10. I read Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake. I loved The Namesake and felt really sad when I finished it. I’ve heard that it’s supposed to be made into a film, so we’ll see how that goes. I also read and adored Curtis Sittenfeld’s second novel, The Man of My Dreams. Sittenfeld is such a raw, honest, fantastic writer. Read her now.
9. Cade and I ate at fancy schmancy restaurant Smith & Wollensky. It’s a premier NYC steakhouse that we normally wouldn’t splurge on. During Restaurant Week, however, many exclusive restaurants have specials for $35 per person. Cade and I had salad, filet mignon, and dessert for this price. It was delicious.
8. I’ve had nary a celebrity sighting, despite the fact that I’ve lived in NYC for almost a year. I just don’t hang out enough in the right neighborhoods, and I probably wouldn’t recognize a celeb in the flesh anyway. Three weeks ago on a late Friday night, I finally had one: Daniel V. from Project Runway. I had just boarded the uptown 2 train in the Village when I noticed the designer. He looks exactly like he did on tv. In fact, the nose gave him away.
What else to say? He was wearing metallic gold sneakers, skinny jeans, and had voluminous hair. He was with a girl with really curly hair - his fag hag, I guess. Despite my totally healthy view of celebrities (Stars: They’re Just Like Us!), I was giddy.
7. Savvy inner-city public school teachers who work at failing schools are able to apply for a grant for up to three years of suffering/teaching. I found out about this opportunity last summer when I became a sucker. I finally received the grant a few weeks ago. $3,400! I thought I’d just walk away from the I.S. 666 experience with good stories, a political cause, and higher standards for my own children. Nope. I also have enough money to buy a few chartered hot balloon rides, if I wanted to.
6. I have anointed El Maguey y la Tuna of the Lower East Side my new favorite Mexican restaurant in NYC. The enchiladas suizas have a tangy tomatillo kick. The flautas are crunchy and flavorful, while the gratis chips and salsa are far above par. (The salsa is made in the restaurant). The presentation and service are great, while the food is authentic and unpretentious.
5. I also recently tried Caliente Cab Company in the Village. I wouldn’t recommend it, but I’ll advertise a special. You can get a fajita platter for two on Mondays for $20. A warning, though: the platter comes with lackluster tortillas, chicken and beef, no cheese (?), really good guacamole, sour cream, and lots of veggies. I’m more of a carnivore, so the platter isn’t for me.
4. Paul came into the city last week right before a torrential downpour. Cade, Paul, and I visited the glorious, gratuitous Chinese restaurant with the free white wine. This time, Cade did not impale himself on some metal awning bar. No one got lost on the subway. However, I had more rice in my hair than a bride. I can handle wine; it’s the grain I can’t control.
3. I’m currently intrigued with the idea of going on a chartered hot air balloon ride with Cade. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I had no idea this thrill was available in so many places. In my limited hot air balloon mental schema, I imagine Cade and I would be standing in a crunchy basket under the flame that inflates our balloon. We’d throw down weighty bags to land after drifting through clouds, far above the trees. I’ve seen The Chipmunks’ Great Adventure way too many times.
2. The new school where I work has a co-ed faculty bathroom equipped with a scale, hand sanitizer, a plethora of upscale air fresheners, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and Listerine for the teachers. It now takes me 15 minutes on average to void…and indulge. I’m kidding. Kind of.
1. NYC has been in a heat wave for the last few days. The subway platforms are something out of Dante’s Inferno. Actually, they’re so slow that they might just be purgatory. I still don’t have air conditioning, nor do I have time to go to the beach, thus, I welcomed the storms forecast for today.
