Cozy up... it's long one!

I’m back!!! It’s been a few days, but it actually wasn’t because I didn’t want to post. For the first time in my ‘diary’ career, I wanted to write, but just couldn’t find time. Then there was a bit where I was just too stressed to do anything other than frantically look for apartments.

BUT, I’m sitting in the LaGuardia Airport as I write this… so I think I’ve found a little bit of time ;) . I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people run in an airport as I have at LaGuardia. And I’m not talking random people wearing street clothes like you normally see. No, all these people I watch run by are business men and women, in their suits, with their briefcases. It just makes me think, how do they get things done on time in business? Or then again, maybe they’re late to the airport because they’re so good at their jobs?….They just had to get that one last thing taken care of before they left the office! Ooh! There goes another one! This one in a black suit, glasses and a RED tie… still with briefcase J Probably the best dressed one I’ve seen yet.

I must admit, I wrote this in word then copied it to blogspot. I was so excited to get out the laptop my dad lent me and to connect to the wi-fi. Then, I found out that unlike the Charlotte Airport, LaGuardia charges you for the use of theirs. No-thank you! (run-by) My entertainment for when I found out the Internet was not an option: real life secret service action!! A group a people dressed in suits sat behind me, talking Spanish. A bit later, they were joined by one man and one woman wearing black suits and ear pieces. They disappeared into the end of the concourse. Then 2 police officers and another agent followed.

Eventually, they along with the others before them and even more people in business suits came walking back down. I was fixated on the woman agent. She didn’t look any older than me!!! No more than 30 (since I think we all know I’m not a good guesser of age). How did she get to that place so quickly? When did she start pursuing it? How do you even GET to be a secret service agent. (run-by) Then she talked into her sleeve! Actually held the cuff of it, brought it up to her face as she leaned a bit downward and began to speak. I couldn’t help but stare. HOW COOL! And GOOD FOR HER!

Ooh! That story reminds me: the second person I was stay with, Paul and I were walking around in Central Park. We were on our way to get lunch when we noticed people standing around one of the fancy hotels, body guard and official looking people standing by the door. We thought, “ooh! Someone good must be getting ready to come out.” I made Paul wait just so we could see who it was. We asked a guy nearby if he knew who we were waiting for. His response, “Diddy.” Hahahaha! We stood a while longer. However, the longer we waited, the less we thought we were waiting on Diddy. More people started asking each other who we were all waiting to see, but no one knew!!! We couldn’t leave yet though! We had already waited too long to leave now. There needed to be a pay off! We joked how it would probably be someone no one even knew! Lo and behold out walks Celine Dion. And then there was a double decker bus. DOH! Blast the people who weren’t waiting forever and got a better view than we did. Below are pictures from the wait and the only one semi-minuscule pay off picture!

Well.. I was going to load pictures, but it's being weird. So, I'll probably do just a picture post sometime soon.

Ah! New York just keeps getting better. As I’m sitting here typing, a woman walks up to me and says “hey, I just wanted to ask you, and this is awkward. Do you want to go to the club?” And I’m thinking ummmm “1. Aren’t you a bit old for that? 2. What club? 3. Wait, I don’t know about you, but I’m waiting for a flight OUT!” Then she tells me that she got to the airport early and remembers she pays for the club room and is allowed to bring a guest. She saw me working on the computer and thought I might light to do it in a nicer quieter environment. There are still nice people! And I’m actually quite impressed by the kindness of the people I’ve come across in NY. Granted there are still all the people that will swindle you… but this trip thus far has been very pleasant. And to think, this is just the start!

I guess I should give the run down for those I haven’t told yet. I don’t remember at what point in the story I stopped writing, so here’s what I think you need to know:
- Canceled return portion of ticket back to Jacksonville
- Had to leave first people I was staying with, didn’t know where I was going to go
- My first host, Lena had a friend Paul I had met and was willing to take me in.
- Job at the Chart House in Weehawken seems like a go. I’m supposed to go back in the first week of Oct. to start some training.
- The apt. search seemed that it didn’t have an end near. I searched, I e-mailed, I called, I got nothing, I saw crap.
- I found a lead on a girl with a condo in New Jersey, we met, I thought it went VERY well. I told her I needed to think about it and that I would get back to her in a day or two.
- Lena remembered she had a friend who was also looking for an apt. We met, she thought she had one or two leads on an apt., but lets me know there’s a potential roommate/ apt. situation she might enter with 2 other girls. The apts. turn out to be not much.
- I call the girl from Jersey back and tell her I’m ready to proceed to the next step if she is and I get the Heisman. She tells me she’s got other people viewing it that night and will give me a call back the next day. I was shocked…. And a bit depressed! I didn’t know what to do. Now I had nothing again. Back to square one again when I was thinking I was going to be able to go back to Jax. In the next day or two.
- Paul and I go get an AWESOMELY amazing cookie with milk and have it in Central Park. A little peek for you:

[PICTURES TO COME LATER]

- We go back to his apartment and his roommate seems to give me a look with undertones of “why are you still here?” I go into the room. I hear her and him talking quietly. He comes in the room and I ask if everything’s ok, and he shakes his head. I asked if I’ve overstayed my welcome, to which he responds “I think, maybe… yeah.” Apparently, the roommate was not so happy I was still there and seemed to want me out.
- Seems I would have to find ANOTHER place to stay… perhaps a hostel. I go into frantic mode again and start searching for more apartments/ roommate situations.
- I make an appointment to see a room for rent. The guy owns a condo and rents out the two bedrooms separately. There apparently was already a Korean guy in the other room who would be there for 4 months. (The room is rented out month to month at minimum). I start preparing myself to suck it up, take the room and get on with things.
- I go to the building the next day. The apartment is beautiful. The rent is great! The location is AWESOME! But… I’d be sharing with some total stranger guy who wasn’t even there for me to meet. P.S. the building super had to show me the apartment because the owner couldn’t make it at the time I wanted to see it.
- The super tells me he does have other rooms in the building available for rent. We actually run into the lady in the hall who has one of the two spaces for rent (but to my understanding the only available one the super knew of).
- He takes me to that apartment. Turns out it was a one bedroom. I thought, “well, there goes that idea; back to the room with the stranger. And then he tells me the rent. “Wait! I can afford that! And I wouldn’t need a roommate… meh.” I thank him and then take off out of the building.
- After a few minutes, I think things through a bit, I walk around the block and realize I like the neighborhood (it’s not first choice, but it’s CUTE… and for what I’m getting, DEFINITELY worth it), there are parks close by for Keona, I CAN BRING KEONA, I won’t have to find a roommate, I get all the space to myself, and my land lady seems nice AND is willing to go down on the rent a bit for me!! Oh, and there’s a washer dryer facility downstairs and a dishwasher in the unit….luxuries around those parts!! Ha! Who’d have thought! I go back and talk to her a bit more, she offers to feed lunch and with that I told her (run-by, oh! 2 more!) “I’LL TAKE IT!” (3 women run-by!)

- I HAD FOUND MYSELF AN APARTMENT! ONE THAT I COULD AFFORD..well, at least I think I can afford it! With a land lady that likes to feed me. And I didn’t give into (double run-by) the evil brokers who wanted to keep upping my budget! (suckers!)
- I signed the lease
- I got the keys
- I booked a ticket back to FL
- And now I’m in the airport.
- I left my suitcase with clothes behind and brought only carry-ons
- The plan is to pack up and do some planning Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, have a going away spiel Friday night (maybe another in the city that I don’t do it in Friday on Saturday). Then, Hit the road for NY on Saturday or Sunday. At that point you can reach Stephanie in New York! J

(3 woman run-by, 1 more, a man, and another woman!)

Have I mentioned how much I love my land-lady!?! I just got off the phone with her and she’s such a mom figure. “Call me when you get there!” Cuuuuuute!