"Is this place any good?"

A couple weeks ago my hairdryer broke -- bad news. And this wasn't any old death, it was an acrid, dark gray smoke pouring out of unknown orifices kind of death. Suffice to say, I needed a new one and I took temporary measures by using Fala's hairdryer . . . until hers broke this morning. Thankfully it was a death devoid of scary smoke, but this left the loft with a grand total of zero hairdryers -- really bad news.

Since Susan and Michelle are visiting me this weekend and opted to use extra suitcase space for towels, I had to bite the bullet and buy a hairdryer. After a lunch time visit to Ricky's which made me $60 poorer (hairdryer, conditioner, and Burt's Bees lip balm), I headed towards Lahore for some cheap lunch. For those who've never heard of/been to Lahore, it's a miniscule place on Crosby Street that serves take-out Pakistani food. The place is such a claustrophobic hole in the wall that one could easily be entering a magic portal to the real Lahore, Pakistan . . . but I digress.

I didn't even make it Lahore. With the wind kicking down Houston Street, I was blown towards the nondescript lunch cart outside the F and V station, perhaps lured in by the smell of chicken curry.

Lunch Man: "Step under here. No wind," he said, motioning me under the small lunch cart awning. A small crowd was forming, no doubt steered by the wind and the smell of curry.

When I wasn't hypnotized by the sight of food cooking, I was keeping a weary eye out for my stalker ex-girlfriend. Oh have I mentioned that I have become paranoid since yesterday's email saying she was going to be in town?

Lunch Man: "Hot sauce or white sauce, miss?"

Me: "White sauce," I stammered, trying not to think of Crazy Email Girl.

Mmmmmmm. Chicken curry. Too bad the pita it came with was a little on the nasty side. But then again, what should I expect for $3.50.