Last Saturday I worked for a few hours editing a bylined article before going out in the evening. Victoria invited me to her birthday party at Brother Jimmy's barbecue for dinner and some skeeball. I gave her a bouquet of flowers with a splash of blue that reminded me of her hair (she's a platinum blonde with an electric blue streak in her bangs). I met two of Victoria's closest friends, (Ashley and Emily) whom I'd seen at Liz's holiday party last year, plus the Michelle who gave Liz and me the backstage tour of Matilda. Liz and Josh were also there, and I enjoyed watching the two of them go at it head-to-head at skeeball. I love seeing my friends in love - it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Sunday I went out to Williamsburg for Classic Album Sundays, which featured Neil Young's album Harvest, which I've never heard, although I know the song "Heart of Gold" (surprisingly, his only number one hit). I really wanted to get away from the computer to avoid seeing all the Mother's Day reminders, which I find annoying since that's not a thing for me. Also, CAS has moved to a new location and they have different equipment, so I was interested to see how it sounds. It didn't blow me away because I'm not a fan of horn speakers (the setup was Klipsch speakers and subwoofers, powered by McIntosh amplification) but it was still impressive.
Monday night was Poly Cocktails. It was also a treat to see Jennifer again, who has been back and forth from the UK. She made a point to say she appreciates my Facebook posts, even though she doesn't comment on them. I also reconnected with a same-sex couple who are raising a 3-year-old in New Jersey and talked with my favorite tattoo artist, Jessie.
As I was making my way out, I bumped into Chelsea so we left together and started walking to the subway. Since she was walking home (she lives about a 10-minute walk away on St. Mark's), I walked with her to catch up on her life. When we got to her door we were still talking so we went across the street to the Pinkberry for a drink and ended up talking for about an hour about all kinds of things.
Tuesday night Amanda was throwing a going-away party on the eve of leaving for Los Angeles for the summer. She was one of the photographers at Kacey's wedding, which is how we met. She was making vegan tacos, which I found intriguing. Although we haven't seen each other since the wedding, I like a lot of Amanda's Facebook posts and I had an extra bottle of wine in the fridge, so I went to say goodbye for the summer. Chelsea was there early helping out, and Lourdes was working on a paper while enjoying the party, but nearly everyone else was new to me.
One guy came up to me and said he thought I was either a doctor or a novelist. I wondered what was it about me that conjured such disparate professions. He said I had an air of authority about me. It's not the first time that's been said about me. Sometimes I feel like I have an imperious nature, but other times I feel like a goofball. I think when I have my shields up around new people, it comes across as my being aloof or dignified.
I had a recovery day on Wednesday before having a friend date with Katie M on Thursday. We had dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant (her first) on the west side and then walked through Riverside Park South from 47th to 68th Street, stopping several times along the way to look at the water, the lone star visible in the sky, the lights on the Jersey shore across the Hudson and the soft glow of Manhattan in the misty fog that night. We went out to the end of a long pier into the middle of the Hudson and talked about our friends and growing up, and our various relationship pitfalls - all the things we normally talk about. I'm really grateful for our friendship and I look forward to celebrating her birthday with our poly women's group next week, and possibly helping her move to a new apartment next Saturday.
During the day on Thursday I did an interview with the New York Post and the story ran today, causing an avalanche of interviews for Leon with 1010 WINS news radio, CBS, Channel 7 News, and the New York Daily News. It's been a windfall of coverage for Open Love NY, but it's also put an extra level of stress and activity on me to help coordinate these interview. Plus, all the chatter on Facebook and the flood of new people joining the group has required my attention as well. But it's all pretty positive stuff, so I'm not complaining.
The most amusing and annoying thing to come out of having my name in the New York Post was that I was propositioned by email:
Hi Mischa, how are you? I really like your photo in the Post. Would you be open to meeting a nice Asian guy for hooking up one-on-one, possibly?
oops I think you are a lesbian and not into guys...
.. but if I am wrong, please get back! thanks
I'm not interested in hook-ups, but I am interested in seeing where my photo appeared in the Post. Can you send me a link to it? I would be most grateful!
uh.. oops! I guess I triangulated to find your picture (which I liked). Could you possibly refer me to any female friends of yours who are seeking hookup? Thanks and good article
While I'm flattered that you like my photo, you should know that polyamory and Open Love NY is not about hooking up or easy sex. It's about engaging in honest, open and loving relationships, sometimes with multiple partners, but always with full disclosure. The Post was very sensational and misleading in its coverage, so I don't blame you for the confusion :)
Best of luck to you!
Yes, i know OPLV is not a hookup club, but that is definitely what I seek... If you happen to know anybody, I would really appreciate it! Seriously, please send them my way. Thanks again, and nice picture
oops. I meant OLNY
So there you have it. If you're looking for a hook-up, I got you covered.
Tonight Liz and Josh came over to watch Her with me for TSMC. I made some steamed pork buns and Liz brought some extra wine from her event at the Park Avenue Armory and we had a wonderful time together. I feel so blessed to have people in my life who care about me and want to spend time with me. I haven't always had such people in my life, so I never want to take it for granted.
