Thursday, September 20, 2007

Re-runs & Rentals

We hit the pavement again on Monday, beating down doors and fielding job offers like you wouldn’t believe. Alright, so power suits were not part of the equation. More often than not we field calls from potential employers while checking e-mail in our wrap-towels, bobbing our heads to Rooney and frantically searching for the remote to turn down the volume on whatever Hills or Newport Harbor rerun is playing in the background. Less than two weeks ago, I knew nothing of Spencer-Lauren drama, Chrissy’s overprotective parents, and I didn’t have any job leads. Now, I have interview experience, I offer my condolences to Chrissy, and I totally side with Lauren. Glad we have that established.

I have neglected to mention that I have become quite accident-prone since arriving in New York. It might be the latitude or my proximity to sea level or maybe it’s the phase of the moon. Whatever. I have managed to poke myself in the eye while removing a contact (even though I’ve worn them for 11 years), leaving me with a blood-shocked retina reminiscent of Freddie Krueger. Less significant but also noteworthy would be the burn mark from the oven on my right wrist, the massive suitcase the package of four D-batteries I dropped on my foot while unfolding my air mattress, tripping over the cellar doors that stick out of the sidewalks next to restaurants, and the multiple collisions with random furniture and bumps in the subway.

KR had a promising interview yesterday(!) I think the most encouraging thing about it was that it’s not a job that could be found in Texas. When it comes down to it- that’s why we are here, and while none of us expect to walk into an office barking orders, I think I can speak for all of us when I say it would be nice to be in a position with a respectable level of responsibility and to be able to learn from someone who knows how to do their job well… and it would also be nice to find a reasonably priced three-bedroom apartment. Is that so much to ask?

We browsed the online apartment listings for our favorite neighborhoods today. Finding a place here is quite the daunting task- from what we have heard. In addition to your first -born, right arm and life savings- you must produce (in our case) guarantor information, a recommendation from your previous landlord, proof of employment, a valid W-2 form, recent bank and credit card statements. All of this to apply to rent an apartment that may or may not have hot water, rodents and working electricity (we’ve heard all the horror stories you can think of.) Of course- we’re still on the job front. This is only looming on the horizon.

We picked up pizza last night and headed to Bryant Park for supper and our favorite free activity; people-watching. I love Bryant Park; walking into it feels like being transported to a scene in Paris. There are millions of tiny circular tables surrounded by chairs that look like green toothpicks sticking out of the ground, a nice restaurant covered in ivy, a patch of look-but-don’t-touch grass, and an outdoor bar that is always hosting the same corporate-looking meet and greet event. The entire scene is protected by a frame of thin trees, leaving it the perfect little secluded spot in the city.

We power-walked to Gramercy Park this morning to check out the area and find a building on Park Ave. where AV has an interview tomorrow morning. There were a lot of stroller-pushing nannies and guys sporting 80’s sunglasses and lip rings, which was just confusing. The park itself was locked, and there was no Gramercy Park Welcome Center that I could find, so I was not about to hike the fence.



I’m now waiting my turn to use the new Ethernet cord we found in the studio yesterday- the old purple one was about 18 inches long and you had to use your laptop in a secluded corner. We are now making use of the white one we found- it’s pretty much the length of an anaconda, and since we are stretching it across the headboard of the bed, under the coffee table (that weighs 80 pounds, by the way) and to the couch, I’m fairly confident that someone will either spill something on it, trip on it or get tangled in their sleep.

Okay, my turn with the Internet and then I’m getting these three to bed to rest up for some very important interviews and an accounting exam in the morning.

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