another surprising phone calll...

from Friends at about 8:10 yesterday asking me to cover a second grade class, and to get to Friends as quickly as possible. That I did (around 8:50, unbelievably) and found myself flying blind, reading instructions from the regular teacher and trying to live through a plan that would get me to about 10:30. Of course, was able to do it---the second grade students were basically very cooperative--still, it always amazes me how with short time prep I can just put myself into a very frenetic and improvised situation. I finished up the day at Friends with what was supposed to be my "regular" program---and left at around 3---of course exhausted. Will return tomorrow afternoon for the spring musical--I know many students who are in it, so I am excited to see what it turns out to be. And I have just found out that there will be a rally outside a black owned restaurant-bar in Prospect Heights tomorrow morning---a bar that is in danger of closing because it will not have it lease renewed. I will try to go to that before the musical. Very important that I go.
   Tonight at La Mama---Seagull-Machine, a play put on by the Assembly, maybe my favorite "indie" theater group. I know them well, have followed them for a long time, and I have had many good discussions with one of their leaders, Ben Beckley.  This is a very ambitious project---I hope they bring it off. Earlier, I hope to head back to the apartment and listen to some of Luisa Miller, a very interesting and not that often heard Verdi Opera, that is being performed this afternoon at the Met.
  Not much else to report---I had hoped to do something yesterday evening, but of course, after the long teaching day, when I got home I was "zonked" and ready for some serious rest. Still, yesterday really invigorated me---when I left Friends, I did not head home---instead after a smoothy at a nearbye coffee shop, walked north---bumped into two old friends and spoke with them for a while---and continued north, mostly on third avenue up to 42nd street. Looked at the architecture in the Murray Hill section, some beautiful brownstones between Lexington and Park on 35th, 36th and 37th street---also some strong older buildings---wonder who lived in them in the fifties and sixties---as well as the usual high rises that dot the area. Any walk in the city is interesting.
That's about it--will report soon.