Squirrel Mayhem

Working from home, you learn what goes on during the day when you're usually not here. I'm surprised how late in the afternoon the trash gets picked up on my street, and the mail-lady comes pretty late, too. It's a pretty quiet street, except for the squirrels.

There are two large pecan trees here, one in the front yard and one in the back, that provide a lot of shade and have branches that canopy over the house. The squirrels have been eating the unripened green pecans with gusto, and the debris litters the front yard and sidewalk. They also must be playing a game of torpedo, throwing the pecans at the roof. THUMP! THUMP! A couple times, it sounds like someone is knocking at the front door. (I checked...no one there.)

THUMP! Roll, roll, roll...there goes another one.

One Person's Junk is Another Person's Treasure

Yesterday, I had the biggest garage sale I've ever held, due to the sheer volume of stuff I am purging to get ready for my new, compact NYC apartment. I advertised in the newspaper, online and put signs around the neighborhood.

My parents came up from Houston to help me get organized (Mommy's specialty) and man the sale. Thank God they did...I don't think I could have done it all on my own. We had a lot of traffic, and Daddy helped people get to their cars with their purchases. He also made us breakfast sandwiches!

It always amazes me to see what people will buy. I had heard from a friend that clothes sell very well at garage sales. I've never sold clothes before; I usually just donate them. But I figured I'd put them out there and if they didn't sell, I'd donate them afterwards. LOTS of people dug through the box of clothes and bought items. I sold most things for $1-2. One lady bought a bra for $1! Why would you buy a bra at a garage sale? Gross.

My new paperweight

I'm working from home for the next couple weeks, and although I miss the people interaction, Sabrina LOVES having me here. She is quite cozy sitting beside my laptop and occasionally resting her head ON the laptop, which causes random characters to appear on my screen.

Pictures of the Apartment!

This first picture is the view from the front door. It has what they call an "open kitchen," so you can see across the counter top through to the living area. Notice the floors...wood parquet.





The view from the living room windows looks southwest towards the Hudson River. The flatter section in the forefront of the image is where they are rebuilding the World Trade Center.






The marble tile in the bathroom is gorgeous!
View of the kitchen from the very small hallway, basically from the bathroom door. There's beautiful granite countertops, and all the appliances are brand new!

Pictures from the explosion in NY

This picture shows the "smoke," which was actually mostly steam. You can also see there are people milling in the street. We are about 10 blocks north of where it occurred.






I was impressed by how quickly the police and firemen mobilized.

The Apartment Search

Looking at apartments is rarely fun, but NYC puts its own spin on it. For starters, apartments go very quickly, so I have been advised to decide quickly. One person told me, "If you see something you think you MIGHT like, take it."

I'm still trying to fight the shock at sticker price and small spaces. Basically, I will be getting 1/3 of the space I have in Dallas for 3 times the cost. But hey, no car payment or insurance...

"Luxury" is a term used loosely here. Some of the places that boast "luxury apartments" should not be able to print that word on their signs. There should be some level of standard for "luxury."

Brokers are NY's special gift to renters. You have to use a broker to even get in to most of the buildings, and a broker's fee is typically 15% of your annual rent. Like realtors, some are more palatable than others, and I received many suggestions to use more than one.

I got two referrals for brokers. The first is a friend of a new coworker, and he was great. Very low-key, nice and knowledgeable about the area we were in. He showed me some terrific places, (definitely what I call "luxury"), but they were more than I had originally thought I'd spend. According to NY standard, I can afford it on my salary, but it still seems like a lot to me.

The second broker was actually a colleague of the person I was referred to, who happens to be in Florida on vacation this week. This colleague is a skinny, petite, NYer who looked and acted like a character from a movie or Sex and the City. She obviously misjudged me - what is important to me, the standard of living I'm looking for, and what I can afford - and she showed me these old, run-down buildings that were pretty lame. Well, one had a nice view of the East River. The closets were insanely small, and she tried to convince me that this is standard for anything I'm going to see. Unfortunately for her, the luxurious places I had seen previously with the other broker don't meet her description.

I decided to go with the nicest place I saw. It's a brand new building (still finishing construction, actually), so I'll be the first one to live in my unit. The doorman wears white gloves (!), there's a fitness center and lap pool, and it's in a great neighborhood, Tribeca. The name is a syllabic abbreviation of "Triangle Below Canal Street." My 1-bedroom apartment has granite countertops, a washer and dryer in the apartment (unheard of in NYC), and beautiful marble tile in the bathroom. The windows in the living room and bedroom look southwest. From my view, I can see the new construction going on at the World Trade Center and see some of the Hudson River. It definitely feels like luxurious living.

Welcome to New York

I felt a thrill reading the "Welcome to NY" sign in La Guardia when I arrived this past Sunday. Yesterday, I got a whole new "thrill"...

I took off from the office around 3:30 to go look at some itty-bitty apartments. The leasing offices all close around 5:30, so I jumped on the subway to head back to Midtown, where my office and my hotel are, planning on getting off at Grand Central.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there has been an emergency evacuation of Grand Central station and this train will not be stopping there. We will stop at 51st Street."

Ok, a little disconcerting, but you try not to panic.

Exiting the subway terminal at 51st and Lexington, I followed the crowd as we headed south on Lex back towards Grand Central.

A large plume of smoke rose between the tall buildings. People stopped in the middle of the street to stare. Everyone was on their cell phones at once, and those not talking were taking pictures of the explosion. 9-11 was on everyone's mind. I immediately thought of notifying my family that I was ok. I couldn't get calls to go through because the network was busy, but I did get a text message out to them all.

Fortunately, it was not a terrorist attack and relatively few people were injured. A transformer fire caused a steam pipe to explode, raining down boiling water and chunks of concrete.

As of this morning, there is a "freeze zone" of several blocks that are completely shut down to pedestrian or motor traffic. There is also a question of asbestos lingering...I saw two policemen this morning wearing bright pink masks. My office building is just beyond the freeze zone, as is my hotel, so I am fortunate not to be too affected by the disruption. It is strange, though, and does give me pause about moving to the city.

Highs and Lows of a New Job

Although Monday was my first day in my new position, today is my first day in the office. On Monday and Tuesday, I attended a conference in New Jersey with my boss and some of my new colleagues. Monday was fine, as I just had to observe and take it all in, but on Tuesday, I had to fill in for my boss and lead a roundtable discussion.

If I had computer access, here's what I would have posted (instead, I wrote it long-hand in my notebook):

Self doubt is a bitch.
Here I am, day 2 in my new job, and my critical internal voice is chiding me, "What have you done? Why did you leave a perfectly good job where you knew everything and everyone liked you?"
I had to lead a discussion on digital communication at a conference for pharma companies. I was prepared, but the group was at times completely silent to my open-ended questions. Sure, I was thrown into the fire awfully early, but I figured I could handle it -- and SHOULD -- given my new title of SVP. Then, there was this jerk next to me who kept taking over the conversation and steering it back where I was trying to get away from. Figures, he's from another agency.

Today is better. First, I got a computer so I'm connected again. I also got to meet some of the wonderful, friendly people here at the NY office, and I was already able to pitch in and help on a current project. Everyone I've met has expressed their delight in having me join the team. I know I'm most likely my toughest critic, but I just hope I don't disappoint them.

Bittersweet

One reason I've been posting all week about my vacation is to avoid posting about my last week at work.

I've worked at this company for just over seven years, and I've made so many close friends. It's so hard to say goodbye, and it's hard for me to imagine not working here. Although I'm thrilled and excited to start my new position, I leave so many good colleagues and fun times behind. I've been crying and laughing, reminiscing about past times, all week. Everyone seems to have the same response: they are happy for me personally, but sad to see me go. I feel the same.

The View from the Other Side

So, after London, I rented a car and drove Lindsey to Bath. I think the experience you get from the smaller towns is more indicative of the cultural differences. Plus, I was really glad we were getting out of London and away from all those tourists!

However, it is definitely a challenge to drive on the opposite side of the road, in the opposite side of the car than you are used to. The motorways (what we refer to as highways) aren't that bad, but as you get into the towns, you have to master the roundabout and seeing oncoming cars on your right instead of your left.

As we entered Bath, I saw the sidewalk on my side of the street (the left) jutted out into the street. I moved to the right a bit to clear it, but I didn't have much room to manuever because of an oncoming vehicle. BUMP! With a jolt, I hit the intruding curb with the front left tire.

We found a car park and wandered into town. We had lovely buns and tea at Sally Lund's, known for their hundred-year-old recipe. After a couple hours, we walked back to the car to drive to Dursley, where my cousin Sonya lives.

Yep, you guessed it: a flat tire.

Fortunately, I know how to change a tire because no one stopped to offer assistance.

We made it to Sonya's after quite a confused drive throughout Bath. The next day, she took us to a tire specialist, who took a look at the dented rim and flattened tire. He estimated we would need to buy a new rim and tire - approximate cost of 600 pounds! Yikes...

Then, Sonya took us to her mechanic, who she has given much business and trusts. He took an anvil and hammer and banged the dent out. He filled the tire and glory be! It held air! Then, he told us it was free of charge. I was so relieved and grateful, I would have hugged him if he wasn't all marked with grease and dirt.

I failed to mention this incident to the rental car, and we were able to turn it in without notice. The rest of my driving was uneventful.

Pictures from Bath, UK

Delicious buns and tea from Sally Lund's, which boasts a century's old recipe.


















Bath is named for its natural hot springs, which were first highly touted by the Romans.










A beautiful shot of the cathedral (and the impending rain).

Images of London

View from a pub's second floor balcony overlooking Leiceter Square, I thought the juxtaposition of the Union Jack flag and a Mexican food restaurant was interesting!










Big Ben










Westminster Abbey









A look across the pond at St. James' Park with Buckingham Palace in the distance

Images of London, part 2

When we went by St. Paul's Cathedral, there was quite a commotion. Apparently, they were filming a scene for the movie National Treasure 2. There were dozens of actors in priestly dress, and other extras positioned around the square. The car chase came through the crowd of priests. The whole scene will probably only end up being 5 seconds of the movie, but it was impressive to see how much coordination occurred.



It rained every day of our trip except for the last two. Lindsey was easy to spot in her bright apple green coat.






The Tower was a great tour. The Tower contains the royal jewels and crowns, the old armory and was the location of many beheadings, including Anne Boleyn, wife to King Henry VIII.









There are a dozen ravens kept at the Tower. When the Tower was being built, several ravens started keeping residence there. It became a legend that as long as the ravens are at the Tower, England will stand strong.

I

Just a Quick Post from the UK

Still alive...loving all my favorite English foods like Indian curries, chicken curry pie, fish & chips, and full English breakfasts! But don't worry: we're walking and walking and walking, burning off those calories.

The absolute best thing in London was the Concert for Diana last Sunday. I'll blog more about it at another time...we don't have long on the computer now. But the artists were great and the video clips about people knowing Diana were heart-warming. My favorite was Andrea Bocelli singing Phantom of the Opera. Goosebumps!