This is not good bye

Today is my last day working in the city for a variety of reason that I will explain in later posts. However, being my last day in NYC for awhile I tried to make my lunch hour special. Things at work were also a little rough and awkward so as I previously read in a magazine I took that time to myself.

A coworker has been recommending a near by Mediterranean restaurant that he frequents. He swears that it has the best falafels in the area, being a fan of Mediterranean food I figured I would give it a shot. The place is called yummyummy, It is this little hole in the wall restaurant with about 5 tables and a little bar that you order your food from. However, as I have always been told by my father the ones that look the worst or deceiving are the best places to eat. That theory goes right along with yummyummy.

For lunch I had the yummyummy falafel, this not an average falafel it had hummus and avocado on it. And as all the posters claimed it was fast service and tasted very fresh. I am not Mediterranean food expert, but I can tell you that I will most certainly be making a stop back at this little place to get good food. Heck, I was ready to take home all of the side to try with my family.

After my delicious lunch I continued down Lexington to a jewelry store that I pass every day. I had been keeping my eye on this one particular necklace. I was planning on working to save up for it, but since those plans were cut short and I have thought about the necklace since the day that I saw it. I went with my shoppers impulse and bought it as a gift to myself for putting in the effort to work in the city and realizing that I can do it, and lastly as a memento that I will be back!

The necklace came from Torino Jewelers, which I researched on google and got great reviews that it was one of the best stores around. The woman gave me a great deal because I have been to the store a few time inquiring about the necklace. However, I am under stricted orders not to disclose the exact price. Anyway the necklace is a smokey stone set in silver surrounded by a cluster of turquoise stones also set in silver. To me it is one of the most beautiful and unique pieces of jewelry I have ever owned, I wore it right out of the store! I'm excited to wear it out tonight! I already have so many outfits planned out around it!

I even bought a little something special for my sister I would have bought everyone something by I ran out of money.

Down for the Count

I sat here on Friday and wrote a post that was a filler as I would call it. It was just a post to keep everyone reading an update because nothing special or monumental happened. Well clearly I wrote my post way too soon.

After just another ordinary day on the job, answering phones and putzing around the office it was time to go home and start my weekend. Thrilled that my day was finally over, I decide I would walk to the train even though it had started to rain. It was only a drizzle, how much harm could it do, right? Well, just as I was a couple of block into my walk the rain started to pick up, still I didn't think anything of it because I had my umbrella and I was all set.

Again this was a premature confidence because as soon as I stepped onto the marble landing at the Met Life building the worst thing possible happened. I SLIPPED. When I stepped onto the marble there was like a layer of water on top of it from everyone walking into the building. This combination was a guaranteed disaster. I immediately slipped and lost my balance and hit the ground in a sitting position, people crowded around me to see it I okay. Very embarrassed I quickly got up and gathered myself and assured everyone around me that I was fine. Trying to wrap my head around the fact, that just happened I started walking to the doors.

No sooner did I take one step I slipped again trying to catch my balance I slammed my umbrella into the ground, swung my arms, and lost control of my body. That is correct I fell again, and this time made an elaborate scene just to make sure that everyone saw. I am not even sure how I ended up on the floor again, but this time I was flat on my back in a five star. The same group of people crowded around me to see if I was okay and needed help. I laid for a minute with my eyes as wide as they could be, stunned at this point and pretty numb to all feeling, all I wanted to do was get up and on the train without anyone else seeing me fall.

As I tried to casually get up a little Asian woman, who is probably half my size was trying to pick me up by the back of my arms. I assured her I was okay and could get up, but she insisted on lifting me off the ground. This was causing even more of a scene because she couldn't lift me. If she has succeeded in picking me up I would have fallen again, simply because it was awkward positioning and needed to gain stability on my own. Very appreciative of the woman's help, I calmly told her I could get up on my own. Not sure where she went after that, but I continued to walk towards the door. Before I got to the doors the building secruity guard stopped me and asked if I was okay. All this attention was way to much to answer so I muttered out yes, trying to avoid anymore conversation.

During all of this there was a very nice girl, that had been standing right next to me through the whole thing, she gripped my arm the whole way until I was inside. She definitely did not want me to suffer through another fall and you could tell by her gripped, she thought it would happen again.

When we finally made it inside she said,"At least it was at the end of the day, if it was in the morning you would have just wanted to go home." I laughed and told her that was very true.

Without any further public humiliation I made it to the train back soaking wet and my white shirt now brown from the dirty water, I sat down and started out for home. I laughed to myself because this occurance is just a typical part of my daily life. Two gentlemen sat down next to me and started complaining about how wet they got from the rain. I causually chimmed in, trying to offer some pleasure and lighthearted conversation about my humiliation. I said, " At least you didn't fall."

The man stared at me "You fell? But you look fine, completely put together, noone would know."

"Well I fell twice flat on my back." I leaned forward to show him the damage.

He laughed, "How did you even fall. That is awful."

"I think it was because it was so slippery outside of the Met Life building."

He took a quick glance down at my feet and said, "No wonder you fell you have flip flops on, you deserve it. I don't understand women and how you guys walk in flip flops all the time."

This situation could not get anymore surreal. To top it off when I was getting off the train glad that I had finally made it home and hoping that nothing else could go wrong, I discovered that due to my falling I had split my pants. COM'ON, split my pants is this real life?!?!


Not sure if that was the classiest act a city girl could have pulled but it was probably one of the funniest, and I bet you those people that went home after helping me got a good laugh at the dinner table because of my mishap. My life is truly a joke! At least I wasn't laughing alone.

Learning my Way Around

In honor of learning my barrings and finding out what is around me in the city, I mostly spend my lunch break walking through the streets. This might be my favorite part of the day because I really get a chance to take in where I am and find little places that I want to try to eat or stores that I want to check out.

One thing that I have noticed and love about NYC is the stores. "O. M. G." There are not only little boutiques that carry uncommon clothes, but also brands people may have never heard of. But the regular stores like Ann Taylor, Victoria Secret, and New York and Company are all HUGE. When I say huge I'm talking multiple floors people. This is a bad thing to notice because not only am I a huge shopper with a passion for clothes, shoes, accessories...basically anything that has to do with fashion, but I want to go into these stores simply because they are so big! These multi-floored giants entice my shopping sensors and make me want to look around and purchase items simply so I can say I got this in a two floor Victoria Secret, have you been there? However, I am controlling my urges not to buy. However, the big huge red "sale, 40% off" sign does not stop me from going in to see what they might have.

Also among yesterdays accomplishments, I found something that I can not wait to do. As I was crossing between Lexington and 3rd Ave at I believe 60th st (if not I will just have to find it again) I came across a place that I have always wanted to try. A little restaurant called Serendipity, I have waited my whole life to try one of their frozen cappuccinos, and I fully intend on going one afternoon and fulfilling my long awaited dream!

Quick little story about my obsession about eating at Serendipity, well for starters anytime I come into the city I try somehow to incorporate it into my plan for the day. However, it never works out that way. Anyway this one particular day I had come into the city to see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center with a group of friends. I thought it would be a brilliant idea if we went to get the famous frozen drink. Everyone was on board, but not quite down with the long walk. It was a very long hike to get to Serendipity from the tree. The whole time we were whining about the walk, saying "these frozen cappuccino better be the best ever." Long story short, we made the distance only to discover that the wait to get served was about two hours. Not wanting to wait and tired of walking, we turned around and went back to the car. That was the closest I have ever come to to having Serendipity, but now it is only a couple of streets over. I'M GOING!

On my walk back to the office I came across a little shop called Sprinkles. Sprinkles is a little cupcake shop that makes cupcakes of all sorts and flavors. The store was brightly colored with circle shapes in all decorating the window. Heck they had me at the name Sprinkles, and if I ate cupcakes I would definitely want to try them. I think I will bring them home one day for everyone to try and tell me how they are. The outside of the store seems as cute as the cupcakes looked.

Anyway, I'm still getting adjusted to city life and learning my way around, sometimes I surprise myself a little with how well I have been doing. However, I still have a lot to master. I have not learned to take my heels off at lunch while I am walking around. I am suffering the consequences from blister. I will learn eventually, I just have to get over the idea that they complete my outfit.

First Day on the Job

I recently just graduated from Roger Williams University, about two months out of graduation I have gotten a job as a receptionist for Seacor Holding on Park Ave in Manhattan. This whole experience is brand new to me and it is something that I am going to learn to master along the way. Everyday is going to teach me something new. I thought I would share the lessons on becoming a big time city girl and of course the funny day to day stories that we just have to laugh at to get through the day.

Begin my first morning commute to Manhattan, which everyone doubted/thought I would have trouble doing. It turned out to be a not so bad first commute, but getting up was actually the easy part. Last night I came into the city to do a dry run and map out my route to work using the subway with my Uncle Mike. While I was here I purchased my monthly pass for July, thinking I was ahead of the ball game I thought it started that day and went through July. Clearly this is new to me. I get on the train at 7:08 this morning, feeling good. Piece of cake, right. Got up, wore a new dress, and made it to the train on time. One would think, I was all set.

The conductor comes around and I flash my commuter pass as many people on the train do, when to my surprise the conductor response with. "That pass is for next month is starts Friday." I was only about half way through my morning coffee and not completely understanding what he was saying. The conductor put in blunt terms, "You need a ticket, got any money?" In my sheepish voice, but most loving eyes, "no I only have eight dollars." After a few moments of staring he says, "oh well give me your money. Needless to say I am very lucky that I got to stay on the train and take it for 8 bucks instead on 13. Some wonder how he would know, well it turns out each month is a specific color, and July is grey while June is red. However, there is a catch 22 to this segment of the day the only reason I had the 8 dollars was because the parking meter was broken this morning and wouldn't take my money for parking. Therefore, I left my car in a metered spot, more worried about the train than paying. We will see if my little black car is till in spot 303 when I arrive at 6:30.

The rest of my commute was fairly simple, except for a little confusion trying to get to the subway from Grand Central, I think the amount of people had me a little confused. But after a couple of turn-rounds I succeeded and stampeded to the underground subway just like everyone else. I even remember as my Uncle Mike advised me last night, "Don't open your wallet down here... What are you going to do with that wallet?" Keep it in my purse and that is exactly where it remained. Another pointer that helped this morning from my wise city informant, "Uptown, your always going uptown." So as a marched to the platform waiting for line 4,5,6, but not 7, trying to blend in, my head was racing a mile a minute singing, "Uptown girl, she's been living in her uptown world." It helped take the edge off.

All in all I got to work well and had 10 minutes to spare, definitely not bad for my first time commute. When I get to work everyone is so nice an so helpful that I feel right at home. Until I am told I have to run an errand by the Brooklyn Bridge. That not only meant riding the subway for 20 minutes, but walking around Centre Street trying to find the courthouse. Oh boy, was I sweating, I already felt accomplished enough for going my commute with a two stop subway ride. What if I got lost, what was I going to do. My supervisor printed me off very specific directions that gave both walking an subway guidelines. That did not make me feel any better because my sense of direction in the city is definitely not second nature yet. But I had to do it, no exceptions! I waited about 15 minutes for train 5, watching every single train 6 in Manhattan pass by every few seconds. Getting nervous that I was on the wrong platform and taking to long for work, or something I hopped on a 6, knowing it went to the Brooklyn Bridge, but hoping there were not two of them in the city.

There was a little voice in telling me 4,5,6 take you any where you have to go. I would love to tell you it was my instinct, but yet again it was my city wise informant. But I got there! I walked the streets with confidence, looked chic in my black dress, tripped about seven times, and almost ate NYC pavement twice. Why I did not take my heels off and put on my commuting shoes, I don't know. Lesson Learned.

Today went considerable well for a first time commute. I would like to say that tomorrow will get easier, but life is not like that for a Featherstone. Whatever goes wrong I will learn for next time.....Hopefully!