Thursday, September 29, 2005
Bibliophile's dream world?
Another perk? Advance copies. See, publishers send out advance copies to bookstores, libraries, schools, magazines, etc, in order to drum up exposure to new books and so that they can be reviewed before/as they come out. We get these advance copies, and they go in the break room, and we can take them on a first-come, first-serve basis. Very cool. And a great way to build my own library.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Comedy, mystery, irony, tragedy
I should probably be going to bed right now, and not starting an entry, but I'm waiting for Kat to get off the phone and call me back, so I'll kill a bit more time before I actually head to bed, in hopes that we might get to chat for a few minutes tonight, anyways. Google Talk is a fantastic thing. I'm always left feeling like we haven't talked for nearly long enough, but I think I'd feel that way regardless of how often or long we talked, and this is far superior to the alternative. Case in point: With the alternative (people's long distance plans, or lack thereof), I've talked to very few people since I got here, besides Kat (GT), Jen (GT), my parents (obligated), Grandma (free on my cell), and Becky (needed updates on the store!). All those other people? Not so much. Sometimes I can't believe that people still don't have that crazy-cool Sprint long distance plan, that covers Canada and the US for $20 a month.Anyways, now that I'm finished plugging every cheap communication tool on the market, maybe I should write about, oh, I don't know, my own life? Exciting as it is?
I've officially worked a week at B&N, and I'm still amazed at how fast my feet are not used to being stood on for so long. Even after 2 years of doing it full-time, all it took were 3 weeks of not working a job where I was on them all the time, and my feet are complaining like this is my first job, and I've done nothing but pamper them with pedicures and those foot-relaxing-whirlpool-spa thingys all my life. Totally not true, but to listen to them, that's exactly what they'd have you believe.
I'm finding a bit of a niche there, or at least, I'm starting to figure out how things work. I can busy myself with more than just wiping the counter now. I know more of the jobs and what needs to be done at any given time, which, to me, is more of an indication of a good job than just knowing the recipes. Anyone can learn how to do the drinks; it takes observation and self-starting-ness (but not good grammar, apparently) to actually be useful. I'm still not at inventory or orders yet (tee--far from it!), which is the true acid test of any store. When you know the place well enough to place and receive the orders, and when you can do inventory, then you may as well be running the place. That's what I hear, anyways.
Lourenzo and everything related to that part of life is good. I'm starting to feel more and more like a parent of sorts every day, but in other ways, not really. I know that there's a point where my responsibility ends, and yet, when I'm with him, my responsibility is to be as much like his mother as possible. It's a weird combination, because motherhood is the completely not a "time off" job, and yet I get this mix of mom-hood and my-own-time that makes me feel simultaneously connected to other moms, and yet guilty (in a very strange sort of way) that I can walk away from it at the end of the day/week, and that's not a part of the "mom job description."
Ah well... Appreciate everything I've got here, right? :o) The time off and the chance to be a bit of a mom for a while.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Dull the nails that still remains
So... it's Monday, and on Mondays, I'm trying to get into the habit of taking my laptop to the library and working for hours on end on business stuff. So, I left the house this morning with far too many heavy bags in tow, and realized that I forgot my binder. The one with all the information that I actually need to start doing said work on my laptop.So now, I'm sitting in the library with a bunch of open files in front of me, and I can't do anything with them. All that extra havoc wreaked on my shoulders for nothing.
Oh well. I'll do what I can, and then maybe try to get ahead on my emails or something. Or take a nap. Anyone know anywhere (besides a bench in Central Park, maybe) where I could sleep until I have to pick Lourenzo up? You know, today could actually have been a day where I went home. I never think of that as an option, but there are some days--the ones where I don't have anything else do to between drop-off and pick-up--that it could actually work. And, to be honest, it probably would have been just as easy to go home and get the binder. Or, to go home and work there. If I'd thought of it early enough.
As it is, I'll sign out some books and go find a coffee shop to take over. Or something like that. And who said that life was automatically more interesting in New York?
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Make every moment a surprise
Aaaahhhhh... it's 10:30, and I'm showered and dressed, but it definitely hasn't been 4 hours since I did so, like most days! Lourenzo slept over at a friend's house last night, so I didn't even have to feel guilty about sleeping in. They're coming back here later today, so I'll have some supervisory play time to do, but he's much better at entertaining himself without an adult around when there's a friend to play with. And I'm less than insulted that Simone is better company than I am! ;o)I've been taking pictures around the house, so one of these days, I'll actually post them... I still have a few rooms and details that I want to take, and I just haven't gotten around to it--or been around to do it when the light is good. I should do that this morning, actually. Maybe I'll post later tonight with house pictures.
I've worked 2 days at Starbucks now... Barnes & Noble, pardon me. I keep saying Starbucks, but that's not actually who I work for. It's just so complicated! Ah well... same diff. Now that's a phrase I haven't used in a while! Anyways. It's only been... what, 3 weeks... since I finished at Quiznos (really? It's only been that long? It feels like it was so much longer!), but it's amazing how fast my body got used to not being on my feet. Even though I've been doing a ton of walking, that's different from standing, and I could definitely feel it, even after only 6 hours. Six hours is nothing, and yet here my feet are aching like you wouldn't believe! I'm just glad that the beginning of work coincides with the beginning (re-beginning) of chiropractic.
I've been to my new chiro (here's the site) twice now, and I really like him--I've been really impressed so far, so I think I made a good choice. It was pretty much a random choice--I mean, I found a listing where users had rated the different clinics, but that's not necessarily the most accurate. I just copied down the numbers of clinics that were in areas I was at least somewhat familiar with, and then started phoning until I found one that was accepting new patients. Actually, that was the plan; this was the first one I phoned. Heh. It's a little ways away from where I work, but not too bad, and it's in an area that I've found I like, so I don't mind taking the time to get over there.
Anyways... the church hunt continues tomorrow. I still don't know for sure what I'm going to do. I'm not even sure where I'll go tomorrow--I haven't decided yet if I'll go back to one of the ones I've been to already, or if I'll go somewhere completely new. We'll see....
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
I'm gonna let it shine
For as much as I'm learning about parenting, the biggest thing is how futile it is to do it without God. I'm not even talking in terms of "Lord, give me strength," because that's not a prayer that's unfamiliar to my heart these days! I'm talking about the day-to-day inclusion of God in life.While I may have this year to be an influence and a light in Alexandra and Lourenzo's lives, I don't have the luxury of a life-long foundation of faith. When I try to instill values into Lourenzo, the single-most important reason for living a virtuous life--because it makes us more like Jesus, and it makes God happy--is a non-issue. It's not even a consideration, and I can't use it as a "bargaining tool," so to speak. I can begin to instill it as a factor, but I can't use it the same way my parents could instill it into me.
I find that I'm constantly working with Lourenzo on values, and the ones that come up most often are politeness and consideration towards others, and honesty and honor. When you promise something, you do it. When you tell me something, you tell the truth. Simple truths that take more than a lifetime to master.
And yet... why do we do this? Well, I do it because God tells me to. I do it because it reflects a strength of character. I do it because it's one more step in allowing God to shape me into a woman who reflects him. I do it because I want to please him, and everything from giving up my seat on the subway to telling the truth is a way to do that.
Without that, what do you get? An upstanding citizen. A "nice" person. Someone trustworthy, but for what? Solid citizenship is one of the most pathetic reasons for raising good children that I've ever heard. Nice in theory, but it's weak. Why would I want to raise human beings whose only reason for doing good is the fallible, faulty humans around them? That's not a standard that I want to be held to. That's not good enough to look up to. Most of the people I know aren't good enough to be my raison d'etre. I'm not good enough to be anyone else's raison d'etre.
It makes me so much more acutely aware of the futility of a faithless life.
What's my motivation? The classic, and oft-parodied, theatre line. Why am I walking here? Why do I say this? Why do I hit her? Why do I hug him? Why do I enter the room? What's my motivation? The stronger the motivation, the more believable the scene. When you get a weak motivation, that's when you look like you're acting, and there's nothing worse than looking like you're acting. It just doesn't work. It's fake. It's a facade, and everyone knows it. If your motivation is solid, and you have a good reason, and you believe it, the audience will believe it, and for those moments, they will step into a different world with you.
What's my motivation? Why do I live a "good" life? The stronger the motivation, the stronger the character. It works both ways. It works in life, and it works onstage.
So, I look at the year ahead, and I know that I'll do my best to show a different motivation. I can't change anyone's motivation. I can't make them choose a different way because of me. But I can do my best to keep my motivation pure. To be polite and honest and trustworthy and loyal and hardworking, and to show Lourenzo what those things look like, yes, but to show him a better--a right--reason for doing them.
And know that when I'm raising my kids, I don't have to be censored. It just reinforces the importance and long-lasting effects of a legacy and living in the grips of faith from generations past.
Until you drink from the silver cup
Well, I can officially charge you $4 for a cup of coffee now! I started at Starbucks/Barnes and Noble today, which was... interesting. I'm picking up on the drinks and the different service-related jobs pretty quickly, but it's still a very strange thing.How to explain... I think that the strangest part is the fact that I've just come from a job that's very similar. Different product, same process. Food service is food service is food service. The procedures and protocol are very similar to Quiznos which, in some ways, makes it easier, but in other ways, makes me very aware of just how much I don't know. When I started at Q, I didn't know all the little nuances of a job like that, so as I learned them, I was just... learning them. I wasn't waiting to learn the specifics of something I already knew the basics of. Which is what now feels like. I know how it works; it's just a matter of knowing how this particular context works.
Also, coming from the top of the food chain at Quiznos to the bottom of it here... it's strange to be beneath everyone. At Q, I was very much either an equal or superior to everyone but Blair and Becky. And then that, well, it wasn't exactly the most typical employer/employee relationship ever.
Although, the cafe manager is leaving soon, and several people (including managers) have mentioned that I'm a good hire because I might be qualified to take over as a cafe lead/manager, because I have so much supervisory experience. Which would be a good thing if I was planning for this to be a long-term/full-time job. As that's not the case, I don't think that I could, in good conscience, even imply that I wanted something like that. Still, it's nice to know that they think my experience suggests that I could handle it.
Anyways. I've trained enough people to know exactly what the process is like, but I also have trained enough people to know which parts are a pain, and what I want to skip to. I want to skip the intermediate steps and go straight to the place where I know exactly what needs to be done at any given time. Today, I felt like Aileen (bonus points if you know what I'm talking about!). The only difference is that it was my first day, and she was still Aileen after 6 months.
The heart and soul of running a store, though, is in everything except the actual orders and recipes. Those are pretty basic. It's more in knowing what needs to be prepped, cleaned, organized, laid out, updated at any given time. It's knowing exactly what needs to be done for any given day or time of the week. What the customer load is going to be like. What can be done ahead of time. What needs to be stayed on top of. Those things. I have no idea yet, and I want to. It lets me be self-motivated and prioritize what I'm going to do with my time. You know?
But still, it was just the first day, and things will get better. I can hardly remember my first Quiznos day, and even that was so different, because everyone was new. It's been a very, very long time since I was just... new. The new girl, as opposed to one of "all the new people."
It'll be fine, though. Plus, I get my discount at every B&N, so that means that if I can get my Starbucks fix at a store, instead of just a S*bux, I'll never pay $4 for a coffee. Hahahaha... suckers! ;o)
Oh! The other weird thing will be not having people I know come in every day. At Q, there was always someone I knew. It was almost guaranteed that at some point every day, someone from church or RMC or family or someone else would come in. And here... well, let's just say that I never run into people I know on the street or in the mall. Obviously.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
And from your lips she drew a Hallelujah
I had a training day for Starbucks, I finally got my eyebrows done (against the advice of both Becky and my massage therapist)--and at a place that does threading without costing an arm and a leg, and I had a chiropractor's appointment. Finally.I'm really tired now.
I feel like shopping. I need to wear blacks for work, and you'd think that being the former drama troupe member that I am, I would have blacks in abundance. Perhaps, but I didn't bring them all with me.
Plus, I've decided that I need to accessorize. No more just wearing the uniform. I want funky necklaces and earrings. No more "same jewellry day in and day out." Of course, a collection may take some time to amass, as this is hardly on the top of my priority list of things to buy. Some good shoes for work might be a little closer to the top. And I do need at least one more pair of black pants and a black shirt or two. I've got a couple, but I know what clothing rotation at work can be like... it's always nice to have options.
And, after two years of wearing a hat, I get to go for a hairnet. I'm not sure which is better. Or worse. At least a hairnet won't give me hat hair.
Seriously. It's 9:15, and I feel like I should be asleep already. When did I turn into such an old lady?
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Seeing if you're human after all
So. I went to another church this morning, and it was another almost-perfect fit. They have a young adults small group on Tuesday nights, which is my night off, and it seemed to be more along the lines of what I'm used to or looking for. Trouble is, it takes almost an hour and a half to get there by subway. It's actually not that far away--it's in Queens, which is directly north of Brooklyn, but to get there by train, you have to go through Manhattan, which is to the west of both of these boroughs.So, we'll see. Even for me, that's a long commute. And I'm used to a long commute! The small group is right in the area where I work, so that's fine, but Sundays may be more difficult.
I may keep looking, still. I may go back to First. I may just suck it up and go to New Life, despite the distance. I just don't know yet.
In other, very exciting, news, all this walking and sweating must be doing me some good, because I fit into my skinny jeans quite comfortably this morning! We'll see how long that lasts before my winter padding sets in, but for the moment, I'm enjoying it immensely.
Yesterday, Alexandra and I did a Costco trip, so we've finally got food around here. Enough food to last us several months. Or in case we get stuck in the basement and can't get out. You know. We'll survive down there for quite a while!
Anyways, it's been a lazy afternoon and evening, and I'll go to bed before it gets too late--need to start the week on a good foot--but in the meantime, I can't even title this entry with the song lyric I'm hearing right now, because it's a song with no lyrics, so I suppose I have to ramble long enough to hear the next line of the next song!
Friday, September 16, 2005
The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift
Among other things, including the punchline to a joke (or several jokes), "Black, White, and Read" also happens to be the name of the Stars Hollow local bookstore. Yes, that's a Gilmore Girls reference. I just happened to be talking to Jen, I think, about the season premiere when I wrote that entry, and that happened to be the thing that stuck enough for me to use it as a title. Even though, oddly enough, the bookstore wasn't mentioned once in the episode.See, I told you I'm a geek!
Well. Week one of full-day school is over... and I have to say that getting a 5-year-old out of the house by 7:30 is made much more difficult when his mother doesn't see getting to school on time as the biggest priority. The way the subways go, though, we're right on time if we leave at 7:30, but if we leave at 7:40, we're 1/2 hour late. In my books, not cool. At all. Even for kindergarten.
Unfortunately, I don't actually wake him up in the morning, so my influence extends to pushing him out the door as fast as I can once he's actually up. If it was up to me, I'd start waking him up 15 minutes earlier, and then we might actually stand a chance.
Am I too anal to be working with a 5-year-old here? I mean, I know I wasn't always the most punctual child. And mornings are definitely NOT my best time. If, however, I have to be up at 6 because of him, the least he can do is leave on time for my own sanity! Look at my petulance... aren't I something?
Maybe it comes from never being out of the house on time when I was a kid, but now I tend to be more punctual rather than less. And I know that, really, it doesn't affect me that much at all how late he is, and once we're out the door, I can do nothing to change it (except keep him from dawdling while we walk), but I still wish I could drag him out of bed just a little earlier!
Ah well. It's the weekend, which means that he'll be tearing out of bed at 6:00 anyways, leaving everyone to wonder why on earth that only happens 2 days a week! :o)
On the job front--I have training on Tuesday, and then I start on Wednesday. Right now, I'll probably be scheduled for 3 days a week--some combination of Mondays through Thursdays, I'm guessing. My Fridays are a little too short--I'm not quite available long enough because...
As of today, I'm officially a soccer mom. Minus the mom part. Lourenzo is in soccer on Friday afternoons, so I pick him up earlier and take him to that, instead of him having an activity at school, which I pick him up from later. It works well, though, and Alexandra is thrilled that I found a job so quickly. She's said from the beginning that she wants to know that I'll have something to occupy my non-Lourenzo time, so she was happy that this came so quickly.
Alexandra's mother came into town today, so there's another person with a vested interest in having "play with Lourenzo" time, which should be nice, especially while I'm in the first few days of a new job, learning all the unfamiliar stuff. Did I mention that I was hired on the spot solely because of my Quiznos experience? They're a little short-staffed in the cafe right now, and they saw that I have so much food-related (and supervisory) experience, so that (apparently) was all the credentials they needed! I don't even think they checked my references--if you got a phone call, please tell me, but I think they hired me quickly enough that they didn't bother with them.
Anyways, I finally got an "official" letter on "official" letterhead, so that means I can get a library card--it's about time! Until then... I think I've read all the novels I brought/bought, but I have numerous theatre books waiting to be read, so maybe I should get started on those, hey?
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Three guesses
P.S. Bonus points if you can tell me where the title of the last entry ("Black, White, and Read") comes from. You have to be almost as much of a geek as I am to figure it out, but I'm sure someone's smart enough!Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Black, White, and Read
Four significant things happened to me today.1) I found a book on surviving New York theatre--it's got all kinds of information, including coaches and classes. I'll probably go back and pick it up a little later, but it's perfect for what I need. A good source, including the different teachers' training, strengths, techniques, teaching philosophies, times, costs, etc, etc. Hopefully I'll be able to find something there!
2) We went to Java Girl, a really, really cool coffee shop near Lourenzo's school, for a treat after school (I get coffee, he gets cookies), and they were playing a black gospel cd, and the first song I heard was a gospel version of "What A Mighty God We Serve." And, you know, even after all these years, the first thing that pops into my head when I hear that song is "Zeroes into Heroes."
3) I donated blood, so I'm officially registered with blood services in Canada and the U.S. now. Plus, the tourniquet-style stretchy bandage they gave me matched my shirt. See? And apparently, I didn't have the same iron-level issues that plague me whenever I give blood at CBS (Canadian Blood Services). I'm usually borderline too anemic for CBS' standards, but they didn't say anything today. So either my iron is up (and it's not because I'm taking my vitamins, because I'm bad at that at the moment!) or else the threshold here is slightly lower. Either way, it was nice not to have to worry about it!
4) I got a job! I was dropping off resumes all over the place, and I filled in an application form at a Barnes & Noble a little further away from Lourenzo's school than I had been applying before, and I actually wasn't even out of the store yet (I was still browsing) when the manager called me back, so I had an interview on the spot! So, pending training, I'll be working in the Starbucks at the B&N. So everyone who said I'd either end up in a coffee shop or a bookstore... you were all right.
And can you imagine the shipping costs of my books when I move back? Heh. And here I didn't bring many with me!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
It makes me look smart
I just watched the Gilmore Girls season premiere! Hahahaha to all you suckers who are 2 hours behind and can't see it for another hour! Of course, that logic falls flat if you have cable in Calgary, since the channel that shows it in New York is the same in Calgary, thanks to the wonders of cable. Anyways. My little gloat for the moment. (P.S. If you actually care about that paragraph, you might enjoy this. It was pretty easy, but trivia is always entertaining!)Yesterday, I think I had the first productive day since I got here. I finally got my bank account set up, I copied my resumes, and I spent the afternoon resume-dropping. Hopefully something will come through--I applied all up and down the Upper East Side, and hopefully that'll pay off before long. :o) I'm going to need a job soon, or else my days will be interminably long! I'm sure I'll find something, though. I'm hoping to start hearing back by the end of the week. If not, I'll just keep applying. It's not like there isn't a Starbucks on every corner, and I'm sure one of them will hire me eventually!
As soon as my banking stuff comes in the mail, I'll actually have a proof of address, and I can get a library card, which means I'll be able to stop buying cheap paperbacks so I have something to read on the subway! Fortunately, Target sells bestselling trade paperbacks at $5.99, so it's not quite like I'm breaking the bank, but still, some variety in my literary diet will be nice!
Speaking of the library... I went to the NYPL Central library today.
Now that, my friends, that is a library. A research library. And it only houses the humanities collection. And can I say that I was duly impressed by the 2-block long reading room. Seriously. I think I might have to start working on my business plan stuff there, just because the very aura of the room screams (can an aura scream?) intelligent and successful and cultured. Who cares if I'm actually researching anything from this research facility... it's all about soaking in the atmosphere, right?!
See what I mean? Heh.
Anyways. Not like I could ever borrow from there (no one can--that's why it's a research library), but I can always take advantage of the beautiful space! :o) Plus, if I ever want any "humanities" information, well, there it is. One of these days, I'll have to check out the performing arts library. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. We'll see... depends on how many more miles I hike whilst handing out resumes.
Oy. This whole "getting up at 6" thing is going to take some getting used to! I haven't had to get up that early on a regular basis since I was in high school--and I don't even think I did it consistently then! I'm used to getting my 8 hours of sleep by going to bed by 1, and getting up by 9, but I don't think a 1:00 a.m. bedtime is quite going to cut it these days. I'll have to hit the hay by 11, which, for me, is pretty early! Oh well--I'll adjust. Somehow! :o)
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Cheers--here's to "men men"
So... guess what? I'm unpacked! There are no more suitcases in my bedroom. Aaaaahhhhh. Now we're just waiting for the bathroom. Which (cross fingers) should be done this week. Alexandra's mom is coming to visit on Friday, so the goal is to have everything liveable by then. My toiletries and so on are really the only things left to be put in their place... Still. It's a definite step forward!I have this constant list of "oh yeah, I live here now" things to do. Things like setting up a bank account, printing resumes, looking into blood donation, looking into classes, getting a cell phone, getting a library card... all those things. So, I spent a good part of yesterday doing that. But first... I had lunch!
I love ordering there, because I never quite order something "normal." Now, granted, I was nicer than I am to my own coworkers (no "take the middle out"), and I definitely didn't go as far as I do when I make my own subs, but it was a custom order, for sure. Don't we all just love customers like me? I know I do!
And I know that absolutely no one but us Quiznos geeks will appreciate the significance of this next picture, but I would like you all to take a moment to look at the floor.
Sighs of envy and awe.
Anyways. I spent most of the afternoon in the East Village (NYU area), which I really liked. Maybe because a lot of the people there were kind of in my shoes. They're (we're) not really tourists--we're not trying to fit in the whole city in a week--and yet we're not really New Yorkers. Yet, anyways. We don't know everything there is to know
Friday, September 09, 2005
Lions in the rocks!
Tired. Going to sleep, but first:1) I have Google Talk now. If you want to talk to me for free, get it.
2) Pictures from our afternoon in Central Park. House pics coming soon. But here are some Lourenzo pics:
Oh no! There's a lion behind the rock, and he's coming to get me!
There he is! Watch out, or he'll try to get you, too!
No, silly... that's just Lourenzo. It's not really a lion! And even lions have to take time for a cuddle every now and then!
Good night.
Always a bright side
Well, this is a plus. Apparently, Lourenzo has taken to me faster than he's taken to any babysitter. Awww... warm fuzzies inside!Yeah. It's a good thing, though. It's nice to know that my "parenting" skills are somewhat developed. This is much more like parenting than most babysitting jobs, I've decided. I'm much more a constant (and disciplinary) presence, and not a "treat," like a Saturday-evening babysitter that you can con into a late bedtime. Not that I ever, ever did that as a kid!
Anyways. I think, though, that the hard part, for me, is coming into his life after 5 years, and having no idea of the context. I don't know all his triumphs and challenges and likes and dislikes and fears and experiences. It's a very strange juxtaposition of being a parental figure, and being very aware that I'm not.
It's funny, though. I don't look like the typical "nanny"--you can usually tell, especially in parks, especially in Manhattan, who the nannies are. I don't look like most of them, and Lourenzo looks enough like me (Caucasian with brown hair) that I've gotten a number of comments already about "my child." I'm beginning to feel like I should wear a plain band on my left ring finger, just to protect my reputation! And my parents were worried about my pictures with Jakes...
Ah well. We're getting there. It's only been a week, but we're getting there, and we're figuring this thing out together.
I took some pictures at the park today--I'll post them later on this evening. Right now, I'm off to Target to buy hangers. And potentially a laundry basket. Oh, the exciting life I lead in the "city that never sleeps." Heh. I think you need to be a lot more outgoing with strangers or else have a lot more friends in order to really take advantage of that! Tomorrow. I think I'm going to go bowling with some people from church, so that'll get me out, with someone other than just myself!
Thursday, September 08, 2005
So before this song dies
Okay, this one's from last Sunday. It's a little outdated, but it's news!Well, I've been promised an internet connection soon (Alexandra is missing it almost as much as I am!), so I'm going to get ahead of myself and get an entry ready for that glorious moment!
I'm beginning to feel a bit more at home here, although I really, really can't wait until a "real" routine settles in. Brooklyn is a very different from Manhattan--it's less busy, or maybe it's busy in a different way (I hear a lot of reggae and hip hop blasted at all hours of the night. Oh yeah--and the ice cream truck that makes its rounds every half-hour), but it'll be nice to have the mix of the two. I ventured into Manhattan today (Sunday) for the first time since I got here, and was amazed at just how different it is from Brooklyn. Or, at least, the area of Brooklyn that we're in. As I said before, it's predominantly Caribbean, and I've found that I can walk down the street for an hour and count the number of white people I see on one hand. This means that I can get as much West Indian food as I want, and there are tons of cheap dollar stores near my house (bonus for picking up the little things!), but I have yet to find a good coffee shop. No Starbucks or Central Perk on my corner! I'm just hoping that there's something near Lourenzo's school; otherwise, I’ll be forced to rethink every New York stereotype I’ve ever heard!
He starts school on Thursday, but only for a half day (Thursday and Friday). I'm still not sure exactly how this week will go, but since Alexandra is still dealing with renovations, and she needs to be around to oversee the workmen, I’ll be more “on call” than I will be once everything settles down. She's not working full-time for September, so she can be around the house as much as possible. Which, hopefully, means that things can settle into some semblance of normal soon.
Oh yeah--last time I wrote, I hadn't met Lourenzo yet! He's a very precocious 5-year-old, with a huge imagination and a huge vocabulary. He talks non-stop--he reminds me a little bit of my cousin Zachary a few years ago, and I suppose that those who knew me at 5 might say that he reminds them of me! He's really cute, though, and has a story for absolutely everything. I think we'll get along fine, especially once he has the variety of school in his day. When I'm entertaining him all day, it gets to be a bit long (for both of us), and I think he misses school, especially since he's already used to the structure and variety (and his friends) from preschool.
We're still sleeping in the basement--this house is a ready-made stairmaster, with 3 flights of stairs!--and my stuff is all in my upstairs bedroom, but it's not unpacked yet, because the bathroom beside it still needs to be tiled, and I don't want to get tile dust all over everything. I should be able to fully move in up here and unpack my stuff by the end of the week.
I made it to church this morning--by last night, I was desperately craving some contact with someone older than 5, with a less vested interest in me than his mother! :o) I checked out First Alliance Church, which was nice. It's a smaller church, and maybe the last long weekend of summer wasn't the most opportune time to get a full idea of a church's potential, but it was still good. I may go to a few others before I fully decide, but I did meet some people--a bunch of young career women (it's so strange not to be lumped into a "college age" group anymore!)--and we went out for (authentic) Korean BBQ for lunch. Again, very nice to have some contact. Especially with people who thought I was brave for venturing to take the subway by myself and find the church on my 4th day there! This is where all my navigational experience on all the European mass transit systems comes in handy--it's amazing how much easier it is when you're not dragging luggage! I told them that I figured I needed to learn sometime; may as well do it right away! :o) Besides, it's not like I don't have any sense of the layout of Manhattan--I was there 3 years ago, and I have at least a little familiarity with it all. And, actually, it's pretty easy--I don't even have to transfer trains. Including the walks from the stations, it took about 45 minutes to get there (I guess all those years commuting from the farm were good for something!).
It was good to be in church itself, but besides the obvious spiritual edification, it was nice to have a familiar routine, especially in a week (okay, half-week) where I haven't had any at all. Any kind of routine that I thought I might have had was completely thrown out the window, and it won't come back until at least Thursday, but probably more like Monday. Next Monday, that is. The familiarity of the service structure was really good, though. Even if I don't know anything else, I do know when to sit down and stand up.
Another plus is that the church is in midtown Manhattan, so I spent the afternoon walking around, shopping. It was kind of strange to be part of a teeming mass of tourists (it's in the Fashion district, about 15 blocks from Times Square, right off Broadway), after being in Crown Heights (my neighborhood in Brooklyn), where there are definitely no tourists, and I'm one of the few who looks different from everyone else. The church is right near a bunch of stores, though--everything from the higher end boutiques to things like H&M (Esther, aren't you jealous?!), Old Navy, Body Shop, Payless Shoes, and Victoria's Secret (and I think I saw a K-Mart down the street). At least I know where my wardrobe staples are! I definitely won't be affording anything much more expensive than those!
So, that's my first impressions. I think that what I'm looking forward to most right now is the internet getting hooked up at the house--four days without it seems like forever in "normal" time, let alone when it's my primary means of communication with anyone from home! I still have to get a phone card, so if you're waiting for a phone call from me... it'll come soon enough! Either that, or you can always phone me, especially if you have a long distance phone plan, since I don't have one, and I'll be relying on cards. I sent out the number in the address email I sent out a week or so ago...
Anyways, hopefully I'll get this posted tonight; if not, you'll read about my adventures a day late!
Jiggety Jig
Woo. Hoo. I'm on my own computer as I type this! Which means that I'll actually post the entry from earlier this week--soon. Anyways. I'm going to (finally) attempt to post all those pictures I've got saved up. These are all from the goodbye party at Joey's, 2 weeks ago.
Jakes doesn't quite know what to think of Auntie with the gorilla mask on!
Sean, Edwin, Aaron, Jakes, and Kat--the pop-soaked side of the table (who knew straws could be so entertaining?!)
The Apple cake!
Princess for an evening...
The other (read: dry) side of the table--Kim, Laurel, Ken, Aunt Mavis, and Dad (hiding behind the candlestick!)
Jakes decides that Auntie's gorilla mask looks like just too much fun!
And my favorite... the girls!
Okay. Now onto some news that's not 2 weeks old!
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Spreadng the News
Guess what? I'm writing this from my living room! So, it's not quite my computer yet (the wireless connection isn't set up yet), but it is at the house. And the phone is set up, too, so if you've been waiitng with bated breath to phone me, wait no longer! You can call now! :o) Aren't you excited?!Lourenzo starts school tomorrow--we've spent the past few days doing "outings." Brooklyn Children's Museum a couple of days ago; the Caribbean Carnival parade; Prospect Park Zoo; and then the Central Park Zoo today. At least I'm getting a chance to explore and see all kinds of things, too. It'll be really nice to have him in school, though. Tomorrow and Friday are half-days, and then next week are full days, and then after-school stuff starts the week after.
Even though we'll have to get up that much earlier in the mornings, it'll be nice to finally have some time to do all the other "New York Stuff" that's part of this whole experience. I've got a list of errand type things to do, once I have a little bit of time to myself, and then hopefully within the next week or two, I'll be able to find a job and get going with that end of things. I'm not planning to start any classes until October--start one new thing at a time--but I'm really ready to start finding something else. I need to do things like get a library card (and find the closest library to where I'll be), drop off resumes, open a bank account, pick up some stuff at a drugstore... things like that. Things that aren't included in the "play with Lourenzo" job description.
Although, I get told on a daily basis that I'm the "meanest person in the world," and that he's going to tell the police on me, because I won't buy him ice cream every time his heart desires. I take that as a good sign--my mom always told me that her goal in life was to be a mean mother, so if I'm already attaining that status, I must be doing something right! :o)
Anyways... I'm thinking that I should head to bed sometime soon. I tried to post pictures, but this computer won't let me, so once again, we have to wait until I have internet on my computer. At least until then, it's a lot easier to update and be in touch with home. :o)
This totally made my night.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
*sigh* I'm still alive, but I'm starting to wonder what kind of Twilight Zone I've gone and landed myself in! :o) We still don't have an internet connection, and now we don't even have the phone, because there was something wrong with our line. That'll teach me to come the day someone else moves in!I have several long entries saved on my computer, so if you're waiting for reading material, don't worry. It's coming. If you're wondering what I'm doing with my time--don't worry; that's coming, too! I hope. Have I mentioned that I just can't wait until I have msn and the phone? Yeah, it'll be a glorious day.
There are still pictures to be posted--of the goodbye party at Joey's, of the airport, and of here, but I have to... you got it. Have an internet connection. It's amazing how dependent we become on that. I can't even imagine being away from home without it!
Anyways... I don't want to get into a really long entry at the moment, but have no fear. I am writing! It's just a matter of... well, you know.
Friday, September 02, 2005
What a wonderful town
Well, I'm here! I arrrived safely last night, after getting up at 3:30 a.m. to catch my flight--I flew from Calgary to Dallas/Fort Worth (yes, I know how ridiculous it seems to go to New York via Texas!), and then from there to JFK. I landed at about 5, so by the time I got my luggage, found an ATM, grabbed something to eat (neither flight served meals), and caught a cab, I got to Alexandra's at around 7.She was actually moving into her house yesterday, so the moving truck was still outside--Lorenzo was staying with a friend, so I actually haven't even met him yet. The house is a 100-year-old brick rowhouse that's being restored, so there are still renovations going on. It's beautiful--exactly the kind of old-school New York house that you'd picture. Once all the renovations are done (in about a month), it'll be gorgeous. You can see it in the architecture and everything, even the parts that aren't finished yet, so I'm definitely excited to live there.
I've had the afternoon to walk around the neighborhood and kind of familiarize myself with it. It's a predominantly Carribean neighborhood, so I'll get to experience (for the first time in my life) being a minority. I think it'll be fine, though--people seem friendly enough; it's just a very different culture. I'll be spending enough of my time in Manhattan, too, that it should be quite a balance of everything.
Lorenzo starts school next Thursday, so until then, a lot of my duties will include entertaining him so that Alexandra can unpack and deal with the workmen in the house. There's a great playroom upstairs (the house is quite big--it's one of those houses that has servants' entrances and stairs, and in its previous incarnations, the sections of the house were quite separate from each other!) in the attic, so we'll hang out up there. Which will be fantastic for my back, since I can't quite stand up straight! :o) Ah well... I need to find a chiropractor anyways!
I still feel like a houseguest, and my relationship with Alexandra will definitely be more clearly defined as the days go on, but she's very nice, and it seems like we'll be able to get along well. It'll be interesting living in renovations for a while, but not unmanageable. Right now, we're sleeping in the basement, which is 3 floors removed from the bedrooms, because that's where the functioning bathroom is! Hopefully the upstairs bathroom will be finished soon, and then there can be at least some semblance of normality!
Anyways, my internet time is quickly coming to an end (wow, this feels like all those internet cafes I frequented all over Europe last summer!), so I should post this before I lose it or something! :o)