back in my good graces

Okay, New York. I forgive you.

Kolz and I went out to Park Slope on Saturday to see Joan Osborne (who I historically love) and had an impromptu dinner with his aunt and uncle and a nice walk to the concert in Prospect Park. This sort of thing sometimes leads to the "why don't we live in Brooklyn, again?" question, and it certainly did that night.* Kolz's uncle made the point that we showed up halfway through the opening act, found seats, and it was a free concert with very little hassle in a really pretty area. This would be close on impossible in Manhattan. I had to agree.

Seeing Joan was a lot of fun, and I'm clearly not the only fan in New York (lots of people dancing in the aisles and singing along). What was less fun was getting going the next morning to meet Lau for the annual Renegade Craft Fair and finding - or not finding - my wallet in my purse. I was more disappointed than angry, because I try to be so careful and have my city face on. When I checked, no new charges had been made on my credit cards, which seemed promising - but on a Sunday morning, there was no way to reach anyone for lost & found in the Park.

So, we re-organized, got me some cash, and Sunday passed with much good (if sweltering) fun and crafty finds. Owls were big in the designs this year, as were squids/octopi. Monsters, too, a perennial favorite, but fewer anatomical hearts and crows. There's a lot more whimsy in Brooklyn than at the craft fair I saw in London in March, and also, I noticed, a LOT more onesies & baby gear. There must be some crazy hip babies in Williamsburg.

By the end of the day, I was in problem-solving mode, figuring out how to get a new driver's license and take care of the newly-created loose ends of my missing wallet. Feeling much more zen, if really not looking forward to the scads of hassle in getting everything figured out. I had wanted to spend this week taking care of Berlin apartment stuff and finding a new computer. And then, happy Monday! I checked my university email this morning to find a message from a woman named Sabine** who found my wallet in the park on Saturday night! And she wants to give it back to me!

So, New York, even though your mascot is a grody big bug and we still waited 45 minutes for the F-train on Saturday, I apologize. Let me buy you a milkshake or something. It's best, I think, that a nice break in an unforeseen disaster gives me a chance to kiss & make-up.

Which I will do, as soon as I have my wallet in hand.

* The answer is "Because I have to be on campus 3-4 days a week and the commute would be horrendous." And moving sucks. Sigh. The gardens are so nice.

**My first pen pal, as kid, was named Sabina - she's German, and we met on the beach during a family vacation. We wrote for maybe a year, and I remember that she had Alf stickers and always nice blue stationery. So Sabina/e has always seemed a fortuitous name since then.