At the end of the first week...

Wanted to let you know I got here okay, and I've just finished the end
of my first week living in New York!
The first few days were a little stressful, but all in all it's been
good so far...
I've done the usual tourista things...and some not so usual...
- walked across the Brooklyn Bridge this morning
- ate a bagel and cream cheese down at the federal courthouse
- ate a pastrami sandwich at Katz's (oh my GAWD!)
- ate dim sum and noodles in Chinatown
- bought cookies at Dean & Deluca
- rented a flophouse room for 2 hours for some privacy with my honey
- interviewed at a good job
- bought bagels at 130am from H&H Midtown bagels
- watched a hundred tweens scream when Carson Daly walked into the MTV
studios
- was engulfed by neon in Times Square
- have found a few places to dash to the can in an emergency, for
under a buck
- went to Ground Zero
- fought over discount designer duds at Century 21
- figured out the subway system
- found a private place to neck, in a very public park
- ate dinner at a celebrity chef's restaurant
- toured the French Culinary Institute and ate at their restaurant
(man o man, you AIS people have NO idea how good it can be!!)
- discovered, back in Seattle, that my last paycheck by my FAVORITE
employer was not direct deposited, and thus allowed me to have a
whopping number of overdrafts!
- discovered there are no B of A banks or Wells Fargos here in town,
and very few fee-free ATMs
- discovered nobody takes credit cards, it seems
- discovered taxis are a cash-only affair, unlike in SEA
- rode out to JFK this morning for a teary-eyed goodbye for now
- have not been carded anywhere, and it doesn't seem that bars or
liquor stores ever close
- discovered something very funny about the state of the porn industry
here
- walked through tons of doggie-friendly parks
- didn't scream upon my first encounter with a large rat, or a small
mouse

I know, I know. Sounds like a lot. That doesn't include all of the
walking, drinking, and whatnot one does when trying to get accustomed
to a new place, even if it's just as a tourist.

I'll be here for a month, back around the end of October for a little
time with Tyler (before he leaves for Portugal) and then for a drive
back to NYC. The first day we were here - well, the first 3, actually -
it was hot (80s) and muggy (100 percent humidity). Since Monday, it's
been in the mid- to low-60s. Fall has arrived, I've heard on the lips
of the people here.

After a much heated debate (argument?) with my grandmother this
evening, I was finally 'released' from the house to go see a movie,
which I did by myself. Most happily, I might add. There's something to
staying in a sterile old folks home, sleeping on the linoleum, which
gives me the creeps and makes me feel like a shut-in. Oh yeah, and the
shower wasn't working until this morning. I promised Tyler I'd do my
best to make this quite thorny situation tolerable, because the rents
are still really high, and it's hard for me to commit without a firm
job offer. And for those of you who had heard about the restaurant PR
position, they haven't gotten back to me after my interview on Monday.
I'm a little bummed about it, but I have another on Friday, so I'll
deal. Anything to get me out of here, and let me start living like a
normal person again.

And for those interested...
Babbo, Saturday night.
Appetizers: BBQed octopus (AMAZING, I SWEAR!!!!), lamb's tongue salad
with a 3-minute egg, duck bacon, and a bit of pecorino, and a plate of
marinated sardines with a nice radish salad.
Entrees: fennel dusted sweetbreads (I didn't know these were glands,
not brains!) served with candied dried orange peel (and lastly) goose
liver ravioli served in a reduced basalmic sauce.
Dessert: zucchini spice cake with lemon olive oil gelato + espresso

It's not too bad up here, the pace is definitely different. A weekend
in Seattle might be positively relaxing!
I'll try to keep you all posted on the goings-on, the progress on the
book (a MAJOR setback today), the job search, and hopefully soon, my
new address (AKA your NYC crash pad).