cityboy at rest.....

so it seems---after a pretty frenetic day at Friends yesterday---three eighth grade classes and an eighth grade collab---enough said, and then a session around 125th street and Broadway. I left my sweater behind in the library during that session---but it forced me to buy a new one and voila---it turned out to be one that I liked. But I hate losing things---a lot of agitation, but it is over now.
  Saturday: did head out to East Flatbush to table for BAN, only to find out that there was no table at the conference being held in the church on Avenue D. But so what! It gave me a chance to wander through a neighborhood that I never really go to, and do some exploring. This is the area directly east and a little south of Nostrand and Beverly Road. Near the station, mostly private houses and a few small apartment houses---they become less and less as one walks east. Walked mostly on Clarendon Road---very quiet---I would assume most if not all of the private houses that I passed were owned by black families. Long walk from Nostrand (about East 30 street) to East 44th Street: I finally found the church on Avenue D, where the housing forum was taking place. Left soon after, since there was nothing for me to do there, but was not frustrated---I had to be in Williamsburg (not terribly close) in a few hours, and again, I always feel that a walk through a new part of Brooklyn is a viable way of spending time. What to do in the interim? Well, there is a bus on Avenue D that goes west to Ditmas Park; I took it, then wandered over to the Connecticut Muffin on Cortelyou Road for coffee and some marble cake. After that, took a circuitous route to the Brick Theater--arrived at Lorimer and Metropolitan early (of course)  and waited to take my place at the Flag Project, written by William Burke a friend of mine.
  And it was quite an amazing evening. Nine actors perform a variation of the same monologue while they sow and take apart an American Flag.The monologue is non-realistic---it really challenges the actors instrument to make choices, but in this case, the nine  actors  that I saw were really able to create something different each time. By the fourth monologue, I was familiar with the material, comfortable with it, and able to really enjoy the commitment of each actor. And I really saw some amazing choices being made. There are about 18 actors participating in this project; I will return Saturday evening to see one other actor whom I know, and watch another round of the monologues. Feel that I should make this commitment.
  Sunday, a slow day---too tired from the enormous amount of walking that I did the day before to go to Brooklyn, so I stayed around the apartment until dinner time, then off to La Flaca (after some deliberation) to see what was going on there. Very quiet, but did have a good chat with bartender Tom, about the money that can be made from commercials---also watched a bit of an important football game and made friends with a new patron, John, who actually works in the armed forces where he collaborates with the city anti-terrorism unit. Did not ask him about that---we stuck to football, but I had a very good time. Will probably go to La Flaca again, soon.
  Today, a BAN meeting this evening, that I will finally be able to go to--will see what happens from there. Will report soon.