Finally

I've been doing a lot lately. A summary:

1) I've been exploring our neighborhood. Everyone loves Zabar's.


I love it because a) it's close, b) it's got great cheese, great smoked salmon, great breads, and c) it's huge, with huge aisles, and a great selection.

2) I love the random anachronisms on the brownstones and old high-rises. (Click for larger if you can't read the engraving.)


It was so important of a direction that they had to mold it onto the very fabric of the building. I think my favorite part is the ghostly hand, pointing down the stairs.

3) My sister, her cute boyfriend, Kat (remember Kat? Kitty Can Scratch Kat?), and her boyfriend came over to watch the Notre Dame game. Please, no one mention that game ever again. We played like high schoolers. BUT. A), I met my sister's boyfriend. Who is great. (The four of us also went to dinner at Haru. Excellent tartar AND sushi.) And they brought me presents from the Popover Cafe. (What more do I want than salad tongs shaped like people swimming? I think NOTHING.) B) Kat brought over pink champagne:


She knows that I love pink and sparkling wine. Perfect. I'm saving it for a great occasion - hopefully with Kat.

4) I've been buying furniture to fill up the huge apartment. Which is larger and awesomer than I thought it was. (Firefox thinks that "Awesomer" is not a word. Firefox is wrong.) Check out the bed that's coming, and I've just today bought a huge table (Normally 67 inches, expands to 92 - I can actually have my family for Thanksgiving dinner with this - unfortunately ). It's going to go at the left in the picture below - the main room is messy, and it's dark out, but I had to take a picture for all of you that are want pictures, but I'm too lazy to send them to. I promise bedroom, kitchen, foyer, even bathroom pictures - but I must straighten before that happens.


This place feels like a real house. Which is good, as we signed a two year lease.

Within 3 hours of moving in, our neighbors had us over for wine. It's a good building and a great floor.

5) I applied for 8 jobs today, and I'm going to do 10 more tonight and tomorrow. Even more if I can find them. I'm applying for everything that I would actually like to do and nothing that I would rather not - I'll apply for those jobs when I get desperate.

Life is good (God, I sound so cheesy) and I'm happy. Matt and I have a month to explore and laze around before he starts work. We're going to Riverside Park and reading, playing Scrabble, and walking by the Boat Basin. The apartment is mostly organized and 90% of the pictures and 100% of the blinds are hung. We're organizing books and trying to distribute our clothes among 5 closets - 1 for coats, 2 in the bedroom, and 2 in other hallways for a combo of storage and out-of-season clothes. Have you ever heard of a Manhattan apartment with 5 closets before? I didn't even know that when we rented the place.

Also - I couldn't be happier - the Nine West on the Upper West is moving, and all of the shoes are on sale. And I painted my toes in I'm Not Really a Waitress - which is now being sold at Duane Reade, for all of you living in NYC.