a maelstrom of feeling...

is what cityboy experienced at his brief, but very meaningful visit to South fourth on its last night as a bar. Many, many hugs and hand shakes. Lots of sadness---questions: where will we (the regulars) meet now. Brooklyn is full of bars, but will we find one as simpatico and "regular friendly" as South fourth. And for me, who could sit there for several hours just nursing an ice coffee and the bartenders would be cool about it, does it mean I must have a beer at whatever new place or places my friends choose? All this will be determined--lots of e-mails and phone numbers taken. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out. And in a way, it is an incentive to explore new venues, in Williamsburg and in other neighborhoods. Well we will see.
  Before that, a BAN meeting---kind of interesting, the route of the march is pretty determined---I will probably join a few other BAN members in taking a "practice walk" some time towards the end of August. At the same time, I am getting e-mails from the Salazar campaign, urging me to volunteer for them. Can I do both? It might be a bit much---but this is a very interesting time in the city and state history ("interesting" is kind of a nice word, for a time when developers are at their aggressive worst and that is what the conflict is all about), and there is a lot to do. No shortage of political action for cityboy as we move towards September.
  Tomorrow, the protest at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Cityboy has volunteered to flyer and dialogue with Garden members. during a members only event. A little nervous at how he will be received. For all my "reluctance", I plan to do it anyway. Will check in tomorrow in the morning, as we get closer to it.
 Have decided not to contact (at least for today) the curator of the upcomng Robbins exhibit at the Lincoln Center library (where I currently sit now) abut the juxtaposition of three works that he directed in a row: Bells Are Ringing, West Side Story, and New York Export: Opus Jazz. Why not?
Not sure, cityboy is wearing his "activist" hat at the moment, and a discussion that contrasts the passion of West Side with the coolness and lack of bonding in Export Jazz simply does not fit into my zeitgeist right now. Maybe later.
 Tonight, want to do something easy. I have not visited my buddy Brittany, bartender at the 95th street Dive Bar for a while, maybe tonight, will eat, watch baseball and perhaps participate in the bar's trivia game. It is good for me to have one day disconnected from either theater or activism (of course it is still the morning, so that could change).
 As July ends, cityboy seems to be moving into a new zone. I seem to know so many people in so many different worlds---how does it all hold together. Or does it? Well, let's see how it all develops.