Accidental Gifts

Kate and I met these little piggies last weekend on Little West 12th Street outside of Destination  (http://www.destinationny.net/)

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Day off today...will be full of exploration.  That is, once I stop being the laziest human alive and gather the gusto to part from my french press and put on real people clothes.

Oh yeah, have to retrieve my bike from the west side as well...crossing my fingers that it's still there.

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Was at my kitchen sink this morning, contemplating doing the dishes (which are still bathing in week-old water, for the record) and turned to the tiger figurine hanging out on the corner of the sink.  He's been there for about 5 months now.  I was walking back to my apartment at some ungodly hour in the morning in february and literally stumbled upon this guy.  He's beautiful, plastic, brave, wise, and about 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" of awesomeness.

This was especially exciting/noteworthy for me on that morning because there had been a sudden influx of tigers in my life.  Yes, real live tigers were suddenly roaming around everywhere.  I wish.

But really, for some reason tiger photos/images/signs/themes were surrounding me.  For a good month not a day went by where I didn't see a tiger something (note: this blog started around that time.  Hence the "teeming tigress".  I figured the universe was telling me that I am indeed a tiger).  Tigers on license plates, staring at me from bookstore windows, a photo emerging of my brother and I circa 1987 dressed as tigers, a friend randomly BBMing me a picture of a tiger at the zoo, and so on.  My point:  when I physically tripped over this tiger figurine, I was simultaneously stunned and not surprised at all.  Brought him home, gave him a dish soap bath, and now he guards my kitchen.

Anyway, so I am looking at him this morning and started recalling the cool things I have come across while roaming NYC sidewalks/floors/parks and beyond.

- Miniature eggplant magnet.  Found: 79th/York.  Now on my fridge, holding up a photo of my niece

-Tiny, tiny bell.  Found: on the 1st floor of MOMA.  Now in a little box of magical trinkets in my apartment

-Extremely sketchy/cool looking rubbery thing that, I swear, resembled a florescent dinosaur claw.  Found: Bleecker St.  Now: potentially still there; potentially reunited with its fellow dino claws; potentially consumed by curious dog.  I didn't touch it.  Something about it screamed "disease-ridden"...but it was pretty incredible, nonetheless

-Figurine of Raphael, the ninja turtle sans sai.  Found: Champs de Mars, Paris.  Now:  I have no effing clue.  He is with me somewhere though, perhaps back in VT.  He lived in my Parisian apartment with me for 5 months and then I carted him back to the states.  Maybe he ran away.  Maybe he's looking for his sai.  My friend and I gave him little toothpick sai, but I can see where that would be less than satisfactory.  Poor Raphael.

-Fortune cookie fortune.  Found: on the stairs up to my apartment.  Ok, finding one of these in NYC is far from rare.  But the weird thing?  All it said was: YOU.  So, you know, I picked it up and brought it along with me.  Figured the world was telling ME something.  Now: in one of my many moleskines...somewhere

-Tea bag tag that says: Travel light, live light, spread light, be the light.  Found: when I was working at Random House...in the kitchenette.  Now: on my fridge, of course.  I wanted to anchor it there with the eggplant magnet, but the magnet is too big and covered up the message.

...there's lots more, too!  That's a good list for now though.  I need to shower and delve into the day.

Wonder what I'll find out there!