being a stay-at-home brother

Now that I am finally in a location for more than a few days, I have felt an extreme need to sleep.  


Yup - you read that right: sleep.  I know some folks talk about the glamour of the city, and how could I ever just sleep days away, but let's be real for a minute.  My brother lives here, which means I come here every year at least once (this year twice) for extended stays.  This means I have done a lot of fun things in the past couple years with him.  Also, it is blazin' hot here.  I mean hot with a big ol' slice of thick-as-pea-soup humidity hot.  And when it is that hot, when I sweat just thinking of going outside, sleeping for a day in air conditioning sounds awesome.  


The first day when my brother came back from work he seemed slightly jealous (aside from the fact that he didn't understand why the dishes were not done and dinner was not ready; oops.), although that may just be my own imagination at work.  As I was making dinner, I promised myself (and my dog and brother) I would leave the apartment tomorrow.  And with that, my fate was sealed.  

thankfully she hasn't taken to eating grass...yet...

Today, after a riveting stage in the Tour de France, Grrtrude and I set out for greener pastures.  Seriously - for those who have never been to the city or Brooklyn, it is surprisingly green!  We took a walk past the Brooklyn Public Library to Prospect Park, which is this wide open space of green, trees, and grass.  It was great to see all these parents/au pairs with children, people laying around reading or playing frisbee (never the two shall merge), and cyclists and runners galore soaking up the sun (and likely getting a nice burn - yipes!).  I played the part of The Amazed Tourist as I walked around and snapped some pictures.  It was so nice to sit down on real grass rather than rocks (xeriscape landscaping is not my bag).  I think Grrtrude loves it too, or at least she seemed at home plopping her skinny butt down on some grass.  


On the walk back, I let myself be immersed with the beauty of the city.  There are so many details of the city that could be overlooked by folks just looking to get from point A to point B, but having the time to be lazy has allowed me the opportunity to stop and drink it all in (and then take pictures to post so you can do the same).  Below are some images from my walk...

l'arc de triomphe look-alike in brooklyn (so cosmopolitan)

the rumors are false - there are MANY trees that grow in brooklyn!

wide open spaces - BK style

there were a few of these bridges in the park and this one had some really neat details on the underside - very quaint

there were four of these opposite the arch welcoming folks to the park

top detail

there are a few things i cannot get enough of in cities, and triangle buildings are one of those things!

the opulence of this entrance is really breathtaking - i can't wait to go inside!

gilded details - notice the freemason imagery over the right shoulder

owls were perched above the doors - symbols of knowledge seem apropos, no?

you know, for someone who is not a huge fan of baroque art, i certainly dig these building details

and these window details

i have a confession to make: i have ALWAYS wanted a fire escape outside of my window...maybe some day...

seriously - awesome, right?!  plus, then i could be all stealthy and shit...or just enjoy having the fire escape...

this is literally a corner market - local businesses abound in the city, which makes me so happy to see

as some folks may remember, i have a thing for public art.  shake it up you say?  and how!

Tomorrow sees me actually heading into the city, hopefully after I am able to stretch my legs a bit with a quick bike ride around Prospect Park.  The reason I am heading in, you ask?  Well it will be none other than the McQueen exhibit, Savage Beauty, at the Met that draws me there.  I have heard there will be long lines, but to be honest, I care not.  It will just be amazing to see the pieces and become immersed in pontificating on the aesthetic, beauty, and fetishized properties, all of which I am learning were themes for Alexander's work.  After this, it will be dinner with the brother and his lady friend, then back home to move the car (but seriously, I am glad the sanitation workers do their job - this city is incredibly clean) and get some rest so I can do it all over again on Friday!


Just as a precursor, this weekend I am headed to the beach (G's first beach experience ever!) and to some BBQ place that my brother raves about.  I will be the judge of that, Adam.  We all know my feelings about Rudy's, so it will be some tough competition to say the least.  I am also hoping to take a ride with my brother.  We have never been able to do this, so I think it would be fun if he is up for it.  Two brothers, two bikes, and a little bit o' spandex - now that sounds like a great time, doesn't it?!  Needless to say, pictures of yours truly in his cycling getup will not be forthcoming.  That is between me and the umpteen bajillion people who see me passing by on my ride.  


And now back to the kitchen - I have pasta salad to finish making...