I keep saying that I’m going to get back to posting regularly and I keep breaking that promise. I apologize. Today I clearly have the time, the energy, and things to write about; that is enough to motivate me.
This is spirit week at school, each day has its own theme. Monday was Pajama Day but I found out too late so missed my chance to spend all day in my PJs. That’s sad. I hoped that COVID would have one good effect, normaling PJs as everyday wear. It didn’t. They really should let me decide on societal norms.
Today is Jersey Day. Students and some faculty are wearing their sports team’s gear. I took it differently, I listened to Springsteen. I didn’t really do that but it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the announcement. Instead I forgot all about it and wore normal clothes. I have a genuine simulation Mets David Wright Jersey that I planned on wearing. I might wear it tomorrow as it’s 2000s Day.
Last night I actually went out and heard music. The Amazing Anna Dagmar went back to school to get a degree in conducting. No, that’s not related to electricity but conducting and orchestra. As part of her studies she conducted the first piece in last night’s concert by the Hunter College Orchestra. This was not about electrical engineering but Anna is a superconductor. She’s chill so not quite a room temperature superconductor. Her father is a mathematician so I’m hoping he’s geeky enough to find that funny. I fell down laughing.
I left the program at home so I don’t remember the name of the piece or the composer, just that he was African American, wrote it in 1867, and was the violin teacher of David Mannes the founder of the Mannes School of Music, now part of the New School. I was hesitant before I heard it, random music rarely excites me, but this was great. I just looked it up, the composer was John Thomas Douglass, the son of a freed slave. The piece was light and my first thought was Mozart but then decided it was more like Mendelsohn. The piece is called The Pilgrim. Mendelsohn died the year Douglass was born. Maybe he was reincarnated.
When Anna took the stage the couple next to me vigorously applauded. They were as enthusiastic as me. I wondered if they were Anna’s parents. I have met them but that was years ago and I’m an idiot. During a break I asked, they weren’t. The woman is someone I actually know, the songwriter multi-platinum singer-songwriter, Tina Shafer. I know her because she did John Platt’s On Your Radar. I might have also seen her songwriting workshops at the Bitter End. I love that by pure coincidence the Anna Dagmar fan club was sitting together. After her piece Anna came out and joined us. She spotted us from the stage.
I sadly acted like an adult and didn’t join Anna for the afterconcert get-together. If I had, I would not have the energy to be writing now. On the other hand, there are few things I enjoy more than post concert socializing.
I get out of school at 4:00 and the concert wasn’t until 7:30. If I went home I’d have only about 45 minutes there, hardly worth it. I need clothes for school so I decided to go to Goodwill on 14th street and then have a nice sit down dinner somewhere. Those plans were scuttled by the Union Square Holiday market. That’s where I get off the subway. I went gift shopping without much success but discovered that they did have a Duck Season NYC stand. I’ve only seen them at the Bryant Park Holiday market. I had Duck Fat poutine with duck confit. Do I need to tell you that was beyond amazing? I love poutine and I love duck. Put them together and you get heaven. All that was missing of my relaxed sit down meal was the sitting down part and the relaxed part. I was left with more time on my hands that I planned on.
I went to Goodwill looking for pants. I didn’t find any. I did find three shirts, one of which I’m now wearing. I couldn’t find a single pair of pants my size. I’m not built for clothing thrifting. I did the opposite, I bought a pair of jeans on Amazon. I was built for online clothes shopping.
I still had too much time on my hands so even though there was a slight drizzle I walked from 5th and 14th street to Lexington and 23rd street to catch the 6 train. I was wearing my trench coat and wide-brimmed hat so the drizzle did not bother me.
On Tuesday I had to miss a day of school to get my infusion. I get one every 8 weeks. That meant I got to sleep late and even take a nap in the infusion chair. The only part of the process I don’t like is all the time it takes with the traveling. As a partial compensation there’s a good bagel store across the street where I stock up.
I’m going out again tonight to see Youth in a Roman Field at the Mercury Lounge. That show is very early, 6 PM. I will once again try thrifting by going to the Housing Works thrift shop not that far away. I am not sure about how long everything will take. I might get a sitdown dinner. If there’s no time I will have pizza.
Wise Madness 