And it is by Grace ye shall be saved . . .

Friday night I arrived a little late, but entirely in one piece to my new humble abode on the Upper East Side. I checked in and immediately called my mom to let her know that I had arrived safely. She asked how my accommodations were and I firmly replied, "well, they're very utilitarian." I think I was definitely expecting a little more plush surroundings, but it will be just fine temporarily until I find an apartment of my own soon. I grabbed some sushi for dinner (it too was purely utilitarian) from a little cafe down the street and then headed back to my 8 x 10 white-walled sanctuary to begin unpacking my luggage. And, within minutes of returning, my next door neighbor Grace knocked on my door to introduce herself and to say "Hello". What happenstance?!

We ended up going to Starbucks and later to rent a movie at Blockbuster. My first night in NYC was very enjoyable, thanks to her! She then invited me to Sarabeth's for some scrumptious Saturday morning brunch (did I mention Sarabeth's is my fave place for brunch?) We spent a great weekend getting to know each other; she's definitely helped me to avoid any feelings of loneliness during my first few days here. I finished up Saturday fetching some clearance-priced necessities at K-Mart (yes, NYC has a K-Mart!), dodging the Japanese photo-taking tourists at the Flower Show at Macy's while picking up some moisturizer, and mastering my first successful subway transfer!

Sunday morning I rounded out the weekend by visiting the Armory Show with a friend to view all the modern artwork from around the world that could possibly fit into Pier 94. The artwork was exquisite, sometimes comical, oftentimes strange, but always thought provoking.

Happy, Happy Birthday Hudson Dear . . .

Here's Two You!

Spring has Sprung!

Easter was beautiful this year! As is custom with our gastronomical tradition, my brother Bill treated us to "brunch at the club" (please note that I said that with my nose pointed at a 45 degree angle toward the ceiling and with my right pinkie extended out. . . ) We had a warm, sunny day and the girls got to spend the day with us, giving me a chance to see all my nieces and nephews together before I left for NYC.

The fare offered at the brunch buffet was bountiful and Nicole and I enjoyed picking our favorites off the tables in addition to mulling over the dessert table for nearly 10 minutes trying to determine if our pallet would be better whetted with cookies or cake. As we walked out, she began a little debate on how the ice sculpture was created. But, even though we couldn't determine how it was created, we both agreed it was beautiful.

Dad also joined us this year when he drove down to CA this weekend to say one last goodbye. I think he had a really enjoyable time playing with Hudson and spending the holiday with us all together. The evening was complete with some afternoon swimming in the backyard and gift exchanges. Carla finally made me crack when she wouldn't let go of her hug that night. I am going to miss everyone so much! (sniffle . . . sniffle . . . sniffle . . . get me a tissue, dammit!)

Beginning the Final Countdown . . .

Well, it's really happening! 10 days left and counting. My flight has been booked and the movers have been reserved. And, today, I finally experienced mountainous feelings of self-doubt and overwhelming stress. I decided to let myself sleep in for a while this morning in an effort to decompress.

After getting a slow start this morning, I left the house and headed for the "No Sales Tax" weekend event at OSH in the hopes of finding the necessary tools to complete my last DIY project at my little home here in So-Cal. After locating a handful of sharp looking wood finish samples for only $0.29 each and a sturdy spackle spatula for less than $2.00, I was able to return home with the goal of repairing a hole in the wall of my bathroom and an acetone induced injury to my dining table earlier this year.

Success! I managed to patch the hole and in so doing, secure a full refund of my security deposit when I move next week. I then moved on to my beautiful table, which was a bit more injured than the bathroom wall. But, I think I managed to do it. It's now ready for its debut on Craigslist and eventually its migration to its new home. I am melancholy about our separation. My table was my first major furniture purchase as an adult; it made me feel all "grown up"--I suppose now it's going to make me finally feel like a true business professional when I thoughtlessly discard it along my journey to the East.

Now I am off to find moving boxes---its proving to be more difficult than I thought it would!