Familyless again

My family is all gone. They have all left. It was nice to have them all because I really do miss them. We have always been a close family so not seeing each other on a regular basis has been hard. I think we have all coped with pretty well. We have had a lot of practice with Katharine travelling the globe and all. This past weekend we my Mom's turn. We did some Christmas shopping but mostly just walked and down Midtown. Macy's was crazy. We got there pretty early and it was still packed. We then came back several hours later and it was still packed. Mom made a comment that after seeing the crowds at Macy's, the economy is going to be fine. My take was, if it's this crowded when the economy, what is it like when the economy is good? Scary. We walked a few blocks up to Lord and Taylor and they were almost empty so while Macy's is still packing it in, not everyone is so lucky. I think we finished my Christmas shopping, which really was the whole purpose of the trip so that was good. We didn't really have the big Birthday dinner that we planned but we did have some excellent meals. On Friday we went to Maria's Mexican Bistro a block away from my apartment. I always forget it's there so I never think to go there. It was amazing. I'll have to eat there more often. On Saturday, we had a little muffin from Starbucks and then a bigger lunch at the Brewery called Heartland Brewery. We originally planned to only have appetizers and drinks but by the time we got there we were really hungry. After we had finished our shopping, we had walked up to Rockefeller Center and thought, wouldn't it be nice to have drink and watch the skaters. Well, of course everyone had the same idea. So then we tried Time Square and again the same Idea. So we walked back to Macy's got a little bottle of wine and cheese and crackers and came home. Katie had invited us out to the Dram Shop later Saturday night and I wanted my mom to meet at least one of my friends so we both took a little nap instead of having a fancy dinner. You all probably won't believe this but Mommy stayed up past 1 am all three nights she was here.

Dad and Katharine's visit wasn't as exciting because I mostly worked but Thanksgiving was a hit. Katharine made the most delicious turkey ever! Katharine and I got to see Twilight! and it was angsty, awkward awesomeness I expected to be. While I was work on Friday, Dad and Katharine saw the new James Bond. We walked around Prospect Park. Hung out and drank a lot of beer. All in all it was a good visit. I just wished I was able to spend more time with them. Next time when they come, I will make sure to have more time off. It's kind of sad that they had to go home but I will see them later this month. I'm still shocked I got the week after Christmas off. I'm so glad I asked.

In just a few hours, Kat will be here and dad will be here tomorrow!! Yippee!! I can not wait!

Almost here!

I have three days to get my apartment in order before Kate and Dad get here. I have done a lot so far but I have so much to do before they get here. Like mopping the floor. It's a weird thing for me. I have only hard word floors. They are really nice but it's a strange that I don't have to get a vacuum out for the carpets. I don't have any. I bought this Orange Glow specially made for hardwood floors. I'm actually looking forward to trying it out. All I have to do is sweep first before I can really try it out. Not really looking forward to that because that's just plain boring. My mom suggested that I buy more pillows even though I told everyone to bring their own. I wish she told me this before I went to Target last week because I'm now going to have to make another trip. I kind of have to anyways because there were things I wanted to buy but forgot but they aren't really necessary. I'm not sure what I'm really stressing about. They both know me. I'm not really the cleanest person in the world but I want them to have a good impression of my little apartment. My dad has been here before when he left, it was still covered in boxes and Kate has yet to see it. Not to mention, we will have more room If I do finally get rid of the few boxes hanging around.

I do feel a little bad because I'm not taking any time off while Kate and Dad are here but I did take the weekend off when my Mom comes over my Birthday. My reasoning was it was Thanksgiving Weekend and I probably wouldn't have gotten anytime off anyway and I thought I would only be working four days that week instead of five because of the paid holiday. Well, I was wrong. Some of us who are full time got three days off this week but not me. I'm not entirely upset because I am going to get paid for six days instead of five which is going to come in handy later but I kind of feel like I'm telling my them "Come visit me but I'm not going to be here". That's kind of crappy but on the other hand. I do live in NY. It's not like they won't find things to do here to amuse themselves. Next time they come, I will make sure that I have time off to spend with them.

It's cold

My fellow coworkers and I had a little disagreement about how cold it was yesterday. It was in the mid-30's, which is cold but not that cold. Many of the native New Yorker's disagreed with me. I guess it's ok. The median temperature for the months of January and February is just around freezing temp. so they are not used to the below 0 temps that we are used to in the midwest. Lourdes and I were going back and forth about how cold it really was when Liz came in wearing just a heavy sweatshirt. Liz is also from Iowa so she backed me up on the "it's cold but it could a lot colder" statement. Lourdes thought we were both crazy. Of course Lourdes is also told me that my double breasted Gap coat that I usually only wear when I get dressed up, was not going to be warm enough. I respectfully said, thank you for the concern but I do have a heavier coat, I just didn't feel like dragging it out of the closet and it really wasn't that cold. It gets a lot colder in Iowa then here so I'll be ok. Of course, I am a little worried about having to walk in the cold. I usually just have to run in between buildings and my car so I'm not really outside all that much. Maybe all of this bravado is going to come back and haunt me.

Clean Clothes

I bought a new filter for my PUR pitcher and I really can tell a difference. I like the taste of clean water. It's nice. I finally did my laundry today. It really needed to be done. I tried earlier in the week but the change machine was out and the little grocery/deli store didn't have any quarters to spare so I couldn't do it. I lugged my basket down stairs. loaded my clothes into a machine, sat down at the table and started to read. About 5 minutes later, someone else came in. Even though there was five open machines open, I had picked the 3 best ones so she said she would wait. Like every five minutes, she would come back to see if i was done. You would think she would just look at the timer so knew how much time I had left. Then when it was time for me to dry, she had to comment on the dryers I was using. I was like, lady, I'm trying to wash my clothes and read. Thank You. I was so glad when my laundry was done and she had left so I could finish in peace. I don't think I am unfriendly but I don't need running commentary on what I am supposedly doing wrong or the fact that I had taken the best machines. I got there first, sorry. I didn't realize they were the best, they are just the closest ones to the dryer. That's why I picked them. Have I ever mentioned I hate to do laundry. This is just one of the many reasons why.

This is really a post, just to have a post. I did go to Target and Pathmark today to get supplies for next week, includiing a turkey. It was quite interesting going on the subway with a frozen turkey, soda and a mop and yet I was still the least interesting person on the train. I briefly thought about taking a taxi home because I did have a lot of bags but they wanted $20! That is a lot of money to go roughly 3 miles. Maybe it's more then that but really Atlantic is only 1 stop on the express train from my station and five stops on the local so really couldn't be that far away. So, I sucked it up and took the train home and walked up the street. It really wasn't that bad. It just would have been a whole lot easier if I had taken the taxi and with the new propose fare hikes for the subway and buses maybe it will be cheaper to take a taxi. Jeez.

speed walking

I really don't think I am a slow walker but compared to New Yorkers I am. They are all speed walkers. I sometimes feel like I have to run to keep up with them. I think it has to be that they grew up walking everywhere and not being driven. It also might have to do with the fact that New Yorker's don't mess around. They have places to go and people to see so they don't dawdler or mosey they just go. So, this is New York walk I am going to have to master if I truly want to fit in.

I have the next two days off. I'm pretty excited about it. It's been a while since I had two days off in a row. I wish I could spend them relaxing but I have a lot of things to do. I have to run to Target to pick up a few things I need for next week. I'm going to need more plates because right now, I have only three and I am going to have at least 3 guests for Thanksgiving so that doesn't really work. I also need to buy a turkey. So not looking forward to get on the subway with a frozen turkey but I fear it is unavoidable. I have to do grocery shopping majorly because I am basically down to only cereal. I have to do laundry because the last time I tried the change machine was out of order and well, that's just not right. And finally, I have to start cleaning up my apartment, which means finishing unpacking the five boxes that I have still haven't unpacked. They are mostly little things that I obviously don't use on a daily basis but It will be nice to finally get rid of all the boxes. So, it will be a busy two days.

Goodbyes

So, I'm watching the replay of the TRL finale and it is kind of making me sad. I loved this show. I remember coming home from high school and putting it on. I remember watching the madness of Time Square and having a little crush on Carson Daly. It really wasn't the same after he left. It was just a great show. Where else could you watch 'NSYNC, Limp Bizkit, Snoop Dogg and Korn in the same show? No where. So, Goodbye TRL. You had a good run and you will be missed.

Last night after my marathon shifts at work, I went out to a Goodbye party for my fellow coworker, Brian. Brian was one of the cafe leads but unfortunately that didn't pay the rent so he is moving back home to upstate New York. I really like Brian. I thought he was a really good guy and liked chatting with him when I was counting the cafe drawer or letting him into the cash room to get his Godiva for the cafe. It's a shame this city is so expensive. I mean, other then that it's a really great city. His predicament did get me to think about how I am doing financially. For the short term, I'm doing ok. I'm not going to go hungry ok. It's a good thing that I have worked for B&N for so long because I my salary is high enough that I can cover rent and my bills but barely. If I made anything less then I do now I would be in trouble. I do know that in the long term, what I'm doing now is going to cut it. I'm going to have to start looking for something that pays better but for now I'm not going to worry about it. I think at this point I'm going to wait for the new year to hit the pavement. I don't know if that is a good or bad idea but I just can't imagine of dealing the stress of job hunting and the holidays.

ick

It's going to be a rough 24 hours. I am about to leave to go work. I am closing tonight and opening tomorrow. Meaning I will be at the store until midnight, it'll probably take me about 30 mins, give or take, to get home, go to bed, get up and go right back to work at 8am. That sucks. I thought clopening was illegal but I guess not. Well, that's not true. My friend Jessy closes every Friday and opens every Saturday but she has to because it is the only way it works in her schedule. I do not have that conflict but I'm just going to deal with it. What else can I do? But if you see me Sunday around 4pm. Watch out because I'm sure I'll be cranky.

I just walked up and down three flights of stairs carrying about three weeks worth of laundry to only find out that the machine was out of order and the little shop across the street didn't have any quarters to spare. So, I walked back up those three flights of stairs with my still dirty laundry. Man, that really sucks. I really hate doing laundry so while part of me is ok with this but the other part of me just wants it to be done with so i can forget about for a couple of weeks. ugh.

Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is one of my favorite shows. My friend Sarah and I have watched it from the beginning or at least I have. I think she was just in the room. Well, it has become a tradition that we watch it together. We have kept it up more or less the last couple of years even though she has moved to Michigan and me in New York but lately it's been hard to get together. She either has to work or I do. Tonight was the first time in a week that we were actually able to get together to watch our love challenged doctors. What I like about the show is the mix of comedy and drama. It really is a soap opera but a really good soap opera but I think what I really love about it is that it has become special SarahBeth time. Even though we have moved away and see each other only once a year, at least once a week we still get to hang out and watch TV like we used to do when we were roommates. So is it the show that I really love or is it just that I get to hang out with Sarah? That's a good question

One or the other.

The store that I work in is two floors. It has an elevator and escalator. Today they were both broken. How does that happen? The escalator is broken off and on since I have worked there so that wasn't really surprised. At least this time it was the down that wasn't working. Usually it's the up and that is killer to walk up. Well, since the escalator dudes had the down completely blocked off and we couldn't walk down it, the up was turned off so it could be up and down. Annoying. Well, when I got to work and say the escalator in pieces I was all set to take the elevator, even though I am a tad bit claustrophobic and really don't like that elevator and I'm always afraid of getting stuck in it. Surprise it's not working either. And even bigger surprise! Two of my coworkers, did get stuck in it yesterday. I knew I had reasons to fear it. So all day long I got "I can't believe both the escalator and elevator are not working". Tell me about. You only have to be for a few minutes, I have to be here all day. I can only hope one of them is fixed by tomorrow but since the escalator was still in pieces when I left and no one has come yet about the elevator I'm not optimistic.

In other news, they were filming "Flights of the Conchord" on 5th Ave, Brooklyn today. I actually have never seen a full episode of the show but it is pretty exciting to see something get filmed. I was on the bus so I didn't get see much, only what was in passing but I recognized one of the guys from the show. So, that is the second film location I have witness since moving here. Cool, huh?

Happy Veteran's Day

So, today is Veteran's day. I didn't really realize that until I was walking towards 5th Ave and was stopped by police and barricades. I caught the tale end of the Veteran's day parade. My first New York parade. woohoo! The sidewalk wasn't all the crowded but it didn't make walking down 5th Ave any easier so I decided that I to watch a little bit. I was struck about how young all the parade participates were. Age has kind of become a touchy subject to me lately but watching these 18-19 years walk down 5th Ave in their Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine uniforms made me want to cry. How long before these kids are shipped over seas to Iraq or Afghanistan? Will we get out of these places before they are deployed? I know that the military is something that I could never do so I am so happy that there are people who are willing to volunteer for service. I can only hope that in the near future that we won't have to send our kids overseas to fight wars we shouldn't be involved in. That we will live in peace. Wow! That sounds corny. But I do hope that those kids walking down 5th Ave. and all over the US will not have to see conflict. My hopes and prayers are with all our troops.

My day

I had plan about what I wanted to write tonight but now that I'm sitting down I can't remember what that plan was. I'm sure whatever it was was both deep and profound and would have blown your mind. Ok, that is most unlikely but I'm sure it was better then this.

So, anyway, today was kind of crazy. I opened, which for me, is usually a bad start of the day. It's actually not a bad shift. I do get to leave at 4 and have the entire evening to do whatever I want but I mostly come home and take a nap. So really, I don't have an entire evening to do whatever I want. When I got to work, there were gentlemen there scooping out the place. They were installing more security cameras. So that was interesting. I was in the cash room when they asked if they could come in and take a look. There is a panel in the cash room that leads them inside the wall so they can do whatever they need to do hook up all the wires and stuff. It was kind fun and creepy when the guy, who was then in the wall, yelling at his partner who was in the other room. It was like this disembodied voice coming from the walls. So that made the mundane task of preparing the deposit more interesting. Then our CRM who does the institutional accounts had two classes come in. There is a fund that takes classes around Brooklyn and maybe even New York to Barnes and Noble and lets each kid pick up to $50 worth of books. cool, right. Well the first class went off without a hitch. The second class didn't. They took forever, the kids were kind of divas and left our kids department a mess. My friend Lourdes called out so I had to wait to take my lunch until the class was finished. So, I was cranky and dealing with kids. Two things that do go together with me. After I came back from break, we got in 4 boxes of CD's and DVD's. We actually don't have a Music department. Just a few spinners we put DVD's on and our back stock is already full. Where are we going to put all these new DVD's. Especially since most of them are Christmas DVD's. Where are they going to go? Or what do we take off to put them out? It was at this point that I stickered most of the strict on sales for tomorrow when my shift ended and I passed off the chore to Kathleen. Sorry Kathleen. It was a rather unusual day. I'm pretty stoked that tomorrow I have off. I think I might go to Macy's and take advantage of their Veteran's Day sale. .

More then Meet the Eyes

The problem with blogging everyday is that you have to have something to say everyday. I'm not sure what I want to write about. So, I guess I'll tell you what I'm doing. Right now I am eating pizza and watching Transformers. Yes, I do love this movie and I don't care what anyone says about it. As a kid, I watched the cartoon and played with the toys. I just think it's a fun movie. It's not going to change the world or anything but just plain cheese with a few explosions mixed in. Ok, a lot of explosions. It is Michael Bay after all. Plus it does have Shia Labeouf, who I think is adorable. I've liked him since his Even Stevens day. I do have to say that Mr. Labeouf has definitely grown up a lot since those days because damn, the boy is hot. So, what was my point again. I don't know. So, I'm going to back to watching my awesome movie. Until tomorrow.

Hawks Win! Hawks Win!

I don't go out that often since I moved because a) I don't really have the funds and b) I just started to make the kind of friends at work that I want to spend time with outside of work. You know what I mean. There are people who are fine to hang out at work but you don't really want to see outside of work and then there are people that are really cool that you want to spend more time with. So, I have started to make friends. A couple of weeks ago, I meant my friend Jessica and her son Josh for bowling. That was fun except for the whole being beat by a three year old. My ego still hasn't recovered from that. My friend Lourdes invited me to her birthday party last month, which sadly I didn't go because it was in the city and I had to close and would have taken me forever to get there. Today, I met my friend Katie at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the Iowa/Penn State game. Now, normally I wouldn't watch the Hawkeye's play. I didn't really when I lived in school there or when I still lived in Iowa City but I had a Saturday off for the first time in forever and Iowa was playing on National TV. That doesn't happen that often because well, they have only been so-so this year or so I've been told. But today, I thought what the hell. I'll go and watch them. It did give me an excuse to have beer and wings and Katie was very good company. I like Katie because like me she is a transfer who has worked for B&N for many years and moved to New York because she has always wanted to live here. In that respect we have a very special bond. I really do feel like I'm starting to make roots here. It's taken me a little bit of time to do so but I do feel like I'm starting to hit my stride. Which is good because I would love to introduce my new friends to my family coming to visit this month. I want them to know that I'm not just here all alone but I do have people who I can hang out with and be me.

Here comes the sun. maybe

The last 2 days I had to open. Which means, I get up at 5:30am. Leave my apartment around 7 so I can get to work at 7:30 and don't get leave until 4pm. When I leave my apartment the sun is just starting to rise and when I leave work, closer to 4:30 because for whatever reason I can never leave on time, the sun is just about to set. It's like I never get to see the sun anymore. Well, today I close so I don't have to leave for work for another hour so of course that means today it's overcast and cloudy. Where is that bloody sun?! It just sucks! I hope this not a trend. I'm sure it's just left over from the storms we had in the northeast this past week but I want some sun. I just a little bit of sun.

I am hoping that the sun will come out tomorrow because that is my day off. I wonder what I'll do. I'm thinking a movie if the sun is still absent. Maybe, I'll go to a sports bar to see Iowa play. I did go to that school. I can pretend to care for an hour or two. Especially if there are wings involved.

I don't know if this wrong but I really want the Hanukkah box of Godiva. It has a dreidel on it. A Dreidel. How cool is that?! I realize to my Jewish friends this isn't that big of thing but for this Gentile, I think it's fucking Awesome! And it's not just the Godiva box I want but also our Hanukkah gift cards. They are just so pretty. I think I might give them away for Christmas. I know it's the wrong holiday but like I said, they are really pretty. So I'm I wrong?

I'm not a big fan of buses. Actually, I hate them and try to avoid them as much as possible. They are cramped and bumpy and I always sit next to someone talking on a cell phone or someone overly chatty. It's usually not an enjoyable experience for me. To get home I can take the bus or the subway. I usually take the subway. It means that I have walk an extra block or two but it means I don't have to take the bus. On Saturday, I was just too tired and I didn't feel like walking those extra blocks so I sucked it up and took the bus. It wasn't that bad but it does take a little bit longer because of the traffic but it's nice to know I have an options on how to get home.

E-Day

Oops, so much for 30 posts in 30 days. Oh well.

As you all know, Today is election day. So go out and vote! Go out and for no other reason that today as a nation we are about to make history. Today we are either going to elect the first African American President, the oldest elected to a first term or the first female vice president. How amazing is that? Go Vote!

I have already voted. I sent in my Absentee ballot to the great state of Iowa about a month ago. I decided not to switch my voting registration to New York yet because let's face it. New York is going for Obama. I want my vote to make a difference. Iowa is one of the swing states but not a major one. In 2000 Gore won the state by a few hundred votes and in 2004 Bush won by a few thousand. Who knows how close it will be this year but the most important reason for keeping my voting registration in Iowa for at least this election. My vote cancels out one of my parents and Kate's vote does the same. We like to keep things balanced in my family.

So while the rest of you are out making history, I will be home watching the Election Day House Marathon on USA! Go Vote!

Baby you can drive my car.

My Iowa driver's license expires on my birthday this year so I had I decided to switch my Iowa license for a New York one. I do live here now and it will make it easier on the poor NY bartenders to check my id. My local DMV is in the same shopping area as my local target. A few months ago, during on my trips to Target, I thought I would stop by and ask what I needed to switch licenses but the line was insane. It was like out the door so I turned to plan b) look it up online. The NY DMV has a very nice website but it was very confusing. One page said I needed two forms of id, my license I'm switching out and my passport would do, plus my birth certificate and another said I didn't need my birth certificate. I didn't have my birth certificate. So I called up mom and said, hey could you send it to me? Of course she did. So I was all prepared to go. I went back to the site one more time to print out the application and I reread everything I needed and lo and behold, I needed my social security card too. I don't think I needed all of this to get my Iowa license. I couldn't remember if I had my SS card or not, so I looked in my box that has all my important documents and it wasn't there. So, I texted mom this time to look for it and of course she had and expressed mailed it to me. All was well. I got it on a Tuesday and then my next day off was like Thursday but for whatever reason I didn't do it. Well, then I got sick and well, I'm vain. I didn't want to look all red and puffy on my license photo that I'm going to have for the next 4 or 5 years. So, I waited until my next day off, which was Friday. I got up early, though not as early as I had hoped. I wanted to get there as close to when they opened so I didn't have to stand in line all day. So, I quickly got ready. Made myself look good and left. I got to the DMV around 11am. I didn't know where I was supposed to go. I already had my application filled out so I knew I didn't have fight the crowd around the application desk. So, I got in line for Information. It seemed like the best place to start. It was a relatively short line so I waited for less then five minutes. I got up the lady, told what her what I wanted and she asked for my birth certificate, SS card and license. I asked her if she needed my passport and she was like, yeah if you have that I don't need your birth certificate. Well, that's just great. She checks everything, signs and few things and tells me I need to get picture taken so I got in that line. This time only 2 people ahead of me. So far so good. I get my picture taken and then given a number to wait for the next available person to finish my application. This is where I started to think the long wait was about to start. I got out my Tennis Week Magazine I had just got in the mail and sat to wait. I don't think I had a chance to finish one article when my number was called. I read a few lines for my eye exam and answered a few questions. Paid. and that was it. She gave me my interim license, which is just a piece of paper that says my name, DOB, etc and my actual license will be mailed to me in 2 weeks. So really it was a lot easier then I thought it would be. So, now I am officially licensed by the State of New York to drive a motor vehicle. Which if you think about, is kind of funny because I will probably never drive a car in the state. Well, I guess that's not true. Kat does live in Buffalo.

National Blog Post Month

It's National Blog Post Month or whatever so I am going to attempt to blog everyday of November. I didn't do all that badly last year but I didn't blog every day. Let's see if I can do it this year. Now, I'm still a little hungover from last night's Halloween fiesta so I'll definitely post more tomorrow.

I hope this counts a blog post. *lol*

Walking makes a difference

My weight has always been an issue with me. I'm sure most of you have noticed it's a recurring theme on this blog and for those who actually know me, know how much I have struggled with it. Two years ago, I went on Nutrisystem. I worked really well for a year. I lost 30 lbs and halfway to my goal but then Thanksgiving, my Birthday and Christmas happened and I gave myself permission to indulge. I still had my Nutrisystem for breakfast and sometimes lunch but when it came to going out and I didn't think, Oh, I should have veggies instead of fries. I ate what I wanted with the thought of going back on to Nutrisystem when the holidays were over. Well, that was a mistake. I got out of the habit of eating the meals and back to my old habits, which are hard to break and since then I have gained back all the weight I lost and then some. I am really disappointed with myself that I don't have the willpower or strength to get back on the diet. I did for almost a year and I saw the results and other people did too. It felt so good when someone would ask me, Have you lost weight? I miss that.

One of the biggest problems I had returning to Nutrisystems was when I'm hungry I want to what I feel like. If I eat something that I'm not craving at the moment then I still find myself still hungry. I guess it's a mental thing but if I want a taco but have pizza instead then I'm still going to want that taco. It's a problem because I rarely crave Nutrisystem meals. They are better then you would think but to make them filling you have to add a salad or veggies and that's usually want I'm not in the mood for.

Part of my reason to move to New York was I wanted to start over. I needed a change of scenery and maybe even a new lifestyle and the new lifestyle included a lot of walking. I sold my car (or in theory I did, Kate still has to sell her car so she can buy mine even though she is already driving mine but I digress) I weighed myself after the first week I was here and I had lost 5 lbs. I didn't take that much stalk in it because I did do a hell a lot of walking up and down hills that first week and it was pretty hot so I was doing a lot of sweating. So, I just figured it was a fluke. That my body would soon get used to it and it would stabilize. Two weeks ago, I was sick with the flu. The first day I went back to work, I wore a pair of Lane Bryant pants that fit me very nicely but on that day I noticed they were baggier then usual. I just chalked it off that I 48 hours ago, I barely ate and most of what I ate came right back up (sorry, it was gross) so I didn't have a lot of calories. I would gain whatever I lost right back so nothing to get excited about. Then his past weekend, while shopping with Mom and Jackie, I tried on a pair of 14 size pants and then fit! Really, fit, I didn't have to struggle to get them on, they were not tight but were just the right size. I probably haven't been a size 14 in about a year. I was really excited! So, I have lost some weight. My diet hasn't really changed all that much but I don't snack as much as I used to though (budget concern) but all that walking I now do definitely made a difference. Since I have moved to New York, I have lost 13 lbs!

I like to think that I have figured out the way to lose weight without even trying. Eat what you like, snack less and walk more but I know that eventually my body will get used to this and I will plateau. But at least, I'm on the right track. I'm exercising more, even if it is just walking to and from work and I have already lessened the snack intake, now I just have to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet and I will lose weight without actually dieting! Brilliant. Well, easier said then done. I will keep you posted on how well I do but I'm pretty excited about the prospect. I'm actually going to make a salad right now. Yummy.

A quick post. I am going shopping tomorrow! Most importantly I get to see my Mom and Jackie! I can't believe it's been almost 3 months since I have seen them. I can not wait! I'm not particularly excited about the early morning flight and even earlier cab ride but it will be totally worth it once I'm walking the grand halls of the MOA. Woohoo! I hope everyone's weekend is good, I know mine will be.

Not to be overly dramatic but I felt like I was going to die!

My ass got totally got kicked by some stupid microscopic virus. I had the flu and a cold and I was absolutely miserable. When you live in retail and are in constant contact with other sick humans and money (Money, is filthy ya'll.), you're going to get sick every now and then. It's prety inevitable but usually it isn't this bad or a least not for me. At first I thought I just had a cold. So, even though I felt pretty crappy, I went to work on Sunday. All week long, I felt it coming on but worked through it and hoped that it would just go away. Not to be. I was at work for about an hour and put up the white flag. I was supposed to close and I knew I wouldn't be able to make it 8 o'clock, let alone midnight! So, I went home. I stopped by CVS to get Sudafed (so cool to be able to buy cold medicine without having to sign your life away) and more kleenex and then went home. I tried to go to bed but with my nose constantly running it made it awfully difficult. I don't know when I eventually fell asleep but it was short lived. Around 5am is when the flu bug hit and Monday was spent between my bedroom and bathroom. I was really starting to get worried because even though I was trying to drink as much water I could so I didn't get dehydrated, pretty much everything I put in my body was coming back out (not to get to graphic). I don't have a doctor here so I wasn't exactly sure what to do. Make an appointment with whoever could get me in or is this something that you just go to the emergency room? and if that is the case, how long should I wait to go? So you can imagine how relieved I was that around dinner time, my stomach felt settled enough for me to eat and all was well again. Or at least better. I called out from work on Tuesday just because I was so exhausted from the previous days that it really was best for everyone if I just stayed home. I am better now. I'm still a little congested and still constantly blowing my nose but considering on where I was I'll take it.

Buffalo Bisons, or the Ricky Ricardo of mascots.

I'm glad to be home but at the same time I wish I was still hanging out with Kat but sadly she leaves to far away. At least this time she is only an hour and half flight away instead of 8 or 9 and I don't have to cross an ocean to get to her so that's an improvement.

On Friday, I left way to early to get to the JFK airport. According to mta.info trip planner it would take me about 1hour and 36 minutes to get from my apartment to JFK by subway/train. This also included a stop over in Manhattan. I found this absolutely ridiculous because, for those who don't know, JFK is in Queens and I live in Brooklyn. Brooklyn and Queens share the same island, so if I went the way they told me I would have to cross the bridge to Manhattan for 1 stop to come back the bridge into Brooklyn. Does that make sense? I know that is just how things work here. To get the tennis center in August, I did have to do that. Crazy! Anyway, I found another way that kept me in the same isle and took about the same amount of time. I just had to take an extra train. I get to JFK way too early but that's better then being late. Now, if you have a chance to fly Jetblue, do! They were awesome! They don't have a first class, so all those seats are taken out and everyone else's seat is moved up giving more leg room. I have short legs but it was still appreciated. Plus, every seat has it's own screen where you can watch 43 channels of Direct TV (including the Big 10 Channel Iowa fans) and XM radio. I didn't bring my headphones with me but I did watch ESPN. You really don't need sound to watch sports highlights. It's pretty self explanatory.

When I arrived in Buffalo, Kat was already there. She's such a good sister. We immediately go to the Original Pancake House and I got an omelet that was as big as my head. Oh yeah, it was good. Then We went this posh grocery store called Wegman's. The original plan for Friday night was our friend Elizabeth (who I haven't seen in like 3 years) and her girlfriend Becky were going to come over to make Scotch Eggs but Elizabeth was sick so that didn't happen. Well, as fate would have it, the snacks we bought would be perfect for us to take the drive-in. I can't even remember the last time I went to a drive-in movie theater. We saw a double feature of Eagle Eye (love me some Shia!) and the Dark Knight. It was great. We had to get some hot chocolate from the concessions stand because a) they guilt you into it and b) we were cold. It would have been nicer though, if the hot chocolate was hotter but I guess you can't have everything. Anyway, That was Friday.

Saturday, we both slept in to noon. I have to say, I didn't mean too but it had been so long since I had got a chance to sleep in because I have doing a lot of opens. So it felt good. That feeling didn't last long because Linda my landlord called and asked if I left any of water fixtures running. Of course this freaks me out because I could remember checking everything but what if I forgot something you know? It turns out that my toilet's flush master (whatever she called it, the handle) was stuck in flush mode so my toilet was constantly flushing. Even though everything turned out all right, it still freaked me out. So, to cheer me up we had to see some penguins. The Niagara Aquarium has penguins, as well as Seals and Sea Lions. There is a difference as Squirt the Sea Lion demonstrated to us. When you walk into the Aquarium, the first thing you see is the Penguins, Humboldt Penguins, and front and center were these two penguins going at it. We were like, are they really, oh yeah, they really are. It was funny. Kat and I will admit that when it comes to aquariums, we are spoiled but it was still a nice but small aquarium. Next we decided we would drive to Canada instead of walk across the bridge. After a series of questions, we were let into Canada and found a parking space. The Niagara falls is Big and Massive. You have to use both words to describe it because its truly Big and MASSIVE. We had lunch at this restaurant called the Edgewater's which is across the street from the Falls. Beautiful! From there we walked down the street to the Hershey's and Coke stores and had dessert and then home. Well, Canadians obviously don't want you to leave quite so early or they like fucking with Americans who have no idea where they are going because we followed the signs back to the US borders but they kept sending us around in circles until eventually we did get across the borders. The very attractive US guard pretty much asked us the same questions as his Canadian chum so we knew what to expect this time. We get home and are pretty tired. Why, we have no idea because we did sleep in until noon, mind you. Oh, well. We settled in and then decided to play our new favorite game of Camp Rock drinking game. Oh, yes Camp Rock!

Sunday, again slept in later then we intended. I wanted to go to Sephora. I know there are Sephora's in New York but they are all in Manhattan and I just don't get there that often so I figured since there are things I need from there, this was the best chance to go. After that we met up with Elizabeth, who was feeling better and pretty much hung out for the rest of the day. It was kind of like all day, just chatting way, playing with her cats and just having a good time. We made the scotch eggs. For those you don't know, a scotch egg is a hard-boiled egg, wrapped in sausage and then bread crumbs and baked. So good, finally the Scots have come up with something tasty! They were delicious!

Monday, Kat got up early to do homework. I got up a little bit later to pack. She went to class and I walked around the University at Buffalo. It's a nice a campus but it kind of reminded me of a business park. After that, we went to Anderson's for roast beef and then I came home.

So that was my weekend. I miss Kat already but she will be here for Thanksgiving! Yippee! I can not wait. I'll have to find a turkey!

Promotion!

So, it's been a little over a month since I have moved to Brooklyn and so far things are going pretty well. So well in fact that I have already received my first promotion. I am the new head cashier. Now for those who know me probably thinks this is a little funny, I mean I do. I have had chances before to be a head cashier before but turned it down. I kinda hate being stuck at the registers all day. So why would I accept a job that would pretty much do that? Well, A) in the past when the opportunity presented itself, I was already a lead so it would have been a lateral move and not a vertical one. So, I would be taking a job with more responsibility but for no more pay. When I transferred stores, my new store didn't have a lead position open so I had to settle for just a bookseller position. Which was fine because I was hoping that I wouldn't be there for long. Either something would open in the store or at the home office. and B) my new store is set up differently then my old store, so while the position is the same, I would also be in charge of all the displays around registers (with my fellow head cashiers) and there is always at least one other cashier ringing, giving the head cashier to work on those said displays. So, I wouldn't be completely stuck at the registers all the time. I have pretty much done everything else in the store. I have worked at the registers, info, on the floor, kids, receiving, magazines and yes, in the cafe (don't ask me to make anything, though) so really this was the next step for me. A new challenge for me to conquer. Yippee! I am a little nervous about it. I mean, I know I can do it but all the paperwork is a little intimidating and then there are the customers. I want to do a give good customer service but I also don't want to have the customers walk all over me. I really don't like the mantra "the customer is always right" because let's face it, they're not. I mean, I'm sorry that the book didn't turn out the way you thought but you should checked that before the two weeks were up. Oh, and I'm sorry that you didn't like the book your friend gave you and even sorrier they didn't get you a gift receipt but you're stuck with it now and the excuse that I didn't know doesn't fly with me either. The return policy, like in most stores, is on the back of the receipt. All the customer has to do is turn over the receipt and they would know that they were over the 14 days. There is a fine line between sticking to the letter of the law and doing what's best for the customer and the store. Everyone keeps telling me that people in Brooklyn are ruder then the Midwesterners I'm used to and I keep telling them no they are not. New Yorkers, at times, can be more aggressive but really they are not any different then anyone else so I'm not really worried about that. What, I'm worried about is who do you say no to and who do you make the exception for. I would hate to be the reason someone stopped shopping at the store but on the other hand, they probably were not a good customer to begin with. So, tomorrow I start my new position. Too bad, I'm learning how to open first because I would have loved to have slept in but I have to learn how to do it eventually. Wish me luck!

Good Times Good Times

Last night after work, I went out to a bar with some people I work with. We went to a bar called the Dram Shop. It was a lot of fun. It was the first time that I spent any time with my coworkers after work so it was a really kind of a bonding experience for me. It also reminding me of going out to the bars in Iowa City after work. I really miss you guys! We got off of work around quarter to midnight and I left the bar around 3am. I left early. From what I was able to gather, NYC bars don't have to close at a certain time, as long as they have customers who are still drinking, they can stay open until 5 in the morning if they want and apparently some of my coworkers have took them up on the offer on more then one occasion. In fact, some of them are such regulars at the Dram Shop that they went there on their lunch break and had dinner and beer before returning to work.

On the way to the bar, I was telling my friend David where I live. He gave that face, like really? It turns out my neighborhood, Sunset Park was once a not so nice neighborhood. In fact, as recent as 10 years ago, Sunset Park was in the midst of a Gang Turf War between the Mexicans and the Dominicans and most of the fighting was happening in my area of Sunset Park. It got so bad that when it was reported there was a shooting in Brooklyn, it always was in Sunset Park. Things that I wish I didn't know but thanks to the increase of police in the neighborhood and the end of the war, Sunset Park is a safe neighborhood again. Now, this was a surprise to me because as I walk around the neighborhood I see a lot of families. They sit on their stoops at night, playing cards and talking so obviously they are not worried about being shot. This was the first time anyone had ever mentioned anything negative about Sunset Park so it never occurred to me it was anything other then safe. But don't worry friends and family. It's safe now.

P.S. Maybe this shouldn't be mentioned to my mom. She worries about me enough as it is.

9/11

Today is the seventh anniversary of 9/11. I feel a little bad that I was annoyed when I was awoken this morning by church bells because today is my day off and I really wanted to sleep in. I had forgotten that today was September 11th, so you can imagine how absolutely terrible I felt when I turned on my TV and the ceremony for the anniversary and on. I turned it on to hear a New York City cop, who joined the force in honor of her father who died when the towers fell. She was followed by a two sons of a maintenance man and then a family from Japan, who flew to New York to honor their father who was working for a Japanese company who had an office in the World Trade Center. I was in tears, so I turned on MTV for something shallow and with no redeeming quality to it.

It got me started thinking about 9/11 seven years ago. I was a freshman in college and I was in my third week of school. I had an early morning class and I had decided that I would go back to my dorm room and take a nap before my next class. I got on the bus and there were guys talking about how the United Nations got bombed or something, I was only partly paying attention but it made me curious. I got back to my dorm room just in time to see the second plane fly into the second tower. I didn't take a nap that day or do much else. I don't think that I even went to class for the rest of the day. I do remember watching it in disbelief. It was like a bad movie but I knew it was real. I was still somehow removed from it. I was in the safe Midwest, what could happen to me here. Well, now I am living in the city where it happen. My friend Justine, from work told me a week ago, that she's not afraid of hurricane's or other storms that if there is going to be a tragedy it's going to be an another terrorist attack. But I can't worry about that. I have moved to New York to experience something new and not get all schmaltzy on you but it would be a disservice to the memory of those we lost if you are always looking over our shoulders every time we leave our homes.

So, today is a day of remembrance. A day to remember our lowest of day and maybe one of our brightest because for one day, one week, we as a nation and as a world, came together to help and support each other. The attacks on the World Trade Center may have happen on US soil but it was attack on the developed world. People from all over the world died when the towers fell and that should not be forgotten. We need to remember who connected we are to our other countries and if we are to survive we must learn to live with each other. We may be struggling here in the US, with the economy but we must not forget those who are suffering around the world too. 9/11 brought us all together. Let's hope it doesn't take another tragedy to do it again.

Edit: I am looking at my window at Manhattan and I can see the spotlights representing the two towers. It's a very sobering thought to think that if I had moved here seven years earlier, I would have a view of the twin towers.

Waiting for Hanna

I have a pretty nice view of the Manhattan skyline from my apartment but it is so overcast that I can't even see it. Not even an outline of the skyline. Obviously, this is just the first act of Hanna for us in New York. We had rain last night around midnight but apparently that is just the warm up for today. We are supposed to get slammed today but not as hard as the Carolinas, so no complaints from me. It's kind of funny. Just last week, I was talking to my new coworkers about weather and how living in the Midwest has prepared me for a lot of different weather related catastrophes but hurricanes kind of scare me. Like Tornadoes do not scare me as much as I know they should. I did have a minor freak out about the floods because it was a lot closer to my apartment then I ever thought the flood waters would get. I have been through several snow storms, thunder storms, hail, wind, heat and humidity. You name it, if you have ever lived in the Midwest for any amount of time, you have lived though it but hurricanes is a whole new thing. My coworkers found my revelation funny. Why I don't know? Apparently hurricanes don't scare them either or really any kind of weather disaster, they are more concern with terrorist attacks then anything that a hurricane or tornado could do to them. Well, that really didn't soothe my fears but just give me more. Thanks a lot Justine!

So here we are, a week later, with Tropical Storm Hanna. I am pleased that she is no longer a hurricane but she is still going to wreck havoc here. Brooklyn is actually below sea level, so flooding is a possibility. I'm not so worried for my apartment because Sunset park is the highest point in Brooklyn and I am only a block away but I really don't want to go through that again. I have food and coke and the day off so I'll be fine for today. I close tomorrow night so I don't have to leave here until after 3pm. I can only hope that will give the city enough time to dry out because I have no idea if the subways will flood or not or whatever. So, today I'm just going to stay in and hope for the best.

To the Left, To the Left

Yesterday, my coworker Lourdes, was having a bad day. Her second customer of the day called her inconsiderate. Why, I don't know. Lourdes, is one of the nicest people I have met in the store so far (though everyone has been very nice to me) and I have seen her with customers and she isn't inconsiderate so I wonder what was said to make the customer say that. Anyway, Lourdes stewed on it for awhile. I know I would, until a very burly man's cell phone and his ring tone was Beyonce's Irreplaceable. It was the funniest thing I have seen in New York so far. We were all just busted out laughing it was exactly what Lourdes needed to get out of her funk. I guess it really is one of those things you had to be there to truly appreciate the humor of it. I mean, this man was huge. The kind of guy that spends all his free time in the gym, pumping iron and to have his ring tone to be Beyonce! Hilarious!! Sometimes it's little moments like that makes working in retail fun because people are strange and you never know what you are going to get.

In other news, I have today off. I wasn't supposed too but after looking at my schedule again, I realized that that I was scheduled to work hours this week. Which I would have worked no complaints because I need the hours but it's a B&N no no. So, my manager Nancy took me off the schedule for today. So, now what do I do. If I had known last week that I would have today, off I would have tried to get day tickets for today for the US Open instead of night tickets tomorrow but oh well. I know I could have got up early and headed out to Queens and see if they had any extra tickets. I have been told, that on the day of, the USTA makes more tickets available, depending on how many tickets have already been sold for the day but I just couldn't drag myself up and anyways, I was planning on trying this on Saturday on my original day off. I have to reign my enthusiasm. If I had my way, I would go every day but I just can't afford it. So, I'm going tomorrow night and I'm hoping the USTA will come through and put the Roddick v. Santoro match at night because that would be awesome! and maybe Saturday. So back to what am I going to do today. Well, grocery shopping is a must. I'm pretty much out of all my food. I have diet coke and cereal but that is about it. Well, I do have my nutrisystem's meals but I am out of salad and without the salad or bread, those meals are not filling enough. So, grocery store is on the list but that shouldn't take me more then 30 mins., depending on the lines at the store. So, what else? There is tennis I could watch (like I'm doing now) or I could finally unpack the last five boxes I have left. Hmm...I think I'll think on this while I watch more tennis.

So, this is how we do it.

So, after my first week at work, here's the skinny on my new store. There are like eight managers. Ok, I'm not actually sure how many managers there are because I haven't met them all and of the ones I have met, I'm not sure who is an assistant manager and who is just a merchandise manager. The store Manager, Ann is on jury duty this week and last so I have only seen her once. There are two CRM's. One, primarily does events and the other primarily does all the institutional and corporate orders. We have four head cashiers and there is always at least one working at a time. From there the store is split up into upstairs and downstairs. Upstairs, we have a gift, bargain, newsstand and front list leads, cashiers, and info staff. When people are hired they are first cashiers and then after proving themselves on the registers are train to be at info and then their shifts are split between the two. Downstairs, has the children's, zone 1, zone 2 and zone 3 leads and booksellers who are assigned to each zone. There are about three or four employees that work under the lead so there is always at least one person working in each zone. We also have full time maintenance staff, who sweep and mop everyday and security. Plus, police officers that roam around the store from time to time as well. The store seems to be run well but it's kind of hard to tell from behind the cashiers desk. I can only hope that they deem me worthy to transfer me to info or downstairs because damn I'm bored at the cash wrap.

"Aren't you the one who said you can't live without your car?"

The one thing that has been the most to get used to here is not having my own car. The subway is nice and all but it's just crazy to me that it takes me 20 minutes to go a mile and a half. I'm just so used to if I want to go somewhere, all I had to do was get in my car and drive but now I have to figure out which subway line I need and how long it's going to take me to there. And it I have to watch what I buy because I have to get back on the subway to get it home. It's just not what I'm used to. It was suggested to me that I could take a taxi home so I can buy bigger items but that can get expensive and Brooklyn is not Manhattan. We do have cabs here but they are not as present as they are in Manhattan. Like in my neighborhood, I may see 1 taxi at a time driving around instead of the thousands that you see in the city, so really it could take a while to hail a taxi. So, it's a complication but not a major one. I can adjust. It turns out I can live without a car.

Yesterday, I took myself to see Tropic Thunder. So Funny! Now, this is not something I am going to do often because it was $7.50 for a matinee show but my cable doesn't get hooked up until tomorrow morning. Right now I get Fox, NY1 (a 24 hour news channel of just New York news) and a very blurry NBC (very inconvenient for watching the Olympics) so entertainment is on a low around here. So, I went to the movies. Now, I have to figure out the subway, either I am super early to places or just make it. It's all in the timing. If I make it to the station and the train is there, I'm going to be early, if I have to wait for the train I'll be on time. I think there is an art to riding the subway that I haven't mastered yet but I have only been here a week.

I want my MTV and ESPN and Cartoon Network, etc.

I'm spoiled. I realize that. I can not wait for my cable to hooked up on Friday because damn, network TV is boring! Thank goodness for the Olympics or I think I might have gone crazy. Dad and I had this conversation before I left that we really don't watch a lot of network TV and what I do watch is in repeats right now so I watch even less. I like to have my TV on to have background noise but there are just somethings I just can not listen too, like Judge Judy and her ilk. So, dear cable man! Save me from Network TV!

The unpacking is going well. It's weird. I have more room in this apartment then in my old that I just don't know what to do with it. I can have one book case here but it would be just as nice someplace out. It's really nice. One thing I do wish, I had was more outlets. I have one in the kitchen, 1 in my living room and only 1 in my bedroom. It's been a challenge to figure out where to put all my electronics, let me tell you. I think I might have to play around with it some more but for now, back to the Olympics.

A little update!

So, I'm here. In New York! Brooklyn!! I did it and so far it's going good. Let's see, Brooklyn is nothing but hills and stairs. To say nothing my legs hurt, which sucks but I'll get used to it right? I mean after awhile it while it will just become second nature and my legs are going to look fabulous. Today, I got asked out by a guy while waiting for the subway. He wasn't unfortunate looking but I wasn't getting the "I want to spend more time with you" vibe so I passed but flattered. This has to be a good sign for my dating life. I have already had more person ask me directions on the subway so that's cool. Obviously they are more clueless then I am. I found a mall, well it's more of a shopping center then mall but it will do. It has a Target and a Buffalo Wild Wings, which makes me happy. I have, for the most part, figured out the subway system. I at least know which trains stop at my stop and which are local and which are express, a very important distinction. So, now I know how to get to work and home but even more importantly how to get Manhattan's 5th Ave! So far everything is going good. I have the weekend to finish unpacking things. I start work on Monday and I'm really excited about it. BTW, they only sold about 200 copies of Breaking Dawn on the first night. We totally beat them! My new manager was really impressed when I told her that how well we did with our party! We also knew we rocked! Now I'll just have to bring the Rocking to New York!

Quick post! So far, My family is fine. My apartment seems to be out of the way of the flood so We should all be ok. Mom and Dad are safe in Marion. They just can't shower. So, keep us and everyone else in Eastern Iowa in your thoughts. We still have a long way to go. The Iowa River is not expected to crest until Tuesday.

A non-interview interview

I have kind of an interview but not really an interview with B&N Home office. It's not an interview because, at the moment, there isn't a position open that matches my "skill set" but an interview because if something does come up, what is said in this meeting will probably play as an interview or at least a first interview. So, it's important is what I'm saying. Nervous, very. Worried, a little but they wouldn't ask me to come in if they were not seriously considering me right? I wouldn't question before but then I read "Bitter is the New Black" by Jen Lancaster and she was more then qualified for the jobs she applied for and it took her 3 years to find a job. The only thing that I really have going for me is that I have worked for the company for seven years and knows the product and the customers well. I know that has to count for something but I don't know for how much. B&N is big on hiring within the company. You hear stories of how people have gone from a part-time reciever to the regional buyer. So I know it's possible to make the jump from retail to corporate. I must stay positive! I really do hope that something comes up between now and August and I don't have to transfer to another store because I am really burnt out on retail. But I'm trying to overthink things now. What happens, happens and it will be great because I will be in NYC!

It's so much bigger!

For those of you who know me, which I'm sure is all of you but whatever, I'm kind of a messy person. I do kind of live like a frat boy. In fact, when Kat and I lived together, we dubbed our old apartment the Frat House because we had a nice assortment of pizza boxes and empty beer bottles around the place. We even had a name, thanks to our friend Elizabeth, TIG House. I forget what it stands for now but I know it was clever. I really do miss that apartment but I digress. In my apartment I living in now, it doesn't take long for it to get dirty because well it isn't that big. It's really a Beth size apartment, so when Kat came home and stays the night it feels a little crowded. Not that I'm complaining because I love it when Kat is here! It's going to make me really sad when we are in different cities again. Anyway, since she has been staying on my futon, I lent her some blankets. I'm not sure how old these blankets are but Kat says that she had some of them when she went to college so about 10 years. I really love these blankets, they are the perfect cover to have just one for fall and spring, when there is just a chill in the air and perfect to stack to keep me warm in the winter, unfortunately some of them had started to well fall apart. Shed like crazy. I would find pieces of blanket all over the place and it was starting to get to me. I knew I had to do something when I was at work and I looked down and say I piece of red blanket on the floor. How I dragged all the way to work, I have no idea but something had to be done about it. That would mean cleaning. That would mean, fighting with my overflowing closet to get the vacuum out. That really didn't appeal to me but I couldn't stand to look at the sad pathetic blankets any longer! At first, I tried to ignore it. I just took a book in to my bedroom. I couldn't see it then it wasn't there, right? Well, I did have to leave my room eventually and it wasn't like the bits of remaining blanket was all that was on the floor. I had let the room get really out of hand and if I didn't do something now it will only make things harder later so I gave in and did it. It's truly amazing how much my living room looks when it's clean. I have so much room that I didn't even know. I can now comfortably lie on my floor without having to knock a shoe out of the way or shove papers to the side. It's like a new room! Why haven't I discovered this before? It's like a whole new revelation to me. If I can keep my room clean, then I can use it for more things, like exercise. yeah right! But I could! This could be a whole new thing for me. Frat Boy No More!

Am I really that crazy to move all the way to New York?

This is going to sound dumb but it's stressful to move. I haven't even really begun the whole moving process and I'm already the stressed-the-fuck-out! I mean, really, the only thing that I have done for my move to New York is ask for a transfer from my store to a store there. That's really it. Well, not true. I did email some people in New York and I got a response back today but that's it. Every time I think about it, it just makes me more anxious and I decide to do something else instead. I have three months but those three months are going to go fast. It's already May! And to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I can do this. I have never done anything like this in my life. I have talked about it lot but actually do it, no. I guess, it really hasn't hit me that I'm really moving to New York City! That I am going be to so far from all my friends and family. Kat is going to be in Buffalo but even Buffalo isn't that close. What if people in New York don't like me? I kind of feel like that I'm finally hitting my stride here in Iowa City and finally made it with the in-crowd. You know big fish in the small pond. What am I going to do in New York when all of my friends are in Iowa City? What if I never get a job in the Home Office and just end up doing what I'm doing now but only there? That really isn't' that appealing. There is so much I have to do before I have to leave and it's just so daunting. But I can do it. I mean, people move to New York from all over the country, World, all the time so it can't be that hard right? I just to get over my fears and do it. I can and WILL Do this and come this Labor Day weekend I will be watching world class tennis at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center! Oh Yeah!

In other news, the new Madonna album, Hard Candy, is awesome! I downloaded in from Itunes and have had it on non-stop since then. It's just a fun, dance, party record. No preaching, no politics, no religion, just Madonna having a good time and isn't that the Madonna we all love the most? Yes, yes it is.

In honor of Earth day (yes, I know I am a day late) I bought a reusable shopping bag. It's a small step but I figure for 99 cents it was worth it and then I don't have plastic bags all over my apartment.

Now, right now I should be going through my stuff and get rid of what I don't need but I'm really too lazy at the moment. I know I shouldn't put it off too long but right now I can't be bothered. I have 3 months still!

A quick post. I've applied for a transfer. The paperwork has been filed and by the end of August I am going to be a new resident of New York City, most likely Brooklyn! Exciting no?

In Loving Memory

Mittens Donelson
1987-2008

Spring Break!

I am no longer in school but that isn't stopping me from taking Spring Break! I'm pretty sure that Tony, one of my managers isn't too pleased about it because I took this week off, my friend Jessica took this week and Jackie took a day off (3 days total because of we get 2 days off anyway) to go to St. Louis with me and then all the other students that work with us. Now the only reason I'm taking this week off is because I have too. If I don't use my vacation before the end of this month, I lose it. I personally thinks that sucks. Why should I be punished for not using my time off. I think it should carry over my unused days but it doesn't work that way so oh well. I really don't have that big of plans for the first couple of days. Today is St. Patrick's Day, so that means later I will go out drinking. I think I make potato soup or is that not a good idea? potato famine anyone? Wednesday, Jackie and I are going to St. Louis. It's not quite Vegas, which was our first choice but it will still be a fun time. Maybe, we will hit some riverboat casinos while we are there. She has never been before so I think we will have to go up in the Arch. Other then that, I think we are just going to wing it while we are there. I'm just so excited not to be working this week! Yeah Spring Break!

Snow Day

You know that the weather is bad when the University of Iowa is closed. I have lived in Iowa City for six years and I have never seen that happen before. Ever! I remember having to climb over snow drifts to get to classes when I went to school there because they wouldn't cancel classes, except for the intelligent professors who cancelled their classes because it was the right thing to do. The Mall closed today too. That was a surprise! Apparently, they didn't even open this morning but I guess no one told that to my ASM Annie, who made it too work and then is now stuck there. Oh, well, She has a lot of free time to put up tables and endcaps now without the pesky annoyance of customers. What I would give to have all that free time. Not that I want to leave my warm apartment or anything. I'm pretty stoked to get a snow day. I haven't had one since High School. The only thing that really sucks about this is that I'm not going to get paid for today but then again, the pay off is that I don't have to go to work today. So, now I have three days off in a row because yesterday was my day off and tomorrow is my other day off. That's pretty sweet. Now, I am going to enjoy my snow day. I think I do some reading, maybe later watch a movie. Now, if only I was forward enough thinking and bought more Diet Coke because I am almost out.

Indecision Decision

I am bad at making decisions. I mean, there is a reason that I usually get the same thing every time I go out to a restaurant. If I know it's what I like, why rock the boat? Well, because of my inability to make decisions, I feel like I live in perpetual cycle of indecisions. I have been talking about moving from Iowa City since I graduated. Three years later, I am basically in the same place I was when I graduated. The only difference is that I know live on my own and I am a Lead Bookseller instead of just a Bookseller. A subtle difference I know but there is a difference. In the past when I have thought about moving, I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I got there. I think that was big part of my stalling. I really didn't want to move to Chicago, just to do what I do here you know. Would that really be a step forward or just a lateral move but in a different location? But I know what I want now, it's just a matter of figuring out how to get it. I want to be a buyer for Barnes and Noble. I know that I would be good at it. My years of experience of bookselling has given me an insight to what our customers want that I think gets lost on some of our current buyers who haven't worked in a store in a while or haven't worked in one of our stores period. My first attempt, sadly didn't work out but that was to expected. I mean, I am only a Lead and I live in Iowa City. Not exactly a hot bed of activity, even if it is the same town as the Iowa Writer's Workshop. The one thing good that did come out of this is that even after rejection, this is still something I want and I am willing to go through the hoops to get it and my information and name is in B&N HR records I won't have to fill out the application again. I can only hope that I left a good enough impression on the HR representative that when another position comes up that she will think of me again. I really hope so. I have been given a lot of support from my management here in my store and they have all have given good advice but for now I am operating on the wait and see approach. I know what you are thinking, this is more of my indecision but I don't think so. I have to plans in mind and they really depend on where my sister is going come August. This is a really big decision and I want to make the most informed decision. She should know in at least 2 months what she is doing and then I can make mine. In the meantime, I do have an application out in HR and there is always the possibility that another oppurtunity will arise so who knows what will happen. In the meantime, I am going to do all that I can to learn as much as possible about my store. I want to know all the aspects of how the store runs and everything like that. So that is my plan. I think it's a good one but only time will tell.

I am so tired of winter. I know it's January but it's cold. Really Really Cold! And every weekend since the beginning of December, it has snowed. Maybe there was 1 weekend that it didn't but I'm just sick of it. I need to move to a warmer climate and stat!

So, I really don't know what to say here but I felt I should post something since I haven't posted anything in a while. This weekend I am going to the Mall of America with Mom, Kat and Jackie! I can't wait! I do love shopping. It's been a really long time since Mom and I have gone to the Mall Of America with other people. It's been like 2 years since Kat has come with us. I'm a little nervous, I have to admit. I know we are going to have a lot of fun because Kat and Jackie are awesome but Mom and I can be very set in our ways. We've been making this trip for several years now so we know each other's habits and such. It'll be fine and great! I could really use a break from work, especially since I am working 7 straight days in a row so I could have this weekend off without taking any vacation time. Come Thursday, I am going to be pulling my hair out, I'll be so ready to go! It really can not come soon enough!