the upper eastside is exhausting.

i'm sitting in the kitchen, looking out the window.  the sky is pale blue, the cloud i see looks like a turtle.   people are busy on smith street.  the breeze is coming in.  it's a good day to not explore.

i love exploring, don't get me wrong, but i think i'm still recovering from last saturday, which was ultimately too overwhelming to write about until today.

i set out at noon to discover the upper east side, i hop on the f train and it takes me straight to roosevelt island.  this is a tiny island with not much to do on it, except walk around, enjoy the quiet, green spaces, cobblestone streets, and the manhattan skyline.  that's perfectly fine with me.  i feel like i haven't seen a dandelion puff in ages...

i get back on the f and take it to 63rd street where there is this busy street fair. (a pleasant surprise)  as i'm walking i can't figure out if there is a particular theme for this here festival.  the vendors sell a random assortment of art, jewelry, cleaning supplies,  clothing, thai curry... i sift through this place quickly (the sun is getting hot), and then pop into a tiny store called "tender buttons".   this place is a museum-like button lover's heaven.  i never knew people were this serious about buttons. this youtube video pretty much sums up the shop. Tender Buttons

around this time i get a little lost and see jack nicholson eating on a patio outside of a restaurant.  i update my facebook status.  this is my  first celebrity sighting, and i didn't really believe my guide book when it spoke of the spots to see celebrities.  (although, daily,  i kind of hope to see one of the real housewives of nyc that supposedly lives in my neighborhood... if you can call her a celebrity)
 
i begin to walk north in search of food, and i pass this little boy who tells his nanny "i could fire you, you know?"  appalling!  i could puke all over that little spoiled brat, although he's probably just sad that his parents are not with him on a beautiful saturday afternoon.  i'm starting not to like this area.  the people aren't as open to chatting as in other parts i've discoverd, and it's kind of boring to walk around.  the fun places are spread out for blocks, and my feet hurt.

then i see "shakespeare and co. " a little bookstore with lots of great titles.  and an empty seat!!!! (never to be found in a border's on a saturday).  i get to sit down with a book called Regretsy: Where DIY Meets WTF.  this is a hilarious book about the crazy things people sell on Etsy.  I laughed out loud, and was often disgusted. (you should check out the website.)

 i now have a little over an hour before i babysit, so i go to one of my new favorite places, "hale and hearty soups".  half a hummus-veggie-sandwich and soup later, i'm back up looking to discover something interesting. ( don't get me wrong there are plenty of museums up here, but today i don't have the time or money) i was hoping for something a little more exciting in this neighborhood. but i just feel weird... and tired.

no more exploring if i can't take my time.

tomorrow i can, and i can't wait to tell you all about "the lower east side"...

but today i'm just gonna enjoy brooklyn... the turtle cloud looks like a goose now.