Oh, the People You'll Meet

7869 Steps

Today was a day of big, big plans: I had to get shoelaces and toothpaste. This list expanded to gel and a haircut and new eye glasses. And then mushroomed into dropping off my laundry and buying a TV tray.

I lost my glasses at Thanksgiving and spent all this time CONVINCED that they would return to me because I MAY HAVE put my LA return address label on the inside of the case and JUST MAYBE some kind person would MAIL them to me in LA and I would get them via forwarded mail. Like a woman pacing the widow's walk waiting for her man to return from the sea, I waited. No glasses and a series of headaches and blurry plays and movies. So now I am just going to fork out the $10,000 it costs to get a new pair and be done with it.

The shoelaces were decidedly cheaper. My friend Sean took me to a cobbler and I got my shoelaces for $2.

"For $2 you want a photo too? Geddouttahere!"

To celebrate we went to the local donut place called something like "The Donut Store," That isn't it, but it is something like that. Cool, old, neon sign, stools and a counter. Love it. I got a Black and White cookie. The woman was not into having her photo taken, but capitulated when I told her it was for a school project.

This photo screams for a caption contest for what she is thinking at that very moment.

Then it was off in search of a TV tray. Brian says The Secret says to not get one TV tray, but two to allow for someone else in your life. My philosophy is if I am sitting with someone else and they have a TV tray too, the relationship is over before it has even started. So I wanted a singular, lonely, I eat in front of the TV by myself TV tray. This was not easy to come by. We happened in to The Container Store where my friend John who is now in LA used to work. They do not deal in TV trays as TV trays do not contain anything except a life of lonely slovenliness. But I did meet Joe who knows John and I took his photo to send to John. And the world!!! MwahhAAAHHHhhhAAAHhhh!!!

Joe. Container Store NYC scholar and FOJ ( Friend of John)

Finally hit TV Tray Gold at Bed, Bath & Beyond. They had the Deluxe Faux leather-topped model which I saw as sort of from the British West Indies collection. I almost went for this as it was kind of masculine and solitary. Lone Wolfish. But like the tree that fell in the woods to build this TV tray, just how macho does one have to be, or can one be, dining alone without the threat of company? I went for the more basic model (read: cheaper). I also managed to get my gel and went all crazy in this store and bought razor blades, Ziploc bags (will blog eventually about my total obsession with Ziploc bags. Get ready for the compelling and hard-hitting entry.), and sponges with scrubby siding. A bonanza.

The razor blades costs more than the TV tray!

In New York City most folk take the subway and at Bed, Bath and Beyond they will wrap your packages for subway transport! I had no idea. I got my TV tray shrink wrapped with a handle attached. Superb!

I could not believe it was nightfall already and I had just set out for shoelaces and toothpaste! I got home and then left to get my haircut. I was the last customer in the shop before they closed. I explained that this was my first haircut in New York and my last one of 2007 and it needed to be excellent. I didn't really explain, I implied. Okay, I didn't really imply, I just sat there and said "Over the ears, please." I was putty in her hands. She was very nice, but had a Caspian edge. The shop owner even gave me a free T-shirt and CD. How may barbers have their own CD's? His has chosen for his logo the Male arrow symbol with the phrase "Who's the Man?" underneath it. Excellent question. You can see it all at http://www.reamir.com/. His father was a famous barber in Uzbekistan so maybe "Who's the Man?" is a translation of something really cool there. Nice people. Local. I would go back.

"Who's the Man?" The one on the left who is happily going to spend Saturday night with a TV tray.