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¡Muchas gracias! 😃

Hi, Sally. 🤗 Thanks so much. Other than intermittent leg pain due to the DVT, I'm doing well. The anticoagulants I'm on (only temporary, a few months at most) will break down the DVT and, thus, I'll live.🙏🏼 I don't think my kitty has forgiven me, though, for leaving him alone while I spent overnight in an ER. His vet said once that cats don't have a concept of time. Liar-liar, labcoat on fire! Alas, Maurice must've thought that I was cheating on him when I didn't return home 'til the next day ... in the afternoon. I did the walk of shame from our apartment door to the kitchen, where he stood on the floor, his tail horizontally taut.😯

@@gabrielapaulinho1luvoh my Gabriela. Good to hear that you will recover. DVT is painful. Hopefully you will have a speedy recovery and your sweet kitty will forgive you, although kitty was a bit tickled in your video 🤗

​@@onceuponacityThank you for your heartfelt good wishes for my recovery. I'm a tough 🍪 covered in a soufflé.😅 Even the ER doctor (also a tough cookie) said to me, after I told her through tears that I canceled my pre-planned Montréal trip: "You'll be on blood-thinners for a month by then. Re-book that trip." So I did. The hospital's WiFi sucked, so I had to wait 'til the following afternoon, when I finally returned home.🥵

Thank you, John.😀 Fantasy filmmaking was fun despite the Band-Aid that I needed afterward. Anything for kitty.😼

Thanks for your positive reaction, Gerry. 😀 Notice how kitty oozes cuteness in this video but was evil incarnate in the first video?😼 For the past hour, while I was on a call with a relative, Maurice was sooo affectionate: brushing against me, looping around my legs, softly meowing. I guess that when I tapped the record tab for the first video, he was possessed by Kitty Lucifer. Hence, the title of that video. lol

A talented cutie, hunh? Thanks, Kurt.😀 He's awesomely skilled at etching his feline DNA into the skin of my hand. My colleagues are gonna think I'm into rough stuff.

lol😆

Awww, thank you, Christine (I type with scratched fingers)😀

Much appreciated, my friend. Enjoy your day, too.🤗

Awww, thank you Christine, and bless your heart!🙌🏼 If you could see my smile. And I don't have to wear a suffocating mask because I'm home.😁 Have a great weekend, too, and please tell Canada I miss it.🤗 I pray that my hematologist allows me to travel 12 hours on a train to Eastern Canada this fall. (Please see my short "Sunrise ... Clouds ... Birds" to know what I mean. I wouldn't a blissful trip to end up being an unexpected trip to heaven.🙏🏼) Thank you for commenting. 🇺🇲😘🇨🇦

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv Gabriela Canada isn’t going anywhere , it’s here when your ready to travel! The falls is waiting for you lol! 😊❤️

​@@WeGoPlacesTours Yes!!!❤

Thank you kindly. I hope that the morning sky looks lovely over England. 🏙 I wish you a beautiful weekend. 😊❤

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv You're welcome 🤗 and in my mind, there's a lovely morning sky over England. In reality, it's gloomy and cloudy as usual, lol. So much for the heatwave we're supposedly getting 😄 Thank you for the weekend wishes 😊❤️

​@@P.Brocklehurst 🤭Oh nooo, but what a fabulous sense of humor you have about it.🤗 And, prego ☺️❤

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv 😄❤️

Thank you sooo much. After my ordeal, I feel truly happy to be alive another day. ☺️🩵

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv You're welcome. I'm sorry to hear that you went through an ordeal 😔 But I'm glad you're okay. As the old saying goes, that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger 💪🏻 🩵

​​@@P.Brocklehurst I am truly moved by your compassion.😊 While you were writing your reply, I was finishing my prose-poem, which is better-suited for this short. And, y'know, based on what you said, I feel stronger than Jaime Sommers. As you would say: Aye 🦾🦿🦿🩵

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv I'd be delighted to read your prose-poem. And stronger than the Bionic Woman, hell yeah 😊💪🏻🩵

​@@P.Brocklehurst Right on!🙏🏼☺️ I had changed the description from a copy of the one for the source video to an untitled prose-poem. I'll come back to insert it below.😊🩵

Thanks so much, P. 😘🍎 ⬅️ That move would have me breaking out in hives in a New York minute, but emojis make it safe to show my 💗 for my hometown. But yeah, I'm pumping a fist in the air while reciting a prayer for peace on my knees. I've gotta believe where there's love, there's hope. 🙏🏼💖✨️

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv Aye, it's the beauty of emojis and likewise, I like to think that as long as love still exists in this world, there is still hope 🙏🏻✨💖

Thank you for your wonderful comment and feedback. It fills my heart with joy that you dig my dreamy camera spin at 2:15. The first of hundreds of times that I've viewed Claude Lelouch's Un homme et une femme, the camera spin sparked my awareness of the word "bliss." Racecar Jean-Louis Duroc has just driven all the way north to Normandy from the Montecarlo Rally without sleeping but shaving his five o'clock shadow several times in his car. He then drives to the Deauville shore and finds his beloved, Anne -- a "script girl" -- and their young children, Antoine and Françoise, enjoying the sunny day. With the widest smile, he flashes his racecar's headlights, drawing the trio's attention. Surprised and overjoyed, they run toward Jean-Louis. He and Anne fervently embrace -- no longer confined to their marital status of "widowed" -- and their reunion hug is filmed with a blissful 360° close-up as Francis Lai's dreamy "dubba-dubba-da" theme song starts to play and the children's excitement mirror their parents' love. Anytime I execute a spin while filming, I'm paying homage to A Man and A Woman. I will adore that film even beyond my existence on earth.💗 As a filmmaker who poetically shines a light on humanity -- including the humanlike mannerisms of Man's feathered friends -- your keen eye regarding the real-life people out and about in Lower Manhattan in this video -- strolling, holding hands, cycling, laughing -- reaffirms my love of observation. And yes, "the shouty guy" too is part of New York City's authentic tapestry of the haves and have-nots, of the mindful and mentally challenged, of dreamers and fatalists, of saints and sinners. In a way, "Urban ASMR: NYC Edition is my visual love letter to my hometown." I was born on the island of Manhattan and attained my first dream of launching and enjoying a lucrative career there. As sure as the Statue of Liberty holds her torch high in New York Harbor, I promise to continue being inspired with my camera.📸 🎞I Also, I'll stop the procrastination in learning how to shoot with my Canon. Lastly, I'm giving serious thought to your suggestion💡of reciting an original poem via voice-over to my latest riverside promenade video (or a near-future one). Somewhat like Dalí's dream sequence in Hitchcock's Spellbound, the doors to realms of creative possibilities endlessly open as long as our imaginations are willing to go the distance.♾️ Much gratitude, John. 😊

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv please go for it. make that short film or feature film. Don't worry about making mistakes. Just keep learning.

@ninfilms Thank you.😊 I need to muster more courage and to carve out the time. I will do it. When you mentioned the voice-over, my mind went to Princesse Grace de Monaco, who loved nature, enjoyed the hobby of pressed flowers, recited poetry and -- late in life -- narrated film documentaries.

@@ninfilms Yes!👍🏼 Thanks, John.😊

Thank you, John. 🫶🏻 The flowers spoke to my soul, and I admire architecture, too. Gazing at, but desiring to caress, the flowers and plant leaves, I got swept up in the rhapsody of blooms. When I squatted and contorted my body to capture skyscrapers in the background, the juxtaposition of hard and soft, manmade and Nature-blessed, I felt a tingly sensation. One can drink in so much beauty 'til an illusion emerges that one has whetted the appetite. No wonder I indulged at Eataly's several hours later.😆 How I didn't get stung by the pair of bees is beyond me, but then I can't compete with floral attraction and pollinating action.🌼🪻🌸 If it is true that my "Flower Power" videos are inspiring my fellow poets, I'm humbled and honored.😊 Thank you again.🌆💐

Oh yeah, this is a wild one, and I love this sculpture and the literary and cinematic references. How cool, too, that it concerns saving our planet's animals! ❤️🥹 Thank you for watching, Queen.😊

You're very welcome. 🌹 Thanks for checking this one out.😁

Mmmm, yeaaahhh ... When I noticed "saffron" among the elements of Firenze's pizza marinara, my appetite shouted, "Yes! Yes,YESSS!"🤭

It 💯 was!😋 When the server slipped in from behind, gently set the creamy dessert in front of me and then tantalizingly peeled off the clear mold, Gabriela was about to swoon.😍 It is said we eat with the eyes first. This tiramisu, the BEST I've tasted thus far, was an intimate culinary experience -- thus my choice of "The Sweetest Taboo" by Sade. Queen, thank you for taking time out of your busy day to indulge in a little sweet sensuality. 🙌🏼

Ahhh, thank you, Queen.😊 Thrilled that you like the combo of noirish ambience and retro-romantic serenade by melismatic crooner Keith Washington. 🎼🎵🎙🎵 🎞 Besides a gumshoe at the bar, the only other missing element from this 1940s-style vignette is undulating smoke from a lone cigarette in an elegant ashray. 🚬🫦

Spot-on observation -- gotta love those filters.🎞 Thank you so much.🙌🏼 Viewing this video objectively, it's as if I weren't there and the bartender is pouring the imported Italian sparkling water into a suave detective's glass.🕵🏻‍♂️💼🔫 Kinda quick backstory: While I enjoyed the entire experience, I must've looked serious while videotaping, albeit with my lil phone camera. Everyone seemed "on," and it was perfect. Notice the flair with which the bartender pours. (I gave him a firm thumb's up because I didn't want my voice to be heard in the video's ASMR version. He played along.) The main bartender, was an ace, too, pouring the Pinot noir with panache. ... But oh, how I wish I'd been camera-ready for the servings of the arancini, pizza and tiramisu -- all done with a flourish.☺️ I felt like a ⭐️ but I'm Jane Doe Singleton. Next time I'll make sure to wear a full-length trench and deepen my voice to Lauren Bacall's timbre. 😊❤️

Thank you. I waited 'til I played back the video to weep for what was and what is.💔 There's a tree that survived 9/11 and many people did also.✊🏼🗽 Last Thursday night, I really had to hold it together, y'know? I was all right once I encountered Gillie & Marc's magnificent Rabbitwoman and Hippo.✨️😊❤️

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv I completely understand 💔 I'm glad you felt all right once you encountered the wonderful sculpture 😊✨❤️

​@@P.Brocklehurst Why whimsy is an important part of life and why art and creative escapism matter so much 🎟 🎪 🤡 👀😊❤

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv That's absolutely true 😊✨❤️

I too.😊 Their Classical soundtrack evokes my suburban memories of sleeping on a chaise lounge under the stars. Crickets and fireflies on many a summer night.✨️ Although summer soon will end, the crickets will return every night through autumn to play their melodies on gossamer wings, pleasantly drowning out any worries and promoting relaxation and sleep.💤 By the way, despite allergies I would've climbed to the apex of the Irish Hunger Memorial, but (off camera) a group of visitors began streaming down after I panned across the meadow. (Well, I'm using poetic license by referring to the garden as a meadow.) While the flower-lined path may seem wide enough on video, it wasn't for me. I moved as much as possible to one side without hurting the flowers. Before the next group of people started descending, I took advantage of the sublime moment, standing there listening to the lovely crickets and feeling utter peace.💚🙌🏼🤍 Thank you for commenting tonight. Ti auguro una bella notte e una sinfonia di grilli dietro la finestra.😊❤

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv I can picture it being very relaxing and exquisite listening to the music of the crickets while admiring the fireflies waltzing around the night sky. There's no finer way to spend a summer night, I'm sure 😊 It sounds like it was destined for you to take advantage of the sublime moment indeed and record the crickets concert 😊💚 Prego. Ti auguro una bellissima notte anche 😊❤️

Hi there.👋 I really appreciate that you liked my video. The tiramisu had rich ingredients, and so it was very tasty. Thank you.🙂

Absolutely, and the glass was half-full at the start of my meal 😊

Thank you! You too!

I did!🤭 Thank you, Christine, for watching my vid shot at Firenze, inside the Eataly in Lower Manhattan, beside the World Trade Center. Have a wonderful weekend! 🤗

I can't agree more.😊 I find it annoying to tuck into my supper or sip a glass of wine while getting elbowed at the rear of my head; spilling a beverage or biting my tongue instead of my al dente pasta while someone plays bumper chairs; getting intruded upon by patrons assuming I'm lonely ("Hey, why don't you sit with us?" Nooo, thank you🤭); involuntarily hearing the details of another patron's cellphone convo; or being incapable of focusing on my senses of sight-smell-taste-touch because of a cacophony of impassioned discussions at group tables. When the latter happened in the past (pre-COVID pandemic), my table and nerves rattled from the vibrations of surrounding noise and soon I was summoning the server to say: "The check, please." At Firenze, my mind was at ease, my serotonin was given a boost by the ambience alone, and my appetite was robust. When I looked toward the windows and closed my eyes, Manhattan transformed into Tuscany. ☺️💖

Smooth texture, great w/coffee

Indeed, so delicious 😋

Good morning and glad you enjoyed the video

Grazie mille. Mi è piaciuta l'atmosfera, i pasti e le bevande, l'attenzione dei baristi, il frastuono degli avventori del ristorante, il tintinnio degli utensili. 😊❤

Yeah, for sure!✨️Artists Gillie & Marc created a masterpiece here. I only wish that Hippo and Rabbitwoman (who looks like a mash-up character from Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut and Carroll's Alice in Wonderland🤭) were enjoying a spot of tea. Their delicious snacks remind me of some of the foods served at high tea -- although I've only experienced that tradition virtually. I should ask you, a British gentleman: Do you think that this scene has elements of high tea?🫖 I'm so glad that I stopped my fast-paced walking that night to capture this sculpture, and I'm stoked that it captured your heart. ☺️💖

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv Absolutely ☺️ you can feel the influence from Eyes Wide Shut and Alice in Wonderland. And I would certainly say this has elements of high tea ☕☺️ Aye, I'm so glad you stopped by and captured this engrossing sculpture on camera. I hope you have a wonderful evening ☺️❤️

​@@P.Brocklehurst Grazie mille. I wish that I could etch your words on a plaque and mount it on my wall. Really uplifting🙌🏼 And, oh my, did I nail it in noticing the Kubrick-Carroll allusions!🐰🎭 Aaand there ARE elements of high tea on their table? Cool!😄 Thank you for this and all of your inspirational and supportive comments today. Saluti!🥂 I wish you a fantastic evening, too. ☺️💖

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv Prego, I'm honoured, and you certainly nailed it noticing the Kubrick and Carrol inspiration behind the piece. Grazie mille anche 😊🥂💖

Thank you for your comment. It reflects the contagious excitement of Lower Manhattan, which has made quite a comeback since that tragic day. 🥹🌆💙

Thank you! 😊🥂 Vesey Street always looks best at night, dressed up in lights that appear to twinkle as taxis speed by. What a pretty path to take from the Battery Park waterfront right into the buzz of the city. 😍🌃

Oh, about that scream: the man has his afflictions but didn't cause harm. I tried to play it off like I wasn't alarmed😂 and tried to turn my camera away from the back of him. I remember glancing to my left and thinking: "If he turns around and rages at me, I'm either gonna crash through this window or dash to my right and get clipped by a skooter and then run over by a taxi." City life oftentimes is too fast. When I was reviewing the video, I marveled at how fast people were walking. Then it dawned on me that I'm one of them.🤣

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv You're welcome 😊🥂 It really does look so captivating at night. A very scenic route to talk while heading home 😊 And thank goodness the guy didn't rave at you or anything else. There are people like that here too who will rant and rave at nobody and everyone at the same time on the streets. City life really is like watching life on the fast lane. A huge contrast to the suburbs, that's for sure 😄❤️

​​​​​​​@@P.Brocklehurst Agree with you 💯 ... You take the good, bad and indifferent when living in the city. One of the reasons I wear backpacks is to lessen the chance of fatal injury, should some deranged person stab me in the back. If the person is ahead of me, well, I'm so vigilant and wired (required to survive concrete jungles) that I'd have a fighting chance. At least I'd hope to. 😅 There are days when I seriously contemplate moving back to the suburbs, such as when I read urban crime statistics. Or, take yesterday: A customer raged at me as if I reminded him of an ex whom he detests or a relative whom he despises. In that moment of fear, though, I was his innocent victim. Dude was in a blind rage.😌 It happened near workday's end. I was afraid to go outside of the building; I lost my appetite; and, when I reached home, I asked God what had I done to deserve that customer's wrath. I'm a humanist and possess deep stores of empathy. What makes life so difficult to endure with a consistent feeling of joy is the increasing number of unmitigated sociopathic and psychopathic behaviors. But as you said, you've seen folks ranting and raving at no one and everyone at once. There's no real escape. Thank goodness I created a temporary escape on Thursday evening: metaphysical moments by the river; a soothing ferry ride to my true hometown; a visit to a cherished, hidden pond; a videotaping of bees pollinating flowers in a romantic garden and (thankfully) ignoring my presence; a leisurely stroll amidst illuminated architecture; a stop to admire bronze animals brunching on Church Street; an observation of beer garden revelry; and a few hours of culinary delight at Eataly (my destiny, as the billboard behind the hippo and rabbit was calling my name). It was a total pleasure to view, edit and upload all of the videos late last night 'til nearly dawn. 🏙 Funny how a decision to get out and explore ended up healing the hurt caused by that enraged man at my workplace. My art, amateur that it is, came to my emotional rescue. If I hadn't treated myself to that sublime outing after work Thursday, I might have been close to catatonic for this entire holiday weekend. As much as it was fun to create the videos, it has brought me bliss to share them and to receive gifts of compliments about them. So thank you. 😊💖

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv I pray there never is an incident where some lowlife tries to stab you in the back or anywhere else. And damn, sorry to hear that a customer raged at you like that. Did security have to come and escort him off the premises? Someone like that needs to be dealt with accordingly. I'd have lost my appetite too after an unpleasant experience like that. Never let the bad things or bad people bring you down. Channel your energy into positive and productive things. You deserve the best 💪🏻💖

Yes, isn't it just ... ahhh?🌺 I couldn't pass by it. I had to say hello again. ☺️💚

Same, no casualties 🙏🏼 As to a New York state of mind, it's really a thing. And it feels especially refreshing as autumn approaches. Thanks for your gracious compliment about my video.😊❤️

No 45° turns this time, lol ... I'm happy that you enjoyed the ferry ride and the view it affords. ☺️💙

Wow! Thank you.😊🎥 Am I really learning? You filmmakers have quite the brilliant eye. Balance and beauty in motion seem to come like second nature to filmmakers. I really dig your beautiful simile and will ponder it next time I'm at the riverside promenade. Thank you for expressing your comment poetically. It has made my day. ☺️💙

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv You're welcome 😊 and yes, you're definitely getting the hang of it and framing really captivating shots. Practice makes perfect 😉 Awww, you flatter me. And glad my comment made your day 😊🩵

Oh man, thank you ☺️🦋❤

Thank you. And absolutely 😊🕊🩵

Merci beaucoup. Exquisitely expressed--I'm very moved.☺️💚

You're very welcome, Sally.🥹

Amen.🩵

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv Amen 🙏🏻🩵

Awww, thank you. And I'm pleased that Kajagoogoo's really cool New Wave song struck a chord with you. I love when the frontman sings, " ... move a little closuh."😄

☺️💖

@@gabrielapaulinho1luv You're welcome and yeah, I used to listen to it a lot in my late teens 😁 I've been an 80s fan for a long time 😄💖

@@P.Brocklehurst Verry cool!☺️💖

From across the Hudson, yes -- but my hometown is noisy. Lots of horns blowing, loud cellphone convos, etc., like in Jersey City and other large urban areas.😅 Thank you for commenting.👍🏼

Good day, John.😀 I think it best to provide a link to sculptor Michael Alfano's website. "Cosmic Vision" is one of a group of surreal sculptures installed throughout Downtown Jersey City's waterfront. For more info, please visit: www.michaelalfano.com/sculptures/jersey-city/?id=1301 Thank you for viewing the video and for your interest in sculptor Michael Alfano's artworks.