Fleas Are Addictive...

Continuation...

Saturday afternoon, I met up with a friend of a friend, musical theater composer/writer Mark Garcia. Mark had moved from New York a number of years ago from Los Angeles, and had seen the show "bare" nine times while I was in it at the Hudson Theater (including one of the times I went on as Nadia). We both have Bally Total Fitness memberships, love cats, and are musical theater geeks, so I thought that inviting him to meet up was a no-brainer.

We met and ate really good Thai peanut jicama/veggie salads, talked about our projects (his musicals and new book, my new adventures in open mic & cabaret land). His musicals center around unique ideas, some inspired from news events or found books, and his own book is inspired by his past experience in the theater. I won't go into them for fear of saying too much, but Mark gave me the first chapter of his book, which I will read.

We then visited the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market on 38th street between 9th and 10th Aves. I instantly regretted it - there was SOOO much stuff I would have bought and taken home, a horrific challenge to my budget. Racks and racks of old clothes, hats, purses, tables spread with antique jewelry, knick-knacks, military outfits & accessories, old books (Playboys!), frames and framed pictures, furniture, furs...oh the list goes on. I bought a long strand of chain & crystal beads plus a pair of old crystal clip-on earrings to wear for the 1930's Idol show on Wednesday. We also went through a box of old photos - wedding pictures, baby pictures, souvenir photos from restaurants in the New York and New Jersey area. Memories caught for a family but forgotten, only for strangers to pick up and ruminate on.

This box, and indeed all the stuff found at this great flea market, reminded me that the East Coast is incredibly old to the eyes of a Californian, where most buildings are less than 100 years young. Here in New York, families have stayed and passed down their heirlooms for more than 200 years. It also made me a bit puzzled to think about the thinks I will pass down to the next generation - plastic Star Wars toys and digital pictures? And what about furniture? The furniture of the past was made of beautiful wood, hand-carved pieces meant to last for many, many years. What do I have - Ikea :/ furniture, which is bound to be sold used on Craigslist or tossed on the curb if a part of the particle board gets too worn down or has a hole in it. Sigh. Then again, someone in the future may find interest in my Munny figures or MST3K DVD collection....maybe.

That afternoon with Mark & the flea market was a lot of fun. I'll definitely have to meet up with Mark again (maybe catch a show or go to Bally Fitness together), and the flea market is calling me to it again for this weekend. I'll try some restraint on the latter...

More to come...