It's raining outside...

..it's too bad you can't really capture that wonderfully refreshing feeling that rain brings with it. That nice spring rain smell before it arrives ( you know what I'm talking about ) and the cool air that blows in your open windows after the bottom finally falls out of that black cloud. I think its the most fun when it rains at night or in the late afternoon, when you are sleepy and ready for a nap. Sunday afternoon rain. Perfection.

I am feeling very internal tonight. Glad that Stephen is off with Shawn tasting bourbons at Bar American. Shawn has been here since Friday and as always his presence is so relaxing. Having he or Nathan around is always rejuvenating for me. They sit and talk art with Stephen and they know him and understand the way he thinks as well as I do. So many people don't really understand just what is going on in that head of his, and I hate that feeling that people just dismiss his comments as being "artistic minded". When Shawn or Nathan arrive I feel completely relaxed to just be myself without feeling like I need to protect Stephen from people misunderstanding his ideas or jokes. I am making it sound like Stephen is a total social freak but that's not what I mean. People like him.. love him even. He has warmed many hearts and seems to become an instant favorite with any women he has even worked with. Still... there is something different about the relationship that Stephen, Nathan, Shawn and myself have. Maybe it's because we lived in the same building during the Montclair years.... being snowed in and finishing off a bottle of Jim Beam by 7:30 pm probably didn't hurt either.. that was just me and Shawn though.. Stephen just laughed at our intoxicated antics and Nathan feigned shock at my brazen story telling and paced the living room trying to keep his sanity while being snowed in with us and away from his studio. We all walked to the store for food the next morning and Shawn cooked for everybody. They are like brothers to me I guess. That sounds so mundane.. everybody has some non-family member who is like a "____" to them but seriously.. these guys mean so much. They have taken care of me when Stephen was away on many occasions.
Once, when Stephen was out of town, I borrowed a friends car (Abigail's) to drive home in the snow. In Jersey we lived on a huge hill and when I managed to get the car on the final stretch to a safe parking spot.. it got lodged on a pile of snow. I tried everything to get it out. I was blocking the road. Hmmm.. what to do. Call Shawn. Voice mail. Drat. Call Nathan. Nathan is of course still in his studio (it was late) He is leaving now and he will be right over. Then Shawn calls and to say that he saw that I had called and was everything Ok?? In the end they both showed up to help me un-stick the car then I even think one of them re-parked it for me, properly. Most recently, Nathan went to check out the house we will be renting in Florida (if all goes according to plan) and meet the owners. He called as soon as he left to report his findings, which were, thankfully, all favorable.
Of course I always get a fair dose of teasing when I have to call on them for help.. but it's usually well deserved.

It's been nice being able to host their NY visits the last few months. This will be Shawn's last visit to see us before we move back to FL. He is presently in Orlando so we will be closer to both of them now that we are moving back to the area. As with every visit it's been an eventful one. Bar hopping in our neighborhood being one of the highlights. This ended with a 3 hour discussion session with the most amazing bar tender in all of Brooklyn - possibly the world. Peter Napolitano at Melody Lanes, a vintage bowling alley up the street. And no, in this case I do not mean vintage as in old.. vintage as in original. This guys is a character that I wish I had the courage to photograph. He wears a tux (sans coat) with red bow tie and cumber bun and has a head of white hair a fantastic glasses. Google him.. go ahead.. you know you want too!! This one is pretty interesting..so is this one ...see.. he is a legend.
Another highlight of ShawnZ's visit was seeing Knocked Up (SO good) and then going out to dinner at Noodle Pudding in Brooklyn Heights and walking "the promenade" playing a version of M.B.K. (so evil but so stinkin' fun). I also love the way I feel like I can "girl talk" with him and he doesn't seem to mind. He is a great shopping buddy too. I am going to really miss having him around when he flies out tomorrow. Oh well.. we'll see him again soon.



Earlier in the week we had a pretty bad scare with a really sick puppy! Oliver got deathly ill really late on Wednesday night and we had to wake up our sweetest-people-on-the-planet neighbors, Matt and Lonna, to rush him to the Emergency Vet. They had to keep him over night and all day the next day with IVs in his little puppy arms (which are now shaved). Lonna took us back to pick him up on on Thursday evening and he is now fully recovered but it was the most scared I have been since we have been dog parents. We really thought we were going to lose him. Stephen cried, bless his heart. The vet has no idea what it was (not bad/poison dog food) but it seems to have gone away so for that we are thankful. I am sparing you the gory details of his symptoms but please assume that it was horrific and terrifying and it left him severely dehydrated. So glad he is better.

We are going headed out for Maine on Friday night (or Saturday morning). Really can't wait to get there and do absolutely nothing but sleep, eat, visit, read, and hike. It's gonna be great. I promise to take loads of pictures. Much love..