It is a spectacular day, dear blog readers. Self spent some time watering, hauling around the old green bucket. All (or nearly all) of her roses are profusely blooming. Finally! Last year, she was ready to give up. She single-handedly dug holes for each of her almost 20 roses – the Betty Boop, the Chihuly, the climbing New Dawn, the climbing Don Juan, the Fourth of July, the Sheila’s Perfume, the Sunflare, the Winsome, and so forth and so on — nursed them through their early stages with lavish applications of water and fertilizer, and still, her garden refused to reward her efforts. This year, she decided that she would not worry about her garden any longer. And as soon as she made that decision, everything bloomed, all at once.
Tonight is the start of the second (and closing) weekend of Penny’s play, “Booze in the Boroughs.” Did self impart to dear blog readers how, as she sat in the audience exactly a week ago (the space was SRO), she relished every minute, and wished she’d succeeded in getting her nephew to come along? (But, Friday night in New York, of course young men have plans!) The action of the play begins in Central Park, winds through the Bronx, the Staten Island Ferry, Brooklyn, and Queens. Various characters meet, share, ignite. Here are the play particulars: It is showing on Joria Mainstage, at 260 West 36th Street, on the 3rd Floor. It is showing tonight, Saturday and Sunday. Penny mentioned it might be taken to other places, one of these others being Seattle.
Self was sorry that, during her last trip, she did not get to see:
- Drew
- the Metropolitan Museum (She only got as far as the front steps, where she sat and listened to a band sing “Under the Boardwalk.” But the day was simply too beautiful, self thought, to spend inside a museum. She remained outside, and indulged in a peanut butter and fudge cupcake from a vendor called “Cakes and Shakes” – to die for. That was her lunch)
- Minette
- the Whitney (She usually makes it a point to visit this museum, every time she is in New York. She actually likes it better than the Metropolitan. It feels less overwhelming. They had a fantastic Cy Twombly retrospective, a couple of years ago)
She made an effort to contact Paolo Javier, who she read with years ago, at the Asian American Writers Workshop. She e-mailed his publisher. The man was so nice, he answered right away, and said he personally hadn’t seen Paolo in many years. How do people lose each other? Time is really a river …
But, here she is, and tomorrow she and hubby are meeting up with son in Monterey, at a pet cemetery where we will finally lay poor Gracie to rest.
Self decides she will e-mail that literary journal, the one that supposedly accepted her piece without a formal notification (She only found out when she logged into Submishmash and saw – Green! Her first green in a year!)
She sent out a novella this morning (Deep breath)
Zack is in New Orleans. She promised him a lengua burrito from the place at the corner of Jefferson and El Camino, next time he is in her neck of the woods. In the meantime, here’s something about his book from The Wily Filipino. (Zack’s going to be in Europe and Morocco in June. Self is of course dying of jealousy)
Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.
