Today I decided to purchase a keepsake to remind me of the time I have spent in New York - similar to the seahorse necklace that I acquired in Charleston during the first half of the summer. Like the necklace, I wanted my New York keepsake to remind me immediately of this summer, while at the same time being practical enough to use somewhat regularly.
I ultimately decided to purchase a leather bag from a store three blocks from my apartment. The store is called Joseph Hanna Leather, and many of its leather goods are made right there! The store has its own leather workshop, and as I perused the many bags hanging from the walls and ceilings, one of the men working at the shop was busy sewing up a new piece of luggage. It felt so authentic - even though the bag I ended up selecting was not made in the store (not many of their women's bags were).
My new bag is yellow leather with a thick brown leather strap. I talked the owner down $100 from the original price, so I felt like I got quite a steal! He also pressed my initials into the strap, which was neat because I got to watch how this was done. He even made me a leather keychain with my initials on it for free - which was perfect, because I have been needing a new keychain for my car keys ever since I separated them from my house keys last year.
So now my New York memories will be carried around in a beautiful leather bag that smells wonderful and will be perfect for Fall. When I look at it in the future, I hope I will remember the little leather shop around the corner from my apartment and what fun it was to wander around and discover little shops in the West Village.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Day 23: Magnolia Cupcake
Tonight after meeting a friend for dinner I went for a walk in the neighborhood. The weather was perfect for a stroll. People were eating at outdoor tables at the little cafe on the corner of Perry Street, and all along my walk, my neighbors were sitting on their stoops and talking to each other or looking out at the street.
On this walk, I allowed myself to have a cupcake at Magnolia Bakery (of Sex and the City fame). I say "allowed myself" because I have been consciously avoiding it so as not to get addicted to these cupcakes that are only two blocks from my apartment. Tonight was so perfect that I couldn't resist.
I took my chocolate cupcake with blue buttercream frosting back to my own stoop on Perry Street. Sitting there, I opened my new book of short stories and began to read, unwrapping my cupcake slowly as the story progressed. It was a deliciously wonderful end to the day!
On this walk, I allowed myself to have a cupcake at Magnolia Bakery (of Sex and the City fame). I say "allowed myself" because I have been consciously avoiding it so as not to get addicted to these cupcakes that are only two blocks from my apartment. Tonight was so perfect that I couldn't resist.
I took my chocolate cupcake with blue buttercream frosting back to my own stoop on Perry Street. Sitting there, I opened my new book of short stories and began to read, unwrapping my cupcake slowly as the story progressed. It was a deliciously wonderful end to the day!
Day 23 (early): Rodents!
A little while ago, I heard a noise in the kitchen. It was a loud rustling. I knew that something other than the air conditioner was making that noise - and that something was alive.
After Alex told me in a phone pep talk that I should go out to the kitchen, I finally worked up the nerve to turn on the hall light and investigate the situation. The cookie from Subway that I had left for a future snack yesterday was eaten, its packaging torn into little shreds by tiny rodent teeth. My trashbag had bite marks in it. I was terrified: there are either mice or rats in my apartment, and neither one is a good thing!
I don't know how I am going to sleep tonight knowing that these little creatures could be running around my house. Needless to say, I immediately took the Subway cookie and the trashbag down to the basement to be thrown out - so hopefully they won't come back! Believe me, I won't be throwing any food away in this house again. Now I just want some sleep . . . hopefully uninterrupted by the pitter patter of little mouse or rat feet!
After Alex told me in a phone pep talk that I should go out to the kitchen, I finally worked up the nerve to turn on the hall light and investigate the situation. The cookie from Subway that I had left for a future snack yesterday was eaten, its packaging torn into little shreds by tiny rodent teeth. My trashbag had bite marks in it. I was terrified: there are either mice or rats in my apartment, and neither one is a good thing!
I don't know how I am going to sleep tonight knowing that these little creatures could be running around my house. Needless to say, I immediately took the Subway cookie and the trashbag down to the basement to be thrown out - so hopefully they won't come back! Believe me, I won't be throwing any food away in this house again. Now I just want some sleep . . . hopefully uninterrupted by the pitter patter of little mouse or rat feet!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Day 20: In The Adirondacks
I am writing to you from the lovely village of Cooperstown, New York - home to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and also (temporarily) to Emily Leonardy, a friend from school. Emily is becoming an Episcopal priest, and I will have the pleasure of hearing her deliver a sermon tomorrow!
It was wonderful to have a relaxing day outside of the city. Emily and I sat by a mountain lake and caught up before heading home to make shrimp scampi, have a glass of white wine, and enjoy a peach crumble dessert. I doubt I will be ready to return to New York City tomorrow afternoon!
My computer is about to run out of battery, so I will have to give a full summary of my travels later. Goodnight!
It was wonderful to have a relaxing day outside of the city. Emily and I sat by a mountain lake and caught up before heading home to make shrimp scampi, have a glass of white wine, and enjoy a peach crumble dessert. I doubt I will be ready to return to New York City tomorrow afternoon!
My computer is about to run out of battery, so I will have to give a full summary of my travels later. Goodnight!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Day 19: Severe Weather in the Big Apple
Am heading out to my college roommate's party, but wanted to show you some interesting pictures I just took of the current severe weather. We were actually under a Tornado Warning when I took these photos.
The Edge of the Storm, from my corner:
Funnel Cloud?
This one reminded me of Captain Hook.
**EDIT** It turns out that Tornado Warnings are extremely rare in New York City. I guess this heat couldn't last forever without causing some sort of atmospheric trouble!
The Edge of the Storm, from my corner:
Funnel Cloud?
This one reminded me of Captain Hook.
**EDIT** It turns out that Tornado Warnings are extremely rare in New York City. I guess this heat couldn't last forever without causing some sort of atmospheric trouble!
Day 19: An Unusual Day at Work
For this story to make sense, it is important that you know that I work for a website. This website's name is Track.com. The purpose of the site is to provide sophisticated investors with independent research on different aspects of the financial markets - like foreign exchange, commodities, equities, etc. But remember: a website. Which explains why it was a bit difficult for everyone to work today when we arrived at the office and discovered that the internet was out.
Within a few minutes of discovering the problem, one of my bosses suggested that the business who owns the floor below us, the sixteenth floor, had said that we could use a part of their office and access their internet. I found this rather amusing, because the business on the sixteenth floor is another website that publishes finance and market information. Its name? Tracked.com, naturally. Isn't this starting to sound like a scene out of an office comedy movie?
These two businesses are, of course, not in the same building by coincidence. They are funded by the same investor, who believes that both will be a success. It is still funny to me though that part of my office at Track.com was working at Tracked.com today. I felt like there might have been a secret competition, but it was probably only in my imagination!
Today there was a relief from the heat that had settled in for most of the week. Unfortunately, I couldn't walk home from work as I usually do because it was raining. Lately I have taken to strolling down Seventh Avenue in the evenings, a walk of about 25 blocks. The street is lined with every kind of restaurant you could possibly imagine. There are always lots of people, which would be more interesting if half of them weren't puffing away on cigarettes and blowing the smoke in my path. I can't understand these New Yorkers who smoke, because they are so unlike the smokers I saw in Beaufort growing up. In Beaufort, people who are smoking stand in one place and sort of pace about, smoking and thinking or talking to someone else. Here, the smokers are power-walking down the street, sucking in on their cigarettes and elbowing through the crowds as they rush to their destinations. They must have fantastic lung endurance; for me, it is already so hot outside that I would die if I had hot smoke swirling around inside of me too!
Tonight is the going-away party for my college roommate who will be leaving shortly for Hong Kong on the Fulbright Scholarship. I'm about to head out to find some dinner before the party!
Within a few minutes of discovering the problem, one of my bosses suggested that the business who owns the floor below us, the sixteenth floor, had said that we could use a part of their office and access their internet. I found this rather amusing, because the business on the sixteenth floor is another website that publishes finance and market information. Its name? Tracked.com, naturally. Isn't this starting to sound like a scene out of an office comedy movie?
These two businesses are, of course, not in the same building by coincidence. They are funded by the same investor, who believes that both will be a success. It is still funny to me though that part of my office at Track.com was working at Tracked.com today. I felt like there might have been a secret competition, but it was probably only in my imagination!
Today there was a relief from the heat that had settled in for most of the week. Unfortunately, I couldn't walk home from work as I usually do because it was raining. Lately I have taken to strolling down Seventh Avenue in the evenings, a walk of about 25 blocks. The street is lined with every kind of restaurant you could possibly imagine. There are always lots of people, which would be more interesting if half of them weren't puffing away on cigarettes and blowing the smoke in my path. I can't understand these New Yorkers who smoke, because they are so unlike the smokers I saw in Beaufort growing up. In Beaufort, people who are smoking stand in one place and sort of pace about, smoking and thinking or talking to someone else. Here, the smokers are power-walking down the street, sucking in on their cigarettes and elbowing through the crowds as they rush to their destinations. They must have fantastic lung endurance; for me, it is already so hot outside that I would die if I had hot smoke swirling around inside of me too!
Tonight is the going-away party for my college roommate who will be leaving shortly for Hong Kong on the Fulbright Scholarship. I'm about to head out to find some dinner before the party!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Day 16: Alone in the City
If an alien ship were to hover above my New York City block, and with its super scientific x-ray powers could see into every apartment on Perry Street, I wonder how many people the aliens would find sitting alone and thinking?
That is what I often do at night here in the city when it is too dark and hot to walk outside, and when I don't have plans with my friends. I have a television, but most evenings I prefer to put on some music, sit in bed with my laptop, and discover things. I look at pictures on facebook, read the news, and Wikipedia diseases, languages, events in history, schools . . . the time seems to fly by.
Tonight I am reading a book of short stories by an author called Miranda July that Caitlin gave to me when she visited this weekend. So far I have only read one. It was very interesting, and ultimately rather refreshing to be able to read a story with a beginning, middle, and end in half an hour. Books are difficult because you have to stop and start and stop and start; short stories are compact, but still powerful. I'm looking forward to reading more of this collection.
Today I walked home from work for the second day in a row. Why take the subway when the weather is nice? I enjoy being part of the rush hour bustle on the sidewalks. It makes me wish that I could walk more easily around Durham. How I miss the days of living on campus!
That is what I often do at night here in the city when it is too dark and hot to walk outside, and when I don't have plans with my friends. I have a television, but most evenings I prefer to put on some music, sit in bed with my laptop, and discover things. I look at pictures on facebook, read the news, and Wikipedia diseases, languages, events in history, schools . . . the time seems to fly by.
Tonight I am reading a book of short stories by an author called Miranda July that Caitlin gave to me when she visited this weekend. So far I have only read one. It was very interesting, and ultimately rather refreshing to be able to read a story with a beginning, middle, and end in half an hour. Books are difficult because you have to stop and start and stop and start; short stories are compact, but still powerful. I'm looking forward to reading more of this collection.
Today I walked home from work for the second day in a row. Why take the subway when the weather is nice? I enjoy being part of the rush hour bustle on the sidewalks. It makes me wish that I could walk more easily around Durham. How I miss the days of living on campus!
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