Sky Scrapers

Good news, I finally passed Chan's practical exam and moving on to two new and interesting classes that I'm actually looking forward to. Next week I'll start Orthopedic Exercise and Neurological Rehab classes which run for twelve weeks and are the last two I take in the program. After completing those I'll work full time for a few months in clinical affiliations before I take my license exam and find a job. That's the plan anyway...

Jen and I have been taking many aspects of our life into consideration and becoming less sure that we're meant to stay in Long Island City. For one, our lease is up in June and we still haven't lived in the Manhattan, something we know we want to do before becoming more settled or investing anywhere. I also won't be taking classes in Long Island City after June and will most likely have an assignment in a Manhattan medical center. Of course, Jen works downtown so a location anywhere south of midtown would be more convenient for her. The thing we would be leaving behind and really miss most are our family-like neighbors and friends in the neighborhood. It's a frustrating and tough decision. I've been doing some research on rent stabilized/controlled apartments (our current apartment is actually stabilized) in Manhattan which are naturally more affordable and sometimes an awesome deal. I have heard many-a-tale about people who know people who have gotten lucky and snagged a two bedroom in very desirable area for a quarter of the average rent in the area because it was stabilized. Because these apartments are government regulated, every building that participates is listed online, including ours. This is great, but I haven't exactly figured out how one would know which buildings have units available. I'm all over it.

This weekend was quite cold with some flurries every once in a while and with very high winds! I took this picture walking home from the gym on Saturday. It's of the birch trees in a small park by the courthouse (in the background) being thrown around by the wind. The second pic is of a Clearwater/ St. Pete Florida advertisement that really made me want a day at the beach. They really know how to get ya... clever.

Bingo!

Deciding where to eat on special occasions like Valentine’s Day can be a little overwhelming in New York City. In an attempt to avoid the crowds and high prices we stayed local and agreed on Alobar. It’s our neighborhood’s newest restaurant (although we have a Petey’s Burger and Corner Bistro opening on our street soon) with a lot of really interesting, delicious things on the menu. Everything they serve comes from within 200 miles so it supports small, local business too.  We received complimentary champagne cocktails when we arrived and two red velvet chocolate cakes for dessert. Jen really wanted me to try the maple walnut bar so we added another one on, as if the other two weren’t enough, ha. It turned out to be as amazing as Jen claimed. It had the sweet and salty thing going on (which we love; no need to eat a bag of chips afterward). We’re searching for similar recipes online and plan on making test batches till we find the right match.  We also brought some leftover pork to our Valentine at home : )

 My coworker Teresa and her boyfriend were also looking for a place to eat on Valentine’s Day and felt they had already done everything in their neighborhood.  They wanted to try something in L.I.C. so we recommended Alobar, among other places, and we ended up seeing them there in a nice booth, an even better table than we got and we had reservations! It’s all good. It was obviously the place to be that night as my roommate from my first NYC apartment was also there with his girlfriend and stopped by our table to say “hi.” I hadn’t seen or heard from them in so long that I thought they had been deported back to France.  Wonder if they tipped their server…

Wednesday I had my final practical exam for Chan’s class. I think I did very well but, as I always say, you never know with Chan. I’ll know for sure this week after I complete Tuesday morning’s written exam.

Today we took the Metro North train to White Plains to visit Jen’s grandma with her aunts and cousin Lisa. We went to wish her a belated 84^th b-day but also to help convince her that the assisted living community she’s testing out for a few weeks would be perfect for her. She has Parkinson’s and is still recovering from a pretty traumatic fall that broke her right hip. She would receive all the assistance and therapies she needs all in one location but, we understand it’s a tough decision for her to leave her current home. We were so impressed by the grounds, many community rooms, and the apartments that we definitely wouldn’t mind living there. Every day they have a variety of planned activities on-site or trips out about town.  We also went out for dinner at a hibachi restaurant which was delicious but I think the highlight of the day was 3:30 Bingo with Grandma and Lisa, who’s quite the Bingo pro. Lisa patiently repeated the numbers for me when I was having a little trouble paying attention (he was just going so fast! Ha!), played two cards at once, and she won two rounds! Those old ladies were clapping but I think they got a little bitter when the jackpot was handed over to a seven-year-old… twice.

Bitter Winter Weekend

Winter made an appearance this weekend in a bitter cold, gray way. It was one of those weekends where we wished Pup could open doors and safely take herself on a walk.

Our friends Matt and Chelsea were visiting from PA to pick up a couch that was for sale by a couple we know here in LIC. They stayed with us Friday night and, besides their air mattress deflating overnight, we did a pretty good job making things comfortable for two guests in our tiny apartment.  I couldn’t give up my big Friday night shift at work but Jen was able to go out with. I'm a little sad they went to Alobar without me, but Jen and I have reservations there for Valentines Day so it's all good. I was at least able to see them Saturday morning for breakfast and to help them schlep the couch to their truck. Schlep, now there’s a word I would have never used before moving to New York City. Ha. Our friend Ashley may be visiting from DC in late March. It would be her first time in NYC!

We also made it out of the house Saturday night for dinner and a trip to Chelsea Market to buy some unique gifts for both of Jen's parent's B-days.  

Fittings for the March fashion show are pretty much every weekend now that the event is so close. It's cool to be able to see how all the collections are progressing, especially now that it's crunch time. I had a fitting last night which kind of felt like a waste of time because only one of the designers needed me and for just a few measurements. Oh well. I treated myself to frozen yogurt at 16 Handles afterwards which made traveling to Chelsea totally worth the trip. Ha.

There’s a lot of filming going on in the neighborhood. Most of it is for Smash and The Good Wife which I walked through the set of on my way to the gym this morning. (pic) I didn't spot any celebs, not that there are any big ones in The Good Wife anyway.

Wyndham Garden

My last day of class before finals is tomorrow. We will do a very quick, timed run through of the final practical before the actual test which is Wednesday and Thursday afternoon of next week. Could I actually be moving on to my final few classes of the program in a few weeks? I hope so!

I did some studying in our local Stumptown brand coffee brewer, Sweetleaf yesterday. Communitea is much closer to home and has better wifi, but when I don’t need the internet Sweetleaf is usually worth the extra blocks. Their baristas really know coffee and the music inside is always perfect for studying.

In other neighborhood news, the Vernon/Jackson and high-rise residents of LIC will finally have a nice hotel close to home in a few weeks. The Wyndham Garden is opening just two short blocks from our front door. How convenient, or at least it would be if we had any friends or family that would visit us. J I was curious about the kind of employment opportunities I could take advantage of as it would also be a convenient place to work. I talked to a manager last week, sent in my resume, and had an interview with him and the GM yesterday. We casually discussed what kind of position and hours (part time of course) I was looking for and they were both very honest and logical, a good sign. By mid-March the hotel will be open and they hope to have a full service restaurant and bar open a couple weeks after that. I would really like to get in and out early in the morning by working a breakfast shift during the week. The bad news is that it’s a hotel and naturally, they would require at least one weekend shift. The good news is that %18 gratuity would be applied to EVERYTHING at the Wyndham since most of the guests would be from outside the country. Bourbon St. only allows us to apply it to parties of six or more who are having dinner, not just drinks which is bad for servers who have five French people or ten Canadians who are only drinking... yuk. Whatev, it could be worse. Bourbon St. has given me the schedule I want and need for almost two years so I'm not going to make any hasty decisions. We’ll see how things unfold with the hotel in the next few weeks.

My modeling gig at the FIT and Parsons Fusion fashion show is now less than one month away!  

Carbicide

Although the temperature has plummeted back to the 40’s today, yesterday and the day before were so warm. I’m not talking overcast muggy warm, but spring-like sunny 60’s warm. I was actually sitting outside the laundromat on the first of February in a t-shirt. If this is what global warming feels like (which I don’t think is real) then go buy a gas guzzling SUV and bring it on!

I seem to be back on track at school and once again getting a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. I worked my butt off (again) and got A’s on not only the written exam (again) but this time the practical exam too (the exam that was the issue last year). I would guess that almost half the class failed the written exam. When they ask me how I did so well I’ll gladly tell them that my secret is ignoring Dr. Chan’s confusing lectures and PowerPoint slides and just reading the text books in class and at home.

There is something else though, something that Jen helped me realize, that may have helped me during my test taking this year. As you know I have this Fushion fashion show that I’m modeling for in March so I’ve been upping my cardio and trying to control my refined sugar and carbohydrate intake. I mentioned to Jen that, especially during the written exam, I felt very focused and clear-headed. I mean I was the first one done and might have gotten the highest score in the class. That NEVER happens, ha. I told Jen about it and that maybe I was just finally outgrowing my ADD/ADHD? Jen then said she thought it had more to do with my change in diet and I think she’s right. I have read about this kind of change in kids when carbs and sugars are removed from their diet but never had the willpower or motivation to actually try it myself. It’s very interesting… Carb’s are the enemy!

This situation reminded me of Bruno, the movie, where he commits “carbicide” by eating everything in sight at a Village Inn during his nervous breakdown. Haha.

Here’s a related quote from the movie: “Do you think if we changed the Bible stories maybe you would get people more easily to relate to them? Instead of the fish story you could do it about Sushi, or instead of giving out bread you did something which had a no-carb alternative or gluten free.”