DIY in Newport RI

Reflections on the People's Climate March 9.21.14

On September 21st, Scott & I joined approximately 400,000 people in the People's Climate March, the largest climate march in history.



Neither of us had participated in a demonstration before, but I gave Bill McKibben's audiobook Oil & Honey: The Education of an Unlikely Activist to Scott as a Christmas present last year and we got really into his story and his efforts with 350.org.  When we learned that this march was happening right near my apartment on Central Park West, we had to check it out.



We jumped in around 84th Street, right where the big Ben & Jerry's ice cream cone happened to be.


We were excited to see Jerry Greenfield himself there. We didn't introduce ourselves but here he is in the background of this selfie.



 

and there he is with a backpack on.



There were so many people from around the country and the world advocating different types of environmental causes. A cause with one of the most visible presences (at least in our section) was the prevention of the Keystone XL pipeline, which is largely lead by McKibben. Organizations like Tar Sands Blockade were out in full force.





 

The march didn't start moving for what seemed like hours because the crowd was so big.






Even other species joined.



The most moving part was the moment of silence, followed by the powerful roar/cheer of hundreds of thousands of people that made it's way up the streets and reverberated through the city.  Here's a pic I took during the moment of silence:



 

Here's someone's YouTube video of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9mJSGKii8Y

 

 

Overall, really cool experience. I'm grateful I got to be part of this and would definitely participate again.

NYC Bucket List Challenge: Recap

Hello from Newport, RI!

The absurdly stressful process of moving out of New York was of course chaotic and I haven't been able to blog in a couple of weeks. Special thanks to my friends Brian & Tim and my neighbor Chris who helped me move a queen sized bed and box spring and a gigantic oak dresser down four flights of stairs, then take them to the corners in the middle of the night to avoid a fine.

I may be the only person in NYC who wasn't in the know about the particulars of New York's waste collection rules, but I see weird, large things abandoned on the curbs of NYC seemingly every day, so I didn't even think there were rules around it. In case any readers are moving out of NYC sometime soon, here is a pro tip: read up on Bulk Collection and get an understanding of the schedule in advance of your move. Otherwise, your landlord (and then you) can get fined.

Now that the craziness is over, here's a quick recap of my NYC Bucket List Challenge. I was only able to complete 31 out of 40 challenges because the end of September brought a wonderful wedding in Maryland to attend, a beautiful new baby to visit, and the largest climate march in history happening a block away from my apartment! All awesome reasons to miss a few challenges if you ask me.

Below is the final list. It's hard to pick, but I think my top 3 favorite challenges were going to AquaGrill with a few friends & ordering 3 dozen oysters, exploring Red Hook, Brooklyn and seeing my friend Kristen teach a geometry class in the South Bronx.

You can check out the hashtag #NYCBucketListChallenge on Instagram to see photos from some of my favorite challenges.

Thanks to everyone who joined me for these. It was a lot of fun and a great way to get to see people before leaving New York.

 

NYC Bucket List Challenge: Final List

1. Go rowing in Central Park (needs to happen on a Saturday or Sunday morning) done 9/8

2. Go to one more Yankee game (to see #2 play) done 8/23

3. Spend an afternoon in Dumbo

4. See Dark Universe at Hayden Planetarim  done 3/14

5. See Sleep No More done 4/14

6. Order something weird/difficult to pronounce in Chinatown  done 9/4

7. Do yoga every day for 7 consecutive days done week of 9/22

8. Go to the roof of Eataly  done 9/9

9. Walk down one street I’ve never walked down before done 9/4

10. Check out the Meatball Shop that just opened down the block from my apartment done 9/19

11. Find a Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck and eat vegan ice cream  done 8/22/14

12. Experience Barry’s Boot Camp done 9/23

13. Indulge in a pastry from Cafe Lalo, where You’ve Got Mail was filmed done 9/21

14. Watch Kristen teach geometry to high school sophomores in the South Bronx done 9/29

15. Venture to Red Hook done 9/6

16. See Macy’s 4th of July fireworks done 7/4

17. Hang out in FAO Schwarz done 9/19

18. Go to Smorgasburg attempted 9/19

19. Run a half marathon done 12/13

20. Use 2 Free Barre Classes coupon at Physique 57

 21. Go to a restaurant participating in Oyster Week (and eat oysters, obviously) Done 9/16

22. Volunteer for a good cause done 7/14

23. Buy a GroupOn for an out-of-the-ordinary activity in the area

24. Have brunch with a lot of friends done 9/21

25. See stand-up comedy

26. Go to Ellis Island done 9/20

27. Go to the MoMA

28. Walk over the Williamsburg Bridge done 12/13

29. Eat oysters at Aquagrill done 9/16

30. Catch up with someone I’ve been out-of-touch with done 9/16 x3

31. Discover a new trail/landmark in Central Park  done 9/2

32. Try to spot Bradley Cooper at a 6:30am Soul Cycle Class in Tribeca Done 9/16

33. Get a slice from Di Fara in Brooklyn

34. See art/ drink wine at a Thursday night Gallery Hop in Chelsea

35. Go to a speakeasy I’ve never been to before done 9/10

36. Eat at Rosemary’s

37. Finally start a blog done 6/14

38. Wait on line for bombolone/cookie/some kind of pastry at Levain Bakery  done 8/16/14

39. Drink wine at Tolani happy hour done 9/15

40. Go the the Metropolitan Museum of Art