Back By Popular Demand

Okay, okay, a few of you asked that I continue the blog and I cannot disappoint a captive audience!  I will be updating and improving the blog to reflect my new status as employed, and you can all continue to follow the adventures, or misadventures, in Atlanta.

Since I am starting the 23rd already, I will be headed down to ATL again on Saturday in order to look for housing, for a week.  I haven't really even unpacked from NYC and the cats have not become unattached from my side and I am leaving already again.

I am looking forward to this trip in general as I am feeling much more excited about the entire process as I now have a plan!  Also, I get to see a great friend for a day or two who will be helping me.  He always makes me feel much calmer about things, and as I have not seen him in a year and half, it will be great to see him.

Tomorrow I go get drug tested and fingerprinted for my new position.  I have to go to some random place outside of my walkable area, so I will have to figure out a bus to take.  Seriously, I am wishing I had not sold my car, but I did and that is that.  

So, step 1: house hunt; step 2: pack, pack, pack; step 3: take the kittens and start the new job; step 4: buy a car; step 5: unpack and enjoy!

And now, I will go prep for step 1: bottle of vino, laundry and packing.  Oh, how fun!

150-something posts later...

...and I can say I am officially employed!!  I have been keeping very mum about the whole thing, although I did refer once or twice to the opportunity.  While I am immensely happy and excited about this, my dream job, it hasn't all really hit me yet.  

On August 23, I will begin working with my colleague and mentor, in a VP/Compliance Analyst position for a mutual fund complex.  I will be moving to Atlanta, GA for the opportunity and couldn't be happier to be in the south.  Okay, so really it is all about being among a lot of black men.

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me, kept up with me and prayed for me during this long, difficult year.  I am definitely a different person than when I started this blog and grateful to have finally found such an amazing opportunity to continue my career.  

I went on interviews while I was in NYC for this position.  I had also gone on an interview to Boston and they were the most brutal interviews I had ever been through in my life.  A pop Portuguese quiz even, from the director of the LATAM (Latin American) offices.  Turns out my Portuguese was better.  Although, I am fairly certain I failed the logic test, in which I also had to show my work.  I may have gotten the right answers, but probably through my own creative logic that made sense to no one else.  But having had that experience just helped me to see that, when I got to Atlanta, that job was going to be the right choice.  I love how that worked out; I was so worried I would have to choose between two great jobs, but fortunately the path was quite clear.

I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in Atlanta a week after my 30th birthday.  I don't know too many people there, just as I did not when I came to the Queen City, so it will again be a challenge, but one that I know I can easily conquer.  In fact, that is the least of my worries.  I am more concerned with finding housing and moving.  And, since I sold my car, I am going to have to buy a new one.

There is much to do between now and then, so for now, I bid adieu.  I am not sure I will continue to blog, although I could change the name of the blog and turn it into the Real Single Lady of Atlanta.... who knows.  Thanks for reading and thanks for your support...it has meant a lot knowing that perfect strangers read what I have to say.

Home is Where the Heart is

Life is once again as it should be.  Having been reunited with my cats early this morning, around 2am, I feel at home once again while at the same time missing NYC immensely.  My sister's wedding in Portland, ME this weekend was beautiful.  The setting was Portland Head Light in the background of the sailboat, within inches of the Atlantic Ocean.  I only say inches because if I thought, for a moment, that I was in the ocean, I would have had a panic attack.  The bride was gorgeous, the groom was handsome and the guests were delightful.

After a day of touring the Maine coast, we headed back to my "home" city.  We being my parents and I.  A long 16 hour car ride later, we arrived at Casa de Me.  It was so strange seeing the cats again and it took them just a little bit to adjust to me, sniff everything and get used to me again, but I could tell they were delighted to have company.  In fact, they have not left my side once since I have been home.  Fiona is perched next to me, within inches, anywhere I settle and softly purring almost constantly.  Portia is lazily lounging nearby as well and both follow me whenever I get up.  It feels like home, but then again it doesn't feel like home.

I had coffee with my friend who was cat sitting for me and we had so much to catch up on; but it was so easy and so wonderful to see him once again.  It was like no time had passed at all.

After spending six weeks in NYC, I feel particularly rejuvenated.  I am so fortunate that I had the means with which to do the trip, make friends and make a success out of the temporary stay.  No, I did not get a job in NYC, but I gained my confidence back.  It feels good knowing I made the right decision to go there.  Now, I feel like I can do anything.  I never have to wonder if I could make it in a big city.  I never have to look back and regret not taking a chance.

And, while all the personal satisfaction of doing a great thing is rewarding, what I am most happy about is seeing my friends again.  It has been a difficult road, this unemployment thing, losing friends, sometimes keeping myself secluded, being sad and depressed, and on and on....the whole range of emotions, ups and a lot of downs.  But the support I have had from everyone, whether they have seen me off or are welcoming me back, or both...I am eternally grateful and happy that I know some of the most amazing people.  

Between those who I have met and who have helped me in NYC, and those back home who have supported me through thick and thin, I have made a lifetime of friends.  EB, KK, GG, ED, AD, SL, SR, SR2, TS, SC....I'm sorry if I missed anyone, and the list could definitely go on.  

It is hard knowing that I will soon move on even from this place, to start a new chapter of my life.  But I am strong.  I am ready.  And as for where I will call home?  Well, home is where the heart is.  

The Secret Life of Cats

 

Have you ever felt too hot, lazy and unmotivated to do anything other than lay on the couch and sleep?  That is pretty much how I feel today.  I think I lost some sleep time this weekend.  While I got totally stood up by the Kid...he even called to say he was on his way but never showed up...I still didn't go to bed until 3:30am on Saturday night/Sunday morning and then I was up by about 10am or so.  And last night, I guess it was more like around 2am and I was up by 9am.  

I do have some work to do today, however, and some calls to make and a few follow-ups to do.  But as usual, I think that writing a blog post was more fun and energizing.  Also, this is energizing:

This is the stuff that has been keeping me hydrated.  I remember from my days in Brasil that during a long day on the beach, in the sun, laying in a hammock and maybe eating shrimp and a casquinha if you can find one, you have probably also been offered several aguas de coco....coconut water, straight from the coconut.  If there is a coconut tree right near your hammock, you probably saw someone scramble up it, chop off a coconut and hack off the top and insert a straw.  If you're smart, you will drink a lot of these in order to keep yourself hydrated. 

Coconut water has more electrolytes than leading sports drinks and more potassium than two bananas.  It is also a very natural way to keep yourself hydrated.  Sometimes it takes a bit to get used to the flavour, so I generally purchase the kind with pineapple flavour and of course, chilled is much better than warm, in my opinion.  

So, stay cool and stay hydrated.

What Happens After Dark in NYC?

So, since I was updating my Facebook status like every half hour tonight, I thought I should just blog about my hot date tonight...with myself and almost the NYFD.  

Mr. Hottie decided to check in via text at 7:30pm by saying, "Hey, how's it going?"  And told me not to be mad if he didn't reply right away because he was in Long Island with poor reception.  Funny thing is, I am pretty sure that anywhere as populous as Long Island probably has decent if not good coverage.  So I asked if he was blowing me off.  Oh no, babe and hun... ha ha ha. Sorry, I am 29 years old, babe and honey don't work on me any more.  He wasn't blowing me off, he was helping a friend out, but he would be home by 11pm.  But he would make it up to me.  The funny thing is, I really don't care enough for this to bother me.  I kind of can't wait to tell him off.  I am getting mean in my old age.  

So, I am watching BET...movie night.  And there is a Christmas movie on right now.  Wow, how lame do I have to be to be watching a Christmas movie on a Saturday night at midnight?  Somewhere between shopping for shoes online and Googling "pumpkin gnocchi in NYC" I decided that it was snack time (yes, I feed a lot when I am bored or sad or homesick), so I remembered I had some popcorn and that last time I made it, it could have been in a little longer.  The popcorn button had said 3.5, so I figured if I popped it for just over three and half minutes there wouldn't be so many old maids. 

The flaw in this logic lies in the popcorn button saying 3.5 but not necessarily meaning 3.5 minutes.  When I stopped the microwave about a minute early and opened it, smokey steam was emanating and as soon as I opened the bag, the same just poured out and soon the kitchen was filled with a burnt popcorn smokey haze.  I panicked a little and climbed into the sink and onto the backsplash/ledge to open the window.  I hope no pigeons fly in as they have been known to do.  Then I put the fan on high and I am hoping that eventually, the burnt popcorn smell will fade.

I have uh, encountered a pot smoke haze here once or twice, so I guess my little episode of the evening is payback.  Payback, I hear, is a bitch.

Oh, and while searching for pumpkin gnocchi, I did come across a warm hazelnut chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and pistachio anglaise cream at Spiga.  I may have to visit Spiga before I leave if for no other reason than I love Italian food and Via Spiga.  Yes, I know there aren't any Via Spiga shoes there, but wouldn't it be great if there were?  

Where, oh where did my patience go?

Readers, forgive me, it has been two days since my last post.  It seems like two weeks.  Last night I hung out with my NYC bestie.  We got some wine and cheese and hung around her place.  I elected to spend the night on her very comfy and fashionable sofa/futon thing.  I really did not feel like going home.

Today I spent some time shopping at Macy's since they were having a huge one day sale.  While doing my laundry this morning I looked at my unmentionables and they all had holes where holes shouldn't be and I thought about the last time I had bought new ones.  I could not remember.  Hence the trip to Macy's near Herald Square.

Everyone who did not exit the city this weekend was headed downtown.  Construction was going on at my usually 110th Street subway stop, so I walked down to 96th Street, then transferred to the Q.  It was so crazy full, I kept passing cars and deciding that, as small as I am, I was not going to fit.  I finally found a me-sized spot and hopped on.  Unfortunately, tall people co-exist with short people and on stuffed subway cars, this can lead to getting elbowed in the head.  I said, "Ouch!" because it hurt and all the dude had to say was, Sorry.  Not even, Are you ok?  

Whatever.  This was to set a precedence for the day.  I had the most amazing luck exiting the subway to appear directly in front of each of my destinations, without planning it, and the worst luck getting pushed, elbowed, walked on, shoved, backed into and whatever other atrocity busy subway and retail shopping meccas could afford to bestow upon me.  I totally got rude and annoyed in response to such invasions of my personal space and well-being.  My polite Midwest nice has been disappeared. It took precisely 37 days.

Next week, I will be headed to Atlanta for...wait for it...an interview.  I am very excited about this opportunity and in preparation, am watching ATL while typing this particular post.  Ha ha ha.  It was purely coincidental that it is on BET right now and nothing else worth watching, so I though I'd do some homework.

I also think I am getting stood up or getting the brush off for this evening.  I was supposed to hang out with the Bengali last night but we both kind of had other plans and then we agreed to hang out tonight but now I can't get a hold of him to make plans.  It's all good though.  I feel like having a quiet, low-key night anyways.  And my feet hurt because I had to walk back from 96th Street to 109th.  

In other news, it seems that Fiona hides from her care taker, except when he brings over a hand held vacuum and turns it on.  Apparently she is quite fascinated by it and comes out as soon as he turns it on.  I also have 2 people looking at my condo tomorrow and my sister has decided to get married at the end of the month after all, so I will be travelling to Portland, ME for the weekend.  

Well...feeding time again, and I am thirsty in this ridiculous heat, so... keep it real, I'll be back soon.