Finish your work like a good girl and you get to go out and play
Revisions are done. Fourth draft is with my readers. (Thank you Emily, Philip, Lon, and Ernesto!) I finished my work. I got to go out and play.
The weekend started, as a good weekend should, at The Point on Saturday. The fabulous Claudia was in town for the whole weekend, and she met us there. No photo evidence of Claudia at The Point, but here’s a shot of me, John, and Em. It was John’s birthday that day. Go wish him a happy belated. (After you’re done here, mind you. We still have a lot of ground to cover.)
Claudia’s visit was an excuse for a yarn crawl. She, Cassie, Em, Jackie, Juno, Regina, and I headed next to Purl.
From there it was on to Habu, where Claudia kindly censored Jackie’s cleavage for the camera.
Juno ordered a kit for a paper linen cardi. I, foolishly, tried on the sample sweater. After that I really had no choice but to order the kit too. No, no photos. I was a mediocre blogger at best this weekend.
At this point I peeled off from the group to visit with a friend in the East Village and kiss her gorgeous baby (Hi Rebecca! Hi Olivia!) and the Cassies and Jackie and Claudia continued on. I don’t have the details–you’ll have to get that from them–but I understand there were hamburgers and cocktails and bath products involved.
Later my friend Shannon and I went to see my friend Lon’s band, Atomati, at CBGB’s Lounge. We thought it was a really good set, though Lon–ever critical of himself–says otherwise. (Lon’s the charmer at the mic.)
Here’s where the evening gets tricky. See, Atomati went on at 9:15 at CB’s in Manhattan. From there we were hoping to get back across the river to Brooklyn to catch Lungfish at Southpaw. They were due to go on at ten. (Yeah, cutting it a bit close.) Atomati finished up at 9:45ish, so Shannon and I hopped in a cab and hoped that Lungfish would go on late.
The cab raced toward the Manhattan Bridge. Our hopes were high.
And then we sat in traffic.
And sat. And sat. Construction. The upper level was closed.
Shannon despaired of making it to Southpaw in time.
BUT!
Because I had worked so hard to finish my revisions, and was so very deserving of some play time, the Rock Gods smiled upon us. Lungfish indeed went on late. Even though it took us 45 minutes to get there, we arrived at Southpaw with thirty minutes to spare.
And then Lungfish took the stage.
And kicked ass. Absolutely kicked ass. They’ve been at it for years, and it looked like most of us in the audience had been too. We were all in our thirties and some forties, and may I say that the eighties hardcore and indie kids are aging quite well, thankyouverymuch. It felt like I’d probably been to countless shows with these same people since I was sixteen, and for some reason that felt really good. Yeah, we grew up. Kind of. But we didn’t grow up the way “they” told us back then that we’d have to. We’re responsible adults with jobs and relationships and many of us with kids. But we still look the way we want to look. We still rock out in small clubs in Brooklyn. Many of us have managed to find ways to make a living that we can feel good about and be passionate about. I can’t explain it… I looked around the club and thought, “Here we are.”
And I got home really late. Really late. And I went to bed really really late. And I had to get up reasonably early (entirely too early, based on how late I went to bed) to meet Claudia, the Cassies, and Jackie for brunch at Beso. Proof that the waking up was worth it? I came up from the subway stairs to see Claudia knitting a sock and the Cassies both taking photos of it.
And then there was brunch. And walking (lots of it). And shopping (quite a bit of it). And then there was the sitting at the Flying Saucer Cafe and the drinking of coffee and the eating of cookies and the knitting. And then the arrival of the husbands and the leaving of the Claudia and the end of the knitterly weekend.
And now I’m exhausted and trying to get together enough energy to cook some dinner.
And I just realized… This is the first September 11th since THE 9/11 when I haven’t spent the entire day in some kind of depressed cloud. It feels good that today wasn’t so much September 11th as it was a beautiful September Sunday spent with good friends.
Oh–and to my charming reader who recognized me at the cafe? I must have misheard your url because I can’t find you. Please leave me your url in the comments so I can check out your blog!
thanks cari for sharing your weekend. i hope that someday i can be a weekend ny visitor! today was the first sep 11 that i had to be reminded of it, so these are good signs. xoxo
Posted by: kaarin
Oh, it sounds like you had a great weekend–probably because you deserved it!
Posted by: Deb
thanks cari for sharing your weekend. i hope that someday i can be a weekend ny visitor! today was the first sep 11 that i had to be reminded of it, so these are good signs. xoxo
Posted by: kaarin
Oh, it sounds like you had a great weekend–probably because you deserved it!
Posted by: Deb
I didn’t even remember it was 9/11 till I got home. Not that it’s good to forget, but I had such a nice day it was good not to wallow!
Posted by: jackie
Best. Weekend. Ever.
Seriously.
My only regret is that I did not make the acquaintance of the puppies…. Next time.
Mwah.
Posted by: claudia
MAN! I’ll be in NYC next week and will be going to those stores. You’ve just made it really hard for me to concentrate at work this week. That’s all I’ll be thinking about.
Posted by: Angela
See my main concern with being in NY is Habu, and just how much control I will have, or not…
And your husband (not not him, the other one) said your hair was great, and he did not lie š
Posted by: Alison
It was finishing the revisions. You earned that fabulous weeked.
Posted by: stephanie
Sounds awesome. Wicked jealous over here.
Posted by: Carole
I didn’t even remember it was 9/11 till I got home. Not that it’s good to forget, but I had such a nice day it was good not to wallow!
Posted by: jackie
Best. Weekend. Ever.
Seriously.
My only regret is that I did not make the acquaintance of the puppies…. Next time.
Mwah.
Posted by: claudia
MAN! I’ll be in NYC next week and will be going to those stores. You’ve just made it really hard for me to concentrate at work this week. That’s all I’ll be thinking about.
Posted by: Angela
See my main concern with being in NY is Habu, and just how much control I will have, or not…
And your husband (not not him, the other one) said your hair was great, and he did not lie š
Posted by: Alison
It was finishing the revisions. You earned that fabulous weeked.
Posted by: stephanie
Sounds awesome. Wicked jealous over here.
Posted by: Carole
Sounds like yet another fabulous weekend in the big city. Now that I’ve got more friends in Austin I’ll have to see if they’ve got similar goings-on.
What’s up with the cleavage censorship? Just another instance of THE MAN keepin’ boobies down!
That didn’t come out right . . .
Posted by: David
And a fabulous time was had by all. Thanks for the peak into NYC.
Posted by: margene
Reading about your weekend is making my Monday morning a lot easier to face. Thanks!
Posted by: Sneaksleep
Lungfish was the first band I ever saw live! And they played at Bard when I was there and on entertainment committee. So they have a special sentimental significance for me even though musically they are not my total bag (though I definitely enjoy them on occasion and have lots of respect for them). Anyways, it was nice to think about them for the first time in kind of a while.
Glad to hear your latest revisions are done–I’m thinking positive agenty thoughts for you, if only because the sooner the novel gets published the sooner I can read it.
Posted by: susan
I am so glad to hear that you had such a wonderful and well-described weekend! Thank you for letting us live vicariously with you!
Hugs for your work well done! (K-E)
Posted by: Knit-Elation
Sounds like a well-earned weekend, and congratulations on not wallowing on Sunday.Reflection good, wallowing, not-so-good.
Woo-hoo reader recognition! It’s never happened to me (not a surprise, I don’t have an eleventh of the subscribers you do) though I’m starting to think I should count the people who are randomly rude in public to me. “Raise your middle finger to say “hi!'” I’ll burble. I’m all about shaping reality to suit.
Posted by: spaazlicious
Sounds like yet another fabulous weekend in the big city. Now that I’ve got more friends in Austin I’ll have to see if they’ve got similar goings-on.
What’s up with the cleavage censorship? Just another instance of THE MAN keepin’ boobies down!
That didn’t come out right . . .
Posted by: David
And a fabulous time was had by all. Thanks for the peak into NYC.
Posted by: margene
Reading about your weekend is making my Monday morning a lot easier to face. Thanks!
Posted by: Sneaksleep
Lungfish was the first band I ever saw live! And they played at Bard when I was there and on entertainment committee. So they have a special sentimental significance for me even though musically they are not my total bag (though I definitely enjoy them on occasion and have lots of respect for them). Anyways, it was nice to think about them for the first time in kind of a while.
Glad to hear your latest revisions are done–I’m thinking positive agenty thoughts for you, if only because the sooner the novel gets published the sooner I can read it.
Posted by: susan
I am so glad to hear that you had such a wonderful and well-described weekend! Thank you for letting us live vicariously with you!
Hugs for your work well done! (K-E)
Posted by: Knit-Elation
Sounds like a well-earned weekend, and congratulations on not wallowing on Sunday.Reflection good, wallowing, not-so-good.
Woo-hoo reader recognition! It’s never happened to me (not a surprise, I don’t have an eleventh of the subscribers you do) though I’m starting to think I should count the people who are randomly rude in public to me. “Raise your middle finger to say “hi!'” I’ll burble. I’m all about shaping reality to suit.
Posted by: spaazlicious
I didn’t remember about 9/11 until I was at Penn wating for the train. And it felt right and wonderful that it should have been an extraordinarily beautiful day with good people.
As with the observation you made about the indie kids grown into adulthood on their own terms, that’t the right way to do things.
I loved spending the time with you – with everyone. I’m so glad it worked.
Posted by: Juno
Oh doll. What can I say. The yarn, the hair, the bands, the cab rides, the (lack of) cleavage *damn!* – You rock my fuckin’ world.
xoxo
Posted by: john
Jeez – sounds like you had one kick-ass weekend! I wish I could have a knitterly weekend, but my weekends consist of Star Wars. All the time. My 5 year old is completely obsessed.
PS – I love your hair and wish I could beat mine into submission to look somewhat like yours…what kind of curl product do you use? (I know, random question to ask, but your hair is awesome.)
Posted by: Libby
what a great weekend! (we are so happy we got to see you!!!)
Posted by: rebecca and olivia
I’m totally jealous of your weekend! Next time there’s something like this planned, can I please come along? Or is it totally rude to invite myself to your party? I’ve known you guys online for so long, and I’m in NYC. . . just think about it, ok? =)
Posted by: ivete
See, I wasn’t there but I ran into someone on the way there so I’m thinking I was kinda. So there.
Posted by: Iris
When I was 13 and living in the backwoods house that my mother dragged me to from Yonkers, I dreamed that I would move back to NY some day and have weekends like yours, sophisticated weekends full of friends and fun. Of course, I didn’t picture the knitting back then :-). I did dream about the writers and musicians, though. It’s nice to know that someone is living that life.
Posted by: Dani
I didn’t remember about 9/11 until I was at Penn wating for the train. And it felt right and wonderful that it should have been an extraordinarily beautiful day with good people.
As with the observation you made about the indie kids grown into adulthood on their own terms, that’t the right way to do things.
I loved spending the time with you – with everyone. I’m so glad it worked.
Posted by: Juno
Oh doll. What can I say. The yarn, the hair, the bands, the cab rides, the (lack of) cleavage *damn!* – You rock my fuckin’ world.
xoxo
Posted by: john
Jeez – sounds like you had one kick-ass weekend! I wish I could have a knitterly weekend, but my weekends consist of Star Wars. All the time. My 5 year old is completely obsessed.
PS – I love your hair and wish I could beat mine into submission to look somewhat like yours…what kind of curl product do you use? (I know, random question to ask, but your hair is awesome.)
Posted by: Libby
what a great weekend! (we are so happy we got to see you!!!)
Posted by: rebecca and olivia
I’m totally jealous of your weekend! Next time there’s something like this planned, can I please come along? Or is it totally rude to invite myself to your party? I’ve known you guys online for so long, and I’m in NYC. . . just think about it, ok? =)
Posted by: ivete
See, I wasn’t there but I ran into someone on the way there so I’m thinking I was kinda. So there.
Posted by: Iris
When I was 13 and living in the backwoods house that my mother dragged me to from Yonkers, I dreamed that I would move back to NY some day and have weekends like yours, sophisticated weekends full of friends and fun. Of course, I didn’t picture the knitting back then :-). I did dream about the writers and musicians, though. It’s nice to know that someone is living that life.
Posted by: Dani
Hey, that was me at Flying Saucer! Howdy.
Your hair was a dead giveaway. š
Posted by: Chris
Me ha encantado el comentario sobre hacerse mayor. Si, hemos crecido,pero fieles a nosotros mismos y a nuestros sueƱos…gracias por la reflexiĆ³n.
Posted by: Lia
Hey, that was me at Flying Saucer! Howdy.
Your hair was a dead giveaway. š
Posted by: Chris
Me ha encantado el comentario sobre hacerse mayor. Si, hemos crecido,pero fieles a nosotros mismos y a nuestros sueƱos…gracias por la reflexiĆ³n.
Posted by: Lia