My old boss Colleen was in town this week for Licensing Show, so we went to dinner at A Voce. We had so much fun catching up; it was the first time we had seen each other since I moved to the City. She of course mentioned the blog; apparently, I have raised the curiosity of some of my readers (at least the Bandai readers), not to mention laugh lines. So, in an effort to clear some things up for you all, here is a little Q&A that I have prepared:
Q: Your apartment search--it couldn't possibly have been that hard, could it?
A: Yes, apartment searching in NYC is unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life or care to for a long time (which is probably why I will become like most NYers and remain in my apartment until my rotting corpse is removed by the FDNY). The process here can make any seasoned apartment hunter like myself begin to doubt that her years of training have only reduced her to a homeless pan handler. Imagine this: you are in a city that is filled with mostly safe, but sometimes still unsafe residential areas and has a population of 1.6 million people all scrambling to find those safe areas to live. Add to that a subway system that is an impossible to solve enigma to most first-time riders and has a non-existent punctuality rate. There are no FOR RENT signs posted anywhere except at local broker dealers' offices and the brokers who represent the vacancies usually return the 4th voicemail you leave them. By the time they do return your call, the darling apartment that was 900 sq. ft and priced about $100 less than most apartments, has a kitchen that's been renovated since 1978, a wall that can fit a queen size bed, laundry on-site and an elevator has just been rented. Darn it, you just missed it! Instead, they've got something that's just $200 more than you were willing to pay and it can be shown immediately. But, it's only got a mini-fridge, no laundry, no A/C, and it's a 5th floor walk-up (in other words, you have to walk up 4 flights of stairs to get to your apartment every day!) You go ahead and make an appointment to view it anyway, leaving the office early only to wait for the subway below ground for nearly 10 minutes, walk the 8 blocks to the location, wait for 30 minutes outside the building and end the evening with the broker never showing up! Try walking in my shoes for a few days of that and I guarantee you'll have shin splints too!
Q: Are you bored at your new job; is that why you have time to blog so much?
A: I'm not gonna lie; I am a little bored. I came from an environment at Bandai where I handled everything. In the words of Vanilla Ice, "if there was a problem, yo I'd solve it." I was proud that everyone at Bandai saw me as the Tamagotchi expert and could rely on me to provide direction on all aspects of the business. Here, The N is very compartmentalized like most large companies and I usually have to spend a lot of time at my desk waiting for information from others before I can do my job. Do I regret taking the job? I've had to adjust a bit, but not for one minute do I regret my move.
Q: Is the subway safe?
A: Yes, the subway is perfectly safe. I take it just about everywhere unless I am walking. The only drawback is that it runs very sporadically after midnight. So, if it's really late at night, I will take a cab only to save time and to get home quickly.
Q: Do you miss your car?
A: Well, during the first two months I really missed my car. But, after driving this weekend in CA, I think I got it out of my system. I felt incredibly trapped without the freedom of being able to get up and go wherever I wanted. But, I am enjoying the freedom now of not paying $4.50 a gallon for gas like you Californians! Plus, I'm in a lot better shape now that I've been walking everywhere; I don't mind it so much.
Q: Are you going to take a flower class?
A: I have to admit I started laughing hysterically when Co said that many of you had been pondering this one. . . because, the answer is YES! I have found that the Brooklyn Botanical Garden offers a certificate program in Floral Design and the advanced class begins in July. And, I am going to try to convince my boss that MTV should pay for it as part of our tuition reimbursement program (seeing as how I don't need a third degree). Wish me luck!
Well, I hope that calms all your curiosity out there! If you have any more questions you'd like answered, please feel free to write them in the comments section. I will answer them immediately!
P.S. Co and I spotted Dirty, Sexy, Money's Jill Clayburgh also at A Voce last night. Apparently, she likes it too!
Sage is the Senior Action in a Gay Environment, an organization dedicated to the well-being of seniors in the gay and lesbian community. It includes a recreation center, drop-in medical clinic, and other social services. They had several of their members marching in the parade, many of whom have been couples for decades. I was especially touched by this couple of men here; you can't see the signs around their necks, but each say that they have been together for 51 years! It really touched me that they decided to dedicate themselves to one another long before it was socially acceptable and that they continue to remain dedicated today. And, while my grandparents were able to renew their wedding vows at their 50th anniversary in a church in the presence of the Lord and the law, these gentlemen are still continuing to wait for our country to decide as a whole whether to allow couples of any gender to become lawfully wedded.
The Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Marching Band really got the party started by playing "We Got the Funk". Their corp is complete with a drum major, a flag ensemble, and a drill team!
Creating works of art . . .
