Late Night/Early Morning

Worked my first Cleaver gig tonight and it didn't suck and neither did I. Actually, it was great and a fairly easy ride. No unloading of the van. The cool thing is that they were able to drive it into the building and up to the 15th floor to unload it. I also didn't have to help break everything down at the end of the night and load the van. Once the party was done, we already packed up the kitchen and I LEFT with the rest of the kitchen ladies.

The view out the window of our make shift kitchen was pretty great. We were all the way over on the westside, so views of NJ and the Hudson. And construction down by the World Trade Center. It did remind me of views of the Bay Bridge from some of the parties I catered with Hugh.

I was a little nervous going in tonight and I did feel a bit apprehensive in places. I worked with veterans, so they were kind and showed me the ropes. I just need to feel more assured of my work and not worried so much about proving myself. I am totally skilled and capable. And I luckily left with lots of leftovers - which comes in handy because food is STINKIN' EXPENSIVE IN THIS CITY.

Kim offered rides to us which was very generous. She dropped me at 42nd and 7th. I think she took Dianna to the train and Valere all the way up to 125th but closer to the east side. The 1 was crowded, but luckily I got a seat when folks transferred to the Express.

Some gratitudes before slumber:
1. nice co-workers
2. strong coffee
3. connecting with more Atlanta folks
4. catering leftovers
5. possibilities

Working Girl!

Let the river run, baby!

While I did do a bit of work as part of Agriculture Literacy Week, my true first job starts tomorrow. I am working culinary for The Cleaver Co. and hoping that I can handle the demands. Jossie lent me her knife roll and Dianna has a jacket for me to borrow. My clogs are too big so I have to exchange them, so I hope that my feet will hold up in my black Doc Maarten's. Yesterday I was hired to do front of house work with Union Square Hospitality's catering arm. I am back working on Souper Jenny's cookbook, so I think I will be able to pay rent for April on income and not savings.

Which is a great thing.

I have 2 potential musicians for my cabaret, but no takers on Funny Bone. I did see Sara Zimmerman's show on Monday night and I love Dixon Place where she performed. It's a perfect intimate venue.

I am still looking for more full time work, but so far nothing that's even worth applying. I will be doing my Work Exchange shifts for the Yoga Journal conference in a few weeks, so I cannot accept full time work anyway. I am looking forward to working with the conference, but hope I get a chance to actually take some classes. I think it's weird that we have to pay $100 to do it, so hopefully I am not too tired and overworked to actually enjoy the programming.

Things for which I'm grateful:
1. access to high speed internet
2. the sunshine
3. food in the fridge and the ability to cook it
4. taking my first yoga class where I was the only student
5. snuggly kitties

Lazy Saturday

It's 6:44pm and I am still in my pajamas. I don't think that will change for the rest of the day. It's still light out which is a welcome part of the season. I have been in bed most of the day reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and jumping on the computer to check email and the like.

The air mattress is not the best for my body and my neck and back both are not happy with me, but just lounging and napping for most of the day has been great. Looking around the apartment I do feel the same sense of home that I did in Oakland. I just now can't wait for my furniture so I can finish organizing and start finding a resting place for the last bit of stuff.

On the more positive front, I did finally move the backpack in the center of the floor and there was no dead animal or insect underneath. And I ate really well today.

Veggies and eggs on a leftover brioche
Panfried tilapia and a romaine salad
Sauteed garlic kale with some leftover fries

The kitties are calmly resting and I will get back into bed and read some more. Tomorrow I plan to do a walking tour of the city. I know it's touristy, but it will get me back familiar with the city and heck, they're free. I am also toying with joining the Fourth Street Co-op. I may head down there tomorrow to see if it's worth it.

I will also not go to sleep tonight without having a sparkly clean kitchen sink. I would love to say that I will keep that up, but I can certainly try.

Gratitudes:
1. moving forward on the networking front
2. Souper Jenny's cookbook closer to completion
3. having time and savings to chill out all day
4. an unlimited MetroCard
5. relative quiet in the neighborhood today

Fear of the Unknown

I got home from drinks with Julia and her friends and poured myself a glass of wine and got into bed to watch Revolutionary Road. I knew it would be a depressing film and I am in a weird state currently. I guess just sad. I am laying here with the lights out in the relative quiet as I hear Maxie stalk something.

When the movie finished I got up and turned on the light in a moment of courage. However, I was not brave enough to lift my backpack that Maxie had his paw under. And now I am just too wimpy to do anything. I originally thought it was a mouse, but I think it may be a large bug.

When my old friend Katy came to town last week we went to see the final preview of Once on Broadway. She went to Emory with one of the cast members a few years after me, but had yet to tell him that she was in the audience. At the end of Act 1 we saw them setting up drinks on the bar of the set on stage and I looked at Katy and said "Let's go!" She questioned our ability of getting up there, but I did not. We walked up to the stage and apparently they put a limit on the number of people up there. So, we walked up to one of the ushers who said that the best way to let a cast member know that we were in the audience was to speak to the stage manager - who just happened to be ON THE STAGE. So, we marched back down and I told the monitor that we needed to speak with the stage manager. Without any hesitation, he said to go on up. I walked up to her and told her that we knew someone in the cast and then Katy took over. After our brief exchange we walked away, and Katy got hit with the fact that she was standing on a Broadway stage. It didn't give me the same sensation. But I thought about it and I think it may have been my first time, too. We then saw Vanessa Williams, also on stage. She looked tiny.

I think it may have been pre-show at dinner that Katy mentioned that she always remembers me as someone who has balls. There was a sense of excitement there. It could have been the wine, but it was certainly more than that. I told her that I thought I lost that quality year ago. But the memory of it brought it back and I acted with such assurance during intermission.

It's funny to me that I lay here now, in the dark afraid of the unknown. Be it a bug or a mouse. Or perhaps a kitty toy. I am sure I am affected by the movie and its theme of being unhappy in the life you're in and wishing for more. Maxie has since moved to the window for a nap and the salsa music has started blaring outside.

I'll take it as a sign to go to sleep and perhaps in the morning I will be less sad.

Tuesday Quickie!

My internet connection was so strong last night that the final episode of The Walking Dead fully downloaded by the time I was done with the blog post.

yes, that fast.

So, of course I watched it.

Lots of gore, lots of twists and turns and introduction of something bigger. I woke up a little more tired and not fully rested than I'd hoped.

Today I went down to Chelsea Market to interview with one catering company, then to Chinatown to get reflexology, have some dumplings and lead 2 workshops and then up to Union Square to interview for yet another restaurant group. So, yes when I got home I ate some Chinese food leftovers - an augmented fried rice - and then crashed.

So, no yoga again.

I had a quick conversation with Suehyla and then my parents, did some more work on the cookbook and then poured a glass of wine while watching Ken Burns' Prohibition. I was a little distracted and did not watch fully. I kept checking email and directions. I don't think I learned as much or truly took in all of the information I could. I will certainly view the second 2 DVDs with more attention. Once I renew them from the library.

I should already be sleeping - like the cat on my leg - but first a few gratitudes:
1. cheap and decent food
2. kind interviewers
3. gorgeous weather
4. great public transportation
5. working out my muscles (which take a beating on the air mattress/and from a stressful move)

Quick Monday Gratitudes

I led 3 workshops for Agriculture Literacy Week today, picked up the replacement check for the bounced one, grabbed some Chinese food, did a bit of work and had a good Skype conversation with Souper Jenny about the cookbook at the Hamilton Grange Library. Once I got home I put on my yoga clothes, but completely crashed. When I woke I missed yoga, cooked some dinner, did a bit of notes and feedback on the cookbook and they got into bed to watch 2 episodes of The Walking Dead. I have a great internet connection, so I'm downloading the season finale and I will watch it tomorrow.

A good day.

Here's what I'm thankful for:
1. Express trains
2. Smart & welcoming students
3. Fresh veggies
4. A gorgeous day
5. being back on the cookbook

Passion and Violence

I have been laying low lately. My dance card is largely empty so I have been getting enough sleep, failing to decide where I want my bookcase and heading to the library to use the internet and check out movies. I made a good bit of headway at the library yesterday. Ordering a copy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to be delivered to my branch and sitting for a few hours up in the kid's section where I ordered business cards, downloaded some more of The Walking Dead and caught up on my Words with Friends on Facebook.

I got home and checked my mail and that's when the shit hit the fan. The deposit check that I got back from the first realtor, you know the one that lost that first apartment, IT BOUNCED. 

BOUNCED.

As in insufficient funds. Not only was I out the $750, but also a bank charge for the returned check. I was pissed. I called my parents and then the round of phone calls started. Leaving a stern message on the realty phone, calling the last agent I worked with and then calling the issuing bank. It seemed like there was money in the account and there has been recent activity. The banker could not tell me much, but it sounded like I could redeposit the check and then I would just have to get the bank fee. So, I took the 1 up to W181 and waited in a huge line at the CitiBank only to find out that I could not cash the check. The teller could only tell me so much, but basically she said that something was up with the account and since it was not verified she could not give me the money. She also said that if I tried to re-cash the check it would not go through.

SHIT.

I had plans for the evening, so I need to let this go, hoping that I would be able to get answers in the morning. 

I met Jossie on the platform at W145 and we went downtown to meet her friend Liane. Some brief shopping/browsing and then off to Little Italy for dinner. It didn't wow me, but it was good. Some ceasar salad, pesto gnocchi and a glass of Montepuliciano. We stopped at a little bakery on Mulberry for a Sfigotell and then uptown to see Traci at The National Comedy Theatre.

When we entered the N train there was a guy with a big sign holding a bucket for donations. He ranted about not patronizing Bank of America and Turbo Tax due to their bad business practices and alluded to the raping of young children in India. I was the only person standing since there was not much room to sit with Jossie and Liane on the bench. The raving man yelled that I was blocking his sign and asked that I move over. I did once, but he yelled at me again and then the fun started. I said that I was standing on the subway. And I was not in the middle of the car, I was over the side. He started yelling that I was obstructing justice and it quickly escalated to him calling me a Fucking Cunt.

Yeah, fun.

After about 45 seconds of him now ranting at me, I had enough. The rage from getting screwed over the the realtor TWICE rose through my body and up to my face and I matched his ranting. 

NO, FUCK YOU!

It was a heated mess and the rest of the train car looked on in amazement. He accused me of purposefully coming after him and I put up my hands up in my best Scooby Doo monster impersonation and did my best Hoogalie Boogalie voice. This guy at the end of the train, just bust out laughing. There was a mix of laughter and just people staring in horror. The ranting man was not amused and said that I need to be careful. While he would not do anything, if I crossed the wrong person I would get a bullet in the head. Apparently there was also an Indian man at the other end of the car on the verge of tears. By this time Mr. Raver was calling me a Hindu loving rapist and Jossie said this clearly affected this man.

We switched cars at 34th Street and exited at 42nd where we saw the ranting guy leave the train and head back down to the Downtown platform. That's when Liane called 311 to report it.

The show was fun and we got home safely and I was happy to check my email and see a message from the realtor apologizing for the returned check and trying to schedule when I can pick up a re-issued one. I told him I would come by on Monday. Fingers crossed that he's true to his word.

The last bit of violence happened just a bit ago. It sounded like a child was having a temper tantrum and stomping on the floor. Then I hear whimpering and a high pitched scream and I started getting worried. I just imaged some domestic abuse. A door opened and it sounded like a man did not want a woman to leave the apartment. Once I heard steps I quietly left my apartment, saw blood on the hallway floor and on the stairs and found a crying boy of about 12 years old with a bloody mouth holding on to the wall upstairs. I certainly did not want to get in the middle of anything and endanger myself. I quickly asked him if he was okay. All he was able to say was that it was his brother. I asked how I could help him, but I feared that the brother was close by. The boy was catching his breath and I slid back into my apartment. Luckily, I heard the police come about 10 minutes later. No screaming, no sounds of violence, so I hope all is well.

Maxie is, of course, back under the covers and after all of the violence and acts of passion that's kind of where I want to be, as well.