Dinner In Chelsea

I had an early shift today at work which meant opening and setting up the whole place for lunch, bla. Lunches are really picking up and I didn’t have one request for separate checks so it could have been worse I guess.

One good thing that came out of this morning was an invitation to dinner at the hostess’s place. Honestly, this girl is one of the few that I did not mesh well with at work so I was surprised that she insisted I stop by and invite whoever. My roommate, Theirry headed over after work and joined us. His French accent is always a big hit with the ladies, ha. Anyway, it turns out she’s not so bad and definitely a better dinner party host than hostess. It was a margarita and homemade enchilada party, yummo!

She really lucked out with her 3 bedroom. They have the whole top floor in a 4 story brick apartment building (pic) with roof access in north Chelsea. I love buildings like these with the colored trim at the top and reminds me of the movie Batteries Not Included. I made Jen watch it once and she fell asleep so you either love it or hate it. Inside it was like Florida roomy in there! It turned into quite the party and I got to meet some more great people, have some conversations about where to look into living, and even invite her downstairs neighbors, who were especially cool because they were from the south, to check out my church.

Tomorrow I have the whole day off and, after many recommendations, plan on spending some time exploring the Upper West Side. I may go to breakfast at 7 tomorrow with some church buddies, hit the gym, get some vitamin D at the park, and who knows what else.

I’ll be in Florida to visit Jen, Pup, the fam, and whoever else who wants to hang out April 16-18. Can’t wait and see you soon!

Rain Rain Go Away

Although it's my spring break and I had half the day off, this gloomy wet weather doesn't really allow for hanging out in the city. I got a quick workout in before yoga this morning and then did some homework. Boring, I know.

Work tonight was a huge blessing. At first I was bummed because I didn't think I would make any money. We had too many servers on the floor and the gross weather was keeping people away. By the way, I found this pic online and it reminded me of tonight, not to mention blends with my blog. I wish I knew more about photography, especially now that I'm up here. Anyway, two servers decided to go home, then the weather cleared a little and we got a late rush. I had the whole second floor to myself which was hectic at times, but I ended up banking. On top of that, two of my tables asked for dessert to-go and then accidentally left them so Thierry and I had beignets and pecan pie. He had never had pecan pie and loved it but said the beignets are better in France... whatever, ha.

Song that's stuck in my head thanks to Letterman's Late Show: "Living for the City," Stevie Wonder

It's All About the Grants

Saturday night my eight hour shift turned into a ten hour shift which wouldn’t usually be an issue but I had promised Thierry that I would go out with him and his girl for her birthday. Luckily they were heading to a club, Highbar which is just a two blocks from work. As the name reveals, it sits on top of a high-rise in the middle of Manhattan. We were told that the cover was $50 but luckily our party was on a French socialite’s guest list from Facebook or something like that; I didn’t really understand but was happy to save a Grant, even if it doesn’t sound as cool as a Benjamin. The place was packed inside because of the cold but outside was the amazing view and cabanas. We had three drinks which totaled almost a Grant not including gratuity so we definitely didn’t drink too much. I was hoping to spot a celebrity but did not.

After getting to bed around 4am, I got up and made it to church (pat on the back). The service was great and after some searching for a place with room for us we had brunch at Thai restaurant Tuk Tuk which friend PJ lives right above. Their honey ginger tea, amazing.

Next we actually took a car to the Brooklyn flea market (pic). It’s weird, and in NYC it’s scary to be in a car when you‘re used to public transportation. The market was in an old bank and downstairs the huge vault was used for local food sales. I had a piece of Baklava that was so rich I couldn’t finish it, and that’s saying a lot.

No class this week because of spring break. I’m really looking forward to doing a little reading and not using an alarm clock in the morning.

Small World: 1st Edition

It seemed like an average workday. I worked the lunch shift but was the opening server so I had to be there early and set up which is not too fun. We had a good turn out but all the business accounts putting alcohol on separate checks to hide the fact that they're drinking on their lunch break got old real quick. I was working on my last table of the day when Gordon, a friend from highschool walks by me in the restaurant. I was like holy s, what's the chance that out of all the poeple and places in NYC I would see someone from my HS, which only had around 40 students per graduating class? Both of us had heard, through our grandmother's communication with one another, that the other was living in the city but didn't think we would just run into each other. Crazy! You really cannot get away from Pine Castle.

Coincidence? I think not. It's all in God's plan and it's hilarious sometimes.

I walked out of work and decided to take a left towards ninth and into Hell's Kitchen to check it out. Plenty of older buildings/ brownstones and restaurants. The cold and wind soon sent me down into the subway and on my way home.

Tonight I didn't feel like going out and chilled with the roommate(s). Because I get bored so easily, I also took my blog to the next level with another makeover. This new layout and background required some tweaking, but I think I like it and hope you do too!

Testing

It is way late and I should be asleep right now but I'm staying up a little later to post for my fans ha.

This morning I had my 8am class which I was almost late to because my printer would not work. I had to restart both the printer and computer. Anyway, I had my first test during my 10am class, Pathology, which I pretty much aced. I studied just the right things, plus there was extra credit. After that I came home and tried to do a little homework but Foodnetwork's Ina Garten was distracting me with her favorite desserts. I love when she says things like, "Homemade caramel sauce, how bad can that be?"

I headed to work around 4 and tonight was great. It was profitable for a Wednesday night and fun. I heard our patios and garden out back get crazy busy in the spring when it's warm. Below is a pic from our very popular front balcony looking down Restaurant Row. It was a bla day until work, now I'm wired. One sheep, two sheep, three sheep... night!

Exploring the 'hood

After class this morning I needed to pick up a package at the Sunnyside post office. It's close to home but south of Queens Blvd, the road the train runs along, instead of north which lead me under the famous Sunnyside sign (pic) and into the other half of the neighborhood. There are many small businesses and Sunnyside's first Bank of America (pic) which opens soon. Woo!

Oh, I forgot to mention in the last post that Jen and I saw model/ talk show host Tyra Banks in SOHO on Friday. We were asking a hotel concierge at Hotel Crosby for directions and as we were walking out here comes Miss Banks who walked out behind us with her entourage. We made eye contact and then she looked down so I knew she didn't want to be bothered. I regret not telling her that she looked really good, which she did. Then again she's always talking about how fat she thinks she is, probably so that people will tell her otherwise. Weirdo. Not bad for my first NYC celebrity siting, but I hope to see someone that I actually like next time.My manager finally realized I don't have completely open availability and my schedule was perfect this week. Show me the money!

I have my first test of the semester tomorrow, a paper draft due tonight, and a presentation to give next week so say a little prayer.

The weather here is pretty rainy and chilly but according to my newest news channel obsession NY-1, the sun will come out tomorrow. Please resist the urge to bust into Anne.

Zeppole

Friday morning Jen flew up to visit for a couple days. Thankfully, I ended up getting both Friday and Saturday off from work so we packed every moment with something fun.

After seeing a little of my neighborhood, Sunnyside, I took Jen to see Long Island City. We walked Vernon Ave, ate at Communitea, and relaxed for a bit at Gantry Plaza Park. LIC is my first choice because of church and friends and the short commute to work and school so I was really trying to sell it.

Naturally, Jen wanted to do a little shopping so we headed to SOHO and then for some, according to my f-i-l, traditional St. Joseph’s Day sweets in Little Italy. We bought some amazing Zeppoles at the famous Ferrara’s Bakery and Café then got out of that tourist trap ASAP.

Some of my coworkers recommended checking out Greenpoint, Brooklyn as a future neighborhood but it lacked LIC’s feel of community and was a disappointment. We stopped at the Sage General Store for a snack on the way back (pic). It seems like all we did was eat but with all that walking you get hungry!

Friday night was a lot of fun and I’m glad Jen got to meet some of my friends. We all went to dinner at El Ay Si, walked to the water to see the skyline, and had gelato at Manducatis. Yum! Friend’s obviously want us in LIC and made sure to repeatedly use words like community, family, and neighborhood to plant the subconscious seed with Jen, ha. Around two in the morning I woke up to a mouse rustling in my trash can which ran away and into my roommate’s room. That made sleeping for the next two nights pretty light ha, but it turns out Thierry trapped it around 6 this morning. If only there was just one mouse.

Saturday we took the Metro North Train to White Plains to visit some family. We watched the wedding video with them which was actually the first time I had seen the full version too. I loved it, but prefer the short trailer to reliving every minute.

By that evening I think we really wanted to get home and crash but decided to take my roommate and his girlfriend to Park Slope, Brooklyn and meet some FSU friends for dinner. The hour commute from door to door was worth it because of Cocoa bar… oh, and the good company. This place was a wine/ coffee/ and dessert bar and everything was incredible. Go there!

This morning, sadly, Jen took a car to the airport as I headed to work. The brunch crowd is always fun and pretty lucrative but after little sleep and serving a hundred Mimosas and Bloody Mary's, I was pooped. Final pic: me heading home from work and looking forward to doing NOTHING for a few hours.

St. Patty's

Wednesdays are my heavy class day, from 8am-1pm. After class I headed to what I'm told becomes a beach in the summer, complete with white sand that they ship in from who knows where. Just a few stops from school at Gantry Plaza I did a couple hours worth of reading/ studying and took some pics including one of the 75 year old Pepsi Cola sign that faces Manhattan and of some ducks, proof that things CAN live in the East River. Fun's over, back to school and to the library to do a little more studying.
By the evening I was over working and met my roommate, a.k.a. the Frenchmen, a.k.a. Thierry for a few drinks and a St. Patrick's Day appropriate dinner of corned beef and cabbage and shepherd's pie. Thierry looks proud of his Guinness ha. LIC's Lounge 47 had some specials and was new to both of us. It's a long and narrow brick restaurant and lounge, typical of what you find in the city and with a back yard we chilled in until the temperature ran us inside. After a walk to the water to check out the green tinted Empire State Building we headed home. Tomorrow holds school and work and then Friday I get to see Jen, woo! By the way, my phone's camera takes some really great pics during the day (Pepsi Cola sign) but it's weak flash doesn't do much outside at night. If they're ever blurry or dark that's why. I would carry a camera but it's just so convenient to whip out my phone and then instantly email the pic to my myself to download onto my computer. Now you know.

UNI QLO

I don’t mean to dwell on the subject of weather, but was very excited to see that it’s actually warmer in NYC right now than in Palm Harbor, FL. It was a beautiful day. My manager confused my availability or something and scheduled me to work during class so my shift went to someone else and I got the day off. After Dev. Psych this morning I had some free time and headed to SOHO to do some exploring. The shops and sidewalks were crowded for a Tuesday. I discovered some new stores, most of which I couldn't afford but did find a good one called UNI QLO. It’s a huge retailer from Japan that looks very upscale and sells what they refer to as “affordable luxury.” The best part was that they had my true size which I never actually buy because no one carries it (31x34). I’m tall and skinny ok, don’t hate. If your jeans are too long they do complementary alterations for you, all this greatness and I spent $15. I bought a pricey shirt at Express but used a gift card that came from my credit card reward points. Anyway, I was pretty stoked about my $15 shopping day grand total and thought I’d share.

The pic is Houston, the street on the northern border of SOHO.

Tonight I went back to class, Community Health which drained me of the energy I was going to use to head to the gym tonight. It sounds and could be very interesting but the professor, if you can call her that, just rambles on and on. After 5 straight hours of class tomorrow morning I will have gotten my days worth of florescent light and plan to get some vitamin D.

Contrast

After getting up a little later today, I headed to the gym to get moving. It was another, but hopefully our last cold, rainy day from the storm. The picture below, taken from the station close to my apartment shows the gloomy NYC skyline.From there I headed to the last stop on the 7, Times Square which, even on a crappy day was clogged with tourists who can't read maps, work their cameras, or... ew, I sound like a bitter New Yorker. Anyway, once I got out of there I headed to H&M to buy a black shirt for work and then to my last day of training. I took my own tables and learned the closing procedures, piece of cake.

Above are the pictures from my pool class send-off that I have been waiting on forever! Thank you Dorothy and Evelyn for getting them to me. There are many regulars that are not in this photo because the weather was still a little chilly at the time. My lovely pool ladies (and a few gents) got me a nice card and all those balloons in the background.

Although it's supposed to be warmer and clear for the next week or so, I love the contrast between the pictures in this post. Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum!

Blend

I went back to Skyline church this morning, enjoyed the service and met some new people.After church some of us walked to brunch at Blend, a small Latin fusion restaurant on Vernon. Ahh, it's refreshing to use the word walk in place of drive and there's no other place I'd rather be walking to. I had a veggie omelet burrito which was tasty and best of all cheap. Jen's coming to visit this weekend which is very exciting! Friend's were disappointed that I have to work next Sunday morning and that Jen's flight back is early, though we can do something Friday or Saturday night.

The rest of the day was spent studying the menu's for work, reading for school, and hanging out with the Frenchman. Tomorrow is my training evaluation, pray it goes smoothly!

Get Your Feet Wet

I started today with my second NYC yoga class. The instructor was no Ann Hodges but it was more than I would have done lying in my warm, dry bed. The weather will stay consistently miserable until Tuesday when it will, according to weather.com, warm up by 10 degrees with full sun. woo! After having soaking wet shoes for four hours at work, I’m ready for the change.

Work is going well. I can tell that once I get through training I’ll enjoy the place. Great staff, fun crowd, DJ/VJ at night, and free employee meals. I remember loving the really busy nights at Snead’s in Downtown Orlando when it felt like you were just at a big party.

Tomorrow morning is church so hopefully my black shoes will be dry by then. I packed pretty lightly for this 4 month move: black, brown, and tennis shoes. Some church friends invited me out tonight but with the monsoon and daylight savings time the plans fell apart. It’ll be good to see them again.

In music news, Lady Gaga released her video for Telephone ft. Beyonce and the video is insane. I don’t necessarily mean that in a good way either. She is… different, but judging by the way the crowd reacts when the DJ plays her songs NYC seems to be gaga for Gaga. Appropriately, I have added a pic of Jen as Lady Gaga from Halloween. The funniest part was that half the party didn’t know who she was… who else could she be people!?

Jambalaya

I apologize ahead of time if my posts are full of grammatical errors and plain nonsense by the end of the day when I post. I have a lot on my mind from training tonight too.

Today was rainy, cold, and gross. I might have wanted to stay in bed but got up and headed into the weather and to the library to photocopy all the readings needed for my first couple Exams. I did the math and with books being around $100 a piece and copies at 10 cents a page, it was cheaper to copy specific pages. There's a long line after 9am so I went earlier and might have been one of the only people in the library. It was funny what difference an hour makes.

Jesse, the server I shadowed tonight during training was very helpful. I feel ok about everything but have a lot to learn as far as drink making goes for sure. I have training again tomorrow night and then a test and observation Monday evening. The highlight of tonight was definitely the beer tasting and jambalaya for dinner, yum!After all the social interaction, information being thrown at me, and gross weather I didn't feel like going out. Maybe tomorrow night?

Jen might be coming up to visit next weekend and if she does I won't want to leave her and go to work. At the same time, I don't want to ask for time off before I'm a permanant employee and my first full week. It will all work out though and I'm excited to see my Boo!

Restaurant Row

Eighth full day here and I have a job! My lofty goal was to find one in a week but hey, I was close. I start training tomorrow afternoon at Bourbon St. Bar and Grill on Restaurant Row (pic below) in the city. I’ve met the GM and Assistant GM and both seem like they’ll be good to work for. I’ll keep you posted, of course.I did miss breakfast this morning and instead, caught up on some much needed sleep. Brooklyn wore me out! After my morning class I had to do some shopping for work clothes and then did my first load of laundry in a public laundromat. It reminded me of college, but with old people. Apparently some have no problem just throwing their clothes in and leaving but I’m not that trusting. You can also pay the attendant to wash dry and fold for you which seems cool, until I saw someone’s $30 bill for the service. I’ll pass on that and use the time to read or study.

Tonight I planned on taking a Legs and Abs class at the gym until I found out it was a step class. I’m not into step so I did my own workout instead.

Work is already getting in the way of my fun ha. I will be missing a yoga class and free admission night at the Museum of Modern Art while training. I am very grateful though and can’t wait to make some money!

Sesame Street

I got up early for my 8AM class which was nothing compared to 4:45 to open up the spa. Between two classes, I had to sit still from 8 to about 1 which kills me. I'm not really looking for a challenge right now, just A's since I hear the challenge comes during clinicals in January.

At 2 I had my second interview with Bourbon St. on restaurant row. I'm thinking I have the job but will know for sure sometime tomorrow.

After that I headed back home to catch my breath and meet my roommate. He and his girlfriend who's visiting from Philly are very polite and clean, surpsising considering they are French. Kidding Thierry! :)

This evening I got to see a little of and have dinner in Park slope, Brooklyn with Florida friend Lanie. She's the sister of Jen's friend Kara who's wedding was in one of my previous posts. Anyway, Park Slope is so nice and offers such great dining and shopping. We stuck to 7th Ave which is lined with businesses in those old brownstone homes. It reminds me of Sesame Street, my favorite show as a child, but less Jim Henson and more Disney.

This pic is from Gantry Plaza Park in LIC on the East River that offers THE best views of the city. It's about 15 mins from my place via the 7 train so when it was sunny this week I hung out and got my vitamin D. If I can get up in 7 hours I'm going to try to meet some church guys for breakfast, doubt it though. (yawn)

Finally, Our Wedding Video!

Or go here if the video is cut off a bit. http://starstruck-video.blogspot.com/

AM Yoga

I started the day with a pretty challenging Yoga class. The classroom has an industrial warehouse look and is flooded with light which was very different from the spa. Out the windows was a great view to focus on with the occasional Amtrak train that would fly by in the distance. The 50/50 mix of men and women was refreshing. I love the open mindedness here!
My interview at noon went very well and surprisingly, he said my availability worked for him. I hope to get that call Thursday to hear I made the next cut. The picture below is of a group of Brownstones across the street from my interview. I don't even want to know how much they run but would love to live in one.

The high from the interview led me to Central Park where I walked and had lunch. Perfect day! I saw so many dogs that I wanted to steel one to walk/ run ha. I needed my Pup, although that bitch doesn't allow sudden movements or running around her.

Wild Church Chase

The weather was the talk today, the first sign of spring? It’s almost the same temperature in NY and FL tonight and in the sun today it was perfect. This morning I got up with plenty of time to have breakfast, get ready for church, figure out how and give time to get there. I did not, however leave time to get lost and end up in Manhattan because the stupid MTA is still working on the 7 train on the weekends. I have no problem asking random people for things so I did and found my way back to LIC and then church. I was only about 20 minutes late, no big. I’m glad I didn’t give up and go home because I liked the church and will go back. Pray I don’t have to work Sunday mornings when I find a job!
I met so many nice people my age. To my right in the pic are Jesse and Janine. Jesse attends the same college I do so it was good to make that connection. I also met a girl whose name is Brooklyn but is from Orlando and worked as the Disney princess Aurora. Everyone was taking pictures because of the 6 plates of random desserts alamode brought out to us and at the time we had no idea why. Sorry the pic is so gloomy, flash was off. The waitress explained that the owner liked our big party and patience and that the table is ours every Sunday if we want it, sweet! El Ay Si (LIC) is the clever name and I endorse it and the charming area.

I got home pretty late this afternoon and hit the gym to burn off some brunch. After touring many nice places I joined Pulse because of the great special, free classes, and close proximity. This pic was taken from the driveway and you can almost see a black awning, that’s it.

I have another Interview tomorrow at Bourbon Street in the city which doesn’t close until like 4am. I’m not looking to work those hours but we’ll see what they’re looking for.

Bedroom and Blog

11 AM: This morning I woke up to a carpet soaking leak which put me on edge. The landlord was as helpful as she could be and said her son would be over after work. Telling myself it’s only for four months and needing to get out of there, I headed to the Vernon Jackson area of LIC. It’s the last 7 stop in Queens before Manhattan and full of shops and cafés. At Communitea they have more than a clever name like free wi-fi and great Café Mochas, yum. I’m doing a lot of applying online today and hoping they lead to interviews. I do have to go into the city to drop off a photo around 4.
8 PM: I could write 2 pages on tonight but will keep it short. I’m pretty proud of myself for not freaking out and instead, trying to see God’s plan in everything. The leak was awful, the worst the landlord’s son Stanley said he had ever seen. We soon found the source of the leak upstairs and knew we had to clear both bedrooms and rip up all the soaked carpet. After an hour or two of work we’re done and the concrete is drying. So what are the pros? Well, for one these people are very nice, did most of the work, offered to put me up in a hotel, and bought me dinner. I’d rather sleep in the living room.

Tomorrow Rita is going to take me to the carpet store so I can personally select the carpet for my room and Stanley is going to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. I thought I would give the blog a fresh look too. Out with the old and in with the new!

Don't Blink

Today was over in a second. I planned on applying to five businesses but a long interview and getting lost twice slowed me down a little. I still got three applications in, one of which lead to a promising interview. If nothing else, these interviews are good practice.

I met with the GM of East Village Spina Restaurant which is small and makes there own pasta in house. Elmo in Chelsea seems like it would be fun to work in. It's very trendy and has a downstairs lounge the host said gets crazy at night. I need a job so I can actually eat in these places! ha.

While out and about I also got to see Ellis Island from Battery Park, the bull at Wall St., and spent some time exploring Chelsea. The more I see of Manhattan neighborhoods the more I want to live there when Jen comes up. Who knows... anyone know a good broker?

Warmer weather and sun this weekend!

Pay It Forward

It’s a good thing I purchased the unlimited Metro card because I used the subway almost every hour today. I visited 5 restaurants and had a few on the spot interviews which were great but they seemed to end when I told them I was in school and did not have completely open availability. It’s just day one and I know the perfect one is out there, your loss!

It was fun to be out and about, becoming familiar with things. I shared a laugh with some New Yorkers while sitting on the subway when a large rat walked by the open doors. Mice I can handle but I better not find anything of that size in my apartment.
I was also reminded of the movie, ”Pay It Forward” when a man offered to help me while I was checking out the subway map and then I later helped a lady who fell down the stairs. See, there are nice people in the city.

Between interviews and introductions I checked out Greenwich Village. I liked the old walkups and grungy, young vibe. Lots of what looked like “privileged” Jewish NYU students ha. Below, looking down Grove St. is a small park I would have enjoyed if it wasn’t rainy and cold.

My last stop this evening was the NYC Library on 5th which was a nice place to warm up and use the computer. I noticed they have a self-guided history tour and took a pic of the amazing lobby area.

I had a bento box for dinner at midtown Café Zaiya before heading home. By the way, I discretely take these pictures with my phone so I don’t look like a tourist ha. Slick, I know.

Day 1 NYC

I’m here! Getting here was surprisingly smooth, especially compared to my last flight up. Leaving Jen at the airport was the hard part but she’s ok now. I was at my front door for four months by 10 this morning. It’s a basement unit in a private home so I was expecting the low ceilings and mustiness but it seems clean. One can never be too sure though so I spent the first hour or so using disinfecting wipes on EVERYTHING. I met the homeowner, a sweet old Greek lady, who leases to my roommate, who then rents a room to me. She filled me in on some things and I checked out the hood which I like. It’s filled with old brick homes separated by gardens on tree lined streets. This might be considered part of Sunnyside Gardens but I’m not sure. There’s so much within walking distance including the stop-n-shop supermarket, my next stop. Turns out they carry organic milk and eggs woo!

Later I headed to school to hear Clarence Chan, a professor in the department speak about PTA. It was not fun to hear how demanding my clinical and internships will be but encouraging to hear that employers will be fighting over me once I’m licensed. I planned to check on my financial aid but decided against it after getting a two hour wait quote. I’ll go back first thing tomorrow and try again.

Tonight I’ll skype with Jen, do some online job hunting, and make a plan for tomorrow. My goal: alteast an interview. Wish me luck! Today was sunny in Sunnyside but tomorrow might bring a little snow. Below is my bedroom window, enjoy the view.

Oy vey, croquembouche

As far as I can tell, I'm all packed and ready to go. Friday was my last day at the spa, although they tell me that everyone who leaves comes back. Saturday we took my car to Orlando for my brother, Michael to use.

Yesterday we went to our friend's wedding which was surprisingly fun; Jewish with a French twist. I say surprisingly because I'm never too thrilled about weddings but once I'm there it's all good and it's an honor to be invited. Kara and Pete are two great folks who sat us with a table of fun folks. Their chef was French and he made them a Croquembouche, the traditional French wedding cake and it was definitely worth a mention. The Wedding was very different, in a good way. Some pics of the newlyweds, table, and CAKE.

NYC tomorrow, excited but sad to leave Jen. Say a prayer for us!

7 Days...

Like the creepy whisper from the dead girl in "The Ring," I have seven days. One week from today I will be in NYC. The spa members in my aerobics class were kind enough to surprise me with balloons and a card and lots of picture today. I'm blessed to have such great classes and will miss you all.

I try to blog while Jen's not around because it makes her sad. I remind her though that she has her friends, family, and lets not forget pup here with her.Our balcony birds are getting pretty big. We're waiting to see if they are going to leave the nest the day I fly out which would be some heavy symbolism.

Nothing out of the ordinary is happening. It's a challenge to deal with the criticism, skepticism, and pessimism around me which is just in people's nature I guess. Those things won't do a thing for me though so, what do we say children? If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all hehe.

I'm going to get a hold of some pictures of today's class party and also have some of my personal training client's before-and-after pics coming soon.

Balls Out

Our equipment today in conditioning included a stability ball, weights, and mats

Holy S! I cannot believe how real the move is becoming. I sent a deposit for the apartment and bought my first ever one way ticket. Since I won't need one anymore, I had the car washed so that it will be clean when we take it to Orlando for my brother to drive. Although it's exciting to go but sad to be away from Jen I wouldn't say it feels bittersweet. To me it just feels necessary for us to accomplish some things seperately before attaining something even greater together. We have actually done it before, it was annoying but we can do anything.

My 9:00am Total Body Power regulars gave me a great send off today after there last Saturday class with me. Thank you for all the nice things you said and the encouragent you have given me over the last year or so. You made it fun for me to make it fun for you. Ok maybe not fun, but effective!? :)

Pup has lodged herself between my left arm and the keyboard which, after a little typing makes me feel like I'm developing carpal tunnel. We call her Magic Pup because she can suddenly be sitting some place random like on your shoulder, leaving you wondering how she managed to get there. Going out for a quick walk with little houdini. Peace.

Animal Attraction

Great weekend, although Valentine’s Day in particular was… an experience. After church we went to the champagne brunch at The Rusty Pelican where at one point we considered having our wedding reception. The fare and panoramic view of Tampa Bay was the best and I regret not taking a picture.
After brunch we rolled, I mean drove to the Lowry Park Zoo. It was $5 day and a little crowded but I could still see why it is rated #1 in the country. Better than the Bronx Zoo even. I’m a sucker for petting zoos so we had to hit that up. My favorite attraction was probably the giraffes. Around two we made our way back to the car to get to yoga before dinner with the in-laws. As the car came into view I realized we were blocked in. Who does that!? People are not smart! So needless to say after the parking guys unsuccessfully tried to “bounce” the other car out of the way and waiting for a tow truck, we missed yoga. We did however meet the director of the park who gave us 4 free tickets and some water. She was very nice and we will go back!
In more animal news our balcony bird, who remains nameless is feeding her two little chicks. Pup has given her intimidation tactics a rest but still keeps an eye on them as the mother vomits into her babies little mouths. How cute.

Oh, I think I found a furnished room in NYC! My roommate would be French and lives in Sunnyside which is conveniently located two stops on the 7 from school. We’re working out some details but should finalize tomorrow. I’m also learning that a few pals from high school live in the city, crazy. I don’t consider it a coincidence, but that God is just working it all out for us. We had Crockpot Beef Bourgignon for dinner, viva la France!

Before and After

This rain and cold makes perfect blogging, reading, napping weather. I better get used to it. A frequent guest at the spa and Manhattan native tells me that NYC March is quite unpredictable. She laughed when I asked if they have to use snow plows in the city. I take that as a yes.
This poor bird on our balcony is still alive, surviving the overnight lows and worse, Pup's death stare. She seems like a kind pigeon though ha.
I have found so much, too much as far as housing goes. I just need to make a decision and stop waiting for something even better to open up. It's just 4 months. And a job? Don't ask. It's like I don't exist just because I don't live there.
People ask me daily how married life is. I usually answer, "horrible." But seriously, it's great. Our first Valentines Day married is this weekend so we will do something, depending on the weather. Maybe brunch, the fair, or Lowry Park Zoo. We generally like to take trips, not buy things.
Ok, I saved the best for last so you would read the whole post ha. My client Betty Lou and her awesome before and after pictures. She is such an open minded hard worker and deserves recognition. These results ARE typical with Matt's personal training and the pics have not been touched up at all, this isn't O Magazine.

Who?

Who likes Mondays? As the first day of the work-week they get a bad rap. But what I need today is a big case of the Mondays because it’s my day off! I started this glorious day at 7AM with a pot of Kona coffee. Yes it’s 100% and yes I might be misspelling it. I layered up and took a walk with Pup who had a surprisingly normal bowel movement (TMI), considering all the junk we call people food she consumed during the super bowl. Not that I didn’t eat my share. 
The highlight of the night was that Jen won both the half time and final score betting and she took home $50. WHO DAT!? Carrie Underwood looked and sounded great as always opening with the National Anthem, but The Who halftime show was boring. Ever since Justin and Janet and her”faulty wardrobe” you’d think they elected PBS to plan the show. I noticed the fifty year olds sang along while the younger crowd used the time to catch up on their online social networking.
After our walk I applied to two jobs, both in restaurants in NYC, which took almost an hour. We’ll see if they think I’m worth waiting until March for. I feel so sorry for the people who have been out of work for years. It takes so much out of you, I cannot imagine applying to jobs and interviewing for that long.
Make sure to work in some physical activity considering yesterday’s caloric intake. I heard that the average American consumes 3000 calories during the game! Tonight’s dinner is sausage and peppers.
Music for this chill day would be anything by Jason Mraz.
I‘ll also have to make some time to read the Wally Lamb book I’ve abandoned lately.

Balcony Bird

Other than the fact that she barks at every dog that walks by, there's a new reason we can't leave pup alone on the balcony. A pigeon has made a nest (pic) on the ledge and is sitting on one egg. Hope it hatches before I move.
Tonight we made white pizza for dinner. I noticed I post about food and probably won't talk about it any less once I move so I'll try to write about books and music too. Anyway, I used to hate pizza... and then I had real pizza made by real Italians ha. Ours was tasty, and all natural.
Let's see, books. The theme lately seems to be teen suicide. I'd say by chance but Jen picked both out for me. Maybe it's a cry for help (kidding). I just finished The Pact by Jodi Picault and just started The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. This is my third Wally Lamb book so I guess he's one of my favorite authors.
And for music, I watched a little American Idol tonight. Does that count? Denver needs some better voices.

Roll Out

.I decided to write a quick post while we are waiting for our sushi rice to dry. I bought Jen a kit a while back and finally going to make our own sushi today. It's quite the process and takes a few hours. Let's see, this weekend is flying by. Worked Saturday then watched a little Dexter last night. Friday night Jen and I went on a date, dinner and a movie. We ate at Bonefish (yum) thanks to my client Betty Lou who gave us a certificate. Then went to see Avatar. I hadn't heard a bad thing about it and after seeing it I would agree that it's unlike anything I've seen. Don't worry, no spoilers if you haven't seen it. The graphics and colors are amazing. We decided against paying like $15 to see it in 3D IMAX and our "normal" theater's sound was muffled and you could hear the ticking of the projector. It's also just shy of 3 hours long so get comfy. Surprisingly, we made it through the whole movie without a bathroom break. Yoga is this afternoon and might be the perfect end to this weekend. Alright, off to chop some fresh organic veggies for the rolls. I'll post a pic to this post later if they turn out OK

Hold Your Applause

I started my taxes tonight, good times. I read that in 2009 some had less tax taken out throughout the year which sounds great, until you realize that just means you’ll get less back when you file. As of right now, and I’m almost done, I owe around $75. I was not expecting that. Whatever, I understand as much about taxes as I do the things Obama was saying during the State of the Union Address. He is a great speaker. Not so good that I want to stand up and applaud after every sentence, but the things he says sound good. Who knows what’s really going on, what he’s not saying or if what he is saying is the truth? Take it all in with a grain of salt people. And that’s enough politics for me, moving on.

I have a few possibilities open for housing which is exciting. Astoria is looking the most attractive right now. Still looking for a job and learning that it might have to be something I find once I get there. I have found many great opportunities but they are looking to fill them now, not in 4 weeks. We shall see.

I started handing out my business cards with my blog address and email today after classes. I figure the more people that know I’m moving the better. Shout out to Delores who told me, “my run is so central park” during tread n shed. It was funny, and then I got really distracted by thoughts of running through the park. It’s interesting how different teaching a class and taking one is for instructors. After teaching all day I took Yoga and will definitely miss that. I do so much better when I take the time to warm up and stretch before class. I know Yoga is huge in NYC and quite competitive from what I hear. Shout out to Ann Hodges for the great classes and providing a private one on the beach the morning of our wedding. I highly recommend it! We were so calm all day, everyone noticed.

This post has more shout out’s than the Price is Right. Ha. I’m supposed to be up in about 6 hours to open the spa in the morning so that’s all folks.

Happy Birthday Pup!

Today was Pup's 5th birthday. After church we took her to East Lk Cafe where she barked at a wiener dog and ate some people food. We made her a mini meal from our plates and then got a dirty look from one of the waitress's for letting her eat off the bread plate. Whatever, you wash them don't you? It would be different if the staff was actually people friendly. They need a better cafe in Palm Harbor, among many other things.

So anyway, we chilled after that and later went to the Cappello's for dinner where she had roast beef. Like a true American, eating her way through her birthday.

Right now she's asleep on Jen who has, as Jen would say,"boo boo belly." Next b-day Pup will be in NYC which is pretty much cool cafe capitol of the world. Eat that East Lk Cafe.

Work Work Work

So I haven’t posted in a while, not that things have been boring. I’m just getting ready for the big move, putting in my last few weeks at the spa, and enjoying the married life. I will give my official notice this coming week.
Outside of work I’ve been in serious work and house hunting mode. Just like I thought I have gotten tons of great feedback for housing but not so much for a job. It takes some weeding to get through the crap people send to the legitimate stuff but craigslist has been great for finding people in need of a roommate or subleasing. I think I will have a place within the next week or two.
Finding the right job is going to be a little more challenging. I have never had trouble getting one (or quitting one for that matter ha) and think the process is fun. I love change, maybe too much. I heard recently that there are a couple jobs for every one person in the city which is encouraging. I think D.C. was the only city with a better job market but can’t remember. I won’t even say where the big cities in FL landed on that list! Not that I’m that into horoscopes, in fact I think they are crap, but the other day it was dead on. It mentioned how exciting this year will be but that I should not get so giddy and over-think things, but just feel. Well, I feel like I would like to work in a luxury hotel in the city so that’s what I’m going for right now. So far I’ve applied to five or so big ones with no response so far but we’ll see. Sadly, The W Hotel had no positions open that I was qualified for but I’m not giving up on them.
The clock is ticking and I’m just soaking up the last few weeks here. Thank you, again, members of the spa who have been so supportive and grateful. It’s everyday that I get another great lead or gift or meet a guest that’s from the city. It’s a small world after all.
P.S. Ugly Betty was filming in Long Island City this week.

Heart-attacks on a Plane

So not only did the first leg of my trip seem cursed but so did this post. I wrote it “on location” in the airport and then accidentally replaced it with a blank file when I got home. Blah!

Why does it seem like nothing can just go as planned? Things were fine until the pilot announced that our 6:50 takeoff would have to be postponed until the frost melted off the wings. So there we sat waiting for the sun to come up high enough to melt the ice off. Ok, now the ice is gone but not so fast. The surgeon sitting behind me is summoned to help a lady who, it turns out, is having a claustrophobia induced heart-attack. We couldn’t take off with that going on so we went back to the gate again to meet paramedics.

Instead of arriving at 9:15 we landed at noon. I quickly hailed a cab and, a mere 3 hours late to orientation, I was predicting I’d be given some trouble at the school. After a little, ok a lot of explaining, begging, arguing I was finally seen by advisors and pretty much spent the rest of Monday hopping from department to department getting setup. After all my hard work and stressing, I did treat myself to some exploring in Manhattan. With its excitement, hustle and bustle I was reminded why I’ve dreamed of living there.

I didn’t venture too far from Grand Central, where I had dinner, but got to hit up some of my favorite stores in search of winter clothes. H&M and ZARA off 5^th avenue deserve a mention since we don’t even have the former in FL and our ZARA isn’t 11,000 sq ft. Around 8 I headed back to my hotel in LIC and got to Skype with Jen before calling it a night. Skype is cool, Google it. Tuesday I was up at 7 and spent the morning back at school getting as much face to face guidance as I could before heading home.

The transportation there is so reliable that the hotel desk suggested I take the subway and bus to the airport. In about 40 minutes and $4.50 later I made it with no problems. With the cab ride around $25, whiplash and road rage included, I actually preferred the subway. My flight back was flawless thank God. Safe and sound in Palm Harbor (yawn), I’m happy to be back with Jen and Pup. What a difference a day makes!

Ice Ice Baby

Ice on the windshield in the morning and highs in the 40's. I don't remember it getting this cold last year, but I probably say that every year. I shouldn't complain though. I HATE cold weather and need the practice. My blood needs to thicken and I need to perfect my layering skills.

Pretty typical of someone born and raised in Florida, I only have one warm winter jacket, too much cotton and not enough wool. I want to wait until I'm in NY to buy anything else because the shopping and selection there is crazy. I need another big coat or parka and boots that will stand up against snow or rain.

In less than one week I'll be in NY for orientation and registration. Once I have my class schedule I can plan so much more, like what kind of job I want and what my availability will be. Looking forward to everything about my move but the cold. The weather in Palm Harbor will be chilly for at least the next week! On the bright side, maybe this cold is exactly what I need and NY won't feel like such a drastic change.

LIC in Julie & Julia

Last night Jen rented a couple movies, one being Julie & Julia and she really liked it. The true story features a girl who cooks her way through Julia Child’s cookbook and then blogs about it, just like I’m blogging right now. By the way, it took Jen two days to watch it so beware of the over two hour length if you plan on renting it. I happened to catch the scene with a shot of the Long Island City NY Citibank building and asked where they were. Turns out the main characters live in the city where I will be going to school, which of course made me want to watch it. I am amazed by how things are just meant to happen. What are the chances? Yes, the movie on its own was very entertaining, but it was exciting to recognize so many LIC landmarks and neighboring boroughs referenced. The main character preferred Brooklyn to Queens and I don’t blame her, but I would not hate to have the apartment in the movie. It was like 900 square feet, which is huge for the city, and right over a pizza parlor. We have always said we want our place to be over a market, café, or bakery. Needless to say this movie felt like another nudge from God to give it a shot. Jen, on the other hand, could relate to Julia’s love of eating and felt a nudge to cook. Ha! Bon Appetite!

Honeymoon

Thank you Dennis (from the spa) and family for taking us to dinner! Grillsmith, one of our favs. I had shrimp salad and Jen had macadamia encrusted chicken which were both pretty tasty.

I Can't get to sleep so I thought I would post a few fun honeymoon pics for your viewing pleasure. The water was amazing as you can see and the one of us looking back at the camera is from the balcony of our cottage. We did so much and had a blast. I'll be dreaming of the Bahamas when I'm walking to class in the snow. Enjoy!