The Mellow Moods of Sunday...

Sunday...

I spent Sunday in Brooklyn all day...amazing time.  It's funny...I was the one visiting, but I ended up reminding Ayana about the Atlantic Antic Festival http://www.atlanticave.org/antic2010/index.htm taking place in Fort Greene.  We ended up at the festival around 3pm and almost immediately parted ways.  Ayana had her heart set on a particular cookie and I was in desperate need of Jamaican food.  Los Angeles has a few spots that are ookkkkaaaayyyy....but Brooklyn has a slamming array of "whole in the wall" spots every 20 feet.

I went left while Ayana went right and that was all she wrote.  Wouldn't see her again until I got back to the crash spot later.    For those that don't know...Atlantic Antic is like a giant bizarre.  Food stands, clothing vendors, musicians, singers, and people.  It's really family oriented...and for the first time in my life...I actually thought that this might be an event that I could see myself attending with a (gulp) husband and baby in tow.

-Sidebar-  Still single, can't even really say that I'm looking...but I'm open to the attention that seems to be effortlessly flowing my way...but I digress.

I'm a loner at heart.  I love crowds.  I love my friends being around...but at the end of the day, I like the option of rolling solo.  It must be an "only child" type of thing.  I'm technically not...but for all practical purposes...I am.

I got the Jamaican food and it was decent...not the BEST EVA...but good enough to satiate my cravings.  It also came with an attitude from this woman, whose Jamaican accent was THICK, but claimed she couldn't understand me.  So...me being an ass...I decided to articulate with the diction that would have impressed Maya Angelou.  =)





Yo!!!...can I just say...NYC has some fine cops.  I like'em brown, yellow, Puerto Rican and Haitian.  I took a photo with one...the pic is crazy...that's because I brushed up against his gun by mistake and he was like, "You can hold it."  WTF???  Wow.

Let's just hope he was kidding.  He did ask me for my number...but I politely declined.  Cops are crazy.  I know.  Some of my friends are in law enforcement.

So after I stuffed myself with Funnel Cake and a snow cone for dessert...I felt obligated to walk it off around Fort Greene.  I can't help but feel like I'm in an early Spike Lee Joint as I roll through the streets.  The only thing missing was Mookie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097216/ sitting on a stoop.

I found a sweet bookstore that I highly recommend if you're in Fort Greene called Greenlight Bookstore http://abookstoreinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/.  I picked up a Time-Out Paris 2011 guide.  I figured I'd actually take a few of the walking tours and off the beaten path ideas to heart, since I'll be there for a month.  The vibe of the store is very eclectic without trying too hard.  A solid selection of current and non-traditional titles.  It's not a giant space, but I love that they've carved out a special play/art/reading section for kids.  I don't have any shorties...but I do believe it's important to encourage them to read for enjoyment early on.


After fantasizing about buying two brownstones and knocking down the dividing wall to make it one super dope crib...I decided to high tail it back to Bedstuy/Crown Heights...and catch a few zzzz's before Courtney Long, my HU big brother and author   extraordinaire, picked me up for some late night mayhem.

Manhattan view from Brooklyn Heights

Courtney scooped me up around 10:30 and we headed to a Cafe Ra http://www.racafenyc.com/index.html inspired spot in Brooklyn Heights...but it was closed.  So we took a few pics of Manhattan from Brooklyn Heights and decided to role to DUMBO  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUMBO,_Brooklyn instead.  Lot's of trendy bars and spots if you can ever maneuver through all of the one way streets...






We started off at this super sexy spot called the Rebar http://rebarnyc.com/ but the vibe wasn't right for our brother/sister style relationship.  I'll definitely go back...but probably on a date.

We ended up at SuperFine http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/superfine/ because I was attracted to the orange and red lanterns and the pretty colors.  I love that no matter the hour...something is always popping off in the cut of New York...even on a Sunday.   We had a blast!  First of all...Ayana reminded me that when Courtney and I get together...we're a hot mess.  Separately,  we're tolerable.  Together...slightly obnoxious.  (You can ask Bob...I'll get to him later.) Actually...I'll tell you about Bob now.

DUMBO

SuperFine has a cool little pool table and Courtney and I decided to enjoy our Pineapple Cranberry drinks over a friendly game of pool.  So this dude...Bob...is playing pool by himself.  Courtney and I join in and decide to play.  Well...up first...me against Bob.  Let me say that I am NOT a pool aficionado.  I know the rules...and I play decent.  Not horrible, but no expert.  Well...Bob is like the next Minnesota Fats http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Fats in training.  Dude has skills.  He beats me easily...no worries.  Courtney is cheering me on for my efforts, and booing the heck out of Bob.  It's all laughs and giggles...or is it?  Anywho...Courtney played next and Bob just as easily disposed of Courtney.  I'm taking a zillion pics...talking ish to Bob and encouraging Courtney the entire time.   So fast forward and we watch Bob destroy everyone that steps to the table.  Finally, one guy appears to have a shot at beating Bob and Courtney and I cheer like it's our home team in the Olympics.  Well...Bob got PISSED.  He walks over to us all angry...(no worries on my part, Courtney is 6'5 and from Brooklyn) and says, "Do I give you grief when you play???!!!  No.  Do I boo you??  No.  It's unsportsmanlike and I f*cking hate it!"

Bob is in the background behind me!

(Pause)


Courtney and I process that Bob was SERIOUS.  What do we do?  The only thing we could.  We busted out laughing so hard until our sides hurt and tears were running down our faces.  Then we started clowning Bob intentionally.  We were like, "Maybe he's playing pool for Haiti...no wait...have you heard of a hunger strike...he's on a pool strike for world peace!"  LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Yeah...I'm sure that was NOT the response Bob wanted...but whatever...it's Brooklyn.


Courtney and I wrapped up the evening around 1AM after riding around looking at fly mansions and renovated lofts where warehouses and public housing once stood.  I snapped a few pics of lower Manhattan...and was off to the crash spot.

Monday was going to be a long day.  Repacking...and leaving not only New York but North America.

Next stop...Barcelona.