Move

I thought about picking up and heading west a few months ago - staying in Manhattan, of course, but moving from 1st Ave. to 2nd Ave. The decision to move or stay was a difficult one.

The push to move was related to my erratic behavior. Over the past two years I've managed to cycle through a number of local restaurants. My life has been like Morgan Spurlock's series "30 Days" with a twist. Spurlock immerses himself in a community or a job for 30 days. I, on the other hand, visit the same restaurant for a 30 day period, build up a rapport with the staff, exchange names and stories, and try different dishes. I get to know the prices of each day's special and the schedule of each worker. By day 10 I start to smell like my favorite dishes. Around day 20 the restaurant begins to stock more of the items that I prefer. At day 30 I stop going to the restaurant, stop looking into its window, and stop walking down its street. I've done this to so many restaurants that it's now hard to find a street in my neighborhood to walk down.

The pull to stay in my apartment also has to do with my erratic behavior. I have accumulated large quantities of smoked herring, toilet paper, and sponges since I moved to NYC, and I'm not sure these items will fit into a smaller apartment. I should explain. This past year I had a crush on a cashier at a local grocery store. Each time I went to the store I bought items, so I could talk to her. Because the store has a limited selection, I ended up purchasing the same items each time--smoked herring, toilet paper, and sponges. The crush disappeared, but I can still see the cans of smoked herring-- I can't close my kitchen cabinet, because of all the items that I've purchased at the grocery store.

I'm not going to move, but I need to buy a metro pass so I can find new restaurants. I need to stop going to the poorly stocked grocery store, rethink the way I interact with women I have crushes on, and reduce the number of staple items in my apartment to more normal levels- at least so I can close my kitchen cabinet. As a way to reduce the "staples" to a more manageable number I'm thinking about throwing a theme party that incorporates smoked herring, toilet paper, and sponges. I know it depends on the theme but would anyone like an invite?

Comfort Foods

Comfort foods over time:
age 5 to 18- white toast, sometimes buttered and sometimes not
19 to 24- baked beans and grilled cheese
25 to 28- taco salad with an entire can of refried beans, sour cream, a few lettuce leaves, cheese, and salsa
29 to 31- miso soup, green tea, and sometimes ice cream
32 to today - whatever has the most antioxidants