Great Weekend!

I had a really great weekend and the week is off to a good start. I've gotten to talk to several friends from home over the past few days, including tonight when my sweet friends, Andi, Brooke, Jennifer, and Lindsey called during "The Apprentice". We were all watching together when I was in Dallas and they continue to watch without me. It actually started with watching "The Bachelor" together, which is really only fun when watching with other girls...but, we enjoyed our time together this season so much that after it ended we started watching "The Apprentice". Plus, we have to support Roxanne, because she not only went to Baylor when a few of us were there, but now works for the law firm I was working for in Dallas...but, in the Austin office. I've never met her, but am definitely rooting for her! Anyway, my tv watching friends are rock stars and likely to be FAMOUS some day!

Anyway, my weekend was great! I found a new place I'm moving into on Saturday. It's a little further north, but in a great area. It's still just temporary, but I need to get out of the place I'm staying in because the owners need to use it some this month. I have LOVED staying here and am so grateful to The Okey's for letting me use it for 3 weeks...it has been such a comfortable place to stay during my first few weeks of adjusting to a completely new life! I feel good about the new place, too. It's actually graduate housing for Columbia University, but it's really set up like apartments and I have my own space and just share the bathroom with 2 other girls who I may never see and we have a maid...can't beat that. The girl who I'm sub-leasing the place from was SO nice when I met her Saturday. She spent about 1&1/2 hours with me showing me the building and the neighborhood and where the grocery store is, the post office, the bank, etc.... and other important stuff, like the good bakery and restaurants and shops. It was very enjoyable and I feel great about the situation. Don't know where I will be starting June 1, but it is such a relief to have May figured out and I'm sure the next step will come together as well.

The weather was wonderful all weekend and I spent quite a bit of time at the park, both running/exploring and also lounging and making phone calls while enjoying the sunshine.

I worked 1/2 day Sunday...my talk last week went well and I will not be working Sundays, but just filling in when needed. I feel much better about that and will feel more like I'm serving if it's on my own terms, rather than being required to commit to 15 hour Sundays. I really just worked yesterday to make sure I know how the offering is done because whenever the main offering guy is gone, I'll lead that. Even with just the 1/2 a day, I was exhausted. It was from 7am until 2:45 and I didn't eat much or sit down that entire time.

After church, I planned to go home to get something to eat, but when I got off the subway, Broadway (1 block from my place) had turned into a street market! I hadn't run into an impromptu market yet and decided to check it out. It was about 6 blocks long and I walked the whole thing and bought a Gyro for lunch. I managed not to buy anything, though. I'm trying not to do that since I've still got to move at least twice more before I'm settled permanently and don't know what I'll have room for then.

After the walk through the market, my legs were hurting badly! They have not been happy with me the past couple of days. I didn't think I'd been walking too terribly much, but they're just not used to it, I guess. Especially since I'm trying to go running, too. My right knee has been giving me issues and I'm a little worried that I've aggravated my old marathon training injury. But, I'll live...may need to check into better shoes?? Not sure yet. Anyway, no running for me yesterday after all the time on my feet at church and then the long walk through the market and back. I was in quite a bit of pain!

Highlights

So, I haven't written much this week. This blog is supposed to be about my life in New York, but, honestly, I don't feel like I've done much that's "New York" yet. I've done tons of walking around, though, and I do love to do that. I still don't feel like I have any true "friends" here, so until I make some of those, my life will probably seem a little dull. But, it doesn't feel boring yet! Anyway, just thought I'd fill you in on some of the highlights of my week:

• Often, when I get off the subway, I'm turned around as to which direction I'm facing. The other day, I got off at a subway stop I hadn't been to before and a lady walking behind me said "I never know which way to go when I come up from the subway. Do you know which way Riverside is"? I actually knew the answer!! I gave someone directions! I really am becoming a New Yorker now.
  
• On Tuesday at about noon, I may have been worth more than I'll ever be worth again. You see, I had to take the offering to the bank. That will be a weekly occurrence...seems a bit strange to be walking the streets of New York with a bag full of cash and checks, but it's got to be done! This week was even more crazy because I had the bag with the offering on one arm and on the other arm, I had a bag full of stamps. Now, I know that may not sound like much, but I have a feeling those stamps were worth a pretty penny. The man who owns the place where I'm staying buys and sells stamps for a living. He's done this for many years and has done well for himself (obviously, since he has this nice place in Manhattan that they rarely use)! Anyway, he had a bunch of file folders filled with stamps in the apartment here that he needed me to overnight to him. So, after going to the bank with the offering, I headed to the FedEx store to send the stamps. Ever since, I've been wondering the worth of what I was carrying that day.
  
• I talked to Beth earlier in the week. She had taken Ryder in for his 9 month doctor's appointment. Tiny baby. He's dropped from the 3rd percentile to the NEGATIVE 3rd percentile. Sweet boy. They say he's normal though and is growing as he should, he's just a small kid!
  
• I went for an excellent run in CP again. This time I really ran into the park-- actually ran all the way from the west side to the east side and then towards the north a ways. It was cool to see parts of the park I've never seen before. I love the park and can't wait for more good runs!!
  
• I got to know, Sara, the girl who sits right next to me at work, better this week. Last week she was gone until Friday on a cruise, so I hadn't been around her much until this week. She has kept me highly entertained! She's hilarious. She's got a very sassy, straight-forward attitude. She's Nelson's assistant and answers the phone a LOT and has to take orders for resources Nelson sells and registrations for seminars and coaching events he does. People tend to ask Sara stupid questions and her reponses are classic! However, I laughed hardest to her reaction when someone on the phone called her "Sister Sara", like we're all nuns or something. Sara's facial expression was priceless!
  
• The Tribeca Film Festival is going on in the city right now. I had thought I'd like to go see a film, but after looking at them, I didn't think I could pick a good one-- I didn't recognize any of them or names of people associated with them. However, Mission Impossible III is premiering at the festival next week. I'm going to swing by the theatre and see if I can catch a glimpse of the "TomKat", or possibly even "TomKitten" walking the red carpet.
  
• Tim Robbins was in the building this week. He is in the film that's being worked on directly across the hall from my office (it's a production company). No one in my office saw him, we just heard he was over there. But, maybe he'll be in some more and I can ride the elevator with him some day! You can read an article about his movie here.
  
• I've started to feel like I'm at least meeting people outside of work now. Had some different opportunities this week to be around people. We had to mail out the 1st quarter giving statements this week and a girl volunteered to come in and help me stuff, stamp, and seal the envelopes-- it was a major undertaking-- over 1,000 of them! Anyway, I got to talk to her for a few hours while we worked. She invited me to go with her and another girl to get mani/pedi's that day, but I couldn't go-- they were going at 5:00 and I work until 5:30. But, it was exciting to feel like I'm on the road to making some girlfriends here!

I've been thinking I need to get into taking pictures-- this blog needs to be spiced up a bit! Hopefully, there will be some on here in the near future!

Update on Housing

Just wanted to give everyone an update on my housing situation. Although, I don't really have anything figured out at all. What I do know after walking around different areas is that I really love where I am now-- Upper West Side. It just feels like home to me, but it's very pricey, so I'd really have to luck into something. I'm actually planning to apply for a housing program. It's very difficult to get into, but one of my co-workers got in it. Basically, if I got in, I would get to move into a brand new apartment building in the Upper West Side that is opening in July-- and I'd get a big discount off the market value. I'd be living in style there-- doorman building, laundry in building, workout facility-- but at an affordable price! I'm still trying to find a temporary place to live the next couple of months-- it isn't easy. I could probably extend where I'm staying now, but I don't want to seem like I'm taking advantage of my parent's friends. There is a place a little farther north of here-- still in a great area-- that is for women to stay in short-term. I'm applying there this week. It looks really nice on the internet and I walked by it yesterday and the street is darling and I saw some girls come out and they looked normal, so that's a good sign! It would basically be like living in a dorm again (specifically, a Baylor dorm b/c boys are only allowed in the lobby!), but I'd have my own room. It's affordable and the price comes with breakfast and dinner-- can't beat that! It sounds strange to live in such a place, but I can handle anything for a couple of months. Anyway, those are a couple of things you can be praying specifically for. 1) That short-term housing would fall into place ASAP and 2) I would be accepted to the housing program for a permanent place in July and 3) that God's will of where he wants me to stay would be clearly revealed to me and that I would TRUST that He will provide the perfect situation for me. He has already provided in unimaginable ways in my move here, so I'm expecting the same with my housing. I know He did not bring me this far to put me on the streets! I have decided to quit spending time looking on craigslist. I just haven't found much there that I feel comfortable with and I really hate the idea of having a totally random roommate. I think I've been spending too much time worrying about it and spending time internet searching and really feel like God has asked me just to give it up to Him. I am going to call a broker tomorrow who's name I came across on one of the Christian organization's websites. Maybe he will be able to lead me to some places. I'd really like to be on the west side of Manhattan, even if it isn't Upper West. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that. So, that's it on the housing. Hopefully, I'll have some answers, at least on a temporary place, by the end of the week.

Oh, and my talk at work went well today. I will only be working an occasional Saturday when my boss can't be there or they really need someone because other staff are on vacation or something. I think I'll be okay with that and really feel more like I'm serving, rather than working, so that's good.

Tonight we had a girl's night at the office. A mother daughter duo, Suzette Brawner and Jill Brawner Jones, came in and spoke-- they've recently written a book. Suzette worked with Joe White at Kankuk for many years and also for Gary Smalley. Jill's an aspiring actress in LA. They were entertaining. I also got to meet several really nice girls and I needed that. One girl also just moved here and had only been to the church once, so it was good to connect w/ someone going through the same thing!

3 Boroughs in one day and One Very Long Day

Before I start.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATE!!! Hope you had a great day!

I had a good weekend in New York. The church puts together movie & dinner nights every Friday, but I opted not to go this week as it had already been long enough. I'm sure I will go in the future and am actually in charge of a Friday night in a few weeks-- the highlight of being in charge is that the church reimburses you for your movie ticket and dinner! And movie tickets are not as cheap as they were in Dallas. Anyway, after work Friday, I decided that I needed to go for a run. So, I headed over to Central Park. It was great-- peaceful, but plenty of people around. I really had hoped to go back over there on Saturday to really explore the park more, but it rained all day and had turned pretty cold. I did walk around a few different neighborhoods in the rain-- I was checking out different areas that might be possible to find a place to live. I just want to get a good feel for the neighborhoods so I know where I'd like to live and where I wouldn't. The funniest part of that experience was when I went over to Brooklyn. I had seen an add for some newly renovated apartments that looked pretty nice online, so I thought I'd go check them out. When I got there, I walked up the stairs from the subway and as soon as I got above ground where I could see the neighborhood, I immediately turned around and went back down. Not such a great neighborhood! Afterwards, I did go to another area of Brooklyn that was nicer, but not really my style. Then, I headed over to Queens because a lot of people live in an affordable area called Astoria and I wanted to walk around there a bit. It was a cute area, but didn't really seem like me. But, it could be a possibility. So, on Saturday, I managed to spend time in 3 of the 5 boroughs-- Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens!! Now, I need to find my way to Bronx and Staten Island and I've got them covered!

So, today (Sunday) was my longest day yet in New York. I spent the ENTIRE day, sun-up to past sun-down working. Most the staff works every Sunday. When I was interviewed, I was told I did not have to work Sundays, but last week they did tell me they thought it would be good for me to see what goes on, especially with the offering, since that's part of the accounting. That totally makes sense. We also discussed me considering working like 2 Sundays a month. I'm pretty much up for trying out and considering anything, so I said okay.

Yeah, I've pretty much decided that working Sundays is not going to be for me! It was fun and I did enjoy it, however, I don't think I'm up for the 6 day work-week, especially when the 1st day of the week would be a 15 HOUR day! Yes, 15 hours. We were together from basically 7am until almost 10 tonight. I actually enjoyed what we did-- I love to organize and lead events, so it really was right up my alley and I'm sure I'd enjoy it even more as I became more familiar with how things work. But, I don't think I'm cut out for 6-day, 55-hour work weeks. In fact, I know I'm not cut out for it because I experienced that some when I was with EY and I definitely got burned out and it was the #1 factor in my leaving there. So, Sunday's are just not going to be a good idea for me. I need my weekend days to not only run errands, get cleaning/laundry, etc... done, but also to have some R&R and also some fun...there's not enough time for all of that on Saturday. So, even if it's just twice a month, I'm not up for it. So, now I'm really looking forward to the fun conversation I will need to have at work tomorrow where I tell them I can't do it.

Celebrity Sighting #1

So, it happened already! I had my first celebrity sighting. I was waiting for a light at the corner of 68th & Broadway-- 1 block from where I'm staying. I turned the other way and who's coming toward me, but Liam Neeson! He also stopped at the corner to wait, so I was standing right next to him for a good 60 seconds! I could have reached out and touched him, he was so close. He's very tall and kind of snobbish looking. Was wearing jeans, a navy blazer, and a beret type hat. He crossed the street alongside me and I was right with him all the way to my place. I considered following him further to see where he was going. That's what my mom taught me I should do! But, I didn't. The other exciting thing I saw was a movie set going up. I saw it on the way home and walked back over there tonight to see if there were any celebs. There was definitely stuff going on and some actors/actresses standing around, but no one I recognized. If there's anyone really famous involved, they probably won't come out until they're ready to start taping. I'm tempted to walk back over before I go to bed tonight!

Pastor Nelson told me yesterday that the latest celeb in and out of the building for wardrobe fittings is Philip Seymour Hoffman. How cool it would be to see him in the elevator-- he just won an oscar! Also, while doing my work, I discovered that some famous people have attended the church. The Hasselbecks, yes of The View and the NFL fame! I know they've been once, but I couldn't figure out if they've been more than once. After I get to know some of the folks over there better, I'll get more details on it!

The first 2 days of work have been good! I am exhausted, though. New things always wear me out. I like the work though and everyone is so nice. Yesterday was very intense-- a girl who used to do the accounting came in and gave me a 5 hour training session. It was a lot, but I'm glad she was able to come in because it was very helpful. She was really nice-- a cute girl from South Africa with a British accent! They have not had anyone in the accounting position since the beginning of the year and they've fallen way behind on things, so I will be quite busy playing catch-up for a while. I spent a lot of time yesterday and today getting the Easter offering counted and ready for deposit. Counting the cash sure did bring back memories of being a cash counter at the Texas State Fair with Vorrice last year!

I HAVE ARRIVED!

SO, I'm actually finally here. Does this make me a New Yorker now? I got here this morning with my two very overweight suitcases. I had to pay the fine on each of them-- yuk! I really thought I would be okay because I swear that the suitcases Vorrice and I took to Indonesia last summer for Amanda were even heavier. I thought the weight limit then was 75 pounds, but today it was 50 and I had two 60+ pound bags.

I spent my last couple of nights in Dallas at my parents as everything at my place was all packed up. I spent all day Easter with my family and even talked Beth into leaving Ryder with us overnight. I love that baby! He and my mom took me to the airport this morning. It was hard to say goodbye to Ryder. He most likely will not remember me when I see him in June ) :

I am staying for the next couple of weeks in a really great apartment in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It's a place some of my parent's friends from San Diego own, but they only use occasionally for work or vacation. It's really nice and in a great location. So, I'm kind of living in luxury for my first few weeks here, which is scary because I may end up spoiled!

The bad news is that the place I thought was going to work out for me to stay in May and June fell through on Friday. So, I'm back to square one on that. I think it will be easier to find a place now that I'm actually here. People seemed a bit hesitant to commit to sub-letting to a person they'd never met. I'm open to a sub-let or to going ahead and finding a permanent place. I won't be back in Dallas until late June to get my furniture, but figure I can live on an air mattress for a couple of months-- it seems like that's pretty common for people when they first move to the city. And I plan to buy an air mattress anyway- with all the different groups of friends coming to visit, it will come in handy!

I spent my afternoon going grocery shopping and doing a little exploring. I went to the big Whole Foods I've heard a lot about. I was able to walk there, but took the subway home since I had the bags to carry. This Whole Foods is the largest grocery store in the city. Crazy! I swear it was 1/2 the size of any Whole Foods in Dallas. But, I did find everything I needed and they had great produce and also yummy looking prepared foods. I'm sure I'll be back there! After that, I was on a mission for a new hair dryer as mine broke on Easter. I found one and then walked up Columbus Avenue pretty far as there are some cute shops along there and I was looking for a b-day present for a friend. It was fun! And the weather is gorgeous right now.

So, first day of work is tomorrow. I'm ready to get started. I'm glad I'm jumping into it immediately...I'm afraid that if I had the week off, I'd start to get lonely or miss Dallas.

Hardest Goodbye

April 9, 2006

I’m going to start dating these things because I never seem to get them posted to my blog when I actually write them, so this way I don’t confuse people.
Tonight was my going away party. My sweet friends, Jennifer and Todd, have become our unofficial party hosts for most occasions and this was no different. We had a nice little bar-b-que and people brought wonderful sides and desserts to go with it. My family came and many of my friends. You can see some pictures from the party by going HERE.
Tonight made me so sad. I am so excited about my move and my new job and have no doubt in my mind that I’m doing the right thing. I have had such a peace throughout the entire process and know that this is exactly where God wants me to go right now. But, it doesn’t make it any easier to leave my friends here. I have been BLESSED beyond anything I could ever have imagined for myself with my friends here.
It is such a strange move for me. Every other major move I’ve made-- from Columbia to Waco, then Waco to Dallas-- were a lot easier because I wasn’t only going to somewhere I chose to go, but I was also really ready to leave behind where I was. Not that there weren’t people I was sad to be leaving, but when I moved from Columbia, I was 18 and had lived there most of my life and was really ready to get out and experience another place. That summer I left for college wasn’t the best and I was ready to just leave when the time came. Then, when college was over, I graduated a semester late, while all but about 1 of my closest friends had graduated at least on time, most early. Plus, I really struggled throughout my entire college experience and, unfortunately, can’t say it was the time of my life. So, I was really ready to get out of Waco when that last semester came to an end.
This move is so different from either of those. I LOVE Dallas. I love the weather. I love the shopping and restaurants. I love my church. I love that my family is here. I love, love, love my friends here. Saying goodbye tonight was HARD. I don’t want to leave Dallas. I don’t want to leave my friends. My friends here are awesome. They are super fun and funny. They will be spontaneous and crazy and silly with me. They love to try new restaurants and go explore new places with me. They’ll pull pranks with me. We watch our favorite TV shows together. We spend all the "minor" holidays (New Years, 4th, Labor & Memorial Day) together. They’ve traveled the world with me. But, they are also honest with me and will hold me accountable and will pray with me and for me. They are amazing and I have wondered more than once if I am being foolish to leave such a good thing.
But, that doesn’t take away this desire I’ve had for a while to live in New York. It doesn’t take away the excitement I have for the job I’ve taken at The Journey. I feel good about the decisions I have made and know I am going to have an amazing experience. But, leaving Dallas still makes me super sad.