Guest Blogger: MOM!! (Karen)

Just wanted to update you on my fabulous NYC getaway!

Had no trouble getting into NYC Wednesday. Caught the M60 bus and rode it to 116th, where Lauren was waiting for me.  She took me to the subway and we rode uptown to 157th to her new apartment, which is SO much more spacious than her previous apartment on 105th.  Even though things were still not put away, as she just got in the weekend before I came.  It has a view of the Hudson River from the living room.  The kitchen is small, but has it's own washer and dryer. Lots of closet space for storage. And a BEDROOM!

I put my bags away, then we walked up to 168th where the Columbia Medical Center is located. How impressive is that?!  Lauren is at a renowned school associated with a noteworthy hospital.  She is getting excited...She can actually walk to school daily (10 blocks) or take a bus on rainy, snowy days. It was very impressive.

Next, we took the subway to the Bronx, to the only Target in NYC. We bought shelving paper and household supplies. We brought our stuff back to 157th.  We worked a couple hours covering shelves but ran out or paper. We met up with Scott who was doing a reading downtown that afternoon.  He suggested a BBQ restaurant in West Harlem for dinner. It was fabulous. After dinner, we went back to the former apartment, on 105th, and brought back some items left over from the move last weekend. And that was all on the first day here.

Thursday, Lauren and I got up early to make an appointment on 37th and Broadway to see bridal gowns. We took the subway from 157th to 42nd.  As we were a bit early for the 8:30 appointment, we hit Starbucks for a brew. The first shop was very small, but carried a brand which Lauren happened to like.  She tried on one style, which really flattered her, but as she hadn't looked that much, she took the number of the dress and a card from the lady, and we moved on to the next dress shop.  This shop was much bigger and carried lots of merchandise.  As it was a weekday, it wasn't as crazy as the last time Lauren had attempted to shop there, when it took over 1.5 hours just to get waited on that time.  Lauren must've tried on 10 dresses, until she tried on "the" one dress which so flattered her, there was an "Ahhh!" moment! They recorded the style number and color for us.  We would be back tomorrow to show the bridesmaids. We were successful!!

We left there feeling elated over our success. We stopped for a salad lunch, working our way back uptown.  We stopped at a Bed Bath and Beyond for more shelving paper and supplies.  Another subway ride up toe 157th to unload our supplies.  We then went uptown to Dyckman (near 204th) to meet up with 3 of Lauren's coworkers. One coworker, Amy, just moved into her new apartment and the girls wanted to see it.  So we viewed her apartment, and at her suggestion, tried a Mexican restaurant, blocks from her apartment.  Scott met us there, after an audition.  We had some fabulous Mexican food. Another fabulous NYC restaurant! Back on the subway to 157th and another day in NYC is over.

Friday, the rains came along with a chill in the air.  Lauren and I were to meet two bridesmaids, Amy (with the new apartment) and Jamalyn (Lauren's old roommate from U of Mn).  Lauren tried on her dress for them.  As she was modeling it, another customer asked to try on that dress (a compliment to Lauren, I would think!) Finding one dress to compliment 6 different figure types is another story.  Lauren has a definite color in mind for these dresses which narrows the options.  She also thought she wanted a shorter dress, which further limited the options. Having tried on a multitude of styles, they came to a tentative consensus on one dress, long, but in the color Lauren so wants.  Before we left, we put a down payment for the bridal dress.  Lauren is relieved to have found "the" dress, priced very reasonably, and most flattering to her, before she starts school and gets so buried in homework that she's unable to make time for such pursuits.  I treated the girls to lunch (Chinese- Another wonderful NYC dining experience!) and we parted ways. As it was rainy and cold, we rode the subway back to the apartment and busied ourselves putting things away.  I went back to lining shelves and completed that task, so Lauren could put her kitchen in order.  Lauren, Scott and I went for burgers on 105th and Broadway.  The weather was testy that day but the food and the experience were great.

Today, Saturday, is the most glorious day in NYC that I've experienced. There is a chill in the air, but it's sunny and bright.  Lauren and I trotted up to 168th for a Starbucks by the medical campus, and on the way back, she realized that a certain bus line runs close to her apartment, which is a good option on rainy or snowy days for getting to class. She is studying for a final, so I am busying myself with this email and trying to stay quiet.

It's been a worthwhile and memorable trip.  The one on one time with Lauren and Scott has been valued.  I've gotten to see the new apartment, the new school, help decide on a wedding dress, help sort through the multitude of bridesmaid dress choices, eaten well, and made memories.  I'd say it was a trip well spent!

Will be back in Minnesota Monday afternoon, much richer for the experiences with my New Yorkers!

Love~Karen

Guest blogger: Shauna (aka Shizzy)

Hello all,
This entry is from an email I received from my coworker Shauna who just moved to the city in July. It reminded me so much of my early experiences in the city that I had to add it. And Shauna is just such a character, I thought maybe some of you would enjoy it. And of course, it involves the New York suwbays system as all crazy new york stories should. Here it is:

...I've started studying for the GREs and i'm having an absolute blast. read: the GREs make me want to throw myself on the subway tracks. which apparently people in the city like to do on a regular basis because the only train that takes me to my job has been shut down approximately 3 times in the last 2 weeks due to things like, "a robber jumped into the train tracks," "someone jumped in front of the train," etc. Really, if people want to commit suicide, can't they pick another goddamn train line to do it on?? I need to go to work.

So one of these times the train stopped at 149th street (i need to get to 195th ish) so obvoiusly there's no way in hell i'm walking. and i'm poor so i'm not taking a cab. and of course nothing i need merges at 149th street. so since everyone and their mom was switching to the bus i didn't want to take it. not to mention i figured i wouldn't get as lost on foot as i could get on the bus. so i asked the police officer where the next closest subway station was. he told me and i thought i was following his directions perfectly (i still maintain that i was, and that 149th street is NOT only 5 blocks away from 161st street), but somehow i ended up on some back roads with no one really around over by yankee stadium, which let me tell you, is absolutely not the nicest neighborhood i've ever been in. oh, and i was wearing my neon orange north face jacket. needless to say, i wasn't exactly blending in.

So i asked this parking attendant where the subway was when i decided i was lost again, and naturally he didn't speak english (no one in the bronx speaks english) so he just repeated what i said. (i would've tried spanish but i couldn't tell if he spoke that either because he looked like a frog and i couldn't figure out a clear ethnicity). finally he understood and pointed in the direction, but then motioned for me to get in the back seat, that he'd take me there. so i said no of course, that i was fine walking, and we went back and forth for a few minutes, and then i said thanks and started walking.

A couple minutes later as i'm praying that God would turn my bright orange jacket into a nice foggy gray to blend in with the slums i was walking next to, i hear this honking. I ignore it b/c it's usually some d-bag who thinks that's a good way to pick up girls, but it continues so i finally turn and it's the same parking attendant dude trying to motion for me to take a left at the next intersection. I wave thank you and he drives off, thank the lord. So i get up to the corner where i'm supposed to take a left, but i see the stairway leading down to the subway station on my right. So i ask one of the construction workers there if i can get to the subway going left or do i need to take that one on the right? He looked at me kinda funny and was like, no you can go that way (pointing left). I say thanks and start walking and then look up and realize why he gave me that look.

About 20 feet ahead and above me is blatantly the subway rail with monstrous staircases leading up to it, like impossible to miss if i was paying any attention at all. i like to think that had someone attacked me that morning, my stupidity might have deterred them from following through. So that was a little more long-winded than i had expected, but really, are any of you surprised that my story was long-winded? I'm not.

Poop....river...wider than a mile....(Guest blogger: Amelia)

By Amelia:

Where do I begin with the chain of events that have come to be my life...let just say a black cloud is currently still hovering over my head. I will sum up the last two days as best as I can....here it goes.

DAY 1:

My Tuesday began trapped in my office.....I was sitting here working and I hear a social worker screaming in the hall...mind you I am in the Psychiatic Department so this could mean a number of things..I walk out expecting to see a patient having some sort of hallucination but instead I walk right out into a poop river...yes that's right a poop river. The men's bathroom and its contents began to flow down the hall..and when I say flow- I mean current and all....how does one respond to a poop river, you may be asking yourself? Well...first- shock..as was the social worker's response, as she remained standing with her hands on her head shouting

"Oh my God, Oh my God it is going into my office!"

I stood there for a good 30 seconds registering what I was witnessing and then my instincts kicked in.

"This is a poop river", I said to myself "and its headed your way".

I then ran toward my office letting the nurse next to me know what was occurring...I think I just yelled "poop river!" and some how she knew just what to do... she grabbed some bed pads and tossed one to me to block my door with. So there I was barricaded in my office..with the door shut..awaiting to see if the poop river would overcome my blockade and slip through the crack in the door...and sure as sh$t (no pun intended) it did! And there I was trapped...with no way out. So, being in 'survival mode" I decided to arm myself with a Lysol bottle and my oil diffuser (citrus cilantro will never smell the same) which it took everything in me not to just shove those damn reeds right up my nose. So there I was...for a good half hour..trapped. I began to feverishly write everyone trying to explain what was occurring as a desperate attempt to be saved..somehow.

Finally...I hear Hannah (office diagonal to me) shouting at the cleaning crew..to keep up there morale I'm guessing so they didn't run the other way. So they vacuumed the river...and it finally reached a point where I could attempt my escape. I now fondly refer to as Escape from Poop River. One of the housekeepers kindly sees me attempting to keep my balance on the slick floor and comes over to offer me his arm..as he escorts me down the hall...waddling the whole way. Needless to say, I am still working through the trauma...I don't know if I will ever be the same.

Day 2 to follow...just when you think the madness was over.

Caption: This is a box from the room next to Amelia's which also was bombarded with poop water. Yes...that brown stuff is poop. Hot shit...literally....