Your wonderful brain

Hello all- I'm off to Chicago, because I love it. I'm going to be a Cholo in Pilsen. Suck on that.
Here it is, your wonderful brain.


TRU LUV FOREVER!

The Haunting of Coneti....New York City

Me and my pals went to a haunted house last night. The one with the creeper vamp kid that has posters plaster all over the land. The one called Nightmare:Vampires. I was so amped, because I love me a good haunted house.
Let me tell all y'all- biznas was not that scary. Fun, yes, and giggly, but it doesn't take a half hour, it takes about 15 minutes, and its just... not that scary.
I mean they keep stopping you to watch "scary" and "phreaky" vingettes of people cutting themselves with a "knife" and (this one was wierd) a pole dancing stripper distracting a zombie (who totes "jerked off") so we could "get by unharmed", but the vingettes were kinda stupid, and it just suspended the idea we were in a haunted house. I mean they were wearing jeans and sneakers with a spppooookkkkyyyyy cape. TERRRIFFFYYYIINNNGGG!
You're not allowed to take photos in the HH itself, but afterwards there is a bar. So we drank (duh) and some of the cast from the house came out and chilaxed with u for a hot minute. Ballerest.Also, they never checked our tickets, so its safe to say that you could just hop in line right around the corner from the Angelica and go for free... but if you waste all that time waiting in line to find they actually did check for a ticket, and you didn't have one-So not my problem.
I want y'all to pay special attention to my baller silver sparkly shoes. They are fawesome, obvi.
Also you can go as a sexy slut for halloween. I think that's what I'll be instead. It's a really good and orginal idea.

WTF?

This is the first thing I remember greeting me as we entered Boston.
Allz I gotz ta say is WT Fuck?

Simon Ungers

I went to the Gering & Lopez Gallery to check out Simon Unger's latest work. I was supposed to be going for the 57th street galleries open night, but the weather was soooo yucky gross that we only spent time there. The work, however, was in stark contrast to the weather, it was fabulous.
He made these crazy awesome light boxes, which were so much fun to pose with and created just the most fantastic lighting to take people's photos with. Everyone felt gross though, because the weather makes no one's hair look good, and were reluctant to model. Except for Julie (she always looks stunning) and Ryan who are good sports.

There were also photos documenting installations of the light boxes in different locations, which were intriguing as well.

Bahstan- part duo

This is Jake. He was one of our hosts, and arguably the most gushy, adorable monster face of the two.

I heard a marching band. I love marching bands. We followed the sound. We ran into the most schizophrenic protest ever. There were signs for Peace, Love One Another, Against the War in Afganistahn, Iraq, Iran, the Gaza Strip. Bring our Troops Home. Create Jobs! Healthcare. Gay Rights. Some guy with the Quran. I don't know, they were confused.
I haven't marched in a protest in a hot minute, and Babs never has (odd hey? I thought all 17 year olds were required). And some very excited high schoolers encouraged us to join in, so we totes did.

In response to "What does democracy look like?" we shouted "This is what democracy looks like!" And we sang "You can't keep the people down!" And all sorts of fun protest cheers. They did thier job and totes cheered us up, made us feel empowered, even if we really weren't. Fun? Yes! Affecting change? Probablly not, but go kids! Tell 'em what's on yer mind!

Then in the Boston Commons we found a Zombie March. Uh-maze-zing!

BBBrrraaaaaIIINNSSS.
BBaaaaahhhsssTTTAAANnnnn.

Bahstan- part uno

Everyone knows, the only way to go to Boston from New York in via bus. The tickets are super duper cheap-o. You can take the Fung Wah, which I hear is an adventure on its own (apparently you stand on a corner in Chinatown, and hope you hear someone violently yell "BOSTON!" and wrastle someone for a seat.) which only costs $15. Charley, Babs, and I opted to splurge the extra 5 bucks and took the MEGABUS! Which is a double decker, and when you get to the front of the line you are a lucky and smart person with the first pick of seats. And if you're not a dumb dumb, you run upstairs and take the very front seats which rewards you with a full front window. FRONT SEAT ACTION. And if you're us, you'll bring vodka, so you can pretend your drunk driving a giant's bus.

Yeah, that's not just cranberry juice we're drinking. It made getting stuck in the bumper to bumper non-moving traffic a little more tolerable. It might have also made us alcholics...

Our friend Jersey was our hostess with the mostest. She brought us to downtown Boston, which I deduced is a big outdoor shopping mall. Thumbs Down.
Big statue of Sam Adams, Thumbs Up! He makes beer, right?

Other things I deduced from Boston, they have very odd things going on everywhere. Just keep your eyes open. Like they have an obsession with nuts...

Yeah, this car has balls. I don't know? There are people who feel like putting balls on thier car is important. They went out, spent thier free time, thier spending money to purchase a car ball sack, and then spent more of thier free time affixing the balls to thier car. I guess everyone has thier prorities.

We also happened upon a go-kart street race. Very dorky. Charley, Jersey, and Babs were into it though.

Why was this photo of a little boy next to the Fro-Yo stand? He's not eating any Fro-Yo in the photo. He looks decidedly French. And he also looks like 1994. None of these things in particular make me want to buy Frozen Yogurt.
I guess we'll never know. It will remain one of life's mysteries.

We also found an old ass graveyard. The stones were super worn and very cool. The dates went all the way back to the 1700's. Perfect for halloween. Spppoookkkkyyyy.

Boston

My favorite picture I took in Boston, and in a while.

Coming soon- the context of from where this picture was taken!

Brooklyn Museum

Some more Brooklyn Museum darlings on display now until... I don't know when? Its good though, check it.
Michelongelo Pistoletto- Standing Man, Standing Woman with Hat, 1980

This is Nick Cave! He was my professor when I was in school, in the Fashion Dept. We didn't always see eye to eye about design (ahem, my design work), but I always appreciated him as an artist. His sound suits are incredible. His work incorporates his fantastic sense of humor also, with photographs of him dancing around in his sound suits. He's very fancy. So exciting that my teacher's work is in the museum, like biggity blam congrats Nick!

Mickalene Thomas- A Little Taste of Love, 2007

Nina Chanel Abney- Forbidden Fruit, 2009

Ciao y'all! I'm leaving the city for a little Bahstan action. See you on Monday, darlings!

Atlantic Ave Tunnel

Oh hey big guy, there's a hole in the ground. What do you suppose that is for?

Babs! You're climbing in! What are you doing?!
Actually it was I who invited Barbara along. I told her to get excited, because for my birthday we were going to do something totally amazing, that she would love, that was very New York and kinda rock and roll underground. I don't think she understood I meant literally underground.

This guy, Bob Diamond, found this tunnel when he was in college. He heard a story which mentioned the tunnel briefly on the radio and decided to pursue it. It became a treasure hunt with a little wild goose chase mixed in. It turned out he found the world's oldest underground railroad tunnel.
He is the tour guide of the tunnel and is really quite good at it. He tells the story of the tunnel, its history, his tremendous and inspiring story of perseverance of his quite to find the tunnel, and the corrupt "Tammany Hall" political goings on during the time of the tunnel. He inserts bits of humor, but not in the way tour bus guides do where its not really funny, he's quite good at it. He also describes they way the tunnel was physically constructed which was fascinating. A hole in the wall is not just a missing brick, but where the wooden arch would sit while they built up the walls. The rubble on the floor becomes a sign of a political cover up.

This is the first thing we saw after we climbed down the man hole and through the trench. The tunnel for the first time! They strung up a few incandescent lights for the first half of the tunnel, and the rest we needed our flashlights, which ended up giving the tunnel an underwater feeling to it.

These are the trenches in which the railroad ties used to sit in.

And here is the other end of the tunnel which is blocked off right now. They have raised funds to tear it down. They suspect at least one real steam powered engine is on the other side. And perhaps the missing diary of John Wilkes Booth.

After exploring the end of the tunnel the tour was over, but we were left to wander back at our own pace, exploring and touching anything we wished really. I think they don't bother with rushing everyone out because you can only leave one person at a time through the man hole. Babs and I decided to meander back slowly and without our flashlights on. Sppooookkkyy.

This is the hole they cut into the cement to provide access to the previously hidden tunnel.

Waiting to leave.

AAahhhh! Fresh air and sunlight after an hour and a half! We loved it! Not exactly recommended to execute hung over but hey it was my birthday and there wasn't much we could do about that little detail.
For more info and to find out about the next tour go here.

What day is this!?

I ran out of my apt to run a few errands before my birthday partay was to start. You know- getting some snacks, picking up the washcloths from the laundromat, getting halloween decorations... It was one of those amazing October days, the air was crisp, the temperature was perfect, just-a-sweater-weather, the sun was shining. I was happy to be alive! I ran into Russel, my neighbor and overall mayor of the block. He's an incredibly gregarious guy always having something nice to say. This day he said:
"Hey Nora! Did you check out the Polynesian Day stuff going on down the block? They've got their drummers out there."
And as he said it I could hear the drums. I ran back to my apartment, abandoning all errands for the moment, and grabbed my camera. The show was fantastic, if not super duper crowded.

These guys did the craziest dance routine complete with baton twirling, always catching the thick wooden stick right at the very last moment. It was so impressive how skilled they were.
The music was so so loud, but it was a really nice jam to listen to, or rather to get down to. The band was not only talented but tenacious. They kept going long after I left and long before I arrived. That takes perseverance, especially if one is in the cadence or blowing a horn, measure after to measure.

The only thing I was left to ponder was what it was actually celebrating, because I may have misheard Russel-or made it up in my head. Obviously it was regional celebration, but for where, I don't really know. But yay! for mystery day!

Birthday Extravganza!

Aren't my friends insanely attractive?

Yes it was that time again. That time where I get a whole year older and high five the world about it. This birthday was really fantastic. I felt loved and surrounded by really fabulous people who care about me and are always happy to be where they are. They embody the spirit of "I make my own party!" In short, I am incredibly lucky to have such a group, a troupe, a gaggle of fantastic friends.

Plus Phillip made a baller mix of old 50's and 60's rock and roll. Doesn't get much better!
And then my pal Josh brought a coat he made-and let me wear it for the party-it was an uncompareable experience. I was elated. Can't you tell?
Anton, who is giving me a panther hug, rides a motorcycle and declared that I would be more than safe hanging on to the back of his cycle in this coat. I would just bounce off the road a few times should I fell off. All I needed was a matching helmet.

And I killed everyone who said I was Lady Gaga.

Our apt was aptly spooky- Halloween decorations ahoy. I live for this holiday.

This is my darling roommate the next morning. She ran into my room (how do you know its my room? All the shoes on the shelves.) and put the coat on. Cannon looks just as happy to be awake as Laura does. This is what hung over people do.