Life's Uncertain: Eat Dessert First

So that’s exactly what we did. Went shopping with Annemarie and Sil today. Annemarie needed boots and invited me to come along. I figure if Silvana didn’t find us some good deals it would at least be entertaining to see her stores, so I met Annemarie at her apartment in Belgrano so Silvana could pick us up in her two-door Peugeot. So I take the subte to Juramento, walk to Calle Cramer and turn right on Annemarie’s street. The whole commute takes about 30 minutes, which is about the time it takes to get anywhere in the city, I’ve learned. So we meet Sil in Belgrano and she drives us to the shoe stores, which are where else but in my neighborhood on my exact street. She could’ve definitely picked me up on the way, but I suppose the 90 centavos subte ticket and 30 minute commute was worth it for the conversations we had in her car. She cracks me up. Silvana really is so sweet. She was hungover from her one beer at Asia de Cuba last night. (Damian found a deal where every Thursday Asia de Cuba you can have un plato principal y un postre from a fixed menu for only ten pesos, and then you can stay to dance! Well, guys have to pay $25, but still this is incredibly cheap for the ambiance of Asia. And the white chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce was divine. Worth the $10 right there.) So we drive along Av. Santa Fe and she parks in this garage that is two subway stops away from my front door and we go boot shopping. Annemarie finds a pair at the first store we go to. Tall black leather with two simple buckles. I’m not in the market for boots but I did semi fall in love with a pair by Natacha for $390 pesos. I don’t need them, but if I’m still dreaming about them in a week I know where to find them. Eventually we also went clothes shopping. I tried on one top and a few leather jackets. I would love to find one with long enough sleeves that isn’t too boxy. And with buttery soft leather. I am a very picky shopper. Apparently my mom told Annemarie this. But it is true, I am perfectly content to shop all day and not buy a thing. Sometimes I just like to surround myself with pretty things. Like going to a museum but for clothes. I really should buy more shoes here. They are so well made, for the most part. I only brought a handful of shoes when I packed in March, and of those one pair is running shoes and another pair is my pewter heels I have never worn here. (It has been almost two months since I’ve worn heels.) Silvana liked my boots. Thanks, they’re Lucchesse’s. I had thought I would buy more shoes, but really what all do I need? (The Pumas were a necessary purchase.) But I left the stores empty handed and we decided to stop by Pertutti, this café on Santa Fe that I’ve always wanted to try. Silvana wanted torta, cake, and I needed some coffee for a pick me up. (Although I had un Caffe Havanna after my run: a layered drink of espresso and condensed milk. I think I’ll stick with café con leche next time. This was too sweet, but I had always seen people order it and wanted to try it. “Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.”) So we sat down and ordered coffee and desserts. Silvana had “Selva Negra,” or Black Forrest Cake, Annemarie had a chocolate cake with dulce de leche icing, and I had a raspberry tart because it seemed the healthiest and I wasn’t starving really. By this time it was nearing 8 o’clock and stores were closing. Damian stops by on his way home from work and finishes the last few bites of Annemarie’s torta. We decide to continue shopping tomorrow at Unicenter, unless somehow we find out details about the Shakira concert because apparently you need a (free) ticket to enter, but they are out of tickets. I still think it’d be fun to sit somewhere where you could hear her and have a picnic or something. But I could also go shopping because I tried on this vest of Sil’s and it was really cute on. Very flattering because it cinches the waist. So who knows what we’ll end up doing tomorrow? But as we sit and chat with Damian we smell all this good food. It is approaching dinnertime. So we order a Fuggazetta. After finishing dessert and coffee. So now I am stuffed. Panza llena, corazón contento.