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

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.

Month 2 NYC

We've completed a second month of living in New York. Overall a positive experience thus far. Of course I still miss home, but it got a lot better when I decorated. I'm not only making New York my home, but depending more and more on Danny. He is my home. And when he's not home, I miss San Diego even more. Still job searching, I try to keep my days occupied with volunteer projects, making connections, and making friends. Here are my latest exploits. Check out photos on the links to the right.

5/27 - Had an interview at Pratt that went relatively well, but I didn't get a good feeling after it. Our personalities didn't mesh too well, but I thought I presented myself confidently, truthfully and with grace. Later that night went to a USC alumni Happy Hour at Hudson Terrace and met Corina, previously in real estate but trying to get into the publishing world who just moved to NY with her husband. Also saw Loni, a classmate from the PASA program. I was glad that Danny came with me. He is so wonderful. I was nervous about going because I was... afraid. This was my first attempt at networking in New York and I was glad to have his support. He later told me that he was impressed with the way I interacted with everyone. I'm glad I went. After that we headed over to the Kensington house to hang with the musician peoples.
5/28 - I didn't write any notes down, so I'm guessing I stayed in. Danny left for tour that morning.
5/29 - It's difficult to do anything when Danny is away. He is my motivation some days.
5/30 - Went to church in the morning to St. Constantine & Helen's Cathedral again. This time I had a far more welcoming experience. Fr. John went out of his way to welcome me and get my contact information and introduce me to some of the OPA crowd (Orthodox Paidia Association). It's Memorial Weekend so not many people were there, but I got to meet Leya. Mr. Bakas was also very welcoming, and I started feeling more at home. Then I met up with Starr to go to the Dance Africa street fair and dance performance. I learned the call & response Ago & Ame. I feel the love in this community. After this I went home in time for Danny's return. We went to Jalopy (after an endless "walking tour" of Red Hook), and enjoyed some time with Matt, Alec, Tess and Sal and hung out with the musicians that played at the bar nextdoor. I remember a really creepy guy kept staring at me, so I said "Hello, excuse me" to him, and that kinda scared him off, but I kept seeing him trying to get with drunken girls. I hate that. The night ended with us walking about 3 miles to find the subway stop and then wait for the G. THE G!
5/31 - Something possessed me to stare out at the backyard. Danny saw this and asked me if we should clean up a little. For 30 minutes maybe. Of course I got a little compulsive and kept sweeping for a longer time while Danny went inside to practice. He got dinner started though, and made an awesome pasta sauce. I was glad to have a cleaner backyard. Later we went to Banjo Jim's as Danny was performing with Miss Tess. There I met Kelsey, Victoria and Sarah. It felt good to be social again.
6/1 - I got to Skype with Maro and Tin. It felt so good to see Maro again. I miss my sister :) In the afternoon we watched the second Star Wars (I forget which episode that means it is) at Matt's place then headed out to Rose. On the way I tasted my first "Jamaican Beef Patty" which I guess is no big deal, but I thought it was delicious. Music was great at Rose, but I was kind of over serious jazz for the moment, so Matt and I left Danny and Kenny to go to Mona for some more old-timey swing scene. It wasn't as great as other nights Matt says, but I enjoyed seeing a different scene. Carly spilled Matt's beer all over my leg, haha. A costumed old-timey integrated couple sang "I ain't got no money" in a very cartoonish way. Kenny and Danny arrived and soon after we went to wait for our trains again...
6/2 - around 3pm we were on the BQE for some reason and Danny said "I think now I can understand why my Dad drives the way he does" after we had a few close calls on these narrow highways with short off/on ramps and cars weaving here and there. I'm noticing that my the bite on my leg is swelling and itchy. We go Harlem for Danny's gig at Covo and I'm feeling very alone and insecure. It takes all my will power to keep it together. After the gig we go to Guantanamera and hear the end of some really great latin music. My bug bite has swelled to the size of my calf, so Danny makes me get some Calomine lotion. Later we take a tunnel to Brooklyn and didn't know we had to pay a toll. With all the expenses of the night, I was starting to feel like more of a burden for tagging along. This was the last straw. After some mutual exchange of emotions, we talked things through and promised eachother to communicate our feelings as well as our intentions to budget for each outing.
6/3 - Today was my second "date" with Nicole. We packed sandwiches and wine and headed to Central Park Sheep's Meadow for some sunning. As we walked across the green I got beaned in the arm by a baseball. After some good bonding/sunning we headed to Prospect Park for some sushi before we watched Sex and the City 2. After that we headed back to the Kensington house. After some socializing, I found myself leaving the group and spent some time on the patio talking to my mom on the phone. I felt better talking to her. She knows a lot about how difficult it is to leave your family to start a new life.
6/4 - no notes written. Is this the day we met up with Graydon and Britney for sushi and drinks. We find out that they are going to move to NY this summer! Yes, more friends in town :)
6/5 - Danny and I go to IKEA for the table legs and more! The at Costco we decide to buy bulk tomato sauce ingredients. This was going to be an adventure. But for another day. I think we watched Jerry Maguire that night.
6/6 - I am still kind of down. Danny has been doing a lot of performing and networking and just doing things that seem important. He has friends. I am trying so hard to make friends. I feel like I shouldn't be "trying" so hard. This afternoon I go to a Tahitian dance class to make use of my Groupon. I was hoping to meet other dancers, but I was the only student that day. Disappointed not to meet other dance enthusiasts, but I was glad to learn the moves. Danny seemed to like them too. I start thinking that I should find some Filipino dance/community, but that's more difficult to find it seems. Later I meet up with Angel (my parents told me to find her, through a common friend) to watch Richard III performed at Shakespeare in the Park at Central Park. It was a fun interactive presentation and I felt like this was one of those New York experiences not to miss. After that we walked down Columbus ave and find this place called Bomboloni with these delicious italian creme filled donut type things. YUM! we walked further and found ourselves at Lincoln Center. It was a fun evening of exploration.
6/7 - I volunteered at the Sts C&H Greek Festival from 2-9pm and met a lot of very welcoming people. Let's see if I can remember names. Maria and Maria at the 2pm shift. Then Stilene and Lucy later in the evening. Oh and kyria Eleni was there most of the day. I bonded a bit with Lucy. She is a Latina woman who is widowed to a Greek man and has been part of this community since she and her husband were married. She speaks perfect Greek and Spanish and is well loved by all. She's so bubbly! I love it! I get to bring home leftover pastitsio and tiropites that are "burnt" or "kalopsimena" as we like to say.
6/8 - tonight is another Hudson Terrace happy hour event, but this time it is the UC alumni that got together, and on the 2nd floor (not the rooftop). Met a woman named Lauren who is also looking for work in publishing. Dhwani is going to study abroad at an international school in France that I guess is very difficult to get into. I also talked with Wai Lin and Kristin. I didn't see too many UCSD people, mostly UCLA or Cal. I'm hoping to do more with this group too. When I got home, Danny really wanted to work on the pasta sauce. It ended up more grainy than we intended, so we froze most of it and have been cutting it with other ingredients like fresh eggplant (and add water) to make a more well-rounded sauce.
6/9 - Danny leaves for a long tour today. I volunteer again from 2-9pm. I get to meet more people like Irakli, George, Tina, Patty, Irene, Peter, Kosta, and some of the Latino workers Miguel and Felix. It's dangerous speaking Spanish and Greek and English at the same time. My mind gets all flustered trying to keep everything straight. And I sometimes feel like I'm flirting inadvertently when I speak another language. Especially Spanish. I guess that's how I learned it in Spain. Haha. I had originally wanted to see the Norah Jones free concert in Prospect park with Corina, but it was raining and decided to skip it. Corina told me she and her husband got soaked but that it was a great concert.
6/10 - I met up with Kayoko and her daughter Madeleine who are visiting NY for the week. We ate brunch in the West Side at a trendy looking place (Abigail's maybe?) and check out Zabar's (a must see according to Kayoko and Ellen). We walk through Central Park to the Met and check out the Picasso exhibit before heading over to the King Tut exhibit. It's raining on and off and Maddy is starting to get a bit tired and crankasaurus. To be expected in young kids, but I still felt bad because Maddy was definitely turning up the charm for me and being rude to her mom. We stopped for some coffee and dessert on Broadway and bid eachother adieu until Monday when Danny returns. I make it just barely in time to go to a ballet class and this time the room is full of students. It felt good to dance again, and even better to have the energy of other bodies flowing through the room. Not to much socializing though, but maybe next time. Late that night (about 2am actually) I Skyped with my family. Yes it was late, but well worth it. I'm realizing more and more the importance of family every day.
6/11 - I volunteer at the festival from 2-9pm and stick around and dance till about 1230am. This is what I've been waiting for. DANCE! COMMUNITY! I am not only a social animal, I'm a dancing animal! I was so excited, that when I got home I decided I'd move the car across the street.
6/12 - it was a sad morning. Greece lost its first game in the World Cup. I didn't wake up in time to watch the game at church, but I was so tired. I also got an email from my dad with a picture of our house in Greece that has been tagged full of graffiti. I talked to my dad on the phone and it did not make me feel better. Just sadder. I lost my orexi, my appetite, to go to the festival. At the last minute I said to myself, you've got nothing else to do, just go. So I made an outfit out of one of Danny's button down shirts and leggings and mustered up some of that confidence that he usually helps me build in myself. I went and enjoyed some dessert and drinks and got to watch the younger kids and the young adults perform. I danced a bit and people were impressed with my skills. We had plenty of Greek Dance training on the west coast. Hooray for FDF! I'm finding it more difficult to find a dance community in New York. Greek community exists for different reasons and for different populations here. I can't expect to find the same things here. I made friends with this girl Beatriz cause I taught her a few dances on Friday night and we danced some more tonight. I am hoping to go salsa dancing with her sometime. I was starting to feel down again around 10pm, and I was on my way to leaving, and down the street halfway to the subway stop I stopped again and talked myself into going back. I'm glad I did and danced until about 1230am mostly with Effie, Foti, and Cara and hung out with Michelle's family for a bit and Irene's family until about 1:30am. I'm glad I made myself keep going.
6/13 - i actually got up to go to a volunteer rally for Tour de Cure at 10am at Pier 92, which meant I had to be out the door by 9am. It was sort of a pointless meeting, but I was glad to go and to know where I was supposed to be on the 26th. Since that got done by 11am, I called Graydon to have breakfast. His hotel suggested this deli that was obnoxiously expensive (I guess famous people ate there), but I decided we should walk away, and we found some reasonable breakfast just a block away. When I got home something possessed me to start cleaning the bathroom. I scrubbed for a good 2 hours I suppose. I felt better to have a cleaner bathroom, though I still think it needs to be renovated. Danny comes home and we decide to go out to Zinc Bar to catch some Brazilian performers. We had some incredibly overpriced sodas ($5 for a coke!!) and even though the music was great, it felt absurd to pay cover and still have a drink minimum. We were out till 2am that night. Trains take forever.
6/14 - Danny and I met up with Kayoko and Maddy (and 2 friends they were staying with) for dinner at a Japanese Katsu restaurant near Rockefeller Center. It was delicious and Danny was so fun with Madeleine. Danny had just joined the 802 musician's union that day and we headed over to a jam session at the union headquarters only to find that it's an early hang. Danny heads out to another jam and I head home. I'm ok with not hanging with him all the time, especially if that means he feels more free to network when I'm not around.
6/15 - I found a ladder on Craigslist! We pick it up at 12pm. $20 and I'm out the door. We get back in time for street sweeping to be over and find prime parking! I take the opportunity to decorate while Danny is out at a rehearsal and I transform our blank space into a creatively infused LIVING room. Still on a Craigslist buzz, I find a printer for $30 and go pick it up in Brooklyn Heights. I'm a natural born deal finder :)
6/16 - I go to a USC alum board meeting and see Clare (another PASA peep) and Corina again. I get to meet Jesse and Kate in person and get connected with Emily and Anvar. It's a very professionally run group, though there were some tense moments in the meeting. Sometimes all the pressure to perform caused one awkward moment. Then I was slightly offended when some guys made a side comment kind of putting down the UC system as "government subsidized" but in a way that made me feel lower class. Would this happen at a UC alum meeting? Even with the awkwardness, I volunteered for some projects and am pledging to get involved so that I can get better connected and see if this group is for me. It's always better to try than to give up before learning more about the group. After the meeting some of us hung out at Union Bar down the street and I had a good time chatting with my fellow Trojans in a casual setting. After that I met up with Nicole so that we could ride the train together back to the Kensington house where we made Jello shots and danced in Matt's room :)
6/17 - The aches in my body are catching up to me. I watch a webinar provided by UCSD alumni association about improving your Resume and attend another ballet class that night. As I tried my skills at pirouettes after so long, I fell and bruised my ego. But I got up and tried again. I'm off balance. I could argue this is true on many levels. I need to find my balance here in New York.
6/18 - Nicole and I set our sights for Coney Island. We pack some snacks and take the F all the way to the end and find the boardwalk and the beach. It is by far nothing to par with southern Cali beaches, but I still felt comfort seeing an ocean again. We said next time we'd go further down the beach where there was less glass mixed in with the sea shells and that we'd come at night for the Luna Park rides. We then headed to Vox Pop to watch the jam session. I had a delicious chili (which I didn't know was vegan) and salad for $5 :) Nicole, Kenny, Danny and I played Scrabble. Then we walked back to the Kensington house. Can you tell it's becoming a regular hang?
6/19 - it's another trio gig at Banjo Jim's tonight and I see Sarah again. I also meet one of Tess' friends that just moved to NY from Boston. I also meet Emilia who just moved to town and is also attached to a drummer. Lots of newbies in the city. After that we walked (I walked in heels) 12 blocks to the Living Room and saw some great acts. Too bad we waited hours for the Tess group to perform, but the night was cut short (2am instead of 4am... we guessed the sound tech and bar staff wanted to go home). We were glad that Tess could drive us home that night.
6/20 - Up till 4am the night before, but I still got up for church! It is a calming time for me. I am still searching for my faith, but even without knowing why, I find this experience brings me balance. Just by being there. After church at coffee hour I got to socialize with Kosta and Foti and George and his girlfriend for a short bit. It's father's day so we had cake! I helped serve it, so Fr John told me how luck Danny must be. I agree. On the way home I call my dad. This time I have a better conversation with him. I try to keep things positive with him no matter what twists and turns he takes us on and off topic. I'm having trouble with the internet today so I decide to take my laptop to the Apple store the next day. At some point this night i decide to write in my datebook "I will do something different."
6/21 - I take a trip out to Chelsea to the Apple Store. Nothing is wrong with my computer, so it must be the router. That night I decide to watch my hubby at his gig at Puppets. For a few hours I have Nicole to keep me company, but as she has work in the morning, I find myself as the only female in the place (until another kind of loud woman chats up the bartender). Well, definitely the only woman listening to the music. Danny introduces me to John McNeil and he pats my head and calls me a saint. I felt flattered and belittled all at once. I stick it out till 1am and we drive home.
6/22 - I ate a bowl full of pasta and get a really sick feeling in my stomach. I think maybe I'm allergic to gluten now. Maybe just a stomach bug. I meet up with Nicole for some mochi at the sushi place near Prospect Park then we hang back that the Kensington house as she packs for her trip back home to Portland. I have some chicken wings, but they still make me long for Wings & Things.
6/23 - I do some laundry. I ask Danny to make dinner. He gets a little fussy but does it. It's difficult to ask him for anything when he's busy with something else, but what else can I do? I have to ask him sometime. I make some cold calls that I promised to do for USC. It is a nervous task. i don't like cold calling. Later I go out to watch Alec play in his duo Ronald Reagan at a comedy show at Cameo Gallery in the Lovin' Cup. All the comedians were really funny. One was a writer from SNL, one was a black guy with a huge afro and awkward personality that rocked the autoloop machine with his insane songs, and the host was Max Silvestri. I wish I could remember other names. I'm definitely going here again. Emelia and her boyfriend also came so I got to hang out with them and get some organic ice cream from a truck afterward.
6/24 - I met up with Chrisoula at 1130am in Astoria. This got me out of the apartment before Danny left for another tour. It's easier that way. We ate lunch at Grand Cafe amid World Cup watchers and swapped moving stories. Then she took me on a mini-tour and we stopped at Titan to buy some Greek groceries. Of course I had to grab a can of Caprice while I was there. When I got home I made some more USC cold calls and forced myself to finish. Arrgg. Then I went to Prospect Park with Emilia and watched a great Flamenco music and dance performance. The big name for the night was supposted to be Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, but they were not able to get visas in time for this performance (USA-Cuba red tape). So they showed the documentary film instead. We still enjoyed ourselves. Afterward we got a drink at Double Windsor (the place Nicole loves so much) and bonded over Spain stories and moving to NY experiences. She love to salsa too, so I'm hoping to hang out more with her.
6/25 - my big accomplishment of the day: move the car. akk.
6/26 - Today was Tour de Cure and I volunteered at 10am for the cheering/lunch area. I met some lovely ladies and one gentleman. The names I remember are Marsha (sister to the organizer), Andrea a high schooler and FBI explorer, Camila a high schooler and dancer that is related to a famous conductor. Everyone was really nice. I should expect as much from people who volunteer out of the goodness in their hearts. I enjoyed myself. I got a great compliment from a young rider "this lady is always smiling." I like it that way. After the event I walked into the Broadway district and found a Rite Aid to buy some bubbles. Then I found a bar to watch the rest of the USA-Ghana game. Although we lost, it was great to see a bar full of people cheer on our country's athletes with resounding "USA. USA. USA." in unison. I headed to the red steps with my bubbles and found some other people with bubble gear. I overhead someone saying that the cops were out to keep people from blowing bubbles onthe stairs, lets people slip on the soapy mess. So I decided not to tempt Officer Fate and start my bubbling exploits on the more porous ground. The Bubble Battle was magical. Children and teenagers and adults all blasting eachother with bubbles. Motorized guns to old fashioned wands. One lady was handing out mini wands (the kinds you use at weddings) to anyone who wanted to join. One fellow had a bubble machine strapped to his helmet. And strangers were interacting with eachother in such a fun and innocent way. I got home exhausted and covered in soapy goo.
6/27 - This morning I went to church. I was impressed to make it just after 1030. Only a few minutes late. Fr. John gave a sermon about the fast-paced lives we live and the instant gratification and somehow all at once made a joke about if we have so many devices that make us get things done faster why we can't get to church on time, then tied it in with biblical stories in which Apostles Peter & Paul's lives (each with their own stories) change in a flash of light, and then tying it back to the technology/people theme by saying "if you want change in your own life to happen faster, like these devices you need a good network, just like the connection you find with your church and your faith." I'm really enjoying Fr. John's sermons so far. At the end Fr. John took the time to welcome any new people and made them stand up and introduce themselves. At coffee hour I did not feel as intensely welcomed, but then again, there were others that needed more welcoming, so I just enjoyed my paximathia and coffee. I did say hello to Irakli, Maria, Sophia, Leya and Mr. Bakas again. It will take some time for me to be as comfortable in this community, but for my second month in the city, I'd say this isn't bad.

These posts end up being so long, but this method of updating is working out for me so far. It fits in to my "on a roll" type of personality. If anybody is reading this, great. If I'm just doing this dear diary style, I'm glad I can keep this up to remind me how I feel when I'm out of my comfort zone. I remember doing this on Livejournal during my study abroad in Spain. This is another life-altering experience. I'm glad I can record it. For myself and maybe to inspire another.

Now to post some of these videos!

The first 30 Days

We can't believe it's already been a month living in New York City! There definitely have been a lot of ups and downs. It's difficult to describe all the feelings, and I probably should have tracked better along the way, but here is a day-by-day short account of big moments in my mind.

4/26: Brunch with Grandpa Fred; Apartment hunting in the rain (Gianluca and TJ cancelled/forgot; waited in the rain for Brian for 30mins)
4/27: Danny's rehearsal at Tess' apartment; walk around Prospect Park with Rachel and Mike; meet Tess' apartment broker at MySpaceNYC (Danny recognized her from San Diego! Small world.)
4/28: Check out apartments with broker. Get cashier's check from bank.
4/29: Sign lease. Danny rehearsal with Tess. I watercolor in Prospect Park and give painting away to child. Help Jeff Miles move to Park Slope. Ikea run with Jeff, then dinner at Indian restaurant. Return to Staten Island to sleep.
4/30: Move stuff to apartment. Keys don't work. 2 hours to figure it all out. Food & Internet at Colador. Really nice people. Jackie, Peter, and other dude. Bed arrives. Take 4 hours to put it together. Sleep.
5/1: Finish putting together bed (didn't want to hammer late at night). Coffee and Internet at Colador. Ikea and Target. Danny says "I think I can microwave eggs" and another guy down the aisle says "oh it's come down to that has it?" BBQ at Matt's place.
5/2: Brooklyn Bridge and South Street Seaport and Financial District with Roxxy. Bed Bath & Beyond and Target shopping spree. Hooray gift cards.
5/3: Put together furniture.
5/4: Haircut and Nails in Park Slope while Danny does jam session with Jeff Miles; taking Danny's bass on the subway for the first time to gig at Shrine in Harlem. Hang at Alex Brown's place. Jam at Creole. Talk to some Greek jazz musicians outside.
5/5: Cince de Mayo! Party at Matt's. Meet up with Roxxy at Hooters.
5/6: Danny plays with Miss Tess at Rodeo Bar. Late night hang.
5/7: Day goes to Boston. I'm alone for the first time.
5/8: Hang with Peggy, Dina, Tom, Manny and Dimitri. Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, then off to Astoria. Dinner at Avenue and dessert and Frappe w/ Baileys at Omonia.
5/9: Happy Mother's Day. Go to Staten Island for Grandma Cora's party.
5/10: Sightseeing with Peggy, Dina, Tom and his parents. Grayline Tour bus and pizza dinner.
5/11: "There's no reason to live on Depressame Street" - Laurel
5/12: Visit with Glenda and her baby at Fort Hamilton.
5/13: Bronx zoo with Nicole and Tyson. Date night with Danny. Iron Man.
5/14: Met my neighbor just before doing laundry. She's really nice. I'm feeling hopeful. Also, watching too many baby videos on youtube. Have a mental breakdown while on facebook talking to Talia and Anthony. They remind me to just believe. To wait. To pray. Believe.
5/15: Walk around Clinton Hill area. Find a Flea Market. Eat shave ice on a hot day. Dany returns. Shocked by the hard time that Ausdha is having. Danny goes into full-friend-action mode. I pray. Pray.
5/16: Church at St. Constantine & Helen church in Brooklyn. I don't feel comfortable enough to engage in conversation. I'm feeling awkward and shy. I walk around the area and explore the Fulton Street Mall (a street of cheap but cute stores). Cirque du Soleil afterparty on rooftop bar. Crazy "performance" by non-cirque troupe. A good day for us. Wait.
5/17: Danny leaves for tour with Tess. Alone again. We hear Ausha is doing better. Breathe.
5/18: I sign up for a month of dance classes at "Dance with Grace" through a discount on Groupon. Rain. I go to explore for a post office. Have lunch at Square Root cafe and find myself in the middle of a photo shoot. So New York.
5/19: Gym with Starr. Great lady. I hope she can be my new friend :)
5/20: Visit Grandpa Fred & Grandma Cora & Tita Tita so that I won't be lonely. Stay the night. Good times. Late at night I talk with Danny on the phone and have an emotional fit. I didn't know it would be this hard.
5/21: Happy hour in Prospect Park with Nicole. I'm glad to be getting to know her better. $3 vodka/ginger ales. Yum. Walk through prospect park to subway to Vox Pop in Cortelyou area to see Kenny play. Sean is there too. Hang with them back at their apartment later. Good times with new friends :)
5/22: Dance Parade! Explore St. Marks. 50% off sushi for dinner. Talk with Maro on the phone. I miss home so much. Grandpa Jerry is not doing well. He is in the hospital in Virginia. Danny will visit him in the morning.
5/23: I go to church in Astoria at St. Demetrios and stay for the Greek Festival. Talk to a really jaded lady who is mad that there is no English in this church. Then I sit with 2 ladies that speak only Greek. Meet Laura and Kat who are really nice and we exchange info. I do some Greek shopping. Danny returns late at night. He looks even more handsome to me than ever. I have missed him so much.
5/24: Got back door lock replaced. Yay. Surprised with a phone interview. Personal interview on Thursday.
5/25: Happy Hour with Nicole at Flight 151. Shopping at Union Square. Adventures on the subway getting to Tess' place. Back on subway with Danny to get to Creole in Harlem.
5/26: Spent the day indoors. Hulu is good times. Oh the joys of internet tv.

In the future, here's what I hope to post, by popular demand:
- PHOTOS: of our apartment and the surrounding area
- VIDEOS: Danny's first gigs/jams
- What else should I write about?

Day 10: Finally to New York!

4/25/10



Happy Birthday Danny! I give you New York.



We stopped at a Perkins on the way from Cleveland to New York for lunch and I asked the waitresses to come out and sing him Happy Birthday. They brought out a half sugar half chocolate chip cookie with a lit candle in it. Very cute.

As we were driving through the foggy hills, we started to realize that we are MOVING! Not just traveling but making a life change.

We arrived in Staten Island at Grandpa Fred & Grandma Cora's house (my mom's uncle and aunt) around 9pm and had some pancit and talked about our travels, along with Auntie Tita as well.

While this is then end of our road trip, there are still more updates to come. We won't have reliable internet access for the next week, so it may take a bit to post a new blog. Until then, wish us luck.

Posts to come...
- in the rain
- rehearsals
- painting in Prospect Park
- our apartment in Clinton Hill
- adventures on Brooklyn Bridge

Day 9: Chicago with the Adaos, landing in Cleveland

4/24/10

This morning began with Spam and eggs and pancakes and surprisingly delicious Folgers semi-instant coffee. We continued to taking turns to "ma li ligo" (to bathe, in Tagalog), and instructing Danny on how to use a "tabo" (the smaller bucket that we use to scoop water out of the bigger bucket for which to bathe). I'm glad that I'm able to share this part of my life with Danny. I don't think he (or many of my friends) know about this part of my growing up. Only that I have a tendency to use my hands when I eat sometimes, but rarely in public... and growing ever rarer at home now.

Danny go to bond with the girls by playing Smash Brothers, then we headed out for a "pashial" (an outing). We went to walk around Soldier Field and Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum, and found lots of fun climbing the jungle gym that was "the world" as we climbed atop and named the continents and located a few known points on the map.

When we tired of this we went to Navy Pier for lunch and more of a walkabout. As my "ate" (older female sibling) Lynn and I walked arm in arm, I felt and enjoyed our deeper connection. I miss my mom and sister in our embrace, but I also feel closer as well. Saying goodbye to the Adao family is bittersweet in this way as well.

I know that tonight we reach Cleveland (and a free night at the Comfort Inn, thank you special rewards points!), and tomorrow our final descent so to speak on New York City. This particular trip is shoring up, but our new life together is just beginning to crest.

Day 8: Museum with Roberta, evening with the Adao Family

4/23/2010

We woke up for breakfast at 930 at (INSERT NAME). It was nice to have some more time with Fiora. Roberta then took us on the 151 bus toward the Art Institute Museum. There we took in some great art, including the big Matisse exhibit, but also some Picasso, Chagall, O'Keefe, and other names I couldn't remember but appreciated all the same. I'm never good with this name thing. I had an almost argument with Danny about remembering names. Actually it was more of an internal argument with myself. Why can't I remember names of artists/musicians/songs? Is it that I don't care to remember? That can't be, because I appreciate the art. Maybe I just appreciate it in the moment so much, that I don't store it for long-term memory. That's a personal thing I have to explore. Nevertheless, I developed some eye-fatigue from all the art we soaked in. And a bit of a neck cramp (or maybe it was from sleeping on the wrong side of the bed last night).

After the museum we had a nice lunch at the Park Cafe right under the Bean. Smoked salmon club sandwich. Yum. They had a great olive tapenade. Good service, but we missed the charm of "Chach".

We took the 22 back to Roberta's, but on the ride Danny developed a headache from the horrible odor that we had to sit with on our 10-15 minute ride. We couldn't tell exactly if it was coming from the homeless man sitting across from us, because I remembered smelling it from the moment we entered the bus. I figured I'd better start getting used to it if we're movign to New York. Who knows what smells, and sights, we'll encounter there.

After packign up our things at Roberta's, she said she would take us to my cousin's apartment in Little Italy. We decided to keep our car safe in her complex's garage. Then we'd get a ride back to pick up the car when we head on the road. I was a little afraid at first before meeting Roberta in person, because I had never met her and didn't know what to expect. With the Browns, at least I knew them from our wedding. She has been just as kind and welcoming. We had a great time with her (and Fiora of course) and look forward to visiting again.

I'm not sure if Danny was feeling nervous to meet my cousins. He has never met the Adaos and this was the first time we'd be spending the night with someone on my side of the family. Of course Danny was as great as always at being social and open. Clariza and Camille were a bit shy at first, but I played some volleyball with them in the backyard, and we all played some Wii games a bit later in the night so I feel like we're beginning to make a connection. After picking up Ate Lynn from work, we ordered thai food and enjoyed it at the Adao home. I'm glad we are here. It makes me feel more at home to be with my side of the family. I know that I have Danny, but having my blood relatives closeby makes me feel a little less homesick.