2.28.2010

Chapter 33 - Dog Runs are Very Entertaining

I have literally slept this entire weekend away. Shame on me but maybe its exactly what I needed. J flew in on Friday evening and we went out in NoHo for the evening with A. It was pretty fun and entertaining to say the least. I didn't get to sleep till 4:30 in the morning on Saturday, something I haven't done in a VERY long time.

Saturday I did not wake up until 2:30 in the afternoon. I missed the Aggie watch party which I was very sad about, but there is always next weekend! After walking Teddy and running around the UES for an hour or so, J and I headed to the Gramercy area on the lower east side. We ate at this awesome little Italian place called, Frank's Trattoria. We got a 1/2 a pitcher of Sangria to start out with. Oh so good and it was only $15 and we each got about 3 glasses out of it. The food was so tasty as well. My Chicken Pargmigana hit the spot! After dinner we headed to Terminal 5 to see the 2nd Annual Texas Independence Day concert featuring: Pat Green, roger Creager, Reckless Kelly and my personal favorite the Eli Young Band. Oh it was so awesome, I almost forgot I was in NYC. There were a couple of songs that def made me a little teary eyed and reminded me of a few things, but I rather not get into that. I had so much fun but by the end of the night I was so tired and my feet were killing me. We called it an early night.

Today I woke up at 9 and went back to sleep till 11:30. Took Teddy out to the dog park and proceeded to come back and pass out. Justin was exploring the city doing who knows what and came back around 1:30 to pack up his things and head to the airport. Hopefully next time I am a better host. We said bye and the next thing I knew it was 7 at night and I missed going to church. Ugh!

It's not 11:30 and I should probably start heading to bed. Hopefully I can actually sleep and Teddy will cuddle tonight. NYC is great and I am so happy with my decision to move here! Nighty night.

<3 Chapa :)

2.23.2010

Chapter 32 - Surreal Feelings

I've now been here for a week and a half. It usually doesn't hit me until the end of the day when I am walking home that I am living in this city. As I walk passed 3rd Avenue all the feelings rush through me again.

I love it so far. Although I can't get anywhere unless I dedicate 30-45 minutes of walking and the subway, its not that big of a deal.

I can't get enough of the park where Teddy's dog run is. It makes me laugh the entire time. There is almost always another dog his size/age and they are endless bundles of energy! They tackle, nip, slide, collide and run nonstop. I have to take pictures.

Today is my second day of my new rotation. Information overload is all I have to say.

This past weekend was fun. I went to an Aggie watch party for the basketball game and met some really nice NYC Aggies. Went to dinner with a few of them, then went back home to take Teddy out to potty. I didn't do much on Sunday except watch Greek (I'm almost through all the episodes.), went to church and then ended the evening by grocery shopping.

J flies in on Thursday evening and Saturday we are going to go to the NYC Texas Independence Day concert with Pat Green, Reckless Kelly, Eli Young Band, and Roger Creager! Hell yes!

Gotta get to work. Later.

2.17.2010

Chapter 31 - Ash Wednesday

For the past four years I have rarely attended church or practiced the Catholic faith. Overall, its been because of pure laziness and a part of "Do I truly believe everything Catholisism entails?". The answer is plain and simple, no. But I also have to ask myself, "If I broke down every religion that is practiced around the world, would another one be a better fit?". Probably not.

Since I graduated high school my mother has constantly told me to go to church. Personally, she was right. I should have gone but I firmly believe no matter how much someone is pushed to attend, they are not going to until they themselves are ready.

This brings me to where I am today. Back in Texas, (I say that as if I have been here for months.) I knew something was missing from my life. I continue to feel that way now. Of course a male companion would fill a large portion, but if I am truly honest with myself I know that what I've been missing is my faith.

Today's Ash Wednesday and what better way to get back into the groove of things than Lent. I went and recieved ashes with my boss during lunch at a church a few block from work. It didn't make me feel any more holy than before, but I think its a start.

Granted I'm not perfect and don't ever plan to be. I am not going to make any promises to myself or God to throw myself back into my faith. I am going to start by giving up fried food and soda for Lent as well as attending church on a regular basis. And to make it even easier, there is a church a block from my apartment. We'll see how it goes.

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Now on to my daily adventures. After work yesterday I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought a lovely cooking pan, curtrains, tension rods, and lots more. The best part, they delivered everything for $15. Plus I had a 20% off your entire purchase coupon. Hell yes!

On the way home the sidewalks were very slippery and I was trying my best to be careful. However, I still ended up busting my ass by landing on my knee and doing a half split. I felt like a compelte idiot.  It must have been my intiation to the big city.

I arrived at my lovely apartment where Teddy was waiting patiently and we headed out to his potty break. I decided to relax and watch episodes of Greek while I waited for my Fresh Direct and BBB deliveries. By the end of the night, I had made a tasty dinner and put up my new curtains.

More to come another day.

2.16.2010

Chapter 30 - Getting Settled In

It's day four of living in New York City. So far, so good. Below you'll read about the past few days getting situated here.

Day 1:
4:15AM - My parents and I woke up to pack the truck up with everything they were taking back.

6:30AM - Off to drop off the rental car that I forgot to turn in the night before. Oops.

6:35AM - Off to the airport.

6:50AM - After finally figuring out what line I needed to stand in, I awaited to be helped to pay for Teddy to fly. My mom was kind enough to help me carry my bags and push them along the line. Somehow, I packed both of my bags perfectly and they were each a pound under 50. Didn't have to pay anything for baggage. Hell yes!

7:30AM - Headed towards the security check point. Said goodbye to my wonderful parents. And guess what? I didn't cry like I thought I would. I just put my mind off elsewhere.

8:30AM - Boarded the plane for take off. Stopped in San Antonio(Which is ridiculous because I just went ass-backwards in order to get to my destination but hey that’s the price for getting a deal for a cheap flight.), then Baltimore, then I finally arrived at LaGuardia.

4:15PM - I decided against a cab and got a private car, which ended up being way cheaper than I thought and I wasn't rushed at all. Except some jerk almost ran Teddy over in the process. Luckily the driver pushed him out of the way. Stupid jerk that couldn’t wait for me to get in the car. Ugh.

4:45PM - Arrival to the new apartment. Picked up the keys from the deli under my place. Then hauled my bags and Teddy up one flight of stairs, already loving the benefits of living on the second floor.

5:00PM - Walked to Carl Shurz Park to let Teddy play in the dog run. He absolutely loved it.

6:00PM - Headed to S's to get the air mattress. Then went to the pet store to get a few treats and a bowl for Tedster.

7:30PM - Went to Duane Reade to get essentials. Another $40 out of my pocket.

8:00PM - Got a quick dinner from the deli along with some yummy fruit.

Some time after that I took a shower and headed to bed.

Day 2:
9:30AM - Woke up and took Teddy to the dog park. There were a lot of small dogs so we could to socialize and meet some regulars. He loved it once again and you know what, I did too!

11AM - A arrived and we headed to IKEA via taxi and water taxi (free per IKEA). Shopped, shopped, and shopped.

4:30PM - Got some food and headed home.

7PM - The furniture arrived. Started to put it all together and finished with: two coffee tables, desk, and my new futon.

Day 3:
No need to break down the time. Woke up and took the Tedster to the park again. Saw a cute British dude, he has a Husky that kept playing with Teddy. Pretty entertaining. Headed back and made a pit stop at Duane Reade again to get cleaning supplies.

Went back to the apartment and decided to put together the large 25 cubbie shelf. Meanwhile listening to episodes of Greek. Two hours later I finished but couldn't lift it so I decided it was nap time. My nap was wonderful by the way.

I decided to clean my bathroom which was absolutely disgusting. I can't even put it into words. I just sucked it up and cleaned it. It still looks like it hasn't been cleaned. Ew.

After putting together the shelf and having very little room to moving in my apt, I thought, "F it, I'll start on the last piece. My chest of drawers." Pretty easy to put together. A arrived again and it took us a good 30 minutes to figure out how to lift the damn shelving unit. After that huge ordeal, we rearranged things multiple times to figure out the best fit for my new place. Beer ended the night and I finally relaxed.

I seriously could not have done any of this with out the help of A. She helped me at IKEA and she help me set up my place. I don't think she really understands how much she helped me. Thank you, A!

Day 4:
I woke up this morning to my entire body aching. Took Ted outside, showered, ate breakfast and headed to work. It was weird to think that walking a few avenues and riding the subway each morning and afternoon is going to be my routine for who know how long. I kinda like it. I came into work way more awake than usual. Probably because the walking got the blood circulating to my brain.

As I sit here at my temporary desk in One Bryant Park, I finally have time to reflect on this past weekend and put everything into perspective.

I have yet to feel overwhelmed, which I did not expect. I love that I am so close to Carl Shurz Park, because I love it and so does my lovely pup, Teddy. I love having everything so close to my place. No matter what emergency I have, everything I could need is within a two block range.

I am getting used to the walking, it can only benefit me but for the time being my feet are killing me.

I miss my friends, but I know I will soon make new ones.

Overall, I love this place.

Chapa

PS - There is a HUGE population of good looking non-married men. Holla!

2.09.2010

Chapter 29 - Emotional Chaos

I'm seriously an emotional wreck and I just now realized it. I've been working nonstop today and about ten minutes ago I almost broke down crying. What the hell? I didn't think moving 1700 miles away would be this intense.

In less than 96 hours I will be on a plane anxious as hell to get to my Manhattan destination.

I have so many emotions going through my head right now that I can barely form sentences.

More later, not sure when that will be though.

2.04.2010

Chapter 28 - So Close Yet So Far Away

Time is crawling and my emotions are everywhere. In the single digits now: nine days left. Honestly, it still hasn't hit me. I've been doing all this planning for the past four to six months and I never allowed myself to fully grasp the reality of it actually happening. I, LC, am moving to NYC. I am going to be surrounded by endless amounts of things: skyscrapers, dirty streets, beautiful sites, expensive things, parks, taxis, subways, etc. I could go on forever.

The big question that I have to ask myself is: Am I ready? Am I ready for this huge leap to be completely 100% on my own. I've been supporting myself financially for the past year, but emotionally I've been able to lean on family and friends around Dallas. In New York, I'll have coworkers and that's it. When I first moved to Dallas it took a good four months to establish a base of friends. Of course I am not one who has a problem socializing, it's just knowing where to find the right crowd in a huge city. I guess the one good thing I have on my side is I'm definitely not quiet.

I'm tearing up just thinking about leaving here now, I haven't cried once about it until this very moment. I am going to miss this place. I love Texas but I know this experience is just the start of something great for me. It is going to be something I look back on and tell my children about. Let them know you can do anything you want as long as you put your heart into it.

I am going to miss the friends I have made this past year. They are truly amazing. I am the baby of the group, but they have never once treated me any less than the rest. They care about each other and are always there. Too bad I am leaving so soon. Luckily, technology has progressed and it is easy to keep in touch these days.

I am going to miss my Aggie Happiest hour friends. I looked forward to it every week and it ALWAYS made me feel 100% better. One thing I do look forward to is NYC Aggie HH. Bring it on. :)

Thankfully, I already know of four close friends that will keep in contact. S, T, O and J. We have constantly kept in contact since graduation and I know they will be there for support. I love you guys.

I can already tell I am going to be an emotional wreck for the next week and a half. Get ready for puffy-faced LC to appear.

I'm ready for the adventure but apprehensive about the journey.

2.02.2010

Chapter 27 – The Countdown Has Officially Begun

The past week has been awesome. I sold my car, sold my furniture, found out I am getting an awesome tax return and had great times with friends.

J came into town on Friday evening to go with me to Billy Bob’s. He arrived shortly before eight and went with me to hand over my car to the person who bought it. We ate Outback and then headed to BB to see Reckless Kelly perform. I was in the mood for dancing but I hadn’t danced in so long; I was completely out of shape for it! RK wasn’t really into their performance either, which isn’t normal. To top off the night, I was getting tired before it was even midnight. Having to wake up early for work does that to me. With the few mishaps, I still had a great time. I’m glad he got to come into town before I left. In one month we will be in NYC watching Texas Country artists perform! Pat Green, Reckless Kelly, The Eli Young Band and Roger Creager will be at a venue in the city and J is flying in to go with me!

Saturday, J2 came into town to pick up all the furniture he bought from me. Somehow he and his brother fit my entire set of oversized furniture and TV stand into his mom’s minivan. I was absolutely shocked. After arranging the jigsaw puzzle; we headed to Twin Peaks for lunch. I figured the two of them would enjoy it and of course they did. They departed shortly after and I decided to go get pampered with a mani and pedi .It was wonderful.

That night I went to Oaklawn with my friend Tommy (since he is having surgery and can’t attend my peace out party) and a bunch of girlfriends. The gayboorhood was so much fun! Although there were a few creepers that kept dancing with us, we still had a blast. I haven’t felt that carefree in who knows how long. It was nice not to care if I was looking attractive or if my clothes were still were they were supposed to be. Simply amazing.

Sunday, I woke up and went to lunch with my aunt, uncle and niece. It was nice once we finally got to eat. I then came home and vacummed my carpet with their Dyson. It was so disgusting to see what came out of my carpet. Ew.

Yesterday was work, very slow as it is today. But on the plus side, Suz is waiting for me at my apartment. Yes!

I can’t wait for this weekend!

In four days, I will be surrounded by my amazing friends for my last hoorah in Texas before departing to NYC. I decided on karaoke. How could that not be fun? I reserved a private room at this Korean place called Norazo. It’s going to be fantastic. My closest friends and I will be in one room, enjoying adult beverages, and singing at the top of our lungs. Yes, it’s going to be absolutely fantastic.

In eleven days, I will be sitting on a flight destined for the Big Apple. My plan is to arrive in the late afternoon and go and get the essentials: groceries and dog food. I’ll be sleeping on the floor the first night and wouldn’t have it any other way. I like to think as though I am building a bond with my new shack of an apartment.

In Twelve days, Allison and I will be making our way across the Brooklyn Bridge for our Valentine’s IKEA date. I’m very excited because I can actually afford everything I want and not have to go into any debt. The only thing I am not looking forward to is paying for delivery. Boo, but I guess it is a requirement for buying furniture in the city.

I'll leave you with a few pictures I took this past weekend. ©LKC