And the final adventure: I rode on the subway, y'all

After a very serious Thursday and Friday morning, I skipped out of workshops early for the true test of my New York cred: the subway.

I took the R train down to SoHo. Yeah, I'm cool like that. I had a bad moment or 6 because the R trains were running late because of an "earlier incident" but as I didn't know how to work the other trains (because I relied exclusively on my iPhone maps and its mass transit directions) I just waited and hoped for an incident-free ride. I'd made the mistake of reading the safety tips before I got on so I had a fairly extensive idea of what an incident might constitute. Other than performers asking for donations, every ride was incident free.

Why was I going to SoHo? Two reasons: 1. Purl Soho and 2. Wooster Street Social Club. I guess you could add a third: I am odd.

After a wrong turn and a few extra blocks, I was happy and relieved to make it to Purl. It was crowded and beautiful. I bought fabric. I'll take a picture of my purchases for tomorrow's post.

And after I did this, I almost convinced myself to head back to "home" in Times Square. But I still wasn't sure about the R train and looking on the map, I was so close...

 So I walked right on down the street and around the corner. Broome street was all honking horns and gridlock. Wooster street was quiet and calming, so I leaned and did my best to look inconspicuous as I watched the windows and all the people going in and out of the tattoo parlor. No, I didn't get one. I require a painless method first. So, if you've ever watched Miami Ink (and I have), you know Ami James. Now he's got New York Ink here at the Wooster Street Social Club. And as long as nobody's watching me, I'm happy to be curious across the street. Fearing attention, I moved on quickly...to the 1 train back up to 23rd street, the closest stop to the City Quilter (according to my handy iPhone).

 And I loved this store. Fabrics! Wool! Quilters working on projects and shopping for projects and other out-of-towners like me! Quilt art gallery! And LEISURE ARTS BOOKS y'all!

I bought fabric and wool. I have all the books I can handle.

Rejuvenated, I walked back to the subway to take the 1 train back to Times Square. If it had ended there, all would be well. And it was well, but I walked back to Rockefeller Center to the NBC experience store and re-enraged my feet. It was closed by the time I made it back down from Top of the Rock the first night, but I could see good stuff. So I went back and bought: a Chuck magnet, an Office shirt, a House tote (as an add-on, good deal, you know), a Burton Guster shirt from Psych and I am currently wearing Michael Westen. Someone should take my credit card from me when it gets dark apparently. I stopped at a Five Guys for a hamburger and trundled back to home. A ride on the subway, shopping bags, well-fed...such an urban girl I am (even without a tattoo).