Night and day
Howdy, folks. Some of you have asked for photos of my new place in Manhattan and a few anecdotes about life in the city. Because I'm missing a cord for my camera, I can only offer you a few fairly cruddy photos from my phone, but here goes.
Behold: the view from the fifth floor. I like it considerably more at night, but it's not so bad during the day. Directly across from me sits an old public library, and next to it is an Avis garage. My inner 14-year-old giggles every time I see the "Shaftway" sign.
The man from whom I'm subletting this charming place kindly left a bed, table, dresser and couch. I find the mirror on the headboard somewhat unnerving, but overall I'm quite pleased with the setup. Simon's adjusting nicely, too. He may be slowly letting go of his anger toward me for flying him halfway across the country and making him wear a c-o-l-l-a-r (his grandfather convinced him the tags are medals of distinction, so that helps some). Also, look at how huge the window is! I love it.
I do enjoy the pass-through bar and the kitchen, which is enormous by Manhattan standards, I hear. The bathroom is similarly large, with plenty of cabinet space, and the closet is more than adequate.
So, there you have it. I'll post better photos as soon as I can. For now, I'll just say I'm quite pleased with my quarters.
As for anecdotes, I really don't have too much to impart just yet, though someone did leer and growl -- yes, growl, like a wild animal -- at me today as I swilled some coffee and hurried down 9th Avenue. Much to my alarm, he then grunted "sexy." Ew.
Tonight was the inaugural event for the New York Dallas Mavericks Meetup.com group, which I started as a means to meet other Texans or sympathetic souls in the city -- and, of course, to create an acceptable alternative to going to a sports bar alone to cheer for my favorite team. Tonight's gathering was quite small, but entertaining nonetheless, even though we suffered a shameful loss to the Jazz. I'm thinking things may start to pick up as the playoffs approach.
I'm also trying to overcome sticker shock. It's no secret that living here is expensive, but I guess I didn't realize how fracking expensive it is. I recently spent $8 on a simple can opener, for God's sake! And can someone please explain to me how a floor lamp from Kmart can cost $9.99, while a plain, no-frills skillet can cost $30, and a Pyrex measuring cup $5.99? How the hell can a measuring cup be worth half a lamp?!? It makes no sense, damn it! I'd probably have discovered more pricing mysteries, but I had to quit shopping, as I couldn't possibly have lugged anything else onto the subway.
It looks like Rock and Roll Grammarian may have to return to a life of Ramen noodles and cheap beer for a while, but that won't be so bad.
