Photos

Tuesdays are odd. They are nowhere close to the weekend, therefore they suck, and often Tuesdays are the time when you kind of forget what day it is because it's so unimportant in the grand context. Today on the way to work, I rode down without a hitch. No one cut me off, I didn't fear for my life and I got there at a decent time. On the way home, however... well, let me illustrate using skills comparable to MS Paint:

I was riding home, being careful to look out for cars who weren't looking out for me, and riding on the sidewalk because I find it to be safer around these Connecticut maniac drivers. Cruising along and all the sudden, out of nowhere, this woman pulls out from the parking lot of this ethnic grocery store, about 3 feet in front of me. I wasn't expecting it (obviously), and I gripped my brakes as hard as I could and swerved. It's actually a miracle I didn't fly over her hood, but my swerving combined with a Flintstones style foot-scraping along the pavement kept me from slamming into her tank-like SUV. I'm beginning to think that maybe Ol' Blue may be a bit too old.

The rest of the way home was alright. I avoided getting run over, but I did get honks and a whistles from on-looking male drivers. Have they not seen a lanky girl on a bike before? One of my biggest challenges so far here has been how to ignore and avoid comments from men who see me walking or biking. On my way home from the train station the other day, a man stopped with his window rolled down and talked to me, but I had my headphones on so I just ignored him. He drove off but then turned around to bug me again. He drove off, honking, but as I turned the corner down my street I looked around to be sure he wasn't following me. Where the hell am I? Why can't a girl walk home without being bothered? For now I'll just put on my "I will kill you" face and keep walking, but it is a bit disconcerting.

So, this last weekend I went to see my cousin Audra in the big city. She lives in Tribeca which is near the financial district which is near the water and this amazing park and the most beautiful part of the city I've seen as of yet. She took me to see the waterfront along the Hudson, where you can look across to Jersey. She took me to her favorite diner right around the corner from where she lives. We walked all over Chinatown, Little Italy, Bleecker street and then she took me to Magnolia, a famous bakery with apparently famous cupcakes. The lineup to get in was around the block. Oh, the hype:

Through the window I watched a woman worker slather the sugary green frosting atop chocolate cupcakes. She swirled it with a flat knife with precision until she had created the perfect spiral. It was a mechanical motion, but all the same artistic in its repetition.

Audra decided we'd take the banana pudding and cupcakes we'd purchased to an independent film: You Kill Me, starring Ben Kingsley, Tea Leone and Luke Wilson. Hilarious. I recommend it. Never seen Ben Kingsley in such a dumbed-down but hilarious role.

We got some sushi afterward after encountering a balding man in sweat pants who asked us if we wanted to go get drinks with him. Audra, who just turned 28, and I realized that we have so much in common but we never really knew because of our age difference. She grilled me on my reasons for being quasi-vegetarian and shared her own passions against farmed fish. Good times. But I think I may have been too quiet. How is a young aspiring , silly environmental journalist supposed to talk to an enterprising financial business woman? I'm not sure. She is an amazing woman and I've always admired her ability to go out and do her thing, despite what the family said.

This is her puppy, Sabina, who is absolutely precious.

So I guess I failed on the photo side of things. I promised photos and brought back... nothing. I almost feel silly taking pictures in the city. I don't want to look like a tourist. To a certain extent I feel like I've "been there, done that," and I don't really need the photos to prove it. Sorry yall. But, I do have photos from prior events that I shall share.

These are my roommates, Tony and Samantha:
It was Tony's 31st birthday. Here we are with Juan and Leon:

Tony was so excited for his birthday dessert:


Three boys crammed in the back of Sam's car:


And also from pics from the Renaissance festival. Dani and I in the shuttle (AKA a yellow school bus. I'm so excited).

This is the guy Tony and Sam attempted to hit with tomatoes:


They let Sam move up a few steps.

Dani threw axes and got a kiss:

And Sam tried on a helmet that was way too hot.


So, in all seriousness I've been here for over an month. I turned to Sam and mentioned it today and she said "It doesn't feel like it." It doesn't. I'm having more fun than I expected I would for sure.

The dogs and cat have gotten pretty used to me. Look, Cleo, and I are buds:


Tomorrow I shall valiantly ride to work and continue my environmental crusade. Tata!