my adventure of leaving the City

Well, I did manage to get out of NYC. Though not without some degree of adventure. After panicking on Tuesday, I began searching for a way to the airport. I called Super Shuttle- booked. I called Dial 7 car service- booked. Everyone was booked for the next day. After all, I wasn't the only one who needed an alternative to the transit system.
Luckily my fancy grad school was offering a free shuttle in light of the transit strike. So I joined my suitemate at 8am Wednesday morning to begin making my way to the airport for my 2pm flight. We located the shuttle near the campus that would take us down to Penn Station. No problem. Along the way, I saw many stores and restaurants I don't usually see because I'm riding underground. As we made our way to midtown, I saw increasingly more pedestrians. I also saw the something that would become the highlight of my trip- a business man in a suit pushing a scooter (probably his kid's) to work.
Once at Penn Station, I could not find the bus service to the airport. So I called and was told to go to the corner of 7th Ave. and 33rd St. After my bagel and coffee with my suitemate, I hugged her good-bye and went outside to look for my bus. I saw two buses, neither going to the airport. Then I spotted a van that said airlink so I headed over there. I didn't see the driver so I called to see if I was in the right place. They told me yes, but that it wasn't there van. Right about that time, the driver showed up and asked if I was going to the aiport. I told him yes, but that the woman told me that airlink wasn't the right van. He said for $12 this van would take to Grand Central then the airport. Hey, I didn't care how I get there, as I long as I did. I got in the van.
So, I took my second shuttle of the day across Manhattan to Grand Central Station. There I bought my bus ticket to the aiport and waited in line. Luckily I didn't have to wait too long and before I knew it, I was on a bus on my way to the aiport. My third shuttle service of the day.
I arrived at the airport at noon. From that point everything seemed to be going much better. Apart from the fact that I was starting to feel sick. The first leg of my flight was from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina. Talk about a southern state... It was like being in a foreign country. Finally at 7pm I arrived safely back in Texas. It had taken me nearly all day, but I managed to get out of New York and home for the holidays.

Merry Christmas!

well, now I am stressed

I have managed to go through my entire finals week without feeling overly stressed. I have just finished, edited and printed all 6 papers even though they are not due until 5 o'clock this evening. When I haven't been busy writing papers, I've been going out enjoying my last week in New York before going home for the break. I've had a busy schedule, and yet I managed to work everything out. I finished what needed to be done and still had lots of fun. I was never stressed.

But now I am stressed. Last night I rode the subway down to meet some friends for a celebratory "we're done with statistics" drink. I'm glad I left long before midnight. Otherwise I might have been walking home 30 blocks.
It's official. The subways and buses have stopped running. This leaves me among one of many millions of people who have no transportation. My last minute Christmas shopping I had planned to do today will be a real challenge. Thank goodness for gift cards...

The real stress is thinking about tomorrow. My flight leaves out of La Guardia at 2:00 in the afternoon. My original plan was to leave about 11:30 on the bus. Time for a new plan. Looking out my window all I see is traffic. Even if I do manage to get a cab or hire a car, it could easily take me a couple of hours to get to the airport. This is stressful. Once at the airport, I'll have to hope that the airline crew also made it there. Otherwise there might not be anyone to fly the plane. This is stressful.

This is how the NYC transit strike is affecting me:

• Today I must walk 25 blocks in the cold in an attempt to do my last-minute Christmas shopping
• Tonight I will miss the chance to hang out with several of my friends who will be unable to make it uptown
  
• Tomorrow I must find an alternative ride to the airport or start walking now
• I will also need to supplement the $2 I was planning to spend on my ride to the airport with an additional $48

This transit strike is ruining all my plans. This is stressful.

Family in the City

Okay, you might be wondering where I've been. I've been busy. Between classes and work and dates and guests, there is little time left to write.

Mom and Sis were in town starting late Thursday night. We woke up Friday morning to see huge snowflakes falling and thick snow on the ground. After some coffee we headed out (yes... into the cold, winter wonderland). We went to Columbus Circle and walked across the bottom of Central Park. It was beautiful. Then we walked down 5th Ave all decorated for Christmas and accented with snow. We went to the store H&M and it was all downhill from that point... ha, ha. I got a white coat for Christmas. It looks fantastic, very chic.
I took them to Rockefeller Center to see the Tree. Then we went to a brewery for lunch. Afterwards it was more shopping! We went to Century 21 which is a huge department store with discount brand names. "New York's best kept secret" had plenty to offer. I found a fabulous hat that says "I'm Carrie Bradshaw". The store had lots of great buys, but I wasn't willing to sort through more people and stuff. By this point all the walking and shopping had worn us out. It was time to go home, nap, and get ready for our evening.
I took Mom and Melissa to my weekly happy hour place. We enjoyed our frozen margaritas even with the cold and snow outside. Then we went next door for French food. It was great upscale dining. Afterwards we just went home and crashed. We had a very busy day, and we were tired. The next morning I had to work (I really hate my job lately, but that is a different story). I did wear my fantastic new hat and received lots of compliments. Mom and Melissa hit shopping on Canal Street. By the time I called them to say I was finished working, they were loaded down with shopping bags. So they brought them back to my place, then we were off again. We went to get hamburgers at this great little dive restaurant on the west side. They were pretty good... Then what did we do? More shopping.
Saturday night we had dinner reservations in the theater district on Restaurant Row. It was excellent. Then we met my suitemate and went back to see Rockefeller Center at night. We also saw the snowflake light show accompanied with music. Much like the light show at the Bellagio in in Las Vegas, except snowflakes not water. Then we went dancing on the Lower East Side. My mom managed to stay with us until midnight, but when she was falling asleep at the table we sent her home. The rest of us got home about 4am. Even though we were in the city that never sleeps, we need to sleep. We had another day of shopping.
The next morning I was still tired, but we had to take advantage of the day. We went to brunch back on the lower east side at a place recommended to me. From the outside it looked a little scary, but inside it was great. It seemed to scream New York. For $15 we enjoyed 3 mimosas and our brunch. I plan to go back.
Then we walked over to Canal Street. I saw parts of the city I didn't know existed. Once on Canal Street there was definitely more shopping. I got a pair of Chanel sunglasses.. for $10. They'll go great with my new white coat or my new hip hat.
After all that, we went back to my room, popped popcorn, watched TV and waited for the car to pick them up for the airport. I said good-bye to them at the curb, then headed back upstairs to face what I had managed to avoid all weekend:
I have to write a paper due Wednesday. And 6 more papers due next Tuesday. I guess it can't be all fun and games.

the weather outside is frightful

It is officially cold here. There is no fire to keep me warm. But I do have a very powerful radiator. It only knows one temperature: hot steam. I can't adjust it, yet I don't want to turn it off because it is bad for the pipes and the room will get cold. So instead, I try to create a balanced temperature by running my fan and cracking my window. This system seems to be working.
When I look out my window, I see snow-covered streets. Today I experienced my first snow day in New York City. I experienced it from the window inside my warm room. I've watched as it has slowly melted away. This snow experience wasn't much different from my Texas snow days. I woke up, excited to discover the streets, trees and cars covered in a blanketed white. I've sadly seen the snow melt and disappear, knowing that tomorrow it will be gone. However, unlike Texas I know I can expect many more snow days. I'll start to take for granted the enthusiasm I once felt about seeing snow. I'll dread going out in the cold, snowy streets. But for now, I can't help but say, "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow..."