pictures

Yankees game at the new stadium

Times Square!

Our view of the NYC skyline from Jersey.

Mom and Gran's visit in April. Carriage ride through Central Park.
Thought the horse was going to take off with only me left in there.

I think I only blog when I'm mad

I discovered I'm not very good at this whole blogging everyday or even once a week. Hell, I think I last posted something a month ago....whatevs. What can I say about Jersey? It's rainy, it's still chilly, and I'm starting to wonder if it'll ever be summer in the Northeast!

One of my bestest will be visiting me next weekend and I can't wait. Definitely something to look forward to since I feel like all I do is walk the dog, work, cook, clean, and do chores. Why do I feel like this, because if I didn't, then it wouldn't get done. I'm slightly annoyed and I'm sure it is obvious. Enough complaining though.

GNO next Saturday in the city is planned. Dinner reservations are made, we just need to decide what bar we're going to afterwards. I cannot wait! Pray for the rain to stop and the sun to shine. Three weeks of straight rain will get even the happiest person down.

Rainy weekend

First of all, Mondays suck! :)~

This past weekend was a bit more low key than the previous. Friday, Weston and I stayed in and watched the new Bond movie. Saturday we got up early and headed to Erica's house in Brick. She invited some of her friends over to hang out that night. We had such a great time. We laughed, drank, ate, watched the ridiculously short fight. Her friends are awesome. Sunday morning we got up super early to go to the Yankees game. The new stadium is cool and I've never been to a professional baseball game. Unfortunately, the game was rained out. They finally called it after we sat in the cold rain for two hours! I was relieved to come home so I could take a nap. I could barely keep my eyes open!

At least it's a short week of work. I'm leaving Wednesday after work and driving to Raleigh. Mary Grace's wedding is this weekend in Pinehurst, NC and I'm one of her bridesmaid's. Weston, Taylor and I will head to Pinehurst on Thursday. I cannot wait to see these girls! I miss them so much. It'll be a great weekend and I'm sure there will be lots of great stories to tell about when I get back.

If I don't finish getting ready for work, I'll be late. That certainly wouldn't be good since I'm right in the middle of doing month end closing. Last week was definitely stressful. I need a vacation.

Weekend adventures

This past weekend was so much fun, probably one of the best weekends I've had so far. It all started Thursday night when we went to Hoboken to watch SOJA, a reggae band. The music was good, the crowd was good, and the drinks were good. Friday at work was not so good....I managed to make it through work though with the help of a lot of caffeine. Friday night, Weston, Erica and I went to the hooka bar right down the street from my apartment. It's a really cool place and the hooka smoke smells surprisingly good, probably because it's flavored. There is a DJ and a dance floor in the back which of course is where we planted ourselves for the evening. We weren't really planning on staying long but before we knew it, we were closing the bar down.

I guess I should mention now that the weather has warmed up considerably, we even hit a record high 90 today and I have no AC in my apartment!!! :( So with the warm weather and sunshine we decided to go somewhere we could eat lunch outside on Saturday. After lunch we headed back to Hoboken and were walking around. We found a park right on the Hudson where hundreds and hundreds people were laying out. It was kind of weird. It was like a beach without sand or water you can get in. You can see the water but can't get close to it, and I don't know of anyone who would actually put any part of their body in the Hudson. Unless, as Weston puts it, if your plane crashes there. We found a rooftop bar around the corner, joined the crowd and got a bucket of Coronas.

Saturday night Erica, Brooke, Weston and I headed into the city for an 80s and 90s party. It was fun even if Mr. Creepy Mullet Man wouldn't get away from us. Transportation to get into the city and back out is always interesting. The bus never came to take so we had to figure out another way. We took the Light Rail to the Path. To get home we had to take the Path back to Jersey and then catch a cab. By the time we finally made it home, Erica, Brooke and I had passed out in the cab and Weston and the cabbie were laughing at us.

Sunday morning came way too quickly. We had to get up early to go back into the city for a movie premiere. It was a low budget lesbian romantic comedy called Flick's Chicks. I had no clue what to expect. It wasn't all porn-ish or gross, it was actually hilarious and I liked it. We went to a bar in the Village afterwards for a few drinks then headed home.

We are not alcoholics and we do not usually do this many outings in one weekend. It just turned out lots of fun things were happening all at once. It made for a difficult Monday and Tuesday at work. I think I'm starting to feel almost normal now. Weston and I are just going to keep it low key this week and weekend. Next week we'll be heading to Pinehurst, NC for Mary Grace's wedding. I can't wait to see some of my Raleigh girls and to be in the south!

That's all for now.

What drives me insane about Jersey

Apparently everyone in New Jersey is too freaking lazy to put up their shopping carts, aka 'buggies'. So they are all over the parking lot, most of the time riding along with the wind just seeking a car to hit. And YES I'm one of the lucky ones. It hit my car and made me furious. So any Jersey people reading this, your life is not so busy that you don't have time to put up your cart! And ones who do, THANK YOU!!

Finally, an update!

Okay, so I know it's been a while. I'm finally settled into my apartment. I don't have internet at the house and I haven't felt like going somewhere with free wifi. So much has happen I don't even know where to begin.

I'll start with my lovely (and I hope you can hear the sarcasm in voice) apartment. Just about everything has gone wrong from the electricity not working in half of the apartment, to lightbulbs exploding and smoke coming from sockets, to no hot water and lastly, no heat. I hate to jinx myself by saying this, but everything with the apartment is okay at the moment. Fingers crossed it stays this way.

Work is super busy which is a big change from my position in Raleigh. Every time I think I've got a handle on things I get something new and I'm confused all over again. Needless to say, I do not have time to email my friends all day and surf the internet like I did in Raleigh. I still like the work even though I'm constantly overwhelmed.

I have ventured into the city a few more times. Each time I'm amazed at the people, the buildings, the lights, the rushing around. People have stopped to ask me directions and I certainly do not know where anything is. I am slowly learning how to navigate around the city. My mom and Gran came to visit this past weekend. It was so good to see them. We went sight seeing on Friday and the weather was perfect. They just kept saying how unbelievable New York is. The funniest thing was after taking a carriage ride through Central Park. The driver got off to take a picture of us, then Weston, mom and Gran got off. The horse started going while I was trying to get off. The driver said "oh, it's fine. He won't go anywhere." The horse keeps on going faster and I'm thinking Oh shit, this horse is going to take off with me in the carriage and how am I going to get off?! The guy must have thought the same because he started running after the horse. No worries, I got off safe and sound. Too bad no one got a picture of my expression.....Saturday we saw Billy Elliott on Broadway. It is hilarious and I highly recommend it to everyone.

I was so sad to see my mom and Gran leave on Sunday. I didn't realize how homesick I was until I dropped them off at the airport. Luckily most days I'm too busy to think about it.

Last night we went to see a Phish coverband, Thursday we're going to Hoboken to see SOJA, a reggae band, and then Saturday we are heading in to the city for an 80s and 90s party. Both should be a blast. I've only touched on a few things that have been happening but I don't want to make this post too long and Weston is bored sitting here watching me type. I will make the effort to come to Panera more to take advantage of the free wifi.

Ta-ta for now!
XOXO

Home Sweet Home

I'm going hooooome!!!! :)

Happiest I've been in three weeks......

This past weekend we went 'down the shore' to watch the Polar Bear Plunge. It's where 100s of people jump into the almost freezing cold ocean to raise money for the special olympics. I was not one of the brave/crazy people who actually did the plunge. I was cold enough just watching. It was great fun. If you've seen my facebook pictures you'll realize because we all started wearing wigs at one point. :) I think it was the best weekend I've had so far. But now I'm sitting here with an awful sore throat.

There was tons of snow yesterday and all I did was step outside to take a picture. It was beautiful but I'm so glad I'm still in the hotel and didn't have to drive in it. They even closed the schools up here which is the first time in 5 years that's happened. Work was business as usual. Speaking of work, I have successfully completed my first month end closing by myself. I have to say I'm proud of my accomplishment. Work is going really well, and I think I'm getting the hang of things.

I am going to Raleigh on Thursday to pack my house. The movers will be there bright and early on Friday morning. Then I'm going to head back to Mullins since there will be absolutely nothing left in my house in Raleigh. :( I'm so excited to see my family though!

One last thought before I go, I live only a few miles from the city. I've been up here for over three weeks now and have not gone into it once.....Maybe once it warms up a little....

Progress

Things seem like they are falling into place at a snail's pace. Everything is finalized with our apartment and we can move in on March 3rd. I am off the 6th and 7th, and am heading to Raleigh to pack for my official move. I know you guys want to come over to help me pack. :)

I am looking forward to settling into my new life. We actually get to bring Bailey back up with us and I'm so excited about that. She's been with my parents for almost two months now. I miss that crazy dog! It will be great to have a refrigerator that can fit more than two drinks and to be able to cook a meal instead of going out for literally every meal. Plus I'm hoping that this will make me feel a little more like I belong here. I feel like I'm on this emotional roller-coaster and can't seem to get any balance. I have only been here a little over two weeks so it's to be expected, although I feel like I've been here for months. I'll be glad to see my parents next weekend and hopefully some of my Raleigh friends.

Other good news, I had another showing on my house yesterday. Fingers crossed for positive feedback and an interest to buy. If that happened I might actually be happy for more than 10 minutes at the time!

Off to the grind......
-K

Maybe the sun will come out today

You know how you feel like you almost have a grip on things, and then everything is suddenly so difficult? That's the way I felt yesterday. It was just one thing after another.....Our GPS is missing, I cannot get through with anything at work, I have to get an absurd amount of money orders by noon today for our rental, the hotel is being difficult about including one breakfast with my daily rate which it clearly states in our contract with them. My health insurance has expired and I haven't not received my new card. The insurance company blames it on the postal service, but then don't we all?

On another front, I have signed a lease for a rental in Edgewater. It is right on the Hudson river across from Manhattan. It's tiny and the closets are non-existant. Plus I realized yesterday that there is no form of cooling system in the place. Guess who gets to buy a window unit she'll have no use for in probably a year or two?! Fun stuff.

I am off to start another day, praying it'll be better than the previous....one more thing, it's COLD!!

Are we ever going to find a place to live?

I feel like all we have been doing is looking for a place to live. I am so ready to get out of the hotel and have my own place, own stuff, and most importantly, BAILEY! Eating out every single meal got old really quickly. We finally found two places we were really interested in, one around the corner from my office here in Teaneck and the other in Edgewater. I was going back and forth between the two, unable to decide which would be a better fit. Edgewater is a great town on the river. It has lots of restaurants and is really convenient to all of the places we like to go. The house in Teaneck is much bigger and so close to the office. I seriously could walk to work(not in Winter though!).

Now I hear from my broker that the one here in Teaneck is off the market because someone is interested in it and is currently going through a credit check. It seems like the decision has been made for us. I just wonder if it's the decision we'll be happiest with......stay tuned!

Better I guess

We actually made it through the first week with no major problems. Here's a few things we learned thus far....

• Exact change of $1 in the Easypass pay toll does not mean a one dollar bill. It literally means CHANGE. Luckily, while we were fumbling around for change no rude Jersey drivers came up behind us, beeped and flipped us the finger.
• Pay close attention when driving around here because if you take the wrong turn you could end up heading to the GWB like we almost did. Talk about seriously freaking out.
• Garmin considers convenience stores and grocery stores the same. They are not.
• Men up here stare without trying to be discrete. It's kind of uncomfortable.
• People have been really friendly so far. Random people talk to us. I think they can't resist the southern charm. ;)
• Where Erica lives (down the shore, picking up the slang already...) is pretty similar to Raleigh traffic wise. Where I am is a million times worse.
• Erica, her family, and friends made us feel like we belong this past weekend. Pictures to come!!
• I like room service!
  

Things do seem better. We're finding some places that we're interested in. We've learned our way around a little bit more. I think work is so busy I don't have time to think about how much I miss home. It's overwhelming and I feel like I take one step forward and two steps back. But I think I'm getting the hang of things slowly. I miss everyone like crazy though!!

Lost southerners in the big city

So we made it here.....When Weston and I saw the NYC skyline on Monday when we arrived we were a little, who am I kidding, very shocked. I knew that the city was close but it was still surprising to see and realize that I will be living less than 10 miles from it. We both knew that we were in for a complete culture shock. I have to admit I was terrified and still am. There is SO much traffic around north Jersey. The roads are kind of confusing and that damn woman on Garmin and her recalculating is a little frustrating!

The first night was the beginning of our adventure. Who knew trying to find a grocery store would be so hard. After all, there are no Piggly Wiggly's up here and I hadn't a clue the name of a northern grocery store.....we gave up finding a grocery store and settled on a convenience store to get what we needed.

The first day of work started off bad. I arrived at the office 10 til 8 and rang the door bell. No one answered. So while I'm standing there panicking and feeling like I was going to puke, I realized I couldn't get into the bathroom because the door has a code on it. I called Mom and she helped me to not turn around and walk back to the hotel, pack my stuff and drive back south. Luckily, I didn't wait long to get in and then everything was fine. All of the people in the office have been really nice and helpful. I have been questioned quite a few times why in the world I would move from NC to NJ. I am still sitting here wondering it myself. Then I try to remember I came up here for the job and the opportunities that would follow along. I didn't come up here because I like the cold or the snow, or the terrible, rude, impatient drivers, or even to experience real city life. But my wonderful friend Erica has made it much better than it ever could be if she wasn't here.

I know my facebook page has sounded down and I'm not going to lie, I'm homesick and it's really hard for me already. It hasn't even been a week!! I miss my dog, my family, my friends, and my comfort. And poor Weston, he's a completely different story. He's great and supportive, and I'm so grateful he's here with me. Things will get easier once we find a place and get our things up here. I don't know if we'll ever adjust to life here as much as we just have to accept it and make it work.

I'm in south Jersey this weekend with Erica, her family, and friends so it'll will be a good time and it'll keep my mind off of other things. I guess I should go take a shower so we can begin our fun times!!

Happy Valentine's Day ya'll!!