YMCA - Catching you up

I want to try and catch you up so I can start writing about here and now.

I left Oklahoma on Friday July 30th with basically no where to go when I got here. I had made reservations at the YMCA for 35 bucks a night, and I had two suitcases… so for all general purposes I was set. A place to stay and stuff to wear in the morning. I got in late on Friday and not really working in “top-notch” mode due to my first class tickets (read: free drinks), as I was already starting to miss home and the lady kept bringing me booze.

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So I grab my suitcases and hit the street, grab a supershuttle to the Y. I get there and I get a room-key for a room on the 10th floor. Can anybody tell me when YMCA’s got tall? Wow. So this room that I had was literally a cell. It was probably better than prison but since I have never been I can’t say for sure. If you have seen the movie BIG with Tom Hanks, think of the scene where he moves to the big city and is in his hotel room and all he hears is weird noises and gun shots. I totally know how Tom felt. But it wasn’t so bad - almost humorous. We of course had community showers, so that old Australian dude was always in there showering every-time you wanted to. I ended up walking around and finding a shower with a “semi-private” section. Whatever.

I looked for apartments all day Saturday and Sunday and started work on Monday, August 2nd. Work the first few days/weeks/still was/is really overwhelming… things move very quickly and although the people make the job fun and entertaining the actual day in day out is, at least for me, fairly mundane - although getting better by the day.

The first day, things were moving very quickly and all I wanted to do was find the bathroom. Never did - had to pee all day. I found out a little while later that I in fact sit right by the bathroom. So day in day out for the first week I was getting up at the Y and showering next to dudes and then going to work in midtown Manhattan, if someone would have told me that 6 months ago I would have laughed… then hugged them, because this is honestly a kick ass opportunity and one that I am very lucky to have.

So I finally found a place to live, it actually just kind of fell in my lap. My friend who lives in the upper east side (about 25 min from midtown where I work, and right by central park) called her building owners and found that they had an apartment open in a really great location and hadn’t gone on the market yet. I checked it out, fell in love and signed on the line. Granted I pay too much for it, and am still living out boxes, but it is really great. I get to live by a close friend, right by the park, and right by the subway… it’s a good location. When you visit you can form your own opinions.

So after a ton of leg work by my lovely mom, and a lot of running around the city by me I signed on the dotted line and the place was/is mine for the entire next year. You can’t sign longer than a year, so they can make sure and stick you for rate increase at every possible interval. My aforementioned mom came to visit right after I “moved” in… doesn’t take much moving to bring two suitcases through the door. She helped me get organized and furnish my place. I wouldn’t have been able to have such a smooth transition without her or michelles help, so I thank the both of you. My moms stay was great, she got to see the city she left when she was younger for a life in the plains, and we got to spend some good time together. I can’t wait for my dad to come up during Thanksgiving, I think he will have a blast.

Almost two months have gone by since I moved here and I am still trying to get out of the boxes I was sent from back home. Being at work all day really kills any other motivation at real productivity that I have - anybody who knows me, knows I am a little deficient in motivation. Hence the slow go on this site. But I give you my word that I will keep this updated at least on semi-regular basis, what that is I am not sure. If you have actually made it to the end of this post, I applaud you. I will soon put some pictures up of my apartment, and some pics I have taken around the city.

I know I sped through an important time in my relocation to NY (the first few months) but if I remember some stories I will be sure to pass those along.