Today after convincing myself that I didn't actually feel as bad as I had imagined I would (repercussions from a friend's birthday celebration last night) I had a great telephone pow-wow with C. She inspired me to drag the jerky $35 bike downstairs and ride ride ride to the Bloomingdale farmer's market where I have acquired a taste for the baguettes a local bakery sells. The salesman is a sweet man and he always greets me with "Bonjour!" and "Merci Madame." I get to pretend I'm in a sunny Paris for those few moments and for the remainder of my adventures with my baguette sticking out of my bag (half the fun of buying a baguette).
I helped a new friend with his vermicompost. Undertaking an urban garden is somewhat of a depressing thing but if one has enough energy it can be rewarding. I watched him dig up some pretty bad looking soil only to find that bricks had been laid about three inches below the dirt. Now the bricks line the garden so no one will step on the plants. Getting the worms out of the compost is kind of difficult. I ended up just trying to pick out the "dirt" and putting the worms back. I'm really thrilled about this compost because it means I can save my own food scraps for the worms. I haven't gotten to do that in too long. I need to start my own compost.
I returned home, ate a mango (great mango deal on Saturday) and went back out to meet a friend at the National Gallery to see the special exhibition of Allen Ginsberg's photographs. (the National Gallery's site is down?! That link actually is important, maybe more than the nga.gov site) Most of the photos were portraits and so interesting. He provided commentary on each one at some point- it was very intimate. I find it amazing that artists of that caliber all would know each other and be pals- though it isn't surprising. You know, just hanging out with Jack Kerouac, Bob Dylan, other homies. Stopping in the National Gallery also reminded me how awesome the Smithsonian system is. You can walk in off the street, turn a few corners and walk right up to this, or this. Thanks America!
We left the museum and were instantly entertained by a drag show going on in front of the National Gallery as part of the Gay Pride celebrations going on this week. The city breathes!
