The sun has set outside my bedroom window, signaling the end of yet one more weekend and allowing for another week to start anew. With my trusty bowl of watermelon bits slowly (or not so slowly) being emptied beside me, I find myself beginning to write down my chaotic and relatively mundane thoughts for some strange reason. Although it really isn't that strange; I take my job as part-time blogger very seriously and I shudder to think about a day when I disappoint any of my thousand- no millions- of readers (note: I'm 101% sure I've already disappointed at least one of you).
I'll start with my plants, naturally (lolz). Today, I made a life saving discovery that has put my restless mind at ease. For the past week and a half or so, my tomato plants have begun to yellow, making me very nervous because they had been doing so well up until that point. I had suspected overwatering because I was giving them hearty drinks every morning and evening due to the vicious heat wave we experienced this week. After a pot transplant that was long overdue for one pepper plant, my mother so kindly reminded me that I hadn't been spraying my peppers with a mixture of Epsom Salt dissolved in water (this boosts the plants magnesium and sulfate levels, leading to increased productivity and yield). Without any time to waste, I bolted to my spray bottle and went crazy. Afterwards, I was compelled to do some research to determine how often I should be spraying my plants with this organic fertilizer. My research led me to a detailed website that informed me that tomato plants also could benefit from the mixture. Apparently, my tomato plants' jaundice was due to a magnesium deficiency that often occurs later in the growing season. AHA! Spray bottle in hand, I played the role of plant doctor and saved the day for my beautiful plants! (Pics and the end, I promise!)
This was the hottest week we've had all summer. Generally, people try to stay indoors rather than suffer in the humidity and heat that seems to envelope you and cause you to want to just die. I'm apparently not one of those people (well, not by choice). I spent all day in New York City yesterday and had an outdoor rehearsal (what even?!) on Thursday night. The rehearsal was ridiculous. It was in a park/preserve about forty minutes away from my house and began with a barbeque of sorts. Because I work like a fiend, I was unable to make the pre-rehearsal dinner and bonding session (rats!), although I don't think it was terribly successful because when I arrived for rehearsal, about 10 minutes late of course, I was one of the first fifteen people there. I was shocked; with my college mentality still very much in charge, the concept of not showing up to get free food is rather foreign to me. It would appear that the heat is one of the only things that can actually deter people from free stuff.
If I could use only one word to describe rehearsal, it would have to be "hot". I was a sweaty mess, in my flip flops and pink polo (how BC of me), straddling my cello. There wasn't even a breeze to relieve the masses in between pieces. Somehow we still prevailed and finished rehearsal. This was in no small part due rehearsal being greatly shortened in order to comply with the park's closing time (thank the gods for closing time). With inconsistent rehearsal schedules, people's general lack of effort, and the large scale talent deficiency I have no idea how we are going to pull off this music for our first concert, which is in two weeks. Good thing we're a pops orchestra and expectations are at an all time low.
Saturday was also a hot mess as I made my way to the train station for the fourth time in two weeks. This time I slithered my way into NYC to grab lunch with my friend, Anisha, who is spending the summer in the city. Upon meeting at Penn Station, I coerced her into walking slightly out of the way so that I could stumble into an Earth Awareness Fair that was rumored to be happening that day. Unfortunately for my enviro-soul, we found no such fair. Despite that minor speed bump, our day plowed on without any other significant problems. Well, that is after we made a pit stop in H&M and Forever 21 to find Anisha some spandex shorts so that she could appear semi decent in her sun dress (that wind, man.....). We had lunch at the famous Ellen's Stardust Dinner, which is rather overpriced, but for dinner and a show, you can't really go wrong. Being the major celebrity that I am, I knew one of the employees (we had graduated from high school together) so I of course put my head down and ignored him.
Having a very large meal, complete with a delicious milkshake in our tummies, Anisha and I took the only logical course of action: go and get enormous cupcakes from Crumbs bakery. *Mouth. Watering.* Barely able to stand because I had basically reached my capacity for food, I had to do some walking to make room for more food. Back to H&M and other stores, but no purchases; we're college students, not millionaires. Parched from the city heat and all that walking, a Jamba Juice appeared like an oasis in the desert of our lives. I've never had Jamba Juice before, and frankly I thought it a mythical corporation only real in Hollywood sets, but let me say that it is very real and very good. I had berry-orange juice that was essentially just fruit that had been chewed and regurgitated for my convenience. And what a convenience it was. Not having to chew is definitely one of life's greatest luxuries.
At this point in time, Anisha and I had to part ways, seeing as I was headed to meet Shayna who just recently got back from studying abroad. Just as I began to walk down Lexington Avenue to meet up with her, the heavens opened up and I was basically underwater. Grand Central Station was a surprising safe haven, keeping me dry while I waited out the minor storm. From the time that we reunited until the time we said goodbye (a solid three hours later), Shayna and I did not stop talking. We had so much to catch up on: her life in Switzerland, my life in New York/Boston, my blog (obvi), our impending Texas adventure. Even though we kept saying how we wanted to sit in a nice little air conditioned café and catch up (I needed a drink like a fat man needs a couch) we never stopped talking/walking nor were we vigilant enough to take note of New York City's abundance of coffee shops. Our walk took us to the fancy Penn Station (since both of us needed to catch a train) and we found solace in the form of one small food court with surplus seating. But don't tell anyone about that minor detail because neither of us were patrons of the food court and there was no shortage of signs telling us that we were not allowed to sit. Just call us hooligans as we continue to plague the streets.
Seeing my wonderful friends was so enjoyable (yes, even spending half the day with Anisha was worth it, although I may have been delirious from heat stroke all afternoon)! I'd keep talking about the beauty of the day, but I'm currently reading Game of Thrones and am at a pivotal point in the story so I must be off.
Take in all the glory of my garden in the following pictures! Try not to be too jealous of my veggies!
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