A Rainy Day

It's been raining off and on for a few days in the Apple. People use umbrellas here. Not so on the west coast. They use hoods, or cars. I would say I've lost my umbrella touch but no one's that effective in the wind. Debating whether I should just bullet point stuff since I need to crank through more than a week of my trip in about .5 hours.

- manipulated upstairs residents into hurrying up their move so my friend Brigid could get her stuff into the unit by offering my own help since, until they vacated, I was just going to be sitting around, waiting. Not sure if it really saved any time but I satisfied my Project Manager compulsion. And to be sure did take several trips up and down the three flights with their stuff.

- saw my college buddy Greta in Brooklyn and got to take her and her friends to Sheep Station, a nice restaurant/bar that Olivia and I met at once. It satisfied all their varied requirements: dark, Guiness on tap, good food, not too expensive, close to Junior's where we were. Some nice ladies, I'm guessing Brooklyn Tabernacle folk, helped point me the way from the subway exit, they were being kind to a tourist as far as they knew.

- grocery shopping with Juanita, something nice to do in Queens: carts and regular-width aisles. Made her wontons the following day. Someday I'll post photos of the steps to fold a wonton, like a real Shirlie-level food blog.

- lunch with Mark-Anthony, my former ministry leader at TSC, and his wife and two kids and one extra kid, Lillian--never did figure out how she's related, niece? Anyway, at the Afghan House, lamb kabob, yum. He told me about all the awesome stuff going on with Young Adults at TSC and how God's really growing him and the team and group. Super cool. Got to see it with my own eyes last night. Pretty awesome. They just started a study on Called to Serve--very appropo.

- Starbucks juice break with Nomsa whom I met in 2004 when we went to Morocco together. Always fun. She's finishing school and has been working on not complaining. So awesome. I love her perspective and heart for her family and friends.

- hot pot with Alex and Meg. Sadly, Laura couldn't make it because she had pregancy related swollen ankles. We ordered fewer dishes and were still full and sweating. It was raining when we left, and Meg gave us both a lift homeward in her cute SUV, such a Long Islander. ;) Love that girl. Love Alex too.

- UWS Cafe Fresh to see Chrissy. Last time she was a Master, now she's a Doctor. Pretty cool. Working on a study of perceptions and media on autism. Joked about Jenny Garth, bad taste, I know, but Chrissy is just the girl to make those jokes with. Her hair looked properly stylish yet professional.

- Tuesday through Friday I volunteered at TSC with Loretta who is in charge of producing any theatrical/large events. It was rough, I sprained my ankle mysteriously Tuesday night and was limping by Thursday. Friday was the big event. There were lots of details and phone calls and stapling and texting and rehearsal and schedules and props and staging and music rights and errands and actors and lighting and cues and when do these people eat lunch? Or dinner for that matter? It was a lot of fun to be part of it though, I would've done it all over again just for the opportunity to serve my beloved old church and get to know a few new people, catch up with some old faces, and pray. Love it.

- Got a free taxi ride to meet her from some guy who is a investment banker. His quote: I never ever thought it would be a profession held in derision. Yet he was expensing the cab ride, so didn't take any of my offered cash. Recommended the Gallery to him as he had been attending Redeemer off and on but moved to Chelsea so it's kind of far.

- dinner at El Cocotero with Susan who is like Ken. Questioning. She treated me to dinner and it was yummy. Papaya juice. Rice and beans. Sancocho (short-rib soup). Tres leches. I gotta quit the tres leches habit.

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