In the groove
Monday felt easy. The day just flowed. The steps by day’s end were nearly the same, yet my feet feel amazingly OK. So much for the minimalist barefoot shoes and hurray to Saucony and technology.
Firstly, Charlie got to catch up on some videos.
Then the humans headed out for diner brunch where I forgot that iced coffee and avocado toast belong to “newish” places - not diners. Then we headed towards midtown so that I could check out an “old world” chocolatier that I saw on IG. Enroute we stopped at an asian pastry shop - I got pitachio meltaways and lily got a matcha cream puff like thing.
Sadly the chocolate lady celebrates Memorial day. On to 5th and the lego store :). I had never been and it was worth the (only 2 or 3 min) wait. I could hang out here for a long time.
Todd and I then visited St Patrick’s, adding another religion to the tour. I went to Sunday Mass here on the overnight college trip. It is so so impressive, yet it’s no Westminster.
We skipped the next 2 stops on my proposed itinerary and took a crazy crowded train to SOHO (south of houston for the uninitiated). And it’s “how-stun” not “hue-stun”.
Lily and I got matcha from Sorate (another place recommended by the intrawebs) and on then back north towards greenwich village so that Todd and Alec could get a cheeseburger, which was eaten on a bench in Washington Square. Alec rated it an 8.5.
At some point in the past couple of years, Lily introduced me to a concoction (I won’t call it a tea since there is no tea) that her mother puts together for her and is purported to have all sorts of healthy benefits. I know that I like the taste. Last year, Lily sent me home with the makings. I’ve since run out and tried to replace the ingredients at the asian market in Kent. I found the chrysanthemum, the goji berries and chinese red dates (jujubes). But I couldn’t find the other ingredient that looked like slivers of a root. Lily asked for me in Chintown yesterday, but they only had large pieces, not slices. Her mom said that she would bring some to me today as well as bring a quantity of dumplings and other assorted homemade delicacies for Alec’s freezer. She texted Lily while we were in the square to tell us that she was enroute from Brooklyn, already on 32nd. We caught the train and headed home.
The mystery ingredient was astragalus - which google says will tonify my qi. So, now I’m all set. Of course she brought ALL the ingredients. I may have a lifetime supply. Come over and I’ll make you a cup of wellness :).
Charlie and Mrs Wu got along famously.
For dinner we went to Ippudo for ramen, very very yummy. I want more ramen in my life and will have to seek out a good place at home. Do you have a recommendation?
Lily and I had planned on getting both matcha and boba Monday and the boba place was in Times Square.
Somehow, and I don’t know how this happened, I thought that “Times Square” was the section of 42nd st that I walk by going to Alec and Lily’s. I can see the H&M building and the TSX building from their apartment. The subway stop there says Times Square. Lily pointed out that that was actually just “times square adjacent”. After dinner we walked to and through true times square - Oh my. I had NEVER seen the likes of this. The pictures do NOT do it justice. The screens are really very incredible. It was 8:30 yet it looked like it could have been daylight.
We headed to HeyTea for boba, then back home to try to convince a small dog to poo in a small square of mulch. It’s getting late, I’m outside in shirtsleeves- everything is very alright.
