I really do plan on making a habit of writing more often. My excuse this time is that it is the end of the semester, and life just kind of picked up and got away from me. It’s funny because I often write in my head what I plan to write on paper, but many times recently it just hasn’t seemed to make it that far. In any case, here I am.

I am smugly writing on my recently fixed computer. It decided to die about 2 weeks ago. Somehow it sensed that I had a term paper due the following week. After taking it to Best But, it was diagnosed with ‘failed Windows Vista.’ I almost paid the $1300- debit card out and everything- to have them fix the problem, but was informed that before it could be addressed, I would have to contact my computer’s manufacturer to get the necessary disc to fix. WELL, I found this mildly irritating and decided that if I had to order the disc, I might as well install it myself. (How hard could it be….right???) 5 days later, my disc arrived. It all boiled down to a great lesson in patience and overcoming self-doubt. The long and short of it is, is that it’s not hard to install as long as you don’t touch anything while it’s installing and you diligently follow its commands…for 6 HOURS!!! This may sound easy, but there is disclaimer anywhere about how long the whole process is supposed to take. I got frantic after just 1 hour the first time, 4 the next…and finally (deep breath) decided that I should try one more time. After 25 years of learning the tricks to outsmart myself, I started the process at night- so that I would be sleeping for most of the ‘waiting’ part. I woke up at 6:30 to start the next process, and by 10:30 I was sitting more than a little please with a ‘just like new, but loved SO much more’ computer. (Within this hiatus of lack of computer…I finished my term paper through the use of various library computers…one in the Veteran’s Hospital where I selected my dress based on what I thought looked most ‘dentist-y’ (the VA is the home of NYU’s Dental Library), and another in good old Bobst Library in Washington Square…known not only for ‘suicide atrium’ in its lobby, but also for incredibly long lines at the computers…. All of this being said, I haven’t worked so hard on a paper in a long time- unfortunately with more effort being focused towards dress and computer procurement than the paper itself;) )

I’m now going to skip wildly ahead and describe today. This is not merely because it is so fresh in my mind, but because…though they felt perfectly natural at the time…holds several more unique experiences I’ve thus far encountered.

I had no intention whatsoever of today being any other than ordinary. In fact, having decided to dedicate the whole thing to studying Financial Management, it was supposed to be even more ordinary than usual. Fortunately for me, and the sake of this blog, I really like Financial Management because it often feels like fitting pieces into a puzzle so is more like a game than a chore…anyway, after playing the ‘game’ for a couple hours, it became clear that there was no way on earth I could subject my mind to playing all day long (I ran out of practice tests….), deciding instead to take myself for a stroll.

Waiiiiiiit!!! I almost forgot a most delicious tale I cannot leave out of the telling of today! Yes. I’m glad I caught that- as its peculiarity helps to set the tone for the rest. I may be exaggerating in my description of it as ‘delicious’ but it did occur at Starbucks, so I really couldn’t help myself. So, there I was…peacefully minding my own business (as usual), working on my financial management puzzles when a character with an unsavory smell (booze? Smoke?) approached. He appeared to be early 20’s, garbed in classic ‘cool gear’ ---hat, zip-up sweatshirt with dice on it; typical ‘corner wear’ as I like to call it. Anyway, he wanted to know how I’d gotten on the internet. I explained how you could get on for free if you had a gift card, etc, and then said, ‘good luck!’ He left, and then returned---it wasn’t working. I told him I really didn’t know what else to do, then smiled and put my headphones back on. He appeared to settle himself quietly about 3 chairs away…for at least 2 minutes. He then engaged a poor unsuspecting girl sitting next to him in some sort of dialogue which became remarkable only after 20 minutes when she had explained that she was studying for a PHD exam and really needed to study. This continued for at least 10 more minutes before she reiterated that she couldn’t talk, and another 5 before her tone changed and he appeared to get the message. That’s when he came back to me. This time he asked if I would come over and get his computer set up for him. I suggested that he ask someone at the counter, as I really didn’t know and they would have more information than I would. Apparently not finding this a good suggestion, he went back to the other girl and began explaining to her how ‘I was just too busy to help him. I apparently had too much to do. I just didn’t care…’ (each comment somewhat louder than the previous one, as to ensure that I knew what he was saying and who he was talking about…) Having put my headphones back on after the last encounter, I was able to play dumb well enough, but silently wondered if I should get a pencil ready to poke him with if he came back for more. (How this would have worked, I’m not sure, but somehow the idea of a sharp pencil made me feel better….) Annnnnyway, he eventually left at which point the other girl he’d honed in on (and a third who we all agreed would have been his next target if ‘nice girl’ wouldn’t have told him to try borders for internet…) had a nice chat.

Now back to the stroll… after about 30 minutes, I found myself walking up 5th avenue. I hadn’t planned on it, but St. Patrick’s Cathedral looked really inviting as a nice place to find some calm amidst the flurry of chaos everywhere else. Further, I am need of a new ‘Mary’ for a necklace which I refuse to buy at just ‘any’ location, (Mary jumped ship /necklace just after finals last semester…I think she needed a break...) and I thought I may find one there. After entering, I soon found a reasonable secluded seat that proved to be just the facilitator of peace I was hoping for. Of course there were many people traveling to and fro around me, but no major distractions….until the wedding started. WHAT ! A WEDDING! Yes. I wish I could say that right then and there I up and left, leaving the wedding proceedings to itself, but …I did not. All around me, tourists of every nationality were suddenly participating in these strangers’ wedding! So of course I stood when the wedding party began parading down the aisle, and participated in the opening prayer. (I did NOT take out my camera to capture the event as several around me…though I did contemplate exactly how those pictures would be explained back wherever home was… ‘and look here--- this is a picture of a bride and groom I’ve never met, but really wanted to capture the moment…’ ;) ) Anyway, then I thought I may as well stay for the readings, as I really like knowing what people choose to have read, and then well, I didn’t want to miss the homily….so I stayed. At several moments I felt underdressed, but then, I really didn’t’ have much advance notice that I’d be attending a wedding that day….. So yes. I did FINALLY depart. Leaving, I noticed another wedding party getting ready to take over as soon as the first one finished. Curious as to whether the priest would say the exact same thing at the second wedding, I was tempted… but finally said, ‘Molly, NO! One strangers’ wedding is enough for one day.’

I headed off to FAO Schwartz . I’ve been wanting to check it out for a while, but was thwarted by the BLOCK long lines around the holidays, and never had a really good reason to brave the crowds. Today at last I had my excuse. In pursuit of presents for two 5th grade girls, I had just the reason Id been looking for. After lingering abnormally long for anyone but me in the animal section, I took a place in line at a bracelet making station. These watch-like bracelets boasted diamondy jewels spelling out words of your choice---the PERFECT accent for any 11 year old. Me and the bus-load of Italian women who arrived just before me shared this perception. Sadly, the Italians did not speak English, and the ‘bracelet makers’ didn’t speak Italian, resulting in a very amusing interaction. Both parties seemed to believe that if they spoke LOUDER, their words would make more sense. They didn’t, and then they got mad. Knowing some Italian, I helped in ways that I could- translating to the bracelet maker what they wanted…leaving out the parts about their personal opinion of the bracelet maker…. Anyway, eventually everything worked out. The Italians left happy, I left happy, and the bracelet maker switched to the Harry Potter section of the store.