Welcome to Spain! Madrid

We had the terrific luck to visit Spain recently. I took hundreds of shots and am sorting out which ones will translate well to blog o'sizing.  The whole trip was so beautiful, I could go on forever, but will try not to.   Here's a bit to start us off:

              Madrid Airport at 7 a.m. Sleepy and confused, I thought we'd gone through the looking glass.                         They put this much design into an airport?  Wow.

                                                                                                                                                               
Road work saw us dragging our bags the last block or so to the hotel (an 18th century palace, which could have meant anything) and found that our room was near the old chapel. Here's the hallway:  The chair on the right is upholstered in a mauve mohair velvet that just glows.

After a bite, we wandered the botanical gardens next to the Prado Museum.  Everyone was settling in for siesta, so we found a nice park bench and hubby napped while I watched the world go slowly by.

 He's half Spaniard himself and looks it, despite the Marcello Mastroianni vibe he has going here. I found myself thinking more often than usual "he's nice looking" about passersby and then realize "of course I think so, he looks like my beloved!" I enjoyed having that reaction and he, as you might imagine, enjoyed hearing about it!

This little boy clearly adored his father and emulated him as much as possible. Their sunglasses matched, he copied dad's walk, his posture, even looked at the same things. He seemed to be trying to see the world through his father's eyes. Dad had that easy going yet formal air, a natural elegance. My heart glowed, watching them meander through dappled light below the rustling trees.

Madrid was just a landing pad this time, we were soon on the high-speed train for Barcelona.

On the way, I snacked with Coke Light, ham flavored Ruffles and a Euro Kit Kat while trying to translate the Spanish daily papers, then giving up and asking for the English version.

Next: Ola, Barcelona!

A Thanksgiving Memory

As we approach the day of giving thanks, I think of all the little things that encourage creativity and make life a more interesting place. One of these even comes with it's own Thanksgiving memory: DeMert's Aerolak, "pure lacquer hairspray". Yes, my lovelies, just as the name implies, Aerosol Lacquer.

In fact, this weapons grade beauty product has been restricted since 2006, no longer being available in 15 states (most of New England plus California). Don't know whether that's due to the aerosol element or one of these intriguing, industrial sounding ingredients:

Legend has it that you can even waterproof clothing with this stuff.





Aero lak and I first met on a Wednesday, Thanksgiving eve in 19...well, let's keep some mystery and just say Many years ago. 
Picture, if you will: The basement of a downtown NYC nightclub, it's 10 p.m. and the place is buzzing with preparations for a late night fashion show. I am perched on a stool, trying not to crease the white leather straightjacket dress that I have been strapped into while a hairdresser teases my bleached, jaw length hair to glorious, spiky heights. I can't lift my arms, so she waves someone over to cover my makeup job (white skin, 2" of black eyeliner, orange lips, the usual) and then does something I'd never seen her do before- she puts out her cigarette. I hear "this is serious stuff" and for the next 30 seconds I'm enveloped in a cloud of aerosol and varnish. A flurry of fanning it dry and I was done.  I was a punk Phyllils Diller. It was Beautiful. Yes, with a capital B. There has to be a photo somewhere, I don't have it, but this one (same place, maybe a month before) will give you an idea. Subtle, huh?

Cut to 5 a.m., I am still looking downtown high fashion from the neck up. My hair is still perfect, the makeup still holds.  A taxi has tried to deliver me to my teeny rented room (seriously, a converted storage closet) on the Upper West Side, but Columbus Ave is blocked, so I'll walk the last stretch. People are milling about in the cold, pre-dawn air and spotlights are everywhere. What is this?
At the south end of the Natural History Museum on 77th Street, I see a giant creature, maybe 30 feet high and wide enough to occupy most of the street. It's huge, bulbous body is orange with black...lightning bolts? It's long neck stretches toward me, ending in a single, starburst eye. A cyclops space creature? Held to the ground with ropes and pulleys, it bobs and weaves a bit, reinforcing the impression that it's alive.  I feel like it's staring me down.
The hour, the cold, the strange, surreality of it all has me fascinated and I realize I'm stepping carefully as I creep around to view it from the side. That's when I realize that I've been spellbound by...ready?

Garfield's butt and tail.

Suddenly, the spell is broken, it's cold, it's late/early and we're all excited to be witnessing the inflation of balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade later that morning. A classic New York moment. That's when I become aware of people looking strangely at me in all of my demi-monde, avant garde grandeur (a child points, a tourist nervously gives me wide berth, the usual) and I know that, for them, Garfield is not the strangest thing on this street. I smile, take in the moment and go home to crash.

A helpful hint? Don't fall asleep in this stuff, it took three washings and a full bottle of conditioner to get it all out. 
There's another story about Aerolak, but maybe we'll save that for Christmas ;)
Here's wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving!
XO PS

Superhero Supplies, sold by real superheroes

If you could see my delighted self right now, giggling and doing the happy dance like the comic book geek that I am. Why? I have just learned that today's superhero has a reliable source for tools of the trade (and probably making new friends, if one hangs around a little).
Chaos in a bottle? Got it. Antimatter in a can? No problem. A new secret identity? Pick one!

Brooklyn Superhero Supply can even sell you a Mild Manner (one of their pricier items at $643.00). Of course they also stock guides for recognizing villains, invisibility and rear-view spectacles. Yes, Brooklyn Superhero Supply really exists, and it's run by superheroes...of the civic variety- the shop is part of a nationwide non-profit group called 826, with their profits going to support youth targeted creative and expository writing programs, tutoring and even help for teachers.
About Programs.  You can Shop online here or visit them at 372 5th Ave. Brooklyn, NY. 11215

With 6 stores across the country, based on different themes such as the Pirate Store, the Boring Store, Time Travel Mart and the Robot Supply and Repair shop, I'm betting I can find entertaining gifts for everyone I know (a forcefield generator is waaayyy cooler than anything from the mall), while my purchase helps to fund their work. Creating some happiness and lending a hand, it's what the holidays are about, yes?

Myself, I'm considering a gallon of Immortality or an Aardvark Bros. Magnetism Supplement (hmm, do they mean "magnetism" literally? Well, half of being a superhero is experimenting on yourself, so...)

For info on all the different stores

In Los Angeles' Echo Park, you can find them under the guise of the Time Travel Mart. Their motto "Whenever you are, we're already then."
Here's a mission statement from the NYC chapter website "...dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around our belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. With this in mind we provide drop-in tutoring, field trips, after-school workshops, in-schools tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications. All of our free programs are challenging and enjoyable, and ultimately strengthen each student's power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in his or her individual voice."