I went to NYC during the last week of May. It was a work trip, goal was to take in a lot of art, talk with collectors and artists. Side benefit was being in an amazing city, while the weather was gorgeous and perfect.

Walking along Central Park, this couple was posing for wedding photos. A girl walking next to me asked “Are they real?” Things do seem a bit surreal and larger than life when you first get to the city.

The next two photos are from the Olafur Eliasson show at the MOMA. It was mostly different types of sculpture using light. This particular room was circular, and the wall (or skin) gradually changed color in the most intense way. So cool.

Here’s another Eliasson piece, a trippy mirror hallway that went all the way down. Very disorienting.

We did also visit Times Square, and wandered through the ToysRUs store. They had an animatronic TRex and huge lego sculptures, among other cool things.

Here is the Empire State Building, with the animatronic TRex behind it.

Note King Kong at the top of the building.

Switching gears again, here is the Jeff Koons exhibit on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Actually, not really that different from the ToysRus display. Jeff Koons is pretty blatantly commercial, a lot of people think it’s crass to have his work on the roof of the Metropolitan. Equating it with the masterpieces in the Met’s collection is a bit too much for many to swallow.

But . . . the view was lovely and they sold mojitos up there! It was nice to sit up there on such a lovely day.

These are the masterpieces I am talking about. The Egyptian temple was given to the US by Egypt when it was slated to be flooded by a dam going into Egypt. I love this room, and it is one of the few you can take pictures in.

My last night there, it was opening night for Sex and the City. The line was fun to check out, and it stretched around the block. Still haven’t seen the movie . . .

It was a great trip, only wish I would have taken pictures of the food I ate. Definitely, the food is the best part of being in a great city. Wow, I ate so so well while there.

Ruby went to her first Regional gymnastics competition in Fort Worth, Texas, this past May. She was really nervous, but she pulled

through and learned a lot about competing at a big meet. Next year will be a lot easier!

Here is a video I put together of her three events, enjoy:

Uncle Wilbur Fountain—opening day party!

Ruby and Jesse at the zoo, feeding the giraffes.

Cutest Meerkat ever!!!! Jesse playing in a giant pot at the zoo.

The kids hatching at the zoo!

My little brother Jimmy (James to the rest of the world besides us siblings) married Heather the magnificent in Las Vegas on March 19th.  It was a lovely trip, my first time to Las Vegas, and it was sooooo fun to have all my siblings in one place.

I still have the scars from my ridiculously good-looking high heels and late night dancing to prove it!

While Ruby was busy ‘boarding, Jesse and I decorated some eggs.  And built a snow bunny.  And ate more chocolate.

Ruby and her dad hit a local hill after a big snowstorm.  She is getting pretty good.

Click on this video to watch her in action, woo hoo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3ToU3pmeSI

Thanks to all my friends who came out to support me, I appreciate it!  I have an exhibit of my work up at the downtown studio campus of the Pikes Peak Community College.  It is a two-woman show, the other artist (the one who does the neon) is Rian Kerrane, originally from Ireland but now teaching art in Denver.

Jesse and his good friend Ursen, who had an art show of his own at a local gallery a couple weeks before. 

L to R:  Rian Kerrane (artist), Laura Ben-Amots (curator of the show, amazing painter), moi

Laura introducing the show.  Those are my paper shoes in the foreground, my encaustic paintings in the background.

Jesse and about 10 of his friends had a blast at his 4th Birthday party.  Artsports Gym was the location, they jumped on trampolines and dived into foam pits to their hearts delight.

Click on the links to view short videos of the party!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWmUARjjVTM

http://www.youtube.com/v/i8wGWaAYEtssrc

Politics is so boring, really. Here’s something juicy for ya! This is a creamcheese frosting, ½ cc and ½ butter, with seedless raspberry jam and a little red food coloring. The cake is yellow cake, yum! It was a nice flavor combo, the raspberry went well with the tangy cream cheese.

Fun with frosting!

Last Saturday in Downtown Colorado Springs, I headed out with my neighbor Georgia as an alternate delegate for Obama. Georgia picked me up at 6:30 AM, and we were some of the first on the scene.

Lining up with the alternates at 6:45 am, now that’s dedication! Behind us are a CC student and former co-worker from CC, Marla. The line behind us is mostly alternates.

Registering with Georgia (leaning over in front of me).

We waited in a room with other alternates for about 3.5 hours, the time seemed to pass more quickly than that.

At about 11 am, we were called in as alternates. That’s when the real excitement began!

This is an auditorium full of delegates who have been waiting since 9 am for things to start. A bunch of complainers if you ask me, we were there at 6:45 am!

We filled out our “preference” voting ballots and then got to read through 190 resolutions from all the caucuses around El Paso County.

Those provided some entertainment into the long hours of the afternoon. Here are some examples:

#1– We resolve that all presidential signing statements must address only the practicalities of executing the new law at the bureaucratic level. The presidential signing statements will not negate the new law. (????)

#89—We resolve that the U.S. should adopt the Kyoto accords. (voted yes on that one)

#125—We resolve to support Medical Marijuana. (right on freaky bro!)

#155—We resolve to stop illegal immigration (if only it were that easy!).

#158—We resolve that George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld be tried for war crimes. (Did you know Nader is running again? He proposes just this)

#171—We resolve to include precint 335 in a community re-investment act in order to facilitate and limit foreclosures by investing in city infrastructure (sounds good, no idea where that is).

#178—We resolve to question the extreme unaccounted-for energy release at Ground Zero, which were capable of reducing huge skyscrapers to dust containing nano-particles. (huh? Conspiracy theorists?)

#186—We resolve to dissolve the IRS. (hmm, tempting).

That was exhausting! But I got it done and then the convention started, at 12:45 pm (mind you they were supposed to start at 9 am!). They gave us a ½ hour for lunch, then we launched right into the business of electing a bunch of people to sit a bunch of committees.

Various candidates gave short stump speeches; this is Pete Lee running for State Senate 12.

Then we found out at 5 pm that Obama got 1,071 delegates, Hilary 471. We enjoyed a rousing musical act on stage, then split up into our House Districts to decide who would be delegates and alternates for the State Convention, being held in El Paso County for the first time in history! I was selected an alternate, it will be in May, I promise to take better pictures!