Weekend Update- aka Procrastination

Alas, tis Monday, yet again. Let's reminisce about the past, those days when we were free, shall we?

This felt like the first weekend of summer, though we are technically still 12 days away from being able to make that claim official. On Friday, Dr. J came up from North Carolina to take in the sounds of Four Tet, who were to play Studio B in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, as we reveled in anticipation of the show, we got word that it was canceled due to a family emergency. Rats.

I quickly cooked up alternate plans: catch the band Dirty on Purpose and a couple of short films at the opening night of Rooftop Films, followed by a visit to my friends Lady Rizo, Erin Hill and Luci Butler at the first installment of Lady Rizo Presents Girdle.


Saturday brought with it lots of heat, humidity and some damn fine BBQ. J, Chris and I made our way to Madison Square Park for the start of the 6th Annual Big Apple BBQ, listening to the DEFiBULATORs as we absorbed the beer, sweat and sauce. Afterward, we took the train out to Brooklyn to cruise up onto the rooftop of the lovely Dan Torres, where there was a sunset and more BBQ, courtesy of Dan's awesome neighbor who chefs at Benoit in the city. We tried to make it to BAM post BBQ to see Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog but we missed our stop and were too hot and tired at that point to turn back.

On Sunday, J, Marc and I had brunch at Falai Panetteria and then headed back to the Big Apple BBQ to see Alex Battles and the Whiskey Rebellion. Megan met up with us, we had more beer and danced, lavishing in 10 degree cooler weather. J and I then finally made it to BAM, where we were going to see the film Celine and Julie Go Boating. Unfortunately, we were a week early; it screens next Friday. We opted for lunch in Park Slope instead.

After lunch, we hoped into the 9th Street and 7th Avenue F Station, only to discover that there was a power outage causing the suspension of all F line service.

So we went over to Flatbush Avenue to catch the 1 train at Bergen Street. 5 minutes after swiping our cards, the lights begin to flicker. Power out. It was clear that no train would be able to take us back to Manhattan. Our alternatives were finding and waiting for a bus (the M41 I thought, but no, it does not cross the river), calling Arecibo car service (my favorite) or walking across the Manhattan Bridge to get from Park Slope to my apartment in the Lower East Side. Armed with iced coffee and bottles of water, we went for the walk, enjoying the hot, beautiful weather along the way.
It is now Monday. J is on a flight back home; Megan, Chris, Dan, Marc and I are all back at our respective jobs; the Big Apple BBQ is over; the subways are working again and I am thinking about tonight, when I'll be going to The Living Room to catch a performance from Sweden's answer to Bob Dylan, the musician Tallest Man on Earth.

Until then, here is an article I read in the Sunday Times. Love and relationships seem to be on the minds' of everybody I talk to these days. I blame the heat.