Easy Sunday

Today we had a treat. My boy IFP (Izzy From Patterson), his wifey (Monica my cousin), and lil' RFJ (Ryan From Jersey) came to the city to visit us. They showed up early so we could hang all day... And that we did.

First, had to make him some Cuban coffee... Start the day to right. Then it was off to Chinatown. I will spare you all the details but I will state that we messed it up down there at the Dim Sum place.

An interesting part of the day was when we were out shopping. Madison had just found "the" Hello Kitty doll that she had been looking for in this really cool store. I told her to keep looking for something but she told me that it was what she wanted. Now, if you know Madi, when she says "that's what I want"... She really means it. But I told her we would come back. As we leave she makes me promise her that no one will buy it from her and that I would go back and get it as soon as I could. I smugly tell her, "of course baby... I got this!". You can sense it already can't you?

We proceed to my favorite bakery in Chinatown (and Monica's too) that is right next to said store, where I indulge myself with a pack of Blackbean Hopia (don't ask). As we are exiting the bakery you can smell smoke... A lot of it. I walk out in the street to see where it is emanating from and bam, it is coming from the second floor of a shop a few stores down. Instant mayhem. Everyone is running, you can hear sirens going off, and the place is now in fully up in flames. We get the heck out of Dodge.

As we walk quickly down the streets, New York's Finest show up and begin to handle it. We just keep walking in disbelief... "dude, we were just there". After looking at some more stores, Madi reminds me about the doll and tells me, "they are still gonna have it right?" I look at her and reassure her that no one is gonna buy it from under her. This is Chinatown, where there is one there are millions. I tell Noemi that I might as well get it and a purse that Mia wanted. I head back to the store.

And what do you know, when I get there, the store was next to the one with the "fire" sale. They closed the store because of the fire commotion. Are you freaking kidding me? How the hell (at this point I am allowed to curse) does a store close in Chinatown? These people would stay open during a hurricane, during a tornado, during an earthquake, just to sell you some cheap trinket. But not a fire. I look at the store, which is chained up, gate down, and lights off in disbelief. I cannot show my face to my little girl. What would I say? I call Noemi and tell her the news. I mean I can always come back right? But what do I say after I promised her? I say, God's got this. I turn around and go look for Mia's purse that she wanted. As I am about to leave another store, I turn back around to see if maybe just maybe, they were going to open up. Mind you, there where 6 fire trucks in the street and everything is taped off. And I see the lady open the store. I run and ask her... "Please tell me that you are opening up again..."

"uh-va cooorse"

Enough said. Life is never dull for me. Heart attack avoided, baby meltdown avoided. When I show up with the doll, Madi was crying because she had over heard me freaking out over the phone. Never saw her smile so much. God must have done that so I could see that expression.

Blackbean Hopia... $2
Hello Kitty Doll... $18 (it's really cute)
Fire damage... $100,000
Hero to daughter... Freaking Priceless.

We ended the day at our apartment catching up with a good friend... over more Cuban coffee. It was a memorable Sunday again.