my favorite conversation
September 28, 2010A few weeks ago, I was splayed out on Ann’s couch drinking a glass of wine and flipping through the latest issue of New York Magazine. She was in the kitchen cooking me pasta with fresh tomatoes and homemade walnut pesto. This heavenly scene provided me with another one of these revelations about myself that I’ve been having lately – I LOVE NEW YORK MAGAZINE. It was like I had forgotten how much pleasure I get from reading it! I had forgotten that bit about myself. I had forgotten that it even exists!
That particular issue was the fall arts preview, and I was frantically texting myself the titles of books and movies that looked most appealing. And then a few days later I got paid, and the first thing I did was spent $25 for a year’s worth of my very own New York Magazines.
I’ve also devised a new Sunday morning routine that brings me the most joy. I wake up early, around 7:30 or 8, and head to Big Bear, where they serve their large coffees in pint glasses. I eat a bagel with creamcheese and lox and read my book or Vanity Fair or do a crossword. At 10, I go to yoga, and after that’s over, I buy all of my produce for the week at the Bloomingdale farmer’s market.
I’ve realized that you can really learn a lot about yourself by answering two basic questions. First, what do you do with just a little bit of disposable income? How do you treat yourself? And second, what do you do with a nice stretch of Sunday morning alone time? And I’ve been asking these two questions in my conversations for the past week and I love, love hearing the answers. If I haven’t asked you yet, please, have a think on it and tell me!
Sunday morns are generally my only nice quiet time w lmt. We usually hit the market around 1. But, on my Mon morn alone time when I have a lil dough, I listen to new music for hours and buy what I like. It makes me really happy and giddy
oh ebony, you’re so good.
not surprisingly, most of my so called “disposable” income goes to music. But every so often, I treat myself to a nice comic trade paperback. This coincides with my nice Sunday stretch where I will find a booth, grab brunch and coffee and read said trade paper back from start to finish. Then I usually go home and do laundry.
You know… if I could swim or run, that’s really truly it. Yoga maybe, but there’s always people around. And there’s people around for running or swimming, but in that moment, even if that’s the case, it’s me and the water or me and the pavement and whatever is happening inside my head. Maybe that’s why it seems like I’ve been alone a lot lately because I’m trying to usually do one or the other.
Love these questions! When I have disposable income, it all seems to go toward bike or running things, including hotel rooms for mini-tours. Those are the best! I just love thinking about being outside, riding with my true love, and having the perfect gear too, ha! When I have Sunday morning alone time, I may rummage through my letterpress stationary and send of a note to my parents. If it’s nice out, I might saddle up and cycle over to a coffee destination. OR I just head out to Eastern Market for a couple hours. Touching, smelling, sampling, and buying fresh produce as well as looking at the work of the local artisans never diminishes in its pleasure factor…