stupid crap.

I was at my friend Lisa's house last weekend when she said to me, "When are you going to start doing new things again and writing about it?"

My ears started to perk up at her interest in the blog, as she continued her thought.

"I need an excuse to do stupid crap."

I laughed, and then quickly scanned my memories of all of the shenanigans Lisa and I have participated in over the years - both for the blog and also those NSFB.  Though I'd prefer to think of them as adventures, life-changing moments, lasting memories made, I guess "stupid crap" applies to most, if not all, of them.

"We definitely don't need an excuse to do stupid crap," I reminded her.  After all, I was doing stupid crap long before I started this blog, and I'll continue doing stupid crap long after the blog goes away.

But she's right.  The frequency of my doing new things and writing about them has leveled off considerably since I turned 30.  My health and sanity have depended on my accepting the normal of my everyday life and finding wonder in that, but I still crave adventure, spontenaitey and travel. 

Back in October, a last minute trip to New York to spend some time with (and surprise) friends I hadn't seen in a while beckoned, and I gave in.  Sometimes listening to that devilish voice inside your head that keeps taunting you, "Just do it! Just book the ticket!" is a very good thing. 

And in three short days, I managed to fit in a great deal of stupid crap:

1. Smorgasburg - Brooklyn's answer to food trucks, featuring dozens of vendors serving delicious and eclectic food "to go."  Duck dumplings, Pork Spring Rolls, that Ramen burger you keep hearing about everywhere - they have it all and it's all delicious, and by New York's standards, relatively inexpensive.    

Plus, it's the best place to mingle about hispters in their natural habitat -- there were plaid shirts, ironic mustaches, and Buddy Holly glasses as far as the eye could see.

 

2. A stroll through Brooklyn, while indulging in, hands down, the best ice cream sandwich I've ever had.  It almost cured my sadness over Georgia losing to Vanderbilt, which I watched unfold on my Twitter feed.

3. A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

4. A going away surprise Italian dinner executed perfectly for my friend Laura, followed by bar dancing (with a Reserved section sign as a prop). 

5. An original Banksy, one block from Lauren's house. 

As of yesterday, I'm headed back to New York for the New Year.  If that's stupid crap, well then, bring it on.