And Then...Gone

I was reading this:


Then as I approached page 23 I realized it wasn't there. Nor was page 27, 35, 51. A few here and there in the beginning of the binding. I was shocked and annoyed. I've had this book on my shelf for going on 2 years now. So there is no hope of just returning it. I was pissed off by a lack of assistance from Barnes and Noble though not surprised. I remember them being fairly uncaring back when I worked for them. Basically I need Diana to help me because she's the Queen of Schemes.

I've had this whole week off and it's been glorious. I've kept myself busy for most of it. And by busy I mean I've had at least one task for each day which is apparently all I need to feel accomplished.
I took a tour of a culinary school. I don't know if it really put a fire under me, since taking a massive loan to pay for it will take some sort of miracle for me to just bite the bullet and do it. But at least I got the tour out of the way and can get some of the mystery out of my mind.

We applied for a new apartment on Tuesday afternoon and still haven't heard anything. Which of course leaves me in a panic. But I haven't persisted in looking at other places because what point is there? If I find another suitable place, it's not as if I'll put in an application while I have another application floating out there somewhere. Well I'm getting all agitated just thinking of it so I'll stop there.

A Week Off

I should feel relaxed. HA!
I have the next week off but I've been methodically filling it up to keep myself busy. Whenever I have a few days off I have these hallucinations that I'm going to be busy and exciting but then I sit around in dirty sweats and go back to work all depressed. Not this time!

Saturday I'm going to look at an apartment in the morn. It's in Washington Heights, not Inwood, and that gives me heartburn even though it really doesn't matter (does it?). Then in the evening Mark is having a gathering of Teaching Fellows at our place. I'm all nervous that no one will show up and we'll just feel more lonely and isolated. So if you're reading this and you're nearby you're invited regardless of profession. Saturday, the 13th. Our place. I'm making Mexican black bean dip, baking focaccia, and possibly a spiced chai cake. Feel free to bring your favorite drink.

Sunday. Well in the evening I finally get to use my tickets to the NY Flamenco Festival. I'm muy excited. Monday, more apartments with a realtor (ick). Tuesday, a tour of the Institute of Culinary Education. Wednesday afternoon, a Swedish massage.
You get the picture.

But I'm stressed because I'm gonna end up paying rent for two apartments at one time. I can sense it. And I'm gonna be freaked out about handling tuition for ICE. I really should just go with it. And sometimes I can tell myself to chill. To remind myself of my college slogan 'go with the flow'. I was actually a pretty calm person in college.

Dolla Billz

On Monday I was looking at my puny checking account online. There were two charges that had appeared, dated for Monday, still pending. They were pretty small amounts but I was annoyed, slightly worried. As I was on hold to my bank to ask WTF? I suddenly remembered being really tired and feeling "flamboyant" and popping into my nearby Dunkin' Donuts for an extra morning coffee a few days earlier. Ah ha! That's what that is, DD taking forever to put in my charges. Taking so many days actually that I thought it was really weird and I filed it away in the back of my mind. Because that's what I need. More shit to obsess and worry about.

So today my cell phone ring-a-ding dings and it's good ol' Wells Fargo calling. Apparently there are some suspicious charges on my account. And a tingly feeling goes off in the back of my mind. So they list the usual boring charges "C-town Supermarket, C-town, Dunkin' Donuts, Dunkin' Donuts, a $1 charge from iTunes for today, and a $92.73 charge from some website that was declined."
I literally guffaw into the phone. "Nope, No, No, Nay. I've never bought anything from iTunes, ever, and I've never heard of that website, and I haven't even been on the internet all day, I've been at work"
And even though I'm all calm and professional I'm totally freaking out on the inside. This isn't exactly someone using my credit card. This is someone using my debit card. This is actual cash from my checking.

So I was pretty lucky that the 92 dollar charge was declined and they put a claim against the $1 iTunes charge (yeah, it's a dollar but it's still fraud I guess) and I'm getting a new card with a new number. Which is funny because this was a new card.

My instinct tells me that something went very fishy at that Dunkin' Donuts and someone tried to get one up on some unsuspecting customer. My boss said something interesting: it must be someone young to buy iTunes and then go for an electronic on some website. I agree. I'm also really curious what song I bought on iTunes today. I'd like to think it was something my stolen dollar could be proud of. But this is no joking matter.

I'm a victim.

Thanks Homegirl!

So this morning I woke up feeling semi-cheery. I don't know how or why I just did. It's really kind of a miracle. So I enjoyed my morning, packed my bags, layered on the outerwear and headed to work.

Upon arriving at work I realized that I had left the electric blanket on. That hangs over my birds. On High. There goes my good mood. All I can see is my birds being incinerated, only after being terrified, and all because of me. I can't get over it. Especially because it was on High. I once left it on Low on purpose because it was crazy cold in the apartment and that bothered me all day and I swore I'd never do it again. Then I go and do this.

Do I hang on until my puny, sad, pathetic 30 minute lunch break, hop in a cab, run up 5 flights of stairs, run back down, hop in waiting cab, and return to work? All to turn off a blanket? Ugh. That would only make me feel so much better because I'd still have to wait until noon.

So I'm in my FREAKOUT! mode and I'm standing in the classroom and I look at Gina. Pretty, quiet Gina. She watches the early drop-off kids. Basically I see her for about 5 hours a week, maybe. I've never had a conversation with her. But she's a nice dresser, soft spoken, good with the kids, pretty much seems all together a nice girl. I turn to her and ask her what she's doing after her stint there. She seems confused. School and babysitting.
'If I pay you twenty bucks (all I had on me) will you go to my house and turn off the electric blanket?'
She looks at me like I have three heads. I wish I did, maybe I'd remember to turn the fucking blanket off.
She asks me where I live, apparently around the corner from her. She doesn't seem like she's going to do it and I'm trying not to beg. But as she's walking out the door she goes 'Ok, where do I go, what's your cell number?' etc.

So if your question is "Jamie, did you give a total stranger your house keys and ask her to go into your house, alone, to turn of a blanket?"

You're damn right I did.
And she didn't take the money.

I want to thank her and my instinct goes to baking something. But this girl doesn't look like she gives into tempting food, she's tiny. So I'll have to work it out. Perhaps she's just a nice person who did a good deed but I can't not thank her in some silly way.

As for my good mood, it came back....a lot of my jerky students were absent!

Gonna Try Harder

I really want to try and stay an active blogger this year. I think of all these things to write about (none serious of course, all silly) but then I just never share it.

For example: my sister bought the Theatre Trio (mom, sis, me) tickets to the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center to see Turandot. I'll get into that more but that's something I should share, no? Or the fact that as I was leaving the Ghetto Castle (my apt. building for you who never picked up on that) some guy was snorting coke off his fingertips right in my hallway. It was great! I felt so safe! And cozy! And so sure that the money I spend on rent is worth it!

I'm obsessively pouring over apartment ads but I don't want to put any money on an apartment until at least Mid-March. We still have to pay April rent here in hell so I don't want too much of a dent to our savings.
A few people say why not just find a place and skip out? Intriguing yes, but I really don't want that to come back and haunt us later.
We had trouble getting another apartment because of some shit my dad had do with his own landlord (problems with sharing a name and f'd up SSN issues) I don't want anymore crap following me around. I'm hoping that leaving this crap-hole with a clean record will help make the mark on my records disappear, even though it's not really my mark. Does that make sense?

So yeah, the Opera was fucking amazing. The building itself, the chandeliers, the sheer size of it. The amount of people on stage, the sets, the sets, the sets. It was pretty cool. Or more, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman comes to mind. Without the rich lover, the diamond necklace, the amazing seats, the limo....you get the idea. Wait...was it a limo? It was a motorcycle wasn't it?

Past Reads: 2009

My reading list for the year gone past.

The Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen
The Ruins of California by Martha Sherrill
Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner
Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros
Testimony by Anita Shreve
How Perfect is That by Sarah Bird
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling
Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh
The Circus in Winter by Cathy Day
Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
While I Was Gone by Sue Miller
Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Atonement by Ian McEwan

A Quickie From Work

Um, yeah. So that January! Good stuff. Anyway nothing up with me that I haven't whined about before. Mark and I are not resigning our lease. HOORAY to the end of the ghetto castle. One winter without heat and one year bobbing and weaving through the ample array of drug dealers was enough for us. Even if our savings dwindles in our attempt at bettering our living situation we've decided enough is enough. We're not rich but we ain't destitute either.

No, I don't have a wedding date yet.
No, I haven't finished that Amy Tan yet. And I started a new book. But I'll update later.

I made my first quiche the other day. With a homemade crust. Thank-you-very-much.
Still fighting for space at Planet Fitness but always feeling good after my workout.
My hair is at this horrendous phase that causes me to wear a hat ALL DAY. In a very overheated classroom.

My parrot Vinnie is crushing on me bad. I love that he loves me.

Peace out homies.