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 The first time I walked into the little bookstore, I fell in love. It's small and cozy with the friendliest staff (all 2 people). It has creaky wooden floors and a step that I stumbled down the first time because I didn't notice it. Their books are mostly arranged so the covers face you, as if they're waving and saying, "Read me, read me!" While the prices aren't as discounted as Strand or as towering as a 4-level Barnes & Noble, the feel of the bookstore is something that can't be replaced. It was really nice this afternoon, so while I ran some errands during my lunch break, I wandered into the little bookstore. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but I ended up buying Waiter Rant (I've been of a fan of his for a long time now). When I handed the man my credit card, he smiled and said, "Following the preseason?" My card has the Yankees logo on it. I smiled and said, "Yeah! They won yesterday so that's good." He said, "That's good! Well, I don't know about that whole A-Rod thing..." I let out a sigh and he laughed. He continued, "They just gotta keep going on." I declined a bag and he said, "Take care, have a nice day!" I said, "You too, thanks!" During some down time at work, I decided to start reading. I realized I didn't have a bookmark on me so I used my receipt. But when I opened the book, I found a nice bookmark from the bookstore, nestled between the first two pages. And I don't know why, but I was absolutely delighted. I was smiling from head to toe. He must have slipped in the bookmark when I was signing the receipt! It was such a pleasant surprise. And why it's my favorite little bookstore.
—Friday, February 27, 2009 2 comments My favorite little bookstore
 I put my blog through the Typealyzer and was surprised to find that it is ESFP, or "Extraversion, Sensing, Feeling, Perception." I know the test says that the writing style on a blog may have nothing to do with a person's personality, but it makes me wonder. I mean, I've taken these personality tests before and I always get INFP, or "Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, Perception." That's pretty much how I am. But my curiosity got the best of me and I read all about ESFP and, surprisingly, found myself identifying with it quite a lot. And I have to say, it's really... refreshing. My common ground is the Feeling and Perception, and I know I tend to swing both ways when it comes to Sensing and Intuition. But what got me was the Extraversion because I'm a pretty quiet person, at least initially. I think once you get to know me (and my quirkiness), I open up more. In social situations, sometimes I thrive and sometimes I get worn out. I think it really depends on who I'm hanging out with. In most cases, I'm in that middle ground where I'm neither comfortable or uncomfortable but just chilling. I think... I think I'm a bit of both. I mean, you really can't put one person in one category. You can identify with one more than the other, is what I'm saying. And I identify with both ESFP and INFP, strange as that is. I'm an introverted extravert? Who observes, lives in the moment, helps others, is easygoing, and is pleasant company? Eh? Oh, I don't know. This tweet is how I feel. But anyway, toastier.org is this according to the Typealyzer: "The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don't like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.Conclusion: I am Michael Scott.
—Wednesday, February 25, 2009 2 comments ESFP + INFP
 - I LEGO N.Y. - Big Giant Helvetica - "I Can Read Movies" - F*** My Life (your everyday life stories) - Melt-in-the-Mouth Cookies, a brief history - Elizabeth Gilbert on creative genius (TED talks list; I love TED!) (Previously: Lists, part 20)
—Monday, February 23, 2009 1 comment Lists, part 21
 "Excuse me, uh, do you, uh, know, um, Blackberry Street?" It was bone-chillingly cold today, the kind of cold that laughs at your layers and says, "Weak! I'll still seep through everything! You'll never be warm!!" Gosh darn, wind. I looked at the lady, confused. Blackberry Street? Had New York named a street after a handheld device and I never noticed? (Is it sad that I thought of the handheld instead of the fruit?) Then again, there are a bunch of streets I never knew existed until recently. This city continues to surprise me everyday. "I'm sorry? Blackberry...?" "Uh, I... um... Bla-- Blacker?" She started to rummage for a piece of paper in her purse. Blacker, blacker, blacker... I thought over and over in my mind. Her accent was very thick. It looked liked she was going to meet a friend or, well, go on a hot date. My brow was furrowed, trying to think of what she really meant. After a moment, light bulb! "Ohhh, Bleecker Street!" "Ah, yes! Bleecker Street!" Her face lit up the moment I said it. "Okay, so..." I pointed her in the right direction. We parted ways at the intersection and she thanked me before hurrying off to meet whoever and to, like me, escape the cold. (By the way, our feed at an ocean apart is now live. I think we've worked out all the kinks, so hurray!)
—Friday, February 20, 2009 0 comments Blackberry Street
 I finally joined Tumblr, and I am here. I figured that since I have papers strewn about and margins of notebooks filled with words, I might as well have a place where I can post all the quotes that I come across and like. Happy tumbling!
—Thursday, February 19, 2009 2 comments I'm Tumbling
 "I'm... in trouble." "I... wait, are you okay?" (more serious) "I'm in trouble." "Are you okay? Is everything okay?" (deep breath) "I'm in the Container Store." (laughs) "Ohh, noo..." "I can't--" "What section are you in?" "Um, the awesome section? Is there a section for that? Awesomeness? I don't need any of this stuff..." "Get what you need and leave." "I have what I need, it's in my hand-- oh my god, the travel section. I'm not even traveling anytime soon but oh my god... this backpack..." "DON'T DO IT." "IT HAS POCKETS!" "Put it back! You don't need it!!" "Ahhhh..." Well, he managed to get out of the Container Store without buying the entire store. And that backpack. It happens every time because—I'm just gonna say it—the Container Store is heaven. Does anyone else feel that way? The boundless colorful plastic containers, the multitude of folders, the pretty boxes, the lovely shelving... you have to "contain yourself" whenever you're there (hey-o!). Right? Or am I alone on this...
—Monday, February 16, 2009 1 comment The Container Store
—Saturday, February 14, 2009 1 comment I heart you.
 The lady humored us and let us into the children's interactive room. We walked around playing with all the children's toys and games in absolute glee. The lady said, "Upstairs is for the older kids, I think you'll like it!" She unhooked the rope and hurried us upstairs before the next group came in. Microscopes! Bugs in jars! Astronomy! Fun computer games! I wandered over to the evolution section and found Charles Darwin in finger puppet form. 200 years later and the man is still kickin' it. Addendum How could I forget? Also a big happy birthday to Mr. Lincoln and to one of my favorite directors, Darren Aronofsky. What a brilliant day!
—Thursday, February 12, 2009 1 comment Darwin's 200th
 I'm not sure what made me think of it, but I recalled a conversation I had with Super-J a few months ago. One of his friends was getting married that week and he was showing me the husband and wife-to-be's wedding website and everything. I was smiling at the geekiness of it (I would totally do that!) and Super-J went, "...yup." Anyway, I saw where they were getting married, and I kinda wrinkled my nose and went, "Really?" Super-J looked at me and said, "Yeah..." I immediately felt horrible the moment it happened. Who am I to judge where someone gets married? If you're in love and you're surrounded by the people you love, then heck, get married anywhere you want! It doesn't matter where, but with/to who. As a kid, my head was filled with these notions that weddings were to be extravagant and fairy tale-esque. On some level, I think every girl kind of wants that, but on another level, at least for me now that I've had these revelations, I think it's important that you're happy and not weighed down by those "ideals" or what others are doing. If you want a great big wedding, great! If you want a small quiet wedding, great! Elope? Great! It's the moment celebrated and shared between the two people that matters the most.
—Wednesday, February 11, 2009 0 comments Unintentional judgment
 "The individual soul touches upon the world soul like a well reaches for the water table. That which sustains the universe beyond thought and language, and that which is at the core of us and struggles for expression, is the same thing. The finite within the infinite, the infinite within the finite." -- Yann Martel, Life of Pi
—Tuesday, February 10, 2009 1 comment Finite and infinite
 Seeing a commercial for the new Friday the 13th during last night's Office + current reading of The Zombie Survival Guide = a dream with Jason and Halloween's Mike Myers hunting down a group of people (including me) with lots of yelling of "AIM FOR THE HEAD!!!" and "WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING! THEY WON'T STOP!!" Mental note: it's very scary when Mike Myers walks around the back of the house and Jason from the front. This simultaneously planned attack is highly unsettling. Side note: I'd like to think I'm pretty knowledgeable in the area of zombies. I will admit, I cannot deal with zombies that run and jump (28 Days Later...). Though, I don't think such zombies can exist because they tend to lack coordination. It's not to say zombies that can run and jump in a superhuman way can't exist; they might, depending on the virus that infects them (usually it's solanum) or the kind of body they inhabit. If the body is, in fact, superhuman, then they'll have those abilities. (I think this theory is right...) Nonetheless, if Z-Day were to happen, find me! I think I'd be a pretty useful person to have around... if you can't find me, remember, you must destroy the brain. Decapitating doesn't do it because the head can still bob around and bite you. The brain, you guys, the brain. Review note: I knew we should've destroyed that staircase so they wouldn't go up. C'mon, Amy-in-dream-form! Your zombie instincts are better than this! And trying to get away in a car? No, no. That would only get you so far before ending up in the middle of nowhere with no gas. Bicycles, dream characters, bicycles. That way, you can keep moving all the time.
—Friday, February 6, 2009 1 comment Friday the Zombieteenth
 For anyone who had seen Joe Ades around the city selling his beloved peelers, you knew he was something. The city was his stage and we were his audience. He frequented the Greenmarket in Union Square, where I would often see him giving his spiel in his British accent. Sometimes I'd see him in subway stations, too, in the same setup. He loved his carrots and, on occasion, potatoes. He was a character, a beloved character of New York. He passed away on Sunday at 75. The first time I saw him at the Greenmarket, I was enchanted. Who was this guy dressed in a suit selling peelers? One of my favorite lines was, "It's better than a Swiss Army Knife!" I never doubted him for a second, though as I continued to see him around, I wondered about his life and who he really was. My questions were answered when Vanity Fair wrote an article about him back in 2006. He was no longer the "peeler guy," but Joe Ades. Finally, a name to go with the face. (points to photo) I took that picture a few years ago (2005, I think) at the Greenmarket. A nice-sized crowd had gathered to hear him and as I looked around, everyone was amused and quite taken with him. A lot were on their phones, whispering excitedly about this treasure they had just found. Some were taking pictures and videos; others just stood there, smiling and chuckling. They had finally met Joe Ades, the "peeler guy." And I smiled, too. I'll miss his presence, his distinct oratory, and his love for his peelers... and probably everything in this place. » His Stage, the Street; His Rapier, a Peeler » An Ode to the Great Peeler Dealer » Union Square Peeler Peddler Joe Ades Dead at 75
—Tuesday, February 3, 2009 1 comment My ode to Joe Ades
 I was staring at the snacks in front of me when the elderly man fussing with the man behind the counter paused and said to me in a soft English accent, "Excuse me, I think you lost your smile somewhere." I looked up from the snacks and, well, a smile spread across my face. His choice of words charmed me. He smiled back at me and went back to fussing with the man behind the counter. I decided to get peanut M&Ms.
—Monday, February 2, 2009 3 comments You lost your smile
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