Another week has gone by and tomorrow afternoon I fly back to Pittsburgh. It’s been a very productive week. Monday morning I went to see my contact lens practitioner. In an hour and a half she found more ways to help me than all of my several visits to the neuro opthamologist in Pittsburgh. She gave me prescriptions for reading glasses with a prism to keep my right eye from drifting, the original problem I had, and glasses I can wear when I remove the contact lenses. Then she asked me not to wear the lenses until I returned to see her on Wednesday in order to measure how much change there would be as my cornea returns to its original distorted shape. Needless to say there was a big change. If I had done this for two more days, I would be close to blindness. The contact lenses are reshaping my corneas and I will probably have to continue wearing them forever.

I met Phyllis at noon at the Rubin Museum. We looked at three floors of exhibits then had lunch. I am not hugely interested in Himalayan Buddhist art, but the place is so lovely and peaceful I find myself returning often. Afterward we went over to Pier 38 on the Hudson River and took the Circle Line Tour around the island of Manhattan, another lovely relaxing activity, although not entirely relaxing for me. I took that same trip with my brother on September 10, 2001. Somewhere I have pictures of the twin towers still standing.

Tuesday afternoon I met another friend and went to the Lunch Hour exhibit at the New York Public Library. By this time I wasn’t seeing very well, but what I saw was good and I enjoyed visiting with my friend. Finally, met another friend for dinner.

Wednesday morning a friend from Jersey drove in to visit, then back to the eye doctor, then, with my contacts, a movie with Renee. Thursday was breakfast, lunch and dinner with friends.

I brought my tunnel book to show my friends on Sunday and to the Thursday night friend, who is very knowledgeable about art. Watching my friends, and particularly my very knowledgeable friend examine it, made me think about doing it again and making changes. There are three kinds of pages in the book: bridges, which hold the book together, path pages, i.e., pages that illustrate the path through the tunnel, and wall pages showing the water cascading down the walls. The path and wall pages are not clearly differentiated, making the viewing a complicated experience. Now I feel I have to do something about this. Also, I haven’t really looked at the piece since I made it. I can see it better now that so much time has elapsed, and I am finding it confusing. I’ll bring it with me to Chicago and see what my artist friends have to say.

Friday I went back to the Met to see what was on the roof. I got there just before the rains came. Here is a picture:: you can see the storm clouds brewing. 
Next I tried to go tp the Whitney. There was a line around the block, it was raining hard and I was wet. I got on the bus and went back to the apartment. After the sun came out I went up to East Harlem to see the tower built for the Giglio Di Sant Antonio Feast. I’ll have pictures after I get home. In the meantime here is another picture from the street fair.