Haircuts, News, and Yard Sales…

Earlier in the week I went to bed and completely forgot to write a blog entry.  I was on my way to bed tonight and realized I hadn’t written a post today.  I wonder what that means.  I hope it doesn’t mean that I’m getting tired of writing my blog because for the most part I still find it enjoyable and fun.  I guess it’s just something to think about.

There’s really not much to report today.  I slept late and then moved to the living room where I watched New York 1 (our local news channel) and then CNN Headline news.  It was quite the slow news day.  You know it’s a slow day when they are doing stories about a monkey who’s in love with a pigeon and a woman who has been told she can’t keep her pet deer enclosed in a pen in her yard.  It was enough though to keep me entertained for a couple of hours.

After the news I got up and showered and headed out into the city.  It was a beautiful day here.  Overcast but cool.  I took the train down to the Village and then walked to the East Village to get my hair cut.  I’ve been getting my hair cut in the same New York location for about 8 years.  I used to get it cut by Mike the VERY cute Russian who liked to massage my shoulders as he cut my hair.  Unfortunately he had moved to a different place when I returned to New York and for all my pleading for the guys that were left to tell me where, they wouldn’t.  So now I get my hair cut by Eddie.  He’s also Russian and gives a good haircut, but he’s not cute.  I guess that’s what I get for going away for three years.

I’m sitting at my computer listening to a bunch of guys argue on the street below.  They are screaming at each other, but I have no idea what about.  It seems to be all show, so I don’t think I’ll have to call 911 tonight.  What I would like though is to be paid a nickle for everytime the word “nigger” is shouted on my street corner.  I’d never have to work again.  It’s used sometimes in anger, sometimes as a friendly greeting.  But it’s used often.

I deposited  my “yard sale” items in the lobby tonight.  I had collected quite a pile of stuff in the living room over the last week.  Most of it was stuff that I should have never brought to New York with me.  An old Polaroid camera, a purple bedspread, a bunch of clothes, lots and lots of books I’ll never read again, a palm pilot, several gym bags, a drafting table…the list goes on.  More than anything it was stuff that I no longer wanted taking up precious space in my bedroom.  So out it went.  I put it all in the lobby with a sign that said, “Free Stuff.  Help Yourself.”  I figure people will take what they want and anything that’s still in the lobby on Monday I’ll take to the garbage.  I know, I know I probably could have sold it, or donated it for the tax deduction but everything’s a little more complicated in New York, when you don’t have a car and getting anywhere with the stuff is a challenge.  This way people who want it can have it for free.  It’s like my own little public service.

A Day In The Life…

It’s been much calmer in the hood tonight.  The police went by with their sirens on earlier, but they drove right by my block.  Let’s just hope it stays that way.

It’s finally cooling off here in the city.  Last night I finally slept with the windows open.  Which was nice because the breeze was blowing and the temperature was quite nice.  But it sucked because every ounce of noise also drifted through the window.  I was finally able to tune it out around 3:00 a.m. and get to sleep.  What I wasn’t able to tune out was the jackhammer at 8:00 this morning.  It was like a drum pounding inside my skull.  I tried hiding under the comforter, putting all four pillows on my head, but nothing seemed to work.  I finally realized that sleep was a thing of the past and got my butt out of bed.  Let’s hope Time Warner Cable’s repairs that are happening on our street don’t take too long.

On another note, I’ve spent the last week cleaning.  Over the weekend, I cleaned every ounce of the living room, dining room, office and kitchen…and let’s not forget the bathroom.  Since Monday I have been working on my room.  I have a pile of things by the front door to get rid of.  On Friday, I’m going to cart it all down to the lobby and put a “free” sign on it and hope that people take it.  Whatever’s left on Sunday night I’ll cart out to the garbage.  It’s mostly stuff I should have dumped before I ever moved back to New York.  I think my favorite item that I’m getting rid of is a bed spread someone I know crotchet for David and me about 5 years ago.  I’ve never used it, and it’s been stuck in a  box taking up precious space since I got it.  It would have been great if it had been an afghan, or a throw but it’s big enough to fit a queen size bed.  Oh, and it’s purple.  Just what I’ve always wanted a queen size purple bedspread.   As I said, I’ve been working since Monday and I’m still not finished.  I have about twice as much stuff in my room as should be there.  The worst part is that I have clothes for the skinny me, the medium size me, the large me, the extra-large me, and the extra extra-large me.  The medium and large clothes are very nice because I tend to be a clothes horse when I’m skinny, so I don’t want to get rid of them.  Just in case I actually make it to skinny on the diet this time.  It will probably take the rest of the weekend to get my room complete.

And I should probably let all of you know that I finally got the start date for my waiting tables gig.  I start next Wednesday.  It’s orientation day.  I don’t know much else.  I have no idea what my schedule will be like for the next few weeks, which is kind of annoying because I can’t make plans.  But a job is a job so I’m not complaining.

Oh, What a day…

I’ve been kind of bummed all day.  For no reason really.  It’s just how I feel.  I think it might have something to do with being up so late last night.  I’m no longer used to the really late nights after being in Maine for a month.  I’m used to being in bed by 11:00 or midnight at the latest and getting up by 9:00.  Last night I got into bed at 3:00 a.m. and probably read for 30 minutes before I turned off the light.  And then I woke up at 10:30 a.m.  I tried to go back to sleep, but it was no good.  I finally got out of bed at 11:00 a.m.

And then I made the mistake of stepping on the scale.  I discovered that I had gained a pound since yesterday for no apparent reason.  Nothing’s more depressing than realizing that you are gaining weight when you are trying to lose it.  I’m sure it’s some fluke, but it’s made me think about being fat all day.  I was sitting on a machine today at the gym and like all gyms this one is surrounded by mirrors.  As I sat there I found myself staring at my reflection.  I did not like what I saw.  The face is okay.  But everything south of that needs to go.  My gut is huge.  My legs are huge.  My chest is huge.  And my butt’s the biggest of all.  For all my trying to remind myself that I am almost 30 pounds lighter and on the path to being skinny, all I could see was the fat Maddog.  At one point I almost left the gym.  It felt useless to be there.  No worries, though.  I stayed.  I didn’t lift weights as long as I should have, but I got through most of the exercises and then did five miles on the treadmill.  Hopefully tomorrow I won’t feel like this.

I’ve been on a cleaning kick since I’ve gotten home.  Before I start my job, I’d like everything to be in it’s proper place.  Which means organizing the DVD’s and CD’s.  Straightening up the bookcases and getting rid of the books that I’ve already read and will never read again.  Going through boxes, and drawers and organizing things, throwing things away, or finding a home for them.  So far I’ve done half my office space, the dining room and one bookcase.  This also included dusting and cleaning everything thoroughly.  I also now have a pile of about 30 books sitting beside my desk that I’m going to take to my favorite used bookstore down in the East Village.  They’ll pay me for some of them, but I’m not too worried about the pennies I’ll get.  I’m more interested in donating them to a place that I like.

In the past two days I’ve applied for two theatre jobs.  They are one off free lance gigs, but they’d both be great experience and would further my contact base in NYC.  I’ve always said you get your next job from your last job and that’s always proven to be true.  So keep you fingers crossed that these two opportunities come through.