Emily gave me a shopping list this morning and sent me off into the world. The list is pretty straight forward, but I’m in NY were everything seems to be moving at a fast pace, but actually takes forever.

I went to four different fabric stores to pick up silk for the monkeys’ skin. Most of my time seemed to involve heading in the wrong direction and back-tracking. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of navigating, because I’ve done it here before, but it always seems to take awhile for me to remember the uptown/downtown orientation.

After that it was off to look for yak fur, for their hair. I had no success. Ironically, the closest I came was a really gorgeous pelt, which turned out to be Icelandic sheep. Go figure. $250 for something that I can buy in Ikea in Iceland for $25.

Next up. Balls for the monkeys. I’m trying to find rattan, wicker or grapevine balls that are 2″ in diameter. So far, I found some really gorgeous ones in Tibet, but the shipping is killer. I’m now trying to track down a store with parrot toys, because evidentially parrots like to play with 2″ wicker balls. I don’t understand, but I won’t complain if I can find them.

Tomorrow, I’ll be picking up airplane cable, wooden balls and dowels.

I’m sitting in the window of a Starbucks, with my laptop. My palm pilot is plugged into it to charge. Then I had had to make a phone call, so I pulled out my cell phone. A group of elderly ladies was walking past and one of them stopped, pointed. At first I thought she was pointing at Starbucks, but then she grabbed her friend’s arm and turned her to the window. They were looking at me. I guess I looked like a corporate weasel or something.

Of course, they can’t tell that I’m trying to find rattan for a monkey’s ribcage.