Day 59: Saint Nicholas Stairs

Climbing up from St. Nicholas into the campus.

Day 58: Pigeon Row

Do you ever take pictures of pigeons? my mom asked me. There was the Fierce Pigeon back in January so yes, the rats of the skies are certainly a topic I pay attention to. And here with a lamp, also! It's like two of my major themes at once.

Day 57: Dessert

Blueberry-peach tarts that Matt made at my house tonight.

Day 56: Meet the Parents

Here's my parents, in the 14th Street station, on our way from dinner back uptown to see a movie.

Day 55: Captive Saints

You'll see more of these later in the year I guess - stained glass behind bars at Columbia.

Day 54: W31

Only significant because of the insane trip home I had today after a very long (but good / productive) day at work.

My parents arrive for a visit tomorrow! Hopefully the ensuing adventures will yield some photos.

Day 53: Cathedral

St. John the Divine

Day 52: Self-Portrait No. 1

Self-portraits, I want to do them not-quite-monthly if I can. They are tricky, but appease my vanity.

I've been swimming for nearly 22 years. It was something I was bad at originally - I feigned illness in 4th grade to get out of swim class. Kids laughed at me because I was afraid of the water. That was a year when kids laughed at me for all sorts of reasons. So in 5th grade I joined (was compelled to join by wise parents) a swim team. By 6th grade I was the best in the class. In 7th grade I was the only one in the class to earn a varsity letter in any sport. In 12th grade I was undefeated in my premiere event. So it became tightly bound up with my pride.

It still brings out the best parts of me. I couldn't really live without it.

Day 51: Artifice

Exterior wall covering, Alphabet City.

Feeling sick today, vitamin bombing and hopefully will be better in the morning.

Day 50: The Patriot

In the bathroom at The Patriot Saloon, the worst bar I've ever seen in Manhattan. To be fair, Seth did forewarn us about it.

Day 49: Code for Something?

Lightbulb at Le Barricou, nice French place in Williamsburg. Much wine was consumed and Eric really loved his noodle.

Day 48: It Should Tell A Story

Kind of an analog to the post from two days ago, isn't it?

I debate how much to say about what is going on behind the scenes here. Yesterday's post was more effusive than usual. I don't intend for this project to become my confessional but sometimes I see my eye being steered by my heart, which, for better or for worse, is a bit of an emotional dumpster at the moment.

I uprooted and upended a lot of things to get to where I've come. The point was to solve a problem – my happiness. I think I succeeded there. I am happier than I've been at least since college, and at that, probably the happiest I've ever been.

But there was also a second problem that I had before, have still, and probably will for a while to come, namely loneliness. It was why I chose this place, come to a city full of incredibly lonely people, where I'd feel like there was the chance to do something about it. That chance is still there of course but in the interim it wears heavily.

Day 47: Minor Mass

Today's photo is the first from my iPhone as opposed to the D3000, on account of my having left the good camera at home during the concert I went to.

The afternoon consisted of launching Operation: Die you fucking cockroach, die! in my apartment; I haven't seen any for a couple days but with the many baits now strewn about, if my home becomes the epicenter of the building's roachocaust, well, call me a goddamned hero.

From there I was off to Carnegie Hall for a fundraiser for Médecins sans Frontières, at which the Ensemble médical unsheathed its scalpel and ruthlessly murdered Bach's B minor Mass. Inconsistent at best, and full of poor interpretational choices on the part of the conductor in particular. Nevertheless, Bach is better than no Bach, even when the ensemble can't quite hack it.

I am in an even worse place today than I have been the rest of the week.

Day 46: Steaming

The best result of a troubled shoot.

Day 45: Valentine's Day

Well, maybe next year.

Photo is of art on a wall at the AOL offices.

Day 44: Waiting for an A Train

These guys are all over 14th Street, I'm especially fond of this one that takes up a bench seat. I spent a lot of time in the subway today on account of heading downtown for brunch, coming back home to practice, then heading back downtown to hear Matt sing, then coming back up... and feel downright ill now. Hope I'm better in the morning.

Day 43: Lion in Winter

Lion says hello on the way to every practice at Columbia.

Day 42: Holy Rusted Metal

An incredibly disorienting but rewarding week draws to a close.

Day 41: And Back Home Again

Long day, up at 4:30 Pacific time and just now getting home. Snow-covered Iowa looked amazing from the air but the wing was too much in the way to get good shots of it.

Day 40: San Francisco

Backlighting bonanza! I got to Lombard Street just as the sun dropped below the hill so my shot there was extremely uninteresting - also, nothing was in bloom so it just looked like a dull hill. Then I managed to climb up to Coit Tower as the sun was setting. I am now back at my hotel and my feet are killing me. Time to get a burrito and call it a night - early departure tomorrow morning!

Day 39: The View from Oakland

Look, there's San Francisco (staying there tomorrow night. Debating going for a long walk in the evening to get obligatory Lombard Street photo).

Oakland is actually kind of nice. Had the most amazing mango smoothie with dinner. I am very happy to be what is, by all accounts, warmth. I took pictures of trees blossoming since it's probably 4-6 weeks before anything like that starts to happen back home.

Day 38: New Hay Hay

I had a couple great shots today, but this was the least conventional of them so I'm going with it. I'm off to Oakland tomorrow and San Francisco on Wednesday... lots of travel. Looking forward to the higher temperatures (but really puzzled on how to pack for the trip).

Day 37: 恭喜发财

A beautiful sunny day for celebrating the start of the Year of the (Metal) Rabbit.

Day 36: Dancing On My Own

Today was wet and miserable but none of that mattered because I got to see Robyn at Radio City Music Hall and it was the most awesome concert I've ever seen.

Day 35: Post Office

Here's our Post Office. It's rad. Yes, I dialed it in today. There will be days like this.

Day 34: Around the Office

In the entryway of our office. Been thinking a lot lately about how much I love my job, and how much I love my union. It is surely one of my proudest affiliations.

Day 33: Madison Square

The top of the New York Life Insurance building, especially glistening in the mist today. I was down here, not far from my office, for a focus group about credit cards, which was actually both fun and fascinating. And it paid well, too.

Day 32: Buried in Snow

A calm Columbia moment before the "destructive ice" hits tomorrow. Meh.