Yesterday evening in Menemsha...for lobster, camaraderie and the sunset.

More blue~

An ode to blue...

Yesterday was spent at the beach. It was a perfect day. High 70's, no humidity, loving family and an amazing display of clouds. We were enthralled with the squalls we could see on the horizon. Lightning from afar.

Some of my peeps. We were sitting at the dock enjoying Donovan's cocktails while watching a gorgeous evening sky.

I managed to get on a 6:30 boat which meant getting to the island early. Score! I was the second to the last to squeeze on the ferry. Actually, a freighter. We had to back our cars onto the boat.

As we were pulling into the harbor at Oak Bluffs the sun broke through. It was the perfect way to approach the island.

Have 7:45 ferry reservations but was so tired I didn't dare wait too long before hitting the road. So I left about 3...and have been in Woods Hole for over an hour. Sitting in the waiting line with a good possibility of catching an earlier boat. I love that the Steamship Authority has free wifi in its parking lot.

Got in very late last night. NYC was pretty wonderful. Photo of the old piers in Chelsea. And now..packing to head out to Martha's Vineyard until Saturday evening. Have reservations on the 7:45 ferry but hope to grab an earlier one. I will bring my laptop but may have sporadic access. But there is a kingsize bed with my name on it and right now, I'm so tired I could sleep for days. It will be pretty awesome waking up in Vineyard Haven after almost two decades of not spending time there. Bringing a couple books to read and books to draw in. Many NYC photos to edit and post and some point this week.

Happy Pride weekend everyone! I'm hopping a bus to NYC in a couple hours and will be there for Sunday's festivities. I'm doing it old school: my backpack, my dumbphone, and no computer. So I'll be off the grid.

I also had a really strong 2nd and 3rd interview this morning at one of the colleges. Back to back. I should hear something in a couple weeks.

And when I got out of the meetings, I received a phone call and apparently there is a bed waiting for me in Martha's Vineyard for next week. So I return from NYC late Sunday and off to MV on Monday or Tuesday. Woohoo! First NYC, art and Pride and then a ferry boat, water and more boats.

Life is definitely interesting.

Oh dear, these last two days have been brutally hot. Well, hot for me. I don't do well above 80 - 85. And we've been running in the high 90's. This was the one thing I was dreading with my east coast move. There isn't any a/c in our apt but we are blessed to have a massive tree up against the east side. So, although quite warm, it's much cooler than outdoors.

But it still leaves me slow and sluggish. My head turns into mush and I can't do much of anything.

Today, I finally purchased a bathing suit. I haven't had one since my first year in Seattle. Not that it wasn't warm enough to go swimming, but I just didn't feel like it. This heat is definitely play in the ocean weather.

Sunday morning I had a Skype appointment with my therapist. It was our first contact (other than a few emails) since I left Seattle. The venue was odd, but not too. It was good to touch base and just pour out all that's happened in the last couple months. We'll do another in a few weeks or so.

My job ended on Friday afternoon. I found out just before leaving the office for the weekend. The company was sold about 3 weeks ago and the new owners decided to restructure.

I left the office shell-shocked. It was very unexpected but I understand their reasoning.

I do have a second interview at one of the local colleges on Friday. It would be a position in the Bursar's office. I met with the Bursar and the assistant Bursar in my first interview. Friday, I meet for an hour with the head of HR and then the following hour with the assistant head of HR. I guess it means I'm definitely in the running.

And I applied for three more positions this morning before heading into the studio.

Painting is going fine.

For the last month, my studio has been leaking during rainstorms. It's the section with my bookcase, the carpet and the comfy chairs. I finally moved everything and laid plastic down along with buckets a few weeks ago. I printed some photos I took of the back end of my space covered in plastic and handed it to the landlord Friday morning saying "I can no longer justify paying full rent if I don't have full use of the space."

Seriously. I didn't sign up for a water feature.

Today while painting I heard lots of banging over head. Methinks they are working on the roof.

The weather has been perfect. Looking out the window a little while ago I saw the most beautiful sky. After dinner I sat on my stoop with a glass of sangria and watched the world go by.

Strangers are really friendly here.

Friday I'm headed to NYC with my roommate D. for the weekend. She is going to hook up with friends and I've been given the keys to a friend's space on the lower east side so I'll have my own little nest. We'll reconnect on Sunday for Pride and then hop the bus later in the day.

I'm looking forward to a trip into the city to check out some art.

In the last month, I've been dropping the weight I put on in the last year that I couldn't seem to take off. It was a severely stressful year. I feel better in my body.

Here is my lobster photo because I've been hankering for its sweet flesh.

Saturday night at the parade, I had the most interesting and heartwarming experience. After Diane and I watched the parade, we joined in along with the crowds and marched and danced down the remainder of the route. The street was jammed with people marching.

A young man in tight shorts and a glow stick around his neck was walking near us. He came up to me and began to speak.

"Thank you so much for all you've done for our rights. I can't imagine how difficult it was back then and I try to show appreciation to our elders."

His face was filled with joy and gratitude. At first I was taken aback because I wondered if he thought me an elder because of my grey hair. And then...I took in his compliment and was reminded of some scary times in the mid80's in NH when I came out as gay in my early 20's. I gave him a big smile, thanked him for his kind words and wished him a happy Pride. I've done my share of mentoring but never considered myself an elder, figuring I had at least 20 more years before I could don that cloak.

It was a pretty special night. Thank you Providence.

More Providence Pride photos...

Some blurry photos from Saturday night's Providence Pride...

Sign at the staging area of the parade.





The flag has been flying at city hall since last week.





And the parade begins!

Last night was Providence's pride parade. It's an illuminated parade, taking place when it's dark. I drove home for a family event and drove back in time to meet Diane downtown about 7 pm. It was a really great evening. Providence's parade felt like a cross between a parade and a march. It also straddled the line between city and small town. And...although there were queer groups from different corporations marching, it did not have a corporate sponsored feel. I loved it and didn't once miss Seattle Pride parade. Honestly, I preferred this one.

Photo of a family waiting for the parade to begin.

The one down side of a nighttime event is photographing one. Almost all my photos were blurry.

A walk through the Ptown cemetery.






Found a little bunny guarding a grave.

Glittery lobster in Ptown

More Ptown photos. Whenever I go, I get overwhelmed by all the color. And the flags and banners make me happy.

One of the paintings I'm working on in the mornings before heading into the office. 24"x18". oil on canvas.

Some Ptown stuff-

A kickass little record store with your obligatory disco ball and Donna Summer memorabilia..




Want a license plate?




A bouquet of buoys.