At Home Veterinary Care

Poor Jaya had been licking a sore till it was raw. Dan decided that we had everything we needed at home. While I hugged Jaya around her neck and scritched her ears, he shaved the area with his buzzer and applied hydrogen peroxide and Neosporin.

We put our biggest Band-Aid on her wound

We were amazed about how thick fur was and how good she was throughout her ordeal.

Sick Day - Day Four and a 1/2

I'm so very sick of being sick. Yes, I love being home with Jaya and even took some experimental pictures of us.

The one thing that made me smile, laugh and even cry a little, was my catching "The Ride of Our Lives"by Mike Leonard. I loved how irreverent, loving, respectful and funny all their relationships seemed and the fact this range of emotions is probably how they could live together a RV together for so many weeks.

Ok, I really like "Between the Lions," too.

p.s. Happy Birthday, Alyse!

The Scarsdale Alternative School Reunion

This is an idea whose time has come. My alternative school, which had such an impact on my, and most likely countless others', development and personal orientation, is finally reunited all it's fans from throughout the years. In 1992, the year I graduated, the school celebrated its 20th anniversary. 15 years later (yikes!) some folks started planning its first even reunion. As there are only 80 students at a time, spread across Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors, we are arguably become quite close. Therefore, having a specific year reunion would feel incomplete. I think this SAS history-wide reunion is the best possible format and am looking forward to seeing you all again!

As for those who I remain in touch with, here are some website links for their most current projects:

Sasha Kopelowitz
Lee Gross
Danny Katz

Yeasaying in Sunset Park

While watching my favorite New York 1 show, New York Noise (Dan's favorite is the 15 minute, In Transit - the host is quite cute, so I don't mind), I see an "Intimate Encounter" with Yeasayer, a new band I've recently discovered I love. I think I found them via Pandora

So I was very excited to learn that the lead singer lives in Sunset Park. Just writing, I guess, to brag that my neighborhood is that cool. That's it. Check out Yeasayer at their website or via Lala




I just learned on New York Noise, that you can submit a video, send a DVD or mini DV right to them at:

Shirley Braha
New York Noise/ NYC TV
1 Centre St., 28th Floor
New York, NY 10007
sbraha@tv.nyc.gov

I need to pass this news onto my fabulous musician friends, like Chava and Rene and get them to digitize pronto!

Discovering Deity in Brooklyn

Dan and I after a very tasty and fun dinner and drinks at my new, comfort-food favorite, Waterfront Ale House (155 Atlantic Avenue),

where Dan had vegetarian chilli (a medley of Beans, Grains, Vegetables and Spices. Served with Rice) and some wheat beer I didn't like and I had the tandoori veggie burger (Marinated with an Indian Spice Blend & served with Fruit Chutney) with Sweet Potato Fries (hand cut with Brown Ale Honey Mustard) and an Original Sin Cider.

For dessert, Dan and I shared an sundae made with Ben & Jerry's Beer and Donuts Ice-Cream (a tie in to the Simpsons Movie, a stout flavored ice cream with donut chunks mixed in - thanks, Chowhound for helping me figure out the origin of this crazy, but crazy delicious delight).

Then Dan and I were walking to the D train at the Atlantic/Pacific Terminal and even though it was raining and kind of cold, we kept walking, because there's so much that is new and interesting on Atlantic Avenue.

First, we stumble upon Acorn: A Brooklyn Toy Shop (323 Atlantic Avenue) where we simply wish we had kids that we could shop for there, because buying all those beautiful toys for ourselves may seem somewhat, I don't know, would it be retro, or regressive? We saw those mobiles and I simply wanted to move into the store.

Admission: I already bought some wooden toys for myself from Magic Cabin. Ok, I really got the catalog for my nieces and nephew, but the rainbows reminded me so much of my 70's childhood - somehow soothing, you know?

Alas, I digress. We're walking down Atlantic Avenue. We see the most beautiful, inviting, yet somehow intimidating facade.

We walk in anyway, but kind of tip-toe, as it looked like a private party's going on.
It's Deity (368 Atlantic Ave) and it is the most beautiful former synagogue turned night club I've ever seen.

The inside was even more fabulous. They were welcoming and had gorgeous displays of local artistry and alcohol. Dan and I agreed that they employed very cute bartenders and waitresses too.

Unfortunately, by the time we finally walked by this lovely, ice-cream store, it was closed! However, we spent quite a while looking at the flavors board and fantasizing (Blue Marble Ice-Cream, 420 Atlantic Ave). Then, double bummed, there are these unbelievable decadent looking cupcakes staring at us from their darkened window a few doors down (Betty Bakery , 448Atlantic Avenue. Anyone who saw my 2007 Birthday Bash pictures from Perch knows how I revel in a good cupcake! (This pictures features Perch's famous "Cupcake in a Cloud" dessert.)

Finally, there's Kimera (366 Atlantic Avenue), where Dan and I were entranced by the silky, color-block gowns and the adorable mock-ups fit on a few lucky Barbies.

When we finally got to the D, we were chilly and damp on the outside, but warm and toasty on the inside, thinking how lucky we are to live here (and to be going home to our Jaya).

Finding Art with Jaya in Sunset Park

This is one of the lovely co-op's overlooking Sunset Park on 41st Street, between 7th and 6th Avenues. They do not allow dogs, so we never considered living there. However our friends just bought a great apartment there with a terrific view. They did a great job decorating too, so the inside is just as nice as the view outside.

Ok, I really shot this, because I love squirrels and rarely see them out of the park. Jaya walks so slow these days, that I have time to take pictures while she sniffs. She literally seems to experience life through her nose these days and while outside, the only times it's not glued to the ground, is when her mouth is opening to some revolting, semi-edible tidbit. The sad thing about this building though, is that a group of incredibly efficient, Chinese masons created a beautiful, new, brick front to this entire building in a matter of weeks. However, it's been steadily more and more covered with graffiti since then and hasn't been cleaned. I think it would be great to get a multi-lingual, volunteer graffiti clean-up crew for this block.

A caretaker and child stand in the "Baby Pool" area, enjoying the trees and winter sunlight.

These shots I liked because, perhaps I was feeling a little loopy this day, but I was delighted to watch Jaya's shadow walking with her.

Now we're back home and I find Jaya's sometimes friend, sometimes nemesis, Jazz, cushioned in her little nook under my bed. Jazzy used to be able to walk with us, when we lived in Pelham, NY. Neighbors would stare in wonder at Jaya walking down the block, sans leash, with me (in those days) always few steps behind her and Jazzy even further behind us. A few enchanted folks would tell us we should film these nightly walks for Animal Planet.

As soon as we moved to Brooklyn, though, this changed. Poor Jazzy Kitty was terrified by the noise and commotion of the city streets the one time she found herself outside. Dan and I had a chore luring her back to safety and she never traveled out again. Now I have a window perch for her, where she loves meowling at the birds who sometimes sit in my landlord's grape vines wrapped around the front
porch.

Jaya loves sitting with her daddy while he computes, but is clearly pining for her next trot outside.

More Free Music & Less Conspicuous Consumption - Part II

Ok, thanks to another user on Swaptree, I've discovered a 3rd use of my time and trader of my music.

LaLa.com!

They're a little different from the others, in that there is a $1.00 charge for every trade. However, you also do a lot less work. For example, they send you prepaid shipping envelopes and inserts and you don't send the CD case. The only catch is that your lovely, eco-conscious, recycled cardboard CD cases, which are essentially the best artwork, can not be sent along, unless you want to pay extra. Also, for some reason, promotional CD are not accepted. Anyway, I really recommend this site and have already had a lot of fun trading. This site is CD's only.

They have another benefit, of being able to upload your entire music collection online to share with other users (though I must admit, I have not yet been able to pull this off) and manage online.

Enjoy!