I had a fun and interesting weekend overall.
In addition, Saturday I managed to sell my old dishwasher through Craigslist. , it seems I have managed to rent out my old apartment! The new tenants have passed two checks that haven’t bounced, and have keys – hopefully everything will work out O.K. for the next six months.
That is a real load off my mind.
Friday, got off work early, and hung out with
After a semi-lazy Saturday morning, we got up and got out. We went to the CP Conservatory Garden. Then we went to Spanish Harlem so I could do some last minute cleaning, and get rid of the dishwasher
Saturday night, went to dinner with L. to The Sultan. Had some phenomenal stuffed grape leaves and feta/dill rolls. We both got lamb for a main dish, but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by mine. Not because it was poorly prepared, it just turned out not being precisely what I wanted. L.’s lamb was way better. We did split a lovely bottle of Turkish wine though, which was very yum.
Got up early the next day, did a little work, and then went to brunch at Life Cafe, then went bowling. There is a bowling alley in Port Authority. They have a deal where for 29$ you get two hours of bowling, shoe rental, and brunch. Am hoping to drag more people in the future. Also, killed some virtual zombies, and lost at air hockey (but beat Soulcaliber2 with a broken low attack button in 2:43). After that we went back to the UWS and I made some chicken pot pie, while the rest of the crew plotted the purchase of a Vermonster. Stayed out kinda late. Watched some of the Yankees game, some Adult Swim, and the Butthole Surfers DVD where they did an extended interview, mostly naked, all in the same bed, totally high on acid.
Yesterday, woke up early, but still had a pretty chill day. Went to a BBQ in the UES (after hearing plans with
Today has been a slow burn. It is my roommate’s 30th b-day, and with my other roommate in CA for the next 3 weeks, there are birthday plans in the make for the evening. Hopefully, after the next two weeks of brokenness, I can go back to semi-normal finances once again.
On the downside, I think I am getting sick. I have a sore throat, and my eyes will not stop watering.
I have surpassed my saturation point on New Orleans. I had a similar experience post September 11th. There is so much atrocity out there, and the more I read about it, the more it seems to be able to engulf me. Between my reaction to what has happened, and the reactions of the people in power, how are now trying to politick and spin doctor everything away, I can’t spend more than 10 minutes a day on it, without wanting to tear my eyes out. Rehnquist dying over the weekend really didn’t help much either.
Last night, on the way back from brunch, I was le tired, so we took a cab. The cabbie was a very animated and interesting fellow. From first look and accent, I assumed him to be a Russian Jew. However, this changed dramatically when I noticed the frying pan sized silver crucifix he was sporting. The guy was nearly stone deaf, and spent the whole time from the UES to my neck of the woods talking. Not just chattering, he was preaching, and reaching out. He had been born Jewish, but reached out to the Orthodox faith several years prior. He was very devoted to his icons, and knew a story about the Virgin Portaitissa and the Monestary of Iviron that I had never heard before. He was very verbose about his morality, his finite sense of faith and his god’s plan for him in the world – indeed, the world in general.
I found his quasi-biography/quasi-preaching rather amusing. He told us his night was over after he dropped us off – that god decided when he went home based on when a fare close to where he lived came into his cab. He espoused some of the fundamentalist views concerning Katrina I had previously bashed rather heavily. When asked about the churches/good people who died in New Orleans, he simply replied with an analogy about cutting down an entire field of trees to keep down blight.
He was very devoted to Saint Peter. He missed his brother who was stabbed to death by a co-worker a few years ago. He loved his priest, who he feels saved him. He had a rather large collection of icons which he had pictures of in the sun visor. He wore black leather gloves, which he only took off when he turned on the light, so he could read my lips in the rear view window. He kept his huge silver crucifix in-hand for much of the ride, and would occasionally flash it out the window as drivers rode dangerously nearby (as all drivers tend to in NYC). He was very sure of himself and his faith. Later, I was splitting verbal hairs with L. over whether he was self-righteous or just righteous. I saw his humility in his faith as righteousness. The self-righteous think that the qualities they exude makes them superior to everyone else – this man was wholly inclusive – so long as you followed the way. His views, though ignorant intellectually, were truly an embodiment of the Christian ideal – something I have a very hard time arguing against in practice. However, I am lucky, in that it is not very often that I have to argue with a practitioner.
I guess that was the hardest part – not arguing with an old Jewish gone Russian Orthodox over the inconsistencies of biblical accounts, the traditions, rites, and writings of the apostles, and how many of the “governing laws” concerning divine faith (which transgressed the line of “canon” for this man) were really built on the backs of tradition, rather than accurate history (which is what he, himself, claimed drew him to the Russian Orthodox to begin with). My words would have done no good – and if they had, they might only have marred a delusion that is allowing him to live in a lonely but good life. My words and observations – not his. Maybe he would trade in all his icons and paraphernalia and faith for a wife. I don’t know, but somehow I doubt it. I got the sense that he was married, and lost his way after his wife died – then he stumbled into the Russian Orthodox church.
For all his complexity, and inaccuracy, I bet that cabbie slept well. In addition, L. was there to witness one of my endless crazy cabbie stories. I really don’t make these people up folks!
Props to anyone not using google who knows who spoke the title of this post, what it related to, and why it was amusing.