Wow! Busy but Fun week!

This week was the crazy week of classes....we start each summer with an intense class that lasts only 4 days!  Last year it was ethics and philosophy (yuck!) but this year it was grant writing...something I have a little experience with and I don't mind doing it...the only problem was this class was taught on a National Grant Writing level...WOW!  But, I turned in my final paper last night via email...so now on to Research and Organizaational Development....but my favorite upcoming class is Printmaking at Parsons!

On Saturday I spent the day volunteering for an organization called Downtown Boathouse, this is a group of volunteers who provide free kayaking in the Hudson River at 3 different locations...Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00am-5:00pm!  I went down to the dock at 11:00 and got home at 6:00pm...had not planned on staying the whole day but was having so much fun!  Being a volunteer I got to use the upgraded kayak to go down the river....now I have NEVER been in a kayak but I have canoed on many occasions and whitewater rafted...kayaking is a blast but I'm not sure I could do it in rough waters...at least not yet!

When I got home I took a quick power nap, showered and went to the ballet at the Lincoln Center...now I am not a huge ballet fan but the tickets were free (an alumni from Bank Street works for the American Ballet Company) and to my  surprise Ethan Stiefel was in the company!  For those of you who love Center Stage (movie) he was the hip hop cool ballet choreographer - Cooper!  There were 3 ballets and 2 of them were Choreographed by Twyla Tharp and Jerome Robbins!  They were fabulous!  When I left the Lincoln Center I encountered an art project in progress....for the past 2 weeks there have been pianos placed in various spots around Manhattan to encourage people to play, to share their talents and interact with each other...each piano was "adopted" by volunteers who make sure it is covered during bad weather and just check on it day to day...there were people sitting on steps listening to some of the most talented piano players I have ever heard...people were singing, making requests and just enjoying being outside and listening to music!  It was awesome....2 blocks away I came across another piano...this one appeared to have a group organizing a sing-a-long!  I stopped and enjoyed 2 hours of showtunes...about 200 people were gathered and having a great time...some even got up and improvised a dance line! Video is below...sorry the quality is not great!  What a great project!  Sad it will be over today...my friends who are visiting will miss it by 3 days :(

July 4th! Last year I went down to the river with about 40,000 other people to watch the Macy's Fireworks...it was awesome but trying to get back home was CRAZY!  This year I decided to get on one of the boats in the River...so I purchased my ticket...got dressed in my white skirt and red/blue top and made my way from the upper west side to the Circle Line Pier....by bus and walking...when I arrived at the ticket window I was sadly informed that I had purchased a ticket for July 4, 2011!!!  Sad day!  But I'm ready for next year!  Instead I went to see Cyrus...an independent film that was really good but we will probably never see it in Birmingham :)

Tomorrow we have a field trip to the Frick Museum and a Safety Workshop that will last until 7:30pm...long day!  On Wednesday we start Printmaking and I am going to a sneak preview of a movie that opens July 30th with Steve Carell and Paul Rudd...

Having a great time and can't wait to see Rebecca and Katie on Thursday!

Much love,
MJ