Not eager for mornings

I know I sound stupid in complaining about this, but I am not ready to start waking up early again for work.

I have had an extended summer vacation (Missouri gets out of school a month earlier than New York and New York is going to start after Labor Day - almost a month after St. Louis schools).

But it is always so hard to readjust to the time span of the day.

I am on day three of a retreat with my new school (which is going so wonderfully) and even being ready at 8:30 is a challenge.

How am I going to cope with waking up at 5, taking a subway for an hour and being at work before seven?  I'm not really sure.

The waiting game

I used to love playing that game where you see who can be quiet for the longest without saying anything.  Same with the staring game to see who can stare the longest without laughing. 

But the quiet game I played on the phone today with the US Post Office was really no fun at all.

44 minutes and 17 seconds.  6 minutes and 46 seconds.

That is the amount of time I was on the phone (the first time with 40 minutes of it being on hold) waiting for the US Post Office to tell me why I have not been receiving mail at my address.  I hung up after it got over 44 minutes and called back.  The second call was received and the person who answered realized that he thought he had transfered my call to another person.  He had not, and proceeded to address the issue himself since he already had an answer to my problem.

After over 50 minutes on the phone, I finally got an answer.  And was assured that I will start getting mail now.

I really like supporting the post office and have never had issues with them or with waiting at a post office to do something.  But, this waiting really strained my nerves.

Wordless Wednesday: Big things

I've heard that everything is bigger in TX, but some things are bigger in NYC.

Shipping comfort

I didn't use any sort of truck getting to NYC.  I didn't even bring my lovely car.  Instead, I brought the basics and had a few other basics shipped.

The shipping process was pretty smooth.  I had some things shipped directly to my apartment, others to the FedEx location where I picked them up.  I am still waiting on one last box (the contents of which I cannot remember).

Yesterday, after over a week of living here, I received the best package yet.

Pillows.

I didn't really think it would be that bad to sleep without pillows for a few days.

Clearly, I wasn't thinking.

It is not comfortable, especially when sleeping on an air mattress.  For over a week.  My new bed should arrive this Friday meaning a total of two weeks on an air mattress.

Last night's rest was glorious.

Still uncomfortable on the air mattress, but at least my neck was not uncomfortable.  And I wasn't laying on a makeshift pillow made of a blanket or a towel.

I also had the cable and internet turned on yesterday which makes me feel like a real person again.  What was the first thing I watched?  House Hunters.  Yes, I know that some of it is staged, but it is still a show I enjoy watching.  I guess I just like looking into people's homes and their home options and hearing their ridiculous reasons for rejecting a house.

Even when I walk down the street at night (used to drive) I try and get peaks into the homes that don't have their blinds closed.  I like to see what they have inside, and how it is arranged.

Wood and wandering

I have internet and cable in my apartment!!!

I feel like a real human again!!!!

I have still been wandering the city, running errands, and sometimes, just wandering just to be wandering.

The other day I went into the downtown Macy's.

They has wooden escalators.  The actual steps used to be made of wood, as well, but now they are metal.

All the escalators in the 9 1/2 story building (the half story houses some of the men's items) are like this.

So cool!

While walking downtown, I also saw a little lapdog wearing sunglasses and a four-five year old boy still drinking from a baby bottle.

I have seen a man get hit by a car on a street corner.  I have been asked for money by an innumerable amount of people.  I have witnessed two block parties in Harlem.

I have eaten breakfast for dinner three times and have also managed to eat frozen yogurt from 16 Handles as a meal twice.

So far, I am adjusting to the City.

I have a retreat for the new teaching job I have secured starting on Wednesday through Friday and then start actual work on Tuesday if I can get all of my paperwork sent in from the Departments of Education of Missouri and New York.

Keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

Saturday Quote: Why we're still here