Madison Art Cinemas:Madison, CT- 11/26/11- 16:26 EST

The space in this ladies room  gets so crowded that the automatic paper towel dispensers keep being set off by people waiting in line and spitting out towels with no one there to use them. Makes the wait amusing and gets us talking and bonding. This chest sits in one of the two stalls and is totally out of sync with the 'decor" (which is lacking), as well as being useless (notice my purple purse on the floor in the right corner). Saw The Descendents and was underwhelmed except by Clooney's performance. Yes I have, and have had for a long time, a crush on him though I imagine it is unwarrented except for his acting talent and fabulous looks.

Mikado:Middletown, CT- 11/25/11- 19:26 EST

Had an hour at home to collect my daughter and her friend and head out towards Hartford where we had tickets to see The Mother Fucker With the Hat at Theaterworks. Guess mother's shouldn't be taking their children, even 26 year old ones, to things with nudity and FOUL language. Okay play with some thought provoking themes, but mainly it was interesting to see what a mostly white, mostly affluent audience will laugh at these days. Had not been to this restaurant in years. It has been totally redone and is now lovely inside and still has a vast and decent sushi menu. Delicate artwork abounded, even in the ladie's room.

Private Home:North Salem, NY- 11/25/11- 12:54 EST

Went to my brother's country house to see my Austin,TX based neice and her family at a post-Thanksgiving brunch.Some bagels, smoked salmon and egg salad is alway welcome after a turkey feast! (There were healthy fruit and quinoi salad options.) I had forgotten how charming the house is and I especially like this ox halter cum mirror and the Saturday Evening Post cover framed on the opposite wall. A beautiful day and a hectic visit, but I got to read and do needlepoint in the car as I had help with the driving and it was a gorgeous, sunny day.

Tissa's Le Souk:Old Saybrook, CT- 11/22/11-

This sink looks just like many I saw in restrooms in Morocco. Maybe the Moroccan owner of this little Medditerranean/Middleastern restaurant (with inherited icecream parlor designation as well)- brought it back from one of his visits home. Don't be put off by this look, the food is wonderfully spiced and fresh and there is also a terrific little "souk" with many things Moroccan both wearable, cookable and edible.

Private Home:Lyme, CT- 11/19/11- 20:03 EST

I was not at this home gathering decorating tips, though this is a cute sink arrangement and the owner is a decorator. I was there as a newly invited participant in a decade old group of drama lovers who gather every other month in someone's home to read through a play. The homeowner picks the play and assigns the roles, one of the "audience" members brings the dinner. Wondered how I finally managed an invite. When notice was made of the passing of a long time member and how he will be missed, I understood. Skull and Bones (Yale's secret society) has nothing on this group.

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center:Old Saybrook, CT- 11/19/11- 21:43 EST

I'm sorry the photo doesn't show the texture of the stall door. It is rather like a smaller version of those raised circles you see on funky linoleum floors. I was at The Kate, as we call this gem of an arts center, for a performance by J Geils with Jeff Pitchell & Texas Flood. Should have been billed the other way around as Giles only played 3 songs. (Also strange that all the guys in Texas Food are from CT.) It looked like a Saturday Night Live skit with Giles dressed like he just came off his yacht, minus the ascot, and Pitchell like he just left his barcalounger. But the music was some of the best blues and rock and roll I have heard since the 60's.

Private Home: Branford, CT- 11/18/11- 21:16 EST

I think this wall paper is pretty sweet, but I am mostly amazed at the titles of the reading material. Most powder rooms that even offer such things veer towards catatlogs or magazines or small curiosity books. Not this one.If you can't see the titles, let me help you out:
PEN America and Kenyon Review (literary magazines)
Womens Letters
Vanity Fair's Prominent Profiles

I see some editing in my future.

LongHorn Steakhouse:Crystal Mall, Waterford, CT- 11/18/11- 13:57 EST

This is the Ladie's Room sign. What do you think the Men's Room sign was? Give up?
BULLS. 
Go figure. Lots of meat and fried foods on the menu, which is not my thing, but the decor had some cute touches such as real bridles hanging on the wall and photos of people like Annie Oakley. Still, don't think I will be grazing there in the future.

Great Cedar Exhibition Hall:Foxwoods Casino,Ledyard, CT- 11/16/11- 11:11 EST

Not as garish as one might have expected for a casino in the middle of Nowhere, CT and it was spotless with plenty of stalls. No, I was not here to play the slots, though one of the ladies I had lunch with did stay on to do so. We gathered to see DIANA:A CELEBRATION which runs through Jan. 15. The exhibition of Spenser family history and Diana memoribilia included home films of her childhood (adorable), items she owned as a child (kind of creepy), her actual wedding dress (awful), a room about her funeral (simultaneously sappy and moving) and a display of her clothing from start to finish (most look better in the photographs of her in them than on the mannequins). Part of the proceeds of the exhibit go to Diana's foundation which is a nice thing.









Dr. Jeffrey Klass:Guilford, CT- 11/17/11- 11:05 EST

I hope this random assortment of items does not relate in any way to the professional skill of my naturopathic doctor. I especially question the choice of putting the oriental carved piece on the bottom shelf opposite the urine sample containers. I didn't ask for an explanation, not did I offer any professional advice. Just hope the remedies he gave me get rid of my hoarse voice which has lingered for 2 weeks now. All kidding aside, I think he is a good doctor and a wonderfully compassionate person.

Amy's Bakery Arts Cafe:Brattleboro, VT- 11/14/11- 12:14 EST

The flowers may look real, but they were not- contrary to what I would have expected in VT. The manuscript was also a reprint- no surprise there. Sort of an odd combo, especially for a soup, salad, sandwich, home baked goods crunchy sort of place. Maybe this is how they justify the "Arts" in the name of the cafe or maybe it has something to do with the number of artists who seem to frequent the place.

Green River:Vermont- 11/14/11- 10:45 EST

Had to happen taking off for a tour of the area after 2 cups of tea at breakfast that nature would call.Not a bad rest stop.The hamlet of Green River itself is beyond charming.A covered bridge,a meeting house which is only used on Christmas Eve,a wooden dam and several appropriately restored homes and farms.Just lovely,if somewhat too remote to live in full time for me.

Brattleboro:Vermont- 11/14/11- 9:42 EST

After months of invitations,I finally made it to visit my architect friend and his spouse at their totally renovated home in VT.Bet not many bathrooms have a Sol LeWitt in them in this town or any other for that matter.Love the dialogue between the red candle,the red swirls and the sand dollars.

LARK Play Development Center:New York-11/10/11- 16:42 EST

Despite the sign,the restroom is not under construction,just the plays which get readings here are.This is the kind of place that a city like New York offers to new playwrights like my friend Bonnie who has written one called "Whoops...I Forgot to Have Kids".She has been working on the script for about 7 years and has rewritten it several times.After this reading,it may be in for another transformation,including a new title.What an incredible gift to a playwright to hear professionals read their words and workshop it aftrerwards.How lucky was I to be asked to participate?

Brooks Atkins Theater:New York- 11/9/11- 20:00 EST

Waitied until just before curtain time to use the ladies room.Kind of strange that it was being mopped up during a performance, but you have to admire the thought.Saw Relatively Speaking which was fun enough,but probably not worth what a broadway ticket costs these days.Liked the Ethan Coen play best.Thought Marlo Thomas was terrific in the Elaine May play.Woody Allen had some funny stand up kind of one liners,but the play was uninspired.No surprises there.

Braai Restaurant:New York- 11/9/11- 18:46 EST

Doesn't this make you think you are in a sophisticated mud hut?It should as this African restaurant has a thatched ceiling and other indigenous decorations and menu.It is one of my favorites for pre-theater dining.good inexpensive wine list too.

Fashion Institute Technology: New York- 11/9/11-17:12 EST

Shouldn't the Fashion Institute be able to come up with a better sign for their toilets?And shouldn't fashion students be aware of keeping the stalls clean??This was the most colorful part of the rest room which was otherwise very academic utilitarian.The exhibit of clothing and jewelery belonging to Daphne Guiness at the museum, however,was amazing.Almost on a par with the staging and brilliance of the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum.It runs to Jan.12 and is worth the trip.

Hendrik Thijsen Hair:New York- 11/9/11- 16:12 EST

 My cousin has been going to Hendrik's apartment for 20 years to get her hair done.Why in a city with so many hair salons one does this,I don't know,but was curious to see.He did wash my hair in the kitchen sink,but in  a proper salon chair and the cutting room was set up as a salon also.He was an engaging gay guy from Belgium and gave me anwas an excellent cut,though I am undecided about the styling.LOVED the objects in the restroom.Also learned that the reason Le Pain Quotidien is so inflexible about things like not toasting their bread is that it is a Belgium company.I had always thought it was French.

Park Avenue:New York- 11/8/11- 20:59 EST

From one extreme to the other.No this is not my bathroom, but that of my hostess at an after art opening dinner for my friend Tim.The entire apartment is filled with paintings and tasteful mixtures of old and new, all in a soft palette and just divine.This is the kind of thing I love about New York.

Park Avenue Basement: New York- 11/8/11- 17:28 EST

This is the toilet that the staff in my building in New York get to use.Charming.I was using it because someone pushed the bottom lock on my door which I tell everyone not to do because it is finicky.This was the day that the spring decided to sprong so my key was useless and I had to call a locksmith.Of course I desparately had to pee,hence the basement photo op.FYI it took the locksmith 45,not the promised 20,minutes to arrive and cost me $55 for the service call and $280 for the 5minutes it took for him to screwdrive the lock open.I missed the 6pm info session on diabetes that I was going to,but had some extra time before the art opening at 7pm.Sometimes I don't love New York.

R.J.Julia Booksellers,Madison, CT- 11/7/11- 19:10 EST

Trust my friend Roxanne to have a New Yorker cover about a bookstore in her rest room.I was here to listen to Daphne Merkin talk about "To The Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf.I had never read any of Woolf's novels I am embarrassed to admit, so signing up for this class in "The Art of Reading" series seemed like a good idea.What a dense writer she is.I admire the work, but was not motivated to finish the book.Maybe I am too dense to enjoy it.

Il Riccio:New York, NY- 11/3/11- 12:02 EST

Isn't this a cute idea for a small bathroom?Plus they had lovely porcelain tile signs about employees washing their hands and not flushing things down the toilet.Took an artist friend here for his birthday lunch.Delicious but pricey.You can check out his work at www.timalovejoy.com.  

Morgan Library:New York,NY- 11/2/11- 13:57 EST

A friend saw this photo and said "I know where that is...its the MoMA.Nope!This museum is a gem and just blocks from my pied a terre in NYC.Love the cafe in the bright glass enclosed central court.Mostly adore the variety of exhibitions in the manageable little galleries.This day I saw 17 drawings by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–1867).The first was done when he was 13 years old.My sons couldn't even set the table at that age.

Cleary,Gottlieb,Steen & Hamilton,LLP:New York, NY- 11/1/11- 11:07 EST

Clean and corporate as you would expect.

Courthouse Center for the Arts:South Kingstown, RI- 10/30/11- 14:05 EST

My friend Richard recently became the director of this little gem of an arts center and for his first big event he staged an elaborate reading of Pippin.I couldn't make the dressy fundraiser on Saturday night due to the October snow storm, but wnet for the closing Sunday matinee.It was as magical as all the vases of roses which seemed to adorn any available surface, including the sink in the restroom.

Dr.Rotella:Essex, CT- 10/24/11- 11:21 EST

This print is hanging in my dentist's office.Last summer I took a face plant running down 34th street towards Penn Station and chipped my fake front tooth-also got a black eye and a sprained wrist.No problem to get the tooth patched once my dentist got back from his week's vacation.Sadly,I forgot that it is now rather fragile and I like to knaw on bones and I served veal chops one night and lost the fix.Naturally the dentist was on vacation again.

Johnny Rockets:South Street Seaport, New York- 10/23/11- 10:17 EST

My 30 year old son has type 1 diabetes and he gathered a dozen friends and family into team "Darth Pancreas"-yes he is a Star Wars afficinado- for the NYC ADA Step Out and Fight Diabetes Walk.The walk starts at the Seaport, goes over the Brooklyn Bridge, around a few blocks and then back.Knew I wouldn't make it but wasn't sure I would find a willing locale.Turned out there was a line of walkers and, surprise, it was a charming and clean restroom.Not so lucky on the way back when I poked my head into the port-a-lets they had set up by the bridge.TOO GROSS even for me.

New Haven Lawn Club:New Haven,CT- 11/22/11- 14:22 EST

So elegant.Love old clubs, especially when they are now dominated by women and open to letting you bring a dog into the meeting room.I was here for a board retreat for the literacy program READ TO GROW which was started a decade ago by my friend Roxanne Coady when she discovered that CT had one of the worst literacy rates in the country.Check it out at www.readtogrow.org.

New England Aquarium:Boston, MA- 11/15/11- 19:33 EST

Should have showed more floor.It was really fun.Unlike the wedding reception I was attending here.Should have known how bad the dinner would be when I had to spit out the hors d'oerve I tried.Loved the juxtaposition of real penguins and men in penguin suits all strutting around and eyeballing each other.No.The best part was walking around the massive fish tank which stretches up 4 stories.Glad I came late AND left early.

Museum of Fine Art: Boston, MA- 11/15/11- 10:16 EST

This may look like a presentable restroom to your eye, but let me assure you that it was pretty disgustingly dirty, as were the other 2 restrooms I used.Yes I was there for several hours exploring the new Art of the Americas wing,theNew American Cafe,the Chihuly installation and various exhibitions.My two favorites were Degas and the Nude and Beauty as Duty: Textiles and the Home Front in WWII Britain.I love this museum and vow not to let years go by before I return.Might bring a sani-wipe when I do.

 

Lyme Academy of Fine Art:Old Lyme, CT- 9/30/11- 17:28EST

  Of course this is an Art Academy.  Where else would you find such a masterpiece on the wall of the Ladies Room?

Institute of Contemporary Art:Boston, MA- 11/14/11- 16:27EST

Another thwarted restroom stop. Museums usually come up with a more elegant way of dealing with this.Still I was excited to make my first visit to this no longer new museum.Loved the interior, the cafe, the shop and the thought provoking exhibit Dance:Draw which we initially mistook-due to the ticker taker's accent- for an artist called Dan someone. It took 3 repetitions before we got straightened out..

White Sands Beach:Old Lyme, CT- 11/8/11- 10:43 EST

Okay, so the restroom was closed and I didn't actually pee here, but I couldn't resist taking the photo cause I thought it was a good one..sort of Walker Evans like.Thought about going behind the building, but there are a lot of houses here. I take my Scottish Terrier, Walter, to this beach off season so he can roll in the sand.I get to breathe in the salt air and watch the fisherman and the sun glistening on the water and all that good stuff.Hoping to remember to take some seaweed for my garden next spring.This is a pretty special place.Well, not the parking lot restrooms....

Essence Salon: Old Saybrook, CT- 11/7/11- 17:06EST

My friend Frank has the best taste.  How lovely and zen is this bathroom. I visit it before and after every facial.One day I will use the shower.For now I just enjoy the fun rubber slippers and cosy terry robe and the hour of bliss on the padded bed, lights dim, music soft and Patty working her potions into my skin.I come out all sparkling like Cinderella's coach.Too bad I am back to being a wrinkly pumpkin the next day.

Jamms Restaurant: Old Saybrook, CT- 11/7/11- 13:33 EST

You wouldn't think a tiny strip mall place on Rt.1 would have such a sophisticated restroom, especially as you have to walk through the kitchen and the prep/storage area to get to it.  Then again, you wouldn't think the cook would be in whites with a chef's hat or that the food would be so fresh, imaginative and yummy.  It is one of my favorite spots for breakfast, which I don't like as much as brunch.

Cilantro:Guilford, CT- 9/29/11- 12:04EST

Back in CT and over my jetlag, I went to Page Hardware, the best on the Shoreline,to look at dishwashers and ran into my step-daughter.So we went for a tea and a chat.Managed not to have a scone and to buy the dishwasher at Sears.

Merrion Hotel:Dublin, Ireland- 9/25/11- 8:06GMT

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Mother Hubbard's: Cashel, Ireland- 9/24/11- 12:30GMT

. Parked in a public lot and stretched our legs by walking up to the Rock of Cashel-the most visited heritage site in Ireland.Wonderful views and interesting residential castle in the midst of major renovation.  Wandered down the back way on a path past a small pasture with cows lazing in the sun and through the gardens behind the Castle Palace Hotel which was the former home of the first Guiness family.Yummy soup and salads in this upstairs gem where it was presented cafeteria style, but didn't taste that way.

Lemonleaf Cafe: Kinsale, Ireland- 9/24/11- 9:35 GMT

Breakfast after a hard night of wandering the pubs and dancing until the band went home- which was only 1am.  Pretty wallpaper for a pretty little cafe.  Wish the food had been better, but what can you expect when you don't order the Irish breakfast.

Fishy Fishy: Kinsale, Ireland- 9/23/11- 20:23GMT

Makes sense for a fish restaurant to have a portholesque bathroom door. Was much cuter than this looks and had great seafood persented with a light touch.  Went after an art opening of work by locals held in a converted warehouse. Packed with friendly people and good food-neither unusual for this country. Not only is this a foodie's town, but also full of adorable shops.  A destination town with many ex-pats. Charming harbor and unusual fort. Think Newport crossed with Soho and get there before it is discovered.

Bantry Town Public Toilet: Bantry, Ireland- 9/23/11- 13:26 GMT

Today you are getting an idea of what I mean by frequent urination.  This was not my favorite spot, but it did have paper and check out that bolt.  No attacks happening in this john.

O'Sullivan's Quik Pick: Glengarriff, Ireland- 9/23/11- 12:07GMT

How much nicer is this restroom than what we usually find in the States? Seems like a stretch having handicapped rails over the sink, especially in a country of short people.

Healy Pass: Co.Cork, Ireland -9/23/11 - 11:09 GMT

Long drive over Healy Pass in the Caha Mountains.  Extraordinary views.  This is the place where one changes from Co. Kerry to Co. Cork and there is a statue of the Virgin which I used as shelter from possible passing cars.  Thought it best not to include her in the photo. Just after this met a freaky,tatttered,almost toothless, shepherd and his dog who stopped us in the middle of the road for a long conversation. Amazing experience. Found out later he does this a lot. Actually owns most of the huge flock we saw and is quite well off.  Send him the name of a dentist...please.

(PS- Google has no location for this spot.)

Lisdoonvarna, Ireland - 9/22/11 - 13:06GMT

Pouring rain the afternoon I hit the Matchmaking Festival in Lisdoonvarna.  Should have been called the re-matching festival as all I saw were middle-aged people hooking up on the dancefloor with d.j.'s playing polka and two-step tunes.  Totally adorable and the Irish Stew at the bar wasn't bad either.

Park Hotel: Kenmare, Ireland - 9/22/11 - 18:34GMT

The Park Hotel is not where I stayed in Kenmare having choosen one of the Hidden Ireland homes instead.  Wrong choice.  The Park got the award for Best Irish Breakfast in 2010.  If it is anything like the Laidies room, it must be spectacular.

Abandoned House: Inishmore, Ireland - 9/20/11 - 16:00GMT

Biking on the Island of Inishmore. Had to avoid the broken glass and the road traffic.  Creeped out at the thought someone might peer over the wall or around the battered door. Needs must be met.

Artisan Restaurant: Galway, Ireland 9/19/2011 - 21:41 GMT

G Hotel concierge said this was the best restaurant in town, he didn't lie.  Great meal, Funky Bathroom sign.