Yesterday, while purchasing an afternoon snack in the lobby, I spotted Jeremy Irons chatting on his cell phone . . .
And, today I brushed shoulders with Jesse Jackson and his entourage in the elevator bank; a very tall man indeed!
Work has been incredibly hectic, but I've been managing to keep my head above water. . . I thought it would be fun to complicate things even further by moving this month.
My lease ended on April 30, so I thought I would take the opportunity to find a 1 bedroom apartment and to exit my dinky little studio. I searched high and low during the month of April and managed to find a fairly good sized 1 bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side at 71st St. The monthly rent was definitely within my budget and it seemed I would be able to get about twice the space for only $150 more a month.
The unit was in an old brownstone building built around 1900; so, it had quirks like mis-matching kitchen cabinets, 5 inches of white paint on the walls, and limited closet space. But, it boasted a private outdoor garden and brand new hardwood floors. . . I had a few misgivings, but thought it was just the stress and anxiety I was feeling from work combined with the chore of having to move, so I signed a lease.
I spent the entire weekend packing all my junk; and, when I finally had it all in boxes Sunday night, I laid in bed for hours concocting all kinds of "bad omens" . . . I dreamt that the landlord had stolen my identity and run me into the ground with debt; I dreamt that when I opened the door to my new home with the movers behind me that a pair of squatting roommates had moved in before me; I dreamt that the movers double-charged me and shattered my TV . . .
Nonetheless, I shook it all off and had the movers carry all my things to the new apartment on Monday afternoon. Not twenty minutes after they left, I sat on my bed and burst into tears. I began to walk around the apartment and noticed a plethora of issues that I had missed on my two previous inspections--I found a 1/2 inch gap ran along the door jam separating the bedroom from the living room; the kitchen counters were separating from the wall behind the sink; a small colony of ants decided to become my roommates; there were no lights in any of the closets; there was a 1/4 inch gap between the new flooring and the walls all the way around the unit; the landlord had used double-sided tape to re-insulate the back door, which immediately fell off when I opened it; and, neither of my cell phones could get a signal in the apartment, which terrified me as a single woman living alone! On top of all these things, I felt this overwhelming vibe of bad energy surrounding the apartment. . .
I called my mom hysterical . . . what was I going to do? I had already signed a one-year lease. I had already given notice to my current landlord and he had been showing to potential renters. I had already paid the movers to bring all my things here.
I felt as if all along my inner voice/the Holy Ghost/Guardian Angel/sixth sense/woman's intuition/internal compass had been hinting to me that I had not made the right decision and that after weeks of ignoring its gentle whisperings, it was now screaming in my ears: You should not live here!
Luckily, I called my current landlord and found out that my apartment had not been rented. When I told him that I would stay there, he was overwhelmingly relieved. So, I called the movers and had them bring me and all my belongings back to my dinky little studio on Tuesday. I lost a full month of rent and had to pay the movers twice, but I am finally calm with my decision to stay right where I am.
As many of you know, I've long been trying to find a way to make use of the MBA degree that I spent a significant amount of time and money working to achieve (because I seemingly continue to think it's otherwise completely useless in my current job). So, I kept sending out my resume . . . and sending it out . . . and sending it out . . . to as many colleges as I could the last few years trying to find a teaching job.
Well, I finally got a call for an interview last month from The Laboratory Institute of Merchandising, a small private fashion merchandising college here in Manhattan that also offers degrees in Marketing and Business Management. They were very impressed with my resume and wanted to consider me for two of their courses, including Power of the Brand and Global Markets (both upper-classman level courses, I might add!)
I've been keeping it quiet the last few weeks for fear that it might not happen. . . but, I received confirmation today that I will be teaching Global Markets (what the hell that means is still not completely clear, but who cares?! Professors make up stuff and pontificate for hours on end anyway, right?) two evenings a week to LIM's aspiring juniors and seniors this coming Fall semester! Check out my official listing in the school catalog:
Course: MRKT 408-08
Course Title: Global Markets
Instructor: Wells, Jessica
Credits: 3.0
Day(s): MW
Time(s): 6:10 - 7:40
Room: 0508
Happy Birthday Darling! I promise to come home to bring you a real hug very soon!I just love a good controversy! SpongeBob toys are currently available in a Burger King Kids' Meal. And, since SpongeBob appeals to adults just as much as kids, I guess Burger King thought they could take a little creative liberty in their current commercial . . .
Spring still seems to be out of sight, but definitely not out of mind . . . just like I still believe in the Easter Bunny, I believe that someday it will arrive and bring with it a warm and fuzzy feeling, green grass, brightly colored flowers, and delicious treats. We were granted a sneak peek of it on Sunday when the temperatures reached a pleasant and sunny 64. But, the joy was short lived . . . I watched snowflakes fall nearly all morning from my office window today!
And, walking out of the Hallmark store near my house tonight, I passed by Celia Weston. Celia is well known for her lovable "mom" characters in How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days, Junebug, and The Village . . .
I hope the sunshine comes out for Easter on Sunday! I wish I could be in sunny CA for the holiday, but I will be staying Manhattan bound this weekend.
