rainy wednesday....

morning---went to Friends to pick up check--people there friendly, still have not worked in five days, tonight will go to Jazz Concert there (even in the rain) and see what the reaction is. Everybody seemed good to see me in the short time I was there this morning, so there seems to be no negative reaction re "incident" of April
20. Maybe there are not a lot of people being sick---it's possible. But want to sit on money until more days come in, not just two test days that I have for college AP's. Another school...? Well, I told Packer that I did not have enough days for them, maybe try next week, though we are so near the end.....procrastination...
Last night..went to Aperture gallery, a really nice atmosphere, to here my friend Harlo participate in a discussion about media and use of space on the internet. Glad I went, afterwards returned home to heatless apartment, but happily, that was fixed and heat is back.
Not much else to say, will try to find a viable book or books to read for most of the day, raining hard, should get harder, with no tutoring, might want to go to Brooklyn, but in this weather...? Not sure...

unsettling story....

just read about trial of one of the women arrested in occupy wall street march last year. No mention of it in the media--and no mention of the man who is my classmate at Hopkins, who was not bothered much by it at the reunion that I attended. Extension of liberty---not much else, can't get off this topic, even though i would
like to. Try to add some other things.
Received a phone call today from kyla's mom; she (kyla) did very well in a practice fourth grade math test yesterday, which much relieves her mom---she called me to thank me---was not expecting this, so I feel very good about it---could even do more tutoring if necessary----where does tutoring fit in against my "arts' interests. All a bit too much.
Yesterday, good session with Andrea, went to see Dylan M.s play at TNC; did not like the play much, very self-congratulatory, but enjoyed saying hi to him afterwards, really enjoy being supportive of him. Afterwards, thought of going to La Flaca---too tired, ended up with another slice of one dollar pizza at a dive on 14th street---then went to Finnerty's just in time for the San Jose sharks game which drew a lot of loud people to the bar---wanted to watch the giants game a bit, did and then left, tired, so I was not upset. Slept pretty well, probably because today is service day at Friends and I knew there would be no calls. How about tomorrow...?
Could go to visit Lucas at FUREE today, don't know if I really want to, so many theater projects in the "downtown theater" orbit in the next four weeks---it is somewhat mind boggling.
Still stewing re article, that's what happens when you sit about 10 feet from someone who allowed police to behave in this way---yet he is still honored and lionized. Well, we have a long way to go in the country.
How do you separate decency from dissent? Think about it, deal with the anger....

still, another day...

without being called at Friends, well should visit the Jazz Concert on Wednesday---see what happens, will be fresh for my tutoring session today at 5, and then finally decided to see Dylan M in neo-futurists play at TNC. Have not been there in a while, not the greatest place for me to be, but will go anyway.
Saturday, after some deliberation, did make it out to brooklyn, started at Newkirk, love that coffee place called milk and honey on the corner of Westminster Road and Newkirk. Not too crowded, which made it mellow---decided that I had to get to bushwick, sort of on the other side of the earth from Ditmas Park, but how, without returning into Manhattan? Walked to Church Avenue, waited for the bus, bus came and boarded it going east, at Flatbush it turned and for a few blocks went down Linden Boulevard. Beautiful art deco homes on those blocks, again a longing for the past, could have easily grown up there.Bus returns to Church on Nostrand---Church is a narrow avenue, filled with stores that cater to the carribean community that mostly lives there. A long trip to Utica avenue, this is an area not serviced by any subway, so buses are
so much more relevant to the lives here. At Utica, a large street, wondered if I could walk to Eastern Parkway, but decided against it, bus came very quickly, and gets to Eastern in about 10 long blocks, then goes down through Crown heights, and finally the bed-stuy part of the trip, ending at Broadway. Never realized how many beautiful brownstones there are between Utica and Patchen, first block east of same, in bed-stuy. Got off at Broadway, did not want to wait for another bus to take me accross Bushwick, instead walked through the cold rain, stopped off at Molasses, the bookstore in Bushwick, and finally arrived at
Cobra. Saw Austin, John, others and a good time was had by all.
Afterwards, thought I would try out Sweet Science, but ended up at Basik, a nice bar restaurant near the L stop on Graham. The bartender and his friend were very friendly, his friend, Curtis, was teaching in a charter school in Boston, so much to talk about. Bartender, Russell is reading at KGB tonight, thought I would go but decided to see Dylan M at theater for the new city instead.
Sunday, other things, which brings us to today. Tomorrow is service day at Friends, so no work then, maybe a late night tonight.

free at last....

yes, coming up a day without structure---Saturday morning, no tutoring planned, can do what I like. But what is that...? This morning toyed with many ideas, play, baseball game, now it seems I just want to let the day spread out in front of me and make spontaneous choices. Love to take a walk down Ocean Parkway, but that is far away from my possible later destinations in Williamsburg and/or possibly Bushwick.
Museum of Moving Image has an Anthony Mann retrospective---have always liked his work, but don't think I will go today or tomorrow. Also would like to hear Levine conduct at least the overture from Cosi, it is being broadcast this afternoon, so might wait for that. But the looseness of the day---that is what is invigorating to me. I think just not having to be anywhere at any given time turns me on.
Yesterday, after library, simply waited around until I could leave for library on 145 street. Got very restless,
antsy in the apartment, just so much sports talk or current events talk one can listen to.
At library met Andrea; she arrived from her school with two friends, also in her class, invited them to join
the tutoring, good idea, andrea loosened up I think enjoyed the company of her friends,also did some very good work. Think that she needs a lot of repetition and drills; not being a repetition person, this is hard for me, but should make the adjustment, now that I have more insight into her learning process. This will be continuing work.
Went to have coffee, unexpectedly got into a conversation with "Chuck" an actor who was in A and C at the public this year (I did not see it). Very invigorating conversation, he was very interested in my memories of the seventies at the Public. Left feeling very "up", stimulated. Went from there to Lansdown Road, (too tired to go to Brooklyn) very loud and busy, but able to watch some baseball and see my twin friend Mel. Not a great time, but a good one, then was tired and headed home, slept fairly well.

after DRA...

which was wonderful, really had a great time, great to see some of the kids I know so well, doing some very inventive choreography and dancing.  Decided not to see a movie (although Tribeca Festival was incredibly crowded at the nine o'clock show, just for a group of shorts! Walked though the East Village, trying to figure out what bar I would be the most comfortable at, watching baseball and basketball. Ended up at the one between 13th and 14th and Avenue A---I have been there many times before, treated very nicely by the bartender, but basically this is just another one of my "sterile" bars----room enough to watch baseball, but very little contact. I have to remind myself of this, on some nights I think that watching baseball in itself will be sufficient, but usually I feel played out fairly quickly. And yet choose these bars sometimes over bars in which I am known. Should be a little different tonight---after I tutor Andrea, should either go to Lansdown Road, or over to south fourth where, I hope, Kim might be working. Then maybe to Sweet Science to use the coupon book that I got from Brokelyn and chat with Danny, the bartender that I met at South Fourth on Sunday.
Richard Powers' book Orfeo is really exciting---very intense writing---should finish it by the end of the weekend.
Still have not seen anything since last Saturday...no movie...? Possibly tomorrow, though sometimes I think it is better that I do my wandering.

another day.....

with the sun out, just returned from a double tutoring session with Tamia and her classmate Kyla. Hard work, both kids have trouble retaining certain math facts--hope I see Kyla again on Sunday.
Yesterday, a nice session with Ellie, then returned home, it was cold, decided to go to the bar on Amsterdam and Eightieth street and watch sports, turns out that they had trivia, and even though I was tired, I played, did not join a team, but nevertheless had fun, and found some meaning in the bar, which I conceived as being terribly coldToday, will go to FRiends for Dancers Responding to AIDS at 7, over by eight, what then....? ৈৈ

first day off...

in a while, not counting Thursday, which was a half day. So, here I am...a little nervous because of 'the incident' with the seventh graders on Monday, but which, at this point, seems to be resolved. Would like to talk to the seventh graders tomorrow, but won't unless invited. Tomorrow I will go to the Dancers Against Aids dance concert---will see most people there, maybe get some feedback. Today, it seems that I will have two tutoring sessions, which should keep me going, and get me ready for a night in which, hopefully, I won't be too tired to move around, as I have been the last two.
Saturday night Catch---very uninteresting, disappointing, a real sense of self-indulgence, not much else, not one short segment really of interest. Saw a few of my downtown theater friends there, but did not spend much time with them, basically on my own. No problem, got what I could out of it.
Sunday, both "hangouts" turned out to be productive, good time at South Fourth as I helped Sonja talk through some of the conflicts that she was facing as she moved into her co-op. Big move for her, brought up a lot of feelings. Felt very much that I was being a "funcitional" friend--really allowing her to get out some of her feelings through her conversation with me, and creating a dialogue with her that helped her focus on some of those "heavy" feelings Left feeling very productive.
So where do we go from here...? Not sure, two tutoring sessions in store for today---again evening is full of possibilities, as long as I am not tired. Should see a movie, a play, ...or something. Big downtown theater
month in May, will probably see a lot, but now,,,,,?