New York Happenings, February 2008 Edition

Friends and family,

For the last 21 months, since I moved to NY, I have tried to send an email to update you all on the happenings of NYC and my life there. Thank God for leap year is all I have to say because between laziness and business, I had no time to write until today! So happy leap day!
My good news for you all this month came in the form of a letter from Columbia University’s School of nursing which I received on February 6th. I didn’t actually open the letter. Scott told me over the phone while I was at work that the letter was arrived and did I want him to open it and tell me whether I got into their Entry to Practice program (in which you attend for 2.5 years, get your BSN (RN) in 1 and use the other 1.5 for your specialty and come out a nurse practitioner.) I didn’t want him to tell me so we hung up saying he’d bring me the letter to the play we were seeing tonight, at which point I told my friend (also future bridesmaid!) Amy L. that he had the letter and she said, “Are you crazy?? Find out what it says!”. In the end, I had Scott open the letter, scan it and send it to me by email which took about 30 minutes and he had my desperately watching my inbox all that time wondering what could be taking so long. Did he decide to make a sandwich and eat it while I was waiting? Did he call his parents to tell them first? How upsetting! In the end, he tricked me by writing “Sorry hun” in the email, while the letter was actually an acceptance!! My response? To call Scott and cal him a jerk for teasing me to which he responded, “I was saying sorry for taking so long.”
So there you have it! Only took my a whole paragraph to tell you all that I was accepted to Columbia University’s Combined BS/MS nursing program in acute care. That means somewhere at the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011, I will be a nurse practitioner, able to attend to all of your acute care needs. I can’t wait! School begins on May 28th so my final day at the VA is May 23rd. Am I sad to leave, you ask? Nope. Minus having met some of my favorite people ever, who I completely intend on keeping in my life. So what’s the loss? Some socially awkward psychiatry research jerks who barely know my first name, let alone that my intelligence is above 40.
As I begin my new adventure at Columbia, Scott will be ending his 3 year program there and graduating with an MFA in acting. He will be leaping out into the real world of (struggling) actors, and it will be quite interesting to see how he fares. However, I believe in him, and he believes in himself. And that’s what will get him places.
In terms of crazy New York stories this month? I was witness to the strangest train car entrance EVER when a 20-30 y.o. Latino man got on the train whispering while moving his head from left to right, “Shark...shark….shark…shark…shark.” Almost as if he was actually hunting for one. He sat down on the train. Was completely normal for the 5 minutes he was on it. And before he left, he repeated his “shark…shark…shark…shark…” mantra and got out. That was weird. However, at this point, having adapted to the city, nothing seems all THAT weird anymore. I have probably missed about 10 good stories this month, because I don’t really pay attention to people and their crazy antics all that often. They’re just New Yorkers.
Lastly, wedding plans are going along swimmingly. Location, band, and judge all in place. My sister and her husband, Steve, are in the processing of buying a house in suburb of St. Paul which is super exciting. And everyone else keeps trucking along. One last thing. Please my friends, keep our friend Jean S. in your thoughts and prayers in the coming days and weeks. We pray that she may find her way to comfort.

Love to you all!

Lauren

My favorite tee!

Here are pics of the shirt one of my bridesmaids, Amy, got me as an engagement present. I LOOOVVVEEEE IT!!

For those of you who can't read boob font, it says "Future Mrs. Witebsky".

I hope you can read back font (August 8, 2009).
And stop making fun of my hair in these pictures. I'm growing it out ok? Much love!!

"What's that?"....."It's a candy bar wrapper..."- RENT

For those of you who have been reading NYH since it's beginnings, you know that I greatly dislike it when New Yorkers (I swear I never saw this in MN), just non-chalantly drop their wrappers and garbage on the ground like it's their own personal garbage can. It actually infuriates me. So last night, while sitting on the subway, minding my own business at the 145th street stop, 2 teenage guys get on and are holding the doors open for their friend. This is highly annoying because the doors have tried to shut about 3 times, and they're disrespecting the 100+ people who are on that train who have worked all day and just want to get home to their Valentines. All to get one slow ass guy on the train. So I was already pretty annoyed with these boys. Then, as if my disdain weren't great enough already, one of them dropped his kit kat wrapper directly onto the ground in front of the subway door without a second thought. I gave him a crusty look, straight in the eye, and he didn't flinch.

So last night, when I got off the subway at W 103rd, I picked up that kit kat wrapper and handed it to the kid and said "I think you dropped this." He looked more confused than ever. And I think, my friends, I am officially a Minnesotan New Yorkers.

Umm....WHAT?!?!?!

You probably can't read that...but its a letter telling me I got accepted to Columbia's BS/MS Entry to Practice program starting in May 2008!!!

This may as well be my fiance's fan website.

Scott's show got a great review! Check it out!

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/tami6337.htm

AND, the picture below was on the nytheatre.com homepage all day yesterday! (That would be Scott on the right. What a hunk!)

Photo taken by:Rena Chelouche Fogel

We'll take what we can get

Scott made a cameo in a clip animated by a high school friend of his. This educational clip is on the superbowl. Look closely, and you'll see Scott looking handsome as every in a Ben Folds t-shirt. His path to fame is slowly forming. *wink*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xLpQdnCuZ4&feature=user