Brooklyn Stand Up

I live in Brooklyn. It's very weird to say, that about myself.

As I mentioned, Gerald and I decided to road trip it up here. We left Austin on Friday 5/2 at 7am and arrived in Rockwall where my mom was waiting on us. We unloaded a few things and got back on the road headed east. I fell asleep somewhere between Greenville and Texarkana (I realize that that is a large stretch of land, but I really don't remember), when I woke up we were in Arkansas. Trees...I've never seen so many trees. If I tried to count them I'd run out of numbers. So many in fact, that if God were to have told Abraham that his descendants would compete with the number of trees in Arkansas, I think he would've gotten the picture. So! Up on through Little Rock, and finally hit some bad weather. It's one thing when there's rain, but different when it alters lives. We saw a terrible accident on the opposite side of the highway. I'll tell you one thing, I'm not typically one to "cry" or get "all emotional" or "a little choked up", but this accident was so bad that as a human being one couldn't help but to react. Gerald and I continued on, carefully. Memphis, then Nashville and on to Louisville, KY. We arrived at 3am (east coast time by now - so really 2am) and could not have been more tired. We stayed a friend of Gerald's over night and spent the day with them watching the Kentucky Derby and enjoying the weather. Now, I must make a confession. About 2 years ago I totally talked down on Kentucky. I mean...it's KENTUCKY! What commerce is there? What is the state known for other than horses? I'll tell you what it should be known for...BEING THE MOST GORGEOUS STATE IN THE UNION! I had no idea that Kentucky was so beautiful! I was astonished. I feel like when people dream about America, they see Kentucky. Rolling hills, acres of land, perfectly manicured lawns, and beautiful blue skies. I wanted to stay. I don't know if I'll ever end up there again, but I certainly wouldn't mind. West Virginia on the other hand was another story. Let's put it this way, if I were Virginia, then I'd be glad they seceded from me during the Civil War, not to mention it's the one and ONLY state that's shaped like it has a beer belly. Through Pennsylvania and Maryland with all it's fog. New Jersey was next and finally, New York Sunday morning around 11. FYI I will never, ever, ever, EVER drive another car, truck or van in this city ever again...awful, just awful.

Gerald left on Monday morning after I dropped off our Penske truck. I sat and wept at the counter at the thought of saying good-bye to him. The Penske representative just handed me my receipt.

So far working has been hectic. There are a lot of projects going on right now and so much to do, but I have faith in my team. I know they are capable of even what seems impossible.

My apartment is pretty sweet. New building on a busy street, luckily my window is on the back of the building so I don't really hear anything at all. My room is huge, biggest room I've ever lived in in my entire life, no lie (as soon as I have pics, I will post, but right now it looks a hot tranny mess). There are lots of families in my area. The best part is a bunch of old men that sit outside all day and night and play games on the tables on the shady side of the street.


My new favorite thing to do is sleep with the window open (to feel the cool pre-summer air) and read a book on my chariot a.k.a. the Manhattan/Queens-bound F train - it's interesting being on there, so many characters get on and off. Even the conductor, whom I never see, seems to have a personality. Every morning he says "This is the Manhattan-bound F train. Next stop _________. Stand clear of the closing doors please..." in his thick New York accent. I always think "This man must be narcoleptic because he always sounds like he falls asleep immediately after the last syllable has left his lips" (don't worry, he wakes up in enough time to make the train grind to a halt at the next stop). All of this repeats until I get to 6th Ave and 14th st...I emerge from underground, pass a fruit stand, a bagel stand, Old Navy, a man watering the concrete and Baby Gap. Up 15 stories to T3 NY. This is my new norm.

I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend. I really want to rest and do nothing. This move has been so demanding and I really just want a weekend where I do NOTHING. This will be my weekend...maybe I'll hop on the train and ride up and down on the island reading my book.