New Digs

On Sunday, we rented a U-Haul and maneuvered our way through Manhattan to the new IKEA store in Brooklyn. It was my first time, and it was amazing.

In New York City, IKEA is like a Mecca, this magical place that has everything to make an apartment awesome. Most things are cheap, functional, and look good when on a budget.

We prepared for the adventure by first enjoying a light lunch at the IKEA restaurant located on the second floor. Then, we grabbed our tape measure and notepad and scoured the football field sized store for two bookcases, a TV stand, baskets, picture frames, and a mirror.

We didn’t have room for furniture in our studio (just a bed, table, dresser, and couch), but we do have a little extra in our one bedroom apartment. And, yes, you read that correctly – our ONE bedroom apartment.

It’s still a small place, but it is TWO ROOMS. The kitchen is more of a kitchenette and you can comfortably brush your teeth in the sink and sit on the toilet at the same time, but it’s NEW YORK. It’s just part of the living here.

A one bedroom apartment AND brand new IKEA furniture. Life just got a little, wait, a lot better.

Still Unpacking

Once again, sorry for the lack of posts this week. Unpacking and organizing everything "just right" in a little apartment takes time and thought, at least I think so. Although, it appears that Ben has a different philosophy. He prefers the ole "toss and throw" approach and randomly stuffing things into any available space. I've caught him, once or twice, using his body weight to shut cabinet doors to stop the flow of junk from overtaking the floor. Moving always does bring up the question... who really needs all this stuff?

Status Update

Sorry for the lack of posts. This past weekend we spent five hours cleaning, seven hours packing, twelve hours painting, and five hours moving and maneuvering through the city in a 14 foot U-Haul. More about it later.

More Stars

Two more celebrity names need to be added to the list: Anne Hathaway and, Oscar winner, Philip Seymour Hoffman. I totally forgot that I watched Anne Hathaway film the upcoming movie, "Bride Wars", at the subway station by our apartment on my way to work this summer.

We passed Philip Seymour Hoffman on the street on Saturday when Ben, his mom, and I were walking to a play around Times Square. Ben, rarely star struck, excitedly said, "There's Philip Seymour Hoffman." I didn't hear and said, "Who?" With much gumption and enthusiasm, Ben yelled and pointed "IT'S PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN!" Just like we were cheering at a UK basketball game. Oh yeah, we definitely played it cool.

Friday Night

On Saturday, Ben and I joined tweens and their parents for the movie “Twilight”. At first, we felt out of place since the median age hovered around 13, but our self-consciousness faded with the arrival of a few “older” folks (the parents).

Two sisters, eight and 12 years old, settled next to Ben. They chatted and giggled excitedly. Who was their favorite character? Who was cuter? Which book was their favorite? How many times had they seen the movie? Ben jumped into the conversation, happy to finally talk freely about his love of the series. As a guy, he had repressed his true feelings. Something about a 27-year-old man reading girly teenage love stories about vampires and werewolves didn’t sit well with him.

We knew the phenomenon Twilight had become before the movie started, but didn’t anticipate the reactions of the young female fans. When the lights dimmed and the previews ended, Edward Cullen sent every girl into a screaming frenzy with his big screen debut. I forgot how fun it is to become obsessed with books and movies. It’s like Harry Potter all over again.

Movin' On Up

We have decided to upgrade. On December 15th, we leave our apartment for one with more storage and TWO ROOMS (by New York standards). We will say goodbye to our one room “home” and start over somewhere new… somewhere that has TWO ROOMS. A door actually separates them. Hard to believe, I know. My toes curl in anticipation. I will be able to talk on the phone without Ben hearing or turn on lights without waking him on Saturday mornings. Imagine!

We entertained the idea of moving for some time, but never jumped on it. Then, last Sunday, we decided to do it. Just like that. We “craigslisted” four places on Saturday, looked at them on Sunday, and then picked one on Monday. The entire process took 48 hours.

Apartment hunting IS one of the most stressful New York experiences. You encounter brokers who cost thousands of dollars and eager owners dying to get current leases off their hands. There is no time to leisurely peruse apartments and score good deals. No time to mull over which apartment is better or which one has everything you want. You only have a small window of time to tell your landlord you’re leaving before rent overlaps at both places and leaves you broke. You literally have hours to decide whether or not to take a place based on one viewing because thousands of other people are also looking for an apartment. The process is quick and dirty, much like the city itself.

Our move 20 blocks north won’t be a major change. The new place is still old and still small, but it will work. We’ll make it our home, just as we did with the studio. Moving does mean finding a new diner and handy corner market, a new bar and a new barber. But, it will be exciting. Fun. And, everything will fall into place. I just (cross-my-fingers) know it.

Woods

Stars

The one question that I get asked over and over is… have you ever seen anybody famous? The long awaited answer to that question is a big, fat YES.

Here is a rundown of the celebs that I have seen, met, or stalked from a legal distance (and in no particular order):

- Colin Farrell (walking on the Upper East Side)
- America Ferrera (at the Boat Basin restaurant)
- Cameron Diaz (singing karaoke at Sing Sing bar)
- Ashton Kutcher (with Cameron Diaz)
- Cynthia Nixon (outside our subway stop)
- Francis McDormand (neighbor in adjacent building)
- Mischa Barton (chased her through Central Park)
- Seal (shopping in SOHO)
- Kevin Bacon (in Midtown on my way to the social security office)
- John Slattery (in the West Village)
- Bebe Neuwirth (asked her for directions)
- Kristen Chenoweth (on cell phone outside Buttercup Bake Shop)
- Amber Tamblyn (at the Upright Citizen's Brigade)

Ben also felt compelled to add a few names to the list of people that he’s seen around NYC:

- Denzel Washington
- Kirsten Dunst
- Michael J. Fox
- Woody Allen
- Flavor Flav
- Gavin Rosedale
- Gwen Stefani

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Secrets Don't Make Friends

Ben relaxed on the bed and read as I chatted on the phone with a girlfriend about 20 feet away. I holed up in the bathroom with the door shut to achieve as much privacy as possible. For about 30 minutes, we unloaded about “men”. We talked about the good and the bad, but mostly just the bad.

I emerged from the bathroom after our conversation… reborn and a little lighter from the release of stresses and annoyances that build from living with someone in 300 square feet of space.

I moseyed toward the bed and Ben rolled to face me. He had this are-you-serious look on his face. Uh-oh. I nervously giggled and quickly recalled the things I said. I could have been talking about anybody… right? Or, about men in general, not him specifically? Right?

Yikes. A pressed wood door and a little distance just isn’t enough to keep secrets in a teeny, tiny studio. It might be time to upgrade.

Nice Hog

Made of Money

We dragged ourselves to the subway at Penn Station around 8:30pm on Saturday. As we walked, a boy selling fruit rollups jumped in our way and begged us to buy fruit rollups to help his basketball team raise money. The deal - two for $5 or three for $10. The math didn’t quite add up, but I was impressed with his entrepreneurial skills and productivity on a Saturday night.

I gave him a dollar for the great sales pitch and caught up with a laughing Ben. He shook his head. He couldn’t believe that I fell for the kid’s routine.

“Weak,” he said.

Two minutes later, an aspiring rapper named “Hip Hop Obama” persuaded Ben to fork over $10 for his CD, “Dollarmentary as Amero Dollar, Vol. 1”. He even autographed it for no additional charge.

I stood, dumbfounded, as Ben spent 10x the amount I donated to a kid who only wanted basketballs and uniforms! I snapped a picture of Hip Hop Obama and Ben with my cell phone, a complementary gift with purchase the of a CD, and we continued our walk to Penn.

Suckers.

Backyard

View from the back.

Ben in Tunnel

Love Is All You Need

Last week, I had an early morning meeting and took the 3 train downtown, a very different morning commute compared to my usual trip uptown to Harlem.

The doors opened at 72nd street; I squeezed onto the train and into the middle of straight-faced New Yorkers outfitted with business suits and briefcases. The morning commuters squished into every open space, creating a solid mass of bodies. With no pole in reach, I locked my legs and braced myself for the lurching and jerking of the train. But, I was no match for the 3 train.

With every twist and turn, I toppled into a random man’s very large, very rotund stomach – a pretty comfortable landing pad considering the other options that surrounded me. And, like a true New Yorker, I avoided eye contact and pretended that consistently falling face first into his belly button was normal.

Then, ever so faintly, in the silence of the packed train, music from his headphones drifted my way… “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles played, a perfect melody for this New York train.