New York: 5 Years
Bushfires & Covid-19
TL;DR
A good year (May 8, 2019–2020) that ended in bushfires and pandemic. Almost satisfied (see: exhausted) after five years, and was making a run at the last of the bucket list, but cheated by the virus.
About
A year of weddings (Karolina, Devan, Ted), travel (Australia, Boston, London, Long Island, Maine, Miami, Mexico, Seattle, upstate), babies (Grey, Olivia, Henry), fitness (Brooklyn Half, Century Ride), fluctuating health (chest virus, low cholesterol, weight gain, dry Feb), houses (LIC, Bushwick, Ft. Greene), family time (Australia visit, Jurg visit), friend visits (Kirkey, Lucas), saving (Google stock, buying shares, reduced mortgage, raise, 401k loading, transfer USD home), and projects (blog, publisher for MTPO, “Kangaroogler” stickers, 88/1001 Albums).
Health started well, but dropped over winter due to work/family stress (Nonna in a hospice, hung jury, bail). Generally drinking too much as a bit of a coping mechanism, with an improvement as I got more comfortable with work and my family situation improved. Very happy to spend quality time with Nonna and Dad. For the first time started getting “weak” pushing my body without enough food.
Imposter syndrome at work finally went away, but still working harder (e.g. late nights, grinding) not smarter. Stress from a self-imposed inferiority complex — expecting my output to be the same as at a start-up. Need to learn patience. Julia quitting in June (decision made pre-Covid).
Living together has been easy, but I’m less invested in the house (e.g. decorating) as I see it as only temporary. Part mainmast and part nomadic thinking. Julia has made the house feel like a home, is a keen gardener and mean cook. I was constantly working or out, and in recent months tend to be focused on reading and online activities. Celebrated our 2nd anniversary and a quiet Covid birthday for Julia.
Global warming is real (warm Halloween, very few snow days, Australian bushfires, cold until May).
NoMad
After eighteen months and 14 places finally settled down by moving in with Julia and signing a 12-month lease extension. I was very fortunate that every place had something unique to offer — whether it was the people (future friends, artists, actors, an Emmy-winner), neighborhood (Chinatown, Harlem, Bushwick), or the apartment itself (huge gallery space, castle with four post beds and chandeliers, trap-door museum). Got to see what it means to live in and explore different parts of this diverse city. And none of it would have been possible without the support (and encouragement) from Julia!
People always ask what my favorite spot was, and I tell them there is no favorite — just as there is no least-favorite. They all have glorious pros and cons.
Trump
Continued to say whatever he wanted without any consequence — with the Republican Party complicit. Failed impeachment at the end on 2019 would have ejected him just ahead of the Coronavirus crisis, but instead…
Coronavirus
Started playing Pandemic Legacy in January. By March we couldn’t get together to play. Art imitates life imitates art.
Left New York in February with only talk of covid, no impact to daily life. Arrived in Australia to spend time with family, hugs and all. A week after arriving New York was emerging as a hot spot and started issuing restrictions every other day — first no large gatherings, elbow bumps, sport canceled (NBA!), social distancing, lockdown and mandatory quarantine. After a couple of days the restrictions were also adopted in Australia. The US also blocked travel from Europe, which prompted me to skip a planned wedding and fly back a couple of days early.
If I had landed a week later would have needed to self-quarantine and the trip would have been wasted. Relatives had to drive to another country and take multiple flights just to get home (then self-quarantine for two weeks) from a South American holiday. Arrived in normal Australia (except the run on toilet paper, which is still comical). Left lockdown in order to travel to the coronavirus epicenter of the world. Airports and planes were largely empty; and I’ve never had no wait to go through US immigration (no questions about my health).
Questioned the decision to fly back to New York (winter, more locked-down, deaths rising, ICU beds dwindling), but thankfully neither of us got sick — and after a worrying couple of months the death count reduced significantly. The other option was for Julia to fly to Australia, but that would have cost her job and potentially mine as well. Really glad to see Julia.
Adjusted to working from home (Google very flexible), disinfecting when entering the house, reading too much news (Cuomo briefings, Trump administration complete failure), avoiding social interactions, wearing masks (mandatory soon after returning), zoom calls with friends, staying up too late, working odd hours, not sleeping well (for a time), and figuring out how to spend 24/7 in the same space as another person. Everybody clapping for health workers every night at 7pm.
As it happened the Ft. Greene house is a blessing (no commute, garden, basement, strong wifi, close to friends, close to park, close to market, close to one of the few open coffee shops). Julia experimenting with cooking lavish meals. Even picked up a cheap second-hand TV.
Some covid silver-linings: global warming (slowdown), no commute, saving money (nothing to spend it on), break from intense lifestyle, no tourists, drinking on the streets, less drinking (overall), blocked-off streets, restaurant patios, more time for passion projects (in theory), staying up later (wake up later), better appreciation for the outdoors (only thing open), clean subways, comfy clothing (did that anyway), and exposing flaws (Trump administration, healthcare) in the American system that can be fixed. This post ends with us expanding our social circle for Corbyn’s birthday (felt like outlaws, human interaction, so much fun).
Do You Even Stuff, Bro?
adventure: Ample Hills passport (Kirkey, NJ, 40 miles of Citibike), biking (Bushwick), Dyker Heights (Ruby), ferries, holiday nostalgia train (packed), Industry City (tent), Roosevelt Island day (tram, lighthouse, park, cat sanctuary), Queens day (murals), The Factory LIC, Wall Street day (suit, Wooly Daily, Federal Hall, Trinity, St. Paul’s, Equitable, 195 Broadway, Black Fox, Lovelace)
art: afterbefore (Chinatown Soup), Beyond The Streets (graffiti popup), David Zwirner, Earth Room, Elijah Wheat, Gasgosian, Good Luck Dry Cleaners (CBGB, owner from Miami), Govenors Island Art Fair, Machine Hallucination (Artechouse), MoMa PS1, Next Wave (A Pot Finds It’s Purpose, BAM), Never Records (BAM), Pioneer Works (Keith Haring, Jacolby Satterwhite: You’re at home), Redemption of Vanity (NYSE), Reflections of Always (BD White), Ridgewood Open Studios, Socrates Sculpture Park (yoga, snowing flowers), Space Jam (basketball court), The Broken Kilometer, The Ozymandias Parade (Pace), The Vessel
buy: Ace Hotel sheets, Alamo season pass, Amazon Go, Bel-Air Athletics, Carmen St Comics (closed*), Center for Fiction (upstairs co-working), CineBeam projector, Fitbit 3, Food Bazaar (forzen Guineapig), Gowanus Souvenier Shop, GPK x NYC, Hester St Fair (awesome DJ), King’s County Distillery (hand sanitizer), KITH, LEGO (Empire State building…made while looking out at the Empire State!), Package Free, Raspberry Pi, Record Shop (free jamming downstairs), Mister E (Art Basel), Ripndip, Tony’s Chocolonely
coffee: Birch, Bluestone, Brooklyn Ball Factory, Brooklyn Roasters, Devocion, Espresso Lab, Green Grape Annex, Hungry Ghost, Office, Partners, Regalia Roasting, Sey, Starbucks Reserve, Stumptown, Trash Island
drink: Alewife, As In NY, Big Alice Brewing, Barcade, Bierwax, Birdie’s, Bushwick Country Club (picklebacks, mini golf), Cabin Down Below, Delancey, Do or Dive (National Dive Bar day), Evil Twin, Frances Tavern, Frank’s, Friends & Lovers, Garrett, Good Bar, Grimm, Hotel Chantellle (Halloween), House of Wax, Karasu (speakeasy), J.Bespoke (speakeasy sports bar), KCBC, Kent St Ale House, LIC Beer Project, Lot 45, Mekelburg’s, Milk & Hops, Moe’s, Mikkeller, Nancy Whiskey Pub, Other Half (Covid dark beer pack), Proletariat, Public Records, Red Hook Winery, Rusty Knot, Stonewall Inn, Sunshine Laundromat (toilet incident shut down the bar!), Superfine, The Sampler, Threes (5th anniversary), Tiltz (video games), Top Hops, Valhalla, Water Tower Bar, Westwood
eat: Ample Hills, Archie’s Pizza, Arepa Lady, Artichoke, Astoria Seafood, Blue Hill Stone Barns (garden tour, 20 courses, kitchen, 5 hours), Bourke St Bakery (Australia Day, sold out), Bklyn Burro, Brooklyn Crab, Carmenta’s, Carthage Must Be Destroyed (everything pink, giant lettuce), Chelsea Market, Chuko, Colonia Verde (Julia hated), Court St Grocers, Delmonico’s, Empire Diner, Evelina, farmer’s market (Ft. Greene, Prospect Park, Romanesco, She Wolf bakery), Fat Daddy Taco, Finch (Jurg & Farideh), Fine & Rare, Gowanus Challenge, Gramercy Tavern, Grand Central Oyster Bar, High St on Hudson, Ho Noodles, Ice & Vice, Ichiran, Ippudo, Insa, Ivan Ramen, Japan Town (Industry City), Jing Fong, K-Town Food Court, Lhasa Fast Food (hidden), LIC Market, Li-Lac Chocolates, Little Mo, Little Skips, M&M World, Meyers of Cheswick, Miss Ada, My Cuban Spot (best Cuban sandwich, shut down by health inspectors shortly after), Nobu, Not Ray’s Pizza, Oxomoco (accidental Michelin Star), Patsy’s, Ramen Lab, Red Hook Tavern (burger), Russ & Daughters, Steeve’s Key Lime, Scarr’s Pizza (worth the line), Supermoon, Table 87 (projected movie), Tim Ho Wan, Timeout Market (overpriced, nice rooftop), UES (ice-cream speakeasy), Upside, Van Leewen, Veniero’s (125th anniversary), Xian Famous Foods
event: Air guitar championships (St. Vitus), America Reads The Muller Report (24-hour reading, Arc), Assemblage, Awkwafina (7-train takeover), Babycastles (frog theme, live code DJ), Brewmeneries (Bergn’, Simone), Brooklyn Pride, canoe (Gowanus Dredgers), Charles art show (Writer’s Room), Chelsea Piers open day, Comic-Con (Julia, cosplay, wooden NES controller), dapperQ NYFW show (Brooklyn Museum), Diner en Blanc (rained out, leave the stuff “your lives are more important!”), Feast of San Gennaro, Good Morning America (Jim Carey, Margot Robbie), Halloween (Ft. Greene Dog Parade, Thriller dance during Village parade, MK pumpkin, Ft Greene neighbor house party, D-grade costume), Libraría: Stanzas (Ace Hotel), Lola Star Disco, Lot Radio (Industry City), Mulchfest (Ft. Greene park), Museum Mile, N+1 (very late, free mags, Verso Loft), NYC Marathon (watched at end of street), OHNY (Navy Yard), Piano City (Oculus), Pride Changemakers (WeWork Dumbo rooftop), Pride Parade (50th Stonewall, WeWork), Summer Streets, The Shining: An Opera (National Arts Club), Three Kings Day parade, Tiki Disco (Roberta’s), Wunderkamer (Bell House)
film: 1917 (AMC, Google), Alita, Anthropocene (IFC), Avengers: Endgame (3 times, 2am falling asleep, IMAX), Birds of Prey (Alamo), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (National Arts Club), Captain Marvel, Do The Right Thing (IFC), Downtown 81 (Metrograph), Dunkirk (Intrepid), First Man, Hellboy (Alamo), High Life (Syndicated), Hobbs & Shaw (IMAX), IRIS: A Space Opera (Justice, Cineapolis), It Happened One Night (Dumbo waterfront), John Wick 3 (AMC), Lego Movie 2, Lion King (AMC Dolby), Memories (Nitehawk), Napoleon Dynamite (Kings, Q&A), Neverending Story (Nitehawk Prospect Park), New York New York (Metrograph), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Alamo), Parasite, Pikachu (Alamo), Raging Bull (Metrograph), Reject False Icons (Cineapolis), Rise of Skywalker (premier, AMC), Selma (Al Pacino Q&A, Quad), Shazam, Sonic (Alamo), Spider-Man: Far From Home (AMC), Terminator: Dark Fate (Alamo, surprise preview), TMNT (MoMI), The Dead Don’t Die (Nitehawk), The Immigrant (Silent Film / Live Music, Brookfield Place), The Muppet Movie (40th Anniversary, MoMI), VHYES (Alamo), You Are [Not] Alone (Nitehawk)
friends: Alicia (Google), baby shower (Joe and Lacy), babies (Grey Wylie, Olivia, Henry), basement costume party, BBQ (Joe/Lacy, Emily), birthdays (Phil, Simone, Vishal, Zach), Corbyn rooftop (bday, break quarantine, amazing view, great cocktails), dinner (Tyler/Avaida), Jake, Katherine (Serbian baby shower), Kirkey!, Jon, Michael (pick up records), Paul (rooftop hot-tub), Sarah Schifter 30th (Great Neck, pool), Superbowl (Ian), Thanksgiving (turkey trot, Corbyn, Naswamp) Xmas (Amelia’s)
listen: Poolside.fm, Roomful of Teeth, WBGO (jazz)
misc: Apollo moon landing (50th anniversary), Orthodox Jews playing basketball, perfect Dumbo nights, library comics, free stools buying Craigslist stools, never fly United, Nike art shoes (Julia won!), taking not one but two wrong trains to work!
museum: American Indian, Brooklyn Museum (JR, Kehinde Wiley), City of New York (NY At Its Core, City Game), Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, Cooper Hewitt (Triennial), FIT (Kobe tribute), Fotografiska (opening, Devotion!, Stirring the Senses, Kimpton), Frances Tavern ($1 evacuation day), Hall of Science (Art of the Brick), Intrepid, Guggenheim (Artistic License, Basquiat / Mapplethorpe), Intrepid, Merchant’s House (snow day), MET (Apollo 11, Camp, Rock n Roll), MoMA (Quiet Mornings), MoMI (A Whole Different Ball Game), Morgan Library (Dickens manuscript), Natural History (Unseen Oceans), Noguchi, Old Stone House, Poster House (Baptized By Beefcake), Queens (Rube Goldberg), Sculpture Center, Storefront for Art and Architecture, Storm King, Transit Museum (model trains), Waterfront (Red Hook), Whitney (Order And Ornament)
music: Björk’s Cornucopia (The Shed), Bob Moses (Kirkey & Julia, Pier 17), Erin Nam (Youtube), FKA Twigs (pole dancing, Kings), Gessafelstein (Kings, Vantablack), Greenwood Cemetery (concert), Handel’s Messiah (St. Paul’s), Hermitude (SummerStage Aussie BBQ), James Blake (BAM), King Gizzard (SummerStage, Kirkey surprise), King Solomon (Roxy), Lauren Hill (United Palace), Les Filles des MTL (Sultan Room, David Lynch in audience), Mac Demarco (Prospect Park bandshell), Memorial Day Concert (Green-Wood Cemetery), Miami Horror (giant swan, chatting to Brooklyn Spaces author in weird back room, Arc), Nick Murphy (Brooklyn Steel), Regina Spektor (Lunt-Fontanne), Yung Bae (Brooklyn Bowl)
party: ¡Viva Frida Kahlo! (Brooklyn Museum), Anjunabeats (Brooklyn Mirage, basic), Armory Show (Orville Peck, MoMA), Baby’s Alright (Jayce bday), BAM (member night), Boiler Room (The 1896), Brooklyn Mirage (bathroom busted), City of Gods, Daybreaker (Judson Memorial Church), Decades of Disco (Cat from IVY, cages, loose!), Golden Era (NYE, 99 Scott), house party (Ghada), Lightning Society (help setup), Mayan Warrior (Avant Gardner), Misfit Xmas (HOY), vyvn (the best!), What the Funk (LED Dinosaur, Rose Gold), Year of the Rat (Phil’s)
play: chess, Codewars, Minecraft (Elsewhere concert), Modern Pinball (overpriced), Munchkin, Myst: Masterpiece Edition, Pandemic Legacy (Covid-19), Peggle, Planetary Annihilation, puzzle (gradient), Scythe, Settlers of Catan, Ticket To Ride, The Uncommons, Warcraft III: Reforged (same?), Untitled Goose Game
popups: Camp Is Back (speakeasy, for kids), Friends, Showfields, Sony Square (free ice-cream)
read: Bleach (Aizen arc), Good Omens, Injustice: Gods Among Us (1–4), New Yorker (subscription), Steal This Book, Outgrowing God, The Atlantic (subscription), The Authority, Wired (subscription), Y: The Last Man
sport: JP Morgan squash (Grand Central), Knicks v Nets (Barclays), Mets (Dodgers, Rockies), West Point (ferry, tailgate, 10 minutes of Army vs Umass)
stay: Bushwick (everyone at Burning Man), LIC (aerialist swing, rooftop camping, fireworks, electrical storm on roof, tripped basement alarm…guilt!), Ft. Greene (palette bed, backyard, basement, king bed, bench disassembly and removal), TWA Hotel (staycation)
talk: Albert Watson (City Winery), Ferran Adria (Google), Iggy Pop and Jim Jarmusch (92Y), Judy Chicago (Cooper Union), Miracle Workers (92Y), Muppets 40th Anniversary (MoMI), Richard Dawkins (Outgrowing God, Pioneer Works), To Kill a Mockingbird (Google), Winklevoss twins (92Y)
theatre: 32 rue Vandenbranden (BAM), A Very Meow Meow Holiday Show (BAM), Barschland Follies (VIP from this blog, McKittrick Hotel), Blunderland (HOY, Alan Cummings), Coriolanus (Shakespeare in the Park), Dragon Rising (The Shed), Freestyle Love Supreme (Booth Theatre, Wayne Brady), Harry Connick Jr. (Nederlander Theatre), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (two parts, Lyric Theatre), Hugh Jackman (MSG), Judgement Day (Park Armory), Lost in the Disco (Angel Orensanz), Madea (BAM), Midsummer: A Banquet (Cafe Fae), Nomad Hotel (Atlantic), Socrates (The Public), studio showing (Baryshnikov Arts Center), To Kill a Mockingbird (Shubert Theatre), Triptich (BAM), User Not Found (BAM, Green Grape Annex)
travel: Australia (Nonna, Dad, cricket, sunburn, Ange, sauce day, Aliens IMAX, Moomba, Lucas bday, Paul/Enes, RMTC, apartment, Boosh, Google, Town Hall show, left early due to Covid, toilet paper shortage, flight upgrade, travel to epicenter), Boston (final Donkey Show, Devan & Josh wedding), London (Lucas), Long Island (Teagan, inflatable swan), Maine (Prescott Park, lobster, L.L. Bean, antiquing, 4th July, close fireworks, Julia driving 8+ hours), Miami (Art Basel — Vishal, Panther, Google, celebrity poolside, Spectrum, Prime 122, Andrew + Ise, Soho House, KUSH, Wynwood, taped sausage, miracle WeWork door escape, Mayan Warrior — didn’t want to leave), Mexico (Cabo, Karolina wedding, boat ride, pools, spikeball, Los Tamarindos, extended), Seattle (Ted & Caroline wedding, Amazon sphere, Xiao long bao, space needle, living computer museum, train car, Mofad), Woodsist Festival (camping, Arrowood brewery)
watch: Barry (TV), Bleach (partial), Bushwick (stream), Champions League (Youtube TV), Combo Breaker (Twitch), Comedians in Cars, Eurovision, EVO, GDQ (MTPO 2 controller blindfolded!), Good Omens, Larry Sanders Show, Last Week Tonight (Covid), MTV Unplugged (Eric Clapton, Nirvana, STP), Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, NBA (GSW, All-Star, Finals upset), Oscars (Metrograph), Passover (Youtube), Red Bull Kumite, Some Good News (Covid), Star Trek: Picard (frail, f-bomb, balling during finale), The Office, Westworld (seasons 1 & 2, terrific), Women’s World Cup, WSOP (final table)
wellness: 100 push ups (quit), basketball (Jayce, me hopeless), Brooklyn Half, Bryant Park, Central Park (raccoon), Century Ride (30th and final, Mikkeller stop), Chelsea Piers (golf driving range), CityWell (Steam. Soak. Jazz), Corona Park, doctors (therapy, blood, dermatologist, dentist, orthotics, tried Ventalin), dry February, Ft Greene Park (lame Christmas tree lighting), High Line (walk, work, Spur opening), meditation, North Brooklyn Farms, Prospect Park Tennis (bubble), riding (borrowed bike, Peloton; around Manhattan with Google; Rockaway 45 miles — Ocean Parkway, Coney Island, Jubilee market, Floyd Bennet, Rockaway Brewery, Chisholm park, Tacoway Beach, East New York / Brownsville; Palisades 50 miles — Washington Bridge, Fort Lee), running (Prospect Park), Washington Square Park, yoga (High Line Hotel, Kobe death)
work: 5k run (sick), carnival, Cloud tour, cooking class (broccoli rabe), Cruisin’ USA, Poconos (Apps offsite, Wolverine costume 3rd place), Google (Greatest Showgler, food everywhere, Paul afterparty), interviews, pizza making, nap pods, Oreo tasting, Smorgasburg (private), tours (Kirkey, Julia), volunteering (bike repair), WFH budget (cardboard desk, monitor), yoga, Youtube
