Dr. Kildare

Happy Memorial Day weekend! We went apartment hunting in Brooklyn on Saturday and think we may have found the one. We’re waiting for our application to be processed. It’s a 1.5 bedroom (the ".5" bedroom is just the size of a queen sized bed), 1 bath that has a lot of great light, nice dog-loving owners in the building, and it's in a convenient, safe location. Move mode, commence!

Yesterday we tackled one of our biggest pre-move projects - cleaning out our main closet. It’s the place in our apartment where things we never use but can’t get rid of end up. We consolidated Christmas decorations (we haven’t decorated in two years), games (that we never play), paint (that Home Depot advised us to buy way too much of), and other junk that Goodwill shoppers could happily use. Both Jen and I have the day off so we made a list of productive things to do— like going to Goodwill and taking things that we can’t throw away to the UPS Store to be mailed to my parents, without permission— but forgot that nothing would be open today. I’m sure Mom and Dad won’t mind getting a few holiday items delivered to their doorstep, mid-year, when their garage is already packed tighter than the Clampett’s car on Beverly Hillbillies. No big.

My new job is going well. I’m learning a lot, mostly about insurance and paperwork, the least fun part of what I do. My patients, as challenging, pessimistic, and stubborn as they can be, keep me laughing and entertained all day. I was told recently that I looked like Dr. Kildare from the 60’s TV show. I was like, “who’s that?!” thinking that it sounded like a Kevorkian-type murderer. A nurse looked at me and said, “I have no idea.” Ha. I Googled it at home later and found out. The haircut, the lab coat… maybe a little. I’m also asked about my nationality pretty often. Polish? Swedish? German-Nazi? I guess my Aryan kind is pretty rare here in NYC. I also had a patient ask, “Hey, are those all your teeth on the top there in the front?” “Uh, yep, they sure are.” Hers are not, FYI.

Last week went by really quickly and I got my first paycheck, which are good things. Thankfully, not as much tax was taken out of my paycheck as I predicted. And, thanks to Memorial Day, this coming week will be a short one… I’m already thinking like a 9-to-5er.

Home Hunters

The weather this weekend was pretty dreary so we spent much of our time indoors sorting through apartments listings on craigslist, and websites like it. For the apartments we really liked, and that had a move in date of July 1^st, we requested more information, pictures, or tried to set up an appointment to view them during evenings this week or the weekend. Tonight we met a broker who showed us a no-fee apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn (the fee is paid for by the owner/landlord). You may have heard of Park Slope. It’s well known as one of the most beautiful and overall quintessential Brooklyn ‘hoods... and the rents represent that.

The one bedroom we viewed was currently occupied, a common situation in NYC considering apartments in good areas are never vacant for long, if ever. It can be a little awkward to walk around judging everything right in front of the current tenant, but is good because you can see how livable the apartment is, already full of furniture (and junk).  We had to be quiet while we were in there because the tenant’s newborn baby was sleeping. Although it was very cool, the real deal-breaker in this place was the tiny, metal, spiral staircase that lead to the bedroom and bathroom upstairs. Not only did both Jen and I almost bust our asses trying to going up and down, but there’s no way Pup would even attempt it. We asked the new Mom if she minded the stairs and she replied, “Ya, I tripped on the last step and almost fell on my face while I was pregnant.” Great.

It was a great place overall, in a nice area, and we met a nice broker in the process (a rare find), but it was not the one for us. So onward we go with the search for our next temporary home...        

Full Time, Week One

Jen and I spent Wednesday through Sunday of last week in Florida to celebrate her thirtieth birthday. It was really nice to see our families and spend so much time on the beach. I have a false sense of being tan right now because I was just so pale before. As you've heard me say, we had a really cold, long winter so our vacation felt like the final goodbye (or giving the middle finger) to the passing season. And like we brought some warm FL air back to NYC because it's finally warming up here too.  

I'm sure you're wondering how my first week at my first full time career job is going, so let me tell you. I like it. I have six patients, a few of which I see twice a day. Only one is regularly "non-compliant" which is not bad from what I'm told. Despite her threats that she'll scream if I make her walk any further (after effortlessly walking about ten feet), I remind her that until she proves that she can manage the distance and stairs required to get in and out of her house she cannot go home. I actually met some a her family this week and after asking their advice on getting her motivated, they laughed and said good luck, she's stubborn and lazy. So she's going to be a real treat to work with... The other therapists are always willing to lend a hand, answer questions I may have, and give me advice on difficult patients. Where I am feels like a good place for a new physical therapist to start. The coverage that I did at other clinics in the last few weeks showed me just how unorganized and overwhelming rehab departments can be and I'm happy where I ended up. 

What has not been fun is the commute at over an hour long each way. A book, or the Italian language CDs that my Italian brother-in-law made for me will help the time go bye, but don't do much to relieve the numb rear end I get from sitting on plastic seats for almost three hours a day. I'm also used to time off when I want it. How things changed when I became a career man... gone are the days when I quit two weeks before Christmas and take all the time off I need. Although it will be nice to be paid while on vacation for once, I have no seniority and will likely have to use my time off when no one else is... getting the day after Thanksgiving is not looking too promising but I'm going to try so I can see my country kin-folk. I hope it works out.

Model Employee

It feels like weeks since I've blogged, I guess because I've been so busy working, going through the new hire process at Lutheran, and getting ready for our trip to Florida. Jen is turning 30 tomorrow by the way (the main reason for our vacation). Happy Birthday!

Last time I wrote about work I had just finished one coverage job and been scheduled for another. Well at the request of the director, I also ended up working an extra day at my second coverage location, a huge rehab center in Brooklyn, last week. It was a bit overwhelming considering the amount of patients being treated and the fact that I was just thrown into the chaos without much orientation. I swear I spent half my time just trying to find patients (there in OT, there with their doctor, there at temple, there on another floor, there on this floor but the opposite wing... you get the point). The worst part about coverage, though, is that you're always the new guy. I had to tell myself that I could only do my best with the resources that were provided and that in a few days it would all be over. It really wasn't that bad, I just like to know I'm doing a good job. If nothing else the experiences made me appreciate and look forward to my upcoming full time position.

Well, it's getting late and we have an 8AM flight to FL to get up early for. For time and fun's sake I thought I would let some pictures I took in the last few days do the rest of the talking. Enjoy!

I took this picture while walking to the train from the hospital. Notice how short the front door is and that the balcony has no railing. After having a good laugh and taking pics I realized a man who I assume was the tenant was standing outside watching me... oops.

While getting my haircut in Chinatown last week there was a fashion photo shoot going on right outside. Very entertaining. 

You can't tell from this pic, but the images they got from the shoot were really good. Their setup looked so simple in person but with their camera and lighting techniques the images they were reviewing here looked ready for print.

And finally, here's Pup waiting patiently on the steps of the Federal Reserve Bank for Jen to get off work. Little does she know she's about to get handed over to our friends that are watching her while we're in Florida. We miss you Pup. Have fun in Jersey and we'll see you soon.

Back to Reality

It turns out that having an actual license to practice PT (as opposed to a temporary one) can get you a lot of work in this city. I let my employment agency rep know that I had been offered a full time position but would like to fill the time until my start date with per diem work (part time coverage here and there). It's a good way to make some money because the pay is typically great and it'll keep me sharp until I start full time in a couple weeks. I just finished two busy, somewhat chaotic, days at a nice nursing home in Brooklyn. At the end of my second (and last) day, the rehab supervisor offered me spot on Saturdays if I ever wanted to make a little extra money on the weekend. It was nice of her to offer and we'll see, I might take her up on that occasionally. Later that day I was scheduled for more coverage on Monday and Tuesday at a different Brooklyn clinic.

I think things would be much easier if we lived in Brooklyn. It's where most of the job opportunities for me seem to be coming from and living there would put Jen a lot closer to the Fed as well. Our lease here in LIC is up late June... lots to think about. The commute from LIC to most parts of Brooklyn is over an hour, which I could not do every day. Especially if buses are involved and they usually are. They're a nightmare to travel by, in the morning especially, thanks to NYC traffic and the lines of obnoxious high school students at almost every stop that seem to purposefully hold things up so they can be late for school. Ugh! I guess that's enough b*tching...

While taking Pup for a walk near the LIC Wyndham Garden hotel this week, I spotted celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito doing some filming  at the hotel restaurant for what looked like a reality show. After some online research it seems they were shooting for Bravo's new show, Rocco's Dinner Party. We don't have Bravo (or cable for that matter) but according to Bravo the show will "take competition beyond the kitchen by giving highly skilled chefs a shot at providing a perfect, memorable evening for Rocco and a few of his celebrity guests." I'm a sucker for reality shows and remember his original show, The Restaurant, was very entertaining.

Hey Look, It's Doug Stamper

This Saturday we spent the majority of the day at open houses in Brooklyn. We aren’t looking for a specific apartment yet, but just trying to get an idea of what neighborhoods (and streets within them) we like and the kind of apartment we can afford in each. All in all we saw a lot for one day. Later at home, Jen effortlessly whipped up a map on the computer, using color-coded stars to keep track of what we thought of each apartment and its location. So efficient, that one.

While strolling through Park Slope we spotted actor Michael Kelly who plays Doug Stamper on Netflix’s political drama, House of Cards. He was in cruddy clothes unloading boxes for Housing Works, Brooklyn from the back of an older Toyota Highlander. It was like US Weekly’s section, “Just Like Us.” They make donations! Jen said she would've never recognized him (She remembers the names but I first recognize the faces). In a world of mediocre writing and acting a good show like House of Cards is rare and refreshing. It may be one of the best shows I've ever seen… the major networks could learn of few things from it. I’m already done with the first season and anxiously awaiting more episodes. Come on Netflix.

MORE Good News

This week has been full of good news! First, I found out that I passed my exam. Then, as I started job hunting I got a call from the director of physical therapy at LMC, Brooklyn (my first choice) pretty much offering me a job. Perfect timing… I’m so blessed! The position he offered wouldn’t start until June so I was concerned about what the heck I would do until then and what my savings account would look like by then. Literally, a few seconds later he called back to tell me he thought he could get me started in early May. Even better!  

Second, starting this year the (evil) federation that makes the Physical Therapy Board exams began providing a free score report that students can view online ten days after their exam. Yesterday makes ten days so I thought for sure it would be available by today… nope. I’m dying to know just how well I did on my Board exam. It doesn't really matter, I’m just curious. No one will ever ask for my score, it’s the license they care about.

As I flipped open my computer to write an email asking the federation what the hold-up was, I got a text from a classmate that said our license numbers were posted. What!? I didn't expect to have a license number for another couple of weeks. I pulled up the license verification page on the NY State Office of Professions, typed in my last name and there it was, my official license number. Forget the score, I’m officially licensed!

Orientation at LMC is May 6^th, we’ll be in Florida celebrating Jen’s 30^th birthday the 8^th through the 12^th, and I think I officially start working on May 13^th.... so I can’t party too hard. Here’s to a couple more weeks of freedom before I start my career and work until retirement!

POTted Plants

Good news folks, I passed my physical therapy board exam! The actual score report won't be released until sometime next week but, for mental health sake, they posted a pass/fail note to the website this weekend. Well mine said pass, PTL. Don't stop praying though, I need a job now. :)

In other good news, the air quality in and around our apartment has improved lately. We had a few theories regarding what brought on the change, but I think we may have found our answer...

The Queens Courier reports: The NYPD busted a pot growing operation in Long Island City on Tuesday, recovering plants, lamps and growing equipment from inside of 11-27 44th Road, said police. Five people were arrested and more than 1,000 marijuana plants were seized, according to Fox New York. 

Upon looking up the address Jen realized this operation was just a few blocks from our apartment. Could it be related? I think so. Good riddance!

It's A Brand New Car!

Where to start… After my last blog post I began the slow transition from intensely studying everyday into a pre-test rest mode. I read that it’s very important to, at the least, take the weekend before your test off from any form of studying. This was hard to do because the closer the test became, the more I wanted to cram. I did my best to rest, keep myself occupied, and the anxiety at bay.

Friday Jen and I went to the NY International Auto Show. We were there about six hours because there was so much to see and we were having such a good time. So many nice rides! The highlight of our day was definitely the Camp Jeep experience.  It’s basically a ride-along mock off road course set up outside to show off a Jeep’s abilities. It was impressive, and a bit scary at times. We left the show with bags, a keychain, and all kinds of things two people who don’t even drive don’t need.

That night we went to the Waltz Astoria (not to be confused with the Waldorf Astoria) to hear our up and coming rock star friend Jeffery Alan perform. This time around he added the piano to his live set and it sounded great. I think he’s currently working on getting an album on itunes but in the mean time, if you're curious, you can click here to visit his YouTube page.

So I did a great job distracting myself Friday and my best to relax the rest of the weekend. Monday morning was go time as my test was at 9am. None of the awful things I was dreaming could happen that morning (oversleeping, getting mugged, or being stuck underground on the train) came to fruition and overall the test went well I think. I’m afraid I’ll jinx it if I sound too confident, but I thought the test was fair. Not easy, but fair. I took practice tests that were more difficult for sure. The federation for the state boards quotes a wait of about ten days for the test results, but I’ve been told it never takes that long. I’ll be checking online and we shall see.

Anyway, as I’ve been saying for the past few months, this winter seemed longer, wetter, and colder than the previous two we’ve experienced here. We wondered if it would ever end and warmly welcome, well, the warmer season. But spring in New York City means more than just warmer weather. It marks the return of many things that make living here so great; eating al fresco, outdoor markets and street fairs, and bike riding are a few I’m looking forward to. I miss just being outside! And when we’re out doing more there’s more to write about. 

Thanks for reading and I’ll keep you posted on my test results… eek!

Simple Sweets

This March marks the third anniversary of my life in NYC and thus the blog, RexrodeAndTheCity. Readership this month was at a new high, at an average of about 18 views per day from not only the US, but around the world. Nothing motivates me to write more than knowing people are curious. So thank you fans! I believe the traditional third anniversary gift is something leather. I do appreciate fine leather goods so please contact me for a mailing address if you'd like to send a gift. :)

Maybe I'll have a piece of cake to celebrate the anniversary. I could easily bake one. Our kitchen is currently well stocked with baking supplies as Jen is perfecting a "simple sweet" worthy of the National Pillsbury bake-off. If she qualifies she goes to Vegas and first prize is a million dollars. Her top-secret creation is a serious contender so hey, you never know. Every baker needs a taste tester, a job I'm more than qualified for given my insatiable sweet tooth. This tooth should not be confused with the one that suffered a traumatic root canal last year. My sweet tooth was spared and is thriving.

In other news, my national board exam is one week from this Monday (Ahhhh!). I got an 80% on my most recent practice exam which did boost my confidence a bit. Passing the boards requires a 75% and people who have taken it do say that it's a little more straight forward than practice tests. I hope they're right. I don't think you can ever feel prepared enough for such a difficult, broad topic exam. I have taken and reviewed 8 practice tests (almost 1,500 questions) at this point and study everyday. What more can I do? My exam is April 8th at 9am so say a prayer!

Speed Walking

Why does it seem to rain or snow when you most need it not to? For me it’s almost every time I have to trek to school across LIC, get groceries, or do laundry. There’s nothing quite like having your warm, dry laundry re-wet on your walk home after spending a few bucks and waiting half an hour for the dryer to do its thing. To be fair though, this is a very wet place to live and running those pesky errands is a weekly occurrence. I shouldn’t complain.

Through a few winters here, I have learned that even in mid March it’s not uncommon to get a late winter snow storm and the arctic temperatures that follow. This was the case on Friday. Friday began as a typical cold, late winter day of average gloominess. But after racking my brain with my study group for a few hours in the afternoon, I exited the college doors to find a different world awaiting me. The snow and sleet were coming down heavy and sideways. Of course I had no boots, umbrella, or even a hood to throw over me. It was me versus Mother Nature for the 20 minute walk home.

If you think I walk fast as it is, you should see me in inclement weather. On my way I hurried past people walking leisurely down the sidewalk and through crowds waiting in line at food trucks along the curb. What is wrong with these people? Aren’t they getting cold and wet? The snow and freezing rain didn’t seem to register with a certain production company either, because with just a couple more blocks to go, I sped right through some film set. “Hey, um, sir, can you please cross the street,” they requested. But it was too late, I was too fast. I also got a text from my brother at this moment asking how things were. For whatever reason I could only think to respond with, "I feel like I live in Russia." This got him on a rant about the Russian mob, fallen USSR, and singing their national anthem, not surprisingly if you know him. 

Making it home and walking into a warm, cozy apartment after a walk like that is priceless… until I realize Pup needs to go out. I guess there’s quite a bit of Florida blood left in me. I hate to be cold.

The next day they were still filming, and this time I did cross the street and go around. Taped to a lamp post, the location permit stated the filming was for a TV pilot of a show called The Tomorrow People. So keep your eyes peeled during that one, I might be in it. 

Fusion Fashion Show 2013 Video

Without further adieu, I give you my highlights video of the 2013 Fusion Fashion Show. And yes, that is me hidden under that black shirt. It's a shame to cover such a face, I know. lol.

The video seems to stick in two places, once towards the beginning and once at the end. Vimeo says that the HD version is still being converted which I hope will resolve this issue.

Anyway, thank you all for your continued interest and support. As more photos and videos of Fusion are released online, I will make sure to post them here. Enjoy!


FUSION FASHION SHOW 2013 from Matt Rexrode on Vimeo.

Fusion, Past and Present

Ironically, we’re missing a sermon on vanity tomorrow to attend a fashion show in which I’m modeling. True story. Featured below are Youtube videos of the whole show (in 2 parts) from last year. I’ll post this year's show video after I do some editing next week, but in the mean time you can watch these to get your Fusion Fashion Show fix. If I wasn't exhausted and it after midnight, I would include all the times that I was in the video so you could drag right to it. I just couldn't do it. I'm in a few collections, so have fun hunting.

Finally, below are Jen and her cousins work'n it on the Maybelline NY red carpet. It was pretty small. More like a red throw rug. Nonetheless, the girls went home with free makeup and Elle magazines. Nice.

Fusion Fashion Show, Part Deux

I owe a big thank you to my friend, Designer and Stylist Blair Moore for talking me into attending the Fusion model casting two years ago. Being chosen to model in the Parson’s/ FIT Fusion Fashion Show is a great opportunity, but when asked if I’m excited to be in it again I may respond with an indifferent, “I guess.” This is not because I’m trying to be cool (or am cool for that matter). Especially in the month leading up to the show, I do prepare, but the reality and excitement doesn’t hit me until a day or two before.

So here we are just days before; with rehearsals tomorrow evening and the shows this weekend, I feel it’s here and it’s getting exciting. Adding to it is the news that there will be some pretty impressive judges this year, including Fashion News Director at Elle Magazine, Anne Slowey, Fashion Editor at Teen Vogue, Mary Kate Steinmiller, Designer Todd Thomas, and Editor In Chief of SCENE Magazine, Peter Davis. These people will be looking at me this weekend, what!?

I don’t know as much about the designers I’m working with or their designs this year, but from what I did see I should be looking ok. Unlike last year’s fashion shows, I’m fully covered (No backless knit sweaters, clear plastic tops, or fur shorts) and I’m ok with that. I’m most looking forward to walking for an Asian designer that is doing really classic, tailored menswear.

Because March snuck up on us and the shows seemed to sell out quickly this year, Jen could only get tickets to two shows. I’ll see what I can do to get her into more, especially the last show with the judges. Of course, Jen will be taking pictures and we’ll post those here by early next week. 

Wish me luck. Say a prayer. I hope not to break a leg, or even stumble!

Dry Spell, Over

Jen says she thinks I'd be a good face recognition specialist for the FBI. I may not remember your name, even after you've just introduced yourself, but I'll know exactly where I met you when I run into again in three years. The person may be a server or cashier from a place we've only visited once, one of our previous mail-people (we've oddly had four or five while in this apartment), and D-list (or even E-list) celebrities.  

Seeing one of these aforementioned D-list celebrities today will hopefully mark the end of our star-spotting dry spell. On the way to The Journey church this morning, which currently meets at The Hotel Pennsylvania, we passed Michelle Beadle. I was like, "Hey, look who it is!" If she looks familiar but you can't place her, she has hosted several sports, entertainment, and reality-based shows. We recognized her from Access Hollywood, and Entertainment Tonight. I also read she's a big dog lover and advocate. Good for her.

I know, I know, it's not the most impressive sighting. We had lunch and spent the rest of our day doing some shopping in SOHO. I was a little surprised we didn't see anyone famous there, as the area is usually crawling with them. Next time.   

Is LIC Right for The Rexrodes?

To say apartment hunting in New York City is daunting would be an understatement. It doesn't help that there's supposedly an apartment shortage right now which I assume will only drive prices higher. As the end of our lease in our first City apartment quickly approaches, I find myself wondering if LIC is the right neighborhood for the Rexrodes. It has certainly served us well in the past, but it lacks many of the attributes we look for in a neighborhood. And judging by the direction it's moving, it may soon become even less "us."

Some of the good: For one, the location could not have been better for us over the past few years. It was so close to the college I attended (but not anymore because I graduated!) that I could bike there in eight minutes. Also, being one stop from Manhattan by way of three different (subway) train lines that are within walking distance is something very few 'hoods can claim. We have great restaurants, a beautiful East River-front park, an amazing skyline view, and it's an overall safe place to live.

Some of the bad: There are no good grocery stores. This is a big deal if you prefer not to eat out or order in most nights. One option is to shop at Food Cellar where, while listening to the best of Sinatra, you can expect to pay $10 for a carton of organic, cage-free eggs with the picture, birth date, and favorite color of the hen that laid them. No thanks. A second option for groceries in the 'hood is Key Foods. The "new management" of this fine establishment hasn't done much in terms of the subtle mold/cat pee smell, crowded aisles, or registers that magically only ring up sale prices when sternly requested. You get the point. Moving on. There is no shopping and no public gyms, another big one for us.

When we moved here I was told by a very snotty broker that we would never find a one bedroom in our price range. Well we obviously did, but the sad thing is I don't think it would be possible in LIC today. The average price for a one bedroom seems to be quickly approaching $2500 a month, with some paying much more on the water. At some point we have to ask ourselves if it's even ethical. Would Jesus sign this lease?

And, the ugly:
Our apartment is no beauty, but at least we don't pay a "luxury" price for ugly. LIC has many uninspiring new residential buildings, most resembling giant stainless steel refrigerators, but a few reach new lows in the looks department. This neighborhood gem, L Haus is so ugly that people think that its yellow/green surface is insulation that hasn't been covered. The building recently sold out (I don't understand how) and I read that in response to the news someone asked, "How could it be sold out, it's not even finished yet?" Lol. Oh, but it is, and at 30% markup from last year.

Luxury comes at a price, no matter how it looks I guess. The cost of a first class ticket on the Titanic was about $70,000 (in today's equivalent) and we all know how that turned out...

P.S. This was written in a fury and my editor is asleep (in my bed! :O) so I apologize if it's messy.

Astoria Day

Happy birthday George Washington! Fun fact: Did you know that, as a farmer, Washington grew marijuana and promoted its growth? In the 1790s, the crop was grown mainly for its hemp and for soil stabilization. It was many years later that the recreational and illegal use of marijuana became popular.

When the weather is so winter-like, these long weekends almost feel wasted. It takes so much effort just to get bundled up to take Pup out, not to mention spend a day in the City, that we don't do much. Admittedly, we have spent much of the last few weekends lounging around in our pjs but have found we can only tolerate inactivity for a few hours. We watch a movie, read or study a bit, and then begin to lose our minds.

This Saturday we slept in, moved about 25 ft from the bed to the couch, and had some breakfast. We could already feel the anxiety setting in and knew we couldn't handle three days of lazy.
There was a solution to our ailment - exercise! It would get us out of the apartment and get the endorphins flowing to make us happy. I grabbed the computer and looked up directions to a $5 yoga studio that friends had been saying good things about. "Hey, it's not too far from here," I thought. After calculating the exact distance on Google Maps I looked over at Jen with a smile. "You can run two miles right?" I asked. "I think so, yes," Jen replied reluctantly, probably wondering what she was about to be dragged into. "Perfect, we have just enough time to run to a small-donation yoga class in Astoria." The weather was a bit warmer on Saturday so the run wasn't bad. The Nike running jacket our friend Jeff gave me for helping them move provides just enough warmth. He's not a fan of running and got it for free at work. Anyway, Jen ran the whole way there, no problem. We were all warmed up and ready to stretch.

The yoga class tends to get a little crowded, probably because of the great price. Sensing this, Jen quickly grabbed the ideal spot in the class - a secluded corner towards the back by the drafty doors where she could stay cool. Smart. The windows soon fogged up and it began to feel like a steam room by the end of the class. An hour later we took the train home feeling worked out and refreshed.

Later that evening we ended up going right back to Astoria to have dinner with friends Jeff (yup, same one) and Ashli in their great new apartment. They pay as much as we do for an updated two bedroom. Just saying... it's something to consider. After having three different kinds of desserts, I was happy we had worked so hard earlier that day.

Nemo Found Us

I’m writing today from of our warm bedroom with a view of a very wet, snowy, grey NYC landscape. Today is a “flex Friday” off from work for Jen and I certainly have plenty of studying to do so we’re spending the day defying the weather by staying indoors. From what we’re hearing the weather will soon be getting even more wintery. Nemo, as it’s being called, is about to take a big white number two on the North East.

We honestly don’t know what we can expect to see in the next 24 hours. Newscasters themselves have been jokingly giving predictions of “2-30 inches.” We both got very alarming emergency alerts on our phones yesterday requesting that we prepare for the storm and limit travel. The mayor’s office has seemed to over-prepare for every snow storm since the record breaking blizzard that caught them off guard two years ago. That was a mess! The city has 250,000 tons of salt being spread. It’s a good thing, considering I just read on Twitter that we have 6,300 street miles to plow if the snow fall is heavy enough. It’s equivalent to plowing from NY to L.A., twice! Jen and I don’t typically get too hyped up and tend to side with the more conservative weathermen that are predicting less than six inches. There’s also the fact that this storm shares its name with a talking, crippled clownfish from a Disney/Pixar movie that makes it hard to take seriously. We found NEMO! You can’t always judge a storm by its name though. My Aunt Sandy is a lovely person, but Hurricane (Super Storm!) Sandy was a b*tch.

Weather permitting, we’ll go to White Plains tomorrow for Jen’s Grandma’s 83^rd birthday luncheon. It’s been a while since we’ve eaten at The Cheesecake Factory, one of our all time favs, so we’re hoping it’s a go.

No matter what this storm entails, one thing you can be sure of in this city is stupidity. Someone will decide to go for a drive through the snow with their kids, get stuck, and blame the city when they almost freeze to death. There will be people scraping the bare sidewalks with their shovels at the first sign of flurries and calling it plowing. And someone will give their gasoline powered generator a precautionary test run…indoors

P.S. Something about a commercial I saw recently filmed entirely in the city, inspired me. I might be getting the Sony Handycam out again to do some filming and play with some more effects in my video editor. So look for that, hopefully next week!

Financial District Photog

It's been a while since I met Jen downtown for lunch. There's no better time than now while I'm taking time off, so we made it happen today. Jen thinks I've been hitting the books a little too hard lately. I study at least a few hours a day, meet with my study group about twice a week but, admittedly, find it hard to know when to close the books. Today, though, I forced myself to do just that.

I brought my Canon along and took some pictures downtown after our lunch date. I had not yet experimented with the monochrome setting on my camera and thought that the awesome architecture of the old financial district was perfect material. I'm really happy with how they turned out! Many of the pics, taken on some of the first streets developed in the city, look more like an old European town than and American city. Not to brag, but a few of these are frame-worthy. Enjoy!

Colder Than a Witch's Tit in a Brass Bra

It is so cold. It's so cold that it's actually comfortable in our apartment with the heat on and windows closed. It's so cold that the fountain at Bryant Park has frozen (pic). It's so cold that you can get frostbite in five minutes and hypothermia in thirty if not dressed appropriately says News 7 NY. It's so cold that everything Pup tries to eat off the street is frozen solid. It's so cold that yesterday I was the only person in the laundromat, I guess the only one crazy enough to attempt doing laundry in the freezing cold.

By the way, yesterday was Pup's eighth birthday (56 in dog years!). It was really too cold to take her to a park or pet store so we kept things pretty low key.

It's supposed to snow a bit tonight, a dusting to two inches. I'm honestly a little disappointed we haven't had significant snowfall yet. I mean, I'm not hoping for the blizzard of 2011 again, just enough to play in for a couple days.

Jen has the day off today which we will mostly spend studying and reading, thanks to the weather. There's turkey chili cooking in the crock-pot right now... mmm.

Jen's Crock-pot Turkey Chili
1 lb ground turkey (or beef if you're confident in your heart health lol)
2-3 medium carrots, chopped
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper
1 28-ounce can crushed tomato
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
Add ingredients to crock-pot and set cook on low for 6-8 hours. (Set it and forget it!)
Serve with grated cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and corn bread
(and pre-medicate with Bean-O)

Mind the Gap

"Please stand away from the platform edge, especially as trains are entering and leaving the station," is the audible warning every time we take the subway. There's also an exhausting amount of warnings posted on the platform and inside the train about the dangers of leaning against the doors, the gap between the car and platform, moving from car to car while the train is in motion, and hanging onto the outside of the train when it takes off, an activity termed "subway surfing." Yes, people are that dumb. All these warnings (and common sense) have seemed pointless as the incidents of subway deaths and safety issues have recently increased.

Last night I went to Bourbon Street to say hello to friends and pick up my last paycheck and cash-owed. Good times. The E-train ride home, however, was not. Just one stop from LIC, the conductor announced that we would be experiencing extreme delays due to a broken rail in Queens. Delays are never short and the fact that she used the word "extreme" was all I needed to hear to know I had to find another way home. After making my way up hundreds of feet of escalators, I walked a few blocks west of 3rd Ave to catch the Q32 bus. The traffic was surprisingly light and the bus got me within walking distance of our apartment in about 20 minutes.

Whether they be mental, homeless, or just drunk, we seem to have an abundance of "special" individuals here in NYC. It wouldn't be fair for Jen to be left out of all this fun, so she also got stuck on the subway this week. There was an... interesting situation at a Harlem 4/5/6 train station a few days ago. As you know, Jen works downtown which is (thankfully) a long way from Harlem. But when a death or injury occurs on a train line, it can cause delays on that particular line throughout the entire City until the situation is resolved. NY Magazine details the story below.

Shortly after 4 p.m., the injured mystery-man came climbing up from the tracks to the uptown platform. The man, who the New York Post identified as Manuce Dulcio, 50, had a broken pelvis, a deep cut on his buttocks, and another cut on his leg. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten onto the tracks, or how he was hurt, though cops thought he might have been hit by a train. A source told thePost he was "very intoxicated," which really doesn't come as a big surprise.

Then, a few minutes later, the other man fell off a moving 6-train on which he had been defecating between cars. "The victim, 31, was struck by the 6-train as it was leaving the station," DNAinfo reported, citing NYPD spokesman Paul Browne. "He was pronounced dead at the scene."

But don't worry. You can never be too safe in this crazy city so Jen and I have made a conscious effort to be more careful when heavily intoxicated or defecating between cars.

Trophy Hubby

What's new? Well not too much. As you know I'm done with school, waiting on my temporary license to practice, and doing a lot of studying in the meantime. I get a permanent license after I take the board exam in early April. To get a temp license though, the college must send the necessary documents stating I did graduate to the NY Office of Professions in Albany. There are delays in this whole process (of course!) due to "Super-storm Sandy" forcing the school to close for two weeks during my final semester. I'm turning lemons into lemonade, though, (I must really like lemonade) and using this time to prepare for that scary exam I take in a few months.

As you may also know, I left Bourbon St before the holidays. I have no job, no school, and a pretty wide open schedule. Yes, it is as amazing as it sounds. I've always felt like I must be productive in some way, so I keep myself busy. I'm looking for a job, we're considering moving, I have another round of runway shows in March to prepare for, and a huge priority, the board exam in April. On top of that I have the responsibilities that come with what I refer to as my new title, Trophy Husband.

Now a Trophy Husband is much different than a Trophy Wife. (Yes, official titles are capitalized). Let me tell you, it's no life of luxury. We aren't showing up at corporate luncheons as status symbols or spending the day shopping. We are in the trenches! Grocery shopping and laundry (not small feats in NYC), cleaning house, walking the dog, checking things off the honey-do list, and holding down the house apartment are just a few of the things we do day after day while our wives are at work.

To be honest, it's no walk in the park but I don't hate it either. I can do the things I need to do in the order I prefer. Naturally, Jen likes that I'm around more often and that chores are already done when her days off roll around. So, Jen, it's simple. Just bring home roughly twice as much money and we can keep this charade going. Done.

French Press How-To

I made some coffee using our new french press this Saturday morning. Since I've gotten so many inquiries about how to use one of these, here's an illustration of exactly what I did. The smaller boxes show the four main steps and the large one on the right is just the best part, pouring the perfect cup of coffee :)

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Peters New Do

I went to Chinatown today to get a haircut from my favorite asian, Peter. It was not his best work this afternoon but he's usually consistently good. Probably pissed I didn't send him a Christmas card, ha. I did notice he cut his hair much shorter which could explain the change in quality. (Maybe he's like the Bible's Samson?)

I know I've written it before, Chinatown is an amazing place to take pictures! It's so unique, vibrant, and entertaining, like another country just half an hour by train from home. I took some interesting pics there today and thought I would share with you a slideshow from my Flickr account.

Holidays with the Rexrodes

This video really cracks me up. For example, I noticed much too late that Jen is taking something out of the oven without mits on but a big smile on her face. Oops. lol. The song I used is only about two minutes long which challenged me to use only the best clips. Don't blink, you might miss something! Enjoy.
A VERY REXRODE CHRISTMAS 2012 from Matt Rexrode on Vimeo.

I Rebuke Driving Drama!

Jen has gone to Herald Square for a bit, giving me plenty of peace and quiet to write about the driving drama we experienced, as promised. I'm not a superstitious person so I hate to say that our road trip to Virginia is cursed but at a certain point one must wonder. I can already hear my mother declaring, "That's a bad confession, I rebuke it!" Well, both our drives to and from VA this year were so horrific that a person could potentially, as they say in the South, loose his religion.

The trip began with a promising start. For one, I left work early the night before (my last night at Bourbon St!) which is a very important step to ensuring an overall pleasant drive. If I don't get close to eight hours of sleep, things are not pretty... Jen can attest to this. Second, Enterprise Rent-A-Car was very organized, upgraded us to a midsize sedan, and had me in and out within fifteen minutes. Third, we actually left the house ahead of schedule and experienced little traffic getting out of NYC that Saturday morning. The car's low tire pressure light did come on just seconds after I started the car, but Jen did a quick walk around and the tires looked fine. Plus, those pressure sensors are too sensitive anyway. Right? Let's go!

We were cruising along in our roomy Dodge sedan, making great time, when Jen and I decided we should get off at the next best exit for a food/ bathroom break. As we approached the turn towards Long John Silvers (I was pretty excited about eating there for some strange reason) and a Shell gas station we heard a strange noise coming from the back of the vehicle. Imagine the sound a completely flat tire makes in motion... got it?... that's exactly what our car sounded like. I pulled over at Shell and Jen quickly jumped out to find a blown rear, passenger side tire. Long story short, by the time we spoke with the 1-800 Enterprise people, unloaded our full trunk, replaced the flat with the 55 mph spare, got the flat into the small space provided by the spare and then reloaded the trunk, drove to an Enterprise-approved Firestone service station in rural PA, and got back on track, we were delayed by about three hours. At this point I figured out why we were "upgraded" and given such quick service. Why God, why!? So much for making good time. But hey, it could always be worse right?

As for our Rexrode family Christmas, it was a very typical, wonderful vacation. Thank you family for all you did for us and all those nice gifts. It's too much! I brought my video camera and you'll just have to wait, on the edge of your seat no doubt, for the Rexrode Christmas 2012 video to be premiered (hopefully before the end of this week) here on RexrodeAndTheCity.
           
Much like the beginning of our trip to Virginia, we were making great time on the way back to NYC. So much so that we were convinced that, even if we hit a little traffic, we could make it home in less than seven hours for once. HA! Not if the Lincoln Tunnel had anything to do with it. We came to a complete stop at the tolls before the tunnel and sat there for so long that I had to get out and pee on the side of the road and Jen had to... well she won't let me tell that part of the story, sorry. Lol. It's a strange feeling going numero uno with your back to the hundreds of people watching you from their cars. Lets just say it's not for guys with stage fright. Anyway, after the toll we occasionally crept along at 2 mph all the way to the entrance to the tunnel. All in all it was about a three hour delay. Sound familiar? Ya, we left Granny's at 11 AM and got home around 9 PM. What we went through could be used as some kind of sick anxiety/stress training for the military or something. I think I'd rather be water boarded. But hey, as I always say, it could be worse right?

Like I said in my last post, I was wishing for normalcy this holiday season. In terms of normalcy I feel like I got the equivalent of a stocking full of coal. But hey, it could always be worse right? We're happy, healthy, now have lots of nice new things from Christmas, and looking forward to the new year.

A New Season and Holiday Gridlock

Tomorrow morning by ten AM grades are due and this long semester finally comes to a close. It means the end of my journey at this college, and the beginning a new, better season in our lives. And I wouldn't describe my feelings as at all bittersweet, just sweet. The amount of things I won't miss definitely outweigh the things I will. A lot went down at Laguardia but it's always better to focus on the positives right? I'm reminded of one of my patients that would comically recite, "I am so blessed" when she was having a rough day. Because many of my colleagues and I repeated a class or lab for whatever reason, we were part of not one but two different classes. We now have twice as many friends and a larger group for networking when looking for our PT dream jobs.

It's also a very exciting time for recent grads. My original class just took and passed the national board exam and are finding jobs with no problem. Our college has one of the highest pass rates, at 91%! Things look good. Dr. Engel, our awesome program director, spoke with us about the temporary license application process and different employment options last night. It was very encouraging. It looks like, if I find an employer to sponsor me, I can begin working by the beginning of February. Prayers for that! 

Right now I'm looking most forward to the holidays and having a few final weeks off in the beginning of the new year. I mean after that you enter into the slippery slope of adulthood right? The life of forty hour work weeks, fifty weeks a year, for forty or so years? Eek!

Speaking of the holidays, we're looking forward to our trip to VA. I'll be taking the cameras so plan on watching an awesome Rexrode Christmas video in a few weeks.

Holiday Traffic, 5th Ave and 34th St, 1948

It's nice to be able to just load up a car and drive to VA, door to door. What we are not looking forward to is the traffic that might be involved. We'll be leaving on Saturday, one of the NYC "Holiday Gridlock Alert Days." These so called alert days are part of an oh-so-festive sounding "Holiday Mitigation Plan" from the Department of Transportation.

Two years ago it wasn't traffic that was the problem necessarily, but a historically horrendous blizzard. Our economy car miraculously got us home without getting stuck in the show but we were forced to spend a night in Bethlehem (PA) like the holy family. Looking back it's pretty funny. Our Chevy Aveo was passing 4 wheel drive vehicle left and right (baby Jesus take the wheel!). The hotel clerk specifically told us that there were no dogs allowed so we had to sneak Pup in and out the back door like a hideaway Jew.

What a Christmas that was! And with that being said, all I want for Christmas is normalcy.

Merry Christmas

to family, friends, and readers of RexrodeAndTheCity

Change for the Better

It's been a while, again. I find myself not with less time to write, but less drive to do so. It's not for lack of material, because it seems there's never a dull moment in life, but just part of my natural growth as a "New Yorker." Believe me when I say that after living (surviving) here for a few years the novelty of many things wears off. Places, people, or situations that I may have been inspired to write about in the past just feel more normal. They are no less interesting or entertaining but just harder to compose a post around.

So with time comes change to RexrodeAndTheCity. Positive change. :)

For one, I recently added a link to my Flikr account so you can view all the NYC pics taken from my new(ish) Canon Rebel. We recently went to Rockefeller Center to see the big tree. We saw a guy propose to his girlfriend on the ice-skating rink there. Below is a slideshow of the pics straight from Flikr.

Before visiting the Tree we had a belated anniversary dinner at Becco, our favorite restaurant in the city. The food was soooo delicious and filling. We tried to work off some of the carbs by walking to see the department store windows but it got too cold so fast. Pardon any of the pictures that look blurry. In low light situations it's important to keep the camera steady (since the shutter is open longer to let in more light it also picks up more movement), a task that's not easy while shivering with numb fingers.

Anyway, my favorite addition to the blog is my personal Twitter feed, @MattRexrode. You may have heard of Twitter but what exactly is it you ask? Well, at the heart of Twitter are small texts called Tweets. Each Tweet is 140 characters or less which you can do a surprising amount with. You can see photos, videos and conversations and get a whole story at a glance. It's a fast way for me to keep up with people I "follow" and keep you all connected at the same time.

So, although less posts may be composed each month, you'll be much more informed on my day-to-day life through my Twitter feed. It's always at the top of the homepage!

Enjoy.

Un-Pop Music

This post is taking a particularly long time to write because the American Music Awards are on and so distracting. The performances are so bad that, much like a train wreck, I cannot stop watching. I can’t decide who looks, dances, and/or sounds the worst. Maybe I’m just outgrowing popular music. It’s possible.

As of Friday I’m officially done with all clinical affiliations. ‘Bout time. This past assignment at Lutheran Medical Center was such a great experience. As promised there was medicine, neuro rehab, and just a lot of aspects of therapy that I hadn’t seen before. Leaving the hospital and my wonderful patients was bitter-sweet. I could see myself working there and made sure to leave a good impression. The PT staff continued to remind me to leave my resume with the director when I left, which I did, and I took that as a good sign. If it’s meant to be it will work out.
At this point I’m just a board exam prep test and a temporary license away from finding a job in the new year. I can take my permanent license exam in April (it’s only offered a few times a year, unfortunately).

Those who know me know that I love to have my holidays off. And by that I don’t just mean Thanksgiving Day or just Christmas Eve and Day… I mean the weeks surrounding them. I don’t know what I’ll do when I have a real job (that I like enough not to quit) that only allows Locationa few weeks of vacation time in a whole year. Eek. Luckily it worked out for us again this year. Jens amazing employer has never given her trouble about time off and I’m quitting good ‘ole Bourbon St. before we leave for Christmas. The restaurant has been good to me in many ways and I’ve technically been there longer than any other job… almost three years! But it’s time to say goodbye.


I’m sure you’re still getting earfuls about the ongoing hurricane recovery in NYC area. Other than Staten Island and the low lying beach areas, things are almost back to normal. We donated some clothes that we don’t wear any more to Staten Island families that lost everything which felt good… we really needed the closet space (kidding). Businesses in our neighborhood that were severely damaged, like LIC Bar and City Vet/LIC Doghouse on our corner have just reopened in the past few days. Although we don't visit the bar that often, it really brings life to our block. While it was closed we realized how eerie and quiet it would be at night without them.

Our apartment still doesn’t have heat which hasn’t really been a big deal. Electricity and hot running water are the big ones. Our landlord is supposedly having trouble finding a boiler that will work in our building. Anyway, we should have heat by the time we return from Thanksgiving in FL

Bird Baths

Things are somewhat back to normal following the damage brought on by the hurricane. Somewhat. Tunnels and bridges, like LIC's Midtown Tunnel, are opening and trains, like our local G are beginning to run again. I guess the newest development is the gas shortage in the area. Thank God, this is one thing Jen and I don't have to worry about. People with cars are freaking out: going hunting for gas on their lunch breaks, storing extra tanks full of gas in their cars (can you say car-bomb!?), and siphoning of course. 

Good news, we are living in our own apartment again. We have electricity but no heat or hot water because of all that was water damaged in the basement. We have two small electric heaters (don't worry, we are careful and never leave them on when we're away) to keep us fairly warm. In order to bathe without freezing to death we heat water on the stove in a big pot. We try to think of it as really luxurious camping, instead of a really sad normal shower. My coworker told me that in Gayana, this style of bathing is called a "bird bath." It's been interesting but it could always be worse.

Jen went back to work Thursday for the first time in almost two weeks. She then worked today and now has a three day weekend... funny. She's happy to be back to work and they're happy to have her back too.

Next week is my last week of my final clinical assignment. I'll then get my temp license (that I'll use until I take my board exam in April) and look for the right job after the holidays. Every student at Lutheran Medical must do a PT related presentation, termed an in-service. I picked a few topics that I was interested in and my clinical instructor, PT director, and I narrowed it down to one: Diabetic Neuropathy. I present on Thursday so wish me luck. 

Luckily, I was able to reschedule the surgery observation I was supposed to attend the morning that Sandy attacked. The downside is that I'm working at the restaurant Sunday night until God knows when because I really didn't have enough time to request it off. It's all good. After these last few weeks, what can't we handle?

The View

This is the view from our temporary home in LIC. Not too shabby. Warm, fed, and showered this morning. Feeling better. Jen and I may try the ferry to Wall St to see how easy it will be to take it to work. Wish us luck!

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I'm a Survivor

It's hard to describe what we've been through the last four days. We're trying to focus on the positive. We, luckily, have a second floor apartment that’s higher than the surge level so it's clean and dry. We have no power and a basement that was flooded so the heating, hot water, and electricital components are destroyed. It's gonna be a while.

 We are so blessed to have such wonderful neighbors and friends. The two couples upstairs and us have been sticking together and doing as much as we can for each other. We were invited over for a hot meal at a friend of a friend’s house last night which was great. We also have friends who are traveling until November 12th and donated their high-rise apartment to our neighbors and us while they're gone. So, we now have a place to shower, cook, and thaw out from time to time.

Jen and I are trying to figure out when it's appropriate to even try to get to work. Jen's downtown work neighborhood is a big, wet, mess and the part of Brooklyn I work in would take me almost three hours to get to by bus (because there are no trains running there) and that's not including insane traffic and delays. I plan on going to work at the restaurant on Saturday night. I think the N train is running there... worst case scenario I ride my bike over the 59th street bridge. That would actually be the quickest method of getting places no matter where you're going at this point.

 Below are some videos I found on Youtube of our neighborhood under water. In the first video the white building down the street on the left (before the large green building) is ours. In the second video is footage of the flooding around the high-rises closer to the water. The water got much higher than what’s shown. The building you can see across the street is actually the one we’re living out of right now.

Scary, Spicy, Sandy Weekend

After a very busy week Jen and I were looking forward to going out Friday night… so we did laundry. We REALLY needed clean clothes and worked up quite the appetite while doing a few weeks worth of wash. The restaurant Spice (originally of the West Village) recently opened another location in our very own LIC. We decided to finally try it. Like Tuk Tuk, one of our favorite places to eat on Vernon, Spice serves Thai food. We thought it was just ok. We shared a duck salad, spare ribs, and a shrimp stir-fry with garlic sauce. It just wasn't very fresh or tasty… needs more spice if you ask us. Although their noodles might be amazing, which we didn't try, I think we’ll be sticking with Tuk Tuk.

We left dinner with plenty of time to make it to Times Square to see a movie, but got a little distracted by filming just outside of Spice. Edie Falco was shooting her show Nurse Jackie and was like five feet from us (obviously didn’t have my Canon with me as illustrated by the awful quality of the pics). They were filming a scene in a cop car which was being towed down Vernon Blvd. We debated skipping our movie because it was fun to watch, but finally waved bye to her and headed to the train. We saw “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” which was pretty good. I originally thought it was a movie for teens but it had some pretty serious and depressing themes. It was aiight.

Saturday night was Bourbon St’s annual Halloween Party. And I can’t believe it’s my third one! Among my crazy coworkers in costume was a cow, a zombie, red riding hood and wolf, Katniss from The Hunger Games, the news team from Anchorman, farmer in the dell (a cowgirl in a Dell computer box), a nurse, and an evil doctor (me!) Jen did an AMAZING job making my face look bloody and gross. No one could believe we did it all ourselves. FYI: Corn syrup, red food coloring, and cocoa powder make very realistic fake blood.  And you can make fake wounds with toilet paper and Elmer's glue.

We both have the day off today and are just hanging out at home, waiting for Hurricane Sandy to pass. So far (as of 4 pm) it’s not bad, although I've seen some video online of flooding down at Gantry Park on the water. I was supposed to observe an orthopedic surgery this morning at the hospital and will not be happy if I don’t get assigned another one. Safety first I guess.

Hot-lanta Video

There's never a dull moment in 45-42, let me tell you. Our neighbors, who were our superintendents before things got crazy, are being evicted. The reasons include physical violence, non-payment of rent, and chronic marijuana use(which they claim has been "decriminalized"). A recent search of their apartment by the NYPD tells me they're incorrect, as they're going to court next month for their nasty little habit. We recently got a new tenant in our building right next door to the pot heads. Lucky for us, he's a smoker too. He enjoys filling his lungs with the smoke of what smells worse than weed- cigarettes.  Almost everyone in the building has spoken to him about smoking in his apartment, which then leaks into the hallway and up into the rest of our apartments. He has apologized multiple times, the landlord has even scolded him about it, and yet he continues to smoke. I mean really, who smokes inside their homes anymore? Oh the luxurious life of NYC apartment living.

We spent the weekend before last in Atlanta for my cousin Kelly's wedding. Congrats Nicols family! It was a beautiful wedding and a great excuse to see family that I hadn't seen since moving to New York. That's too long! As promised I made a video of the weekend (which is why this post took about a week to be published) and I really like how it turned out. Jen's friend who watched Pup while we were gone fell in love with her.They were really sad when we picked her up Monday night and Pup didn't seem too sure she wanted to leave them either. By now Pup's back to her old ways and it's all good. Hope you enjoy my video. 

Oh, make sure you turn it way up at the end while we're having our picture taken. What everyone is saying is hilarious. My favorite is when Papa says,"I gotta get straight, I gotta shuffle one time right here." 


ATLANTA WEDDING from Matt Rexrode on Vimeo.

"There's No Tomorrow, There's Just Today"

How did I let a week go by without writing? Shame shame. The days go by so quickly at my current clinical assignment that I’m not surprised. Just four more weeks left. I haven’t once checked the clock and thought to myself that time was going by slowly. I have, on the other hand, looked down at my watch and thought, “It’s already 11? I have three more patients to treat, a two week progress note to write, and HMO paperwork to complete all before lunch!” There’s always something for me to do which I like. It’s a different kind of busy than the mundane business I was used to at outpatient, sport/orthopedic clinics. The treatment of patients with a past medical history and precautions a mile long is obviously much more involved and interesting. I’m really liking Lutheran Med and hoping they hire me.

The patients are much more entertaining to me in an inpatient setting. I treat an old man for general weakness secondary to surgery that started out so weak and quiet. Now we can’t get him to stop talking or singing random songs from “There’s No Tomorrow” by Dean Martin (his favorite) and “The Star Spangled Banner.” He loves to talk about old movies, many of which I know thanks to my black-and-white-obsessed Mother. I was naming the old movies I like per his request (all the ones I had seen pretty much) during a walk. When I mentioned, “All About Eve” he almost fell over, exclaiming that it was his favorite movie of all time and for the rest of the day wouldn’t stop rattling off every Betty Davis movie. He’s quite the character and he’s not even one of the mental patients. Maybe I’ll talk about my favorite crazy in my next post.

The hospital is just a few blocks from the water among a lot of old warehouses, shipping docks, and a navy yard. As Brooklyn was developed long before the island of Manhattan, many of the old, dilapidated brick buildings along the water have dates laid in them from the early and mid 1800’s. With nice views of downtown, The Statue of Liberty, and Jersey, when the weather is warm (not today!) it’s nice to spend some of my lunch break walking around by the water.

We are going to my cousin Kelly’s wedding this weekend near Atlanta. Tonight Jen dropped Pup off with her friends that are dog-sitting for us until Monday. She said it was hard to say goodbye. Pup always looks longingly at Jen, even when I'm taking her on a walk she knows Jen’s not going on. I Guess we know who Pup loves more... naturally. I’m sure Pup will do just fine and have a great time as a Jersey girl for the weekend.

I've been wanting to try some more new things with my Powerdirector 10 video producer and this weekend should give me some footage to play around with. I'll try to edit and post a video by the end of next week so stay tuned.

Oh Bother

Rainy days in Florida are no big deal. After running to the car the umbrella gets tossed into the back seat, you flip the wipers on, and off you go. In the city, on the other hand, things are a bit wetter. The amount of time you spend walking, exposed to the elements is much greater here. Unless you’re lucky enough to find and empty cab (and then willing to pay for it), there is no car in the picture.

My weekday commute consists of a six block walk to the seven train in LIC and, after an hour commute to Brooklyn, walking three more long blocks to the hospital from the N train. It wasn’t raining yesterday morning so, despite the forecast, I left my umbrella at home. I hate carrying that thing around, leave it everywhere, and have probably lost a hundred. Bad decision though, as it rained continuously and I finally dried off about the time I had to go out in it again. My plan was to just find someone else’s and take it but the hospital lost and found had already been raided. After sloshing my way home to my dry umbrella, it cleared up by the time I took Pup out… figures.

Sure, rain can be unpleasant, but nothing compares to what’s going on in the picture I took at work. SMOKING IN FRONT OF A HOSPITAL! It’s my new pet peeve and makes me more than a little annoyed. These ladies are seriously lounging around the ambulances while lighting a few up. Luckily no one in the physical therapy department smokes, sparing me the responsibility of daily hassling a coworker with smoking cessation pamphlets. There is (no joke) a bench with an enclosure around it (previously a bus stop) that they have converted into an outdoor smoking room about six feet from the front door. The smoke billows out of it throughout the day. I've seen a few nurses smoking (disgusting), but most of the smokers are from administration. Still, how can you take smoke breaks from your work of processing paperwork on patients dying from diagnosis directly linked to cigarettes?

Photo ID

My last clinical assignment is still going well. I love how fast the day goes by thanks to all the crazy chaos of a hospital. Just today I got stuck in the elevator with patients during a fire drill. And therapy is mispelled on my ID... no big.

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