Birthday Eve Eve

Today is the day before the day before my birthday.

To make this birthday extra special - I decided to celebrate. Usually, I make elaborate plans and get sick. This year, not going to happen. It's going to be simple, fun and all about me.

I bought myself a cake (pictures and description to come). I'm also making dinner for myself: black eyed peas, greens, cornbread and lamb. I plan to go to the movies - Walk Hard, The Great Debaters or both. And I'm going to smile all day and be happy for all that I have and all that's on its way.

Birthday eve? When I am in my own living space, I clean on my birthday eve. It's so much fun (not in general, just on birthday eve). This year is no exception (particularly since I need to find some papers that are eluding me). In the evening, I'm chillin' on the couch with a patty and diet coke. Read some Bible verses, say some prayers and then tuck in for some sleep. I'll probably be asleep before midnight.

I'm sure you're saying, "WTF? Dude, you're right next to NYC!"

Here's the deal...it's been a long month. Heck, it's been a long year. I've grown up so much in the last year. To the point where I'm okay with just chillin' by myself on birthday eve and birthday. I'll get to talk to Mommy, Oma, my sisters and the NMF. I'm sure some friends will call and I'll talk to them. I'll pamper myself and start the new year refreshed and feeling loved instead of frenzied and tired from trying to make myself have fun.

Now 2009 may be a different story. I may venture into the city for my birthday eve...or I may be hanging out with my sister and the NMF...or I may book a trip to to a foreign land so that I can ring in 35 with gusto.

But that's a whole year away...for now, I look forward to welcoming 34 with the faith, love, hope, confidence, wisdom, peace and joy that will make 34 an even better one than 33.

Unintentional Comedy

Nothing is on TV tonight and I'm not in the mood to go out...so I surf and surf and what do I find? Reefer Madness.

This ish is hilarious.

I'm not sure which is more ludicrous - that the government would willingly share files with a high school principal or that the "stoners" in this movie become more energetic and lively after smoking.

Of course it's even funnier because all of these kids are about as youthful as the Ian Ziering and Gabrielle Carteris. And every character speaks in the overly proper English that was so common in movies of that era. Heck, every character is overly proper. Even the requisite slut has the good sense to put on a matching nightgown/robe before drifting off into a post coital drug induced haze.

If you haven't seen it and have nothing better to do on a wet Saturday night - pop this in the DVD player. You will not be disappointed.

Home Sweet Home

Today I went to look at some apartments and found 2 that I like.

Apartment 1
2 bedrooms + 1 bath
Walking distance to to stuff (i.e. bodegas, ethnic restaurants, Dunkin Donuts)
5 minutes from train
Underground parking included with rent plus plenty of street parking
Ethnically diverse neighborhood
Completely new appliances
Funky layout (only 4 of the 5 living spaces are liveable - the fifth room is basically a HUGE foyer)
Laundry on same floor as apartment
Aesthetically well appointed
Dark brick courtyard building (3 floors, elevator - no doorman)


Apartment 2
1/2 Block from the train
Completely new construction light brick 2 flat
3 bedrooms + 2 baths
View of Statue of Liberty and Manhattan from masterbedroom
Not close to any stuff
Up and coming neighborhood (lots of new construction, roads are being repaved, shopping area being built)
Ethnically diverse
Great layout - large living room area, large master en suite, 2 med size bedrooms
Plenty of light
Owner lives 2 doors down
On street parking

Price difference between Apt. 1 and 2 = $25/month


Apartment 2: So many unknowns...will the neighborhood really develop as planned?If so, how long will it take? Is this a place that I want to invest my time/money in for the next year? If it doesn't develop - is the space and access to the train enough to make me happy?

Apartment 1: Funky layout. Not as close to train.

So I called the realtor and told him that I would like apartment 1. I haven't signed anything yet...so I can still go either way. The realtor wants me to be sure sure before I sign.

At the end of the day, if both apartments were near stuff and 1/2 block from the train...I'd choose apartment 1...because it has got great character.

I guess that's the one that I should go with then, right?

On a completely different note...how awesome is this day?
1. I found 2 places.
2. I got Christmas presents for the NMF
3. I came home and "Talladega Nights" was on
4. In 9 minutes I'm heading to the airport so I can fly out to the NMF.

Still here

Yeah, so the sick has decided to wreck havoc. I had to leave work yesterday because of the chills and the queasiness...this morning I woke up with a raging sore throat and feeling like someone beat me with a baseball bat.

Sick sucks.

Still looking for an apartment. The realtor flaked on me Wednesday night...called and said he had nothing to show me. However, I'm going to see some places via Craigslist. Rent Direct New York costs for a 60 day subscription. A lot cheaper than a broker...but more money than I wanted to spend on the search.

Sick sucks.

On the other hand, Saturday I see the NMF. Yay NMF. They bring joy.

Home sweet home

The apartment hunting has begun. Now that I'm over sticker shock, I'm ready to dive in with both feet. I sent a note to my realtor that I wanted a Jan 1 move in date (translation - we gotta get on the ball with seeing stuff). I've also been looking on craigslist.

The thing about apartments in the NYC area - broker's fees. Fortunately, my relo package covers the fees, but if I rent through craigslist, then I have to pay the fee and then be reimbursed. Just to put it in perspective - broker's fees are usually one months rent. So in addition to the first month's rent, the 1-1.5 month's rent as security deposit there's another months rent added to the mix.

Then there's the whole "Yes, I would like to live in a safe area." and "Yes, I would like easy access to work and to New York City" and "No, I don't want to spend money on an apartment with damaged floors and a damaged tub nor do I want to spend an insane amount of money on a box."

But it will all work out for my good...

Working Girl

A moment of "oooooohhhh" and "aaaahhhh" for my 100th post.

Wow.

Cool.

But on another note, I started work today. The commute was interesting. Going there was not as long as coming back. It amazes me how lane merging confuses and confounds so many people.

Other things I learned today:

preservative is the german equivalent for prophylactic (in the specific, not general sense)...brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "does that sausage have preservatives?"

walking after lunch offsets the itis

allow more than 15 minutes cushion when it's rainy and it's your first day of work...cuz there will be more traffic than you anticipate

be thankful for the little things, the big things and all those things in between that you used to take for granted

[and this i already knew, but it was painfully confirmed]...if it ain't leather, it ain't gonna swell when my feet swell

Chillin with a patty...

So I made it...through mountainous and snowy terrain...past carcasses of several poor deer...sharing the road with quite a few large trucks.

4 fill-ups ( I don't like to ride below half a tank), 3 stops at Wendy's, 2 stops at Sbux and a fun venture to Hershey, PA...finally here in the temporary apartment.

Being the intrepid traveller that I am, I set out on an adventure to get a parking spot in the garage next to the apartment and find the grocery store. Contrary to the stereotype, people were extremely friendly and helpful with both.

Now my car is safe and warm in the garage. And my refrigerator is not completely bare (but to call it full would be an overstatement). I didn't stay long at the grocery store - cuz I was tired - but I did manage to leave with some Jamaican Meat Patties -Peppery Hot. So good. So good. The store also had calabash in the produce section, in addition to a lot of other foods in other aisles that are "seriously ethnic". It's a wonderland of different taste experiences just waiting for me.

And when I look out of my window, I can see the Manhattan skyline (the apartment is right on the river).

Just sitting here in this moment...being in this place at this time...knowing all that is before me. I feel blessed beyond belief.