Massive Update

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