Project 365: Days 211-217

211/365: Met my dude for dinner + drinks in Windsor Terrace and passed by this snail ride I've always loved so much.

212/365: Moving day! Sad to leave my Harlem apartment, but I do love my new Brooklyn place. My dude was an incredible help—he drove the U-Haul from Brooklyn to Manhattan and back again. It took us 45 min to go 4 miles, but it was nice to have a leisurely (and air-conditioned) tour of Canal Street before the sweaty, sweaty move.

213/365: Sunrise + my new view.

214/365: I went and saw Laura Marling at Town Hall (she was so good) and stopped at Shake Shack for dinner. Their sweet-corn-blueberry custard is a total dream.

215/365: I was worried about how Mozart would handle the move, but I think she's going to be just fine.

216/365: Made progress unpacking and organized my bookshelf. I laid out everything I wanted to display to take inventory and laughed at my weirdness. Baby doll heads? Check. Body parts? Check. Bone jar? Check, check.

217/365: Surprised myself by officially unpacking my last box. It's nice to feel settled in so quickly.

365 Project: Days 204-210

204/365: I tried to savor my through-Central-Park-commute and passed by some really cozy trees along Fifth Avenue.

205/365: JMP, Jim and I said goodbye to the Market Diner, one of the last stand-alone diners in Manhattan // We spotted some wonderful signage on a not-so-wonderful walk through Times Square.

206/365: We came back to my dude's apartment and noticed some neighbors staring up at the roof, where this wasp nest is hanging. We watched them work for a while, and I wish I could get them to help me with my move—wasps are crazy fast, efficient and meticulous.

207/365: I started packing. Side note: books are HEAVY.

208/365: The universe decided that moving wasn't stressful enough, so I got a cold, took a sick day and tried to keep up with packing in between the napping and the nose-blowing.

209/365: Sleeping in the living room because that's where this magical device lives.

210/365: Atlas Obscura hosted a tour/medical photography lecture in the fascinating rare book room at the New York Academy of Science. It was a great night filled with medical oddities, skin-disease stereoscopes and various rolling library ladders that made us feel like Belle in Beauty in the Beast—if Belle was into medical curiosities (she probably was?).

Fordham University

Last summer, after I toured the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage in the Bronx, I headed down the road to explore Fordham University. Poe used to wander around the campus and his famous poem "The Bells," was allegedly inspired by the ringing bells of the University Church.

Fordham is a private university and I was surprised when I was stopped by a security guard upon entering the gates. He asked what I was doing at Fordham, and for my ID, but let me go ahead when I told him I was "just looking around." I was a bit taken aback by the exclusivity of the campus, but once inside, I was grateful for the solitude.

The campus is really, really beautiful, with tree-lined paths, large, manicured lawns, gorgeous flowers, fountains, statues and wonderfully-imposing buildings that scream COLLEGE. While most of the campus felt very historic and well-preserved, there were some modern additions thrown in for a nice juxtaposition of the old and new.

I even came across a surprise cemetery, which is my favorite kind of surprise. Fordham was founded in 1841 as St. John's College by the Catholic Diocese of New York. According to a plaque outside the gates, the cemetery is the final resting place for "124 sons of St. Ignatius Loyola, 68 Jesuit priests, 44 Jesuit brothers, 12 Jesuit scholastics ... 3 Diocesan Seminarians, 9 students and 2 college workmen."

It only seemed right to end my day of all things Poe by listening to the ringing bells (What a world of merriment their melody foretells!) of University Church. The church and courtyard are really beautiful, and the campus was nearly deserted the entire time I was there. Listening to the bells ringing was such a wonderful, peaceful moment and I got major nerd-satisfaction thinking that Poe might have had a very similar day, more than 150 years ago.

Market Diner

Last spring when I read that there are only five stand-alone diners left in Manhattan, I made it my mission to visit them all (here, here and here). It wasn't hard to do so since I love diner breakfast more than anything, and five is a very depressingly low number. Even more depressing: last week I found out that the Market Diner—one of the best—is going to be replaced by a 13-story apartment building.

The Market Diner opened in 1962, closed in 2006 and reopened again in 2008 after a renovation. Not only is it a one-story structure surrounded by high-rises, but it has parking and space for outdoor seating (set up last year, but not when we went on Saturday). It's these things that make it remarkable in modern-day New York, and of course, they're the things that have made it endangered for quite some time. Currently there is no set date for demolition, but the diner is on a month-to-month lease and permits have been filed for the apartment building.

The zig-zag roof and metal diner sign are perfect, although an even better neon sign was an unfortunate victim of the renovation process (where do these gems go??). The inside was also stripped of most of its character and modernized, with chairs instead of counter stools, but the orange-and-brown color scheme still feels retro enough to count.

Our breakfast on Saturday was bittersweet—joyful because there's nothing better than a good diner breakfast with friends and sad because it's probably the last time we'll be able to have that at the Market Diner.

Conservatory Garden: July 2015

I mentioned briefly in one of my 365 project posts that I'll be moving to Brooklyn on August 1st. I'm super excited for the move in every way, except one: my new commute. Instead of being able to walk to and from work every day, through Central Park, I'll have to take the subway like most people who work in New York. I had to do this with my first job in Midtown, but as soon as I started working on the Upper East Side I was able to walk when I wanted and when the weather cooperated. Even though last year I moved 20 blocks north, I still walk home almost every night.

The move to BK is right for me in every way—and it's not like I can't go into the park at other times—but I've been trying to savor my enviable commute while I still have it. A few days ago I walked through the Conservatory Garden in the morning, and then a few days later on my way home. I've lost count of how many walks I've taken through the garden—in every season—and it's my favorite spot in the northern portion of the park.

I didn't even intend on taking photos in the morning since I didn't have much time, but as soon as I passed by the fountain and noticed the incredible rainbow, I had to pull out my camera. The light was so beautiful, and I like to check in on the flower beds every now and then to see the new things that have bloomed. There's always something wonderful growing in the garden in every season and I'll have to remember to keep checking in from time to time.

I love the huge variety of plants, colors, textures and insect life in the Conservatory Garden and it's pretty remarkable that so much can be found in such a small space. The juxtaposition of bright flowers, dark leaves, spiky plants and soft petals is fascinating—whoever is responsible for the landscape design has consistently done an amazing job. I'll definitely miss the ease and convenience of walking home through such a wonderful place, but I'll still be working only a few blocks away—I'm sure I can squeeze in a lunchtime visit every now and then.

Project 365: Days 196-203

196/365: We saw Vieux Farka Touré / Tamikrest / DJ Dakar at Celebrate Brooklyn. The weather was perfect and I'll always be amazed at how wonderful shoes are as cup holders.

197/365: We were invited to a Friday night / Shabbat dinner at the apartment of a lovely former co-worker in Forest Hills, Queens.

198/365: I met Jim in the West Village to sign our new lease and followed along as he stopped into Kiehl's, where I met this gentleman and found out that their original location has an actual human skeleton on display (this guy is fake).

199/365: JMP and I narrowly avoided heat stroke and crazed seagulls while we explored City Island.

200/365: I'm totally obsessed with this old (definitely haunted) cancer hospital that is now luxury apartments on Central Park West. I walk by it on my way home every day and I would give anything to be able to peek inside.

201/365: JMP and I saw our friend Grace's incredible play (Devastated No Matter What) in the East Village and stopped for a treat at Big Gay Ice Cream around the corner. There's ice cream under there somewhere.

202/365: I walked to work through the Conservatory Garden and started to get a little bit sad that I only have a week left before I move and have to give up my enviable commute through Central Park.

203/365: Trent, Alisha and I had a "goodbye to the neighborhood" dinner at Streetbird in Harlem. It was good, not great. Excellent restaurant design, good red velvet waffles, average fried chicken.

City Island 2015

I was obsessing so much over last year's visit to City Island (I wrote about it here and here) that I couldn't wait any longer to go back. Luckily, JMP was interested in going so we braved the heat and humidity on Sunday and headed up north. I already knew what to expect in terms of the travel involved, so the trip went by quickly and soon we were in the "Seaport of the Bronx" without much trouble at all.

I do wish that it hadn't been so insanely hot, but we made enough stops to make sure we cooled down. In some ways I even kind of enjoyed the heat—City Island just oozes summer to me, so the weather was right on par. However, I definitely want to visit in the off-season because I'm sure the slightly abandoned, strange feeling of the island is only heightened in the winter.

One of the things I love most about City Island is the lack of chain stores. We did notice a Dunkin' Donuts at the northern end and remarked to each other about how out of place it felt amongst all the local restaurants and shops. Sometimes New York can feel as if it's rapidly becoming one big strip mall as small businesses are squeezed out by high rents in favor of banks and Starbucks—it's refreshing to be in a place that feels so authentic.

At one point JMP said something to the effect of "you find the weirdest shit to take photos of..." which is definitely true, and thankfully not that difficult on City Island. I love how insular the island feels, like a true community where neighbors greet each other on the street and know everyone's business. The diner was filled with regulars, but we felt more than welcomed wherever we went, including the diner (the one where Jerry Seinfeld took Ricky Gervais on an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee), the antique shop, the Nautical Museum, the cemetery and the ice cream stand.

Speaking of weird shit, the Early Ruth antique shop was an excellent stop, even if the mannequin hands I wanted weren't for sale (ugh) and the anthropomorphic hot dog statue of my dreams was way out of my price range ($3,500). The sombrero does come with the hot dog, though, in case you're interested.

We didn't spend a large portion of this trip drinking with locals at the Alehouse or eating fried shrimp at Johnny's Reef like last time, but we did walk the entire island. We ended up at Johnny's but we weren't hungry, so we just watched the seagulls which were equal parts fascinating and terrifying. I've never seen so many birds in one place outside of The Birds and it's kind of miraculous that we managed to avoid getting pooped on. We decided to call it a day pretty early since we were both tired from the heat, but I think my second trip to City Island was a success—I'm already dreaming about my third.

Nashville: Recap

My dad and I were talking last night and we started reminiscing about how perfect our Nashville trip was—and how quickly it went by. I wrote posts specifically celebrating Nashville's signage and the legendary Hatch Show Print, but we did so much more in the three short days we were there.

My dad had been to Nashville before, but it was my first time so I of course had a small list of things I'd like to see. Studio B wasn't on that list but it definitely should have been because the tour was a definite highlight. Studio B hosted Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Chet Atkins, Willie Nelson, the Everly Brothers, and of course Elvis, who is everywhere you look in some for or another.

As far as silly attractions go, my dad might not have exactly understood the purpose of the Parthenon ("I drove past it once and thought, 'Who would ever want to see this?'") but I was beyond thrilled to finally see it in person. It's a full-size replica of the actual Parthenon, built for the Tennessee Centennial Exhibition in 1897, which is enough like a World's Fair to make it on my must-see list.

While it currently houses an art museum (which was closed when we went) it also basically falls under the "just-for-fancy" category of things that don't really exist for any reason other than because they can, which of course means I love it.

The food in Nashville was pretty incredible. We had the most delicious pulled pork, green beans, corn bread and mac n' cheese from Jack's BBQ, where mac n' cheese is considered a vegetable so I liked the place before I even took a bite. While I'm definitely no stranger to lines, the one that wraps around the Pancake Pantry every morning is no joke. Neither are their pancakes or breakfast meats, and months later my dad and I are still talking about that breakfast.

We also discovered the dangerously good Goo Goo Cluster, most of which I gave away as souvenirs but now I'm thinking I should have hoarded more for myself. My only real regret, however, is that we didn't get to eat at Arnold's, the famous "meat and three" place because they were closed all weekend (next time!).

We also somehow fit in trips to the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, Printers' Alley and the Johnny Cash museum, where we saw Roy Orbison's glasses and the blue suede shoes in addition to some really iconic pieces from Cash's amazing life and career.

Nashville is small and pretty walkable—or you could always take a pedal tavern if that's your thing. Also of note: I've never seen so many bachelorette parties in my entire life in one place—seriously half the town belonged to one or another. Even so, it was definitely the perfect place for my dad and I to meet, containing plenty of the things that each of us are interested in, with enough overlap to keep us both happy.

Oh, and Dolly Carton and Johnny Trash say hi!

Pelham Cemetery

Last year when I went to City Island for the first time, I visited Pelham Cemetery and lamented that the gate was locked. JMP and I went to City Island yesterday, and to our delight found that the cemetery gate was actually open. In hindsight, the gate was probably unlocked the first time I was there too. They all appeared to be locked yesterday, but when I saw a highly faded sign declaring that the cemetery was open until 5pm every day, I investigated further and found that it was latched, but opened easily.

I've had my share of disappointment encountering locked cemeteries, so I felt very fortunate to be able to explore Pelham Cemetery a little further. It's not the most interesting cemetery, headstone-wise, but its location is definitely a selling point.

We found a few interesting headstones, like the graves for the Graves family and a few non-traditional markers made from metal or wood. JMP also pointed out that it would be quite extraordinary if Caroline Darling (b. 1887) was still alive, and then later I found Constance Wolff (b. 1882) who appears to have been blessed with similar longevity.

It felt like such a triumph to just be able to get inside of the cemetery that everything else was really just a bonus. Pelham is very small so we were able to see all of it in a short amount of time. I kept remarking on the amount of stones we saw that included some sort of sea reference, which makes sense for City Island, aka the Seaport of the Bronx.

Project 365: Days 186-195

186/365: I read my book in the park on my lunch break and couldn't resist the call of Mister Softee—or making the uncanny comparison again between his head swirl and the Guggenheim.

187/365: My dude and I went out for dinner and drinks in Brooklyn.

188/365: I couldn't pass by this sign without laughing and snapping a photo.

189/365: We went to Celebrate Brooklyn to see Sarah Jarosz and the Punch Brothers, which was a great show despite the torrential rains that started and ended with the Punch Brothers' set.

190/365: Went to Jim's to meet a potential third roommate because—exciting news!—I'll be moving into his amazing apartment in Brooklyn on August 1st (this is the view from the kitchen).

191/365: We went to a Mets game and then over to Flushing for some incredible dumplings.

192/365: I finally had the chance to showcase my watermelon art skills (next time: a fruit swan!).

193/365: You have no idea how ready I am.

194/365: Started reading a book about the father of the lobotomy, after hearing about his ice picks and lobotomobile(!!!) on the wonderful podcast, Lore.

195/365: I'll be upset forever that the "dollar" stacks at the Strand are now $1.50, which also makes me feel old.

Mets Game

When Jim asked if I'd like to go see a Mets game, I said "sure," and followed it with "I don't care a great deal about baseball, but I DO care a lot about hot dogs," which pretty much sums up my entire sports philosophy. I had never been to a Mets game, but I'd been by the stadium many times on my way to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. I do wish I had had the chance to see a game at the old Shea and Yankee's stadiums before they tore them down, but I have no complaints about Citi-Field.

We went to the game on Saturday and the weather was perfect—sunny and warm—and our seats were in the shade (left-field). Since no one we went with really cared much for sports, our seats in the very top section were totally fine, and I thought we had a great view.

What I do care a great deal about is the snacks—aka the entire reason sporting events exist—and the selection did not disappoint. They sell Nathan's hot dogs, which are always good, even if hot dogs are inherently gross and toxic and horrible (but really, really delicious, right?). There was even a separate "toppings" bar, filled with a lot more than just ketchup and mustard (stadium, but of course)—I loved being able to load my dog with more than my fair share of sauerkraut and pickles in peace and without judgement. We didn't partake in the nachos, popcorn or Mister Softee—all of which were served in plastic souvenir batting helmets, so you know they were good.

Saturday also happened to be free bobblehead day, although only two out of the six of us actually received them. Luckily six out of the six of us had no real interest in a Juan Lagares bobblehead (sorry, Juan) but that didn't stop us from enjoying them during the downtime.

The Mets ended up beating the Arizona Diamondbacks and hitting three home runs, one of which was contested when it looked like it had been erroneously snatched by a fan. Delicious hotdogs, souvenir cups filled with ice-cold beer, Cracker Jack, beautiful weather, great company, a mild controversy and a win for the home team—maybe I could care more about sports if all games were this perfect.

Kelder's Farm

When I first read that the world's (third) largest garden gnome was on a private farm, I assumed that it might be kind of difficult to visit. I couldn't have been more wrong—not only is Gnome Chomsky completely accessible, but he stands at the entrance to a really welcoming and adorable family-owned farm—no trespassing required.

Kelder's Farm has been around since 1836 and is the type of place where you can pick-your-own blueberries, kale, lettuce and various other types of produce. You can also play a round of mini-golf, feed (and pet!) the animals and (for $5) jump on the "jumping pillow," which was kind of weird and dirty-looking, but is probably awesome if you're 8 years old.

The animals were really adorable, and not something I get to see much of in the city. I grew up going to state fairs and petting zoos, so goats and pigs are not exactly novel to me, but they're still fun to watch (to smell—not so much). The goats were particularly animated and functioned like one, three-headed goat, following the hand with the most food. It cost us nothing to wander around Kelder's Farm, although we couldn't resist buying some blueberries and cherries from the shop, which took considerably less work than picking our own.

Kerhonkson, New York

As I mentioned, my dude and I spent the July 4th weekend upstate in Kerhonkson, NY. I've been upstate several times since I've moved to New York, for day and weekend trips, but this was definitely my favorite one yet. We arrived on Friday afternoon, after taking the Metro North to Poughkeepsie, where we picked up a Zipcar at Vassar College (Meryl Streep's alma mater,but of course).

On our way to gather supplies, we explored the town a little and that's when I fell in love with the abandoned diner and bowling alley—upstate New York is a total gold mine of abandoned roadside structures, handpainted signs, old neon, shady-looking motels and pretty much everything else I love to see on roadtrips.

Friday was pretty chill—we grilled steaks and corn (YUM) and just enjoyed doing things that I definitely took for granted when I lived in Ohio. Never underestimate the restorative powers of some grilled meats, a cold cocktail, wonderful company and a sky full of stars.

We had planned to go hiking on Saturday (the fourth), but it rained all morning. I actually didn't mind the slight change of plans and we ended up having a perfectly lazy day. After meeting Gnome Chomsky and exploring Kelder's Farm, we fulfilled our patriotic duties and had soft serve from a roadside stand, pulled over to investigate what my dude thought was a dead porcupine (he was 100% correct), grilled even more meats (kebabs!) and headed into town to watch the local fireworks.

As much as I adore the city, there are moments where I do slightly miss living somewhere much less competitive. We knew the fireworks were supposed to start at 9:30 pm—we arrived at 9:28 pm, pulled over to the side of the road, walked across the street, set down our blanket and a few minutes later we had a completely unobstructed view of the fireworks. Of course the display wasn't as spectacular as the Macy's show, but the whole night was perfect and totally stress-free.

On Sunday, we finally got the weather we had been wishing for and squeezed in a short hike before heading back to the city. We did a loop around Sam's Point Reserve Park, which took about an hour. The view from the overlook was so breathtaking that I think I even said "this is the best view I've ever had," because it was totally true. We were also surprised (and I, delighted) to find the ruins of a few abandoned shacks scattered along the path which made an already wonderful hike even better.

We saw diners, butterflies and bees, bought corn from a roadside farm stand, tried desperately to find sparklers (but failed), considered going into the shady-looking Tom's Taxidermy hoping he had a clearance bin (but chickened out), browsed a cluttered antique shop, touched a goat, talked to pigs, took a photo that looked like we were picking Gnome's nose, watched the stars, listened to the rain and ate two very delicious breakfast sandwiches. My only complaint is that it all went by much too fast.

209 Diner

On the first day that we got to Kerhonkson, we drove past this incredible abandoned diner a few times and I couldn't resist stopping to creep on it a little bit. While definitely not currently in use, the 209 Diner looked like it hadn't been closed for too long and there was a "permit granted" notice on the front door which makes me think it might open again soon. That being said, it was definitely over-grown and just abandoned enough to be a totally worthy stop.

I couldn't resist peeking inside and was surprised to find the interior in such good shape. The decor is classic diner, from the swivel stools to the turquoise-and-black color scheme and pedestal candy dispensers. My very favorite part, however, is the incredible neon sign—and clock!—that I hope remains no matter what the new owners have in mind for the 209.

Project 365: Days 177-185

177/365: We spent a very rainy Saturday watching House of Cards (we're still not finished but I'm loving it).

178/365: We waited 2+ hours to get into the Morbid Anatomy Flea, but I got some vertebrae and we had time to kill before an 8:30 pm moonlight walking tour of Green-Wood Cemetery.

179/365: We saw Ingrid Michaelson at SummerStage in Central Park on the most perfect summer night (she was wonderful).

180/365: I wrote out notes for my favorite people and then had dinner with (most of) them at Gallow Green to celebrate my two-year New York-iverary (a day early).

181/365: Francesca made me the best card and got me a classic New York breakfast to celebrate.

182/365: Excellent mail day.

183/365: My dude and I headed upstate for the holiday weekend, ate at an adorable diner (with jukeboxes on each table!) and explored Kerhonkson / Ellenville.

184/365: We did our American duty and had soft-serve and watched fireworks on the Fourth.

185/365: We fit in a short hike at the beautiful Sam's Point Park Reserve before we headed back to the city.

World's (third) Largest Garden Gnome

This weekend my dude and I rented a little cottage in Kerhonkson, New York on the western side of the Hudson River Valley in the foothills of the Catskills. As I do before I go anywhere, I consulted the Roadside America app before we left, and discovered that the world's third largest garden gnome currently stands in Kerhonkson.

Thankfully my dude was down for a quick visit, and on Saturday we met Gnome Chomsky— once the World's Largest garden gnome before others in Iowa and Poland edged him out. Mr. Chomsky stands by the road, near the entrance to Kelder's Farm. Note: if you're following the Roadside America app, the address provided is wrong—just Google "Kelder's Farm" and you can't miss him.

The only thing mildly disappointing about our visit was the lack of souvenirs featuring Gnome. I did buy a wooden nickel, but would have totally bought postcards or a magnet if they'd had some. The frisbees were sort of an odd choice, but I did laugh at the "(Not) The World's Largest Garden Gnome," regulation size gnome.

I know it might seem totally silly, but seeing Gnome was a total highlight in a weekend filled with wonderful things. I love that things like this exist and I hope there are a lot more similarly ridiculous stops included in my future adventures.

Project 365: Days 169-176

169/365: I won the lottery for a ticket to the Tony-award-winning musical Fun Home and walked to the theater through Central Park (the show was incredible).

170/365: I spent a rainy Saturday catching up on some photo organizing while I watched these two kids being taunted by the jerkiest blue jay I've ever met. You can watch the video here (warning: it's loud).

171/365: I hung out with my dude and all of the greens in Prospect Park.

172/365: I didn't do much to celebrate Meryl Streep's birthday, but I do my fair share of daily worshipping.

173/365: Francesca and I got lunchtime pedicures (my first ever!) and I caught the tail end of an A++ sunset outside of my apartment.

174/365: I love this manhole cover right outside of my apartment.

175/365: I finally got around to waiting for Shakespeare in the Park tickets for The Tempest. It was a lovely morning and a good production, although it did rain for about an hour, which was oddly fitting.

176/365: I met JMP for dinner in the West Village where we celebrated the so, so, SO good SCOTUS decision and the start of NYC Pride. We had nachos, margaritas, Big Gay Ice Cream and soaked up the love outside of the Stonewall Inn.

Bartow-Pell Mansion

I've been sorting through all of my photos recently and realizing there are places I meant to write about, but never did. The Bartow-Pell Mansion is one of those things—Trent, Alisha and I toured it almost a year ago, before continuing on to explore City Island.

The mansion is located in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, and is (sort of) on the way to City Island. The estate dates back to 1654, but the current house was built between 1836-1842, sold to the city in 1888 and opened as a museum in 1946. To get there, you take a bus from the end of the 6 line, which is the same bus that, if you stay on it, will take you out to City Island.

When we arrived, we were a little early for the first tour, so the tour guide asked us if we liked cemeteries. Of course Trent and Alisha's heads whipped around to look at me, and I was already saying something resembling "YASSSSS." Turns out there's a Pelham family cemetery down a little path in the back of the house, so we spent some time there before our tour started.

Once we were back in the house, we basically had a private tour (

pro-tip: always be early

) and free reign to ask questions and take photos. I loved the clover-and-lion head carpeting that covered the beautiful spiral staircase, and most of the gorgeous furniture pieces had claw feet, which I want on everything I own.

As if a surprise cemetery wasn't enough, there were also two really wonderful pieces of embroidered mourning art hanging in the house that I fell in love with. The grounds were lovely and peaceful, with fountains, large iron gates and a stable house with carriages and (faux) horses. I love places like the Bartow-Pell mansion—far enough from the city to make you feel like you're in another world, but close enough to get to with just a little bit of effort.