Some Facts, A Story, Progressing Vanity and Pigeons

So I've been reading the book that I bought at The Strand. It's called "Chronicles of Old New York: Exploring Manhattan's Landmark Neighborhood" by James Roman. And let me just tell you... Manhattan has always been an elitist city. Always.

Facts

The Manhattan Company was the first to implement plumbing in the city... which happened to be owned (still?) by Chase Bank.

Also, Con Edison was actually a company founded by Thomas Edison. (It's like the equivalent of Idaho Power back home).

A potter's field - where people who couldn't afford a proper burial were put to rest - is under Washington Square Park. Many of those that were buried there died from yellow fever and cholera outbreaks. Then get this... "Although it is estimated that twenty-five thousand bodies were decomposing beneath it, the city fathers selected Washington Square as the place to install the large well from which all the Fifth Avenue residents would acquire their water. Even more amazing, those neighbors praised the water for its 'clarity and softness.'"

Congress passed a Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 that banned them from immigrating to our country... leading many of the Chinese to move to more "accepting" cities like San Fran and New York, hence China Town.

A Story... 

It's been getting colder here and quickly. Today actually reached freezing. I could see my breath on the air. Well, Tuesday, I was walking to the subway station in my workout capris and hoodie jacket FREEZING my tush off. I was almost to the station when my "friend" who normally likes to walk me from the subway station to my door while trying to convince me that my boyfriend is temporary and if I ever decide I need a REAL man, I know where to find him.

Anyway, Friend intercepts me. I had my earbuds in, so I popped one out to say "hi." He had his phone playing R&B loudly in his pocket, meanwhile my other earbud is still pumping out "Get Lucky" and on top of it he's trying to have a conversation with me.

"You're wearing my color."

"You own a color?"

"I'm going with the cool colors this winter."

"Seems like a good choice." I shiver...

"You look hot. *mumble*"

"Hot? Man, if this is hot, you should see me when I'm done with my work out." Meanwhile thinking - how the hell does he think I'm hot?! I am completely under-dressed for this freezing weather and can feel my leg hairs grow with each round of goosebumps that hit me.

"I bet you be even hotter."

"Steaming. Where you heading?" He gives me a weird look..

"Queens."

"Have fun!" and I run awkwardly to my train trying to put in my other earbud.

I do my entire workout and when I start walking home about an hour later...  I realize. Hot. He was hitting on me. I totally missed that. You look hot...   and he DIDN'T mean my body temperature.

Oh man, well I expertly avoided that flirtation by embracing complete oblivion. I laughed for a good 5-10 minutes when I realized how awkward I had made that interaction.

***Side note*** Trimmed 0:35 off my workout time. Hit 503 calories in 30:55 on the elliptical. 

Progressing Vanity... 

I found this company. www.coastalscents.com. They are cruelty free and have pretty good makeup. (Good makeup = color saturation is good, blendable, and doesn't put you in the poorhouse). I just got my new stuff in the mail from them today. It is a customizable magnetized makeup palette. You buy an empty palette (that's where they get you) and then you can fill it with colors that you KNOW that you will use. As opposed to those multi-color eyeshadows you buy and then only "hit pan" (that's fancy makeup lingo for "run out of") one or two colors... WASTING the other colors.

Major bonus of moving across country and having to start over from scratch... Getting to replace your old stuff with cooler new stuff.

Dang... one color short of a full palette. Looks like I'll have to fix that. It's good to have goals. 

Random Video of the Day... 

This was taken in August. There were a bunch of pigeons having church on the fence down by union square. I really wanted to scare them... but if there is anything you don't want to do is encourage a lot of pigeons to fly over you out of fear. I believe that terrified pigeons are the reason "scared the crap out of me" is even a phrase. If you enjoy clean clothing, don't scare the pigeons.