A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Happy Thursday! It was a day bookended in fog, and it was just splendid. I took pictures of the creepy morning, but I'm too lazy to get them out of my camera. They'll end up on Facebook eventually. It was an unexpected change from the last two hottish days, but a magical one. You couldn't see the mountains from downtown and it was like some mythical place hidden from the outside world.

I highly enjoyed my day, because in addition to the mystical weather, I spent it wandering around the town, going where I wanted to go and doing what I wanted to do. Now, yes, I do that every day, but usually it doesn't involve going outside. To places where other people are, anyway.

There's this Mediterranean/Argentinian/Italian deli just on the downtown side of midtown, and first I went there for lunch. The last and first time I went there, I had the curry chicken salad sandwich, which arguably may be my first introduction to the concept. I got that again! But this time on a pita. And with a Greek salad (a real one, no lettuce) and a baklava for after. This all sound delicious, but actually it was all just regular tasting, nothing special. OH WELL. It was still fun.

From there I walked over to Fabric Town because Jo-Ann's has gone out of business. Fabric Town is where all the old ladies go to buy yarn. Fabric Town (, USA!) is the imperious, over-cultivated, under-accessible, senile old great-aunt of the textile etc. retail family. I bought safety pins. And a yard of 7-inch wide brown poplin scrap on sale for $1.31, which we'll come back to later.

Then I tried to find the Asian market I've seen around there but never been to. I failed. It was another block up. But I got distracted by the crazy intersection between me and it, and the used book store across the street saying EVERYTHING 20% OFF. So I went there instead.

Now there are two things I always look for in used book stores, thrift stores, anywhere that they have cheap books. These are anything from the Shannara series by Terry Brooks, and anything in the Ender's Game series (Orson Scott Card). I love the way the old books look, because I first read the Shannara books on loan from my brother's collection, and I don't know where he got them, but their condition was second-hand. So that's how my collection has to be. They just have a character that comes through in creased binding and bent pages. So at this bookstore, what do I find but ONE OF EACH?! And that I don't already own. Finds!! Absolute finds. I also picked up a book on space, because who doesn't love space!

It was getting a little chilly by then, the later it was getting and the closer I was getting to the ocean. But I decided to head out to the end of Main St., where all the good thrifting is. But I only hit up one place, the only place that regularly stocks military fatigues. (For my BSG cosplay) But they only had one jacket that wasn't in camo, and it was way humongous. So I wandered over to the books to see if my good luck was going to hold out.

No Brooks or Card, but I did see Dune. I picked it up but I put it back when I found THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN RAILROAD in a giant book that came in a case like a VHS. It was nine dollars, so that's why I put Dune back. But I also picked up an old hiking/tourism book for lesser-known points of interest in Israel, which is a beautiful place. In the side room of the thrift store, I found great amounts of green fabric, and pretty plaid for two dollars apiece. Thanks for the rip-off, Fabric Town!

I bought this fabric because I couldn't sleep last night and (impossibly?) dreamt up this idea that I want to sew pillows and/or pillowcases. That green/plaid combo is going to make some beautiful matching pillowcases. And maybe even some pillows with the left overs! (seriously, that tiny scrap from Fabric Town is a tenth the size, for three-fourths the price)

If I make cute pillows, will you buy them?

What if they're quillows? Pillows with quilted cases? I WILL START A MAJOR TEXTILE TREND!

So that was my beautiful day. Then I went to work and it was dead, dead, dead. Ugh. And we can't sell Rewards anymore because they're updating the membership laws or something, and don't want to confuse people when they change up everything. OH ALSO: Good News! Our stock is going back up. I shoulda bought some when we bottomed out. Darn.

Speaking of thrifting, me and Carolyn went Adventure!Thrifting on Saturday. In Oxnard! The strange thing about our sister city is that there's really no reason to ever go there, so there's this perfectly good city sitting right there that's virtually a complete mystery. Unfortunate! We only found two thrift stores, and one was ginormous and full of stuff (I got shoes to use in cosplay, FOUR TAPES FOR A DOLLAR, and a Batman mug) and the other one was cramped and chaotic. The rest of the adventure was dangerous! I mean, fun.

Then we went to Carolyn's house and she played Portal through while I napped/watched/helped. Funny, funny game. I enjoyed it a lot.

I didn't watch any tv this week except for HIMYM. Strange episode, although Barney's "I've never seen it," "never seen it," "I already said," bits while everyone else is saying that they watch Robin's show made me laugh so much. Anyway, was there a new CHUCK? LOST? HEROES wasn't new, I know. I do think my Thurs sitcoms were new, but I was at work. And instead of CASTLE I watched the BSG "Last Frakking Special," which will also be on tomorrow. Let's move on to BSG.

So tomorrow is a special day. At 7, they're showing that special again. At 8, last week's episode. 9-11 is the two hour series finale EVENT. Deep breath. It will be ending, but there are so many of you who must prepare yourselves for when I get it on blu-ray and force you into marathons. Wait, who am I kidding. I'll only have to force you through the opening credits. You'll marathon under your own will, I promise you that.

Me and my mom are going to party it up. Snacks, and, you know, whatever else makes something a party. I think I'll pop out and find the first season soundtrack, too, 'cause I still want that something fierce. And then we'll sit back and let history happen.

One last note, you may find my purchasing books on space and trains somewhat odd, or perhaps original. But let me assure you, these are deep-seated interests. Profound interests, even. Things I love but don't talk about very much I like to call my secret loves (like I love Japanese food but Greek food is my secret love, or I love the arts but physics is my secret love). Maybe space and trains aren't necessarily secret loves, but still. This weekend, for my birthday (I know, lol), I'm making everyone go with me on Space Trains Day! which is a day outing to the train museum I always pass on the freeway and say I neeeeed to gooooo theeeerrrrrreee and the Griffith Observatory, which I hands down flat out LOVED when I went last.

So I'm looking forward to that.

I hope all of you had an equally beautiful Thursday, and I hope you didn't crash in the fog.

-Steph