In which we go crazy for The Gates....

My friends Janet and Todd came in from Massachusetts just to spend the morning checking out The Gates. So fortified with French pastries and coffee, it was off to the park we went...

the view from above

everything's coming up orange

Having scaled a rock for an aerial view

one of the 75 photos I took

Tall enough to reach 

As reflected in the Met 

Seek and ye shall find

The Gates. New York City, 2005. Christo & Jean-Claude

Poolside at the airport Hilton--

although the glare on the laptop was a bit of a nuisance. Basically, where I spent the remaining half of my week, having been convinced that a car wasn't really necessary. (It was.)

Fun with local signage

... if only I had known, I'd have visited sooner...

more mysterious signage... this in the basement of a Gatsby-esque private home on the water

Independent Visions concert series-

the local kids really take to Ted

Ted Leo performs as part of the concert series too

Devotchka performs

Devotchka- four guys, seven instruments, Eastern-bloc mariachi rock.

crowd at Devotchka

Outside of the Regal Hollywood 20... where I spend most of my week watching movies.

Florida, here I come

So for the first time in about twenty-odd years, I visited Florida. Sarasota to be exact.

The trip begins with my trying the new Air Train terminal from Jamaica Station, Queens, which I try out to avoid the $60 cab ride (roughly, the same price as my Jet Blue ticket).