Like a favorite summer dress...

...that's what coming back to my blog after two months away is like. It's not that I forgot about my favorite summer dress, but it's just been too cold to wear it. So I put it away, knowing I'd get back to it when the earth warmed up and the sun started to shine again. My blog has been sitting on the shelf for a while, because not only did I go on vacation for almost three weeks, but I've been settling into life here. So let me fill you in on the last few weeks of winter, and re-introduce you to my favorite dress... I mean, blog.


- I survived the curse of the city. As the long winter months stretched endlessly on into what felt like Narnia "always winter and never Christmas" I discovered something even more terrifying than the barren, frozen concrete. Bed bugs. These creatures are the bane of the earth, and I cannot believe that I had them. Sure, I'd heard tales, but they were obscure, hazy, stories that belonged more in a sci-fi novel, not actual reality. I had no real understanding of what they were or how they were to be avoided. To say they are like the Black Death is a gross overstatement, but in the moment it definitely felt like I had some sort of shameful disease, with itchy bites, in which I was worthy of quarantine and sympathy looks from those who knew (and very few knew, as they are the curse of the city, and just saying it too loudly causes people to run in terror and not touch you or enter your home. So maybe comparing them to the Black Death isn't a massive overstatement).
The process of getting rid of these heinous bugs is extensive and expensive. While our landlord paid for the extermination, we had to bear the burden of paying for everything else. Everything had to be laundered - everything. Towels, sheets, clothing, rugs, the shower curtain. And we have to pay for our laundry here. That alone cost me almost $200, to send out my laundry and pay for it to be washed and dried. Then everything had to be put into plastic bags and sealed shut - pictures came off the walls, books came off the shelves - our apartment was a wasteland. We had to live like this for 2 weeks. But I am happy to announce that we have been bed-bug free now for 2 1/2 months. And I have turned into a paranoid, crazy person. There is no way to avoid them and there is no way to determine from whence they came. Ergo, stepping into the street and onto the train, and into stores each day is a scare. I am just hoping bed bugs are like lightning - and never strike the same place twice...

-I went to NC for 18 days. It was a wonderful visit to my sweet home and I was able to celebrate Jillian's beautiful wedding with close friends. I held babies, kissed them, caught up with friends over coffee and dinner and laughed with cherished friends. I miss them all so much, but going back was surprisingly good closure for me. Many of my friends are moving out of the area, getting married, and are starting families. Our last "hoorah!" was held in the house I lived in for over 2 years with incredible women - they are all moving to different places and now I don't know who will take over that lease. I left Raleigh with closure, love and treasured memories, and with renewed determination to make NYC home. Life never goes backwards, and I am thankful to be here.

-I have not been diligent with my compilation of crazy customer stories lately. I only have one from the last week - I asked a customer (50's-ish) for her email address. She looked at me and asked "what's email?" Now, I realize she wasn't born yesterday (perhaps she thinks I was with that ridiculous tale). But c'mon. Come up with a more convincing lie. Or at least say - "no thanks!"

-I've been obsessed with St. Vincent and David Byrne's Love This Giant as of late.

-My friend Kelcie's mom and her friend came into the city for a visit, so I got to spend some time with them doing "touristy" things that I haven't had a chance to do before. We rented boats in Central Park and yes, I rowed and yes, I was horrible at it. It was really fun, and only $10 for an hour, so not a bad deal. We also went to the Met (I loooove museums, but hadn't had a chance to go to the Met yet. We perused just a small section of the museum and I am determined to make it a day trip in the near future).

-Summer is coming. I went out for a drink with my friend Margaret the other night and as we walked through Brooklyn, I commented on the excitement summer brings to the city. The restaurants open up their full-length windows and doors, tables and chairs spill onto the sidewalk, heat rises from the concrete and the buzz of conversation flows through the city into the warm, humid summer's night air. Summer is my least favorite season, but living in a place where it's May and only 60 does make me crave the warm, humid nights. Let's see how I feel come July!

-I miss being able to see the stars here. I hadn't realized until I went back home just how much I had missed my favorite activity - stargazing.

Well, I hope like the dress I've missed, you have enjoyed coming back to my blog. I promise I'll have some crazy customer stories for you soon!