August in Summary

What? Can you believe it? I'm dropping my August summary on the first day of September?! Yo, when it's blogging time, it's blogging time. Here's what happened in August besides Andrew visiting!

One early-August evening I went with Patricia to see this Australian movie called "Girl Asleep" at the Socrates Sculpture Park as part of their Film Forum summer movie series. The movie was fun, a nice companion piece to Hunt for the Wilderpeople in someways (although I wouldn't know that for a few more weeks), the location was great, and then there were tacos to go eat afterwards at Los Portales. Perfect!

One Thursday night I went down to the new little Mile End at the food hall by Grand Central because I had heard they have corn dogs. Well, they do and they're small...a half hot dog each. If you don't buy two, you're not nearly getting a meal. The hot dogs were of a snappingly good quality, the batter delicious and everything fried before my eyes. But still, too small. Just charge me a lot of a big normal corn dog, please, Mile End. I'd rather do that than buy two little ones. They look like hors d'ouevres.  

One lucky Friday night Victoria asked me if I wanted to come along to a free M Ward concert. Yeah I did! I hadn't seen M Ward live in 12 years (sheesh), and what an event that was because he was an opening act for a show at the Jersey Loew's, which has grown to become my favorite place in the city (even if it's in Jersey City.)

Get that jumping in front of the fountain shot, ballerina!

The next day, a Saturday, I could hear there was quite the ruckus going on outside. Turns out there were three different events happening outside my house.

First, a block party to my north.

Then a major community Salsa gathering to my south

How can you say you had a real Salsa party if tomahawk man wasn't there?

Or maraca guy?

Spectators as festive as dancers

Lots of flower distributing happening

(don't worry, I got one)

Salsa has certainly never been my jam, but this particular party had me at least momentarily rethinking my jams.

And to the east, a big street fair

Ah, just some meats slowly roasting in the harsh sun

Found my guy and he hooked me up with a taco full of crispy bits

Guard dog

Last Saturday, or the one below, I met up with Andrea and Victoria and Orlando, Andrea's brother, in the Rockaways.

It's one missing "I" away from me having to have taken a selfie here

First stop: Tacoway Beach

Next stop? The long walk to the beach

You may have heard me say I'll go to the beach once a year, and I missed last year, so I definitely needed to go this year, ESPECIALLY since I had bought this great new beach towel. I for sure had to try it out before it started snowing.

Was it a beach trip or a photo shoot trip, I don't know

Don't forget to visit the Nelson Mandela Memorial Beer Garden

"911 is a joke"

This last Sunday night Kristin hosted a going away party for Christian and Kimberly before they go off to BYU Idaho. Kimberly is going back now that she's finished her mission in Chicago, but Christian is heading off to start his Freshman year, to chase that degree and see what the future holds for him. Having tutored Christian since he was in 8th grade it absolutely blows my mind that he's heading off to college. I 100% can't believe it...I mean, I know he had it in him, but it's still crazy.

"We look like bachelors!" - Christian, when he sees this picture

You know, even though I was the tutor, it's not like Christian didn't teach me anything. I had never heard of a Chopped Cheese before going to a deli with him. Now I'm Chopped Cheese 'til I die.

Monday Christian came over so I could give him my gigantic suitcase that is too big to use for anything except heading off to college. We do not know what the future might hold for Christian, but we do know that he'll have something enormous to hold it in.

But, hey, don't be feeling sad for me about Christian leaving. Because August wasn't just a month for goodbyes, I also said "Hello" to the Ranchera Torta from Don Paco's Tortas, which I have been walking by for months and months if not years and years and finally went into this week. Don Paco and I, we've got to make up for a lot of lost time now.