That's the sound of scrupulous honesty

Since getting a portable mp3-playing device for Christmas, circulating about the city has been a whole "nother" affair. The long subway rides are enjoyable, I have the ability to tweak my mood, and I have a soundtrack to accompany steamrolling over people on the sidewalk. Thanks, Christian.

So then imagine my despondence when I realized today that I had lost said portable mp3-playing device. Checked everywhere twice, then realized the only place it could be was the Y. Pallots. Yesterday. Couches across from the pool area.

I dug out my membership, called the number, and sure as shit they had it for me in an envelope at the front desk. Just like that.

This is why a month ago I created a post label called "lost and found". This city gives and it gives.

Day one of many

I am trying a new thing. I am going to try to post every day. This is not so much because fantastic and interesting things are happening to me all the time, and not even because I am always looking for another reason to blow off work, but because there's just something about this format that lends itself to daily upkeep. Set your homepages!!!

Today it was fuh-reezing. Like, kind of fun at first when the sun is shining and you just step outside, but after dark, with the wind blowing, it's all WHERETF IS AMSTERDAM? I HATE YOU UPPER WEST SIDE WHY AREN'T YOUR AVENUES JUST NUMBERED.

And I bought some $5 gloves on the street last week, but left them at a party the very next day. That was pair number 3, and I refuse to continue the vicious, consumeristic cycle of buying cheap gloves and leaving them places because who cares they were so cheap. Also, I am broke.

Speaking of which, today between running errands uptown (buying Katherine train tickets at Grand Central, and a Hegel reading group at Juliard), a friend and I drank champagne in the hotel bar at the Waldorf Astoria. Now Mom, before you start criticizing, you should know that

a) I had packed a lunch that day
b) I've been letting other people buy me a lot of stuff lately
c) it was actually house label sparkling wine.

Houseparty in Fort Greene

Hah hah! Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls, nigga shit ya drawers
(Where we from?) Brooklyn goin out to all
(Bushwick...) You don't stop
(Fort Greene...) You won't stop, niggaz!

Bushwick I've mentioned, but last night I was in Fort Greene, which despite what Jay-Z says is actually very hipster and cute with tiny restaurants (all filled with 30-somethings wearing black sweaters), and well-kept brownstones. As with almost every apartment I've been to, there were no internal walls or rooms, so all the partying takes place around the bed/kitchen sink/small open floor area. There's no storage space either, so it makes me wonder where they put all their shit when people come over. There was a GIANT bass case in the front alcove - apparently it belongs to the bassist for the SNL house band; he lives upstairs. I brought a tiramisu cake that I had bought at Ferrara, which is a bakery in Little Italy that is supposedly world famous. Meh. Cake was not that good.

The night before, well... The most dangerous thing in New York is to go out with people who actually have money. In this case it was to "Beauty Bar", which is set up like a beauty salon but is actually a bar, see! Although you can get a manicure for $10. It includes a free drink. Anyway, someone was buying us drinks all night, and roommate and I can't believe how much we imbibed and lived to tell. Also, Grace left her wallet and cell phone there and got both back the next day. I myself have left my (pre-paid) phone in the back of a cab and got it back. Had to find the garage in Soho where the cabs get fixed, but there it was, as promised.

P.S. I have discovered another New York thing: "giving someone a ride home" means splitting a cab with them and not making them pay their fare. Hee!