Not Quite Flying Solo

For the first time in over a month, I cooked a real meal…

no can opener required!

multiple pans were used!!

and a cutting board!!!

…in an honest-to-goodness kitchen. It. Felt. Amazing.

I made vegan mushroom and roasted vegetable risotto.

And I’m happy to report it was delicious.

—

I spent the morning working on my freelance stuff. Now that I’m back in the swing of things, I have a lot more riding on me each day. I don’t really feel like I’m in a position to turn jobs down at the moment (especially writing & editing jobs) but I might have to make that hard choice.

Three separate contracts have asked if we can work out something long-term, and I still have other offers coming in for one-off gigs. Pair that with job-hunting and my technical writing certification program, and I am one busy lady right now.

But, as per our new usual (I hope), I carved out some time to take Tako to Washington Square Dog Run. We actually ran into Rizzo — an absolutely adorable Rottweiler mix — whom we’d met the night before, so we’re officially making friends at the dog parks now!

I just realized that Rizzo isn’t in this photo. Fail.

On our way back to the apartment, we popped by Awesome Market — yes, that really is its name & yes, it really is Awesome — and grabbed a few ingredients for dinner. I feel like I officially live in Brooklyn because multiple neighbors now say hello to Tako whenever we walk by them hanging on their stoops.

Also, I totally walked to my car eight blocks away in my pajamas, which is a level of comfort I don’t think I ever reached in San Francisco. PJ Chic. That’s a thing.

—

Shannon had a friend (of a friend) in town, so she invited me along with them to a show at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn.

And it is, quite honestly, my new favorite venue.

It helps that straight outta the gate we saw Bat Fangs, a very awesome band from North Carolina/DC.

They had a bassist on stage with them, but according to their band pages only Betsy Wright & Laura King are members.

I have an issue with bands who hire musicians to tour or record with them but don’t make them members of the band, don’t give them credit on band pages. Maybe it’s because I’m the daughter of a musician who has a long history of writing bass lines and arrangements for other people’s songs for them and not receiving any credit or royalties on those songs.

Here’s my thing: If someone writes the bass line for your song, they helped you write the song. I mean, unless you’re playing it without that bass line? Or recording it without that bass line? Give them the credit they deserve.

But I don’t know what kind of deal they have with this bassist who’s touring with them. So I’m trying to without judgement.

 

They were amazing. Kind of like if Sleater-Kinney and The Runaways had a baby.

Shannon’s friend arrived during Bat Fangs’ set, so we found each other during the break and fought our way to the bar. The bar in the back is tiny, and the smart people who knew the venue went out to the front bar (attached to a restaurant that had already closed) to order instead. But the bartender was cool, just spread a little thin, and didn’t even complain when I asked for a cherry, despite the fact that it apparently meant going out to the front bar himself to get it.

The Love Language (also from North Carolina) were the headliners for the night.

I’m pretty sure you’ve heard at least one of their songs. Specifically this one:

They were…fine? I mean, they weren’t bad. I had a good time listening to them. They just didn’t excite me like Bat Fangs did. The Love Language’s songs were…well, other than “Heart to Tell” and a ballad I can’t find, I don’t remember a single one they played, actually.

I think they played this one. It sounds kind of familiar.

Their best song of the night was the ballad I mentioned before. Their lead singer performed solo with his guitar. And, of course, I can’t find a video for that song anywhere, so it must be new.

We missed the opening band, Moon Racer, and judging by the rest of the bill, that’s a tragedy.

After the show, we were all a little tipsy and wanted to dance. So we grabbed a cab and headed to Elsewhere. Elsewhere is a huge warehouse that’s been converted into a multi-level night club.

The rainbow stairs only led to the bathroom, which was a disappointing discovery. The mezzanine level is decorated like a French café, which is pretty fun.

And I just noticed that it looks like they have coffee cups!! I could have had coffee??

The main draws are the big hall on the ground floor and the rooftop dance party, which looks out over the city skyline.

 

We didn’t check the calendar, so we had no idea when we arrived that it was Kunst. But what an amazing and wonderful surprise!!

 

 

 

DJ Amber Valentine played a lot of Aretha remixes, which made us all go insane on the dance floor. (Video on my Instagram stories.)

We danced until our legs just refused to hold us anymore, and then we decided to go get food. Except…late night food is difficult to find in Brooklyn. Way harder than in San Francisco. (Caveat: we were looking for vegan* food that preferably went beyond french fries or salads.)

We headed to Hard Times which the interwebs claimed to be open (and it was) but their kitchen had closed an hour or so before.

 

We did get to explore Bushwick a little bit, but I was starving. It felt like my stomach was eating itself. I guess you burn a lot of calories when you dance for three hours straight.

So I feel no shame when I tell you that on the way home I walked right up to the drive-thru window of a Dunkin’ Donuts and waited patiently for the worker to come and serve us. (Shannon is the one who was brave enough to knock, though.) He laughed so hard that I fully believe we made his night.

And it resulted in us having hash browns. I have no regrets.

 

 

High

Surprise! Amanda Lepore! Linux! Kyle Farmery! Fet Fet! Avory Agony! That totally amazing leopard statue!

 

Low

Late night vegan food is going to take planning in New York. Unless anyone has suggestions?

 

Breakdown

Driven: 7169mi (retired)

Hiked: 57mi (if you include urban hiking)

Written: 15k

Listening to: “Come Back Baby” Aretha Franklin

 

*I haven’t personally gone vegan since hitting New York, but Shannon, Molly, and Sean are all vegan/plant-based. So I’ve been mostly skewing that direction since I got here.