Signed a lease

Today, I have news. Finally. News. I signed a lease yesterday for a year after a long week of waiting for approval and long day, yesterday, of waiting to reschedule a time to come in to their office. One of their associates who was suppose to meet with me had a family emergency, which they failed to tell me about until after I had already gotten on the train. I only heard the message as I started to trek up the intense wind tunnel avenue from the subway stop in Brooklyn. At that point, I couldn't head home and didn't know enough about the area to effectively kill time. I was mildly annoyed to say the least but managed to find something to do. I trolled around Sunset Park and walked by my new apartment and past the neighborhood's namesake park, Sunset Park. When I absolutely couldn't stand the bitter cold wind anymore, I took the D train back into Manhattan, to West 4th Street, grumbling the whole way, as my cell phone battery was also about to die and I couldn't afford the time to go back to Queens to plug it in.

Incidentally, this happened before with the cell phone going dead from the extra strain of it trying to find a signal in the subway tunnels and someone mentioned the idea of bringing my charger out with me and plugging it in at a Starbuck's if it ever got low again. Unfortunately, I did not apply said advice. That sort of monumentally frustrating happenstance has characterized the entire week. I've found myself trying desperately to find ways to kill time in this city without spending money, because I haven't planned my days well enough. I'll go to Manhattan with a plan in mind, but then it involves meeting someone at a certain time and I have trouble making my original plans last long enough so that I don't have to go back to Queens or hang out in the cold until I can meet said friend. Imagine me sitting in a Starbucks efforting furtive peeks into one or another of my guide books trying to think up some way of passing the time that's interesting, free and doesn't involve trudging up and down avenues against a driving wind with my scarf wrapped around my face.

Luckily, I've only got a few more days of this before I start the job. It's about time. I've been starting to feel slightly useless. I verified with Technicolor yesterday on the phone that I'm coming in at 9:30 am on Monday morning. Thursday, in my travels, I started off a walk through Greenwich village by timing the walk from the subway stop that I'll get off at coming from Brooklyn (West 4th Street) to the Technicolor building on Leroy St. A good 7-10 minute walk. On Monday though, and all of next week, I'll be coming from Queens because I don't move to Brooklyn until Sunday the 1st of March. So, I'll get off at the Houston St. stop on the 1,2,3, line a similar walk. As for the apartment, I'm cleared to move in on the 27th but I obviously can't make that happen because of the circumstances. I have to work that day, plus I need all of the next day to get to Raleigh and get the truck loaded up.

I've reserved a Uhaul truck and am driving it up myself. I didn't want to have to drive something that big into the city but I think it'll be fine. I was averse to it for a long time, mainly because of New York friends telling me it was crazy to do so, and only recently woke up to the necessity of it. I have enough stuff and a small enough window of time to move it to justify renting the truck. It seems absurd to some New Yorkers to move furniture into the city when I could just buy things here but it also seems absurd to me to get rid of things I have that will do (bed, desk, microwave, etc.) and buy them again. Especially since I have a few irreplaceable items that must come that, themselves alone, warrant a truck (guitars, amplifier, computer, cat, piano). Yes, I said piano. I'm going to move it. I'm on the first floor. I have enough friends that don't hate me that I think I could talk into helping me with it (some of them for the second time). And there's room for it and I'm on the first floor, very close to the front door.

Oh shit. As I just typed that, I wondered how being close to the front door (and the street for that matter) will effect the noise level in my apartment. It did seem quiet when I was there at night seeing the place. But then, it was a Sunday night. Err *shrugs* I guess we'll see.

Anyway, other than a potential disaster avoided regarding the allowance of a pet in the apartment (cats are okay, no fee!), everything went well on Friday. And this week, in general. I've been getting the hang of the city, getting a good feel for neighborhoods I like, even collecting ideas for dates. I may ask a girl out that I've met, tomorrow night at an Oscar party I was invited to. But, I'll try not to make this blog about dating in New York City. Interesting as that might be, I'm quite sure it's already been done (see a popular television show with spin-off movie that is set in New York City).

For now, I'm going to head out but I'll keep uploading pictures to picasa. I find that's easier than trying to select the best ones and put them in a blog and chat about them.