NYC: Taxes, Men, & French Carnival Rides

Happy October!!  I. Love. October.  From my head to my toes to my inner being and outer shell, I love this time of year.  Best month of the year!  Bold earth tones, candy, costumes, celebration, the beginning of the holidays, pumpkin everything!! 

So this is one of the many blogs that I drafted with good intentions, but something happened in-between my keyboard and pillow that I can't quite explain.  Fortunately there were not many edits needed to update the setting of the post: I want[ed] to blog about three things tonight Sunday night: NYC men, taxes, and Fete Paradiso. We'll start with the taxes because it's it was fresh on me mind.

First, let me reiterate that living in NYC is fantizzletastic.  NYC is electric, it's thriving, it's inviting, it's unbelievable and surreally dream-like.  Fact: dreams do really come true. =D  Everything is different here from the weather and seasons to fashion and men, to the cultures and local fare, to priorities and conversations and taxes.  Yes, to taxes.  But was it any surprise really?  Different state, different tax rates.  Duhhhh!  But to me, as I tend to be a skimmer-reader, I had obviously somehow missed some crucial information prior to our move about how NY is.....wait for it......a lesser taxed state than CA as it relates to sales and income taxes.  Not that it would have stopped me from moving here had I realized that there is both a NY state and NYC city income tax.  Truly nothing could have stopped me.  NYC was in motion for the Hartman sisters, Rufus, and Mr. Deitrich, that goes without saying.
But when you get down to brass tacks and you compare our two fav states' income and state taxes, you'll see that NY actually does fall below CA and that I was right.......except that I missed the part about NY being one of the only states to impose a city tax for NYC residents. Bah humbug! At the end of the day it's truly only >.2% greater than CA. Then again, why am I wasting anymore time talking about taxes?!  Check out the numbers below and let's move on to MEN please! ;-) 

California

Income tax: 9.3%
State sales tax: 7.25%* (6.25%, plus 1% statewide local rate)
New York

Income tax: 6.85% (8.82% on income over $1 million) + 3.5% NY city income tax = 9.5%
State sales tax: 4%

PLUS

New York City Income Tax

New York City has a separate city income tax in addition to the state income tax for individuals.  New York City income tax rates range from 2.907% to 3.648%.

So yes, and unsurprisingly so, even and especially the men here are different.  I mean I know, I get it.  It's on the other side of the continent, it's an entirely different sub-culture of America; everything is illuminated!  So that goes without saying that living here in NYC is like being a kid all over again and discovering life, something new with each day.  I'm not even kidding you.  That's what this all feels like.  Being a kid again, but with the logic and wisdom to make good decisions.  After all, it's one of the wisest decisions I made to move here.  =D  Every day here is an adventure, every subway ride an exploration of new people, new behaviors, new sights, new sounds, and all these new-New York men.  In my humble and very novice opinion - and some of my male CA friends might disagree, and this is sans my own Father as I am convinced they just don't make men like him anymore - that NYC/Long Island men are more confident, grounded, maybe even go as far to say more serious, but in a good way?  They whisper when they talk, they breathe conviction, and they make insanely good and unbreakable eye contact.  They speak with fact and they walk with a purpose.  It's invigorating and enticing and interesting.  And did you know that The New York City metropolitan area is home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel?  Grandma Porbanic would smile hearing this.  After all, I do remember her sage advice to "meet a nice Jewish boy because he would treat me like a princess".  My dreams of becoming a princess have never died.... ;-)

On to Fete Paradiso! First and foremost before I bring the last section to my [long-overdue contribution] posting, let me just point out that what nobody ever talks about when they're remarking on how amazing NYC is, are the tiny islands in and around!  It's quite a substantial list!  Those I can name off the type of my head are Governor's Island (check!), Liberty Island (check! and, of course), Roosevelt Island, Randall's Island, Fire Island, Ryker's Island (okay, well to be fair, this one's a prison for the most part).  This past Saturday we were encouraged we headed out to Governor's Island at the recommendation of a new (and totally awesome might I add?!) local Brooklynite-girlfriend, for the last weekend of Fete Paradiso: French carnival with vintage carnival rides circa late 19th and early 20th centuries.  There was a tin-bicycle-powering circular ride that made me feel as though I were a figurine walking around Dad's toy cases.  But Fete Paradiso, which literally translates to "girl's paradise" or "paradise feast", I like the latter.  But it certainly wasn't just any old carnival though.  Fete Paradiso is "the world’s first traveling festival of vintage carnival rides and carousels" and it made its debut on our very own Governor's Island!  What a beautiful thing to experience.  Insanely magical.  All you need to do to imagine just how magical this place was is to pretend you are on a movie set (Fox Lot, anyone...?) and transcend yourself back to the turn of the 20th century, back when times were simpler, laughter was louder, and people were just more, well, dapper.  First, get yourself to Governor's Island by way of the free (yes, another free fun thing to do in NYC!) ferry out of Red Hook - if you're a Brooklynite - and if you try, you might just be able to hold your breath for the incredibly short ferry ride to the gorgeous Governor's Island.  My. Gosh.  I will certainly be returning to this small island latent with such history, such gorgeous architecture, the art, the view!!!  The view of Manhattan (and Brooklyn, come on, I have to show some love for my favorite borough) from Governor's Island is out of this world.  And at dusk?  With a handsome man* and two of my fav NYCers by my side?  Priceless.  A few pictures below paint a very faint picture of our surreal Saturday.  Every Saturday in NYC has been surreal.  For real.  :-)  There are not enough words to describe all the sights and sounds we have been blessed enough to experience already here in NYC.  Yet I cannot say enough about it.  This is one of those days, one of those memories I will use as a happy place to escape to when work is taking over my psyche.  Fete Paradiso, Governor's Island, on the last weekend of September 2013 with a few of my favorite humans.  Life.  Is.  Great.  And I think Kel might even have some photos from the carnival swings ride to add.....sis? 8)

Fete Paradiso propaganda

View of south east Manhattan = Battery Park-ish.

A beautiful day indeed.  View through the trees from the 'food court/garden' where we patiently awaited our oysters, crabcake, lemon tarte, pumpkin spice cupcake, bratwurst, and baguettitos, oh, and the sangria!

'Floating Harvest Dome'; part of the continuous outdoor/indoor art exhibit.

Rachel and I were in agreement on this. Indoor art exhibit, not even to the wild installations yet.

The man who ate fire, as we stood in amazement.

My camera does not capture the charm of these toys.

Trying to focus on the motorcycle and peddle car for Pops!

View of her gorgeousness by dusk. Pinch me!

And us.  Your favorite Hartman sisters LA > NYC transplants.  Keeping it real and reppin' our So Cal light BRIGHT here on the other side of the continent.  <-- I just like saying that!

*See "nice Jewish boy." =D

Resources:
http://taxes.about.com/od/statetaxes/a/New-York-City-taxes.htm

Maa-a-aa-a-aa-a-aa-a-aaps

If you like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, then I apologize for getting that song stuck in your head.

Maps.  I love them.  

Many times as I'm looking up an address on Google Maps, I'll find what I'm looking for and then... I'll get lost.  I start clicking and dragging and zooming and exploring and all of a sudden I'm looking at Bangkok, Thailand and I realize that Singapore is actually south of Thailand and Cambodia?!?  Don't laugh, but geography was never really my best subject.  Neither was history, while we're admitting shortfalls here, but whatever.  Although I might be horrible at geography, I actually have a really good sense of direction.  I credit my Dad for passing on his knack of knowing where to go.  He drove a truck for 30 years (give or take), and I'm not sure if it was a skill he developed or if it was natural, but my Dad always had a great sense of direction and would know the best route to get to a place.  I'm not saying that I never get lost, but most of the time I can figure out how to get un-lost, and if I go to a place once I can usually find my way back (or find my way home).  I definitely credit my somewhat photographic memory and being able to visualize a map in my head after I've looked at it.  This is especially helpful and adds to the fun when I'm reading a book that has a map in it.  Since I love epic fantasy adventure series, seeing a map in the book I'm reading is a pretty frequent occurrence.

For example, the The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.  The books have the most amazing maps in them, and I would often refer to them as I'm reading about hobbits and elves and wizards and kings.

The Lord of the Rings - map of Middle Earth

The Lord of the Rings - map of Eriador

The Lord of the Rings - map of the Shire

I think maybe this map deal is in my blood.  My great-uncle, Andrew Okrusko, drew a map of Ukraine and I remember seeing it hung with pride in my grandparent's den.  The calm pastel colors and the layout of a place that my great-grandparents once lived, it all captivated me.  I found it online today, one website said it was published in 1970, and another says 1974.  I could only find a small clip of Uncle Andy's map, but it seems like an old friend somehow.  I think I need the full size version in my house, what do you think?

Uncle Andy's map of Ukraine

There are other maps that I'm enthralled with.  Right now I'm reading Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.  So far it's a lot more kinky and raw and dark than I had imagined, but I'm enjoying it (on page 43 right now, I stopped reading in order to write this blog).  I've already flipped back to the map a few times to get myself oriented with where the characters were.

Wicked - map of the land of Oz

Then of course, there's the amazing stories of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.  I recently gave a boxed set of the books to my BFF Candace's daughter for her 9th birthday.  She is an avid reader and I've given her a lot of books through the years for Christmas or birthdays.  I fell in love with the Harry Potter series, and I hope that she does too.  I wish there were more maps available for Harry's world, because I feel like I need more visual information in my head about what is where.  I might just have to buy a Marauder's Map so that I can see the layout of Hogwart's for myself.

Map of the wizarding world of Harry Potter

Harry Potter - The Marauder's map

Another of my favorite fantasy series is the Dark Tower Series by Stephen King.  King really has a way of captivating me with his ultra-detailed character descriptions and landscapes.  My imagination is fueled and I'm transported to an entirely different world than the one we live in.  Most of my girlfriends don't really understand my love of fantasy or science fiction - novels, TV shows, and movies.  But then again, I don't understand the fascination that many people have with "chick lit" or "chick flicks."  If I'm going to watch something made-up, I prefer it to be so obviously not-of-this-world that I don't start to harbor a dream that the male escort I hired as a date to my sister's wedding will all of a sudden fall in love with me.  You know, because THAT happens in real life.  I greatly prefer magic and aliens and unicorns and hobbits because then a dream is just a dream and it doesn't affect my real-life psyche.  I mean, besides the fact that I swear Chris Johnson looks like an orc.  And there was that one date I went on with a male witch (he was Wiccan), although he was not fantastic in the least bit, just an ordinary man with different beliefs than me.  I should definitely start documenting my strange dating life... but that's probably best for a blog under a pseudonym I think.  Anyway, the Dark Tower Series is amazing and also has a great collection of maps that help me find my way through the intricate plot lines that Stephen King creates.

The Dark Tower Series - map of New Canaan

The Dark Tower Series - map of Mid-World

I have to mention one of my very favorite series, even though I couldn't find any maps for it.  The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon is an amazing journey through time and involves love and Scotland and all sorts of adventures and trouble.  Check it out if you're looking for new books to read.  I guess since it's a historical fiction series, I could have just posted a map of Scotland... but meh what fun is that?

Of course since I have a love of maps and knowing where I'm going, I had to get a map of the subways in NYC.  Streetwise has a fantastic collection of laminated maps of all sorts of cities.  The Manhattan one fits in my pocket/wallet and I use it on a regular basis to check on transfers, etc.  It's not really that funny being on the subway when you are lost and you realize that you're underground and that hunk of electronic genius that you rely on for everything is prettttttty much useless.  Plus, I'm a little bit old fashioned anyway.  On our road trip out from CA to NY I insisted on getting maps from AAA for all of the states that we were planning on driving through.  It really was helpful, because there's not always 4G/3G coverage for Verizon, and without data, those amazing little map apps and other tools are not functional.  And who wants to be lost in Arkansas without a map?  I sure as hell don't.  I mean, they can't even figure out how to pronounce their state's name correctly.  It's an S, not a W, people!

An absolutely essential map - Manhattan subways

Thankfully, I have really gotten the hang of navigating the subways and streets here in NYC.  I was really disoriented for at least a month or so - I couldn't tell which way was north or south, and I often got off of the subway and had to spend 2-3 minutes figuring out where I was and which way to walk, and I usually started the wrong way anyway.  Even if I have GPS telling me where I "am," I still need to be able to see three streets in order to see which way I should go.  But now I have a better feel for it, maybe I've finally adjusted to the angle and direction of the sun in relation to north/south.  I don't get as turned around, and while I wouldn't consider myself a subway pro, I definitely feel comfortable with making my way around, thankfully.  Although I still have my pocket map, just in case!

(Disclaimer: None of these images are mine, I borrowed them from various sources on the interwebs for my personal use.  I don't own any copyrights on these particular images)

Oh hello there

Yes, it's me... your long lost blogging friend Kelly.  I have returned from my journey to the depths of the Mariana Trench.  Or was I visiting the uninhabited Auckland Islands?  Wait, I think I was actually in Motuo, China.  Wherever I was, I have returned and have not actually fallen off the face of the earth.  Aren't you relieved?

Truth is, I've been thinking about blogging.  Thinking a lot.  Coming up with great ideas.  Pondering life and starting a great blog about 478392098374 times in the past month or so.  But have I clicked over and actually started typing?  Nope.  And I have a few reasons/ideas/excuses why:

• I'm a lazy journal-er
• I'm just lazy
• I feel like I have to post a huge update and I'm just not up for that
• I have this all-or-nothing 'thing' that hounds me, and I feel like if I'm not posting a daily/weekly recap, it's not even worth it
• I've been fighting depression.  I am challenged with depression on occasion, especially seasonal depression which starts in the fall (my old therapist said I'm a summer girl and my brain mourns the loss of sunshine and outdoor activities).  Exercise is my natural antidepressant, but if you've struggled with depression you know that exercise is something you have to force yourself to keep up when you're feeling blue
• My nails are really long right now and it feels funny to type
• I don't really want to let my brain run free, that's dangerous
• I want to blog about my cat getting out and lost but it's pretty emotional for me
• I'm heavier than I want to be and I feel like if I'm not job hunting, I should be working out
• I don't want to face my emotions
• I have too much to say and it will take forever
• It's much more important to get to the next level on Candy Crush
• I like reading other blogs more
• I have a pile of cards and thank-yous that I haven't written out yet
• Cooking creates tangible results so I like it more
• I still don't have a job
• I post a lot of updates and other stuff on Facebook
• I think that I should be spending every minute of my day hunting for a job, and even though that doesn't happen, I feel like if I'm blogging it's time I could be job hunting
• I feel poopy about not having a job yet and I'm frustrated and don't want to let that negativity onto our blog
• Football season is back and I'm obsessed and I can't wait to see my Houston Texans play the San Diego Chargers tonight
• I prefer taking photos of Rufus doing silly stuff or watching him run around the apartment and slide on the wood floors
• I feel like there's an entire city out there that I'm missing out on and that I need to explore more of
• I really need a job but I am having a hard time deciding what direction to go in
• I've made blogging a chore rather than an outlet for my emotions and thoughts or a record of our adventures
• I think too much
• I get digital overload - between Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, Match, Meetup, Snapchat, fantasy football, emails, etc., sometimes it gets to be too much
• Analysis paralysis
• I can't figure out why one carton of eggs would have three double-yolk eggs.  It both intrigues and worries me...

As you can see, I'm stuck in my head in so many ways.  But while I need to continue my job hunt, I also need to nourish my body and soul as well.  So as a part of my daily routine, I'm going to go for a walk around Prospect Park, or my neighborhood, Prospect Heights / Park Slope, then I'm going to blog, and then I'm going to job search - make calls, submit resumes, follow up on applications, go on interviews, etc.  

I'm a planner to the Nth degree, I love lists, and I know that I need a simple plan so I will stick to it and get my life to where I really want to be.  So... that being said, here's what I will be focusing on:

MIND

1. Keep reading new books, they give me a digital-free escape into my imagination and inspire me
2. Blog!  Get those emotions and thoughts and experiences out there to share and celebrate
3. Hug my sister at least once a day.  I love hugs, I love physical affection, I love my sister, and hugs are good for you!

BODY

1. Daily walk through Prospect Park or the neighborhood, but I'm not going to beat myself up if I miss a day, I'll just make sure I get back on it the next day!
2. Spin class/yoga class/other classes at our gym, Crunch Fitness
3. Eat healthy, whole foods, home cooked mostly.  Lean protein, healthy veggies, whole grains, delicious spices and creative sweet treats
4. Watch alcohol consumption - aim for only one day a week if that.  I enjoy a tasty beer, a delicious wine, or a yummy cocktail, but alcohol is rough on my pocketbook, my calorie count, and my mental health.  It's a depressant and I don't need any help with that - especially as fall turns toward winter
5. Ensure proper nutrition - take my vitamins, and add in some amino acids that help me fight depression, GABA and 5-HTP.  (I know Wikipedia isn't the best resource, but bear with me on my GTS skills.  Here's a couple more links to the great Dr. Oz's website about GABA and 5-HTP).

SOUL

1. Keep going to church when I can, Megan's friend Erica introduced us to Hillsong NYC and it's a great place that speaks to me
2. Set up Skype dates with my best friends, I miss them.  A lot.  Text or email me if you want my username
3. Read the daily devotional that my sweet Mom sent me in the mail (she sent Meg one too, of course).  It can't take that much time, and I know I need it

CAREER

1. Continue my routine and job search as a job during the week
2. Get a few versions of my resume in order
1. Financial jobs
2. Foodie jobs
3. Office manager type jobs
3. Be persistent and have positive energy
4. Network with every new friend I meet along the way

So - expect more from me.  I'll be working on blogging more often, even if it's just a blurb here or there.  And Megan will still be blogging too.  

Oh, and it's nice to see you again!

XOXO - Kelly

Do You Miss It?

Last week I had one, no, make that two, encounters of, "Do you miss it?"  The first one was with a girlfriend/colleague from home and we were talking about work extra-curriculars and how I still felt very compelled to stay active and a part of the conversations for the local committee we had helped to build and cultivate back home.  After I apologized for chiming in about local-related items that I knew she had a handle o, but that I still felt drawn to contribute, she asked me, "Could it be that you are missing home?"  That question surprised me, truly.  Had me cock my head and scratch it and think to myself, "Is this why I'm still invested in this committee?"  Because I still wanted to feel like I had a place there like I was still a part of it?  I had, after all, helped to make it was today because I took ownership and because it matter to me.  People, culture, synergy, matters to me.  It's an important and integral part of life that I believe makes people, makes relationships, makes LIFE.  That was the first time "Do you miss it" came up.

Second time was after having had a talk with my Pops aka Padre aka Daddio during which he asks me, "Do you ever miss it?  Do you ever think, 'What have I done?'"  As if he knew exactly what had flickered through my mind during the third or so week I was here.  After the initial bliss had temporarily subsided and I was beginning to realize that I did not have Harper and her unconditional love to return home to and I that I could not just drive over to my folks for dinner, or that I could stop in at the restaurant where I worked at in Claremont for years, to visit my old cronies and local friends with their new babies, new homes, new lives.  That was a rough one.  I remember telling my sister that I felt that way, and she said, "You're beginning to miss home too, aren't you?"  Of course I missed it.  I lived in So Cal for nearly 30 years.  It is all I know.  How could I not miss it?  I am human.  I bleed.  I cry.  I cry a lot because I am a hyper-emotional and sensitive being.  But let me tell you, after a good cry, I always feel a rush of relief, and oh how my eyes sparkle!  Grandma Porbanic used to tell me I was washing my eyes clean with tears and that they would sparkle afterwards.  She also used to say that lying on our tummies when we had tummy aches would get the "bubbles" out.  These bubbles were farts as I came to better know them as later in life.  I digress......all the time.....

So sure, I miss Harper, I miss my family and the familiarity of my geo surroundings, I miss the control over my schedule and commuting in the freedom of driving - actually my car moreso as materialistic as that sounds.  I miss nature, both the surrounding organic beauty and the accessibility.  I miss being able to get together with my friends or family if something special came up (as in....LIFE).  But here and now in NYC, I wake up each day excited at the adventure that awaits me, because every day on the subway and in the city is truly an adventure.  How packed will the subway be?  What characters would I see on my route to and from work that day?  Would I get to see my magical stained glass water tower to the north up the east river that I spotted during one of my first subway rides to work?  Would the water glisten in the summer sun, would I exchange smiles with a fellow subway passenger, what street vendors would be out peddling their wares?  Would I get to see a personified Statue of Liberty figure on stilts today walking the streets of Manhattan?  What concerts in the park, networking mixers, NYC committees, organizations, would I discover today?  Would the rays of sunshine streak through the high rises and through my floor to ceiling windows at work?  What patterns would the dramatic eastern clouds form for me today?  Yes, for me.  Because the city, the noise, the lights and sounds, the overstimulating characteristics of this gorgeous place I now called home - is what you make of it and is everyone's own creation, own gift.  It is well time to forge new friendships, to stay in closer contact with my family and friends through hand written letters, google hangout sessions, emails, phone calls, care packages.  Time to take life by the horns and ride it into the sunset each and every day.  Time to adorn myself in new fashion, to create a new look for myself, a new persona maybe?  And maybe someday I will even get another Harper. <3

First, no, second, no, THIRD weekend as Brooklynites....

Keep in mind that the below post you are about to read is the mash-up of postings composed during a two week period of writer's block.  I attribute the writer's block to......so much change.  I attribute it to....the need to take everything in before sharing about it.  So read below with an open mind (as if those who follow us do not already have an open mind.....), take everything with a grain of salt, and please note that the below marriage of posts started during the first days of our arrival and were written at home, on my phone, on the subway, at work, just before bed, while watching a movie, while eating, while listening to a concert in the park, just after running in the park, yada yada yada. Enjoy the next 5 minutes of reading pleasure. Happy Sunday, folks!

We arrived and are about 95% settled in! Mission accomplished! With much focus and determination we committed our first weekend at our new home to moving in and getting settled. "How'd you get your drapes hung already?" asked our puppy brother. Wait......who's and what's our puppy brother you ask? Matt, our third roomie is who and GTS for what it is. =)
"With gumption & skills, that's how!" - said neither of us ever.
Being new to NYC, it was challenging not to go out and explore the city. But being disorganized and walking/dodging a labyrinth of boxes is frustrating and the sooner we got the move-in done, the sooner we could play!  We got in Thursday, 4th of July. How poetically patriotic. 8) What a thrill that was. I keep saying this and it is true: it is almost something like out of a movie, no joke! How everything has just been so amazingly awesome and with few hiccups. As in, only a few and already forgotten about. 
Friday night we.......<-- so THAT thought obviously never got finished.....

Its easy to write on the road when there are miles and miles of empty road between one destination and the next. but after getting back to the real world, having to work and being gone 'in the city' during weedays for what seems like 12 hours of the day, time is harder to come by. The road-trip was an amazing precursor to the next adventure of NYC. I would do it again in a heartbeat; I just wished we had more time to dedicate to the true exploration of each state and the sub-cultures that reside therein. But everything is as it is meant to be. 

Now as a resident of NYC, I am like that of an easily distracted child, my attention pulled away for a bicyclist pacing the subway this a.m. en route to work. Hey now, bicycling, thats not a bad idea........think I will hang tight until the weather cools down some. But in reality, I only live <5 miles from work.I always said that I would live close to work to avoid a commute, because I watched my Dad affected by his commute and on some days be outwardly disgruntled. Who wouldnt be by adding 2 hours to the day's grind? 

How the hell is it Friday already?! I swear it was just Monday......@#$%! A NYC minute is really like a second. Its nuts. Work days pass by much quicker here whereas in CA I remember watching the clock and noticing the time more. I really need to learn to optimize my time management...

Second week in and i really started feeling like a New Yorker......I learned to press my toes into the subway floor to counter enertia during the ride; a fellow young male subway rider and I had a conversation in body language and without speaking a word (a seat opened up during my a.m. commute, we both saw it at the same time, he nodded at it and then at me as if to ask if I wanted to take it to which I politely nodded back, 'No, thank you, you take it, but that was very kind." Its funny how tone, emotion, and gratitude can be expressed without even speaking a word. while music really is the universal language, body language is too to some extent even though there are gestures that obviously mean very contrasting things. I also began to have more confidence, direction, focus, & drive. There really must be something in the water here........or maybe it is osmosis. One thing for sure, I have many less distractions and more time to think outside the box. As in, what can I do to do my job better?  How can I optimize my life, my career, my happiness?  I get up earlier here than I once did.  Well, depends on if  I slept 15 hours the previous night or not I suppose.  I used to think it was the heat that got me up in the a.m. but now I have an a.c. (an a.c. that rattles and drives me a little mad and might be going in the kitchen mind you).  I'm going to start pointing out the things I took for granted in California: central a.c. and dry heat.  We do not realize a luxury they are.  There's no sweating after you take a shower in CA unless you're moving around vigorously.  Before we got room a.c. units in our place?  I would towel dry and walk from the bathroom to my room and would 'work up' a dew.  Then I'd have to stand in front of my room fans just to let the sweat evaporate.  For the first couple of weeks without a room a.c. unit I did not sleep under the sheets, in fact, I sleep on top and without problem.  Usually I need the weight of a sheet or something on me while sleeping.  But it's so damn hot here that my skin couldn't take the additional layer.

Another reason I am becoming a New Yorker/adapting to NYC: I began saying no to going out or to staying out on 'school nights' because I just couldnt do it. It is my theory that part of the reason for the focus and drive that my fellow New Yorkers possess is b/c it takes so much damn longer and harder to DO things here. You want to go to Target? You have to bring a granny cart and lug all the shit you bought back via Subway or walk. Same thing for grocery shopping. And for me, lover  of baking and company culture, this presents a new challenge and that much more of an adventure to trek my cakes and all my fun work stuff on the subway.  

This past Thursday was my first time lugging a three-tiered cake from BK to MN on the subway.  It's only a 30 minute ride door to door so it's fine; besides, I consider it a bit of an upper arm workout.  Well the first train that arrived at the station for which I could have taken into the city was JAM PACKED.  I chose not to risk that ride because it did not look to bode well for my cake.  So I waited another 5 or so minute for the next appropriate train and found myself one that had enough room to set down the monstrous cylindrical cake carrier.  Experience has taught me to watch the cake as it can slip and slide and adhere itself to one side of the carrier, smushed by enertia.  So I babysat the damn cake for the entire ride like a helicopter-Mom hovering over her infant.  It made it safe and sound with me to the office all the way up to the 8th floor and hidden precariously in the one and only fridge (at Pasadena HQ we have 4, which made it easier to hide cakes all day from hungry recipients).  Having just the one fridge at the NYC office presents another small challenge: keeping them hidden.  Fortunate for me this birthday lady doesn't get up and in the fridge that often.  But my gosh was the cake worth the effort to bake it and get it there.  It was a colorful beauty and quite the perfect debut of my baked goods for my new NYC home-office.  "Keep the baked goodies comin'!"  I told myself.  For if there's one thing I know how to do, is to be a mad baking-scientist in the kitchen.  Bon appetit!  Here's the link to pics and recipe of my cake.  Pics are somewhere still being sent through the interwebs from my phone to my personal email.  They'll come later. 

And I leave you with this:

"It's never too late to become the person you always wanted to be." -George Eliot

Day 5 - Arrival!

So today has been a crazy day.  Moving in, returning the Budget rental truck, unpacking, eating bagels... but then I'm getting ahead of myself.  I'm currently sitting on my freshly made bed (with clean linens, ahhhh!), sipping a Miller High Life - The Champagne of Beers - and enjoying the cross breeze created by my two tower fans.  Yesterday feels like it's years in the past, but let's catch up on what happened to me and Megan  less than 40 hours ago.

Yesterday was our fifth and final day on the road to NYC.  We woke to our respective alarms and motivated ourselves to get ready so we could have a waffle and get on the road.  This hotel was packed, the breakfast room was tiny, every table was taken, and a grumpy old man was hovering near the waffle maker.  Somehow we lined up cups for the fresh pot of coffee that was brewing, we wrangled some app-range juice (a delicious combination of apple and orange), and ate a couple of mini muffins while we waited for a table to open up.  Finally some gal wrapped up her noshing and we could move in and do our thang.  We were lucky enough to see a gentleman wearing a fine specimen of an American flag shirt, and that reminded us that it was the Fourth of July!  Hooray! 'Merica!

Fueling up on gas and sparkling water (if we haven't mentioned it already - we're both obsessed with the stuff), we were both excited to be starting the last leg of our journey, going from Woodstock, VA to New York, NY!  Thankfully the weather was sunny and partly cloudy, with these gorgeous white fluffy clouds floating across the sky.  As we got on the I-81, we saw an extraordinarily patriotic couple standing on the freeway overpass, waving a large American flag and yelling "Happy Fourth of July!" to the cars and trucks passing beneath them.  Right on, my friend.

The road was flowing pretty nicely, and Megan was happy to see that there was no rain in sight.  That's right, we switched it up a lil and had Megan drive the first half so that I could maneuver the mean streets and toll roads in New Jersey and New York.  We chatted a bit, sang along to some music, and Meg had me laughing so hard when she talked like Uncle Si from the TV show Duck Dynasty.  I don't know how she does it, but Megan does a DAMN good impression of Si.  It's something about pronouncing all of the syllables very clearly. 

Anyway, soon we were plowing through states like a farmer turning up nice soft soil.  We finished up with Virginia, entered West Virginia, then not long after that we were into Maryland for a bit, and then boom we were in Pennsylvania.  Pennsylvania was very hilly, and we drove by some great sites such as the Mason-Dixon Line, Hershey PA, and the Crayola factory.  An impressive state with lots of history, I will be back to visit PA again for sure.  We stopped someplace near Allentown for a pit stop and to top off our fuel (and we're living here in Allentown...).  It was a truck stop/restaurant situation and I was reminded that until this trip, I didn't remember or didn't realize that truck stops often have showers available for truckers.  I think it's odd, but I understand the concept.  I mean, a clean trucker is a happy trucker, right?

I took the wheel and we cruised across New Jersey (also quite hilly), taking the 81 to the 78 across to the 287, down to the 95 aka the Jersey Turnpike, and then over the 278 into Brooklyn!  We wanted to circumvent Manhattan, and I seriously can't imagine driving a big truck on those busy streets.  The turnpike situation was interesting, taking the ticket and then paying at the end of your drive - totally not a California thing.  Neither was the bridge toll.  Now, we came prepared with a bucket of change ready for little toll booths, etc.  We paid the nice guy at the turnpike $4.90 in nickels, but when we crossed the Goethals Bridge, it cost $30!!!  $10 per axle.  What the heck, man?  Thankfully, Megan had some cash so we were good to go.  Through Staten Island (woohoo!), over the Verazzano Bridge (woohoo!) and on toward Atlantic Ave (woohoo!).  As we drove along the raised highway, we crested a hill and out of the corner of my left eye I saw a familiar shape.  I screamed like a little girl, "I see the Statue of Liberty!!!  I see it!"  We were officially in New York.  I'll try not to bore you with the details, but driving a 16' box truck on the highway and streets of Brooklyn is an experience like no other.  The perpetual construction, the crazy cabbies, the polite New Yorkers who actually let me over when I had to go around a double-parked car, the millions of pedestrians stepping off the curb with an apparent death wish in their heart because here I come hurdling down the road at a bracing 35 mph and I mean really now, Judith, get your toches back to safety!  But no matter the obstacle, we made it safely to our building, and as we circled around Grand Army Plaza, excited to be home, the good luck and blessings from the trip were evident once more as we were able to just pull into a beautiful, shaded spot right across from our building.

I stuck Rufus into his harness and tightened it, since he somehow wrestled out of it in the parking lot of the Econo Lodge the night before.  Attaching the leash and watching for dogs, I felt a lil silly "walking" Rufus around the boulevard, but it was a necessary precaution.  Some guy who totally reminded me of the actor who plays Adam on the HBO show Girls stopped and pet Rufus right there in the street.  Hubba hubba!  Too bad "Adam" had a lady friend with him... Before long, our roommate Matt and his lady friend Rashelle were walking across the street and they helped us carry our daily essentials inside.  It was so great to see them both!  And to see our building again.  I got Rufus settled in, and Matt popped a delicious bottle of champagne to celebrate our arrival.  Some bubbly, some chatting, a tiny bit of nesting, and then we freshened up and went out for food and drinks. 

We visited a couple old favorite places and went to a couple new places as well.  Dinner was at Woodland, crispy pork shank and spaghetti squash for me (and for Matt/Rashelle), and a burger and the BEST fries I have ever eaten for Megan.  We scarfed that delicious food and guzzled some amazing cocktails.  Then we cruised to Cypress Ave for a pint with one of my favorite Irish bartenders.  A brief walk over to Vanderbilt lead us to Branded Saloon, a place that came up as number one when I searched for "country western bars in NYC."  Branded has the décor, but is certainly not a country western bar, at least not from what I could tell.  I did detect a certain something though, and then it dawned on me.  I asked the bartender Alex, "Uh, I'm just curious, is this a sexuality-specific bar?"  Meaning, is this a gay bar?  There happened to be rainbow flags about and I usually see them in the Castro district or in whatever gayborhood that I'm in at the time, so I just had to be forthright and ask.  Mind you, neither Megan nor I (nor Matt for that matter), give a hoot who you love or what you do in your own free time.  In my head and heart, a bar should just be a bar and everyone should be able to come and go as they please, and flirt with whomever they want to.  But nonetheless, I needed some context about how NYC works versus my home state, and Alex was willing to oblige my questioning.  After Woodland, we slimed our way over to Sharlene's, a favorite of ours from the first time we were even in the Prospect Heights/Park Slope area.  I say slimed because it was hot and humid and we were moist.  The beer helped us cool down though.  A late-night grocery trip for toilet paper, chips, beer, and we were headed home.

Of course, as we hung out chatting and going over our night, a ginormous cockroach scurried across the floor and Rufus chased after it, batting at it, trying to eat it, and not being successful at exterminating the alien.  Our first NYC cockroach on our first NYC night, how poetic! 

After all that excitement, sleeping on Matt's queen size air mattress was dang inviting, so we got ready for bed and sweltered while we dreamed of what our new lives were going to be like.  We had arrived.

*****PHOTO UPDATE*****

Getting on the road from Woodstock, VA, there was a couple with their American flag just waving to traffic.  It was the Fourth of July, after all.

Rufus really is way too comfortable in the truck now.

Picturesque Virginia.

Rufus reminds me of our childhood cat Garfield sometimes.  Especially here, when he purposefully stuck his paw out to touch my arm.  Garfield used to do that.

West Virginia, hello and goodbye!

Maryland, it was great to see you!

Rufus slept through at least 3 states.

Hallelujah, we're in the land of the Yanks!

Our route for the day.

I'll be seeing you soon, PA.  I hear Philly is amazing!

Just gorgeous.

And we're living here in Allentown.  Oh, and the first sign for New York City!

The traveling pro.

Heh heh heh.

Why are those grain towers so visually appealing?

Dietrich's Meats!  For our roomie Matt.

American flags were all over, especially today.

Mmmmm the smell of beer a-brewing!

Meg caught me with a dirty habit and a neat cone shaped building.

Pohatcong?  What the?

Oh heyyyyyyyy Jersey!

We then got on the 78 east.

Flag + Wal-Mart = 'Murrica!

And then on to the 287, getting closer!

Don't be fooled, that's not our route!

The last day on the road really was a blur.

On to the turnpike!  Our first and only toll road of our journey.

Turnpikin' it!

Hello.

Here's our exit!  Holy crap we're almost in NY!

Lucky number 13.

I think we have to go over that bridge?

The lanes were REALLY skinny.

I was freaked out but figured that cars would leave me alone if I looked crazy.

And then I saw that guy up ahead and felt better.

Ahhhhhhhhh!  A little nervous here!

Calm, cool, and collected on the surface.  But really I was just so excited to be getting to our new home!

Our first glimpse of Manhattan from the bridge!

Manhattan to the left, Brooklyn to the right.

The other bridge we had to go over?  I think?

Staten Island, yo!

Follow that route!

The roads in Staten Island were the worst we had on the entire trip.  I think I knocked a filling loose.

No wait, THAT is the bridge we have to go over next.  From Staten Island to Brooklyn!

Coney Island.

What an awesome and exciting view!

Bklyn, here we come!

That guy was all tatted up.  You can see the Brooklyn clock tower in the background. 

The streets of BK!

Driving on the raised freeway.  Highway?  Turnpike?  Whatever.

Church.

Church 2.

Oh hello, lady Liberty!

Meandering through Brooklyn.

Our exit!  Hooray!

Now comes the real challenge - driving on the streets of Brooklyn in a 16' rental truck.

Cruising up Atlantic Avenue.

Ahhhh, mecca!

The new Barclay's center, home to the Brooklyn Nets.  Woot woot!

Home sweet home.  With a bomb parking spot to boot.

Walking Rufus while we wait for Matt and Rashelle to come let us in.

Rufus loved it.

Ahhhhh, home!

Freak on a leash.

Finally inside, and found his new spot.

Our apartment building, 50 Plaza Street East.

Kelly, Matt, Megan, toasting to a new chapter of life.  Hooray!