Snow Day

February 2, 2021 By gracienycity in See Tags: beauty in the everyday, city streets, Manhattan, mood, New York City, NYC, Roosevelt Island, Roosevelt Island Tram, snow boots, snow day, video 10 Comments

I dusted off my snow boots today—the ones I put off buying for like ten years ‘cause I was like, what do I need snow boots for? The half o’ snowstorm we maybe get once a year? I’d rather just put on two pairs of socks and wear [ruin] my black leather boots every time —Silly Me, PRE-Snow-Boots

So here’s me, today, out with my snow boots and failing iPhone 7, braving the wilds of Manhattan. It actually wasn’t that bad out, that is, if you enjoy getting continuously pelted in the eyeballs with ice needles.

But here’s a tip: warm, waterproof feet coverings with treads that can bulldoze over piles of snow will change your winter game 👍 even if it’s only once (or half o’ once) a year.

Also, life is short: Take the trip, buy the snow shoes, eat the spaghetti and meatballs with jarred sauce.

Succession Sundays

May 4, 2020 By gracienycity in See Tags: create, quarantine, Succession, video making 2 Comments

From “Succession”

They say we tend to remember the things in our lives that are either really great or really sucky. I think it’s safe to say anyone lucky enough to [still] be alive today will be remembering this moment in time. Emotional whiplash has been the norm for me during this pandemic and subsequent quarantine, as I’m sure is the case for many. I’ve run the gamut, from guttural sobbing at the state of our world, to maniacal cackling at the latest internet stupidity I come across (God bless the cleverness of Internet People during this great time of need for laughter 🙏).

Despite the overwhelming heartache in the world, there have also been great acts of kindness and humanity all around us. The spring weather brings a sense of awakening and hopefulness, even if just viewed from our windows. I feel incredibly lucky—at least for now, I have a comfortable place to live, food on my table, friends and family to talk to, and lots and lots of time to do the shit I always complain I have no time for. Some days I read and do yoga, and some days I eat brownies and cry in front of the TV. But no matter the level of productivity or dysfunction, I have found a rhythm to my days, and that has brought me some peace during this unconscionable time.

Heartache has always served as a great creative motivator for me. I think it’s something to do with the churning up of things—things long stagnant or just lurking beneath the surface, some of which I didn’t even know were there—or maybe I was just too afraid to look. Heartache, plus time on my hands has served as a creative boon for which I’m very grateful. I’ve been wanting to make videos for a long time, and I’m finally forcing myself to learn how. Everyone’s always saying: Just do iMovie, it’s so easy! Now, I’m no Steve Jobs, but I can usually figure shit out once I put my mind to it. And learning Japanese if you’ve never spoken it in your life, takes a minute to get the hang of. But this was like, a minute in dog years.

I’ve also been watching lots of movies and catching up on TV shows. I just finished Succession, which is super smart, disturbingly funny, and features some of the most deliciously despicable characters you’ll ever meet (some of who even manage to win you over). The theme song is also annoyingly addictive. Watch it if you’re looking for your next binge (streaming on HBO and Amazon Prime).

My first attempt at learning Japanese:

Detail of “All’s I Had To Do”:

REINVENT THE WHEEL

Record some shit. Learn iMovie for Mac. Listen to in-depth tutorials on Lynda.com. Figure out how to upload this shit to Instagram Stories. Figure out that Instagram Stories sucks ass if you want to add music not found in their library. Open Spotify account. Find out there is already an account under my name. Activate “Forgot Password.” Find out the musician who wrote the song also wrote a bunch of other famous shit. Find out Spotify won’t let you rip off their music to add to your homemade video. Decide to leave account open anyway and vow to tackle Spotify next! Find out two days later that someone in China has logged into my Spotify account. Decide it’s time to delete my account. (Where is the damn, “delete account” tab?) Google: How to delete Spotify account (trust me, it WAS NOT obvious). Delete, and wait for confirmation email (’cause it ain’t over ’til you click on that shit). Fire up iTunes. Realize I need to download the latest iTunes update. Realize I should probably download the latest iTunes update on my phone while I’m at it. Figure out how to send an MP3 file from my computer to my phone (spoiler alert: no need—the shit is already synched in iTunes. #MAGIC). Try various video-editing apps to bring my masterpiece to life. Realize none of them work. Find out there’s an iMovie app on my phone! (Start playing with it). Look up 4,000 things on Google. Finally get started on masterpiece video, but soon find out that iMovie for iPhone sucks. Figure that I should just put to use my Lynda.com Education and use THE REAL iMovie on my computer. (DUH). Figure out how to upload half-assed video to Mac using AirDrop. Spend another 45,000 hours Googling how to make iMovie do the shit I want it to. Realize text editing in iMovie sucks, but figure I’ve already come this far (insert shrugged shoulders emoji). Realize I’m funny and want to add GIFS (or memes?) Google: How to make a GIF/MEME. Realize it’s DAYS later. Realize I’m OBSESSED… POSSESED! Realize I haven’t showered, changed clothes, or called about my student loans. Realize I am probably not the only one #Coronavirus. Realize my video is finally coming together. Realize I’m a creative genius. Realize quarantine is for GENIUS-making. Realize I can change the world, one homemade video at a time. Realize I can’t just upload a 23-hour video to Instagram Stories. Realize I need to scale back. Realize there’s an app for that. Realize I need to download something called, “CutStory,” which will chop up my long ass video into a seamless series of 15-second Instagram-friendly nuggets. Realize it’s free, except for their ugly ass logo on all of my blood, sweat, and tears from here to eternity. Realize I need to pay $1.99 to have said logo removed from masterworks for all eternity. Realize my credit card for in-app purchases is expired. Realize I need to update my info. Realize there is a password to do this. (Where the hell is my password?) Realize I’m obsessed with this song. Realize my vast research has revealed there is apparently a scientific reason why this song is so appealing, but I have yet to read about it. (It is on my to-do list, along with showering and cleaning my base molding). Decide that everyone who said IT’S SO EASY to make videos deserves to be punched in the face.

Jonas

January 26, 2016 By gracienycity in See Tags: blizzard, branches, Central Park, Jonas, nature, New York City, photography problems, snow, trees, weather, winter storm 11 Comments

© Grace Cavallo

The first snowfall of 2016 and I am happy to report that after spending most of my life in New York City, I finally shot the lock off my wallet and invested in a proper pair of snow boots—not rigged up rain boot/construction boot/random leather boot concoctions.

© Grace Cavallo

To be honest, my sister bought them for me as a Christmas gift (per my request). This was way back in December, by the way, when temperatures were averaging in the balmy 60s and 70s (!), so my lovely boots sat forgotten in their box at the back of my closet.That is, until news of an impending blizzard started making the rounds on the news. There were conflicting reports about the intensity of the storm, but as it came closer, it was clear that it would hit big.

© Grace Cavallo

By the time Saturday morning rolled around, the wind was howling and it looked like a snow globe outside. And while I have to admit there’s something romantic about being stuck at home with nothing more than reading to catch up on and Netflix to watch while a violent snowstorm rages outside, I knew I needed to get out for my #TodayinNY picture-a-day series.

© Grace Cavallo

5th Avenue, New York City, Winter Storm Jonas

© Grace Cavallo

And even though I love doing it (most of the time) let me tell ya, the shit ain’t easy—rain, sleet, snow, blizzard—the TodayinNY show must go on! Needless to say, I was not looking forward to leaving the comfort of my couch. But the thought of zipping on my new snow boots was also kind of exciting! So I bundled myself up and rallied to get to Central Park for a quick photo shoot.No sooner did I leave the house that I began to regret it. The wind was whipping violently and snow was pelting me in the face. The snow was up to my knees in spots and it felt like walking through quicksand. There weren’t many cars on the road but the few I did see were mostly spinning their wheels and going nowhere.

© Grace Cavallo

59th Street, New York City, Winter Storm Jonas

© Grace Cavallo

The steps leading down to the subway were slippery and covered in snow and it was a wonder I made it to the park without eating it. I emerged from the N train at the corner of 59^th Street and 5^th Avenue. The plan was to quickly descend the steps of the park to the pond across from the Plaza Hotel and take a quick picture.

The Plaza Hotel, New York City, Winter Storm Jonas

This guy looked like he knew what he was doing, sort of © Grace Cavallo

© Grace Cavallo

Easier said than done.It was whiteout conditions and the wind gusts practically knocked me over. The wet snow made its way into every crevice and although I had a cover for my camera, it was a struggle keeping the lens dry long enough to get a decent picture.

Waiting patiently © Grace Cavallo

© Grace Cavallo

There were a handful of people milling around, mostly tourists eager to see what the big storm was all about. But I think we all soon realized being outdoors was probably not the brightest decision. So I put it in gear, got my pictures, and hightailed it home.

And even though I risked life and limb for these damn pictures during the second biggest snowstorm in New York history, it was kinda fun. And by the way, my feet were toasty and dry and super happy.