What I Did On My Summer Staycation

Ah, my gentle readers, yesterday was Labor Day here in the U.S. of A. and you all know what that means. Summer is over. Maybe not according to the lunar calendar, but for our purposes - done. The kiddies are back to school, the Congress is back in session (working, I'm not so sure), and it is time for the traditional essay of What I Did On My Summer Vacation.

As you know, your MatchGirl has been unemployed for a long time now, so her summer vacation was actually the ever so trendy and topical staycation. To be fair, if one is going to spend ones vacation staying put, New York City is not such a bad place to do so.

A few highlights of my summer staycation included a ferry ride to Governor's Island to see the amazing Bee Gees cover band Tragedy!, a Tuesday spent toasting on the beach at Coney Island with my freelancer roomie and one of his unemployed pals and a NJ transit bus trip to my dear friend G's parents pool in dirty Jersey. Of course, there were also countless afternoons spent reading in McCarren Park, wandering aimlessly through the northernmost parts of North Brooklyn and many a weekday afternoon drinking in my favorite artworks at MoMA. And, while most of my pals have gotten further out of the city several times this summer, your MatchGirl made one quick trip to DC to spend a suburban long weekend with a college gal-pal and her family.

This weekend, Labor Day weekend, was another one where people were away. Several of your MatchGirl's friends are out of the country. A few went to the beach with their hunnies. A few were just too hung over after a fun and fairly debaucherous bachelorette party Friday evening to do anything but curl up on their couches with a couple of aspirin, Gatorade and cable TV. But, dear ones, I had things to do, places to go, errands to run. So I treated myself to a staycation, spending most of the long weekend solo and, I have to tell you, I truly enjoyed myself.

Saturday, I needed to go to Pearl Paint to get a couple of things for school - so I took myself to Chinatown, braving the Saturday crowds. I love the smell of Pearl Paint. There is something in the scent, the moment I open the door that just makes me happy. All the kiddies were there with their Freshman Art lists of supplies, walking around in a clueless daze and your MatchGirl, normally not that excited to have to squeeze through the aisles teenagers, was overwhelmed with nostalgia. Normally, items procured, on a sunny Saturday afternoon, I would high-tail in out of the Chinatown tourist crowds. But not this day. Instead I took myself for a dinner of spring rolls and pho at Pho Viet Huong on Mulberry Street, totally cheap and within the unemployed gal's budget and tasty, too!

Sunday, due to the lack of power in my apartment, my to-do list was totally off-whack. So I sat on the stoop and read the paper. I cut some fabric to stictch up later (when the power was restored). I worked on my homework (yes. Nerd.). When the power came back, I watched a couple of girly movies (ooh - double feature An Affair to Remember and The Way We Were!) and when a friend called to cancel a potential evening out, that was A-OK. Sure, my laundry didn't get done, but I felt quite accomplished.

And Monday, Labor Day, itself, I celebrated with friends on a rooftop on the southside of Williamsburg - old friends, great food, silly dogs running about and an amazing view of Manhattan. Hey, a girl can't spend the whole Holiday weekend basking in her own company, can she?