The Road Part I

We left Tallahassee before the dawn. The only audible sounds were that of the truck's engine and our heartbeats. It is a strange feeling to be driving this road for the last time. Every other time we've taken this trip up north we've eventually come back. This has been home for six years. That's the longest I've ever lived in one place. It is hard to move forward while thinking of what we're leaving behind. Family, friends, bandmates, co-workers, jobs. Tallahassee. It's funny. We couldn;t wait to get out, but parting is still such sweet sorrow. We hadn't even left the city limits when we had our "mishap" with the cat. He was scared and had an accident in his box. The smell was unbearable. We had to pull over in a gas station parking lot, but gallons of water, "borrow" bathroom paper towels and sponge him off. I held him to the asphalt. Stephanie scrubbed. It was not the way we wanted to start this trip.

The coffee slowly worked its way through my veins as I bacame more and more comfortable with driving this tank of a truck. We took 319 all the way up to I75 making our usual stop at the Hardees for breakfast, of course. From here on out we were to take a new route, one that would allow us to bypass the tangled and tragic knot that is Atlanta's interstate system. It was a beautiful drive. The whole time I was ascending and descending Georgia hills, passing cotton fields and open plaines, lakes and rivers I was wishing I was driving my car and not this truck. That would have been an awesome and fun drive in anything other than this vehicle. As it was, I found myself flinching at every downhill curve.

We arrived in Anderson shortly after noon. We only had to stop for gas once, and the pump cut us off at $99.00 - and we didn;t even fill up. I sure am glad I won't have to pay for gas after this trip. It has been a year and a half since we were up in South Carolina, but it feels like it has been longer. These boys are the closest to brothers that I have.

It was nice to see the Brooks if only for a day, and the break from driving was more than welcome. I think Indy was glad to be out of the box as well. I stayed up playing rock band far later than I should have, and have the blister on my thumb to prove it. I never did beat Matt in a head to head challenge.

Here is our first leg playlist:

Frou Frou – Details
Whiskeytown – Faithless Street
The Postal Service – Give Up
Jason Collett – Idols of Exile
Feist – The Reminder

Eye Saw This in The Paper At Work:

This is a video of a Lasik surgery – in progress.

Today was my last day working at Borders Tallahassee. This goodbye thing seems to be dragging on and on. For the past year this store has been an extended family; a family where all the sheep are black, but a family nonetheless. It really is the most interesting place I’ve ever worked, and I will truly miss the shifts, the books, and the people. Even if I transfer to Borders in New York it won’t be the same.

Driving Thoughts

I woke up early this morning for my last drive. I shouldn’t say last I guess, but last for awhile anyway. It may be A.D.D., but I get lost in thought so easily, especially when I drive. It’s probably not a good thing, but the times I am in my most creative state, my writer’s states, normally occur when I’m driving. I knew when I woke up at four this morning that this trip to Tampa would be my last for a long time. It may be years before I drive Interstate 75 again. The trip was oddly quiet. I listened to music of course, but I can’t really recall what it was I played. This is a strange feeling.

When I arrived in Tampa, I went to see Jake. (Insert shout out to Jakob) I hadn’t seen him since the wedding, though I think about him nearly every day. Although we didn’t really have much time to talk, it was good to see him. It refreshed my soul a bit. Those few people whom I truly consider my friends, like Jake, need nothing more from me than who I am. They are genuine, and unique, and I couldn’t really do without them. What is so important to me about these friends of mine is that no matter how long it has been since we’ve spoken or seen each other, we pick right back up where we were without the awkward getting to know you all over again period. Jake and I grabbed a coffee and talked New York (he seems to be my spiritual advisor on most things I’ve yet to experience, but are looming in the near future – has since high school). We discussed the city, her strengths, her weaknesses. I think I am ready to take the leap. Jake also told me that he has finished the first draft of a book on his train hopping trip he took a couple of summers ago. I have to say, I’m filled with a mixture of pride and jealousy. One of these days I will finish something I start. Maybe.

With caffeine flowing through my veins, I headed back to my parent’s house where my Mom and I planned their trip to NYC. Only a short time later, Stephanie’s parents called to say that they were right around the corner. We ran out the door to meet them down the road, and I forgot to say goodbye to my car. This may sound silly, and may sound redundant to those of you who have already heard the story twelve times, but I’m kind of sad to be leaving it behind. I know it’s just a car, but it’s kind of the last piece of me connecting myself to Florida and this pre-New York life that I had to give up. My Mom saw the look I gave it as I ran past, and she knew. She told me that through every move there was always this period of excitement, of this dream of a new and enticing place, but every time it came to that last week the days just seemed to tear at your heart minute by minute. That’s how it has been for me this last week. Saying goodbye all over again.

Tonight we played a rousing Rock Band concert. I thought you might enjoy some of the pictures.

In Rainbows...

Something amazing happened today. Stephanie and I saw a rainbow stretched across the roadway while we were driving down Beard Street. It came up in an arc from one side of the road to the other; its prism reflecting off of my windshield. It is the first time I’ve ever seen both ends of a rainbow like that. I checked, but didn’t see a pot of gold on either end. No such luck.

Incidentally, If you haven't listened to In Rainbows by Radiohead yet, shame on you! The album is amazing. Check it out by clicking on the album art below. I'm excited that I'll be seeing them on August 9th!

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

I’ve just returned on a trip back from 1950’s era America. No, I’m not hallucinating; I just finished reading Bill Bryson’s The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Bryson paints a portrait of America much the same way Norman Rockwell did; without rose colored glasses, but still wholesome in a way that can never again be achieved. This country is too far gone for that. This world is for that matter. Still, please don’t take this as cynicism. I am far too optimistic for that. After all, I am a teacher. What enraptured me about this title was not necessarily the picture perfect detail or the irreverent wit, but it was the connection it gave me to the past. This book built a bridge between my generation and that of my father’s. Movie depictions never seem to quite do the age justice. They’re so Hollywood; so overcooked. What made the Thunderbolt Kid different is the perspective from which Bryson reflects. It is a contemporary look at what we’ve lost. It is something to be yearned for: a time when the crime rate was lower, when the divorce rate was lower, when people respected each other. Maybe I’m a dreamer, but it seems like at some point we slipped away from ourselves. I’m not saying that we should forget the advances we’ve made, but it would be nice to live at least one day in a simpler time. That’s what this book did for me.

I constantly find myself completely enamored and fascinated by history. I become nostalgic for times I’ve never even known. I guess history and I – we go way back. Pun intended. I look at the calendar and realize that it is 2008 and that I’m twenty-four years old. I’ll be twenty-five in a year. A quarter of a century. Doesn’t that make you feel old? With all of the constant moving around I’ve done in my lifetime, I tend to remember events, people, and places through associating them with music. This started when I was still in elementary school. I remember waiting up and listening to X-Cell 106.7’s hot nine at nine in 6th grade (98 Degrees, Invisible Man). Hanson’s MMMM Bop was on MTV. Alanis Morrisette released Jagged Little Pill and I owned a CD that dropped the F-Bomb. I can go on and on, and that was just 6th grade. As my musical tastes expanded and my knowledge of this thing called music became carnal, I was slowly growing up. Everything I have experienced can be put to song. It could be said that my life has a built-in soundtrack. My first real dance with a girl: I Swear, BoysIIMen. Trying to be cool on a church retreat: Korn, Life is Peachy. Driving with my best friend in high school, windows down, music blaring: Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream. Not getting accepted into the BFA Theatre program at Florida State: R.E.M., Everybody Hurts. (Yeah, I know) Marrying the love of my life: Bright Eyes, First Day of My Life. Finishing my last day at Aucilla, Matchbox 20, How Far We’ve Come. I could do this forever. I could write a book. Maybe someday I can capture the essence of my childhood like Bill Bryson captured his.

My Classroom

I had to share these artistic renderings from one of my former students with you guys. This is what my classroom looked like during study hall - to a 'T'. Thanks Savannah for the artwork!

Viva la Vida or Death And All His Friends

I have a confession to make: I downloaded the new Coldplay album, Viva la Vida or Death And All His Friends, two weeks before it was released in the States. I have another confession: I'm addicted to the new Coldplay album. I've since purchased it on vinyl and CD, so don't worry, I don't think the band or EMI will mind my little "preview". I haven't really stopped listening to it since. On planes, in the car, on walks through Brooklyn. Speaking as a long time fan of the band, and as a general music snob, I have to say this is their most gratifying and most accomplished work to date. Don't get me wrong, I love the simple minimalism of Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head. Like the millions of other Coldplay fans, those minimalistic sounds, sweeping melodies, and heartfelt lyrics are what started my relationship with the band in the first place. This new album leaves those concepts behind, but still manages to please.

Similar to the ill-fated attempt that X and Y made at layering and bombastic sound, Viva la Vida contains it's fair share of instrumentation. The difference between the success of the new album, and the disappointment (mostly) that was it's predecessor lies in the selection of Brian Eno as Viva's producer. Eno, known mostly for his electronic and ambient work, takes what clay the band has to offer and shapes it into a lush, textured landscape of sound. Eno's influence can clearly be heard on every track of the album. The band's experimentation with electronic beats, different drum sounds, song arrangements, and Asian melodies can surely be attributed to him. The band shines all the brighter for it.

The album opens with a rising instrumental on which layers, upon layers of instruments build into a crescendo of sound. Quite satisfying for the band's first inclusion of an instrumental. We'll hear the same themes from this song echo throughout the album. The next number sets the tone for the rest of the album. On a record plagued with indecision and dualities concerning life and death, the transition between Life in Technicolor and Cemeteries of London quickly introduces the listener to the conflict presented throughout the album. Cemeteries of London begins quite like any old-school Coldplay song; with sparse piano and quiet backing strings and e-bow. Unlike any typical Coldplay songs, however, the songs breaks into an uptempo, beat laden rocker. If there were any doubts that a new Coldplay had arrived the first two seconds of Lost! would solidify the proposal. Lost! is filled with even more layered drums, beats, and sweeping sounds. 42 starts as a Coldplay purists' song, but even it breaks halfway through into the new Coldplay sound. The rest of the album follows suit, even abandoning the typical chorus verse chorus formula with songs like Strawberry Swing and Lovers in Japan. The lead off single, Violet Hill can easily be called a classic, and is both new and inventive, but radio-friendly at the same time. The one song on the album that really doesn't stand up next to the rest is ironically the title track. Viva la Vida sounds like a pretentious thirteen-year old trying to sound like their favorite band wrote the lyrics. It just doesn't fit lyrically with the rest of the album, or maybe I'm missing something. It is fun to see them perform it live, however, but that's mainly due to the unconventional set-up they use. See video below.



I have read other reviews and even quotes of Martin himself saying that this album contains much less of his trademark falsetto singing. I didn't really find that to be true. I thought he just utilized the technique and his voice better overall throughout the album. I am also happy to hear that Martin had discovered the dusty acoustic guitar he had laid away in the back of his closet. Yes, the constant drone of the organ is still present on this record, but is mixed into the album much better than on the last effort. Overall, all of the instruments are put to better and more inventive use.

This album will be difficult to top, but let's hope the band are up to the challenge. This could usher in a new era and new sound for the Brits, and with Eno behind them, they could be the next U2 (literally, see Joshua Tree). Earlier in their career, Coldplay stated they would only make three albums because they didn't want to start "putting out rubbish." Let's thank God they didn't stop with X and Y.

Infinite Monkeys - Infinitely Awesome!

After a morning spent watching the rain softly patter against the sand from the comfort of a gazebo porch swing, we headed back to Tallahassee. Marco and I watched as Espana overtook Italia in penalty kicks to enter the semi-finals, and then we were pumped up enough to head out to the soccer pitch for a game of our own. The monkeys gathered, the game begin, and the bad calls ensued. Still, it's not like most of us are out there to win a championship or anything, but it would be nice to play a well-called game. The best thing about the Infinite Monkeys is that nothing really gets the team down. Sure, bad calls happen. Sure we score on ourselves - twice. But still we're all out the to have a good time. That is why this team is far superior to any other team in the Tallahassee Soccer Association; not necessarily because we're stacked in skill, but because we're stacked in heart.

Action shots:

(Apparently our best sides)

To read more about the Infinite Monkeys click here.

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

Today Marco, Cristina, Stephanie and I went to Mexico beach for Steph's 24th birthday. We stayed at this little place right on the beach called the Driftwood Inn. The most interesting thing about the place was that the town was split into two different time zones. As we drove down the road our cell phones would automatically update, an hour forward, an hour back. We mused on what it must be like to live on one side and work on the other. After a brief pit stop in the local fill station, avid blog reader Marco bought me a pack of Fruit Stripes gum. (You'll notice the reference to an earlier post if you're clever.) We headed out to Toucan's for an early lunch and some refreshments and then it was off to the beach. The water was gorgeously warm. We spent the entire afternoon lounging in the sun and hydrating. Brief bouts of whiffle bat baseball and noodle floating ensued, but mostly we let ourselves be tossed about by breaking waves and slowly baking in the oven like sun. Another trip to Toucans brought more fried food and pretty terrible service, but the entire day was a relaxing and an appropriate way to spend our second to last weekend in Florida.

Girls make silly faces.

Guys can make silly faces too!

The Show at the Shop

When we arrived in Monticello to load in for the last Bombardiers show we were greeted by throngs of people packing the streets. Unfortunately, they were there for the annual watermelon festival and not to see the show. We did bring out quite a few people, but due to the long set-up everyone seemed to trickle out before we started our set. What we didn't know is that there were a bunch of people hanging out outside due to the intensity of our sound. The night wasn't dampened by the seemingly lacking crowd. In fact, although we played slightly sloppy at times, we probably had more fun at this show than at any other. I know I did anyway.

We started off the set with an incindiary version of Wither. Luckily for you, we caught it all on tape (thanks to A.J. Burgess) and you can watch it below. The long instrumental intro was completely unplanned, but a pleasant way to start this tumbleweed of a song. We then launched right into Miles Away. I think this is the most energy we've ever had playing this alt-country tinged rocker. (also on video) The set then began to slow down a bit with acoustic versions of Shy Away and Catch and Release. Andrew Burgess' keys have never sounded better on Judgement Day, and were complented amazingly by Andrew Littlefield's sax. We had a lot of complements on Song for the End of the World. Actually, we always have a lot of complements on that song. Even though it is probably my least favorite in the set, it is probably our most popular song with our fans. Go figure. One Night Stand has never, never been so out of control. I think this by far our favorite song to perform and it shows. If I Had My Way was an uptempo jam fest that ended with feet stomping, hand clapping and excellent participation from the devoted fanbase indoors. We ended the set with a jaw-droppng performance of Skyscrapers that included acrobatics, somersaults, and general dogpile mayhem. Sure it got a little sloppy towards the end, but we sure did enjoy ourselves and that's what counts right?

This band has been amazing. It is everything I ever wanted musically. I have been so fortunate to play with such gifted musicians, and I feel slightly lost now that it is over. I wish them the best and hope that they continue to evolve and play music together. I'll be their biggest fan. (Remember guys, there's always room for one more band in NYC!) The last show was totally rocking. I did managae to screw up the recording software, thus ruining any chance of capturing the show, and we did forget the necessity of having a good camera in order to film it, but we did get some pictures and video. Enjoy!








Bombardiers - Wither (Live at the Shop)

Bombardiers - Miles Away (Live at the Shop)

Technical Difficulties...

Grrr.... Okay, so the pictures were working fine and now the spacing is all messed up. I'll work to fix that. The links seem to be having a problem as well. (Thanks Justin DLC for pointing that one out.) Every time I fix them they revert to the blogspot fronted link. For now, if you want to reach the end of a link you'll have to click on it and remove the part of the web address that shouldn't exist. I'll work on getting this stuff figured out when I get back to Tallahassee tomorrow. Hope to see everyone on Friday at the show!

Prime Suspect and The Squid and the Whale

The mornings come early in New York. I spent the better half of my day in Brooklyn checking out more schools and going to get fingerprinted for my teaching certification. I change my mind, the better half did not include these activities. In fact, I can't even say it was half considering the hours we've been keeping here in the city. I'm sure we'll slow down a bit when we both have jobs to go to everyday. Anyway, the inside of a Brooklyn police precinct is much like you'd expect. It's hot, sweaty and stale in the lobby. It took forever for the "reception cop" to ask me why I was there. So long in fact that it happened to be about forty minutes after my schedules appointment. There are wanted posters all over the place. Don't worry, none of these correlate to the area we live in, just the area south and east and west of us. After a significantly brief period of running my fingers through ink (which I could smell for the rest of the day and could not help but sniff like magic markers) and placing them one at a time in small squares, I departed dear old Brooklyn to meet Stephanie back in the city. The next time I'm here I'll be a resident.


By this point in the afternoon schools were beginning to get out and hopes of making it to the ones I have my eye on in Manhattan were all but lost. I also had to consider the fact that I wasn't dressed the part for an interview thanks to a lesson I learned about Brooklyn in the summertime in a shirt and tie on Tuesday. We headed out to get some lunch and visited a couple of New York tourism staples. When we actually live here, Steph and I have a plan to spend the weekends acting as tourists and hitting up all of the sites in the city. We are going to start with one of those tacky double-decker bus rides where they stop to gawk at every hole in the sidewalk where a star has spit and every building one was arrested in. We might even wear I Heart NY t-shirts and statue of liberty visor caps. We'll do it up properly. There will be pictures, I promise. As we took in the sites of the city I took some shots of the Apple Store, St. Patrick's, FAO Schwartz, and some other stuff I took while we were walking around.

We ran through Central Park and took note of all of the nannies acting as surrogate parents to the children of people too busy to be busied with their own children at 5:00 in the evening. Central park is beautiful by the way. Incredible. I know it is breathtaking on its own, but after walking around the concrete jungle of the city, it is such a breath of fresh air to see more than one two trees grouped together.

We were just in time to sneak into the Natural History Museum before it closed to check out the space exhibit, dinosaurs, and of course, the squid and the whale (though disappointingly, these are in separate rooms in real life). We didn't have time to actually look at any of the exhibits, but it is one of the first things I want to do when I have a whole day to explore the premises.

We ended up going back to Ray's for dinner. Hey, it's cheap and delicious. We then headed to Union Square where a series of non-violent protests were being held condemning China's actions in Tibet and calling for a boycott of the Olympics. I joined a mailing list for more info on the next protest. This is such a crazy place.

Look Mexico wins Subway Band of the Year Award!

Riding the subway this morning listening to This is Animal Music, Look Mexico's full-length, I realized that it was the quintessential subway soundtrack. I know this is a bold statement, but hear me out. The screeching of the brakes, the sound of the cars going over the tracks and the drums and bass all seemed to line up at one point on the 6 line from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I was staring off into space looking out one of the windows and I saw my reflection in the foreground while other cars, platforms, and people rushed past in the background. It was just a really cool New York moment for me.

Later on I was listening to Anberlin's Cities and the album really made sense to me for the first time. I don't know if it was because I had never truly listened to what the lyrics were saying or if it had something to do with being in the city for a week, but it just seemed to fit. Not bad for a band from Orlando, Florida. Just a coincidence I'm sure, but when the song Godspeed came on I was standing on the corner of Lexington and 51st. ..."Lexington, cross your veins"...

Would you give this man a job?

Today began the big job hunt. Once I find one I will take its blood and smear it all over my face. For now, I am disgustingly bloodless. I walked all over Bushwick looking at schools and trying to get into some to talk to someone. It doesn't work quite like it does in Florida. Well, now I know... and knowing is half the battle. I must have walked nearly 100 blocks around Brooklyn. I spent the day meandering. It all felt kind of pointless. Oh well, there's always tomorrow. I'm going to start looking for jobs in the city.

The Bombardiers

Probably what I will miss most dearly about Tallahassee will be my band - The Bombardiers. It seems, like most good things that have happened to me over the past year, that it was tragically short-lived. I have never felt a connection with a group of guys musically or personally like I have with them. I wish I could take them with me. Hint, hint.

Alas, life gets in the way of such things sometimes. For the moment, there is one thing to look forward to - we have at least one show left. You can call it my farewell Monticello show. It's this Friday at The Shop in downtown Monticello. Music comes rifiling out those doors at 8:00 pm. We are planning on recording both the audio and video live - so come out and share in this experience with us.

Anyone seen August Rush?

I think the most surprising aspect of the city is the way it sounds. Outside of our hotel room a chorus of car horns, revving engines, and voices rises up from the street. I have never heard so much music in my life. Walking down the streets in Brooklyn was like walking right through a Putumayo compilation. The countless ballads of Brooklyn oozed from open apartment windows and passing cars.

Early Sunday morning I stepped off of the subway and right past a Baptist church, which was really just a small room in-between the corner deli and a Chinese take out restaurant. The power of the music flowing out of the open door into the street vibrating the walls and nearly knocked you back a few steps. The organ was a wall of sound, and the only way to describe the vocalist voice was deeply deeply soulful.

Heading back toward the city, I began to notice a lot of people carrying instrument bags. Some I recognized - guitars, a stand-up bass, a banjo, violin. Still others were more intriguing built into shapes I had never seen before. While waiting for my first subway to emerge from the tunnel I stood and listened to a Chinese man playing an instrument I had never seen before. It was played like a cello, but was skinny and had a huge resonator at the bottom. I have no idea what it is called, but it sounded like the soundtrack to every movie you have ever seen that takes place in an Asian country.

Across the tracks on another train, I caught a crowd gathered around a man feverishly drumming on a set of ten-gallon buckets. The intensity and intricacy of his drumming reminded me of Justin. The crowd was really into it, and so was I for that matter, but the 6 train came and cut me off from the spectacle. I could still hear his steady heartbeat over the roar of tracks.

In the park where August Rush played, street performers had set up all over the place. The first act I caught was a six-piece reggae ensemble. It was a strange combination of reggae, rock, rap, ska, and had a violin player. It was - alright. Later in the same spot I would catch these guys:

As I headed out and back to Brooklyn for one last time that night the diversity of the city really struck me for the first time. Sitting there on the subway, I saw more different types of people in one spot than I had seen in a long time. My train was a, at the risk of sounding cliche, melting pot of races, sexualities, economic status, nationalities, ages and cultures. The sounds of the train hissing through the tunnel and the steady clacking of the tracks were joined by the myriad of languages being spoken on that particular car. I closed my eyes and let the sound of it all wash over me.

The MoMa and the Lease

We woke this morning anticipating an early call from our new landlords detailing when and where we could sign a lease. Well, we would be kept waiting all day. Fortunately for us, we happened to be waiting in New York City. Even more fortunate is that through Steph's job we have free access to most of the museums in the area - a.k.a. free views and we don't have to worry about running in and out or not making the most out of the experience. I put together an album of pictures we took at the Museum of Modern Art. You can take a look at it here. The lobby of the museum has this awesome rainbow fruit stripes gum look to it. You remember that gum you just had to get in the checkout line at the supermarket because it had the fun flavors and the zebra mascot, but the actual flavor only lasted for about two minutes outside the door and was never
any good to begin with? This was the first real museum we both went to in New York, so Stephanie was really excited to take me upstairs and introduce me to "her friends." We went upstairs and took what I'd call the speed tour of the MoMa. Led by the hand from hall to hall we visited with Van Gogh, Monet, Matisse, and on and on. It was all kind of dizzying. We didn't know when we were going to have to head out to sign the lease, so we headed to check out the current exhibit. I was pretty floored by the first piece. If you ever have the opportunity to experience Take Your Time by Olafur Eliasson I highly recommend it. The first piece we encountered was entitled Ventilator. I apologize that I took the video sideways, please bear with me. If it helps, you can turn your computer monitor on its side, or simply tilt your head 90 degrees to the left (in a slow motion techno club dance manner).

Basically, it's the coolest ceiling fan I've ever seen (pun quite intentional, I assure you). It would swing in these giant arcs across the room propelled only by a small bedroom fan. I have one of these at home I'm thinking of trying this with. If only my ceiling was a bit higher. The rest of the exhibit was mostly concerned with the eye and how we perceive images. The artist, Olafur Eliasson, utilizes light and mirrors to fool the eye into altered perceptions. In one long hallway the entire room is coated in bright yellow light, which, in effect, created a monochromatic filter for our eyes tuning everything into grey scale. Check me out in black and white:

My favorite room involved a nearly 360 degree curved wall which randomly changed colors and hues. It reminded me a lot of an iPod commercial. I danced in front of it a bit pretending I was Chris Martin or Bono, but people just stared so I stopped acting like... well, myself. The pics below were taken in the same room. There were too many pieces of interest to talk about here, but if you see one in the slide show and have a question about what it is or what it does feel free to ask. After waiting around all day, we finally rode the train over to Brooklyn to meet with our landlord at 6:00. Boy, we sure were strung along for a while. Anyway, everything worked out, except for the fact that I had to cram in the back seat of a car that would have already been too small with out the two car seats and the extra box of whatever occupying the space where I was supposed to discuss the lease and sign the paperwork. Seriously, these people in Brooklyn don't seem to appreciate the value of an office. I was never once allowed to go visit their office. By the way, I later learned that this car we were meeting in was one block away from their office. Bah. People amaze me sometimes.

We walked all around Times Square that night looking for a Ray's pizza. It's the one in the Iron Man movie. At about 11:00 that night we finally stumbled on one and it was glorious! Here's my first taste of Ray's:

Later on at the Virgin Records megastore I saw this microphone sponge and thought it was pretty awesome. Good night.

*This way you can pretend you're the fourth Jonas Brother while singing along to your favorite Disney produced pop song.

Union Square and the Apartment Hunt

Sunday morning in Manhattan seems to move just as fast as any other day. We began to make appointments to see apartments while we were still in the Tampa airport. For weeks, we had scoured Craig's List to find scam artists at it and real apartments come and go faster than you would ever imagine. Finally, Sunday morning we had a real stroke of apartment hunter's luck. I had called and left a message regarding an apartment and within ten minutes we had received a call back and were out the door on the way to Brooklyn. We viewed a number of apartments, but ultimately the one we fell in love with was the first apartment we ever went to in New York. We sign the lease tomorrow. That's it. Bang. Just like that. We had been in New York for less than twenty-four hours, and we had an apartment by 11:00 in the morning. You can check out some pictures we took here.

By noon we were starving, but we still wanted to walk the area a bit. We stepped into a local deli/grocery/convenience store and bought a sub. New York lesson #2: Real spicy mustard requires accompanying beverage. (In case you missed it, probably because it was only inferred, New York lesson #1 was: always have your umbrella handy.) Back to the hotel we rode. Back over the Williamsburg bridge and through the bowels of the city subway. We emerged at Lexington and 49th street greeted by the sight of The Barclay a block away. Now we wanted to celebrate our good fortune. We headed down to Union Square, via Subway of course. Have I mentioned how much I've enjoyed the walking and mass transit? I've even gotten used to the speed with which you are required to dart through traffic in order to continue on your way. We spent some time in the park at Union Square shopping the street vendors and listening to the street performers play. I bought a pair of shades from a lady for $5.00. The nose bridge piece disappeared somewhere around an hour later. He he. Oh, and there's three giant shoe stores and a Forever XXI we had to visit (obviously not for me on this one). We learned that New York lesson #3 was to have comfortable walking shoes. Steph traded in her flip flops for this cute, yet functional pair of tennis shoes. Once again, we were starving. We at at a little paneraesque restaurant where everything was served on foccocia. Not really what I'd had in mind for my first New York pizza, but it was still pretty good. We'll go to Ray's (as seen in Iron Man) later this week. Steph indulged me and we went to The Strand across the street. I have never seen so many books, and I work in a bookstore. I think Sinatra put it best, "I'm in heaven..." A few bargain book purchases and an hour later, we headed out past the movies where we were dismayed to see tickets went for $11.50 a person. We can't even pretend to be students as our student IDs are from Florida State. Oh well, you win some you lose some. Now I'll have to watch all of my movies illegally online. Just kidding.

We headed back to Brooklyn to walk the neighborhood again, this time at night. Our street was really safe and quiet; snug would be the word. We walked for about thirty blocks and took the G line back to the city. Someone was really looking out for us today.

Us in Union Square.

Rocking my new aviators.