A hopeful February

I think yesterday was our very last working Saturday on this project (God help us)! Today is a day to do whatever the hell we want.

Eric and I went over to Hoboken today so he could check out the area to see if he'd like to live there. On Tuesday morning, he's going to meet up with the broker we had used. I hope he's able to find an apartment he really loves! February will be a month of good changes. Eric will be getting his own place, we have a great friend coming to visit us mid-month, and then Dave and I visit home at the end of the month.

It should also be a little slower at work this month, so we can get some rest, see more of the city, get into the gym again, maybe get back into Bikram Yoga... maybe even Krav Maga!!!! Wow. We're also both excited about writing music together again. How cool.

Speaking of music, I've been thinking about buying an acoustic bass. We have an electric one and have a practice amp and all, but it would be a lot more portable and easier to play.

Another major purchase, most likely done before the bass, is a new couch. I have some money saved up that could really make our living room a lot more comfortable. I can't wait!

EXHAUSTED!

I am SOOOOOOOOOOO TIRED!!!! I came home from work at 10 last night, flopped down on my bed and fell asleep, gloves to my sides, snow boots on, one arm still in my giant coat, and slept until about 3am until I finally changed and went to bed the right way.

The project I'm working on will (hopefully) end next week...we'll see....but then I can take some days off, get some rest, and I'll be flying to my parent's place in palm Beach Gardens at the end of February. I'm hoping the month of February I can actually get out into New York and have some fun! We've all been cooped up indoors with this project, working 12-hour days at 6 days a week. Eugh!

I spoke to a few people over at my old job (Harcourt) today. It was so great to get the scoop on everything! I really do miss Orlando. Dave will be flying there at the end of February for his youngest brother's birthday while I head to my parent's down south. Maybe in March we'll head to Orlando again. I'll bet the Condo being built behind our old apartment is absolutely beautiful.

I'm starting to get the itch to buy my first place. I'm actually considering a brownstone in Jersey City...

LOTS o' snow! (and the cam's up!)

While I'm totally kicking myself over and over for not grabbing my camera to take photos of the empty, oversnowed New York streets, we took plenty in Jersey today. I know it could be a lot more snow, but it's the most I've ever walked through! The piles of snow up on the sidewalks were taller than we were. I felt bad for anyone who owned a car!


And don't forget the yellow snow...


On the way walking over to Target...


Anyway, it's time for me to get my web site up to speed. I never did get all the photos uploaded. I DID, however, manage to make the time to get my web cam up and running! I'm also looking into a second one (so I can have an outside and inside one).

Blizzard cams

Hey, guys!

I'm at work, looking at the window....I wish I had grabbed my camera! Our first blizzard. It's amazing- and it's only going to get worse! I know that sounds rediculous...but it's really cool!

Here are a few NY web cams where you can check out the "action"....

Enjoy- and I should have my web cam up this weekend!!!!

BBQ and Blizzards

Tonight we ate over at Dallas BBQ (on 8th Ave)...an awesome dinner for 10-degree weather! It’s the first barbeque place I've found that equals Wildfire's (now called "Wildside's") in Downtown Orlando. Two floors, every seat packed, awesome pulled pork, cornbread and the biggest margaritas I've ever tried to finish. Also the loudest place I've ever eaten.

I guess winter's officially here! On Wednesday we had snow- just about 4 inches. On the way home, we threw snow at each other (Dave and Eric really got into it), made tiny snowmen with cigarette butts for eyes and made a snow angel in an empty parking lot.

We're going to experience our first BLIZZARD tomorrow afternoon. We'll be at work, but we'll have to leave sometime! I hope we can get home in time! The snow is supposed to fall heavily until Sunday morning, leaving about 2 feet of snow! Hee-YEAH!

My mom thinks we're going to get sick of the snow. But we don't drive a car, or have to shovel the snow...the apartment owners take care of it all. The shuttle picks us up so we don't have to walk through it (unless we want to), and we take the subway to work. I'm also so incredibly lucky to have a giant window at my desk! I get to watch the snow and watch the city move at night (if I'm still there). So far, I'm very happy. We're all really settling in.

ALSO, I bought an iSight! I'd LOVE to have it up so I can show you the snow tomorrow...I've had it for nearly a week now and haven't been able to get the time to set it up. I'll make time this weekend if I can't figure it out tonight; I'm very excited!!!

Acupuncture and Negotiations

No, I didn't have the acupuncture- it was actually Eric of all people!

He damaged his sciatic nerve after almost stumbling down some wet stairs at Central Park during Thanksgiving. He's had uncomfortable pains in his lower back and some numbness in his leg and ankle ever since. Our boss had been trying to talk him into seeing an acupuncturist, and finally just made the appointment for him and handed him $80. He said, "Just go. You have an appointment tomorrow at 9am." Eric said it was actually pretty amazing. He's going back for two more treatments this week.

My salary negotiations are FINALLY done as of late yesterday. It's been an insane two weeks, and trying to agree on pay for my new position had been putting a lot of pressure on me! I always have a hard time asking for more money; it's hard to explain my worth when I'm still sort of new. But, I think I did a pretty good job, and Dave and I will be living a little better.

We're closed on Monday for MLK Day, but we'll all be in as if it were a normal day. Two more weeks until the giant project is finally done! Whew!

What a New Year!

Sorry, guys! I can't believe so much time has slipped away- I haven't blogged since before Christmas! Let's see...

Merry after-Christmas! Dave and I got paid Christmas Eve, so we finally did our Christmas shopping, braving the Newport Mall. We did very well in finding everyone thoughtful gifts despite doing it last minute. Dave's parents came back to New York for three days, where we did a lot of eating out and wandering around the city.

We also went to Radio City and saw the Rockettes Christmas: "Spectacular". It was very, very good-- Nearing the end of the show, the Rockettes were dressed like reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh- it was colorful, exciting, and happy. The only turn-off I had was that the remainder of the show was called the "Living Nativity". I wasn’t expecting it, and it was sort of a let-down after the big Rockettes finale.

And then on Tuesday morning.... I had food poisoning. Dave's parents were on their way out, and I was dressed for work, laying in bed. I threw up for 9 hours that day. NINE HOURS!!! I was out for the rest of the week, my stomach muscles and body in pain. Eugh. I'm still having problems wanting to really eat anything other than bready sandwiches.

Happy New Year!!! We did head out to Times Square out of curiosity, around 5pm. I couldn't BELIEVE the amount of people already stuffing themselves into the different sectioned-off areas!!! People had started arriving at 4.... they kept coming in until they closed everything off at 8pm. We decided that being crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in large sections of Times Square with no alcohol and unable to leave at all for hours wasn't our idea of fun. Imagine trying to get back home on the subway!!!

Instead, we went to the Village and ate at an incredibly beautiful restaurant called "B-Bar and Grill".

Eric had bought a great bottle of champagne, we bought dubious amounts of beer, and we did a lot of laughing, singing and shouting. There were lots of parties in our building, so it was quite a night.

Work is getting much better. I'm getting more knowledge about all the different projects going on, and finishing up organizing everything. The biggest job in the studio is coming to a close in the 3 weeks, so it's been crazy. Eric is even going into work today with a group of production people to push through the stacks of proof that have been dumped back at us from the publisher.

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year! Here's to an exciting 2005!