Friends, Family, and Cockroaches

I got back into town from Chicago Sunday night and headed right back to my room. While I was starving, so I then met up with Anmol and went over to the tiny, noisy but delicious Max SOHA. We had a really nice time, but when we wanted to leave it was puring out, and we were both umbrella-less. We ran to the Max Cafe (same owner) down the street and took refuge in hot chocolates and chais there across from a small group of "Jews Against the Occupation." After a few hours we had no choice but to run back to I-House (well, we did have the option of getting a taxi, but Anmol shot that down) in the torrents of rain. It was a nice little walk.

After work on Monday, I had more exciting dinner plans! Shira and Mike and I went down to the Village to spend the evening with my Uncle Mitch and Karl. Mitch and Karl actually met at Columbia gradschool while Karl was at SIPA and Mitch was taking writing. While we were at home, I watched our oldest home video, the Thanksgiving of '85 which was the first time Karl met the family. It's so crazy that they were 23-ish, and in gradschool, and now I'm at that point in my life. It turns out Karl spent his first year at I-House, but he didn't remember HR (could there have been a time pre-HR???). For dinner we went to The Pink Teacup, good Southern food that Mitch and Karl have been going to since grad school. It was immense amounts of good food. Then we went down the street to Magnolia Bakery, which I personally think is over hyped, but when in New York... I skipped the cupcakes in favor of raspberry marzipan cheesecake, ridiculously delicious.

I was ready for a nice evening at home, catching up via email and the phone with friends, when...
A HUGE GIANORMOUS DISGUSTING COCKROACH WALKED ACROSS MY DESK. It took a lot of courage, but I eventually got to a shoe and slammed down on it, and the roach raised its huge shoulders, shrugged off my weapon, and ran behind the desk. It was time to reach out for help, and I called Anmol, but it took a lot of convincing to get him to come over and even then he pleaded pacifist (damn those vegetarians) and said he could only coax the roach out of my room. He eventually showed up and did catch the roach, and threw him out the window (how is that not killing the roach?). I then made him check every drawer and cabinet and help take out my trash. SO very gross. I will now be asking the dorm to fumigate. I had thought I left roaches behind the summer I worked at Hand in Hand in Israel (that was a rough summer) and now I'm more convinced than ever that I do not want to stay in New York. (Pictured: cockroach, this is only half the size of the original)