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Black Friday in Manhattan and Other Short Stories.

As I walked from my apartment towards the 4 train I was very aware of my connection to the city. It felt good, inspiring. I enjoyed watching the black Friday shoppers scrambling in and out of the crowded apartment buildings with bags in hand, most of them speaking varying indiscernible languages, something I’ve grown to appreciate about my neighborhood. As I rounded a corner leading to the last few blocks of my short stroll, I saw a commotion on the sidewalk ahead of me. It appeared that some kids had picked this very chilly November Friday to throw water balloons from their 5th story window onto unsuspecting shoppers below. As I walked closer, I noticed that some of the balloons had failed to pop on impact. Only then did I realize that they weren’t actually balloons, but condoms filled with water. I crept by, tactfully avoiding any projectiles from above, laughing to myself as I imagined these kids, left home while the parents went searching for the best Black Friday deals, discovering these balloons and putting them to such good use. I also chuckled as I realized these kids were also likely the reason their parents had this many condoms on hand. No one else seemed to see the humor in it, and many on the street were yelling towards the sky in mixes of English, Spanish and what sounded like Russian. I love living in New York.

I met up with Josh in Grand Central and we headed towards Times Square to grab some food. The day was out of control from there. Often I feel like the city is in control, telling me where I’ll go next or what I’ll do. The days come and go and I barely know what’s happened, but somehow I’ve got everything I wanted and I’ve circled the island multiple times over. This day was no exception. After enjoying a steak in Times Square we headed to Midtown Comics so I could fill my weekly comic quota and then to H&M for some gloves and a hat. The day went on, and we went with it, to Canal Street for new lighting, a new coat at a store in Union Square, new books from a Strand Books at NYU, alcoholic drinks on Ludlow St in the Lower East Side, toys in SoHo, desert at a famous pastry shop in Little Italy, and finally a bathroom break at the Charmin Experience back in Times Square. Considering it was the notorious Black Friday, the city was surprisingly free of the usual crowds and easy to navigate. I think we crossed the island three or four times before calling it a day. Still, with most of my Christmas shopping done in this one day, I find myself pleased with the trip.

See my video below of the Charmin Experience in Times Square. It was a little out of hand for me, and I think it was the only place I went all day that was actually busy.

(video coming soon)

We'll always have Madagascar...

Work has been great! Things have finally calmed down here making life more enjoyable. My hours have reduced from 90 per week to a mere 60 per week. I feel like I have all the free time in the world! I'd be able to do more with that time if I only had all the money in the world.

My sister visited New York last weekend. She was only here for a few days, but I think we managed to make the best of our time. A few of the sites we visited were the Botanical Gardens, The Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo. I had never been to any of these three places, so it was a relief to finally have the opportunity to visit. The Botanical Gardens was one of the most boring places I've visited since living in New York. If it were cheaper, and if I were at all interested in flowers etc. I may have been more entertained. The Zoos were a different story however. I will definitely return to the Central Park Zoo, where for just $8 you can relax in an oasis in the middle of Manhattan. The highlight of the weekend however was my visit to the Bronx Zoo. It was amazing, and not just for the exhibits or the animals. While my sister and I were exploring the Madagascar Exhibit, watching the lemurs leaping between tree limbs, a woman with two young children approached the glass display and stopped next to us. Her kids were clearly thrilled, although she seemed more excited than they did. I glanced over and smiled at her acknowledging the joy her two kids were obviously experiencing. It took a few moments to sink in, but after a few moments I began to think to myself, "wait a second, do I know her?" A few moments later I looked again and my thoughts were confirmed. For those of you who know me well you likely know of the female celebrities I most enjoy. Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Weisz, Franka Potente, and this woman standing next to me with her kids. Jill Hennessy. Jill is slightly less famous than some of the others on my list, but she is likely my favorite. After years as Assistant D.A. to Jack McCoy on Law and Order, followed by the leading role as Jordan Cavanaugh on the NBC crime drama Crossing Jordan, Jill has certainly made a name for herself and developed a strong following. Anyhow, I couldn't very well watch the animals after that. I'm fairly sure that my sister was more than a little annoyed with my ranting about how awesome Jill Hennessy is. I didn't talk to her. I thought it would be rude to intrude on her day at the zoo with the kids. I sent Jill a message on her myspace page complimenting her on her new musical career she has pursued since Crossing Jordan ended.

Later in the week, I had a dream that I found entertaining. It had nothing to do with Jill Hennessy (unfortunately) but instead was about my friendship with Norwegian singer songwriter Sondre Lerche. Sondre and I were hanging out at his house. This house appeared to be in Dearborn Michigan and I'm fairly sure it's the house that my good friends Mike and April live in. But in this dream it was Sondre Lerches house, or more accurately, his parents’ house; but we'll get to that in a minute. Sondre and I were going to play video games in his room because his dad was bothering him. His room was almost an exact duplicate of Zach Morris' on Saved by the Bell, with the addition of a really realistic red racecar bed, some guitars, and records on the walls. Oh, and for some reason it had classic 80s era additions like glass block dividers and some neon lightning bolts (Maybe Norway is behind in the times). Moments later we were leaving his house to go somewhere and his dad was mowing the lawn. The odd thing was that his dad was John Travolta. He smiled, nodded our direction and politely asked when we'd be back. Sondre became visibly agitated with Mr. Travolta's question and huffed past him without answering. I remember thinking to myself in my dream, "How'd I forget that Sondre Lerche's dad was John Travolta? His airplane must be in the garage." It made absolutely no sense at all which is why I loved it. I woke up laughing at my stupid dream, rolled out of bed and checked my e-mail, facebook, and myspace. Jill Hennessy had replied to my message. She said she was grateful for my compliments and that "we'll always have Madagascar." I wasn't dreaming. At the time, Jill's page had only 22 friends listed, she had joined myspace less than a week earlier. Coincidentally I was listed as #2. Who was #1? Sondre Lerche. How weird is that? Anyway, if you like Tracey Chapman’s style of bluesy folk rock, then check Jill’s page out. She should be releasing an album soon.

Sondre Lerche - Sleep On Needles
by scopitones

More vacation ideas

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog entry about some exotic vacations I hoped to take. I received quite a response to that post, and have a few more ideas thanks to many suggestions. I've listed some of my favorites below.

A rare and lengthy ten day visit to Bhutan sounds incredibly interesting, or boring. I know next to nothing about Bhutan, other than the picture looks amazing, so this trip would definitely take some extensive planning. According to the website however, “This is the real "Shangri-La". Isolated by the Himalayas for centuries, these independent people with strong Buddhist & animist traditions are just beginning to welcome tourists. Less than 9,000 foreigners per year visit Bhutan. Bhutan is an enlightened monarchy. Universal health care and education are free to all. Everyone studies English and ecology, so communication is easy and the scenery is gorgeous. Bhutan is 70% forested and 29% national park. Wildlife is unique (ie. golden langur, snow leopard, takin) and abundant. Frequent religious festivals feature spectacularly colorful dancing monks against a rugged mountain backdrop. The architecture is incomparable in design and brightly painted detail.” This sounds pretty good to me, and it’s a steal at only three grand for a ten day trip.

Three hours of actual dog fight training. (That would be airplane dog fights; as in aerial combat, come on!) This would be an amazing trip. At just $1,195 you get up to three hours of in flight fighting. You seriously can’t beat that… well, maybe you could. But it would still be an amazing experience. I’m thinking that while this would be tons of fun and would be a story worth telling later, I could probably get a lot more for my 1200 bucks than three hours of fun. It’s possible, but not top on my list. http://www.aircombatusa.com/

A seven day guided climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. For only $4750 you get a professional led private expedition through Africa and up Mt. Kilimanjaro, the most famous mountain in Africa. That includes all amenities, like food, tents and climbing gear etc. According to the website, “Kilimanjaro is one of the best-known mountains of the world, and it has been an alluring destination for adventurers for more than a century. The peak has remarkable power to elicit a sense of adventure and exotic travel, and as one of the Seven Summits, it remains a strong draw for climbers and trekkers alike throughout the world. The New York Times recently named it one of The 53 Place to Go in 2008.” Of course, that New York Times list also includes Detroit as one of the top 53 places to go, so it’s hard to take them seriously. New Yorkers sure are crazy for their Detroit. http://aai.cc/ProgramDetail/kilimanjaro/

The ultimate vacation would be one year on board the classic sail boat the Picton Castle exploring the world. Obviously, a person has to be extremely dedicated to their vacations to take one that a full year long, no to mention the $39,000 price tag. To spend a year learning to sail
while travelling around the world might just be worth the hefty cost. And according to the Picton-Castle website, “No sailing experience is needed” sounds good to me. Anyone have 39 grand lying around? www.picton-castle.com/train/

Personally, I think the idea of driving classes to be much more realistic. Learning about managing cars at extreme speeds or in extreme conditions sounds like a great time to me, especially if the car being used is a BMW. At the BMW Performance center, conveniently located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, anyone can take classes in driving on a variety of courses and skill levels. I’m down for this one. http://www.bmwusa.com/performancecenter

Finally, how’s a motorcycle tour of Tuscany sound. In fact, the company that sets these up has tours all across Europe and New Zealand. Riding a BMW bike along the curving roads of the Italian Alps sounds like a great time. This one costs just $6,000 for a two week all inclusive trip. In my mind that’d be money well spent. The cost also covers the van that will drive your luggage from point to point for you and a local motorcycle guide if you want one. http://www.bmca.com/

Vacations.

When I was young, my parents would drag us away from Detroit on an annual family vacation. These trips would pften be semi-adventurous vacations to somewhere around the U.S. We always went by car, always five of us packed in, making these trips long and rarely comfortable. If nothing else however, they were memorable. By the time I was 10 I had experience climbing some pretty tall cliffs, and I'm sure that my brother and I considered ourselves to be pro rock climbers. Other adventures involved 'spelunking' or cave exploration or white water rafting (we'd take the raft out on the roughest section of New England rivers we could convince our parents to let us in). It all seemed to be leading to a life of adventure and exploration. Now, as adults we've certainly explored much more of the worlds cities than I expected, but I recently realized that I haven't been the active young man I had expected to be as a kid.

Yesterday, My brother and I agreed to take one adventure trip per year. Inspired by the amazing vacations we read about as kids in the back pages of the Smithsonian Magazine, I've started a list, which I'm posting below. I'm looking for more ideas, if you have any. Unfortunatly, I've found that most of what's in those old Smithsonian magazines is too tame for my tastes now.

1) An Amazon River Cruise. A week long cruise in a small boat exploring areas of the rainforest that would otherwise be completely unaccessable sounds great to me. I've been to the rain forest in Central America before, but I understand that the South AMerican rain forest is a very different place. See the picture to the right of what one of these tours might be like. I'm so down for this one. It reminds me of that scene in the original mummy movie when the bad guys get on the boat and they have to fight them off. Only, they didn't have piranha in the water. By the way, despite the fact that many scientists say that piranha won't attack humans, there is a true story of a boat on the Amazon River that capsized in 1981 and as many as 300 people were eaten alive by the fish. It's true, I found it on wikipedia.

2) Dogsledding in Norway. So this sounds cold, and it likely is seeing as snow is required for sledding. Still, all of the trips can't be in beautiful warm destinations and given the choices Norway sounds pretty damn interesting. One alternative to sledding in Norway would be an Alaskan bear hunting trip. Cool, but I've never touched a gun and I'm pretty sure my brothers never hunted either, so we'd probably be the city guys who piss off the guide. Finally, there's ice fishing in Greenland. It's recently been brought to my attention that my brother isn't fond of ice fishing (something about a dislike of colorful flags I think?), so that's likely not going to happen.

3) An Egyptian Oddyssey Tour. I'm not sure what is included in this as there isn't much of a price tag included. Maybe the folks advertising this one don't think it needs description. It's Egypt, what else is there to do besides the obvious. Hey, if it involves riding a camel, pyramids, desert and a sphynx then count me in. I'm easy that way.

4) Jewel Cave Spelunking. The cave exploration we did as kids was considered amature at best. (I only realize that now, after researching the real deal.) Serious spelunking involves full diving gear as well as some serious risks. Again, count me in. Apparently any trip that could kill me is what I'm looking for.

5) Rock climbing. There are some amazing cliffs out west we could use for this, if we're looking for a financially modest vacation. Hopefully we'll find a great location in overseas somewhere though, like the Himalayas or the Andes. Seriously, how sweet would that be?

6) African Safari. This is one of those that is a must on a list of extreme vacations. Safari's are getting pretty popular these days, so we'll probably have to add in something exciting like lion wrestling or some other crazy African adventure. I know it sounds horrible, but I'd love to hang the head of a lion on my wall, or better yet a Rhino! Sweet.

Vomit on the 1 train.

We had a great night, jumping from bar to bar throughout the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This visit from Joe was too short. It was a classic 'Joe' night. We've had a lot of memorable nights, with countless stories to go along with them, but this one was up there on the list, next to Eric Thill's graduation party of course, and New Years Eve at my house senior year. It's awesome to know that ten years later we're still able to party like we were in high school. It wasn't the most responsible of nights, which was also good. If I were responsible I would've been at home resting or doing work of some sort, but instead, I was out on the town enjoying a variety of bands, bars, and beers. A three hour trek home is two and a half hours longer than it should be, but there was no way I could've known the difference. Still, this was easily one of my favorite nights in NYC so far.

Days off are fun.

I started the afternoon by heading down to Times Square to see Cloverfield. I intended on seeing this last week, but didn't have the opportunity until today. I loved this movie. Despite the obvious side effects of poor acting and motion sickness, this film blew my mind. Producer J.J. Abrams can't lose. I only hope he doesn't push his charm too far, similar to what writer/director M. Night Shamalan did, over saturating pop culture with his unique style. There is so much more to the story of Cloverfield that J. J. Abrams and his crew intentionally withheld from the audience, like the significant direct connection between the lead character, Rob, and the monster itself. Or the involvemend of the mysterious Tagruato Corp. and it's overly peppy subsidary Slusho Beverages. Anyway, if anyone wants to share theories on Cloverfield, I'm up for it. If you want to explore more Cloverfield conspiracies, here's the official site to explore.
After the movie, as I walked towards the 1 line subway station to head towards home, a guy in a 'worldwide pants' jacket approached me and offered me a seat for a taping of David Letterman. Having nothing else to do but laundry, I chose to accept. It was also a great show. I have no clean underwear, but I think I made the right choice. The experience was interesting. Watching all of that goes into a show like that each night was fascinating. The guests were alright, and I enjoyed the musical performance by the Redwalls. It all ended too quickly however. As quickly as I had been swept in off the street I was being booted back out.
After a quick stop for some New York pizza, I headed back home to relax. More fun days like this and I may have to consider staying longer.

Visit me in New York, or virtual New York at least.

I've got an odd new hobbie...

MTV has launched a new social networking site like myspace or facebook. It's nowhere near as complex or thorough as its competitors, but it has a few small advantages. Most importantly, much of it is intertwined with the virtual, 3D verion of the Manhattan neighborhood known as the Lower East Side. So you create a 3D version of you and go virtual bar hopping, meeting different people from all around the world as you go. The best part is that they've only developed about 3 blocks worth so far, and it happens to be my favorite three blocks. It includes most of my regular bars and venues such as the Cake-Shop, Katz Deli, and Pianos. Unfortunatly, the Motor City Bar is about 1/2 block outside of the developers limit. Hopefully that'll be open to explore soon. Either way, now everyone out there can explore all of the places I'm loving in NYC. It's pretty accurate too, so rest assured that if you learn your way around the virtual Lower East Side, you'll know you're way around when you come to visit. Each venue has it's own video soundtrack programmed to play randomly on the stage in the venue with eventual plans to broadcast live shows. Scary, but kinda cool.

This is a screenshot of my avatar hanging out in front of my favorite spot, the Cakeshop. Be sure to check out the venue in the basement if you get in. The record store in the back is pretty good too, unfortunatly you can't do much with it.

Check it out at www.vles.com. See you there.

This is a fun one...

For those of you who haven't kept up on my blogs, life in New York has been a roller coaster to say the least. Work is crazy one minute and fantastic the next, and my often recurring homesickness doesn't make things much better. Well, this past week has topped it off. After working a 16 hour day last Friday, I made the all too common mistake of leaving my dome light on in my car. Being in New York, I didn't see or use my car again until the following Monday, when of course I found it dead. So, after paying a towing company $40 to shock my mode of transportation to life again, I decided to add some oil. After completing this task I closed my hood, or so I thought, and headed for work. 10 minutes later as I pressed the gas pedal down while cruising on the scenic Sawmill River Parkway my hood made the suprising choice to open, violently. It cracked my windshield pretty badly, broke both side panels on the front end of my car, dented the roof, and the hood itself is wrinkled like a piece of paper. Will my crappy car insurance cover this incident? In the words of many New Yorkers, "Forget about it!" So there goes any fun I was going to have this winter. The good news is that noone was hurt during the incident, which could've been much worse. As it turns out, the latch that hooks onto the hood and holds it in place is in desperate need of some grease. Now I know. Lesson learned. See the pictures below and learn your lesson too.

ADOXOGRAPHY

ADOXOGRAPHY IS DEFINED AS “GOOD WRITING ABOUT A TRIVIAL SUBJECT.”

So that’s what I do. Adoxography. Awesome. Although, I still am not sure how to pronounce it.

Life has been different lately. I know I shouldn't be surprised, since my life seems to be in a constant state of change lately. Still, this felt really different, and I think it'll last.

It started just over a week ago when I traveled back to Detroit for my dad's ordination. (Remind me to tell you about the ordination and my Deacon dad later.) I arrived early Friday morning and was able to nap away most of my day. That evening my brother, who was in from South Carolina, my old roommate Dave and myself headed downtown to have dinner at Slows. I had let my friends know where I would be and when, and figured that whoever wanted to show could. It truly couldn't have been a cooler night. About a dozen or so friends showed up and after a short hour and a half wait, we were seated at n oversized table on the patio. It was a great mix of friends and family and I couldn't have enjoyed myself more. Thanks to everyone who came out. And hopefully those of you who couldn't make it might be able to when I visit again in early November.

The following day was dedicated to my dad's ordination and family events that would follow. I can't think of a time when I was more proud of my family. Every member from my sister to my Great Aunt Tree were impressive to me. I used to hate family events. When did I grow up? I had to leave early Sunday morning, which unfortunately meant I didn't get to attend some of the most important events of the weekend. I was more than satisfied with the time I had and can't wait to do it again.

I've returned to New York more confident and ready than ever. I'm more prepared to take on the city and my endlessly irritating job, ready to battle the world.

Side Note:
While I was in Detroit for the weekend, my dog Jake got to stay at a New York pet hotel. I upgraded his room from a standard to a 'vacation villa' which apparently meant that he got two rooms and a couch and a TV., "to make it feel more like home". I also added on the 'pampered pet package' which entitled him to one break a day from the playtime with the other dogs for ice cream treats, as well as designated 'cuddle time' and a bed time story. He didn't want to leave there when I tried to pick him up on Sunday. Again, awesome.

A homesick feeling in my stomach... or maybe thats the ham sandwich I had for lunch.

I don't remember ever being in a place in my life where I long for the past. Until now. New York is amazing. I am a New Yorker now. I realize this more each time I venture out into the city.

The past few weeks have been amazing. April and Stanley and Elayne and Sylvia have all visited over the past couple weeks and we've had a ball. Visiting seedy spots like Coney Island or making friends at the Motor City Bar in SoHo was great. Broadway shows and Tigers games at Yankee Stadium all helped me to see why I miss Detroit, and what I miss about Detroit.

All the same, I'll have to head back to the Motor City Bar at some point soon. I'll buy a round of drinks for all of my friends back in Detroit. So please find a way if at all possible to stop by New York when you get a chance. I'll look forward to your visit. See ya then.

The benefits to being lonely.

Before moving from Detroit to New York, I expressed my fears to many of my family and friends. In one way or another I said that my primary fear was going somewhere where I knew noone. Everyone had the same response. "You'll meet new friends." Isuppose I should've specified that this was actually my biggest fear. The fear that I would make new friends. The fear that it would really be that easy, to move hundreds of miles away and just make new friends. If I could make new friends that quickly, what do my friendships really mean? Am I thinking too much? Absolutely. But, thankfully that hasn't been the case. After more than two months away from Detroit, I appreciate my friends more than ever. I now realize that even if/when I make new friends here in New York, they will never replace those friendships. So, I am finally taking some time off of work to hang out. I'm opening up and making friends comfortably, without fear. Still, I wish my friends from back home could be here with me. See you guys soon.

If only they'd taken me seriously.

When I was very young I often said things that would give everyone a good laugh. My family called them "Jerryisms". They were the type of things you'd expect to come from the Olsen twins or Webster. I remember one incident that occurred when I was 3 or 4. My mom had just served me a hot dog which I thought was too hot. I asked that she put it on the stove top and turn it off so it would cool down faster. This made perfect sense to me, if the stove heated things up when it was on, why wouldn't it cool them off when it wasn't? Of course I recieved an uproar of laughter in response, and the thought was dismissed as just another Jerryism. These things are still brought up now and again, and I'm truly not sure my family will ever let me live them down. Then today I came across an article about a 'new' invention from the laboratories of Whirpool Appliances. "The only oven that thinks like a refridgerator" they call it. An, "Innovative idea from Whirlpool". It's basically my idea. Some old nerd at Whirlpool is getting rich off of an idea I had as a toddler. I think this says a lot about me. I also think there is a lesson to be learned here. Might want to try cooling that hot dog again, mom.

That Guy

Things are really starting to go well here. My apartment is finally coming together, as is my office, allowing me to fell more comfortable in my surroundings. This also is giving me more time to miss my family and friends, which I do often.

I think it has finally hit me that I live in New York. It felt like an extended visit up until this past week, when I began to form habits and get on a standard schedule. I've had nothing byut good experiences here so far, and am looking forward to many visits from friends and family over the next couple of months.

I saw Stanley Tucci at the gas station the other night. Bumped into him actually, literally. I then stood behind him in line while he had a very ADD discussion with a younger woman who I can only assume was his personal assistant.

I never made it to the Tranformers movie on the fourth. I made it to Times Square and even bought my ticket, but never made it in. I was too worried about leaving my dog alone at home and headed back to care for him. He was fine. I won't make that mistake again. I'll be trying again tonight. Wish me luck.

Catch Up

There is so much happening in my world. I realize I've done a poor job of keeping most people updated, so I'm summing it up below:

• I recently moved to New York City.
• I've moved into my apartment, but my furniture won't move in until Thursday. Until then it's just me, Jake, and an air-mattress.
• My dad drove with Jake and I from Detroit to New York this past weekend. It was great spending time with him and it was also cool to have him around for a while. I'm looking forward to more visits from friends and family over the summer.
• Work has been great. There is a lot to do here, but I'm learning quickly. Everyone I work with has been great.
• My calendar is quickly filling up. I already have people planning visits on almost every weekend this summer. Don't delay, book your trip now, while there's still room.

I think that covers most of it. If I have missed anything, please let me know.

Today was the day... and now the day is tomorrow.

It almost happened today. I almost had an apartment. The only problem is, I had already cancelled my hotel reservation, so now I'm spending my night in my office. I will most definitely have an apartment tomorrow though. I collected some pictures while I was there today that I wanted to share with everyone. First is a picture of my street. They weren't kidding when they said 'tree-lined', which is a big deal in NYC apparently. It's actually a pretty nice street. Mostly quiet, with an occasional store or restaurant mixed in with the apartment buildings. I've got a small grocery store, a chinese food place (with free delivery), a laundromat, and a deli/breakfast bar across the street from me. I can't tell you how happy I am about that. I also have a fairly good sized park at the end of my block, which will be great for walks with the dog. Right next door to me, between my building and the park, is a nice little Catholic church, Our Lady of Angels. They have different mass times for Spanish or English. I hope to learn Spanish soon so I can attend any of them. I was really impressed with the church itself. I haven't even seen the inside yet. My apartment is pretty nice as well. Actually, I never really saw my apartment today, but the lobby is nice. The windows show the age of the building. They remind me of the windows on the Henry Ford Museum. A classic look with the rounded top. It's very colonial, early american style. Furthering this theme are the fantastic murals on the walls. They feature people clearly dresses in revolutionary period outfits farming, fishing or hunting. There has been some clear damage to them over them many years they've been there, including some graffiti and some other damage, but they are in great shape considering their vulnerable location. I was also impressed by the detail work in small places. I took a picture of the ceiling to exemplify my point. The design work on the ceiling and the molding around the room are in themselves very beautiful and artistic. The owners have clearly noticed this as well, and have taken the time to highlight and preserve their beauty. This only convinces me further that I have picked the right apartment. If only I could get in. In the center of the lobby is a fireplace that looks to have been unused for a very long time. I'm sure it would've been very impressive in the days when it still was lit each evening. I can only imagine what it would've been like to live in this building when it was first concieved. I'm sure the Bronx was a very different place then.

Homeless again...

My realtor informed me Saturday afternoon that the apartment I supposedly had was no longer available, as someone else had apparently taken it out from under me. I had planned on spending my Saturday night attending a party in Brooklyn, but decided that finding a new place was more important than pretty much anything else. So instead I met my realtor at his office in Northern Manhattan at about 4pm and spent the next six hours driving from one apartment to another. Very few of the apartments that we visited were ready to be lived in, most requiring at least three weeks of renovations etc. Only one apartment met all of my standards and was ready for living. The downside is that it's a studio. All the same, I told him I'd take it. It's better than my hotel, and I did get a really good feeling from it. I liked being there, I just wish it were a little bigger, with a bedroom. I will hopefully be moving into this place by Tuesday if all works out well. I'm not getting my hopes up.

No longer homeless.

I started my day yesterday wandering the streets of Manhattan. I stopped in a Duane Reade drug store, which seem to be on every corner here. I requested the discount cards for my keychain and wallet and the friendly woman behind the desk gave me a quick 'application' to fill out. So, I did, but became a little confused when I reached the address section. "Um," I started, "I don't really have an address. I'm kind of homeless right now." I said with a smile. "Just fill in the last known address then." she said politely. I followed her directions and she gave me my cards and the receipt for my purchase. As I walked out of the store she yelled over to me, "Keep your head up and don't ever give up your dreams honey!" I thought this was an extremely friendly way for a drug store clerk to say what in Michigan would be, "thanks for shopping with us." or "have a nice day." About half an hour later I was sitting on a park bench cleaning junk from my pockets when I came upon the receipt she had given me. On the back she had written information for a homeless shelter. No more than three hours later I picked my apartment. It's in rough shape and is in the Bronx, which many people had warned me about, but at least I'm not homeless. Besides, I am from Detroit after all, the Bronx doesn't really phase me. (note: New Yorkers don't believe that Detroit is tougher than the Bronx.) Also, the community seems great. This particular neighborhood of the Bronx is known as Bedford Park. As my realtor and I drove through to the apartment, I saw old women sweeping their walks and children playing in their yards. It seemed pretty docile to me. When I visited the building yesterday I met two of the superintendents who introduced me to their wives and multiple other residents of the building. They were all spending the day together planting flowers in the very large courtyard. The building itself is interesting, but nothing spectacular. It's definitely nothing compared to the Fyfe. Still, the inside of my apartment has more character than all of my previous apartments combined, hands down. Like I said, it's in rough shape, but with some love over the next year I think it'll be a fantastic place to be. In the picture on the right, you can see my new apartment on the rounded corner facing us. I'll have the second floor. That’s the Botanical Square train station right across the street, which I can hop on for a quick ride to Grand Central or to White Plains. It might prove to be useful. So, I'm pretty excited. They are putting in new kitchen cabinets and appliances, so I'll likely be living in a hotel for another week or two, but I'm psyched to have taken this step. This also means you can begin planning your visits starting at the end of June. If anyone wants to come out for the 4th of July that'd be cool. I need someone to go see Transformers with.

Whats Happened to my Life?

It's been just one week, but it feels like 6 months already. After a few dinners in Manhattan and a few trips to the local grocery store, I'm finally settling in. I'm sure this feeling will be completed once I move from my hotel room into a real apartment somewhere. I miss my friends and family more than I can say, but am not feeling homesick for Detroit yet, thankfully. On my short visit to Detroit this past week I realized that I wasn't missing it at all, and in fact could finally see the negativity that outsiders see in Detroit when I show them around. I am eagerly awaiting the moment when I crave the city, my city, again. When things go so badly here that I would do anything to be standing in the middle of Campus Martius. All the same, I'm having a great time in NYC and am looking forward to the weeks to come.

What to Expect.

In the past, my blog entries have acted more as journal entries documenting events in my life. Moving forward, I plan to maintain some of my original style, with additional focus on arts and entertainment as well as some tech news thrown in. You'll notice each blog labelled as one of the three, either Pop Culture, Tech, or Personal. If I get very daring in the future I might even add in a design or architecture section. Feedback is always welcome and comments are open for anyone. This is a great way for us to keep in touch. Hopefully I can write enough to keep you satisfied and interested.