It's not like me to whine and complain; at least not on the blog. But damn it, it's not been the best trip I've ever taken. I started out with an industrial strength headache just before we left, followed by....ta da...a UTI. And if you read this post from a few weeks back, you'll know that I struggle with these; have since I was nineteen and they aren't going away.
So here I am in New York and I need to put in a call to my doctor (whom I've not yet replaced), whose office never called me back. I called twice, in fact, and was told that The Doctor was busy with patients and had not yet found time to "review" my situation.
I then call the answering service and leave a message for the on-call doctor who promptly got back to me and was very helpful; calling in the prescription immediately to the Rite Aid around the corner on West 50th Street. Problem solved. Well, sort of. The headache came back and I'm now taking a load of Exedrin so we can take the subway to Brooklyn for my first visit to The Brooklyn Art Museum. I'd be more excited about that but every time I express enthusiasm, my head pounds ferociously. Ugh.
To top it all off, WP isn't in the best of moods either. He's perhaps fed up with my complaining which I do profusely under these circumstances. I mean, every chance I get, I'm mumbling under my breath "my freakin' head hurts". It's really selfish of me and not fair because he's done all he can to help me with this; including running to the pharmacy to get my pills.
We went to MoMA yesterday; mostly for WP's benefit, since I was there last summer but that was a business trip for him so he missed out on it. He loved it, so that was a bright spot. I also saw and photographed some things I'd either missed last time or they weren't there last time.
Being very emotional this time of the month, I cried when I looked at the two Frida Khalo paintings the MoMA has. The look of pain on her face was just too much for me to bear. One of those paintings was featured in the movie Frida with the stunning Selma Hayek as Frida. It's the self-portrait where Frida is sitting in a chair, wearing a man's suit, with her hair all chopped off. Cutting my hair very short has long been something that I've wanted to do. By short I mean...shaved...like a monk; like Sinead O'Connor; like Grace Jones. I don't want to scare The Adorables (my students) so I think I'll have to wait until I retire. But it's in my future.
Now that I've ranted on about illnesses and shaving my head...I'll leave you scratching yours. I'm revealing random things about myself that perhaps don't make much sense unless you are inside my head. But in some ways, you are. Because honestly, I tell you all more than I tell anyone except perhaps my daughters, who know me better than anyone. I'd be lost without them and it's becoming clear, lost without you, too.
Time to go. I'm looking forward to feeling better tonight for Indian food. Wish I hadn't forgotten the cord that connects the camera to the computer so that I could show you pictures. That will have to wait until I retern home on Saturday.
Stay strong and alert and safe and good. And because I feel naked unless I post a picture. Here is the one that made me cry. From 1940.
Love,
Pagan Sphinx
Pagan Sphinx
Is it that she repudiates her femininity because it did not hold her true love and so she dons male clothes and cuts off her hair? There is a lot of pain in this painting, I agree. Hope your head feels better soon.
ReplyDeletehugs to you- hope you do feel better soon.
ReplyDeletethat is a very dramatic self portrait. i have only ever seen reproductions of another portrait- her in a peasant blouse with reds and whites and yellows- colors i remember. i also remember her unibrow quite well.
Gurrrl, hang in there. My sympathies are with you (and with W.P.) - for some strange reason, I can relate to both of your situations! ;)
ReplyDeleteI should have come here before leaving various messages on your machine.
Enjoy your Indian (I'm jealous!) and I'll talk to you soon, perhaps Saturday or Sunday.
ah, there there, nothing is worse in the entire world than going on a romantic little interlude, and getting sick...the last time we tried it, I got food poisoning and landed myself in the hospital for a day and a half!! I completely sympathize with your whining !!
ReplyDeletefrida happens to be my favorite because of her honest, almost always brutal message...she gets her point across~her paintings talk to me.....she is an amazing artist and I am wondering what was the other one you saw?
take your meds and rest, get some cranberry juice or pills, eat the Indian food and pray that it's not tainted and we'll see you tomorrow...
There I was imagining you enjoying a delightful holiday doing the things you like best in the City. Now I'm hoping you're feeling well enough to enjoy the rest of your stay and a safe journey home. Take care.
ReplyDeleteBrooklyn will help your headache, I promise. The air in Brooklyn has curative powers. I think it's all the sauce that's been brewing over the years.
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful day today. I truly hope the cold air and bright sun help the head.
One moment at a time lady.
Ahhhh Frida
Interesting photo at the end. A funny sideways look at the camera, or in this case painter, or perhaps even viewer. That guy has problems to be sure, but a headache is not one of them!
ReplyDeleteI hope you're feeling better by now. Travel when you're not feeling well is a drag so I hope that you bounce back before the trip is over.
ReplyDeleteI guess the post title should be "Alive IN New York" - a bit of grammatical error, there.
ReplyDeleteThanks, all, for the get-well wishes. Update soon.
That is a fascinating painting. I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteomg there is just so much going on in your life right now, no wonder you are feeling overwhelmed. one step at a time...one tiny step.
ReplyDelete