Go to one new place/do one new thing each week

I went. I was going to cancel but realized it was very last minute so I scrounged up the effort to go. The teacher was no good. I’ve been spoiled for all time by the wonderful Jason Crigler, who was my first guitar teacher and the best anyone could ever ask for. I loved him very much for his brilliant teacherly nature and his preparation for each lesson and his effort to expose me to new and interesting things and not just the ordinary garbage. He was wonderful and I miss him terribly and I do hope that he is having a happy and successful life out there somewhere.

This new guy was not for me at all. He was unprepared, offered to teach me stairway to heaven and some really obvious beatles songs…

Whatever.

The point is – I WENT! It was new and different. i discovered it’s not what I’m looking for but I had to leave the house and go there to find out. So, there you have it.

Last night went with my brother and it was AMAZING. I was the happiest I’ve been in a long time. It felt so good to be outside and listening to one of my favorite musicians and I just felt so profoundly happy and grateful. Afterwards Tony and I went to a bar and had drinks and a really nice conversation. He is a great brother. I am lucky lucky lucky to have such a fine example of a man in my life. He helps me have hope that there are more good men out there.

• went out to dinner with david to celebrate our 10th anniversary of knowing one another. Had dinner at a great restaurant called Hearth. I had duck. YUMMMMM. And tried octopus for the first time ever. Not bad! We haven’t been as close in the last few years, but it was nice to go out and realize that I’ve had this friendship for this many years.

• Tried out a CoDA meeting… yikes. But at least I tried it. And, I’ll admit, I did get some insights from the group, even though the people were a little scary to me.

• Went out with this nice guy, Ami, who lives in my neighborhood and does the same kind of work I do. I met him once before to ask about his experiences with grad school and we hung out again for drinks last night.

Visited historic Seamen’s Retirement home for “Aged, decrepit and worn out sea farers” founded in 1831. You had to have been working on a ship for at least 10 years and at least 5 had to be on an American ship in order to qualify to board there. The youngest man to have lived there was only 22! Those were rough times. Most had little money and no family who went to live there.

However, those were also beautiful times. The building one can explore is a gorgeous old mansion with sea-faring art on the ceilings and stained glass windows, surrounded by other buildings, some of which are artist studios now, some of which are condemned, unfortunately. Part of the grounds have been made into a stunning Zen Garden, which is affiliated with the NYC Botanical Gardens. There were awe-inspiring japanese houses and old japanese furniture made of wood and worn to silky smoothness by hands over many years, and an ornate series of patterns in the pebble-tile floors and a koi pond surrounded by massive white stones. There’s also a big beautiful greenhouse, a children’s museum, a montesory school, a theater and a music hall on the expansive grounds. I wish someone with money would step in and rehabilitate all the gorgeous abandoned buildings. It was truly beautiful and peaceful there. If I had a few million dollars I’d buy up the abandoned buildings and make it a true artist colony.

I have a nostalgia for all things ghostly and full of ancient lived-in feeling, and my love of Moby Dick seasoned it all with a certain feeling of familiarity.

went to central park with mike and his wife and their friend. turned out lousy because I overdrank so now I’m too embarrassed to try to keep being friends with them, but I did get out of the house and do something. It counts. And, on Friday I went and signed up for some dance classes and took one quick private lesson. And, I went to an AA meeting. All new and different things to do. Next week: another dance lesson, plus going to see the new york city waterfall installations with my long estranged friend hilly.

I need to have more experiences – quit sitting around on my sofa every day for the rest of my life. I want to meet new people, experience new things, and get out of the rutt that has been my life for the last 10 years, and the last 4 with R in particular.

Mike is in town and he’ll get my butt out to do something new. We’re going to meet on Thursday, with his wife and her friend Gary (who’s aparently a neurotic new york film director… why would mike think i’d like that?) to go see Theivery Corporation in Central Park. I also want to make a plan to meet up with Hillary next week.

And, two weeks ago I went camping and fishing for 5 days in Quetico, Canada. That was new… though it was with R, so it was the same old thing in that respect. But still, it counts.