Always just a step behind...

Grad school's hard. That's basically all there is to that. You would think this would all be just common sense- after all, I've basically been doing this since I was a baby either as a performer or a producer or a leader or all of the above. But somehow, despite the hours I'm spending reading instead of getting a job, and as hard as I try to comprehend everything we're learning, when I get to class I feel like I just can't put it all together. I can't see the big picture or understand what my professors are trying to get me (and the rest of the class) to say. All I want is to say something really insightful, something that will indicate to my professors, and to myself, that I do after all belong here and that I just may have the mind that higher learning exists for. But right now, it's just hard. So I'll keep doing my reading, and start to throw myself into the research that I'm apparently already behind on, and analyzing all about how group projects work, and still apply for jobs every day, and somehow I'll come out ahead. Sometime soon, hopefully it will all start to make a little more sense..

Funny stories- could be titled "How not to get a date in New York City"... Here's scene #1:
Place: Citibank ATM's, I'm standing minding my own business waiting for Eric to get some cash...
Middle-Aged Man: So, I just can't get over this pink money
Me: [shocked blank, are you talking to me? face] uhhhhh....heee heee....yeah.....
Middle-Aged Man: I mean what are they going to think of next? Is it really working??
Me: uhhhhhh....heee heeee....I don't know
This continues for several minutes while Middle-Aged Man obviously is hoping that something he says might spark my interest so that I might you know go right to the bars with him or something like that I guess....

Scene #2:
Place: NYU library, printing station, I'm about to go into the printing room
Nerdy Boy: Excuse me, are you from the midwest?
Me: [looking around, seeing who is being addressed, realizing it's me] UHHHHHH....noooooo...Colorado...
Nerdy Boy: Oh, well I could tell you weren't from New York.
Me: [so annoyed and insulted] uhhhhh
Nerdy Boy: You just don't have that New York thing, it's ok....
Me: uhhhhhhh......
Nerdy Boy: So what do you do....oh I'm real estate....
Me: [growing ever more suspicious and annoyed that I'm not printing and reading] arts administration [what's it to ya, buddy...]
Nerdy Boy: oh huh huh I'm Hugh, your name is again? [cut cut cut for reasons of boredom in reading this] So since you're new, you want to, uh, hang out, uh, or something....
Me: ummmmm
Nerdy Boy: Ok well you go do what you need to do, I'm going to get my information for you

So he goes away to get his dossier or something and I go about my printing business and have almost escaped when he finds me and hands me this little scrap piece of paper just scribbled on. And says:
So, uh, do you want to,uh, give me your e-mail or something
Me: Uhhhh....ummmm....okayyyyyyy
And, because I never really had to learn the art of tactful let down and don't really know what to do in awkward situations like this, I gave him my e-mail! But, don't worry, I didn't write my last name, or put my e-mail that I use, or give him my phone number....
Nerdy Boy aka Hugh: So, I'll, uh, e-mail you Friday morning and see what you're doing this weekend....
And then he scampered away!!

So awkward! So sad! So not how you should try to get a girlfriend! But maybe this is just how it's done, and I luckily don't have to play that game, or really care to remember anything like it!

Also, we saw a big clown doll laying in the trash today. It was scary. It was dead or something...

Have I ever told you about our trash pile?

We have this trash pile that lives on our street. Sometimes it is filled with furniture, like 25 chairs, for example, and sometimes it has gigantic bags full of rotten beans that the pigeons just love, but it ALWAYS has huge piles of identical long black plastic bags that look exactly like body bags. And sometimes, you just feel a little wierd when you realize that you walk by these plastic bags everyday that look exactly like body bags and you don't know at all what's really inside of them....

But then today there was MAJOR excitement at the trash pile. We went outside to go do some reading (surprise surprise) in Central Park and there's approximately 4 fire trucks and 20 firemen just hanging out on our street, very near the trash pile. And all the firemen were wearing their full gear, and there was police and ambulances and more firetrucks down the street, but no one seemed to be in a real state of panic and have any urgency. They were just kind of strolling down the street towards what I thought might be a disaster of some kind. Never found out what the emergency was- these things happen a lot around here I guess- but that was some big excitement...

Sometimes here it all of a sudden just smells so much like cakes...such tasty cakes....and then you turn the corner and the NUTS FOR NUTS man is standing there with his cart full of tasty nuts!! I'm always a little disappointed that it's nuts, not cakes, but it just always smells really great...

[I'm tired...insert your own clever title here]

I'd like to say "What a weekend!" but strangely I can't even remember what we did...and it's not like we were having crazy parties or anything, it's just that time moves so differently here - like a different reality or something- that days seem longer and quicker at the same time. I guess that's what they mean when they say "a New York minute"- it's a piece of time that can't exist in any other place on Earth. But let's try to think back...Friday I spent a good part of the day applying for jobs. Good for me. Then Eric and I lived it up for the first time in a while and found an awesome bar near NYU and went to happy hour. It was so great! And I felt so cool- out on a Friday afternoon, drinking $3 cocktails (this is VERY cheap, believe me...), eating 20 cent chicken wings on BLEECKER Street. By the way, you cannot order, say 4 chicken wings if you're feeling like having a light snack. They have a 10 wing requirement, and they won't let you take any home. So be prepared. But they're really good. And it's still only $2 for 10, so you don't really feel bad at all about that...

Later that night, about when I though it was time for bed, I was required to get out of my pajamas for an adventure out to a sports bar with some of Paul's friends. We were quite a picture: a couple actresses, several gays, myself- all messy and tired, and Eric, trying to fit in at a sports bar where the main activity is beer pong. For those of you unfamiliar with beer pong, it's a completely ridiculous, embarassingly fun game in which you try to throw ping pong balls into plastic cups filled with cheap beer so the other team has to drink a lot. Very popular with frat boys and, apparently, former New York City frat boys and frat boy wannabes.

Saturday was fairly uneventful (read: filled with homework), although we did venture over to 5th Avenue- a frightening adventure, particularly on a Sunday afternoon- and made our way through the crowds to Express where we encountered an extremely overzealous saleswoman. We also smelled a lot of pee and horse poop. It's too bad. It's a pretty nice area. I think Central Park has something to with it...

Today was just reading. Literally. Ok, reading and exercise. But mostly reading.

We also noticed that the sky was purple and pink and it looked amazing between these 2 buildings that were reflecting light blue. Really beautiful.

I was going to post more pictures, but this is too long already and I have to go to sleep because it's back to the workaday job of finding a job tomorrow. And I'm serious now. No more kidding around...Besides, I have a lot more reading to do too....

Theater of the Absurd

Well, I've had all my classes now, and this last one's really something. Let me try to set the stage for you: We get into the room, and the professor is standing in the front and he does not look like much fun at all. He's just standing there, never smiling, and staring at us like we're some kind of strange experiment or something.

But then he spoke.

And suddenly he became this little pudgy British man whose every other word is "um...um" (which, by the way, is suddenly spoken extremely loudly) and who tends to mumble, and then giggle to himself, as if those little mumbles were a secret joke just for him. He's rather jolly, really.

So, the class is called "Managing Organizations" and so far it could probably be titled "How to have group projects". I'm not really sure what we were supposed to learn today, but I do know that this class is basically the perfect avenue for people who really like to hear themselves talk to say things that really don't need to be said. But that's the whole class, basically. Just people talking. And some of us wondering what on earth is going on. My group, which is what this whole class is going to be based on I think (awesome.), decided it might be better to hit Happy Hour before class. And there we can talk about our worries, past experiences, and personal problems, which apparently is the secret to success in group projects.

Now combine this general atmosphere with the stomping that began on a floor above us about halfway through class (tap dance? Stomp? a giant fight?) and constant giggling as people count how many times jolly Prof. Dunbar says "UM....UM" per minute, and you have the makings of an extremely strange evening.

Just when I thought the night was coming to an end and that it couldn't possibly get more ridiculous Paul just brought me some news:

He was going to his apartment and getting his mail and the hall was completely filled with smoke. All of a sudden, 2 guys that work here burst in to an apartment and Paul saw that there was another guy and then he saw that there was this woman just sprawled out on the floor!! And the apartment and hall are filled with smoke! So the guys start yelling at this woman "COVER UP COVER UP" and "You fell asleep on the floor and the stove's on and now everything's burning!" And then I think Paul ran away as fast as he could. Um...UM...Excuse me- what is going on here tonight????

And live rejoicing every day...

So I think that one of the things I'm learning to like most about New York is how you can find beauty in the most unexpected of places. This afternoon I was waiting for the subway to go downtown to school and as I was waiting in the crowded, hot station, I suddenly heard the most amazing voices singing "Oh Happy Day". Now usually when I see or hear crazy musicians attempting to make money by playing the saw or singing along to a a disco CD I imperceptibly (so as not to offend anyone) shake my head and walk on by. But today, I really wanted to know who these people were that could sing like that. Because, it was amazing. When I got to where they were, I saw that it just three ladies, standing in the middle of the platform just clapping and singing away as if there was nothing they would rather be doing in the entire world. Like their entire heart's happiness was wrapped up in this one song. And the amazing thing was the other people waiting for the train weren't on their cell phones or reading their New York Times or yelling at their kids- they were standing completely still, listening. I don't know if it's because I'm a little too emotional sometimes, but I was truly moved. And you know what, I had a happy day. I don't think you could not have a happy day after hearing that.

Home Again Home Again Jiggety Jog

It was a tough week. But somehow things are still fine. They're good even.

I had to go home over the weekend suddenly because my grandma's sick. I was overcome with sadness and hated that I had to go home for such a heartbreaking reason, but once I got there I remembered why my family is the most amazing group of people in the world. And I knew why it was that I had to be there too. Even in a time when we could have been sad and full of self-pity, we were together, so we were laughing. Even my grandma. How wonderful, even if bitterly ironic, is it that something so terrible can make something so heartwarming like bringing a whole family together happen at a time when everyone might need it? I don't know what I expected going home last weekend, but I do know that I left feeling hopeful, and full of the knowledge that my family sticks together and that we always will no matter what. And my grandma's doing better. She has to have hope. Just like we all do. So just keep hoping.

It was very hard to come back here yesterday. Not only had I had a good weekend with my family (and I always feel like the most important thing is to be with them), but I also realized while I was gone that I haven't been in New York long enough to know what I like about it. So when I left, and not only left, but went back home, it was just too easy to forget why I like it at all. As I was coming back, I was dreading it- the crowds, the mean people, the rain, the mice...I couldn't even think of any reason why I was so close to feeling like this is really my home. It's weird how it's harder now. But I guess I just have to keep rolling along, day by day, and hopefully it really will seem like home. I think this is all just pretty tough.

Eric did buy me flowers yesterday- lilies, my favorite- so now my apartment smells like lilies, and not at all like a breeding ground for mice. Those little things make any day better.

Speaking of mice- after Eric's horrible battle over the weekend in the War of the Rodents, we have not seen or caught a mouse in 2 days. It's a record and I slept soundly last night. Cross your fingers for 2 nights in a row!

Today I had my first class in the formidable STERN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS....From how they prepared us for classes at STERN, you'd think it was like academic boot camp or something. I'll admit that I was a little intimidated when I walked in the fancy building, and had to navigate through all the pinstripe suits, blazers, high heels, and nylon- wearing business students--hold on- is dressing in business attire normal for business students or is this just a special STERN elitist thing? If it's normal then fine, but if not then I personally think these people should get over themselves...But I somehow made it to my marketing class, and it was not at all like what we were prepared for. The professor is completely laid back, there are no group projects (FINALLY!), and we spend some time making fun of Stern students. Perfect! I think it will be just fine. One more class and then I'll officially be on my way in my first semester...I realized tonight that one defining feature of grad students is that they like to hear themselves talk. Not one of my favorite personal features, but one that I may have to pretend to adopt in order to be succesful at this juncture of my studies...

I did make one scene this week- before I left for Colorado, I had to go to the NYU library, but I had all my stuff with me- suitcase and computer bag. Welllll, I first of all had to carry all of that down into the subway and then throughout the city, but then I had to get in the library. And, don't worry, I definitely tried to get through the revolving doors, and DEFINITELY got stuck. Oh man. I don't even want to know how many people were laughing at me. But I just tried and tried again until I finally made it in and then proceeded to drag my big suitcase all through the library. But you're not a true New Yorker until you're really great at making scenes, so I certainly am on the right track.

"Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."
The Shawshank Redemption

The art of how and why

In a haze of sadness, how do you continue to always be hopeful?
In the rush of tears, how do you find the energy to laugh?
In a time when your heart breaks for yourself and those you love, how do you keep doing what you do?

How do you have your first "I live in New York and thus I go to the theatah" experience and go see a ridiculous musical based on the ridiculous horror movie "The Children" where everyone is always yelling and singing so high and fake body parts are being tossed at you from backstage?

How do you go to a very trendy bar and have a very trendy drink with the very trendy cast from this ridiculous musical?

How do you eat Taco Bell in the middle of Tuesday night in Penn Station and notice that it's still full of people all waiting to go somewhere?

How do you wake up full of happiness simply because you will get cable and internet and daily life will finally be right again?

How do you spend an entire day in the library struggling through "Performing Arts- The Economic Dilemma" and getting yelled at by girls who are a little too uptight and can't seem to work in a place where there is even the slightest bit of noise? (If you ask me, if you can't type on the computer without a little background noise, you probably shouldn't be in college. If you ask Paul, those same people should be killed or something. I suppose we could go somewhere in between...)

How do you almost get stuck in a bathroom stall right before class and not panic too much?

How do you sit in class for 5 hours and attempt to learn more than you ever thought a person could learn about arts administration in the span of 5 hours?

How do you realize that you now ride on the subway and walk the streets of Manhattan and weave through the crazy people and observe the various styles of clothes and slyly watch and be slightly nervous of the rappers that make their way through the subway car, just as if you'd lived here forever?

How do you notice that sometimes the sidewalks literally look like they're made of diamonds because they sparkle so much in the streetlights?

You just do.
I do.
Because I have to.
Because it's what I do.

What a difference a day makes...

Well, actually a weekend....Eric and I went to Pennsylvania this weekend to visit his grandparents and it was an amazing, enlightening experience. I was a little nervous to leave the city after only 2 weeks here. I thought it might break our rhythm and make it harder for us to come back when we're struggling to figure out a routine for ourselves here. But actually, it was just a wonderful trip, and, for me, a really important time to meet Eric's family. It was amazing to be in such an isolated spot- you didn't see anyone else on the street- after being in a place where you constantly swerve along in the sea of New Yorkers. I also realized something about growing up- the older you get, the harder it is to see people you love hurting. Eric's grandfather is very sick, and it hurt twice as much to see Eric and Nancy's sadness. At the same time, it's so wonderful that we're capable of that kind of empathy, and that my love will be returned at a time that I'm struggling. On a less philosophical note, I took my first Amtrak ride to Pennsylvania and I was very impressed by the amount of leg room. I was not as impressed by the microwaved hot dog in the snack car or by the extremely loud talkers that I was eavesdropping on who were sitting in our car.

When we came back to the city, it was like coming home, and I didn't expect it. It was truly refreshing. Then I did one of the apparently trendiest fitness activities in Manhattan- I jogged in Central Park (the only things trendier are maybe the little roller blade ski things or yoga-ballet-lates- a staple among Upper West Siders, or so I'm told)! Everyone should be happy to know that I was maybe only the 3rd slowest runner- I actually passed some people- so it was overly embarassing. I really had no idea where I was going, but I just kept running and running, finding myself eventually at East 95th street (no idea how I got there) and then at West 90th street (happy to at least be back on the West Side) and finally by some miracle back at West 65th (again, no idea how I got there). Then I did something else very trendy- I made a scene. I did some yoga in the sheep's meadow (don't ask- but they don't let dogs go on it, so there's no risk of dog poop- only the ever present threat of bird poo). Once I realized that all of my downward facing dogs and half moons were not only attracting a few stares (not too many- like I said, making a scene is pretty trendy), but also causing me to be covered in mosquito bites, I back to my tiny apartment- a place I really feel like I can call home now.

I was trying to notice a different atmosphere in New York yesterday (9/11)- you hear about the air of solemnity or sadness or pride. And I can't say that I noticed a complete change in how the city behaved. There were still sirens and people yelling and restaurants playing loud music. But the subtler changes, the changes you may only notice if you were paying attention, were pretty moving. There was something else in the air- a feeling of respect for each other. The cabbies didn't seem to be honking as much, the joggers and bikers politely avoided each other in the park, and every now and then you'd see a person clearly struggling with some overwhelming sadness, and everyone would just respectfully move on.

And I noticed the true beauty of the city. I stopped once on my jog- gasping and doubled over- and when I looked up I realized that I was looking across a beautiful lake, with this striking and looming city in the background, and everything was glowing so softly in the setting sun. In the perfect weather, on a day where people care a little more, and in the unspoken energy of peace the pervaded the city, I found a perfect moment.

A second blog- but this one has pictures!

I wanted to try to post some pictures of my apartment and stuff. This is a work in progress, and I'll definitely post some more later because the apartment looks more like a home everyday! Also, I have no idea how to do this, so let me know if it doesn't work! I can't figure out how to make my text work. So the captions are clockwise just go in order starting with the left corner (you know- like reading)....If that doesn't seem right, then it'll be like a puzzle for you!

1. This is us at the airport the day we left. Yes, I wore my cowboy hat. No, I've never seen anyone else wearing a cowboy hat here...Deal with it.
2. Eric with our awesome dishrack thing that we got from the crazy people upstairs
3. Our tiny closet. Can you believe we got all our clothes in that and a dresser? Are you proud of me or what. Yes, that's the ONLY closet in the entire apartment!
4. The GIGANTIC dresser that we somehow fit in a cab...also, our box chair. It has since been retired, but it was a very good chair.
5. Our first dinner at home with our super cheap breakfast table- drinking some very expensive but well deserved Coronas...
6. Eric with our fancy kitchen shelf
7. Eric in the box chair. No, he's not really naked. But it's pretty funny anyways!

More pictures to come later!

The First Day of School

So, I'm officially a graduate student! I had my first 2 classes (Environment of Performing Arts Administration and Principles and Practices of Performing Arts Administration) last night and I think they're going to be really great! I have to say again that going to NYU is just the polar opposite of UOP. The building I had my classes in is at least 10 floors, and you have to wait in line to even get on the elevator. But you better not mess up, because half the elevators go to the even floors, and the elevators on other side of the building go to odd floors. There are more students than small university people can possibly imagine on any given floor, and then there are about 20 more buildings all around that also have at least 10 floors and hundreds of students waiting to go to class. Crazy!

My impression of graduate classes so far is first of all that there is a lot (A LOT) of reading. My professor told us not to get ulcers over the readings, but I'm not sure that's the best thing to tell me. I might get a little too relaxed about it! Second, it's all about processing the entire semester and turning it into 1 or 2 papers or projects. All this work I will be doing will be condensed into a grade representing one or two items. Crazy again! Third, it really is just all about the process. In my second class last night, we had to do this exercise with our groups (and I commence weeping- more about that later....) and then present our results to the class. The catch was we had to present HOW we came to our decisions. Well sure enough, everyone that presents say WHY they reached their answers. So my group picks me to go up and present and because everyone else said WHY and because I don't really know what I would say to answer HOW anyway (uhhhhh----we talked???), I answer, somewhat eloquently, how we made our choices....And of course, the whole point of the exercise is to show us (silly grad students) that we have no idea what HOW means and that that's the whole point of grad school.

Now, I don't know if I like that all that much. Sure I agree that we don't really know how to do things- that's why we're there. But it seems a little silly to concentrate soooo much on process. It's very esoteric and academic...Maybe I just need to screw my grad student cap on a little tighter. The only other thing I'm a little nervous about for that class is that the entire grade is based on class participation and group projects. Those of you who recall my Mentor experiences or have listened to me ever know that I HATE GROUP PROJECTS and I HATE CLASS PARTICIPATION BASED GRADES!!! Sooooo, that's going to be really great. But, it's a pretty good opportunity to learn something!

After class we went to get free wine and food at a reception welcoming grad students. Eric and I didn't really make friends with any of the other 1000 people that were there, but free wine and hummus is a really great dinner.

Today we went grocery shopping and I have to say that grocery shopping in New York City is an experience like no other. It's an extremely intense adventure. There's people everywhere and at any given time you can hear them speaking about 10 different languages and there's a lot of pushing and shoving, particularly when shopping carts are involved. I'm always so so afraid I was going to mess up. You DEFINITELY cannot put your full basket on the conveyor belt and expect the cashier to unload the stuff as she checks it. NOOOOOOO. You will get yelled and stared at. (Been there!) Today I managed to get coffee ground for me without too much embarassment, but shied away from the fish and meat counters. One small step at a time...

Mouse update (for those of you who still care....I'm going to have to keep doing this for awhile, because I still live in fear)- Our current mouse is very smart- it somehow can eat the cheese off the middle of our glue traps without getting stuck. So he's still on the lam.

The scariest thing happened to me yesterday- I was walking through Washington Square Park (a beautiful place- you feel like you're in a movie, and there's really old guys playing chess at the little chess tables...) and the BIRD LADY crosses my path. She's just nonchalantly leaving a trail of bread for the pigeons. But, duh, there's also a TRAIL OF PIGEONS behind her! And, poor me, I am trapped on a path with no way out except to turn and run screaming in the other directrion, as thousands of pigeons land all around me to get their bread and then fly away again to follow the traveling bird lady. I was stuck, practically in tears, in a flurry of wings and beaks all around me. I made it through, but not without some permanent damage to my little heart, it was beating so fast. Stop laughing- you imagine if your worst fear was flying or crawling or slithering or jumping all around you in the middle of a public place and you had no escape....ok, so it might be a little funny.....

What a day...

It's such an overwhelming day today! I think our projects for getting our apartment ready are pretty much done, so now we have to focus on real life...As hard as some of the adventures of getting stuff for the apartment were, it's still nothing compared to figuring out how to actually live and work and study and be here. I spent the morning applying for jobs and that was so fun as usual. But I always wonder if I'm still missing something. Am I doing this all right? Is submitting my 300th resume online actually helping me towards gainful employment or am I just wasting my time when I could just settle and walk down the street to one of the 300 Starbucks or Gaps that might want to hire me?

It's also horribleness outside again today, and compared to the beautiful weather of the past 2 days, the incessant drizzle, combined with the fun game of dodging umbrellas, just does something to your spirits.

This afternoon we ventured back down to NYU for Eric's interview (didn't get the job- it was actually for a 4-midnight position, which he obviously couldn't take...otherwise he said it went great) and his first class. I was planning on spending a lovely afternoon researching jobs, printing resumes, having a coffee, doing the NY Times crossword, and buying textbooks. Wrong. It's going to take me some time to get used to dealing with hoards of people all the time, as well as just how things are done here. (I know- I'm in a new place...There's a learning curve...But I'm still frustrated!) I can't even explain how much more stressful it is to do anything at NYU than it was at UOP.

For instance, I went into the bookstore today and my experience at the frightening Trader Joe's yesterday was nothing compared to how many people were in the book store! I somehow managed to find half the books I needed and stood in a line that went halfway around the store only to get to the checkout and find out that they don't take credit cards. In fact, I don't think they have even heard of credit cards because the blank stare the cashier gave me when I attempted (God forbid) to use something other than NYUcash would have been laughable in any other situation. Is every other NYU student aware of this? And do they all have the endless flow of NYUcash that I took so much for granted at Pacific?? After a loooooong time, we figured out I could write a personal check, and then I had to find my way out. This led to even more embarassment and frustration. And then it was back into the rain and crowds...

At this point, all I want is to get on my computer and drink a latte. But nooooooo- Starbucks has a line out the door (yes, I know I could have gone to another one practically across the street- but it was raining and I had a lot to carry and I was wearing heels because it was sunny when I left this morning and I was dunzo by then) I eventually landed in the library, hoping to print some resumes, but of course, I need campus cash to print (or regular cash- and, conveniently, I left my remaining $3 in my other jeans). So I try to get on the wireless network which I assume works in the library. No. Can't figure it out. Finally found a computer lab that actually allowed me to pull up working Word documents, purchase text books, AND get to email (and blogger, duh). Wow- who would have known.

OH MAN!! That was a lot of complaining. Sorry to get all whiney and bloggery on you, but the crowdedness and lack of things going right have gotten to me in the past 2 days. I really hadn't noticed the city being crowded until this week...I guess it's the flurry of the beginning of the school year or something. Everyone's all abuzz I guess. And having to dodge umbrellas doesn't help either. At least I can go back to sanctuary of the Upper West Side...

We finally caught our 3rd pesky mouse. I guess he couldn't resist the cheese we sneakily put on the glue trap. I woke up in the middle of the night to the loudest squeaking ever because the poor little mousey was stuck! It was pretty sad, but I was more than happy to wake Eric up and make him dispose of the mouse. I could at least sleep soundly for the rest of the night!

Heeeeere mousey mousey.....

Today I got pooped on by 2 birds. Only I could get pooped on by 2 birds in one day.

We've had many adventures with our resident mice (we have a family)- First, there was the previously mentioned stove incident. Then I was opening the trash can and one literally jumped out at me and scurried away. I then turned completely white and started screaming and scurried away myself. Then we caught another one. Then we saw ANOTHER one in our stove. Then this morning it somehow turned over our sticky traps. now, if you've ever dealt with sticky rodent traps, you know that they are incredibly sticky. You're in trouble if you touch one. So, I think we're dealing with a really smart mouse!! This afternoon we watched it race all around the house and even put some cheese in the middle of the trap. And nothing. This mouse has foiled us again....

Today we sat in Central Park and watched the hundreds of joggers and bikers and crazy people and people in suits and heels and people with tiny dogs. It was such a perfect day- sunny, cool, a little breezy...Fall was in the air, and I was truly amazed that such a beautiful park can exist in this busy city. Although I had been complaining about the seemingly more crowded than usual streets only moments before, once I was in the park, it was like being in a different place entirely.

I went in the most crowded Trader Joe's I have ever seen today. You couldn't even move and I left immediately.

But then I went next door and bought 3 bottles of wine for $11- You have to love Trader Joe's Wine!!!

Yesterday I had 5 cocktails before 5 o'clock. Thank goodness for all you can drink brunch- I love any excuse to drink in the daytime. Those of you who were lucky enough to stumble across us via text messaging or phone know just how much fun we had.

Because we were drinking in the daytime in the village we also got to see some dancing gays, hear some disco, and go home with red beads that we could play with on the subway (and we were DEFINITELY "those kids" on the subway yesterday...)

I ran into a girl I've known for at least 10 years (Kristen from Conservatory, for those that may be curious). It's amazing that such a big place can be so small.

Fall is so beautifully on it's way. Now if it could only stay this way forever!

Rock you like a hurricane

OH MAN! Today I think we had our craziest adventure yet...The day started out pretty poorly, but turned into an evening none of of us will ever forget. So, first of all everyone should know it is absolute HORRIBLENESS out. Rain, wind, mist, huge lake-like puddles, busted umbrella carcasses everywhere. HORRIBLENESS! So picture that as the backdrop for everything we did today...

So we were supposed to get cable and internet but Time Warner completely sucks and basically messed everything up. So after a lot of complaining and talking on the phone we managed to actually schedule an appointment this time but not for another 2 weeks. I'm pretty mad about. In fact let's not talk about it anymore. I might cry. Done.

Then, at around 4, it was time to begin the biggest project of all: MOVING THE FUTON. So, Paul, Eric, and I put on little hats and hoods and stepped out into mild horribleness. We walked a few blocks uptown to the address we had gotten off of craigslist, and it turns out that "68th and near the river" actually means TRUMP PLACE. I really love capital letters today, by the way, so be prepared. Yes, the Trump Place that the first "Apprentice" winner built as his first job. Pretty great, we thought. So we go inside this super nice building completely dripping wet, and manage to get in the wrong elevator and are already embarassing ourselves before we've even begun carrying a futon down the street.

Ok, so the futon is beautiful but gigantic. It takes Paul, Eric, and the very confused Chinese man we bought it from about 15 minutes to figure out how to get it in the freight elevator. I stood with the equally confused Chinese woman ("you're CARRYING the futon back????") and tried to figure out how to help. Didn't do much. Then it was out the servants entrance and back into the HORRIBLENESS. What would you do if you saw 2 tall skinny boys and a girl with incredibly frizzy hair carrying a giant futon down the street during the beginning of a hurricane? If you would point and laugh and talk about them then you'd be like 95% of the people we passed. We somehow made it the 8 blocks back and even more miraculously made it into our tiny apartment. The futon is now the predominate feature of our humble abode.

The story definitely does not end there. We had to go back to get the futon mattress, the futon drawers, and a coffee table. So we go back out in the ever increasing horribleness and return, even wetter and smelling more and more like wet dogs, to the elegant Trump Place, where the doorman knows us (probably as the crazy, smelly people). This time we drag out the coffee table and one drawer. Great times, much easier, still some honking and pointing and laughing and much much HORRIBLENESS.

Before we could even think about going back for the incredibly cumbersome mattress, we decided the only thing to do was to drink. So we had some shots of the vodka that we got for free from someone else that we got free furniture from. It tasted exactly like rubbing alcohol and then we were drunk. But the rest of the adventure was even funnier! Oh man!

Because it was still HORRIBLENESS, we had to wrap the giant mattress in garbage bags. I pretty much felt like a member of the Mafia wrapping up our most recent body. And several people in the fancy lobby asked us if we had a body in there. It would have been a really fat person, but it still definitely looked like a body bag. The always confused Chinese couple really wanted to give us some water because they just could not believe we would do such a thing as carry all of this furniture down the street, but we were completely drunk and had bodies to wrap up. To top off our last leg of the adventure, we took a notice posted on someone's door about etiquette with dogs in the Trump building. So now we have a nice souvenir for the day. And then Paul and Eric very awkwardly carried our body bag down the street as the wind blew harder and the rain came down in sheets, but somehow we now have an extremely nice futon and coffee table in our apartment. OH MAN!!

Then we went and got approximately 40 pounds of food at NUMBER 1 CHINESE RESTAURANT and we will be fed for the whole week I bet.

And, it has been confirmed- we have our first live mouse. Yesterday it was on top and in the stove. Today it is running into the bedroom. It is not ok.

On another note- the tiles in the subway stations are really very beautiful in their own falling apart kind of way.

an off-island adventure

BIG DAY TODAY:

We took a big risk and went into THE BRONX....

And we didn't get shot at or punched in the face or anything...

In fact it was quite pleasant....Because we went there for my favorite oasis of all: TARGET!!!!!!

Now it was just fantastic to be in Target because there's basically so greater haven than a clean, bright, fully stocked Target. However, this one was a lot more like a Stockton Target than I would have liked, but nonetheless it reminded me of something I know and something I love and that was just great!

There was even a big ol' Applebee's right there, and for a minute you could have thought you were in the suburbs but then you hear the subway and see the beautiful graffiti art and hear people yelling all the time and you remember you are actually still in that strange place called New York City....

However, today I'm a bigger and better person because I survived a trip to the Bronx.

In other news there's a hurricane coming tomorrow and we have to carry a futon 7 or 8 blocks...that's going to be a good adventure.

And also, Paul and I ate hamburgers as big as our heads yesterday. It was extremely delicious meat. We will all go there if you come to visit me. And then you can sleep on our futon!!!

OH YEAH!! ERIC SAW OUR FIRST LIVE MOUSE YESTERDAY! I may never sleep soundly again....