Yesterday

We have about seven days of spring in New York spread through several months.

Yesterday was one of them. It felt as if winter was finally over, and the air smelled fresh and filled with new beginnings.

I met Lucia for lunch, and bought a camera at B&H, an only in New York type store, where everything is deeply discounted. Unlike our prior only in New York deeply discounted stores, customer service is excellent, and I spent less money than I had budgeted.

I walked home from West 34th Street. It’s only a two mile walk. Each neighborhood used to be diverse, and interesting. I guess they still are; I’m jaded, and have lived here too long.

When I arrived home our other best friend, Rafael called. Rafe’s a straight, married male hair stylist. When I first met him 20 years ago, I had to slap him as his hand wondered a bit too much down my back.

He was a member of a Madison Avenue hair salon coop then.

I don’t remember how we became friends. It just sort of happened.

When I was moving from 63 Street off Fifth; he and some members of his salon moved to 64th and Madison. Figured. I could have had my hair blown out every day, but I chose to move.

When John Barrett was waiting for his salon to be finished at Bergdorf’s, he rented space at Rafe’s salon. I’ve met many living history (the 60’s, and other era’s) hair stylists’ when for some reason reason or another they rented space from him.

He just opened a new salon one block over. It’s the first that’s his alone. Usually I’m wary and scared for people to begin new very expensive ventures. But I spent many nights this fall and early winter talking him into it.

I just had a feeling that it would be successful.

Rafe found the new salon which was just raw space. He did everything from putting in water tanks in the basement to putting granite counters up, in a month. I couldn’t get a blog together in two months, but Rafe could move mountains and he did.

Rafe’s from Colombia. His wife’s from the Former Soviet Union, and their daughter’s in law school now. We’re all friends.

My mother had a hard time understand my friendship with a married man, but like everybody came to accept it and understand it.

There’s so much I want to say about Rafe and our friendship; and I don’t know how to express it.

He took me to my mom’s funeral. All her girlfriends were impressed. Didn’t understand but were impressed.

Rafe’s the perfectly manicured type; I’m the perfectly manicured when I think about it type.

He’s just good in the purest sense of the word.

He helps other people without even thinking about it.

Every morning he has six TVs, throughout his condo, tuned to six different stations. He watches each for ten minutes. I don’t really get it, but…

I read too many newspapers for him. They’re old; TV shows news as it happens. He doesn’t trust the Internet.

Rafe had to come over to see and approve of my new camera. He was impressed. My memory card cost almost seven times less than the same memory card he had bought at B&H last year. Seven times less!

Yesterday it felt as if spring was on the way. Today it’s hailing, and getting colder by the second. Tonight it’s supposed to snow.

Lucia came over also. It felt good to be away from this blog, and anything to do with it.

I feel naked; exposed and vulnerable.

I don’t fit into any body’s categories.

My friends understand that I’m a very contradictory person.

I will be writing lite for the next month or so.

I might even throw in some pictures.

Once Rafe approves of my pictures. Never.

Though he would love to.

Next week I’m getting my hair done at his new salon. It’s the first time I will have seen it complete.

I can’t wait.