Last night I was at Carnivale* waiting for Erin to meet me so we could go in to an International Wine Institute party that was being held there. It was just past dark, about 5:45pm, and I was waiting across the street from the restaurant. I’d wanted to take a couple photos of the building so that when we did a post on the party we’d have some shots to put up. My camera battery was dead and not cooperating so I tucked my camera under my arm.

Erin and I had been text messaging each other back and forth. I don’t know how she does it while she’s driving, but she was! So I was standing there with my purse over my shoulder, my camera under my arm and my cell phone in both my hands, open, and I was writing a message to Erin. What happens next? Some raving lunatic homeless guy walks up and tried to grab my phone out of my hands right as I’m holding it and pressing buttons. Luckily, he had some kind of wool mittins on that made it hard to grasp the phone and his hand slid right off. I looked up and gasped really loud and I think I might have said “WHAT!?” I didn’t really feel scared, it took me a few seconds to realize what this freak even tried to do. I was more shocked than anything. I looked at the guy and was like “Seriously? Did you just try to snatch my phone?” I didn’t say that, but I was thinking it. So I closed the phone, put it in my purse and walked across the street and told some valets outside Carnivale that I’d been talking to earlier. Thankfully one of them chased the guy off. The would-be thief was seriously crazy.. ranting things that made no sense as he walked down the street. Then he came back and had to be chased away again. A block or two away I could still hear him yelling.

I’ve had a lot of things happen to me having lived in New York and Chicago. Sexual things yelled at me, racial things yelled at me, I’ve had my ass grabbed on the subway and even was assaulted on the street less than a block from my apartment once… but I’ve never been mugged or robbed. And I’m glad I still haven’t been. But still, even when I went across the street by the valets I was still shocked like “I think I was almost just mugged!”

* Carnivale is a nuevo Latino cuisine restaurant that just** opened. I was kicking myself so HARD for not having a backup set of batteries. I even went to White Hen to buy some but they only had a package of 2 left. Man! Carnivale is gorgeous inside. Huge tall ceilings, beautiful colors, festive big lanterns. I only had one drink*** because I’ve been sick and only got to sample a few Hors d’Oeuvres before I had to go, but I’m definitely keeping it in mind for the next time I’m trying to think of where to go out for a nice dinner.

** Yeh, I said “just” even though I know Carnivale has been open for a few weeks. Deal with it.

*** Note to self: When you have a sore throat, a dry tequila drink is not what you want to order. Try a screwdriver, you moron. At least that has orange juice and orange juice is good for you to drink when you’re sick.