I QUIT

I can't do this any longer. This job is too terrible. The girls I work with are very nice, but I cannot work for the people I work for anymore. You heard it here first. I am done, done and done!!!

Now I just need to let them know ;)

My Apartment

Finally, pictures of my apartment. The first picture is of my living room. Ryan and I have put in out futon with two book shelves to the side of it. In front of the futon on the opposite wall is our tv (that is where the flat screen will go.) The color of our walls are Shakespeare Tan. Ryan was impressed that I painted everything in one day. He never knew I was so handy :) Our walls are still blank, but we are in the process of picking where to hang everything.


Down below is our kitchen. It is pretty big for an NYC kitchen, but small by all of your standards :) There is lots of cabinet space and we even have a cute little table, compliments of Helen (Thanks Helen).

Next to the kitchen photo is our bedroom. It is kind of boring looking, but once I have a job and more decorating funds, I will play around with this room too.



Missing in the photos is our bathroom, closets and guest room. But they are not very exciting so you are really not missing much.

Love you all.

Callie

Pokey Peter

I am sitting in my apartment at 1:00 waiting for my Super. He called to say he would be right up to put a bike hook in our ceiling. "Thank you Peter, I appreciate you doing this." I say to him. What I am really thinking is. Wow, it only took you one month to get up here. But we know he has been very busy lately.

So Peter (or Pokey Peter, as Ryan calls him) is here right now. He is putting in ceiling hooks and making all sorts of noises. Some of which come out as grumbling expletives. While all this commotion is going on in the kitchen. I am sitting on the couch, wondering when he will finish and writing to all of you.

I just wrote this to let you all know that Peter is one of my favorite characters I have met in New York City. What would I do without Peter?

8 Days a Week

Tonight I finished my eighth day in a row of work at the Lenox Room. Everyone has been asking me how I like my new job. Truth be told, I don't. However, the money is good.

I have always appreciated the fact that each person is of value. The people I serve, on the other hand, have the belief that people with money are people of value. More money equals more value. They are the typical Upper East Side Royalty that you see in movies.

I used to think that Meryl Streep's character in The Devil Wears Prada was an exageration of a personality. However, I wait on women just like her everyday. Yesterday, a woman demanded that her food be cut for her in the kitchen. She was offended that we would assume that she would cut her own food. :)

I know I will not be able to take a full summer of these people. Therefore, I am going to work until I can save enough to pay rent and live for the summer. Then I am going to put in my resignation.

All I can do now, is smile and know that there is an end in sight.

Wish me luck.

Callie

The Lenox Room

The Lenox Room is a small restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The guests are mostly regulars and the majority of them have far too much money and far too much attitude to go with it. Celebrities like Betsey Johnson, Christian Slater and Dina Lohan (Lindsay's mom) dine at The Lenox Room on a regular basis. I have yet to see any big celebrities.

I made it through 3 days of working for nothing. My training is over and tonight is my first night waiting tables on my own. I know I can do this but I also realize I will make mistakes. I would usually be okay with that, however, mistakes are not allowed at this restaurant. The owner is a very nice man with a very short temper (does that even make sense.) One mistake and he gets livid. This is very different from working for Joe, Dan and Paul at Stillwater. Wish me luck. The life of a New York City waitress is not pretty.

Working Girl

Everyone wants a picture of the inside of our apartment. But... I am going to paint the kitchen and living room next week, so wait until they are finished and we have pictures up.

I found a job. I am working at The Lenox Room. You have to train for 3 nights without any money. Then I will be able to work enough to pay the bills. The restaraunt is pretty fancy. I have to make sure that the correct silverware is always on the table, that wine glasses are set in the correct position of the water glass and I deal with a lot of Upper East Side old money. This should be interesting.

I had my final two interviews with PS 171 this week. On Tuesday I toured the school. Today, I taught a demonstration lesson to a group of 6th graders. The Principal and V. Principal were in the room taking notes. I taught a social studies lesson on Apartheid in South Africa. The students were very much engaged and I thought things went very well. However, the Principal would not give me a read. I could not tell if he liked the lesson or not. He is one of the most ambiguous people I have ever met. He said he would be getting back to me. So, when I know you'll know.

Our friends Mike and Jen are coming to visit this weekend. This should be a lot of fun. I just hope I am able to have some time off of work.

I will write again soon.

Callie

Finally I am here

Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote. My parents had a goodbye party for me. I packed up all my things and we drove all the way to NYC. We were lost in Jersey, but made it to the city around 6pm.

Now I am on the job hunt. I am interviewing with schools and looking for jobs in retail or waiting tables for the summer. I even posted my information on a nannying website. Today I am going to walk all over town turning in my applications. Wish me luck.

Ryan has not been working too much. He has been home around 9 or 10 every night last week. He even had most of the weekend off. On Saturday we walked to Central Park, we read in the grass and then we played a little lacrosse. I could spend every day in Central Park.

After our morning of relaxation, we went grocery shopping, had lunch and then CLEANED! Our biggest project was our fridge. I should have taken before and after pictures because things were actually growing in there. I was in charge of washing all the shelves while Ryan put on rubber gloves and attacked the fuzzy red things growing all over the bottom. Between the fridge and our bathtub, let's just say our bleach has been put to good use.

Also on today's agenda, I am buying new running shoes. That's right, running shoes. The last time I ran was in the Spring of 2006. I ran 3 miles and my body hurt for 3 days. This should be interesting.

Well, I will keep everyone updated. Wish me luck.

Callie