Masquerader at the 43rd Annual West Indian Carnival in Brooklyn

Last weekend was the Labour Day parade in Brooklyn. One of my favorite Brooklyn events to bring a camera to. I took over 400 shots and have put some of the best online on my Flickr account and an article about the carnival at UncommonCaribbean.com. This was my first time back since 2008, so it was a ton of fun. Hundreds more photos are available in the West Indian Day Parade 2010 Flickr pool.

I should remember not to miss any more years.

The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower

Last week, the woman and I rode up to the Bronx to check out the New York Botanical Gardens’ The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower. It was cold and there was still snow on the ground, but, for the most part, the ride was pleasant. After paying our $12 to park the motorcycle and $20 each to get in, we quickly found ourselves transported to (generally) warmer, lusher, more Caribbean climes. For the most part, the walk through the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory (incidentally, the nation’s largest Victorian-era glasshouse) was quite pleasant and the orchids on display delicately mesmerizing.

I should remember to make orchid hunting yet another reason to get to Cuba sooner rather than later. I’ll just keep this orchid desktop wallpaper up to remind me!

More Snow in Brooklyn, originally uploaded by Enjoy Patrick Responsibly.

I don’t think I’ll forget to go someplace warm anymore…

Brooklyn Snow

I really should remember to go somewhere warm… soon.

Safe Haven Irish Music Session

Every Wednesday a group of talented traditional Irish musicians gather at a small bar in South Park Slope. I’ve always had some strange attachment to Ireland. It may just be due to my name and its ties to the country, but nevertheless Ireland has always interested me.

Anyway, when I was asked to photograph a session at Safe Haven, I jumped at the chance just for the fun of it. Thankfully the photos came out well in my opinion. It may be due to the Irish whiskey Noel kept pouring me throughout the night… or maybe just the fantastic vibe that evening.

I should remember to swing back by Safe Haven one of these Wednesdays.

Crazy clouds over Manhattan

Last Friday, while having some dinner at Mexican Radio (after missing a Michael Jackson tribute in Times Square), I and 8 million or so New Yorkers were treated to some amazing cloud formations and lighting as the sun set on a crazy week in general.

Luckily, I had my camera with me and was able to grab a few decent shots to remember just how weird everything looked. I’ve posted them on my Flickr account and Gothamist even posted one in their gallery about the mammatus clouds.

And additionally, you could download the Crazy Clouds Over Manhattan image as a desktop wallpaper over at MyBestDesktops.com.

I should remember to carry my camera with me as much as I can.

Update: In a roundabout way one of the photos I took of the clouds made its way onto CNN via a video report that featured  Gothamist which had a thumbnail of the shot. It’s tiny and only there for a second, but it’s there:

Francis Bacon, Study after Velazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953

Despite feeling some need to create paintings, I’m not much of an art person. I’m not much for movements, education, following the stories behind pieces, marveling at hidden significances, or even remembering artists’ names… except for a couple artists who I’ve strongly connected to for often random or bizarre reasons.

Francis Bacon is one of those artists. His early surviving work is truly an amazing expression of a young man with some serious issues; issues that  I, as a young man when I was first exposed to him, felt some empathy with.

So it was with a special sense of awe that I slowly made my way through the retrospective exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday. Seeing those pieces “in the flesh” was one of the more inspirational moments I’ve had in a long time.

I really should remember to at least try to go see more art… and to turn that inspiration into actual done pieces.

Lykke Li at a different performance

Thanks again to my woman, I had the pleasure of attending the Lykke Li concert last night at the Highline Ballroom. Ever since a friend put me on to her and I put her on to my woman, Lykke Li has been on heavy rotation, so I was excited for a surprise concert and she certainly didn’t disappoint.

Similarly to the first time we saw Sia at Hiro, Lykke Li live is very different from her recorded sound. On stage she’s overflowing with energy, attitude and a general bombast that brought a harder edge to some of the softer songs and a rocking danceability to the whole show. I had mentioned to the women before the show, that my favorite tracks on the album were the remixes (especially the ones by CSS and The Black Kids), so having the whole show have that feel was excellent.

Anyway, I should remember to be on the lookout for new Lykky Li stuff and see her live again!

(photo by serhio)

Cheering station for the American Cancer Society on the boardwaylk

In what could be misconstrued as a cruel drive to see her man break under pressure, my woman signed me up for yet another running race. Although this race was only 3 miles more than the previous one she’d signed me up for, those 3 miles plus the word “marathon” in the title had me dreading this challenge up to the second I found myself in a mass of over 11,000 runners and the starting horn blew.

That said,  a big chunk of the course was on my home turf, so 1.5 times around Prospect Park was no big deal. A nice bonus was running with my woman and her friend which made it feel more casual. Then it was off to Ocean Parkway for the last half of the race and that’s a pretty straight shot with an easy grade. The final bit on the actual Coney Island boardwalk was a little rough with runners tripping and falling all around me on the uneven wooden deck, but somehow I managed.

In the end, NYRR Half-Marathon Grand Prix Presented by Continental Airlines: Brooklyn was a tough challenge and a great experience. My official time: 2:05.

I should remember to keep running as it usually makes me feel great.

(photo by: mason13a)

I’m currently not carrying a bag. It’s a revelation in NYC living that I’ve been experimenting with since early last year. However, should I ever decide to go back to rolling with a burden, I should remember to look into the new Incase Skate Messenger Bag. Even though I don’t skate, there’s tons of uses for those compartments and straps that could really come in handy.