Museums, Celebrity Cats and Surrealism

Me in front of a favourite Marcel Duchamp "painting/sculpture".

Stagg on balcony of MOMA>

It really cracks me up how much Europeans like the animals in North America. This squirel was a star and he posed for pics. Most European countries killed all their bears in the Middle Ages.

So...we got into New York very early the other morning. I couldn't sleep in so we caught a 6 o'clock bus from D.C. We were going to meet up with an anthropologist for an interview.

I had tried to find some place QUIET in NYC for an interview. HA! I tried a major venue...after one of the managers offered a space. I won't say who...but they cancelled the night before. I started calling...and I thought wait...what about the Algonquin Hotel. Well a fabulous manager , named Jenna, helped us out and arranged at the last minute for the Oak Room.

This is the hotel where Faulkner stayed. Where Dorthy Parker and her pals had lively repartee. I was thrilled. So I woke up early. We had an amazing afternoon in the legendary hotel where room service took great care of us. We also saw the house hotel cat...so cute I took video. We had a greasy spoon breakfast first thing off the bus. We walked with our suitcases...and the coolers for dozens of blocks through Times Square.

(yes, I pack coolers of food, basically breakfast, like yogurt, rye crackers, cream and swiss cheese, olives, grapes and peaches...saves the hassle of finding breakfast or leaving the room...and a few bucks every day on breakfast) (this is low budget film making at its best folks...ok I'm ghetto!)

We had an amazing visit at the MOMA yesterday. The museum had a special exhibit of Dali and films. The best part of the blockbuster show was a room from Spellbound by Hitchcock. There was a huge matte repainting from one of the dream sequences and several oil paintings made by Dali for dset design for the film. Outstanding!


Dali loved the Marx brothers especially Harpo. To show his affection he sent Harpo a harp strung with barbed wire. In return Harpo sent Dali a photo of himself with bandaged fingers.

I have been craving soup. No seriously, I've been in heat no less than 95 degrees (305 celcius) and all I'm craving is soup. I've had French Onion soup four times this past week.

Last night we went for a manicure/pedicure...and I had a facial. Ouch. I haven't had a facial in ages. It felt liek small razors slicing my face. But today...I look ten years younger. I can not recommend strenuously enough...go for a facial once a month!!! Do not procrastinate like I did. Oh, it feels heavenly today.

We were sitting in a cafe patio having a pint at W.4th and Jones when Stagg says, "Candy, it's Steve Earle". I turn around..."For real.". We stayed cool...but Steve passed by us close enough for us to tug on his T-shirt. He was giving a tour around Manhattan with three Emos.