BIRTHDAY PART I

Every once in a while, you have to reboot the ol’ machine. You need to force-quit. You have to unplug it, blow on it, and try it again.

The best way to do that, I’ve found, is to take a couple days off from work to be away from the scrolling slog, commune with art, and do as much walking as you possibly can. It doesn’t have to be your birthday, but it does help!

In the lead-up to this day, I was very bummed about the less-than-beautiful forecast, since I’d hoped to spend my birthdaycation lolling around in the sun and getting minimal steps in. Nope. Finally accepting reality at age 34, I reserved a Culture Pass for the MoMA and headed to midtown.

Finally visited Myzel’s Chocolates. Est. 1990, like me. Bought a trio of mint, banana, and coconut truffles from Kamila Myzel herself, a true kindred spirit.

In a 2009 interview with the NYT, she said, “I love art. Just give me the museums, I don’t need vacation. I need vacation, yes, but I love the museums. I have a group of friends. We go to see old movies. We like good jazz.”

And then, the MoMA! It was as MoMA as it ever was. I hadn’t had a good, thorough visit in such a long time.

The surrealism collection is my favorite part. It’s what sparked my fascination with art as a little kid. Here we have Leonora Carrington and Joseph Cornell.

Did not commune with the Persistence of Memory, but that’s ok.

After the MoMA, I walked 10-ish blocks to the NYPL, hoping to see the Picture Collection. WELL, looks like you’ll need to be a researcher (of what?) to gain access to that. Luckily, the library has an exquisite permanent collection called Treasures that I’d never seen before.

It reinvigorated my love of art nouveau and Alphonse Mucha.

Last stop? A meal of pure decadence at Mar’s. Pictured here is a Mar’s bar: chocolate ganache, candied thyme, sea salt, caramel. And then I walked home and watched an episode of The Kardashians, as is my wont.

Even though I spent my birthday on my own, friends and loved ones were ringing in from every time zone as far as Rio to wish me well. I was moved to tears multiple times by the outpouring of love. It was a pretty sweet day, I have to say.