Day 35

Hello everyone, and welcome to "My life in New York, month two."  That realization hit me when I had to pay my rent for the first time since actually being in New York, my subway card expired, and my monthly Internet subscription ended.  Which is why I am currently in Starbucks, 11:24pm on a Friday night, writing to all of my favorite people.

Like last week, there isn't too much out of the ordinary to tell you about--but it was a great week.  I think that's my favorite part about living in New York: I can have a completely ordinary week and at the end of the week I can still sit in a Starbucks feeling elated about everything that happened.  So here's what I can tell you: I love my job.  As you know, I can't get too detailed...but I come home from work everyday feeling like I've accomplished something, I've helped someone (whether it's a staff member or someone out in the world who I'll never meet), and that my job really matters.  I can be stressed all day long with the amount of work I have to do, and still leave smiling at the end of the day.  Everyone says this, but I really do work in the best department.  The people are so admirable and dedicated, and their sense of humor never fails to crack me up.  It is really gratifying to know that I made the right move, coming to New York.  I  miss all of you like crazy, but I feel really honored to be a part of something so amazing here.

On a slightly different topic, allow to me to tell you about more of my delicious feasts.  For lunch the other day, two of my coworkers/friends walked to Jacob's Restaurant, a local soul food buffet.  And let me just say, holy mother of goodness.  There had to be at least 40 different food options--nearly a dozen different meat dishes, a remarkable assortment of vegetables, potatoes, fruits and salads.  Oh and they had an enormous dish of banana cream pudding for dessert.  I loaded up my tray with as much as it could hold and went back to the office to enjoy my feast.  Holy soul food, that was some good fried chicken.  Everything was really amazing, and I'm excited to go back and try even more.

There was one incident from this week that was pretty extraordinary.  Today, at work, I experienced one of the coolest moments of my life.  I can't go into much detail, but here's what I can tell you: I had the amazing opportunity to fulfill someone's life goal.  A gentleman had been putting together a gift for his daughter that was twelve years in the making.  He started the quest of collecting everything needed for this gift when his daughter was six years old and had given up on the final step a few years ago.  On a whim, he wrote a letter that came across my desk--and with a little extra effort and a bit of a Hail Mary shot on my part, I was able to fulfill his request.  The coolest part was that I got to call him, and explain what I was able to accomplish.  This man, in his mid-50s, was so shocked that his voice was shaking.  He proceeded to tell me stories about his daughter and how she is now 21 years old.  It was a very special experience for me, to help this man who was so dedicated to making his daughter's dream come true.  After countless "thank you"s, he made me promise to have a great weekend and that's how we ended it.  I'd like to think that he'll get to tell his family about me and our conversation, just as I'm telling you about him.

I know this post wasn't very lengthy, but next week's post should have some good content.  This weekend promises to be busy as I get my next round of visitors, this time Dad and Nancy.  We have tickets to see Avenue Q and Dad already requested that I take him to Freemans for breakfast one morning.  And next week I start as a volunteer for NY-CLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets), an organization that is leading the fight in eliminating horse drawn carriages in New York City.  Stay tuned for more on that.

Much love.  Peace out.

The Webster Valentine's Day dessert: linzer tart

The Empire State Building lit up in white, pink and red for Valentine's Day--it's real-life "Sleepless in Seattle"

Hello Webster dessert, thank you for being so delicious

Oh what's that? Soul food for lunch? Dear Boss, thank you for having your office in Harlem.

Can we talk about how many chocolate chips are in this cookie?  It's glorious. 

The Empire State Building lit up for President's Day.  And since only one of the presidents live in New York, I'm going to say it's lit up for that one in particular.

Day 30

Don't hurt me.  I'm very behind.  I'm sorry.  Here goes...


I put off writing for a while because most days are pretty ordinary (well, as ordinary as they can be living in New York and working where I work, but you get the idea).  I have my daily morning routine...wake up, go back to sleep, wake up, get up, wash my face, go to the bathroom, put on my makeup, get dressed, take a picture of my outfit for Mom, and then either head off to work or go downstairs for breakfast.  Then it's work until 6pm, get back to my apartment by 6:30pm, eat dinner, maybe run some errands, and then spend the evening watching TV on Netflix or reading or looking for a new job for after my internship.  And since none of that is particularly noteworthy, and especially not every day, I did not feel the need to write for a while.  There have been, however, a few notable instances/events that I will tell you about now.


There was a bit of change in my morning routine when two other coworkers moved into Webster last week.  Two of them work at the Midtown office and one with me up in Harlem, so I no longer walk to work alone.  The four of us usually meet for breakfast in the mornings and then split into the two groups and head off to the office.  It's a very cool part about living at the Webster...all the women in business attire meeting for breakfast in the morning, talking about what is expected for the day, and then going our separate ways to work.


Another exciting thing that happened in the last week was getting to volunteer at an event called "America at a Crossroads: The Dayton Accords and the Beginning of the 21st Century Diplomacy" that was co-hosted by the Clinton Foundation and NYU.  Held in the NYU's Kimmel Center at Washington Square Park, the event centered around President Clinton's controversial work in ending the war in the Balkans during the 1990s and the subsequent effect on the area now.  And let me say, it was quite an event.  It's not often that you can find yourself in the presence of such amazingly intellectual and highly-distinguished individuals.  President Clinton made the introductions of the event's two panels as well as the closing remarks.  Members of the first discussion panel were former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, General Wesley Clark, and former US Ambassador to Croatia Peter Galbraith and was moderated by National Journal Group Editorial Director Ronald Brownstein.  The panel was very lively and full of laughter and mutual respect for and from all those involved.  The second panel was a little more serious but included Bosnia and Herzegovina co-President Bakir Izetbgovic, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, and was moderated by Christiane Amanpour.  The several-hour event was highly education, entertaining and humbling.  At the end of the day, I found myself waiting for an elevator standing next to Madeleine Albright, recalling that the last time I saw her in person was in upstate New York, at age nine, where I got to shake her hand.  Quite a full-circle moment in my life.


I befriended two girls at the Webster who I continue to dine with most evenings.  One is a acting student (and as I recently discovered, a former rower) and the other works at an amazing New York art gallery.  We always have lively and entertaining, but remarkably deep conversations.  It's a great way to spend a small part of my evening and I find myself looking forward to that time.  Somehow in one of our conversations, my actor friend said that she suddenly realized how fortunate she is to be living in New York City and to be doing what she loves.  As much as I love my job and love living in the city, I haven't (or at least hadn't) taken the time to really think about that.  But it is true.  I am remarkably fortunate to be here, and to go to work everyday at a job I love, with coworkers who are equally excited to be there.  And I did not get here alone.  I worked hard growing up, and in college, and continue to work my hardest here, but I could not have possibly made it all the way here without much love and support.  And for that, I thank all of you.  Thank you for getting me to this place and letting me really live the dream.


Yesterday, I had the good fortune of spending the morning and early afternoon with Leah's friend Lauren and Lauren's friend Eliza.  Lauren and Eliza met me at the Webster and we headed to the Lower East Side for brunch at a place called Freemans.  The restaurant's entrance was accessed by walking down an alley, but once inside, we found the place packed and buzzing with energy.  And it seemed as though we walked into a whole different world.  The walls were decked out in animal trophies, much like you would find in Montana, but the low lighting and refined menu added an air of sophistication--certainly not a place I expected to find hidden in an alley in New York City.  The restaurant was so busy that tables were placed inches from each other, yet somehow avoided the feeling of being too crowded, or as though you didn't have privacy in your own conversations.  And the food was fabulous.  After much deliberation, I settled on soft scrambled eggs with potatoes and sausage (the items also considered were poached eggs on roasted tomato grits, skillet eggs with spinach and gruyere, and a buttermilk waffle with bananas).  My eggs were delicious and the whole plate was very satisfying without being heavy.  Lauren decided on a plate of smoked trout with a toasted baguette, pickles, capers and horseradish cream.  From the sample I tried, it was also a very good choice.  Eliza settled on the skillet eggs that I had also considered, which looked as delicious as I had imagined from the menu.  We enjoyed the great meal, and I enjoyed the great company and conversation.  The two were incredibly generous the entire day, and I was happy to follow the lead of two New Yorkers who clearly know the area well.  After brunch, we walked around the area and found the Angelika Theater where we watched a matinee showing of 'Blue Valentine' starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams.  The movie was really sad, and sadly real.  The movie includes some of the most heartfelt moments of humanity, but also some of the meanest.  I still don't quite know what I think about the film.  Being at the theater, the Angelika, was an experience itself.  The ground level of the theater is a large cafe-like seating area and where you'd expect to find a concession stand, there is a counter serving coffee, tea, and an incredible assortment of desserts.  Sitting in the actual theater, built underground and without stadium seating to save space, you were far enough below ground level to feel and hear the subway as it passed beneath us.  The whole afternoon was quite a lot of fun, and I look forward to similar times in the future.


Today was a rather special day.  Don't get your hopes up...I mean "special" as in "stop eating the paste", not "wow, what an extraordinary experience".  I fell asleep around 10:30pm and, despite waking up at 5:20am to turn off my lights and the continuous loop of Netflix playing on my computer, I did not open my eyes again until 11:30am.  And then I slept again from 2:45pm to 5pm.  I realized that I don't sleep much during the week, not because I don't have the opportunity, but because I always have things I'd like to be doing (for example, it's currently 1:36am and I'm writing to all of you).  After my lengthy sleep and nap, I spent the afternoon watching a few things on Netflix and then heading to the world outside.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, Sunday lunch here is quite good, but is the last meal of the day served at the Webster.  Thus, I went out to try another neighborhood diner.  I made it only a few blocks and wandered into Tick Tock Diner, a cozy little joint I pass on my way home from work every night.  I was pleased to get a table in the back facing the rest of restaurant, where I was able to enjoy my food and people watch.  I had a chocolate shake (I'm determined to try a chocolate shake at every New York diner I visit) and a Peter Luger Burger, a mushroom and swiss burger with barbecue sauce and fries.  The great thing about the diner was that its menu featured all the typical diner food, and then waaay more.  The guy who sat at the table next to me ordered a chicken penne pasta dish with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, accompanied by a glass of pinot noir.  Also on my people watching radar was a couple who came in with their chocolate brown Cocker Spaniel.  I overheard them talking with the waitress saying that their little pup was a contestant at the upcoming Westminster Dog Show.  The dog sat patiently at the couple's feet until they finished their meal and left.


And now, here I am...sitting in my room, having slept most of the day and enjoyed two cups of coffee with dinner.  Sleep tonight should be interesting.  Or non-existent.  Oh well.  Work in the morning, and the week starts anew.


This post has been quite unusual.  I found myself writing very few sarcastic comments or notes of cynicism.  Perhaps I'm off my game.  Regardless, I'm glad to have finally caught up on everything and perhaps I'll be back to my normal self in the next edition.


Much love.  Peace out.

Simply delicious.  Coffee at Freemans.

My Freemans breakfast: soft scrambled eggs, potatoes and sausage

Eliza's breakfast: skillet eggs with spinach and bacon

Lauren's breakfast: smoked trout platter with hard boiled eggs, pickles and toasted baguette

The main floor counter of the Angelika Theater

You can never go wrong with a chocolate shake

The Peter Luger burger

For Jayne: I drank coffee.  In a diner.  In New York.

Day 22

Okay, I know I'm a little behind.  My bad.  Now for some catching up...


Well, my beloved sister has left the city, but not before we indulged in another delicious meal.  This time: Red Rooster.  On Wednesday, Leah and her work crew (hi everyone) ventured up to my neck of the woods in Harlem to explore and then meet me for dinner at Marcus Samuelsson's (think Top Chef and Top Chef Masters) new restaurant.  And let me say, it was fabulous. But let me rewind a little bit.  I was running late at work, trying to get a project done for my supervisor before I took off for the evening.  I texted Leah to let her know I'd be a little later than expected.  Then, leaving the office I ran into a few of my co-workers, both writers at the office, and chatted sheepishly with them in the elevator down to ground level.  Still talking with them as we walked out the front door, joined by one of the intern supervisors, I looked up to find an entire posse of Deckers hooligans and Leah standing in front of my office, cameras poised.  Thank goodness I don't get embarrassed easily.  Oh wait.  Hardy har har.


After their lovely welcome reception on the street, we walked around the corner (literally right around the corner) to Red Rooster.  Even the smell of the restaurant was amazing.  It smelled like...Christmas.  I don't really know how else to describe it.  It didn't smell like pine or anything like that, just an amazing mix of spices and warmth.  After standing at the bar for an hour as we waited to be joined by the rest of the Deckers party, we headed into the back dining room.  The environment of the restaurant was just exciting.  You could tell everyone was thrilled to have the opportunity to eat there (the restaurant only opened four weeks ago) and the whole placed buzzed with energy and life.  The walls were covered in photos dedicated to the soul and culture of Harlem.  And the menu was so full of amazing descriptions that we basically ordered everything.  Seriously.  Mini corn tacos and tostadas with ceviche yellowtail, salmon and avocado; crab caked with lump blue crab and spicy mayo; Long Island oysters with dill and cucumber, followed by a melon and vodka palate cleanser shot; dirty rice and shrimp with aged basmati rice and curry leaves; and a little bowl of pickled market vegetables.  And that was just to start.  With dinner we also had the most insane sides: balsamic cauliflower, collared greens, macaroni and cheese, and the daily grits--red grits with tomato and shrimp.  I don't recall what everyone else had as their main course, but I know it all looked amazing.  Leah had the 'fried yard bird', an enormous portion of fried chicken with their own spicy sauce and white gravy.  I devoured my plate of barley, with roasted vegetables and miso broth--easily one of the most delicious vegetarian dishes I have ever eaten in a restaurant.  And there was the dessert: condensed milk flan with coconut ice cream; sweet potato donut coated in sugar with vanilla bean whipped cream and lemon sorbet; chocolate fudge with peanut butter brittle; and apple pie with a cheddar cheese crust.  And to top it all off, Marcus Samuelsson himself walked around the restaurant, greeting everyone and thanking them for their support.  Quite a fabulous evening.


The next morning, I met Leah at Penn Station before she took the Acela train off to Boston.  It was a cold morning, but the coldest mornings also mean the sunniest.  As I was walking back from Penn Station, the sun was making its way down 34th Street.  Those sort of moments are some of my favorite in the city.


Skipping ahead to Friday...I had to be at work by 7:30am so I headed to Penn Station a little before 7, then hit up Starbucks up in Harlem (my favorite new drink is a grande Pike Place with toffee nut syrup, two Splendas, and skim milk...just in case you were wondering).  The whole day at the office was incredibly busy, but very exciting.  By the time 5:30pm rolled around, my fellow interns and I were absolutely exhausted, having been our feet most of the day.  Five of us decided to go out for drinks, so we bundled up and headed to the Subway.  Based on a recommendation from a coworker, we found ourselves on the Upper West Side at bar called 1020, which featured $2 pints of a local beer called Yuengling.  No one drank much but we stayed at 1020 for more than four hours, sharing stories for our own lives and shooting darts (as it turns out, I am really wretched at darts and I ended up shooting better with my left hand).  We also somehow got on the topic of the origins of our names, which led to my new nickname, "the friendly cow herder".  One of my friends even wrote it on his hand so it wouldn't forget it by Monday.


By the time we left 1020, it was almost 11pm and we had all completely forgotten about dinner.  I took the Subway back to Penn Station then began my short walk home.  On the way, I stopped in the Skylight Diner, conveniently located across the street from my apartment building.  The diner was packed, something I'm still not used to after leaving Santa Barbara where everywhere is closed by 10pm.  At the diner, I enjoyed a late night dinner of grilled cheese, french fries, cole slaw and the best chocolate shake ever.


On my walk home, with the street lights shining on the cars parked on the street, I laughed to myself.  Because of the rain we experienced on Tuesday, the snow has been reduced to small, frozen piles on the sidewalks.  But the cars that were still entirely covered in snow (like the one in the picture I posted from last week) are in a bit of trouble.  If you walk by them, the snow looks innocent enough, but when the light from the streetlights hit it just right, you can see that the entire car is in fact encased in four inches of solid snow-ice.  I imagine that will be a very unpleasant situation to deal with for the poor owner.


As for today, it has been fairly uneventful.  I slept in, watched a few episodes of One Tree Hill and then went out in the rain to find a shoe repair shop to replaced the heel pads on my boots.  After walking around in the rain for about an hour, I couldn't manage to find a shop that was open on the weekends, and settled for sitting in a warm Starbucks.  So that's where I am now: sitting inside, watching people walk by on the streets, drinking my toffee nut coffee, listening to my Glee tunes, and writing to all of you.  But that's all for now.  I hope everyone is doing well and that you are enjoying your weekend.


Much love.  Peace out.

Red Rooster: mini corn tacos and tostadas.  Each one is about the size of a tortilla chip, in case you can't tell.

Red Rooster: Long Island oysters

An interior shot of Red Rooster's dining room and kitchen

Red Rooster: my delicious barley and vegetables

Red Rooster: Leah's fried yard bird

The sunlight shining down 34th Street and hitting the church across the street from my apartment

Walking to Penn Station at 6:45am 

Dear World, feast your eyes on the amazingness that is Harlem, as seen from my office.

The best chocolate shake ever.  Ever.

Not as good as Mom's, but certainly a delicious grilled cheese sandwich

We had flowers in the office on Friday and they let us take them home.  It's hard to tell, but the actual rose was about the size of a baseball.

It was a very nice rose.

Day 1 - Day 17: Catching up

I think I'll be pretty good about writing regularly from now on, but I didn't want you all to miss out on the pictures I neglected to put up from my first few weeks.  So, I'll tell of my adventures through my favorite photos, and call it even...

My door...for those of you who didn't understand the blog name 

Andrew Moore's piece "Fire Curtain" from 1996

See, I told you.  As seen in the Times Square Hilton.

Radio City Music Hall featuring Iron & Wine

Mom's grilled cheese from A&K's/The Majectic Deli on our first night in the city

My room, view numero uno: the door and sink...and my towels

My room, view numero dos: sink, towels and bookshelf...and my suitcase

My room, view numero tres: bookshelf, desk, mirror and some weird chick

My room, view numero cuatro: this is a chair, people

My room, view numero cinco: window, the "I will decide the proper temperature in here, thank you very much" radiator, and dresser (apparently closing the drawer for the picture was too much to ask of myself) 

My room, view numero seis: my bed, pre-makeover and my beloved friend Humphrey Bogart

Some weird girl stood in the way of Mom's picture but I thought the lion was cool anyway

I'm not entirely sure, but my guess is the owner of this estate is a fan of horse-racing.  Or maybe they just like little men.

The mother ship calling me home

Driving really is different in New York.  Apparently they have to actually tell people to "wait for green signal" before it's actually okay to go.  Intriguing.  Oh, and this is my only picture of Harlem.  My bad. 

My room, view numero seis: my bed, post-makeover...and that weird girl again.  I really should remember to lock my door more often.

Taken from the front door of Mom's hotel.  So patriotic.  And awesome.

Too foggy to see the top of the Empire State Building

Mah street 

The view from Mom's hotel room.  We thought that building was pretty excellent.

The view from the Starbucks I walk by everyday on my way to Penn Station

The Empire State Building glowing green and white for the Jets game.  Sidenote: they lost.

I love PETA...and white horses...and bus posters...and...

Heavy snow + makeup on face = wet clown at work.  I mean...isn't the snow pretty?!

My first mail!  A movie about the scientific exploration of...um...err...okay, fine it's One Tree Hill.