filling time

I'm bored, something I rarely am.

I'm meeting Jill at 4 to see a screening of Far From The Madding Crowd, and an interview with Carey Mulligan, Michael Sheen and Matthias Schoenaerts after. But what can I do before the screening that involves spending little money, not eating, and not doing mindless stuff on the computer?

I went to the park yesterday to take some spring pictures, but most of the flowers hadn't bloomed yet, so that's out.

I could read but that involves staying in, and I feel like going out. Besides, the two books I'm reading (Hush Hush by Laura Lippman and A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante) don't deserve full attention. They are perfect for riding the subway or bus, but little else.

The screening is in the East Village, so I leave early to get in a long walk.

I start in SOHO. My only purchase there is at the MOMA store, a knife I saw featured this week in the Times. This sold-out item promises to take "a hard brick of butter and turn it into sumptuous, spreadable ribbons." I order one.

Alexander will love this, and I won't be cleaning up broken chunks of butter off my counter.

the buttercup knife

I walk over to Little Italy and then the East Village. I have an unsatisfying salad sandwich at Whole Foods, and refuse to pay a $1 more for some extra balsamic vinegar. "Okay, this time we won't charge you more," concedes the very relevant sandwich maker.

Jill and I both arrive early for the screening.  Uncharacteristic of most of our meet-ups, we actually talk awhile before the movie starts.  Starting around the 20-minute mark of this two-hour film, I get restless. I guess I'm not a big fan of these gloriously filmed romantic sagas, featuring lush English countryside as a main character.