Mocha Latte doodles

The humidity drove me to wander around Greenwich Street and into the Benvenuto Cafe. First order was a tall iced mocha latte. I then ordered up a salmon wrap and off to the window to write/doodle some. This heat has just worn me out. Now off to the gym, my local 'cooling' station.

My Dog Dayz of Summer

"Dog Days" are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the northern hemisphere, they usually fall between early July and early September. In the southern hemisphere they are usually between January and early March. The actual dates vary greatly from region to region, depending on latitude and climate. Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress. The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, was somehow responsible for the hot weather.

In Ancient Rome, the Dog Days extended from July 24 through August 24 (or, alternatively July 23-August 23). In many European cultures (German, French, Italian) this period is still said to be the time of the Dog Days.

The Old Farmer's Almanac lists the traditional timing of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, coinciding with the ancient heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius.

I took my Dog Day afternoon to the Pecan Cafe and coffee shop on Franklin Street this afternoon. I had a healthy fruit mango smoothy and a not so healthy cream cheese croissant in honor of Bastille day. And since Bastille day isn't until this coming Wednesday, I suppose I'll have to have another croissant then as well.  :-)

P.S. I actually think I saw Sirius, the Dog Star, the other night when I was watching the sun set off of Christopher St. pier. So bright I thought it was an airplane, off in the western sky right at sunset.

eat Tribeca - Benvenuto Cafe, 369 Greenwich St. @ Franklin

87 humid degrees today so I thought I'd take an afternoon 'vacation'.. So I walked over to the Benvenuto Cafe and settled into some air conditioning with a side of iced mochachino and a very good chocolate chip cookie. Had a good write and draw in my sketchbook all which made for a nice break in my afternoon.. now off to the gym.

Bubble Lounge

amfAR Around Town:
An Evening with the Tribeca Film Festival

Tonight, I'll be attending a champagne reception at The Bubble Lounge in my neighborhood. The reception is for the North American Premiere Screening of An Englishman in New York.

From amfAR: Join us for a night of food, fun and film. An Evening with the Tribeca Film Festival is the latest installment of the amfAR Around Town event series. Blending social and substantive activities, amfAR Around Town aims to fight complacency and to deliver the information on HIV/AIDS that young people need to stay informed and stay safe.

About the movie:: Picking up where the 1975 classic The Naked Civil Servant left off, John Hurt reprises his role as Quentin Crisp. This entertaining and poignant film explores the last 25 years of Crisp’s life, tracing his journey from an easily shocked London to a fabulously shocking New York.

About the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR): Founded in 1985, amfAR is dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research. With the freedom and flexibility to respond quickly to emerging areas of scientific promise, amfAR plays a catalytic role in accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research and achieving real breakthroughs. more...

eat Tribeca - Whole Foods

How do I love thee?... let me count the ways.

In the first month of operation I think I visited our new Whole Foods market on Greenwich St. in Tribeca at least once a day.

Before Whole Foods, our only choices in the neighborhood were the Food Emporium just a few blocks north of WF, the Amish Market on West Broadway and Bell Bates a great health food store on Reade St. There are also several stores in the Financial District like Associated, Jubalees and ZayTuna.

Why do I love Whole Foods so much? First, it's large and all inclusive, like our Fred Meyers in Oregon, or Safeway. How I miss those large Supermarkets taking up acres of real estate. With our giant (by NY standards) Whole Foods, we now have variety and more choices.

I had always thought that Whole Foods was going to be expensive. I cook most all my meals and I know the grocery prices in the area. Whole Foods is very competitive with not only their regular but sale prices compared to the surrounding stores.

I really like shopping organic when that choice is comparable with regular priced groceries. I also don't mind paying a little bit more for organic or quality foods. I do, however, object to paying 3x as much just because it's "organic". After all, an apple, organic or not is still better than not eating an apple at all. Whole Foods organic prices are very competitive, even beating out the local Bell Bates health food store.

Since Whole Foods quality standards are so high, I hardly find the need to read the labels on the products, and I am a real "label reader". All of their meats and dairies are antibiotic and growth hormone free. All animals were out in the fields, eating grains, soakin in the sun. All dairy and cheeses and eggs,, I mean, it's like Dorothy raised them herself all the way from Kansas. Amazing.

Now I still do shop in the surrounding stores, but I love Whole Foods best. ..and the cruising isn't bad their either ;-)