Home, Sweet Home

Apologies are in order once again - I haven't been keeping up with this very much over the past couple of weeks since arriving in NY, both for a lack of time and internet access.  Good news - we'll have internet at the apartment next week!  *applause*

For not having a job yet, I've definitely been keeping myself busy.  Between organizing the apartment and making trips to the wifi "hotspots" in the neighborhood to hit the job search, it makes it hard to believe that we've only been here for 17 days.  I feel like I haven't been this productive in ages.

The apartment was kind of a mess when we moved in, but Andy and B. have really put their manly skills to good use, building an extension of counter space and extra storage in the kitchen, as well as creating a bookshelf in the living room from leftover materials between the two awkward posts in the room (which are very likely supporting the entire building).  H. and I kicked some butt in the backyard this week - I spent Monday afternoon pulling up all of the monstrous weeds, raking up years of decaying leaves, glass, and other debris, and sweeping dirt and berries off of the concrete space.  H. came home that night with a carload of plants and potting soil, as well as some awesome patio lights.  We had almost everything planted and plugged in by midnight.  In the meantime, B. was busy in the kitchen making a fantastic "family dinner," which we got to enjoy in our new green space.

It occurred to me last night as we were enjoying another dinner on the patio that my "life" right now is completely inverse to the way it was in Minnesota.  I used to live to go to work - that was my social life, my entertainment, and I would come home at night to an empty apartment, dinner in front of the TV, and maybe a Skype date with Andy.  Now my evenings are filled with good food, music, and conversation.  It's not that I had it bad in Minnesota, by any means - but I really do love the company that I'm surrounded by.  :)

I've had a few adventures getting lost in the city since the last time I wrote, mostly going on interviews or finding stores that I'm familiar with.  My main problem with finding an address in Manhattan is that in most cases, the address doesn't actually reflect their location.  For example, I was trying to find a building with an address on Park Avenue - after wandering up and down a 3-4 block stretch, I discovered that the entrance to the building was actually on the other side of the block, facing 4th Avenue.  Google Maps is somewhat helpful, but when it comes down to finding the entrance to a building, it's totally worthless.  I have no idea how anyone survived being a newcomer to the city before internet was available.  Did everyone carry a phone book with them?  Or a city map?  I've gotten to the point where I may actually consider getting a phone plan with internet included - I've always thought that was one of those "extras" that people have because they're too lazy to figure anything out for themselves, but I can see where it may be a genuine necessity here.  Until then, I guess I'll just keep calling my mom every time I need someone to look up directions for me.  :)

On that note, I've got more neighborhood to explore today, and plenty of yard work to do.  Any home remedies for getting rid of monster-sized slugs and army-trained mosquitos would be greatly appreciated.

Malice