Saturday, July 9, 2011

Haute Child in the City.

It's been a hot minute. And I mean a HOT minute. A lot of notable shit's gone down in the past few months while I've been completely absent from blogland but "noting" it all hasn't exactly been high on the priority list. My apologies in the aftermath. I've realized since being here in New York that in a day's time there is so much to share but by the end of the day actually sharing it seems overwhelmingly daunting. But I digress.

But yes, when folk's tell you that summer in New York is a shit show, they definitely aren't joking. Something deep inside me was secretly praying it was a big exaggeration. A friend at Betsey eluded on multiple occasions to her excitement about summer and how everything was going to be so much funner. I get that. I totally do. Rooftop parties, the weather's suggestion to dress scantily clad, the hipster bikers looking sweatier and greasier than usual. But I, in contrast, dream of fall. While waking up at 8am drenched in sweat and waiting on a subway platform with the hot smells of urine and body odor is totally my vibe, the fast forward button on time would come in handy about now. Cut to late October, por favor.


Anyhow.

Things have been super up. Slightly down. Ass backwards. Inside out. Full circle. I've been stoked. Frustrated. Lonely. Full of hope. Empty of funds. Empty handed. Hands full. Learning a ton. About myself, about my life,... past, present. But one thing that has been reluctant to leave my head is the reality of how life trudges along... I keep finding myself back on the conclusion that nothing is ever how it was before. The way you can never go back. The clock keeps ticking..... unless it runs out of batteries I suppose. But no matter what I choose or how I feel or what I want, time rolls on with or without my willing participation. I think this whole idea becomes more clear and real when you relocate. It's interesting how little you hear from your friends and family... it's not their fault. I don't call either. But the truth is that they're all living their lives everyday. And at the current time I'm not actively in them. This is because I made the choices to leave.... transport.... write the story that's MY life. I've always felt this extremely overwhelming pressure when it comes to the matter of making the decisions (like these) that take my life through it's turns. I've always had a huge fear of making the wrong choices in this.... taking the wrong opportunities... being taken away by my own hand from what's actually good for me.... creating some avenue that is going to ultimately destroy everything that I need (or think) I want. I guess it ties in awkwardly with self-sabotage. Yes, I want to have a good life. I want all these things that I can list. A normal person takes the appropriate steps towards getting all of those things. Looking at this on paper, it appears I've made the right decisions to add up to right answer. But the chance that maybe the answer won't add up is what I've always feared.

It's a pretty wild sensation to see the slow process of building a life over again when you previously had one (or several). I feel like I've had several lives at this point. I guess I'm grateful? I'm definitely grateful. I can't say which has been my favorite. They've all been amazing and heartbreaking simultaneously. Fuck the human condition. I wonder if everyone over analyzes their life as much as I do. If it were a choice on my behalf I'd hit the off switch on that shit for the occasional mental vacay. I used to have a German friend named Jagermeister that helped me do that. We had a falling out. But I guess it would be hard to be grateful if you aren't even aware where you've been or where you are or what you've got.

For now this life is treating me well. The last three months in rough succession...

+An LBC favorite made an NYC cameo. Got to put in some serious bro time. Matching tattys ensued.

+Was the bitter recipient of a subway ticket. If you wanna throw $100 down the garbage shoot go ahead and go through the Emergency Exit with all the other hoodrats in your morning rush to the train. Pay no mind to the $105 Unlimited Metro Card you're too lazy to pull out. Minus points, Char.

+Witnessed the aftermath of a double homicide // hostage situation on our street corner. Later news updates revealed the actual events involved a team of undercover cops busting some Bushwick hoodrats selling illegal firearms. Hoodrat #1 shot by cops, Hoodrat #2 taken into custody. No hostage. No innocent teens wrapped up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not quite the story you portrayed to us, hipster onlooker. But cute. Now shower your dirty bod.

+Payed an unrealistically quick visit to the West Coast.... NY. SF. Cen Cal. LBC......in 4 days. Was a bitter-sweet experience as predicted.

+Joined a dance crew called the Sexcamaids. Best. Decision. Ever. What do you get when you mix cheerleading, ass shaking, parades, glitter, feathers, a bunch of random women (and a few good men) into a pot? A hot mess that keeps me totally sane. Bonus points, New York.

+Made one last crawl back to the arms of my old beau Bill W. We are working things out again. Life is much better as a result. Shocking.

+Bought a shot out shitty Yamaha 61-key off Craigslist for 75 bones. Delivery included? Bring er' over. Any way to negate carrying musical equipment on the subway and sending out the "Yea dude, I'm totalllly a musician" vibe would be ideal. And FUCK... it ain't my Korg Triton (that's for fuckin' sure) but JESUS CHRIST is life more tolerable having a keyboard to vent to. Bonus points, Char.

+Saw Against Me! @ Webster Hall with my favorite woman in NY (Feather Bee). Performance: A+. Crowd: Sketchy.

+Danced in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade with the Sexcamaids and won Best in Show. Experience: Currently holding the 2nd raddest thing I've done in NYC title.

+Randomly caught the hot tip that The Bronx was playing a show on a boat out of Pier 20. Took two of my homegirls and for $30 got to endure a sail down the Hudson River, cruising a stone's throw away from the statue of liberty while one of my favorite bands ever played both of their best albums from top to bottom in succession. (I love when bands do that). Ranking: #1 Raddest Thing I've Done in NYC (to date).

+Went to a rooftop party that would inevitably end up being the rooftop of my future home. I'm moving next month to a loft that is pretty much straight out of photos that I used to look at for inspiration on moving to New York "one day".

+Went to my first Yankees game. Love.

+Caught a panoramic view of fireworks spanning nearly all five boroughs from a rooftop in Astoria. Best mellow no-pressure 4th of July holiday I've had in a long time. Good company is hard to come by.

+2 for 2 on CharcorexBetsey tee designs making the best-sellers list. Heyo! More to come....

+Caught the hot tip (a little late) that there's an art installation currently in NYC where 60 pianos are randomly planted all over the 5 boroughs. On the last day of the installation being up, I set out to play and photograph as many as I could. 2 out of 60 ain't bad. Nothing comes close to playing an upright. Bonus points when you're in the middle of nothing/everything.


Until next time, feast on some light imagery. Enjoi.

LBC in NYC. Eat your heart out.

A flight across the country is worth it for this alone.

NYC bestey.

My favorite thing in the work sitting pretty and alone in Tompkins Square Park.

Creepin' up and out of the ghetto move by move. New hood in prog.

Flashmobbin' in Times Square with the Sexcamaids.


What do you get when you cross a Mermaid crew with a breakdancing crew,...?

....total beautiful nonsense with a nice crowd to boot...



Amy Winomaid in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.



One of the first designs I've worked on with Betsey...



BJ wanted a boombox so I gave her a boombox. Currently a best-seller... I guess someone liked it....


....my neighborhood also had the right idea.


.....and the rest was herstory.

2 comments:

  1. oh char, this post hit a chord on so many levels for me as I watch time tick by from a forward operating base in afghanistan. as of June 4 I have been here a year. i will try to send an email soon with more deets. thanks for keepin' it real. miss you. db

    ReplyDelete
  2. Char-
    i love that i randomly look on here, seeing as your blog is one of 5 tabs on my bookmark bar, and when i see a new entry i just get so excited! :) i love to know what you have been doing, and the pictures make me so so so happy. it gives me this tiny glimpse into what is now your life, and allows me to live vicariously through you. i find myself doing this with several of my friends, such as yourself, who are off in the world doing things i can only dream of being able to do. thank you for this gift. keep it up, but of course only if you have time. xoxo from me AND james cause dont think i dont read this aloud to him for both of our enjoyment. :)

    ReplyDelete