Bob's Gournel: Day Five in Columbia, South Carolina

I didn't put anything on the blog yesterday. It was just too dull a day. I slept late and then bounced a few emails back and forth with Chris DeMeglio, a friend - thru James originally - back in NY. I'm going to go to one of his Meditation lectures in Manhattan on the morning of Tuesday, September 6th before I head on up to Connecticut that day to visit my cousin Jim and his Karen (as well as Beth and Greg if I can make it over their way, too).

I made my lazy way to the gym yesterday after a healthy lunch at Burger King (well, it WAS a grilled chicken sandwich and side-salad). Got to the gym around 1:30 and stayed till 4. Was gonna head downtown to the Art Museum, but I looked up their hours and when I saw they close at 5 decided to just mosey back to Michael's after I had an early dinner, this time at McDonald's (I did a taste-test comparison of fast-food grilled chicken sandwiches, it seems, all in one day. McDonald's won.)

Today I got up a bit earlier and headed out to the gym around 8:30. Stopped for breakfast at BK. (I really should buy stock in BK or McD, I'm thinking.) After chowing down, I realized I'd forgotten my cell phone at home, errrr Mikey's. (Again! I'm doing that too often lately.) So I headed back to Mikey's to fetch it and didn't get to the gym until 10! I put in two and a half hours again, then headed downtown to the Art Museum (finally, after I've been meaning to visit there for the past two days). I admired some of the older architecture on the way there:

The museum is impressive. Nice fountain and gardens out front. . . .

Upon entering, I saw this hanging in the atrium-lobby and went upstairs right away. . . . Pretty "Chill" I thought, for an Art Museum of this size. . . .

Yep, it's Chill. . .

Continued on into the first exhibit hall:

I'll let the placards "do the talking" from here on out, for the most part:

Reminded me of Port of Oakland, a bit. . .

Where are the wetlands in this one?

Oops, I forgot to photo the placard for this one, but it intrigued me. . . .

Very nice photos of the South Carolina tidal areas, I thought.

Then I went to the other exhibit halls. . .

"In the voyage of Life, Woman is the guide, the attraction and the support of Man." Struck me as true, so true. . . .

"Old Hickory". . . . Both North Carolina and South Carolina claim he was born in their state. . . .

An Andy Warhol of Chairman Mao:

And then I went to the Medieval hall:

A bit of debauchery and decadence? I think I've seen this one somewhere before. . . .

Up above the front doors of the lobby. I may be getting a bike when I get back to Alameda. I think these are likely somewhat "out of my price-range."

Now here's a painter I've heard of. And correct me if I'm mistaken, but I think that a few years ago this one of his works was on a U.S. Postage Christmas stamp!

I'm in a different hall now. . . . Actually, these photos aren't in the correct order, but the placards explaining them are:

Hmm, could this have been one of Chiluly's inspirations?

Let's take another look. . . .

In the hall about Asian art, I thought this was interesting:

In one of the other halls:

Almost looks like he was painting with Hershey's chocolate syrup. This photo doesn't bring out the true look of it. . . . very chocolate syrupy.

There's a better "Diana" on exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, in my humble opinion. The one THERE is much much bigger and once graced the dome at the top of the original Madison Square Garden. But this one is a beauty, too. . . .

PLEASE do NOT sit here. . .

Some things about this remind me of the Alameda to San Francisco ferry. . . . It's like some things never change. . . .

Just a nice looking gal. . . .

Made me wonder if this was the same luncheonette where we saw Bogie, Elvis and Marilyn having breakfast early one morning. . . . But this time Hopper etched it and did so from a studio upstairs across the street?

From the African-American exhibit hall. I thought this was impressive and very powerful in presentation. . . .

In another hall. The juxtaposition of the painting and the glass hit me as unusual. . . .

Back in the African-American hall. . . .

Just a nice painting of a cute little girl. . . .

Life on the farm, way way back. . . .

Wow! There was a piano like this in the front room of Uncle Joe's farmhouse in Worthington, Massachusetts where we used to go on vacations! Not in as good shape as this one, but the same design. . . .

Another one I've SEEN in books before this. Interesting to see the ORIGINAL with my own eyes.

I went back downstairs and saw this near the lobby as I was getting ready to leave:

These photos are still out of order. I thought it was interesting that the Tiffany lampshade was made in NYC, but the bottom of the lamp was made in Stockton, California. . . .

Near the entrance to the Ancient Art exhibit hall:

Still out of order. But I was impressed by this bit of glassware. . . .

Finally, as I was leaving, I saw this nice letter and award. Well-deserved I thought.

Finally, on my way out the door, I turned around for some reason. THIS bit of art gave me some thoughtful pause. Ummm, shouldn't it just be a "given"?

Okay, anyway, on a more cheerful note. . . . I met Mikey, Meredith and Gabbi and Piper at my favorite restaurant in Columbia at about 7pm. . . .

Nice "re-purposing" of the old train station downtown, I've always thought. . . . The Bar is probably where the old Information Desk or Tickets Booths once were.