A Totally Effortless Day in The City

President Bush was in town today. La dee da, that doesn't mean much when you've lived in Washington DC and have had to deal with motorcade after motorcade pushing you aside on some crowed street.

Today I navigated my journey exactly right and it put me in such a good mood it was all I could do not to sing out loud as I walked jauntily down 53rd Street. (I was listening to The Greatest Hits of Simon and Garfunkel and "Mrs. Robinson" always makes me want to sing.) My destination was the American Museum of Folk Arts, and it was delightful. I had to pay, though... I forgot that not all museums are free like they are in Washington! I was terribly inspired by all that I saw and took lots of notes so I can find out more about some of the artists I'd never heard of. There was lots of Henry Darger, who I find to be a bit creepy but fascinating nonetheless. I was so inspired that I came home and finished a painting. I would have gone to the MOMA, but the DaDa exhibit is still there, and I saw that like 3 times in DC.

I wandered up 5th Avenue, past 30 Rockefeller Center to H&M. For those who don't have an H&M in their town, let me explain... it is a mecca of cheap, hip clothing and it takes a dedicated person to weed through the crap to find a few trustworthy items. Today I won the H&M treasure hunt and got myself a classic black raincoat. It's really a timeless item and it makes me look like every other person in New York, but I've never had one before and it makes me feel very East Coasty. I also picked up a very structured, very 1960's winter white cocktail dress. Then when I got home and tried it on for Rick, I realized that my bravery did not translate beyond the dressing room, and the 1960's white cocktail dress was just a little too much. I will be returning the cocktail dress. This is why shopping alone is tricky.

Okay, so this was kind of a boring post. But it was kind of a boring day. Except every once in a while, I looked up at some amazing, incredible work of architecture and was reminded that there is no place like this in the entire world.