Chapter 46 - Sometimes Life Seems So Surreal

Slightly pixilated due to the shadows and my phone editing.

This is what I see every morning right before I walk into work. The north intersection of Broadway and Avenue of the Americas. Time square is ten blocks to the left and Bryant Park is ten blocks to the right. Honestly, before last year I never once thought this would be part of my morning commute. During college my thought was to stay in Texas forever. Apparently, there were bigger places for me to go. Is it possible to be a city and a country girl? I love the city and I love the country. The only thing that would make living here better was to have my family relocate too. :) It's still difficult to not be able to participate in weekly family activities and know my nephews are growing up way too fast. I guess it's just the price I have to pay.

I can't wait for this weekend. It's supposed to be beautiful. Teddy better be prepared to spend all day in the park!

Chapter 45 - Yoga and Photography

I can honestly say I've been too busy to update this thing. Between working on my photography website, editing photos, and work. I haven't had time for much else.

My new site is up but I am still tweaking it. You can find it at http://www.chapaphotography.com/. Yay! Going to start posting ads here and there on Craigslist. Hopefully I can get a few gigs here and there. I am going to stick with children and families. Mostly because that is what I am best at and it brings me the most joy.

I started going to a yoga studio a couple of blocks from my apartment. I'm on day three and sore as hell. It's only been a few days but so far I really enjoy it. The place I am going to focuses on Vinyasa yoga which is very intense and I am can confirm that. It's an ass kicking for an hour but the last part of class makes it worth all the hard work. I feel so relaxed, my friend compared it to how you feel after a massage and I must say she was spot on.

Oh, I have to mention this past weekend here in the city. It was absolutely beautiful! Saturday I went to see a pre-screening the bank was hosting for Shrek Forever After. It was really funny and cute, as always. It was over around eleven because it was held so early in the morning. Afterwards I headed to 230 Fifth Bar where the Annual Texas Chili Cook Off was. So much fun and I met some new Aggies. Yay! Went home around seven to take care of Tedster and Winston. Passed out pretty early for a Saturday evening.

Sunday was spent catching up on all my shows and spending three hours in the park with Teddy. End to a fabulous weekend.

I guess that's about it. NYC is amazing!

Chapter 44 - Photography

For the past month I have been trying to convince myself that I have enough talent to start pursuing photography at higher level. For the past couple of years I have started to realize how much joy I get out of capturing moments that would be missed without the help of a picture. Whenever my family sees my work they always have nice things to say about it, however they are my family. Are they really going to tell me, "Well Laura, you could have done a better job with the lighting and editing." Yeah I don't think so. Then I have friends who are of course compliment my photos but in all honesty I think they are average most of the time.

I think my biggest fan is my dad. He constantly tells me how good I am, how he has no idea how I took certain shots out of kids playing with flowers when he saw nothing there, or you really have talent. Yes, I enjoy hearing all of that and appreciate it so much because without it, I probably wouldn't be questioning if I have the ability to take great pictures.

So I will continue to question this. In the meantime I will make a website and start a blog dedicated to Chapa Photography.

Wish me luck.  

Chapter 43 - Le Sick Le Sucks

Went to happy hour with T and M (a co-worker) on Thursday and had oh so much fun. Friday it was beautiful outside and T kept trying to get me to play hooky. I of course resisted his temptations up until around four in the afternoon.

Friday evening was spent in the park, at a nice little Italian restaurant, and at an 80's bar where there were all college aged students. Don't get me wrong I was probably the same age as half the people in the bar, but you know I am looking for potential dating material who are on their own and can take me out to nice places. Most college guys can't afford that and aren't really looking to settle down. So none the less it was okay but I was already feeling a little off.

Saturday I woke up feeling like shit. Ugh. Why me? It was a beautiful day and T was in town and I had to get sick. What. The. Fuck.

I stayed in bed all day, thank goodness for T. He went and got me my prescription from the pharmacy and tissues/fluids from the deli underneath me place. He was my savior for this weekend.

Sunday was worse. I stayed in bed all day. Boo.

Monday not any better. Stayed home from work.

Tuesday. I tried, I really tried to go into work and be productive. Didn't happen. Came home at 9:30 in the morning and slept the rest of the day away.

Today, a little better. Working from home. I love my boss. She is awesome.

Dear Flu. YOU SUCK.

So nothing has happened in my life since I last wrote except for me encountering the flu. I am not even sure if this post makes sense.

Back to work. If I can even concentrate.

Chapter 42 - Visitors Welcome

My parents arrived last Friday afternoon and it felt like as soon as they landed they left. It was defiantly a great time. We did so much in the little time we were here. I took a lot of pictures the days it was sunny but unfortunately it was raining on Sunday and Monday so there are hardly any from those days.

A few favorites:

 Cotton Candy always wins in my book.

Joe's Coffee, freaking delicious!

My Parents at the Top of the Rock.

Interesting fact: A woman symbolizes freedom and suffarge, however when she was finished and there was a parade and celebrations, women were not allowed to attend.

Globe that sat between the two world trade center building that survived their collapse.

Beyond my parents coming to visit there hasn't been a lot on my mind except family. My aunt who I am really close with is going through a difficult time. So difficult, if things don't change I am thinking about moving back to Dallas next year to be with her. Don't get me wrong, I love this place and the potential opportunities that could be unleashed here. However, family is family. I hate that she is hurting and I am so far away. Especially when I know I could help her out so much. Ten months is still very far away and I am well aware things can change drastically. But it could be on the table come February 2011.

I miss my Dallas friends terribly.

Savor the Moments arrived in the mail on Tuesday. It's the third book in the Quartet Series by Nora Roberts. I will forever be a hopeless romantic and she captures that in every book she writes. Is it sad that fiction gives me hope in my personal life? Maybe.

Teddy and Winston are getting along pretty well. Better than I expected actually most likely due to the fact that I put Teddy in the crate at night so both Winston and I can sleep in peace.

Oh that reminds me, Tuesday at the dog park I almost got into a little altercation with some fellow dog owners. They did not like how Teddy was playing with their dog. I kept pulling him away from their puppy but it kept coming to play with Ted. The man said, " I don't like how that dog is playing with mine.", "Get that dog out of here.", If you don't take your dog out of here I am going to leave." I just smiled politely and said, "Sir, they are dogs." The couple eventually left. Freaking people. Don't get me wrong, Teddy can be rough and has been known to get into fights but he was hardly playing with the dog and it kept coming back for more. Ugh. DOGS ARE DOGS.

T is in town this weekend! We are going to happy hour tonight with another co-worker. That should be fun. I can't wait to have some fun with him!

Um, what else is new? Not much. Later gators.

Chapter 41 - Lazy Weekends and Upcoming Fun

I really need to stop being lazy on the weekends. My bed is this comfy abyss of utter satisfaction that constantly calls my name. It sure as hell didn't help that I signed up for Netflix either.

Friday I came home, cleaned, ate take out with A, and we proceeded to head to a local bar to people watch. It was the same bar I fell in love with and have been to every week since discovering it. However, their only good drink specials are their $10 pitchers of bud. How did I learn this? Well you see, I went in needing an energy boost so I opted for RedBull and Vodka. I figured it was probably going to be around five bucks a pop since they used well vodka, however at the end of the night when I closed my tab I discovered they were not. They were double the price of what I expected and honestly didn't really give me the boost I needed. Its times like those when I miss Texas.

Saturday A and I woke up way too late. I am too embarrassed to even say the time. Okay, three in the afternoon. I never used to feel guilty about waking up that late, however I am no longer in college and it just seems irreponsible seeing as though I only have two days a week devoted to doing whatever I want.

Sunday I woke up at eleven (some what better).

Throughout all this sleep and laziness, I did take Teddy to the dog park twice so the little monster could release all of his pent of energy. They reopened the small dog run and it is great. Teddy didn't get in any fights. Yes!

My parents are arriving Friday in the early afternoon. I honestly can't wait. Hopefully my dad has prepared himself for the ridiculous city prices because I really don't feel like dealing with a grumpy old man the entire time they are here. The only for sure thing we are doing so far is going to the Statue of Liberty. I am thrilled to get close-up pictures of her. Maybe then I will have some photos that I can be proud to hand in my apartment of the city.

I still need to plan out a few of the days, clean my apartment from top to bottom, as well as buy a few things such as cat litter and box since Winston is arriving for his big debut! Exciting!

Oh and my new ring should be arriving tomorrow morning!

Chapter 40 - Two Posts in One Week, CRAZY

For the past two months I have had a new BFF... I bought myself one freshman year of college and never used it so I eventually sold it. But now walking at least two miles a day and riding the subway I find I go absolutely crazy if I don't have it. Plus it has all the music that reminds me of where I am from and what I love, the country!

I was going to post a picture of my new haircut but when I took a picture of myself I didn't like how any of them came out. Mostly because I look like I'm five years younger. How in the hell does that happen? Isn't chopping off your hair supposed to make you look older and more mature? What the hell? Oh well.

I just got confirmation of another friend coming to visit me. I'll call him T. T and I met a couple years ago back at A&M when he was in town visiting a friend that I also knew. Long story short, I moved to Dallas and he was there too. He introduced me to the amazing group of friends there and who I truly miss every day. I can't wait to go to the Gayborhood of NYC and have some carefree fun! Last time T took us out to Cedar Springs in Dallas and damn it was a good time! Looks like the weekend after my parents are here T is arriving on a jet plane. Exciting times!

With all these upcoming visitors I really need to stick to my budget and eat cereal for breakfast and bring lunch into work everyday. Not only will it help my wallet but my waist as well. How the hell do people afford raising children in this city?!

Oh I get my replacement Aggie Ring next Tuesday. Eeek! I lost it when I lost my wallet in November when I was up here visiting. Don't tell my parents... they still don't know and I won't tell them unless they ask. But apparently I have to re-dunk the damn thing in a pitcher of beer. Ha, maybe, maybe not.

Back to work. Short lunch today. I am feeling productive!

XOXO - Chapa Girl

Chapter 39 - Sunny Weekends Bring Lots of Happiness

One week later brings a whole new view on city life. I knew the only reason I was homesick was due to the holiday, but I had to give myself some time to get over that hump. I don't regret my move at all and I am pumped to see what the big apple is going to bring to my life.

I have always counted on the weekend for a break from work in order to rebuild sanity. This past weekend wasn't any different and to sugar coat everything.. it was absolutely beautiful.

Friday evening started out with a new purchase of sandals and a haircut. It had almost been a year since my last one and I was ready for a change. The hairdresser did a great job! I got two free glasses of wine out of it which made getting eight inches cut off a little easier. How could my weekend start any better? Okay, maybe not spending $100 for a haircut. But hey its New York and for a decent haircut that price really isn't bad.
I headed home did my mommy duties and then went out to meet some coworkers at Cooper 35 in the Village. Fun time with lost of drinks and at the end of the night my bill only totaled $50, not bad considering that was for the entire night...

Saturday I honestly didn't do much besides take Teddy to the dog park and sit on the bench watching boats go by. It was very relaxing. I slept a lot of the day away and ended up waking up at 9PM and staying up till 5 on Sunday morning. Oops.

Sunday I woke up at ten and was bound and determined to make something out of my day. Yes I should have gone to church but I headed out to enjoy what God blessed us all with: nature. Teddy and I went on a two hour walk up to Harlem via the sidewalk on the UES that is made for people to bike, walk and run. We ended up crossing a bridge to another island. Here is the view from the bench:

After resting a bit we headed back to Carl Schurz park. Best choice because Teddy got to play with all his friends in the dog run, I got use the park bathroom, and then we relaxed by basking in the sun.  :)

here are a few pictures of the amazing flowers that are all over the park. I knew I should have taken my camera!

It was a wonderful weekend and I will pray for another beautiful one for the weekend my parents come. April 23rd they will be here! I am so excited, especially for my mom since she has never been here. She might hate it but at least she'll get to experience it!

Everything is great here in the city. Until next time...

Chapter 38 - Homesick

It's official, I am homesick. I have this horrid feeling of wanting to quit, move back to Texas and take pictures full time. This feeling has to pass by tomorrow or it might just happen. Nothing bad has happened here so far to make me want to move back home. It's just that yesterday was Easter and my entire family was celebrating it in Texas without me. 

I had an awesome weekend here in the city. A and I went to Central park with our puppies. We thought it was going to be relaxing but we should have known better. Taking Teddy and Stanley to a park FULL of distractions was probably not the smartest idea.

Teddy is so photogenic. He loved looking at all the people and dogs. There was definitely never a dull moment.

Aww, Theodore. :)

Stanley was a yellow highlighter for the day. A said she was bored and dyed him. Who knows what really happened. o.O

Mr. Yellow Highlighter.

Mr. GQ - Who wouldn't want him?

 Sunday I took Teddy to the park near my house and let him play. He is getting so touchy these days. He got in a fight and I had to take him out to calm down. Child!?I went back to my apartment, showered and headed back out for a mini adventure. It consisted of a great bar I stumbled across on Thursday, Bull Pen. They allow dogs and play country music, couldn't get any better than that! I looked up reviews on Yelp and they mentioned a backyard patio. I decided to take Teddy and my book to the bar for lunch. It was a beautiful day and I stayed for two hours drinking my $10 pitcher of Bud (cheap for the city), eating chicken strips, listening to great music, and basking in the warm sun.

View from where I was sitting. I am returning ASAP.

Chapter 37 - Everything Happens For A Reason

 I haven't been able to update this thing in awhile. Unfortunately, I had to fly back to Texas last week to attend my grandmother's funeral. I didn't cry as much as I thought I would mostly because I knew she was rest and was in peace. She has been ill for some time and her health slowly declined over the years. It was time for her to go up and be with her daughter. It was nice to see all my family, my grandparents from Brownsville even made it all the way up.

It is always nice to see family come together but bittersweet knowing it was because of a death. At the funeral all the grandchildren had little mementos they wanted to share. Some couldn't speak for themselves because of the very emotional situation, so that left me, Court and my brother to share what we all were feelings.

Some of the highlights:

• Her awesome cinnamon rolls.
• All the quilts she made us.
• The love we always felt when we walked through the door.
• Her positive attitude through difficult situations.
• She never gave up believe in her faith even when most people in her circumstances would. 

After everything that happened last week, Grandma made it possible for me to take pictures of the boys and Sadie in bluebonnets. I must say, the pictures came out pretty good. Below are a few of my favorites.

Chapter 36 - Patsy Cline is the Way to Go

I didn't mean to go this long without updating my blog. I haven't even been that busy. Sad.


Work is going great. I am trying to be as helpful as possible and learn whatever I can, it just sometimes seems that its impossible.

People keep asking how I am enjoying NYC. If you want to really know, I am absolutely in love with this place. Yes, I've only been here a month but this move is going much better than I could have ever anticipated.
Here are the reasons why I believe things have gone so smoothly:

• I received insight from almost everyone I knew who lived here. They gave me realistic expectations of what life was going to be like and didn't sugar coat a damn thing.
• I didn't have this *OMG moving to NYC will solve all my problems and be freakin' awesome* attitude about the Big Apple. I knew it would not solve anything emotionally. That my friends, can only come from me working to be a better person in general.
• I took six months to weigh the pros and cons of what I was getting myself into. I am not a person to make completely irrational decisions in the spur of the moment, especially if they have the potential of affecting the rest of my life.
• My family has been extremely supportive of me taking the plunge. They have never once doubted my ability to survive on my own. (Or at least they haven't voiced their concerns. I really appreciate that.)
• My close friends understand why I did this and have my back no matter what.
• Although some days I may lack motivation, I am extremely driven to succeed in my career and personal life.
• Teddy went to a complete brat to mini brat. He has adjusted so well up here. I have to give credit to the dog run, without it he would be just like he was in Dallas.
• I've learned to budget my spending and actually stick to that budget pretty close.

I took picture of my place this weekend and posted them up on Facebook. After scrolling through them, I instantly realized I was in love with my studio. Every little thing means something to me or symbolize a piece of who I am.

As I mentioned previously, Teddy has adjusted better than expected BUT he is beginning to be a little instigator. Over the span of an hour and a half yesterday he got in four altercations. It was embarrassing but I really don't know how to stop his behavior. I'll have to research what the Dog Whisperer would do.

For the past two weeks my grandmother (my mom's mom) has been in the hospital in critical care. I don't really know what is going on anymore. They thought she had a heart attack but after surgery the doctor said she didn't. Since that surgery last Tuesday she has been 'asleep'. I still have yet to understand what that really means. She is on some type of oxygen machine and can no longer breathe on her own. That was since last Friday. I was under the assumption she did not want to be on any sort of life support, but it doesn't seem like that is the case right now. I'm just praying that my mom and her family have the strength to do whatever they feel is needed, no matter the outcome. really hope for the best and that she will be fine but I am prepared for the worst.

No one knows what the right or wrong thing to do is at this point. Some people would stick it out and pray for the best, others would say unplug everything and let nature take its course. Personally, I have made it clear to my parents that if something happened to me that I never want to be kept on life support or anything that I can't do on my own (whatever they may be). I would never want any of my family or friends waiting for me to wake up. I think that is more painful than actually letting me go and grieving with loss. There are lots of other reasons but overall I would rather put my fate in the hands of God rather than a machine.

Okay, so that was a little depressing but it's been on my mind constantly.

I am looking forward to this weekend. A co-worker is staying at my place for the weekend and we are going to be tourists together and enjoy the city!

Chapter 35 - Will I Ever Learn My Lesson?

It's Monday and I'm in a total funk. Once again it is my fault. I didn't take my meds Saturday or Sunday and as a result I'm in a horrible mood. Okay, maybe not horrible but I don't even feel like communicating with anyone. Blah. F.

Anyways, on a plus note this weekend was pretty fun. I went out Friday evening and checked out A's place in Brooklyn. I'm envious of all the space she has. We were supposed to go dance at some place, but ended up just relaxing at her place and calling it an early night.

Saturday I made sure I set my alarm so I wouldn't sleep the whole day away again. I woke up at ten and took Teddy to the dog run for two hours. It was absolutely beautiful outside and there were tons of dogs. I relaxed most of the day and watched episodes of Brothers and Sisters and Private Practice. A and I went out again but headed to the UWS. We at this Chinese place where they serve FREE ENDLESS Franzia. Cheap white wine, but it was free and the food was decent. We then headed to the LES and went bar hopping. We really wanted to go to the karaoke place, but some douche wouldn't let us in. Jerk.

Sunday, I took Teddy to the park again and relaxed the day away. I really should have cleaned but didn't. Watched the Oscars and called it a night around 11.

I had the weirdest dream last night. I have such surreal dreams that sometimes its difficult for me to differ my dreams from reality, I'm not sure if its a good or bad thing. I remember the foundational plot of the dream, who was in it, and what I was doing but the details are beginning to fade the more the day goes on. You know, that could be another reason of why I am in such a weird mood. Who knows.

Not too much going on in my life right now. I really need to make it to some Aggie happy hours/watch parties. I've missed the past two just because I was too lazy to go.

Is it Friday yet?

Chapter 34 - Gossip Girl

Due to the fact of a comment A made on my last blog, Gossip Girl... XOXO can't seem to leave my head. I love that show, although I haven't seen any new episodes since December. Tear.

I haven't begun to miss Texas yet. Honestly, it's kind of weird because I thought I would. I would be lying if I said I haven't had little bouts of depression (30 minutes here and there) in regards to realizing what I am going to miss out on in the next year because I can't afford to fly home every month. The next thing coming up that popped up in my head last night was that I won't be able to take pictures of the boys in bluebonnets this year. I have done this since LD was born. It really makes me sad. And now I have a really good camera and the pictures would come out awesome. Urgh. It's just something that I am going to have to get over.

I know I talk about the dog run all the time but it's an hour out of my day every day of the week. And it just so happens to be the most entertaining. Teddy has found himself a new BFF, Tank. He is this cute fluffy white dog who has this cute late-twenties owner, who just happens to have a GF. Lame. After, seeing each other for a week we still had not introduces ourselves, but last night we finally did. I will refer to him as P. For the hour we were there, I found out awesome places to go on the UES, now I just need people to go with. Ha. I also found out why a grown man has a cute little fluffy dog. He was in the 'dog house' with his GF and he got out of it by purchasing Tank and becoming his daily walker. I found this very amusing mostly because it happens all the time in relationships, but usually the guy comes home with flowers or something and not a living animal.

Work is going well so far but I still question myself on a daily basis. There is so much information I have to learn and I don't know how I am going to piece it all together. I need to be more confident but that will take time.

Now, I left the best for last. Yesterday, I saw my first street mouse as I was walking home. It was very tiny and didn't bother me much. Well, last night I was watching episodes online and all a sudden I see something moving out of the corner of my eye. I didn't think much of it until I realized Teddy was sound asleep on the bed next to me. I popped back up and to my surprise, there was ANOTHER little mouse but this time it was in MY apartment. My movement must have scared it because he ran under the crack of the bathroom door and never came back. (Or at least hadn't while I was awake.)  Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. I need Winston to come to NYC ASAP to eat them. It still gives me the heeby geebies thinking about it.

Tonight I am supposed to go to this underground dance hoorah with A. Should be interesting....

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 :)

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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