July 28 - First Day of Work!
I took the G to Hoyt-Schermerhorn and transferred to the A into Manhattan. The whole ride took about 30 minutes, and I gave myself an hour just in case I got lost or stuck in rush hour train hullaballoo. On my way to my first day to work I tried to stay aware of my surroundings and the flavor of the air in the morning. I was surrounded by others going to work, in their suits, dresses, uniforms, many reading the paper or a book, many reading on a Kindle or Blackberry. I figure I should have a book as well, or else the ride could end up being really boring, but I am surprised at how much attention it takes to pay attention to my surroundings. The 30 minutes rushed by as I looked around while trying not to seem like staring.
I started the day in HR with all the traditional welcome procedures I'd become accustomed to, I was glad that there was another new hire going through orientation with me. THey told us though that we wouldn't be able to get a full tour and meet people since it was still summer and many were out on vacation. Also, there was a lot of construction and people relocating. After that, we headed to our respective departments, where I met the guy I was replacing. Daniel is a lanky fellow with rectangular glasses and a full coiff of auburn hair. He has a kind face and welcomes me with a smile. He's so excited in fact that he dives right into my tutorial. We go through a binder full of instructions and checklists and examples. It seems like these simulations have been set up in a foolproof fashion. All I have to do is follow directions. About 30 minutes into our in-depth look at Trial Advocacy, Antonella, one of the LSC directors, wants to take a step back and give me a little welcome first in order to ease me into the position rather than just diving right in. I felt very well taken care of and ready to get bck into my lesson :) I took a break for lunch around 1230 and explored the neighborhood. I walked northwest and found many pricey restaurants and decided to stop at the Square Diner, something more along my budget. I ordered a chicken salad wrap, but I think I got a tuna salad. I wasn't feeling picky, and couldn't really taste very well. I think Its my cold.
After lunch we got back into my training. We were interrupted midafternoon by a call from Daryl. Daniel informed me that there was an emergency and we had to get over to her right away. Turns out Daryl had cupcakes. It was a cupcake emergency. What a great first day at work.
When I returned home that evening, Danny had already gone away to tour, so I was expecting to spend the evening alone, perhaps watching some Hulu. I got a text from my neighbor that she was having a Book Club meeting in the backyard. So I ended up hanging out with some lovely ladies eating yummy food and discussing literature, art, and the spice of life.
7/29 - Just Keep Busy
I've told myself to keep busy while Danny is away. It helps me not to miss him as much. Having a job really helps. Today was day 2 of training adn there was definitely lots to cover. During my lunch break I grabbed a $5 footlong and sat outside at a park/playground near the community college. After work I had some time before the USC Alumni social, so I bought so I walked around intending to just window shop, but found some great sandals at Aerosoles. Sexy and comfortable, and with my fresh pedicure my toesies looked so cute. As I headed to Highline, I found out from Emilia that the social had to be moved to Aspen Social Club because of a booking error (on their part) so we ended up getting free drink tickets! I had a great time with Emilia and Loni, and although we sort of secluded ourselves from the rest of the group we were able to have great conversation. Right at that moment I really felt that everything in life happens for a reason. I met these women, wonderful strong vibrant women, to remind me of the strength we have and can provide to one another. Cheeseball, but it's true. Oh we also got some drinks with this group of finance people who were really cool. It just bothered us how one guy said that during the financial deals that led to devastating results for the lay people, he just said they were only looking at making a profit. Maybe he was ignoring the ethical issue because he didn't want to get into it in a bar setting, or maybe he really didn't care. We believed the latter and were very disturbed. On the way home I took the subway the WRONG way at after my transfer and ended up taking 2 hours to get home. Good think I didn't have work the next day.
7/30 - Megan & Seena visit!
Then I remembered I had to be up at 7 to let Megan and Seena in. As I was waiting outside on my stoop in my tie/wrap dress with no makeup on and my hair askew a guy in a car literally stopped his car in front of my apartment just to say "excuse me, you're beautiful, seriously" and then drive away. What a great way to start the day. When they arrived I made egg sandwiches (the way Danny makes them of course) and after a short rest we headed out to Coney Island. I had my first Nathan's hot dog then we cruised the boardwalk. I wore my new sandals and they were super comfy but I was noticing the soles coming loose already. Boo. We decide to go low-key and watch Dinner for Schmucks in Park Slope. Too bad half the movie the underage day-camp kids kept making immature remarks or giggles. I can't believe the camp even thought to bring the kids there in the first place! They took them out halfway through. I kind of felt old adn prudish thinking "this is so inappropriate" but maybe I'm just wiser. Hate to admit when older people are right, eh? We headed to dinner at Bombay with a Groupon and could only eat a third of what we ordered. We ended up eating the leftovers over the next 3 days! On the way home I got some great pics of the girls falling asleep while on the subway. Even another subway rider got in on the fun and tried to help me take pictures :)
7/31 - a full day
I don't know if it's being in New York or it's just me, but I like to pack a whole bunch of activities into one day. Today we started off at Canal Street (Chinatown) to seek a good deal. I got some perfume and we explored a few shady spots, including an underground lair :) We had Ricky to protect us, don't worry. We got hungry and Megan wanted to have some great New York pizza, so Ricky said his dad always goes to Ray's on 6th Ave and 11th St (in the Village). It's the original of the Ray's Original brand I guess. I wonder if there is an original Aliberto's or Adalberto's (Mexican places for those not from socal... maybe a typical San Diego dish would be the California Burrito). The girls and I then toured around Times Square and Rockefeller Center and headed home for leftover Bombay. We got gussied up to help Pallavi celebrate her birthday at Cornerstone Tavern in midtown east then explored the area a bit and ended up for a short while in Opal. We were tired so headed home at an early 1pm :)
8/1 - i love doing nothing
Megan and Seena took a car to Megan's grandma's, leaving me to my own devices for the rest of the day. I was really glad to have them around, not only to cure some homesickness, but to cure some loneliness. I think I just sat around the rest of the day. But Danny returns tomorrow.
8/2 - my hero
After work I was hoping to see Danny at home, but it took them a bit longer to drive. He got home late but we still had time to watch an episode of Heroes while snuggled on the couch. This is starting to become our new "thing" which we never really had too many activities in common before.
8/3 - date night
After work I got dressed up for our date night. I had a Restaurant.com coupon to Fish & Sip so we found it (after a long walk, my fault for not getting good directions) near Atlantic terminal. We're finding that even though we save money with a coupon, we end up ordering too much and paying just as much as we would have if we ordered less without the coupon. Wish I could have spent less, but still a fun date night, and we're glad to be contributing to other working people/businesses.
8/4 - everything will be ok because we're together
Danny woke up early with me and made me an egg sammich. My tummy and I are happy. While I was at work, Danny spent the day with the grueling task of DMV/AAA/othercarstuff madness. After work I met up with Graydon and Brittany at the Brazilian Cruise. It was fun to see them again, but wished Danny could join us too (but he had a gig at Covo again). I saw Jon and JuanDiego again so we got to hang with their people as well. We noticed how great it was the everyone on the boat was just there to have a good time and dance. We didn't feel it was clique-ish at all. In fact very friendly. Quite refreshing.
8/5 - finding home
I know I haven't been writing a lot about work, but really how much is there to write? Plus, there could be some confidentiality issues, so I'll only mention something if it's really life altering. In other words, just know that I'm going to work, and I'm enjoying it. After work I had a meeting with the people at Kinding Sindaw, a Filipino dance ensemble that I was thinking of joining. They wanted to meet me in person. I learned a lot about indigenous dance, and the history/culture that is usually suppressed by a western-center biased society. There are political implications, but also beautiful dance, reminiscent of Indian/Chinese story-telling dances. While there I ended up singing a verse of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and teaching a Hasaposerviko. A long meeting, but I left feeling like I could be a part of this community of dancers. (as of today, I still haven't gone to a dance class because of my schedule conflicts, but I am still trying to keep this part of me active). I got home for a late dinner with Danny. I think he cooked up some of our pasta with sauce from the giant batch (see earlier posts).
8/6 - on the internets
After work I made a quick stir-fry for dinner then we headed over to Smalls for Danny's performance with the Mark Zaleski group. It was going to be a live internet stream, so we texted as many people as possible to watch it from their home computers. It was so cool to share this moment with our friends and family. I was surprised at how many people tuned in and even sent me texts during the performance. I waved back at the camera as inconspicuously as I could just to let our TV audience know that I really appreciated them watching. Afterward we walked to a bar/venue called the Living Room to watch a Cuddle Magic show. I ended up carrying Danny's bass down around (and even down the stairs at the end of the night) and Alec remarked that I was a great wife for doing that.
8/7 - Bethlehem
We braved about an hour of gridlock in Chinatown then rode through Jersey to Bethlehem PA for Danny's peformance with the Mark Zaleski band at Musikfest. During their performance I took a video of this really cute little boy in his stroller just rocking out to John Bean's saxophone solo. I'll post the video soon. The festival put the band up at the Holiday Inn, so we had dinner and drinks at the Allentown Brewery nextdoor. The guys in the band are a lot of fun. We tried not to play too much Fruit Ninja at the table.
8/8 - best roadtrip buddy ever
Danny is my best friend. I love exploring new places with him. On our way home we stopped in Phillipsburg and had lunch at a diner of the same name. I'm pretty sure it's owned by Greek people, as evidenced by the picturesque photos of Greece on the wall, Greek options on the menu, and old man who looks like he lives at that counter. On the drive we also gave a call to San Diego during Grandma Eileen's birthday party. It was great to hear all their voices again.
8/9 - ate leftovers and watched Heroes
8/10 - just another day
Had my first orientation/meeting with Susan today. She's a really nice boss. Dinner at Umi Nom a Filipino/Thai fusion place walking distance to our apartment. Then home for some Heroes and drinks :)
8/11 - days go by so fast
I helped Larry with a computer issue today. Interacting with him kind of reminds me of when I helped my dad with computer issues. So that got me a bit homesick at the end of the day. At home, Danny made me a quick tuna sandwich before he headed out to his gig. I stayed in and relaxed. The daily grind is starting to take its toil.
8/12 - Danny back on the road
He made me some pancakes before work. It's a bit easier if I leave the house before him, that way I don't have to feel like he's leaving me. At work I made friends with some more staff. I'm extremely likeable. Ha. I ordered a chicken burrito at Taco House for lunch and was extremely disappointed. Won't be having that chinese-tex-mex-mess again. After work I was glad to have plans to meet up with Nicole at Double Windsor. Tyson was there too, which I thought would be ok, but I started missing Danny already. We still had fun. After a few drinks we decided to get some food at Beet. Service took a bit longer here tonight than when Danny and I went a few weeks back.
8/13 - not yet used to things
Danny wasn't home to make me breakfast, so I ended up getting an egg sandwich from the cart outside work. I had it with hot sauce. Sam, the owner of the cart was really nice (in the future he'll remember my regular order, which will end up being a sesame/creamcheese bagel). I had a pretty decent gyros sandwich at lunch for only $4 at a halal cart. I could only eat half of it and after work I ended up giving the other half to a street person. I was suprised when he asked "is something wrong with it?" but I guess even street people deserve to question the quality of free food that is coming their way (no sarcasm intended).
8/14 - keeping busy
I was supposed to meet up with Diane of Kinding Sindaw for their dance rehearsal but when I arrived there was no class. I was a bit peeved, but Diane explained and I understood (details withdrawn). That gave me a bit of extra time to buy some flowers before heading over to Auntie Letty's place. I bought a small pot of orchids and visited for a while. She had been having some health issues, so my mom was happy that I could see her. When I returned home I spent the rest of the day vegging out to a Project Runway marathon I instituted for myself on my laptop.
8/15 - skype me up
I made it to church for today is the Dormition of the Theotokos, aka Panagias. It is also my sister's name day. Later that day I had a great Skype session with the family, but with some madness.
8/16 - here comes the rain
It started out as a nice day. Susan recommended that I try this organic food market called Bell Bates down the street, and found a delicious buffet selection at $5.99/lb. I didn't need a whole pound, so my lunch was under $4. I ate it on a bench closeby. After work I didn't have anything to do until the 8pm outdoor movie, so decided to explore Herald Square. It started to rain, and I didn't have my umbrella, so I ran into Macy's and got some dinner at Au Bon Pain. I was going to watch 12 Angry Men at Bryant Park, but it was too rainy for me so I went home. I ended up baking cookies.
8/17 - trying so hard
I ended up bringing some cookies to a coworker and to HR as thank-you gestures. At home, I found ants coming out of a floorboard. On my way out to do laundry, I fell while trying to carry the cart down the front stoop. I'm trying so hard. Sometimes I feel like I can't take it anymore. But I find inner strength. I move forward. I ended up introducing myself to the neighbors that saw me fall. I could have just retreated, but I kept going.
8/18 - keeping up appearances
Lunch was Quizno's this time. Ate at courthouse park. Weather is nice again. I was debating about going to the Brazil Boat again tonight. This time I would be going by myself and there was no guarantee that familiar faces would be there. I said to myself "why not" and went anyway. For the first 30-45 minutes I was that awkward person by herself, not really able to interact with anyone. I was glad when Cindy, Angie, Jon, and Juan Diego came on the boat and I could hang with them. Even they were impressed that I could come on my own. Angie remarked that seeing me going out on my own makes her feel better about even the idea of getting married in the future.
8/19 - long trips
Made myself a veggie sandwich for dinner, then had to trek all the way to Grand Army Plaza to return a library movie. I wasn't gonna pay a late fee again. This is the only Brooklyn library that's open late, and it took a few wrong turns for me to get there. On the way home, I stopped for a late-night Target spree. Bought some great clogs.
8/20 - to boston!
Packed a small bag for my bus to Boston after work. I had a few hours until my bus, so I decided to walk through SoHo to the Chinatown bus. Wearing the clogs all day was not the best decision, so I was glad to find a pair of flat sandals at Daffy's (the same pair of Nine West I was eyeing at Macy's, only half the price). I took the Lucky Star bus to Boston, and although there was free wi-fi on the bus, I found it nauseating to use my laptop during the ride. I guess I won't have to bring my laptop on future trips. Arriving in Boston was surreal. The T and the whole neighborhood was a lot cleaner than I had remembered from previous trips, or maybe I had gotten accustomed to the daily grime of New York. As I walked through the colorfully painted houses of Jamaica Plain, I couldn't help but think of Disneyland. I was glad to see Danny again, and live the life he lives for a few days. His home-host was super nice.
8/21 - Salem Festival
We woke up from a surprisingly restful sleep on the camping mats on the floor of dude's house and had an awesome breakfast sandwich from City Feed. Tess and Alec picked us and Matt up from the house and we headed to Salem. There we got wristbands for free food and I felt like a VIP not just a groupie. It was a beautiful setting by the river, and the band played on the main stage while I sold a good chunk of their merch (cds, tshirts, etc) for them. When we got back to dude's place, we watched some Heroes and relaxed. Dude came home with a huge fish that he caught while fishing, and we he cooked it all up for us all to eat. It was the best tasting fish.
8/22 - rainy day
I was glad to have my clogs on this rainy day. We had breakfast at Cirello's, and the owner brought out a free bowl of fruit! I got to spend just a few more hours with Danny, then got a ride to the bus station. Every goodbye is just as hard as the last. I made the mistake of getting chinese food at the depot. I should have opted for something more expensive and healthier. I pledge to remind myself that my body deserves to eat better. This bus ride took longer to return to NY because of rainy-day traffic. We went around a few really huge river-like puddles on the highway!
8/23 - soup day
lunch: pasta fagiole soup at Capri Cafe
dinner: Trader Joe's Tom Yam Soup
8/24 - bagel, then quizno's for lunch and dinner.
8/25 - Pablo finally came to fix the kitchen counter, but found that he had to replace the sink too, so decided to reschedule for next week. He forgot to turn my water back on before he left. He tried explaining it to me over the phone, but I ended up trying to turn the wrong nut/knob for about 15 minutes. I made some quick TJ indian food for diner.
8/26 - making friends new & old
During lunch I spent way too much time at this store called LotLess. It's discount store, with discount quality items, but you can easily get caught up in the bargains. I think the tuna packet i bought gave me a stomach ache. After work I went to another USC happy hour at Atresky's Patroon with a great outdoor upstairs patio. I found out that Akiko just moved to NY, so now there are 4 PASA peeps in the city. Claire had a great idea that we all have a brunch together. It hasn't happened yet, but I hope we do it soon. On the way home I heard some great classical music at the Lorimer subway stop. They were playing Vivaldi.
8/27 - H&M trip after work
8/28 - Happy Birthday Daddy
I had a good conversation with my dad today. In the afternoon, I prepared a picnic to bring to the Central Park screening of Manhattan. I had a picnic with Corina, Kyle and their friend Brittany. Then we hung out for a bit in the upper west side. I got a call from Graydon's Brittany to meet up with them at a prohibition style bar. It was a pretty cool place that had a pull-string ordering bell on the wall. A cute gimmick. I ended up getting home at 4am after my subway ride. I hadn't realized how late I was out.
8/29 - sleeping in is fun when your only plan for the day is waiting for your husband to come home
8/30 - pablo was a no-show for the counter replacement... again
8/31 - it's my birthday!!!
What a great day. I felt so special all day. I got a plant from the Wellers delivered to our apartment and a vase full of flowers and a teddy bear from my family (also signed from Princess and Nimo!) delivered to my work. I got off work at 8:30 so we headed to Williamsburg for my birthday pub crawl at 930. We started at Caracas for Arepas and Caipirinhas. I was so pleasantly surprised to have so many people join in the fun. Of course I knew that Danny's friends would come, but when I saw Cindy and Angie and Juan Diego I just about melted. Next we went to a bull-riding bar. Yes, I did. Then to Cyn Lounge for some dancing and Spike Hill to round out the night. I hope everyone had as great a time as I did.
9/1 - sick day. nuff said.
9/2 - Laurelfest
ok, so too much is done on the following days, so just list form will have to do:
Laurel arrives in the morning.
Justice Action Center had a Welcome Back Happy Hour at work
Mini-party at the Kensington house to eat the rest of the birthday cake (Starr came too).
9/3 -
Only had to work till 2pm! Woo!
Dinner with Laurel at Brick NYC ($5 mimosas) and got to use a Groupon!
Walkabout to the HighLine and Lower East Side.
Clubbing at Pacha for another Brazilian themed event. Is it in my blood? Saw lots of Jerzillians = Jersey Brazilians
9/4 -
Pablo finally came to install the kitchen counter.
Walked around the Brooklyn Flea and bought some awesome salsa dip.
Target trip for a French Press and medical supplies :)
Mani-Pedis for only $23 (well needed for our aching feets).
Indian food in Lower East Side.
Speakeasy at a place that served drinks in teacups!
9/5 -
Trader Joe run.
Central Park picnic with a whole mess of people. It was fun to meet such vibrant personalities.
Danny came home!
9/6 - Labor Day
West Indian Day Parade (met a fun girl there)
Caracas in Lower East Side for some Arepas
Walk to and across Brooklyn Bridge and photos at Dumbo.
Danny drove us to Spike Hill in Williamsburg. There we made friends with Dre Dragon and frienemies with the bartender.
9/7 - Laurel misses her flight so stays another night.
9/8 - last lunch with Laurel before her final sendoff.
9/9 - Shana Tova! Happy New Year! It's Rosh Hashana.
9/10 - Fashion's Night Out!
Korres with Nicole for makeovers and freebies.
Steve Madden just for fun.
Mango for Contreau martinis served in plastic shakers. Bought awesome sunglasses.
Met up with Emilia and a couple of her girls, then went to Lacoste (wine/champagne) and Lord & Taylor (different treats on each floor).
Escaping the madness of midtown, Nicole, Tyson and I went for Chinese food at Red Hot in Park Slope.
9/11 - Gryparipalooza
Spent the whole day with Danny and Evan and her Dad. Started in Astoria at Lefkos Pirgos for coffee then lunch at Stamatis for some awesome seafood and conversation. Walked around and explored Greek Music and Video and some light shopping at Titan supermarket for some Greek essentials: a coffee maker (briki), toast crackers (friganies), and best cookies ever (Caprice). Then we hopped on a subway to explore midtown sights (you know the usual: Times Square, Broadway, Rockefeller, Central Park). We ended the day with a drink at RinkBar at Rockefeller and a cheap and delicious slice of pizza. We decided to stay out of the Ground Zero area today, but made our rememberances.
9/12 - Rain on the River
Danny's gig with Miss Tess was at Hudson Fest, but it was pouring rain all day. It was light in the morning, but got pretty bad by the end of the day. Where they were expecting a crowd of hundreds, they got dozens. Too bad, because it's a great venue and seemed to be well organized. The neighborhood kids enjoyed themselves. I'll put up a short video of them dancing in their slickers and boots to the band. Danny and I waltzed in the rain during another band's set. I think that's how I probably caught a cold, but it was so romantical. After the gig we stopped of at Welcome to the Johnsons on Rivington and Delancey, a cool kitchy place that resembles a divey version of an old living room, complete with family portraits on the wall and plastic-covered couches.
9/13- Started to get a cold. Had an audition with the Emerging Voices choir at City Center. I really felt like a Broadway audition, just by the pure proximity to the theater district. I probably won't get in, but it was an exhilirating experience.
9/14 - My first doctor's appointment. Got labs done too. Let's see if my cholesterol levels are good :)
9/15 & 9/16 no notes, but I was probably just hanging with Danny
9/17- weekend madness begins!
Had a great lunch with coworker Marie, and even ran into other IT people at the Courthouse deli. I feel like I could be good work-friends with these people. After work, I thought I was just going to go home and veg, but I ended up going straight to Corina's to hang with her, Kyle, and her friend Maureen. We ended up going for Mexican food and margaritas at Blockheads, then Karaoke, then dancing at Turtle Bay Bar and more dancing at Opal, ending the night at Krunch for a pizza and interactions with interesting characters. Ended up staying the night at Corina's.
9/18 - madness continues
Headed to Gramercy to volunteer for Greek Festival prep at St. John's. We ended up moving a bunch of boxes out of storage and began sorting the flea market items. I grabbed a coffee with Eleni, one of the volunteers. I'm finding the nicest, most giving people during volunteer events. I recommend volunteering to anyone. If you're looking for something fun to do, that makes you feel good at the end, and to meet awesome people, just volunteer for a local community or event. I hope to hang with Eleni again soon. I had a chance to call my sister and mom that afternoon before heading over to Gallway Hooker for a USC game-watch. I had no idea there would be so many Trojans at that bar! It was mesmerizing. Brittney met up with me there and we hung out with Corina, the other Brittney and another girl. They would end up meeting us later that night too. Brit and I walked around for a bit ended up having a good dinner at Riviera in the Village. Then we met up with Melissa at Red Lion and gathered the girls to hang at Le Souk. It reminded me of an upscale version of Med Cafe. We ended the night at Bitter End and decided that I should stay the night at Brittney's place in Hoboken. I'm already starting to lose my voice.
9/19 - beyond madness
I'm so glad (and lucky) to have friends with extra bed space, toothbrushes, and towels, not to mention in-apartment laundry. Maybe our next apartment will have in-house laundry. We head on the PATH back to Manhattan then take the L to the Sunburnt Cow for Australian style brunch. I had a Bush Benedict, and a few Screwdrivers. I met some of Britney's cool friends (also from Cali) and we bonded over the next few bars: McSorley's, Cooper 35 (aka Asian Pub), and the shots place where I started to fall asleep. I needed a couple hot dogs from Papaya Dog to keep my energy up. Good thing we ended up close to a subway that I could take straight home. Nap time, what a weekend.
9/20 - my voice is still gone, making it hard to make phone calls at work, but i work through them.
9/21 - got a flu shot today. my cold is dissipating, so it's ok to get it. After work made the trek out to Astoria to do some Greek dancing with the Greek American Folklore Society. I knew I was missing something in my life.
9/22 - I was debating, but I decided to go to Greek dancing again tonight. I'm so glad I did, even though it took me a bit longer to get home afterward. I missed my connecting train, making me wait 30 minutes for the G. grr.
9/23 - fun time at Dave's going away party at Puffy's Tavern with the AV and IT peeps.
9/24 - Lunch again with Marie. Volunteer at St. John's again after work. Sorting flea market items again.
9/25 - Greek Festival!!!
What a wonderful day. I put on my sparkly Greek flag shirt and did my hair cute, but wore flip flops. My fellow SoCal Greek festival veterans know what I'm talking about. Pockets are important! Haha. Helped in the morning moving pans of food up and down stairs, but ended up spending most of the day in the Gyro booth. I don't know why I love Greek festivals so much. Maybe it's the delicious food. Maybe it's the infectious dancing that happens inevitably when there's Greek music on. Maybe it's the sense of community you feel because you know we're all here giving our time for the benefit of the church. I love the smiles. I love the hard work. I love how everyone helps one another. No pretense. No postense. Just good people doing good work. Or that's how my rose colored glasses see them. Perhaps others had different experiences. I'm happy for my experience. I was starting to feel tired and got an iced coffee, so by the end of the festival, I still had energy and decided to check out the Nostos Greek Night in midtown. I had just spilled a bunch of tzatziki on my shorts, so I stopped first at Forever 21 and found a really cute dress to wear for the night. At Aspen Social Club I found a few girls (2 of which went to college in Volos) and hung with them. There wasn't any Greek music playing, and they got impatient, so we decided to check out Ethos Restaurant where we knew there would be live Greek music Bouzoukia style. Their friend John knew the owner, so we got some free drinks. I didn't want to have to take the subway back so late, so I crashed with Corina.
9/26 -
That was actually perfect, because her place was just around the corner from Ethos AND I was able to go to church at St. John's in the morning. PS George Stephanopoulos just happened to be at church that day, but left with his kids after communion. Still, pretty cool for such a small congregation. I got to see Dean (you guys remember when I designed that GreeksinLA shirt? He was the president of Sons of Pericles that year) and his wife Mary again, as well as others I met at the festival the night before.
Made a quick trip to Trader Joe's, then took me longer than usual to take the subway home (after several reroutes due to weekend schedule), but I was adept at renavigating myself. Then I vegged for a bit and have been trying to do this blog for the past few hours. My how time flies.
So what have I learned over 5 months?
I need to feel useful.
I need community.
There are wonderful people in the world.
I am one of them.
I am strong.
I am loved.
But I cannot take this for granted.
I am lucky. I am blessed.
I am not alone.
I have a job. I have a home. I have friends and family and material things.
I care, but I can too easily refuse to care, refuse to listen.
When I listen, people will open their lives to me.
Everything will be ok because we're together.
We are all connected.
Everything happens.
I'm still learning.
There is so much to experience if I am brave enough to listen.
till next time... mtw
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
first trimester :)
We're in the 3rd month of our new life in New York! No, there is not baby on the way, just thought that would get your attention. Actually, thinking back, the stress and adjustment of living in New York did sort of feel like I was getting hormonally imbalanced and gave me discomfort akin to morning sickness. If that makes any sense... At 12 weeks, I started feeling stronger, and... growing...
Haha. I don't know how far I can stretch this metaphor. Let's just get back to the captain's log:
Stardate 06.28.10
Today I volunteered for the USC Tommy Awards, held at NYU Skirball Center. I did it mostly to get myself out of the apartment and keep myself busy while Danny was still out of town. But also to network with fellow Trojans. I admit I was a bit intimidated because I knew the other Trojans would already be well established in New York. I was actually really inspired by the project I helped put together. Although I only volunteered the night of the event, I felt like what I did was important. Hey, if I didn't help smooth out that "step-and-repeat" with the steamer, we wouldn't have those snazzy looking photos with our honorees in front of the USC logo. After the show there was a reception up on the 12th floor with a great view of Manhattan, good cheese and an open bar. I met some great people and made a good impression with the Alumni Club exec board. I almost wasn't able to get my stuff out of the Green Room after the reception, but we eventually figured out how to gain access to the elevator down there. Whew... After that I made my way to Park Slope where Danny was playing a gig at Puppet's. It felt so good to be reunited with Danny. I almost ran to him when I saw him. It felt good to be in his arms again.
Tuesday 6/29 - SPOILER ALERT: the next few posts get really lovey dovey
I make Danny lunch and he says "thank you for supporting me" to which I respond "thank you for providing." Danny is out working to support us, and although sometimes gigs take him away from me, I know that it's for us... for me. Plus, making him food kind of makes me feel better. The last time I was unemployed and Danny was working I was feeling really down about myself and kind of worthless. I told this to my dad and he suggested that I cook for him. At first I laughed, thinking what an old-fashioned mentality to have... but I tried it. I did feel good knowing that I was feeding my husband. And I felt even better knowing how much he appreciated me for it. Around that same time I was also reading Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I remember a passage about how women make their men notice them by providing in the kitchen (and in the bedroom) and raise their standing within the household by making men appreciate them in different ways... like by adding extra flavor to food, or speaking eloquently, or wearing a flower in their hair... I'm not remembering completely, but you get the gist. Don't worry, I won't start binding my feet anytime soon. Though sometimes heels sort of feel that way. Later that night we go to Mona in the Lower East Side with Matt and see Rachel Price, Laura, and Brandon. Rachel sang, and so did this other great singer that sang like a trumpet with a mute in an old recording. It was so interesting that the whole bar fell silent. That was pretty awesome.
Wednesday June 30 - Mr. Wonderful
Went to Covo in Harlem for Danny's gig with the Alex Brown group. We drove, so we got home in time to enjoy some time together and watched an episode of The Simpsons. In the episode, Homer has to leave town a lot (sort of a parody of The Devil Wears Prada) and he learns that he needs to spend more time with his wife. Danny wrote on Facebook "You are my best friend, my greatest support, and my #1 fan. I love you every day." He has earned the title of Mr. Wonderful in my book.
Thursday, July 1 - errands
We decide to make an excursion of our errands today by walking to the Atlantic Avenue terminal. It takes about 30 minutes, and thank goodness we packed water because it was H-O-T! After a half hour in line at the DMV we find out that we should have brought the Title to the car as well as Socials in order to get anything accomplished. Ok next time. So we head over to Target for a few things, and walk back and stop at Family Dollar for a few more. Then we did laundry together. Even laundry was fun as long as it's with Danny.
Friday, July 2 - where's the beef?
We kept waiting to find out if we were going to New Jersey for the July 4 holiday, but never heard back from Matt's uncle, so we made the executive decision to have a housewarming/1st anniversary barbecue on July 3 at our place and a 4th of July bbq at Matt's. Today we just picked up a few supplies from Family Dollar, Trader Joe's, and our corner market Compare Foods. We ended up getting a lot more stuff from the corner market because Trader Joe's was a lot more expensive than I remember it being in San Diego. I think this is also the day I went to MoMA with Matt and Laura.
Saturday, July 3 - warming our house
Today was our housewarming! Danny and I worked together very well, preparing the backyard, cooking the food, and making our guests feel welcome. This album has some photos of the bbq as well as other pics from the weekend if you click here. We made some great memories at our apartment this night and we felt a lot of warmth from our friends that came to party with us. The only bad thing about the night was getting bit up by the mosquitoes. These bugs are vicious!
Sunday, July 4 - Independence Day
Today was the BBQ at the Kensington House. We had fun hanging out with our peeps. And I got a tiny glimpse of the fireworks. I had to stand on a chair to see them. Sean made some awesome pasta salad and another girl made cucumbers with hot sesame oil and another brought a watermelon salad with feta cheese and basil! Matt made some awesome burgers from scratch.
Monday, July 5 - Happy Birthday Maro
Today I convinced a bunch of Maro's friends to change their Facebook profile photos to one that included Maro's face. She was surprised to see a bunch of people change their photos to her face all at once. I hope she felt special :) I can't believe she's 21 now and can't wait to celebrate with her in San Diego (and in Las Vegas). I Skyped with the family for a bit as Maro blew out birthday candles on a chocolate cake. They placed the laptop on the table as if I was right there sitting with them. Later for dinner Danny and I went to Beet in Park Slope for Thai food. We got there just before the rush. The Tom Yum soup was nothing too special, but the spring rolls and my curry was super delicious. Afterward we went to Puppet's again for Danny's gig, which had a great turnout that night!
Tuesday, July 6 - a new friend
Tonight I had dinner with Emilia at her place that she and her boyfriend are subletting in Sunset Park. She made a great apricot chicken with orzo from scratch with a recipe she found online. We finished off a bottle of Merlot that I had bought for the housewarming, and then looked at pictures we took from each of our study abroad trips in Spain. She showed me this great video of her in a remote village in Morocco inside the bridal chamber. The women in the room helped the bride prepare, but they also helped to dress Emilia up in traditional headwrap and painted her hands and feet with henna as they danced and celebrated. What a great way to be received into a culture!
Wednesday, July 7 - San Diego here I come...
Danny was able to drive me to the airport at 515am. I had about an hour of sleep the that night because it was so HOT, and I was excited about going home. On the first leg of the flight, I sat in front of this snoring dude. It sounded like he was about to choke on his own breath. The guy sitting next to him upgraded to business class just to get away. I had earplugs that didn't really do too much. He also put his jacket on the back of my seat and I could smell his musk as I sat. It wasn't too bad as long as I sat away from the left armpit. As I was leafing through the Skymall, I noticed some snore-reducing devices, so I tore out the page and stuck it in his coat pocket. I wonder if he even knows that he snores? Some people don't believe it, and they wake up and say, what? I wasn't snoring. Well, I hope he took this as a sign. Yes, a bit passive of me, but I was tired and that was all the energy I wanted to expend. I was about to wake him up and say, are you ok? because it sounds like you might have sleep apnea. The second flight was much nicer, and thank goodness it was the longer flight. Maro picked me up and I drove her to her summer class at City College. Then I met up with Chloe for lunch where we ate at Cafe Zucchero. A delicious way to start my trip. I picked up Maro at the end of her class (it felt so good to drive again... in an automatic, in safe driving conditions, in my Camry, even if the driver's side door handle broke off and doesn't work anymore). I spent the afternoon beginning to pack a few boxes to ship to New York and enjoyed dinner with the family. After that Maro and I headed to Alexis' place for her birthday party. It was great/awesome/eventful to say the least, especially since Maro is now 21 years old. Oh, and it was great to hear Karissa speak so much Greek :) On the way home we stopped by Ralphs/76. I'm a good sister.
Thursday, July 8 - home
We stayed in all day. Well, we only went out to do some grocery shopping. Bought a huge tub of cheese balls for the trip!
Friday, July 9 - VEGAS!!!
Drove to Tin's.
Andrew, Tin, Maro and I drive to Vegas. Stop at McDonalds in Primm.
Check in at Planet Hollywood Westgate.
Unite with the Ad Club boys.
Pool time.
Dick's Last Resort. Meet up with the St. Sophia gang.
Party like a rock star at ROK in NYNY.
Salsa-tastic time till the wee hours.
Saturday, July 10 - BEEGAAS!!
Rachelle and Jayson arrive and jump on Maro's bed to wake her up.
Join Melissa & Jeremy for Champagne Brunch Buffet at Le Village in Paris.
Walk off the food-coma-feeling.
Hotel room party!
Limo to the Palms.
Clubbing at Ghostbar, Rain, Moon, and Playboy.
Regroup at the hotel.
Sunday, July 11 - Recovery
Brunch at Carnegie Deli in Mirage
Drive Tin home?
Monday, July 12 - Happy Anniversary Danny Bear
I promised my dad that I would help him try to get rid of this spyware that acts like an antivirus trial system and solicits you to buy their software off of his computer. Every time I tried to delete or uninstall it the program would come back after restart. It was infuriating, and the loud alert/screeching sound it made every 3 minutes got me on edge. I looked it up online and found that this was plaguing other users as well but could find no real answers as to how to rid myself of this infuriating mess. I decided the best thing would be to buy an external hard drive and get my dad's documents out and finally retire this machine (I mean, it's at least 7 years old, and parts of it maybe 10). A nice break in the day came when my mom asked me to open the door and I saw a delivery person with a dozen red roses. Danny immediately called me and said Happy Anniversary. Apparently he had coordinated this with my mom ahead of time to ensure that I was home for the flower delivery. I was in tears. Mostly because I was so happy to feel so loved, but also because I had been holding in the stress of being apart from my husband on our anniversary, knowing we would be separated for two more weeks while he was on tour, showing my friends and family a happy face while I felt like I wasn't adjusting very well to living in New York, and dealing with this freaking devil of a computer virus. I had to put myself back together in order to have a clean face for dinner. We had planned a joint-family dinner at Troy's Greek Restaurant on Friar's road to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It was me, my parents & sister, Danny's parents, brother & grandparents, and Danny's proxy Smokey the bear. It was also good to see Grandpa Jerry out since his bout with pneumonia. After dinner Maro and I headed downtown and had a drink at the Blarney Stone and crepes and gelato at Chocolat with Victor, Karissa, Marie, Megan, Lauren, Kiki and Nicole. It was so difficult to answer the question "Why aren't you staying longer?" and I had to answer "Because I have an interview on Thursday." but really I was leaving because I knew that if I didn't leave then I wouldn't want to leave for a long time.
Tuesday, July 13 - Keilah are you ok, are you ok, are you ok Keilah
We went to the De Guzman house to visit Auntie Delia, Uncle Rudy, Arlene, Rachelle... but who are we kidding, it was mostly for Rachelle's baby Keilah. She is sooooo cute and fun to play with. She was a little finicky at first, but she responded really well to our singing and dancing. We went to have dinner all together as a family. Later we met up with Chloe at Zodiak and Tin and Andrew also came. I felt like I rounded out the trip very well with a visit to the Zodiak, a longtime staple.
Wednesday, July 14 - fly me to the moon
My flight was at 7am and Danny's aunt Sue's flight was at 630 so we made plans to meet up for breakfast at the airport. Unfortunately she had many unforeseen delays so I just offered her a pan de sal for the flight to Chicago and gave her a hug hello/goodbye. Nothing eventful to note on the flight. The Sennheiser headphones I found in Danny's storage worked great and I was able to nap on the plane. When I got back into New York there was a humid heat and a wishful linger of rain in the air. I decided to take a cab, hoping to relax in convenience. Instead I spent the whole ride trying to figure out how to get back home because the cabbie didn't know Brooklyn very well. I made shrimp/veggie stir-fry for dinner. I tried to eat outside but was chased inside by thunder and mosquitoes. I also trapped a fly into the bathroom, luring it in there by turning off all the other lights in the apartment. Even this simple act reminded me of Danny.
Thursday, July 15 - stirring changes
It was a fairly easy ride getting to New York Law School on the Subway, and got there 20 minutes early. I felt really good the entire time. From my software assessment, to my HR interview, to my departmental interview. The whole process made me feel better and better about myself. I knew I was qualified and a good fit for the job and I had a feeling I was convincing my interviewers of it too. I think I had the job even before I mentioned I was a USC graduate to a fellow alum. But I was getting dizzy. The possibility of change was moving me too fast. I was almost glad not to be offered the job right then and there. I knew that HR had to do some reference checks. I decided to take the train up to Chelsea and see if Nicole was working at Eleni's. She wasn't, but I decided to explore and sort of decompress while in that neighborhood. I found myself on the Highline, and explored the views. On the phone with Ellen, I began to divulge some of my stresses and resentment I was beginning to feel about being a "jazz widow," the wife of a musician basically who is always out playing. On the way back, walking through the trendy part of the meatpacking distric, then to the subway I decided I deserved an ice cream from a Van Leewen Truck and stopped to watch some salsa dancing on the Triangle in Chelsea. I was wishing I could dance with someone, but there was only one person I could think of. Later that night I called Danny and had a heart to heart. It was the first time I really expressed how angry I was that he left me alone in the city.
Friday, July 16 - dizzying madness
I'm still emotional. I'm still angry at Danny. But I can't help but love him. I'm glad I expressed my feelings and I hope we'll get through this. I meet up with Nicole and Tyson and Kenny at Vox Pop, but I am sort of distant. On my way home I decide to stop at Target to buy something for Glenda's baby Briana's 1st birthday party. I remember talking to Laurel for a while, but my mind is still racing and I can't focus. I get home and find it difficult to sleep. I am still dizzy, unbalanced, un-whole. At some point in the middle of the night I have an epiphany. I don't remember it clearly, but it was something about being connected with the world, with your partner, with yourself. And that all this was one. One truth. One love.
Saturday, July 17 - babies are cute, till they can pick up a baby bouncer
I'm glad I have things to do while Danny is away and glad to be around other people. Lovely people. Glenda and her husband are two of the nicest most welcoming people I know. I feel lucky to be surrounded by good people. I feel like I attract them like a magnet. Or else, I have to remind myself that when I get into bad situations. Good people remind me that I still have faith in the human race. And if we're all ok, I'll be ok. And if I'm ok, the world will be ok too. Plus, hanging out with babies reminds me that it's ok to play and that kids will play with anyone who is fun and who will listen and interact with them. Just as we should interact with one another. Am I looking too deeply into this? Anyway the funniest part was when one of the older babies started getting a little possessive over certain toys and her brother. She was learning the word "mine" (which reminded me of my sister when she was little). Charles volunteered to drive me to Staten Island and I was so glad I didn't have to make the 2 hour trek on public transport on my own. I stayed with Lolo Fred and Lola Cora that night. I could not sleep again, but this time I had television to keep me company.
Sunday, July 19 - somewhere to call home
I woke up early to go to 8am mass with Lolo, Lola and Auntie Tita and Uncle. I had never seen an Indian Catholic priest before. After that we went to Liberty Park, NJ for the Paetenian's Picnic. I tried to be social at first, but I still was battling myself internally and went off on my own to take pictures and just be on my own. When I came back I met a woman named Letty who apparently is the niece of my mom's adopted father. But my mom explained to me that she is also a distant blood relative. It's nice to know I have family all over. I won a game where I had to rip a piece of paper in such a way as to make the longest possible continuous strip. Then a Filipino acapella choir that happened to be in the same picnic area performed several Filipino folk tunes, as well as "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. Apparently there are a lot of Filipinos in Jersey City.
Monday, July 20 - news
I spend the morning a little down, waking up alone in our Brooklyn apartment. But I am pleasantly surprised in the afternoon by a call from NYLS HR offering me a job with them. I am ecstatic. I immediately thank my references, especially Ellyn at the Convention Center for being so proactive with my recommendation. I decide to make my first day July 28 so that I can have a few days to spend with Danny. That evening I go for manicures with Nicole and chit chat with Gallo, the cashier, en espanol. It was so difficult to get that part of my brain working again, but he was friendly and accommodating to my grammatical mistakes. Then we have dinner with Tyson at Red Hot II next to that Indian Place Danny and I love.
Tuesday, July 21 - fedex
I spend the day indoors. Probably some Hulu action. Fedex arrives, and the driver tells me to save his cell number for any future deliveries. Now I know my local Fedex guy.
Wednesday, July 22 - the Brazilian Cruise
Emilia has been telling me how she wants to check out this Brazilian Cruise and I am feeling lonely so I ask if I can tag along with her and Kain. When we're on the boat I keep feeling like I made a mistake inviting myself, as if I'm butting in on their date. But at the same time I feel entitled. Like I deserve to have a new friend. My guilt increased when Kain had to leave the boat before we embarked because he was feeling hot and a little queasy. I'm glad that Emilia and I got to spend some more time together. When the boat started moving there was a breeze of relief washing over us as we sped by the New Jersey skyline, closer and closer to the Statue of Liberty and around to the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. A Jewish (perhaps Hassidic) man was trying to impress his girlfriend with his knowledge of New York but was not really succeeding. I was glad to see several Hassidic types on the dance floor amidst the Brazilians and Centroamericans. As we were disembarking, a guy named Jonathan and his friends Juan Diego and Cindy invite us to Santos Party House to keep the party going. We decide to be spontaneous and walk about 10-15 blocks there. I was glad I brought flipflops. It was one of their friend's birthday, so he got bottle service and we had a place to sit. It felt so good to dance again. I am realizing that the dance floor is another home for me.
Thursday, July 22 - rebuilding
I was awoken by Pablo, our Super, at 8am. I was just glad that he came to assess our kitchen. I am hoping to have our countertop replaced in the next month. After he leaves I go back to sleep, but I notice a cough emerging. At first I think that I just lost my voice from talk-yelling at Santos' but it was probably the humid dance floor packed with humans (and their germies) plus the cold river breeze that gave me a cold.
Friday, July 23 - sicky
I stay in, take meds, but still made the effort to do our laundry.
Saturday, July 24 - sick anticipation
I'm still sick. But Danny returns tomorrow. I'm downing emergenC and cold meds like crazy to try to be healthy for his arrival.
Sunday, July 25 - ...
I couldn't wake up for church. I stayed in all day.
Danny returned late that night. I see a different man. But still the same man. I still love this man. I am happy to have him back. We talk. He understands my anger. We agree that this was a difficult time for both of us. At least we're on the same page. This is how we will begin to work it out.
Monday, July 26 - the runaround and bonding
Went to AAA in Manhattan, hoping they would take care of our registration woes, only to find out that only California's AAA takes care of registration for you (they failed to mention that AAA doesn't sell insurance in the state of New York... we find this out in August... but just so you know). They direct us to the 34th Street DMV, which closed at 4pm. So we decide to just go with the flow and watch a movie at the neighboring Lowes theater. But first we make a trip to H&M down the street and split a veggie burrito at Chipotle (by the way they are $2 more expensive here). As most of you know, Inception is such a great work of film! Later that night we spend at home together. We talked more.
Tuesday, July 27 - on the road again
I got to have breakfast with Danny before he headed out to Boston with the band. At least he'll be back on Monday. Tomorrow I start work. But more on that in the next blog.
I'm going to try a weekly update from now on. Perhaps biweekly if that's the best I can manage. I like writing a little more detail about my days. I'm finding that I remember a lot more. I feel like 3 months have gone by so fast. I almost can't believe it. I almost couldn't believe in myself. Now I think I do.
Haha. I don't know how far I can stretch this metaphor. Let's just get back to the captain's log:
Stardate 06.28.10
Today I volunteered for the USC Tommy Awards, held at NYU Skirball Center. I did it mostly to get myself out of the apartment and keep myself busy while Danny was still out of town. But also to network with fellow Trojans. I admit I was a bit intimidated because I knew the other Trojans would already be well established in New York. I was actually really inspired by the project I helped put together. Although I only volunteered the night of the event, I felt like what I did was important. Hey, if I didn't help smooth out that "step-and-repeat" with the steamer, we wouldn't have those snazzy looking photos with our honorees in front of the USC logo. After the show there was a reception up on the 12th floor with a great view of Manhattan, good cheese and an open bar. I met some great people and made a good impression with the Alumni Club exec board. I almost wasn't able to get my stuff out of the Green Room after the reception, but we eventually figured out how to gain access to the elevator down there. Whew... After that I made my way to Park Slope where Danny was playing a gig at Puppet's. It felt so good to be reunited with Danny. I almost ran to him when I saw him. It felt good to be in his arms again.
Tuesday 6/29 - SPOILER ALERT: the next few posts get really lovey dovey
I make Danny lunch and he says "thank you for supporting me" to which I respond "thank you for providing." Danny is out working to support us, and although sometimes gigs take him away from me, I know that it's for us... for me. Plus, making him food kind of makes me feel better. The last time I was unemployed and Danny was working I was feeling really down about myself and kind of worthless. I told this to my dad and he suggested that I cook for him. At first I laughed, thinking what an old-fashioned mentality to have... but I tried it. I did feel good knowing that I was feeding my husband. And I felt even better knowing how much he appreciated me for it. Around that same time I was also reading Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I remember a passage about how women make their men notice them by providing in the kitchen (and in the bedroom) and raise their standing within the household by making men appreciate them in different ways... like by adding extra flavor to food, or speaking eloquently, or wearing a flower in their hair... I'm not remembering completely, but you get the gist. Don't worry, I won't start binding my feet anytime soon. Though sometimes heels sort of feel that way. Later that night we go to Mona in the Lower East Side with Matt and see Rachel Price, Laura, and Brandon. Rachel sang, and so did this other great singer that sang like a trumpet with a mute in an old recording. It was so interesting that the whole bar fell silent. That was pretty awesome.
Wednesday June 30 - Mr. Wonderful
Went to Covo in Harlem for Danny's gig with the Alex Brown group. We drove, so we got home in time to enjoy some time together and watched an episode of The Simpsons. In the episode, Homer has to leave town a lot (sort of a parody of The Devil Wears Prada) and he learns that he needs to spend more time with his wife. Danny wrote on Facebook "You are my best friend, my greatest support, and my #1 fan. I love you every day." He has earned the title of Mr. Wonderful in my book.
Thursday, July 1 - errands
We decide to make an excursion of our errands today by walking to the Atlantic Avenue terminal. It takes about 30 minutes, and thank goodness we packed water because it was H-O-T! After a half hour in line at the DMV we find out that we should have brought the Title to the car as well as Socials in order to get anything accomplished. Ok next time. So we head over to Target for a few things, and walk back and stop at Family Dollar for a few more. Then we did laundry together. Even laundry was fun as long as it's with Danny.
Friday, July 2 - where's the beef?
We kept waiting to find out if we were going to New Jersey for the July 4 holiday, but never heard back from Matt's uncle, so we made the executive decision to have a housewarming/1st anniversary barbecue on July 3 at our place and a 4th of July bbq at Matt's. Today we just picked up a few supplies from Family Dollar, Trader Joe's, and our corner market Compare Foods. We ended up getting a lot more stuff from the corner market because Trader Joe's was a lot more expensive than I remember it being in San Diego. I think this is also the day I went to MoMA with Matt and Laura.
Saturday, July 3 - warming our house
Today was our housewarming! Danny and I worked together very well, preparing the backyard, cooking the food, and making our guests feel welcome. This album has some photos of the bbq as well as other pics from the weekend if you click here. We made some great memories at our apartment this night and we felt a lot of warmth from our friends that came to party with us. The only bad thing about the night was getting bit up by the mosquitoes. These bugs are vicious!
Sunday, July 4 - Independence Day
Today was the BBQ at the Kensington House. We had fun hanging out with our peeps. And I got a tiny glimpse of the fireworks. I had to stand on a chair to see them. Sean made some awesome pasta salad and another girl made cucumbers with hot sesame oil and another brought a watermelon salad with feta cheese and basil! Matt made some awesome burgers from scratch.
Monday, July 5 - Happy Birthday Maro
Today I convinced a bunch of Maro's friends to change their Facebook profile photos to one that included Maro's face. She was surprised to see a bunch of people change their photos to her face all at once. I hope she felt special :) I can't believe she's 21 now and can't wait to celebrate with her in San Diego (and in Las Vegas). I Skyped with the family for a bit as Maro blew out birthday candles on a chocolate cake. They placed the laptop on the table as if I was right there sitting with them. Later for dinner Danny and I went to Beet in Park Slope for Thai food. We got there just before the rush. The Tom Yum soup was nothing too special, but the spring rolls and my curry was super delicious. Afterward we went to Puppet's again for Danny's gig, which had a great turnout that night!
Tuesday, July 6 - a new friend
Tonight I had dinner with Emilia at her place that she and her boyfriend are subletting in Sunset Park. She made a great apricot chicken with orzo from scratch with a recipe she found online. We finished off a bottle of Merlot that I had bought for the housewarming, and then looked at pictures we took from each of our study abroad trips in Spain. She showed me this great video of her in a remote village in Morocco inside the bridal chamber. The women in the room helped the bride prepare, but they also helped to dress Emilia up in traditional headwrap and painted her hands and feet with henna as they danced and celebrated. What a great way to be received into a culture!
Wednesday, July 7 - San Diego here I come...
Danny was able to drive me to the airport at 515am. I had about an hour of sleep the that night because it was so HOT, and I was excited about going home. On the first leg of the flight, I sat in front of this snoring dude. It sounded like he was about to choke on his own breath. The guy sitting next to him upgraded to business class just to get away. I had earplugs that didn't really do too much. He also put his jacket on the back of my seat and I could smell his musk as I sat. It wasn't too bad as long as I sat away from the left armpit. As I was leafing through the Skymall, I noticed some snore-reducing devices, so I tore out the page and stuck it in his coat pocket. I wonder if he even knows that he snores? Some people don't believe it, and they wake up and say, what? I wasn't snoring. Well, I hope he took this as a sign. Yes, a bit passive of me, but I was tired and that was all the energy I wanted to expend. I was about to wake him up and say, are you ok? because it sounds like you might have sleep apnea. The second flight was much nicer, and thank goodness it was the longer flight. Maro picked me up and I drove her to her summer class at City College. Then I met up with Chloe for lunch where we ate at Cafe Zucchero. A delicious way to start my trip. I picked up Maro at the end of her class (it felt so good to drive again... in an automatic, in safe driving conditions, in my Camry, even if the driver's side door handle broke off and doesn't work anymore). I spent the afternoon beginning to pack a few boxes to ship to New York and enjoyed dinner with the family. After that Maro and I headed to Alexis' place for her birthday party. It was great/awesome/eventful to say the least, especially since Maro is now 21 years old. Oh, and it was great to hear Karissa speak so much Greek :) On the way home we stopped by Ralphs/76. I'm a good sister.
Thursday, July 8 - home
We stayed in all day. Well, we only went out to do some grocery shopping. Bought a huge tub of cheese balls for the trip!
Friday, July 9 - VEGAS!!!
Drove to Tin's.
Andrew, Tin, Maro and I drive to Vegas. Stop at McDonalds in Primm.
Check in at Planet Hollywood Westgate.
Unite with the Ad Club boys.
Pool time.
Dick's Last Resort. Meet up with the St. Sophia gang.
Party like a rock star at ROK in NYNY.
Salsa-tastic time till the wee hours.
Saturday, July 10 - BEEGAAS!!
Rachelle and Jayson arrive and jump on Maro's bed to wake her up.
Join Melissa & Jeremy for Champagne Brunch Buffet at Le Village in Paris.
Walk off the food-coma-feeling.
Hotel room party!
Limo to the Palms.
Clubbing at Ghostbar, Rain, Moon, and Playboy.
Regroup at the hotel.
Sunday, July 11 - Recovery
Brunch at Carnegie Deli in Mirage
Drive Tin home?
Monday, July 12 - Happy Anniversary Danny Bear
I promised my dad that I would help him try to get rid of this spyware that acts like an antivirus trial system and solicits you to buy their software off of his computer. Every time I tried to delete or uninstall it the program would come back after restart. It was infuriating, and the loud alert/screeching sound it made every 3 minutes got me on edge. I looked it up online and found that this was plaguing other users as well but could find no real answers as to how to rid myself of this infuriating mess. I decided the best thing would be to buy an external hard drive and get my dad's documents out and finally retire this machine (I mean, it's at least 7 years old, and parts of it maybe 10). A nice break in the day came when my mom asked me to open the door and I saw a delivery person with a dozen red roses. Danny immediately called me and said Happy Anniversary. Apparently he had coordinated this with my mom ahead of time to ensure that I was home for the flower delivery. I was in tears. Mostly because I was so happy to feel so loved, but also because I had been holding in the stress of being apart from my husband on our anniversary, knowing we would be separated for two more weeks while he was on tour, showing my friends and family a happy face while I felt like I wasn't adjusting very well to living in New York, and dealing with this freaking devil of a computer virus. I had to put myself back together in order to have a clean face for dinner. We had planned a joint-family dinner at Troy's Greek Restaurant on Friar's road to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It was me, my parents & sister, Danny's parents, brother & grandparents, and Danny's proxy Smokey the bear. It was also good to see Grandpa Jerry out since his bout with pneumonia. After dinner Maro and I headed downtown and had a drink at the Blarney Stone and crepes and gelato at Chocolat with Victor, Karissa, Marie, Megan, Lauren, Kiki and Nicole. It was so difficult to answer the question "Why aren't you staying longer?" and I had to answer "Because I have an interview on Thursday." but really I was leaving because I knew that if I didn't leave then I wouldn't want to leave for a long time.
Tuesday, July 13 - Keilah are you ok, are you ok, are you ok Keilah
We went to the De Guzman house to visit Auntie Delia, Uncle Rudy, Arlene, Rachelle... but who are we kidding, it was mostly for Rachelle's baby Keilah. She is sooooo cute and fun to play with. She was a little finicky at first, but she responded really well to our singing and dancing. We went to have dinner all together as a family. Later we met up with Chloe at Zodiak and Tin and Andrew also came. I felt like I rounded out the trip very well with a visit to the Zodiak, a longtime staple.
Wednesday, July 14 - fly me to the moon
My flight was at 7am and Danny's aunt Sue's flight was at 630 so we made plans to meet up for breakfast at the airport. Unfortunately she had many unforeseen delays so I just offered her a pan de sal for the flight to Chicago and gave her a hug hello/goodbye. Nothing eventful to note on the flight. The Sennheiser headphones I found in Danny's storage worked great and I was able to nap on the plane. When I got back into New York there was a humid heat and a wishful linger of rain in the air. I decided to take a cab, hoping to relax in convenience. Instead I spent the whole ride trying to figure out how to get back home because the cabbie didn't know Brooklyn very well. I made shrimp/veggie stir-fry for dinner. I tried to eat outside but was chased inside by thunder and mosquitoes. I also trapped a fly into the bathroom, luring it in there by turning off all the other lights in the apartment. Even this simple act reminded me of Danny.
Thursday, July 15 - stirring changes
It was a fairly easy ride getting to New York Law School on the Subway, and got there 20 minutes early. I felt really good the entire time. From my software assessment, to my HR interview, to my departmental interview. The whole process made me feel better and better about myself. I knew I was qualified and a good fit for the job and I had a feeling I was convincing my interviewers of it too. I think I had the job even before I mentioned I was a USC graduate to a fellow alum. But I was getting dizzy. The possibility of change was moving me too fast. I was almost glad not to be offered the job right then and there. I knew that HR had to do some reference checks. I decided to take the train up to Chelsea and see if Nicole was working at Eleni's. She wasn't, but I decided to explore and sort of decompress while in that neighborhood. I found myself on the Highline, and explored the views. On the phone with Ellen, I began to divulge some of my stresses and resentment I was beginning to feel about being a "jazz widow," the wife of a musician basically who is always out playing. On the way back, walking through the trendy part of the meatpacking distric, then to the subway I decided I deserved an ice cream from a Van Leewen Truck and stopped to watch some salsa dancing on the Triangle in Chelsea. I was wishing I could dance with someone, but there was only one person I could think of. Later that night I called Danny and had a heart to heart. It was the first time I really expressed how angry I was that he left me alone in the city.
Friday, July 16 - dizzying madness
I'm still emotional. I'm still angry at Danny. But I can't help but love him. I'm glad I expressed my feelings and I hope we'll get through this. I meet up with Nicole and Tyson and Kenny at Vox Pop, but I am sort of distant. On my way home I decide to stop at Target to buy something for Glenda's baby Briana's 1st birthday party. I remember talking to Laurel for a while, but my mind is still racing and I can't focus. I get home and find it difficult to sleep. I am still dizzy, unbalanced, un-whole. At some point in the middle of the night I have an epiphany. I don't remember it clearly, but it was something about being connected with the world, with your partner, with yourself. And that all this was one. One truth. One love.
Saturday, July 17 - babies are cute, till they can pick up a baby bouncer
I'm glad I have things to do while Danny is away and glad to be around other people. Lovely people. Glenda and her husband are two of the nicest most welcoming people I know. I feel lucky to be surrounded by good people. I feel like I attract them like a magnet. Or else, I have to remind myself that when I get into bad situations. Good people remind me that I still have faith in the human race. And if we're all ok, I'll be ok. And if I'm ok, the world will be ok too. Plus, hanging out with babies reminds me that it's ok to play and that kids will play with anyone who is fun and who will listen and interact with them. Just as we should interact with one another. Am I looking too deeply into this? Anyway the funniest part was when one of the older babies started getting a little possessive over certain toys and her brother. She was learning the word "mine" (which reminded me of my sister when she was little). Charles volunteered to drive me to Staten Island and I was so glad I didn't have to make the 2 hour trek on public transport on my own. I stayed with Lolo Fred and Lola Cora that night. I could not sleep again, but this time I had television to keep me company.
Sunday, July 19 - somewhere to call home
I woke up early to go to 8am mass with Lolo, Lola and Auntie Tita and Uncle. I had never seen an Indian Catholic priest before. After that we went to Liberty Park, NJ for the Paetenian's Picnic. I tried to be social at first, but I still was battling myself internally and went off on my own to take pictures and just be on my own. When I came back I met a woman named Letty who apparently is the niece of my mom's adopted father. But my mom explained to me that she is also a distant blood relative. It's nice to know I have family all over. I won a game where I had to rip a piece of paper in such a way as to make the longest possible continuous strip. Then a Filipino acapella choir that happened to be in the same picnic area performed several Filipino folk tunes, as well as "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. Apparently there are a lot of Filipinos in Jersey City.
Monday, July 20 - news
I spend the morning a little down, waking up alone in our Brooklyn apartment. But I am pleasantly surprised in the afternoon by a call from NYLS HR offering me a job with them. I am ecstatic. I immediately thank my references, especially Ellyn at the Convention Center for being so proactive with my recommendation. I decide to make my first day July 28 so that I can have a few days to spend with Danny. That evening I go for manicures with Nicole and chit chat with Gallo, the cashier, en espanol. It was so difficult to get that part of my brain working again, but he was friendly and accommodating to my grammatical mistakes. Then we have dinner with Tyson at Red Hot II next to that Indian Place Danny and I love.
Tuesday, July 21 - fedex
I spend the day indoors. Probably some Hulu action. Fedex arrives, and the driver tells me to save his cell number for any future deliveries. Now I know my local Fedex guy.
Wednesday, July 22 - the Brazilian Cruise
Emilia has been telling me how she wants to check out this Brazilian Cruise and I am feeling lonely so I ask if I can tag along with her and Kain. When we're on the boat I keep feeling like I made a mistake inviting myself, as if I'm butting in on their date. But at the same time I feel entitled. Like I deserve to have a new friend. My guilt increased when Kain had to leave the boat before we embarked because he was feeling hot and a little queasy. I'm glad that Emilia and I got to spend some more time together. When the boat started moving there was a breeze of relief washing over us as we sped by the New Jersey skyline, closer and closer to the Statue of Liberty and around to the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. A Jewish (perhaps Hassidic) man was trying to impress his girlfriend with his knowledge of New York but was not really succeeding. I was glad to see several Hassidic types on the dance floor amidst the Brazilians and Centroamericans. As we were disembarking, a guy named Jonathan and his friends Juan Diego and Cindy invite us to Santos Party House to keep the party going. We decide to be spontaneous and walk about 10-15 blocks there. I was glad I brought flipflops. It was one of their friend's birthday, so he got bottle service and we had a place to sit. It felt so good to dance again. I am realizing that the dance floor is another home for me.
Thursday, July 22 - rebuilding
I was awoken by Pablo, our Super, at 8am. I was just glad that he came to assess our kitchen. I am hoping to have our countertop replaced in the next month. After he leaves I go back to sleep, but I notice a cough emerging. At first I think that I just lost my voice from talk-yelling at Santos' but it was probably the humid dance floor packed with humans (and their germies) plus the cold river breeze that gave me a cold.
Friday, July 23 - sicky
I stay in, take meds, but still made the effort to do our laundry.
Saturday, July 24 - sick anticipation
I'm still sick. But Danny returns tomorrow. I'm downing emergenC and cold meds like crazy to try to be healthy for his arrival.
Sunday, July 25 - ...
I couldn't wake up for church. I stayed in all day.
Danny returned late that night. I see a different man. But still the same man. I still love this man. I am happy to have him back. We talk. He understands my anger. We agree that this was a difficult time for both of us. At least we're on the same page. This is how we will begin to work it out.
Monday, July 26 - the runaround and bonding
Went to AAA in Manhattan, hoping they would take care of our registration woes, only to find out that only California's AAA takes care of registration for you (they failed to mention that AAA doesn't sell insurance in the state of New York... we find this out in August... but just so you know). They direct us to the 34th Street DMV, which closed at 4pm. So we decide to just go with the flow and watch a movie at the neighboring Lowes theater. But first we make a trip to H&M down the street and split a veggie burrito at Chipotle (by the way they are $2 more expensive here). As most of you know, Inception is such a great work of film! Later that night we spend at home together. We talked more.
Tuesday, July 27 - on the road again
I got to have breakfast with Danny before he headed out to Boston with the band. At least he'll be back on Monday. Tomorrow I start work. But more on that in the next blog.
I'm going to try a weekly update from now on. Perhaps biweekly if that's the best I can manage. I like writing a little more detail about my days. I'm finding that I remember a lot more. I feel like 3 months have gone by so fast. I almost can't believe it. I almost couldn't believe in myself. Now I think I do.