, among others)  that were kind of evocative.
At that point, walked to BAM. A really frightening trip, one can see on Schermerhorn Street one new Luxury Building after another, and these are already built. Then around BAM about five or six new luxury buildings---how long will this go on. And to add to this the corridor on Fulton between Clermont and Franklin. What an eyesore for the city. And what does it mean?  Must continue to work with activist groups to save Brooklyn as much as possible, and make people aware. Toyed with going to South Fourth via bus, but it was cold, so the G to Broadway made much more sense. Walked in the rain to South fourth and remained (as usual) until around 9--nice and meaningful conversation with my friend Harlo who is going through some changes and conflicts and needed my support. Left around 9 and returned home.
Ah, the city with its endless potential for excitement.
Today, not sure what I will do in the evening, nothing too strenuous I think, but might be time to visit my friends the twins at Lansdowne Road, have not been there for a while. Right now, that seems the plan---will report soon.