today

I had an appointment to get my hair cut in Williamsburg (Hair Metal- it's the best. go there! get your hair cut!) so b came along and we made a day out of it. In fact hair metal is so good that I waited a full 14 months to get my hair cut after my last one. before I found the place, I was going from salon to salon, always slightly unhappy with both the results and the vibe (being rushed is not fun when it's your hair and your money) so sheesh- I'm so glad i found this place. this time I had the owner Ed, since the sweet woman who cut my hair last has since moved out of state. Ed is awesome. I always feel slightly uncomfortable in hair salons- he's the first stylist i've had who didn't give me that uneasy feeling. plus i love the whole *metal* concept- the place plays nothing but (at a comfortable volume) and has the walls painted in tattoo- inspired murals. I'm no metal head, but the salon somehow works for me.

after my cut we walked over to saint's alp for a snack. we had a few hours to kill until the next event, so I suggested we get b some new glasses. boy, does he need them! we wandered north into greenpoint and found the most awesome polish eyeglass place, right on the corner of manhattan ave. and meserole ave. the sort of generic name optical warehouse outlet doesn't do the place justice- b and I just remembered it being there since it's a few doors down from old hollywood. geared at the polish community in greenpoint, they have an amazing selection of frames and a very knowledgeable and helpful staff.

so then onto the L train and clear across to the west side of manhattan, for a visit to one of my favorite places on earth, the high line. the greenery is really growing in since it was planted last year, looking all full and lush. from 20th street we could see through the fence to phase ii, which is coming along and will add another 10 blocks to the park. heading down the stairs to exit, we were deposited in front of 7Eleven Gallery, which always has something fun going on. the current exhibition, make yourself at home, features installations of various rooms in a house, plus freestanding pieces, all made with funkified combinations of junk and found materials.

from there we walked along the hudson river park which itself has seen a huge transformation in the past year. so much beautiful landscaping has been added, along with improved walkways and grassy areas. near the chelsea piers we stopped by the new skate park, which was filled with (mostly) kids and some older folks on both skate boards and roller blades. too much fun!

then finally down to chinatown for ecoSalon shops! -sort of a covert, back-alley affair, only accessible by a human-operated freight elevator. I found out about it through feral childe's mailing list, but realized that ecoSalon was the same blog that had done a post on me months back, comparing my name to nancy drew! it was a really fun event, presenting eco-minded clothing and jewelry designers; purveyors of chocolate, vodka and tea; (all providing samples of course) and my personal favorite buddha nose, from whom I bought both their booster spray and heart spray. just the thing to freshen you up during the sticky summer!

and finally, finally, we grabbed a bite at our favorite chinatown vietnamese restaurant, nha trang.