Well, here I am in NYC. I can’t believe I’m actually here – it still doesn’t seem real. Yesterday I got up at 3:30 AM (it’s been a long time since I remember seeing that hour) to quickly get ready and leave for the airport. My flight left LAX at 6:30 AM. Who knew that flights left that early? It was a fairly quick flight, thanks in part to a girls’ field hockey team that was seated around me. There were all about 15-16, so their conversations were cracking me up. I was sitting next to one of their chaperones, and I suddenly became the person you hope never sits by you: The Talker. I started asking her questions about where the team was from, what they were doing in LA, etc. At least I was The Talker Who Got The Hint, because after a few monosyllabic answers from the lady, I stopped asking her questions. When my flight landed in Washington, D.C., I had to take a tram over to another terminal in B.F.E. to catch my flight to JFK. I made it with about 10 minutes to spare, just enough time for me to realize that my plane was one of those TEENY TINY prop planes. Well…it was hella windy, and I think the plane’s wheels needed an alignment, because I felt close to death – seriously. You know it’s a bad flight when there is a pilot on your flight and he looks concerned and the plane is STILL ON THE RUNWAY. I said so many Hail Marys and Our Fathers. God was all, “How come you only talk to me when you think you’re going to die?” And I was all, “Just do your job, God!” We get along well, God and me.

After a one-wheel at a time landing, I got on a Super Shuttle to the city. The traffic was pretty crappy, but once again I was entertained by the people around me. Two guys in front of me were pretty sketchy, but next to me and behind me was a British Family. The daughter was probably our age, and she was with her mom and aunt. I love British accents. Everything sounds so charming when they talk, like when the daughter said, “Oh look, in that ambulance in front of us they’re giving that man CPR.” It was adorable. When I said to them in response, “welcome to New York,” they did that laugh that only British people do: you know, where they giggle and go, “Cheerio, cheerio, good show,” and all of that. I was The Talker in the shuttle, too, but luckily the Brits humored me. They are our allies, after all. After an hour’s drive, I was finally at my hotel. I was too exhausted to go out, so I ordered room service from the Tex Mex place downstairs. I was starving, having only eaten my breakfast fruit and some pretzels on the plane. I should have kept that in mind when I ordered a margarita to be delivered. It was really strong, and even with my food, I was good to go after half of it. Don’t worry, I drank all of it. I like to think of it as a sleep aid.

This morning, I got up at 6:30 (or 3:30 again, as far as my body clock was concerned), so I could be at my apartment building at 8 AM to pick up my keys. I hate waking up to that alarm clock beeping sound. I should have plugged in my nature sounds clock! It rules! Anywho, I also woke up to a stuffed up nose and a cough. Not so fun. After I got all my crap together and checked out of my hotel, I could tell it was going to be a long day. Luckily, I got a cab quickly and the drive across town only took about 10 minutes. My driver took me through the park, which was cool because I’ve never really been in Central Park before. I got my keys quickly as well, and then it was time for the biggest task of the trip: getting three pieces of luggage, a purse, a computer bag, and myself up to the fifth floor with no help. Keep in mind that one of my bags weighed 57 pounds, one weighed 45, and my carry one probably weighed about 15. Add to that my computer bag, and we are close to what I weigh. I have to say that it was one of the hardest physical things I have ever done. I may have wanted to cry, tears may have been in the corners of my eyes. But fear not! Although I am not freakishly strong like my friend Christi, I managed to get everything up to the fifth floor. By the time I had everything in my apartment, I was DRIPPING with sweat and my body already hurt. Not that my cold helped at all. I stripped off my sweater, boots, and jeans, opened a window, and laid down on my coat for 30 minutes waiting to cool off enough to go to work. Man, that sucked so hard.

Once my body temperature dropped into the low hundred’s, I left my building and went across the street to get a bottle of water. I drank an entire liter of water before I even left the store. I grabbed another and some soup, then headed for my office. At 9:45, there was ONE person in the office. One. I don’t know if it’s because of the holiday weekend or what, but most people rolled in around 10:30 – 11. I’ll have to see if that’s the norm tomorrow. Not like it will make a difference to me, I like getting in early, leaving early. Some people stay here until 7 or 8! What a bunch of nutters (I learned that from my British friends). Today has been a somewhat easy day. I’ve had a lot of paperwork to fill out, and a couple of meetings, but mostly I’ve been walking around meeting everyone again. I’m not the best with the names, but I can at least remember when I supposed to know a person’s name or not. Let’s just say I have a lot of names to put to faces, but I did recognize a few people by their voices. Right now it’s about 5:30 here, and I am thinking about taking off. I am feeling poorly – I would have left hours ago if I were still in LA. Thank goodness my blow-up bed arrived today, now I can go home and have something comfortable to lay on. My coat didn’t really cut it earlier. My parents get in later tonight, so I will have to get the place ready for them. Ha ha, just kidding, there is nothing to get ready because I have NOTHING in my apartment! Good times. My TV and entertainment center arrive tomorrow, and like I always say, a house is not a home until you have a TV. Who needs a real bed or couch? Not me. I need to be able to watch the OC.

I think that’s about it for now. Tomorrow my computer arrives from Burbank, so I won’t have to suffer in the Intern Station anymore. I don’t know about the interns at other companies, but there is some…questionable material on this computer. Stuff that would get this email rejected by dirty-word scanners. So, let your imaginations go crazy, because you won’t be far off.

I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was very nice. Now I’m going to head back to my apartment and hope my cold goes away.