rachelpink rides the bus

Fans

I'm a fan of fans.

Last Saturday I met Vince and Lisa for dim sum. On the way, I picked up a green plastic folding fan for $2.
<----It looks like this, but it's all green. And I look ridiculous using it on the subway platform which is all the more reason to love it.

On Monday I ordered a new Holmes window fan from Amazon to supplement the two lame-o fans that I bought at the local discount emporium. I checked the status and it wasn't going to be shipped until next Monday. What?! No. I needed that fan stat, so I canceled the order, asked around the office for store recommendations, and settled on Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I was hot when I arrived, so road testing fans was a good thing. My plan was to grab the same Holmes model and run, but I was drawn in by the Vornado. Oooh it felt good. But wait, so did the cheap-o fans. And the ugly fans. And the heavy fans. That's when it occurred to me that shopping for a fan in a highly air conditioned store on a blistering and clammy-making day is not ideal. I went with my gut, and picked up the medium Vornado model for $60. That might seem an outrageous price for a silly fan, but this beast works. It's miraculous, and that's not just the Rachel-who-loves-everything-and-everyone talking. It's the Rachel-who-is-so-frakkin'-hot-she's-just-glad-to-have-a-good-fan.

Pink Tape

Brooklyn IKEA

Brooklyn, the last frontier.

Though I spent a year living in Brooklyn, I never go back to visit. It wasn't a good year, and I spent most of the time terrified that I would be killed on my way home. It wasn't even an awful area, but it was my first time living in the city so everything was amplified by 50. Drunk homeless man screaming outside my window at 2am? Then I couldn't sleep. Now I'd probably scream back, stick a pillow over my head, and start dreaming.

On Saturday I went back to Brooklyn, drawn like a moth to the blue and yellow light of the new IKEA. I figured (rightly so) that it would be slightly less crazy since it was a holiday weekend. I researched the transportation options, and they were plentiful. I opted to take the subway to Court St./Borough Hall where I could pick up the free IKEA shuttle. It was pretty great. The trip to the store was rather long (20 minutes?), but the bus was nice and the ride was interesting. The store looks like any other, so I loved it. I had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket, and I had a list. Side table for living room. Art and picture frame for over the sofa. Tupperware. Pillows.

I did get the side table (see below), and the tupperware and lots and lots of colorful wooden frames. I found a green pillow for the bed that I love, and a seat cushion for one of my kitchen chairs. I couldn't find any posters I liked for over the sofa, so I just bought a nice white wooden frame. It was a good trip, and a fun trip. The bus ride home was speedy, and I figure it only took an hour and fifteen minutes to get from IKEA to my front door. Not too shabby.

Cat-Paper-Scissors

I don't need a paper shredder, I have a kitten.

Happy Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and then some

I'm feeling down today. I woke up early, fed and cuddled the cats, ate fruit salad for breakfast, watched half an episode of BSG, and then fell back asleep. Until 3. Ouch. I knew I needed a trip out of the apartment to soothe my nerves, but the sky looked ominous. I decided to keep it local, and just get some iced coffee and a few supermarket supplies. Fresh air improved my mood--so did the sight of lots and lots of people. If only I'd stepped out earlier and surrounded myself with my neighbors I would have felt better sooner.

The Fourth always makes me pensive, and I blog about it every year. Growing up, the family always threw a huge, fantastic, Fourth of July party. Loads of people came for swimming, kielbasa and beans, citronella torches, soda in coolers, fireworks, and make-your-own-brownie sundaes. Such good times. I was a little brat and wasn't as helpful as I should have been, but I still loved the ritual of preparing the house, gathering supplies, and entertaining the guests while my parents slaved over the stove and the grill.

I think I'll always miss that a little. Miss envying my brothers' trip to the ice house and fish place with my dad, miss my mom's beans and unflappable attitude, and miss all the nutsy, fun people who we only saw once a year.

Tonight I will raise a bottle of cider to all of it, and all of them.

Cat Update

So Sammy is still holed up (or shall I say locked up?) in the bathroom. She's got food, water and litter. She didn't come out when I went in to take a shower. Poor little girl--I do feel bad for her. She's just overwhelmed, I guess I should have known better.

I'm not worried about leaving the apartment because Sammy can't get out--and she's not interested in getting out. She has a soft rug to sleep on, but she's wedged in back of the toilet.

A happy side effect? Cupcake and Foster are getting along like old buddies. They've been much calmer with each other, and I even caught them playing together with a toy. They stopped when they spotted me, but still.

Since things are calm again here, I headed out to see Wall-E. It's sweet and wonderful and it made me cry. A little girl in the theater kept screaming "Wall-E" in a cute voice that mimicked Wall-E's. Adorable, even if it made me pine for my munchkins.

Week 5

Howdy, friends. I'm here to share another bounty.

RED BEETS | Qty: 1 bunch
DILL | Qty: 1 bunch
ZUCCHINI | Qty: 4-10 pieces depending on size
YELLOW or ROUND ZUCCHINI | Qty: 1-2 pieces
BABY SALAD TURNIPS | Qty: 1 bunch  
GREEN CRISP LETTUCE | Qty: 1 head
CARROTS | Qty: 1 bunch
LETTUCE MIX | Qty. 1 bag

This week is much more manageable than last week--it's also nice and diverse. The salad turnips are interesting, tried one raw and it had a light, fresh, earthy taste. Tonight I sauteed the beet greens and the turnip tops in garlic and olive oil. Then I put a heap of them on a flatbread scattered with beets and goat cheese, baked it for 10 minutes and broiled it for a minute or so. Oh, and then I gobbled it up because it was outrageously good.

The Horror

Last night felt like a horror movie.

Chuck dropped Sammy off at 10ish. She wouldn't get out of the carrier and hissed like a mad cat. Foster went up behind her and put his paws around her neck. More hissing. Fierce hissing.

I didn't push Sammy. I tried to keep the other cats away. I opened up a can of wet food and left it outside her carrier. I didn't touch her. But she was mad. Eventually, she came out of the carrier and sat near the window.

The other cats and I went into the bedroom. I fell half asleep until I heard a cat fight. A terrible cat fight. Sammy was attacking Cupcake (and remember--those two used to sleep together on the same bed at the old apartment) and wouldn't stop. I screamed. Cupcake ran and made sad/angry noises from under the bed--I was afraid she was hurt. Sammy walked toward me and I calmly said her name. From a few feet away (!) she lunged at me. Sunk her teeth into my hand and foot and there's was blood everywhere. Blood like, I-might-have-to-go-to-the-hospital blood. I ran to the bathroom and saw that she had lost a nail in my hand. Yes, she scratched me so hard and deep that her NAIL was embedded in me. I knew she had to be bleeding too-from the nail-but she was on the windowsill and I let her be. Mostly out of fear. I put food and water in the bedroom, and locked myself in there with the cats. The door doesn't close all the way, so I actually made a barricade with the fan and chair. I was crying. Cupcake was freaking out. Foster was cowering.

NOT GOOD. I couldn't figure out what to do. Would I stay in the apartment all weekend? How would I go to the movies, or to get my CSA box, or to dim sum--or anywhere? I couldn't leave the cats with Sammy. Exhausted and worried, I fell asleep.

Foster and Cupcake woke me up at 7:30. They wanted out of the bedroom. I went out to find Sammy, and discovered her hiding behind the toilet. Eureka! I moved in some food and water and the kitten's litter box. It's small, but so is the bathroom. I've got her closed up in there, and that's going to have to do.

Now I'm afraid to take a shower.

June Books

This month I surpassed the halfway mark. With 9 books read, my 2008 total is 56 books. I'm astonished.

Here's the list:
The Host
In The Woods
Get Back in the Box
Have You Found Her
Here Comes Everybody
Click
The Mistress's Daughter
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Hunger Games

Favorite book this month? The Hunger Games

Favorite book jacket this month? Here Comes Everybody

Favorite book to describe to other people this month? The Host

Foster Fun Facts

1. Foster likes to stick his paw in my mouth when I yawn--so I'm trying not to yawn.

2. Foster runs at my face, and then settles down on my neck. It's awkward but endearing.

3. Foster was snuggled up with me last night as I watched BSG on my laptop. I turned it off midway through my second episode and Foster freaked out, started pawing the laptop lid, and crying. My cat might be a cylon.

4. Foster kneads me like I'm a big ball of bread dough.

5. Cupcake and Foster are starting to chase each other around the apartment, and I think that's encouraging.

6. Foster puts one little paw (no claws) on my cheek and stares into my eyes.

7. Foster is a great little cat.