Street fair fanaticism

Dammit. Instead of spending a contemplative day thinking of the ones lost on 9/11, or sipping coffee at a leisurely post-church brunch, or reading Harry Potter in the park, I got sucked into spending money at a NYC street fair. I’m usually pretty fiscally conservative (though my credit card bills may say otherwise) but there is something about the street fair that draws me in and sucks the money out of my pocket. I’m the unwitting child, and the smells of Italian sausages, chicken gyros, and $1 Thai food is the Pied Piper.

I don’t know why I get all excited when I see a street fair. It’s always the same stuff: booths with bulk socks, bangles and beads, and belly-expanding mozzarepas. But I feel the way you feel when you’re little and your mom takes you to McDonald’s—-you know, the good one with the playground. And then by time I’ve walked to the end of the ten blocks, my wallet is suddenly a lot lighter.

Here’s what I spent on this particular street fair excursion (which expanded from about 64th to 74th-ish street on the Upper East Side. I blame the total on my recent obsession with accessorizing:

$6: on a ring and two necklaces at $2 each (a bargain!)
$20: on three necklaces that were $9 each if bought separately
$2: pack of metallic Asian dishwashing sponges
$1: ice cold LEMONAAAAADE!!!!!
$2: Mentadent toothbrush that was #1 in Consumer Reports
$1: Kenneth Cole eyeglass case
$4: two bracelets at this woman’s jewelry booth
$20: on a topaz necklace at same woman’s booth after going to the ATM to get money because I really wanted the necklace, which supposedly was a bargain at $20, she says, because it would be at least twice that at said woman’s Soho boutique. When I went back with the intention of getting the necklace, I asked her the price again. She said, “$25, but for you $20.” Which means I ‘m not really special, but that’s okay.

Cost of items purchased while strolling the street fair: $56. Egad.
Cost of guilt over spending money on items which are likely to gather dust (with exception of Mentadent toothbrush), or will only be in style for one season, and could have been donated to the hurricane victims: Priceless. And not in a good way.

(Things I almost bought: a tall plant for the patio. Another necklace. A CD of New York City Subway artists, though I opted instead to hold off on the CD in lieu of checking out the Web site of the band I saw performing, Spokinn Movement, in case I wanted just their CD. They were really good). I also applied for the new Amex IN NYC card, which doesn’t bode well for my debt-riddled future. Street fairs are my crack.)

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RCNY Sighting: This was actually a sighting from earlier in the summer, but I was in a CVS late at night grabbing some feminine products and a CVS employee (male) was also in that aisle, picked up a box of tampons and a box of pads, and appeared to be sniffing them. Also appeared to be talking to himself. I thought he was on a cell phone at first, but didn’t notice one during my quick side glances at him.