Secret...

Last week, the night the tornado swept through Brooklyn, was the first time since I was a child that a sky full of lightening and thunder made me feel alone and afraid.

Coney Island Picture #1

Welcome to Dante's Inferno. It kind of looks like how I felt yesterday after consuming a hot dog with mustard, ketchup, sauerkraut, onions and pickles, not to mention dinner later that night, hot borscht with sour cream, cheese blintzes and Russian beer. It was all unbelievably good, but I'll be fasting for the next day or two.

Saturday send-off

David, Annie and I, along with our friends, Yale, Elizabeth and Tallulah, will spend the day at Coney Island, then indulge in a real Russian feast in Brighton Beach, the neighborhood in which the famed amusement park resides, and where I lived as a little girl before moving to California in 1966.

Coney Island's character and history cannot be denied, and on this beautiful cool summer day, we will say goodbye to an important part of American culture.

The sad details are here, but I promise, we'll be having fun today.

Saturday morning light...

Flipside...

Sitting at the sidebar

The kind of music that delivers you to joy, unbridled, bursting, so immense that even though you hand it to another, its magic can never be lost.


Badal Roy, Roda Gigante.

Even hot girls get the blues

As I waited outside a movie theatre the other night, there was a hot girl standing near me, waiting too. You know what I mean, a Hot Girl: pretty young face, long hair, great legs, a bikini body untouched by years or childbirth, all wrapped up in a short, tight dress. But what struck me about her, and why I continued to stare, was that she looked so painfully uncomfortable in her skin; her painted toes squeezed tight, her long tanned legs teetering on 6 inch heels, her arms self-consciously glued to her sides, trying to hide the visible sweat marks on a 90 degree night. She was the kind of girl women would pay to be and men would simply pay, and through her made-up face, I could see she wasn't so pretty, but she was pretty enough. She had that look in her eyes that so many young women have when they're laying out their sex, making it as available as a hot pretzel on a street corner stand. The look of a girl growing up too fast, a disconnection from herself and from her body, from her true femininity and the power of her womanhood.

As I watched her I wondered if maybe she made a mistake by accepting an invitation to a movie in midtown. Maybe where such a hot girl would rather be on a such a hot night, is in a pair of loose fitting shorts, dangling her bare feet in a cool lake somewhere far, far, far away.

View

From my blanket, Central Park's Great Lawn, Saturday.

Working Man

Some of the staff at my mother's building on W. 86th Street, home base since I was 17.

It's a blistering day in the city; the humidity is so thick you could cut it with a switchblade.

Early this morning, Annie and I made it to 163rd Street when the "A" train was evacuated due to flooding on the tracks. Once above ground, we quickly discovered that all trains had stopped running. Think about that. In a city of over 8 million people, the Metro Transit Authority had virtually shut down.

Soon pedestrians filled the streets, frantically flagging down cabs and searching for buses, but within minutes, those were no longer options. We continued downtown on foot, holding hands, maneuvering through puddles, Annie coming up with solutions like, "We should just take a limo!" We complained about the heat and commiserated with passersby; after all, it's what New Yorkers do.

"Damn city...no problem raising fares... can't handle a little rain... might as well go home... no one's getting to work today..."

We finally made it to Annie's camp on 141st Street, but I still had an appointment on 10th Street in an hour and a job at Grand Central after that. I made calls to say I'd be late, but it seemed that everyone would be late today; most would not be making it in at all.

Now, I'm no quitter, and something about the heat makes me want to push through what stands in my way, so I flipped on my shades and started walking downtown. I kept my eyes open for a bus but only one passed, people packed in like sardines as it flew by without stopping. I tried in to hail a cab, but they too were filled. I had a long way to go but soon the heat ceased to intensify my desire to move forward, and as I stood under a brutal Harlem sun, sweat-soaked clothes sticking to my skin, I decided to turn back and head home.

Almost three hours had passed when I boarded a bus headed west, then continued my way north in an air-conditioned cab for the last leg of my trip. I stopped at the market for an iced coffee and a chat with Sally, contemplated the oat bran muffins with a friendly opera singer, then got out of the heat and into a shower.

I missed my appointment, I missed work, and I'll certainly miss the money I'll pay the driver to pick up Annie today. But I love New York, I just do, and though I may not live here forever, for some inexplicable reason, it will forever live in me.

Powder blue top w/ puffy sleeves

I have never loved an article of clothing as I loved this blouse, a hand-me-down from the girl up the street.

Photo: San Francisco, 1971, eating toast on my way to school.

In real time

Pouring rain, crashing thunder, a dog barks...and my alarm isn't set to go off for another hour.

Image from the hood

Working Girl

Sadly, my workload is picking up so blogging may be less frequent.
Hey, Someone's got to pay for my manicures, pedicures, and trips around the world!

xox

Sitting at the sidebar

For years, this has been one of my favorite pieces of music by Bill Evans. I'm not sure if its title is a coincidence, or just another cruel joke played on me, but regardless, it will have to remain unmentioned here at The Half Note.


(Click music player on sidebar)

Q & A

Q: What becomes of serious little girls?




A: They become serious big girls.

Fact # 309,771

A google image search for the word "Baby," will give you aproximately 45,600,000 pictures to choose from.

Content

I once had an idea for a blog that I would call Content. People would send in pictures of the contents of their refrigerators, cars, purses and so on, and I would post them, perhaps with commentary. Kind of like PostSecret, but instead of offering one's deepest, darkest admissions, one would simply reveal the brand of toothpaste they use or the number of half-empty jars of pasta sauce they possess.

I don't know, maybe the world just isn't ready for Content.

My fridge, 8/5/07

lemons
soy drinks
water
greek yogurt
root beer
hot peppers
grapes
apple
organic milk
beer
eggs
maple syrup
sweet vermouth

Sitting at the sidebar

While living in New York for stint in the early 80s, I had a group of artist friends. Almost every night we would gather at one of our apartments, cook dinner, make plans, and literally lay down on the floor and listen to music for hours. Avalon by Roxy Music was a favorite, and although those friends are long gone from my life, the memories remain, as do the songs.

No peanut butter? Oh Lord!

"A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands."

~Lord Byron

Laptop Dog

Leo Horoscope by Rob Brezsny

Barbara Sher's self-help tome is called I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It. In one sense it's designed for beginners -- young people who are just learning how to identify meaningful goals to pursue. But in my opinion, every one of us periodically needs to revisit the mode described in the book's title. For instance, maybe you've accomplished a dream you've worked on for months or years, and require a jump-start as you seek your next big project. Or maybe some desire that motivated you for a long time has faded in its intensity, and you're feeling blah and apathetic, in need of redirection. Does any of this apply to you, Leo? I bet it does.

Teatime in Toronto

My friend Aaron is a real smart guy, and he and his wife Wendy have exquisite taste in film. Click here to see Aaron's review of my short, Cold Tea.

Sitting at the sidebar

I've been listening to Lee Morgan a lot lately, so here's one of his most popular recordings, Sidewinder, with Joe Henderson on sax, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums.

Click the player on the sidebar and have a little fun.

We're having a heatwave

Seriously.

Home for a holiday

I haven't blogged much because since I dropped Annie and David off at the airport yesterday morning (Daddy/daughter trip to Chicago), I've been on a little vacation of my own here in the city. I'm as free as a bird, having the time of my life but I assure you, with the exception of some minor flirtations with a few attractive men, it's all been good, clean fun.

I'm out the door, will blog tomorrow.

Sitting at the sidebar

I know it's early, but somehow it just feels right.



(Click the music player on the sidebar)

Wednesday morning light

A java script

Annie: "I heard about this guy who was driving an automatic car, you know, the kind that can also drive itself? Well, the car had a coffee maker in it and when the guy was making coffee, he ran into someone and killed them.

Katie: "Really?"

Annie: "Yeah, and the guy who owned the car sued the people who made the car because it didn't say in the instruction booklet that you shouldn't make coffee while you're auto-driving! He won like a million dollars."

Katie: "And what did the poor family of the person who was killed get? I know, an iced coffin!"

Irresistible him

I find it incredibly sexy when a man takes his woman's car to the gas station and fills up the tank for her.

Sitting at the sidebar

Don't mind me, I'm just loving him tonight.

sweet

Annie: "Mommy, were any of your boyfriends jerks?"

Katie: "Yes."

Annie: "Real bastards?"

Katie: "A couple were."

Annie: "What did they do to you that was bad?"

Katie: "Oh, just not valuing me enough, not taking care of me, stuff like that."

Annie: "Did any of them ever cheat on you?"

Katie: "I don't think so."

Annie: "Yeah, a guy would have to be crazy to cheat on you!"

Driving under the influence

I was pulled over today and ticketed for being engaged in a riveting conversation on my cell phone while driving. And just my luck, it was a female cop.

40 bucks down.

In real time

77 degrees, air conditioner on, this is the view from my fire escape and the moonlight is pouring in.

Goodnight.

Teach your children well... but not too well

David: "Did Annie tell you I got really mad at her this morning?"

Katie: "No, but she did say you were drawing a lot of negative energy to yourself."

Sitting at the sidebar

Brought to you by Clifford Brown, Harold Land and friends, here's a favorite song of mine called, Delilah.

(Click the music player on the sidebar.)

I'm no Betty

It's been a hot and muggy, rainy day here in the city, and when Annie and her friend Giselle ran out of things to do, they decided to give me a quiz: What Archie Character Do You Most Resemble? Although I've never elicited such a response on the streets of New York, my scores tell me I'm just like a girl named Cheryl Blossom.

Pssst...

For those of you who are satisfied just sampling the songs posted here, do yourself a favor and listen to today's selection all the way through. Remember, it's all about progression at The Half Note (Well, sometimes it is), and what could be better than a beautiful piece of music that takes you somewhere, uncovering little jewels hidden beneath the surface of your Sunday.

Sitting at the sidebar

I shared this favorite piece of music with my dad on a road trip up north. Now it makes me think of him. Entres dos Aguas by Paco De Lucia.


(Click the music player on the sidebar)

Goodnight

Saturday morning

Francis D: "How was the greatest birthday ever?"
Katie: "It was the greatest birthday ever."

Sitting at the sidebar

I loved this song when it was released the summer I turned 11, and today, the day after turning 44, I still love it.

Happy Birthday Cousin Bruno!

Isn't he adorable?

Sitting at the sidebar

To exhale audibly in a long deep breath, as in weariness or relief.

Bridge of Sighs is a favorite of mine by Shakti.

A day of gifts

For my birthday I got calls, cards and emails from friends and family, an outdoor celebration at Josephina's, good food and two glasses of wine. Okay, three glasses of wine. I also received an overnight package from my friend Elisa, filled with gardenias grown on the terrace of her Los Angeles apartment. The fragrance literally poured out of the box, and the flowers must have possessed magical powers because as I carried them home, everyone I passed on the street stopped to smell the bouquet.

What a thoughtful and imaginative gift from a thoughtful and imaginative friend.


What kind of Leo would I be if I didn't partake in a bit of pampering on my special day? Among other things, I received a relaxing manicure and pedicure. The girls at the salon are always trying to talk me into bright colors, but I'm not a woman who likes to compete, not even with my own toes.


Annie picked out these stunning earrings for her Mama, and I must mention, it was the first gift she ever bought me with her very own money. What a girl.


David gave me a book, some CDs, and this adorable little pink camera. "It's so Katie!" he said.


My mother gave me a beautiful lilac bag, and on it were these words:

Life is Good...

Yes it is.

sweet

"Today I had a sudden craving for Mommy."

~Annie Kosh