2005-02-28 - 4:57 p.m.

...transitory minimalist aesthetic....

Today the Gates were removed from Central Park - based on my three visits I have approximately 300 photos of the installation, and I heard this morning that the exhibit raised more than 80 million dollars for the City of New York. I presume that represents hotel rooms, restaurant meals, trips to the museum, carriage rides, and hot dog stands....Each day there were people posted in the park to interview passersby regarding the money they spent in Manhattan during the trip.

My last trip would make an interesting "overheard" column. I sometimes wonder what kind of idiot I sound like when mere snatches of my conversation are picked up by a nearby ear. But these were my favorite:

"What you seem to be missing is the impact of the transitory minimalist aesthetic..."

yeah.

But the how-to-increase-your-word-power award for the use of the word "viable" goes to this young man:

"If I lived in New York, I'd, like, be in this park every day for this. I'd like, do it on my way to work. I mean, it would be like, totally viable."

I should point out that we all sound a tad bit idiotic when we are overheard.

Anyway, I have returned home early from work because a blanket of snow is falling on the East Coast - we are expecting 12 inches by tomorrow morning.

Today was eventful enough to add to the password-protected version of this journal.