First Friday

Bonjour mes amies! I have been watching a lot of 90's cartoon X-men...the ones that were always on TV Saturday mornings and to which I have rediscovered my long lost cartoon crush on Gambit. The smooth talkin', kinetic energy manuvering, staff fighting, card throwing, Rogue loving Cajun. I wish people talked like him...with an accent, tons of bantering, and a healthy sprinkling of Cajun French. He also refers to himself in the 3rd person, but it's endearing because he doesn't do it that much. Why didn't they put him in the X-men movies?? Was someone drunk the day they did casting and skipped over Gambit's part? Which could explain why they picked such a stupid, sucky Rogue who has really lame hair and a sodden disposition (as opposed to her fierce mane and fiery self). Apparently, Gambit is in the Wolverine movie that's coming out. I hate to be a downer here, but the actor looks like a cooze. They should have MADE Josh Holloway be Gambit! It would have been so badass. I can't even imagine anyone else doing Gambit justice :(

ANYWAY, back to real life. Today was sort of uneventful. It's the breath before the plunge, seeing as finals are coming up in a week. They're still teaching us new shit though, so we have to work hard still in learning all that they're hurling at us.

Tonight, my roommates and a few other people were supposed to go to Mixto's for my suitemate's birthday dinner, but she canceled this morning. So we went to First Friday. For those unfamiliar, First Friday is where on the 1st friday of every month, the art galleries around 3rd and Market open their doors for free from 5-9. I think some restaurants offer food? I may be wishfully doing this...but a lot of people tend to show up.

It was my first time going to First Friday, but I'm definitely going back. My roomies decided to walk there (25 blocks ftw!) where we saw all the sweet shops and cafes. I think I counted 5 Cosi's. We stopped by this crazy looking store with this intense display of really outdated looking jewelry. After visually pawing through the display, we went in and looked around. It was this store which imported all its jewelry from israel where the artists worked on making the various necklaces, etc. It was really cool looking stuff, but so expensive! Even the stuff that was on sale was awfully high priced. We said good-bye to the lady. She had this chic scarf over her head, but she must have been pissed that we didn't buy anything so she didn't even say goodbye. I always hate walking into small botiques where you're the only customer. The vendor's hopes climb higher and higher as they watch you look around and they search for signs of commitment to some object. Then it all plummets when they realize you have no money or are a cheap bastard.

Back to First Friday...we first went to this sort of funky gallery where they had some interesting paintings and sketches and a helluva lot of printed T's. The dude there was like "we all used to be street vendors in NYC"and gave us his colorful business card and an ad for yoga on Tuesdays. It was really cool. Refreshment was this something bourbon cider. It tasted like shit, but it was the first one of the night, so of course I drank it.

Next, we went to this Jewish gallery, where this lady made knitted hats that looked really kooky. However, because Purim was being celebrated they had a special exhibit which was super cool. Photography wasn't allowed, out of respect for Purim. But it was a bunch of white tiles spread out throughout the wall, with black, hand-painted writing, saying something about Esther saving the Jews and helping the poor. It was longer and very poetic, but I disremember it exactly. A Rabbi was there and he was super cool too, because he wore one of the owner's multi-colored hats. Well he took it off to do the blessing. He gave a very lovely speech and then they handed out little cups of really sweet wine and excellent brownies. But he did the blessing thing in Hebrew and had a cup full of flowing wine. I didn't know exactly know what was going on, but it was so cool. Something wonderful he said was something like, "Wine is the drink of men and God. Why God you ask? Because wine makes men happy, which makes God happy. Not saying you should be an alcoholic, but enjoy!" It was my favorite of the night, not so much because of the art (those hats were insane) but because of the atmosphere! (The wine was really sweet...best I've tasted)

Next we went to an antique shop. This was also really cool because all the owners were stationed throughout (to prevent pilfering and breaking I imagine). I saw this really cool elephant, where one of the guys there was like "That's a cigarette dispenser from the 1920's!" And sure enough, if you turned the tail of that elephant, an unfiltered cigarette would fall out from below the blanket that was on the elephant. It was so cool. I would have bought it if I had $300 lying around to spend. They had wine too, but we weren't offered any. I think they only offered it to people who looked legit, like they could pay for an antique elephant cigarette dispenser for cigarettes that aren't even made any more.

The next gallery was one devoted solely to irons. It was incredible that this one gallery would have so many paintings devoted just to antique irons. There was this one display that was really sexual. Like this one painting of an iron was mounted on this abstractly genital patterned wallpaper. It was so weird, but it was sort of--interesting to see how some people interpret the simplest things. There were no refreshments, besides upon entering hearing a humorous joke, "I feel like ironing something now!"

The last gallery we went to was cool. The lower level had a lot of sculptures with dessert themes, like eclairs balanced on top of each other topped off with a slice of cherry pie. It makes hungry wanderers even more hungry. The upper level was intense. They were generally canvas paintings of crumbling structures or abstract lines. My favorite one of a pile of bricks that just fell from the wall of a building. It was also $12,000. I was so depressed. SO much cool shit, so little money! So I own it in memory, which will do for now I suppose. This place too had no refreshments.

We were growing weary and not finding anything too exciting around, we decided to stop by one of the 5 Cosi's we saw. I got what I always get: a turkey bacon cheddar melt. Deeelicious. Someday, I'll try something else on the menu. But I'm just too satisfied to move on. We had really good service, which always makes me happy. It wasn't too crowded, but not at all empty. We got a table with the oddly shaped couch, so there was a lot to be happy about. I'm terrible at knowing how much to tip, because I feel that 2 or 3 dollars is very miserly. So if the service doesn't suck, I tip 50%...or somewhere around there. My parents get upset with my generous tipping, but I get a secret thrill. A romantic at heart, I spin stories like this tip will help the waitress get a lip piercing or that cute dress she liked or a gift for her little sister. She won't use it to buy crack or to pay her douchebag boyfriend's cell phone bill. It's for her...something she wants, something she needs, something that will make her happy.

Took the subway home, where I wondered where my fellow passengers were going. The staring game is more intense on the subway than it is on the train. There's less time to scrutinize, so details must be taken in quickly, because you have no idea when they'll leave. People always jump up and run out the doors at the last minute, almost as the orange lights start flashing and the cool mechanical, but feminine voice begins to announce "Doors closing. Doors closing."I prefer the subway to the trolley. It's like a coffin on wheels. The same catacomb, same state of decay, where people look as if they're reaching out from a tomb. Hand stretched out, pulling down, signaling the driver for escape. The subway is like an underground spring or a garden snake, harmless and lively, secretly necessary.

Who's this poet that's reaching out on this First Friday? Maybe it's the wine. Or how a woman's hair might get in the way of the executioner's axe. Such a distraction, but she pulls it clear and then the blade runs true.

Such an emo metaphor, but finals really do suck! And I really am stalling...I've been online for like 2 hours. Doing nothing in general.

Breakfast: tea and a B-A-N-A-N-A-(S) (NO DOUBT IS ON TOUR!!!)
Lunch: bag of popcorn and strawberry doughnut
Dinner: Turkey Bacon Cheddar Melt with Chips, tomato soup, and Coffee