Update

As my friend, Brooke, pointed out to me today, an update is way overdue here. I have several unfinished posts saved in my Blogger file, but I simply haven't felt motivated to finish them. For the past month or so, I have been feeling rather overwhelmed and paralyzed by my stress regarding my application for NYU's School of Social Work. The possibility of either decision has created such emotional turmoil for me. If I am rejected, then I'm overwhelmed because I'm thinking "What in the hell am I going to do!? This is it! This is my grand plan! What if they tell me 'no'?"

And then if I am accepted into the program that begins in January, I have a whole new batch of things to be stressed about: I'll have eight weeks to work my 30-day notice at work, give a 30-day notice to my landlord, get registered for classes, find my immunization records, pack up my apartment, find a new place to live, move to NY in the middle of winter (dealing with snow and frigid temperatures), tell my family and friends good-bye fight after Christmas, and hope to secure a school loan when the banks are crapping out. I've been losing sleep over this. I've had a difficult time focusing on other projects (my blog, reading my book, learning Spanish with Rosetta Stone, cleaning my apartment, etc) because I haven't known for what I'm preparing. In short, I've been in limbo.

So I guess this would be the time to say that I found out on Friday that I GOT INTO NYU!!

And now I'm mostly stress-free because I have a beautiful happy medium! I am going to NYU, but I have been accepted to the program that starts in September 2009 rather than January. Now I have eight months to prepare for this colossal move. I now have plenty of time to plan, say my good-byes, and save more money---the more money I save, the less money I have to borrow. I'll be moving to New York City in August. I can't believe I'm saying that. I have wanted to be in New York City since I visited for the first time at the age of 18 (best weekend of my life, by the way). To think that I'm going to earn my MSW with the resources of New York City at my very fingertips simply blows me away. What a brilliant opportunity this is. I don't think I've ever been this excited about anything in my life.

Let's see...what else? Oh yes! Friends, I would like for you to meet Isabel.

So...how many cats does it take before one is officially labeled a "crazy cat lady"?

Yet another kitten (another tuxedo kitty) has shown up at Chez Pam. I swear, folks, I don't go looking for them or chasing them. They come to me as if someone has given them my name and address.

A few weeks ago, I was getting home after work. I opened my car door and placed my left foot on the ground as I leaned over to gather my belongings from the passenger's seat. I heard a soft high-pitched "mew". My ears perked up, and I listened....there it went again---"mew". I looked down, and there is this tiny black and white kitten standing next to my foot and staring up at me (much like she is in the above photo). Again, she pleadingly said "mew" as she placed her paw on the top of my shoe. Well of course I'm going to pick her up and take her in; who didn't already see that one coming? She practically dove into my neck, snuggling and nestling there, and she purred like a lawn mower.

As with Milo, I started out insisting that I could not keep her, and I fervently looked for another home. I e-mailed friends and I contacted rescues. My friends at work were checking with their families and friends.

Long story short---she's staying. Sigh.

I took her to the vet, and she is definitely a female. She weighs 4 pounds, and it is estimated that she's 4 months old. I'm happy to report that she's negative for FIV, leukemia, and worms. She received her rabies shot, as well as her first FIV vaccine. In a couple of weeks, she'll go back for her leukemia vaccine, as well as her 2nd FIV booster.

She's made herself right at home. As a matter of fact, I think she has the nerve to try to establish herself as the alpha kitty in a home containing three males---a geriatric, a young adult, and a pre-teen. Jasper (the young adult) sneaked up behind her as she was eating and harmlessly began to sniff her. She whirled around, hissing and growling, and he immediately backed down. She turned back around and resumed eating. "You go, girl!" I thought to myself. In spite of her feistiness (some would call it brattiness), the boys have made her feel at home. Gus tolerates her (which is pretty high praise coming from Gus). She and Milo have become fast friends, and they wrestle, stalk, and chase each other. Jasper gets in on the action, too. I'm going to have to give my downstairs neighbors a little extra something at Christmas for being so kind and patient; I have no doubt that they can hear every kitty footstep, especially when they're dashing around at midnight.

I took a great trip to Charleston SC a couple of weeks ago. I'll write about that in my next post.

And that is what's going on with me. I'm thinking I'll probably start a new blog once I get to NYC. It'll be about the move, adjusting, living in NYC, and being a grad student at the age of 42.

I'll let you know when that one's up an running.

Day 3 (And 4) in New York - Part 2: The U.S. Open (And Going Home)

Monday night was the climax of my trip! Anyone who knows me also knows how badly I've wanted to attend the U.S. Open Tennis Championships since I was 12 years old.

I caught the "4" train to 59th and Lexington Ave and strolled the 5 blocks to Brooke's office building. I looked around a lot (as I always do when I'm walking around NYC) because I'm fascinated by the varying architecture. One of the most beautiful buildings I saw during my walk was the Central Synagogue, which is located on 55th St.

Central Synagogue

I met Brooke outside of her office building, and we headed over to a joint called Qdoba Mexican Grill to grab a quick dinner. I thought it was really good! It's kind of like Subway restaurant. You walk through the line and tell them what you want. Afterwards, we took the "N" train, and then transferred to the "7" train, which took us to the tennis center.

After we exited the train, the walk to the tennis center was very exciting to me. I could see the familiar landmarks that I see on television every year...except this time, they were looming in the horizon and getting bigger as we walked.

Getting closer! That's Arthur Ashe Stadium

It's a pretty long walk from the grounds entrance to Arthur Ashe Stadium, and the signs directing you were pretty much non-existent. My first impression of the U.S. Open staff is that they're quite bossy. From the moment we entered the grounds, we were surrounded by people barking orders through a bullhorn. "If you are carrying a bag of any size, you MUST move towards the left! You MUST move towards the left!" "If you have a laptop computer, you MUST move to the right and check it! Laptops are NOT allowed in the stadium!" etc, etc. Everyone obeyed, and we moved through metal barricades like cattle. I joked that I was waiting to be zapped with a cattle prod because I'm not a very fast walker (I prefer to blame that on my short legs).

There are beautiful colorful banners on display that feature the past U.S. Open champions

The brackets!

Our seats were in the upper level, so we got to ride several escalators. The trip up was a scenic one, and I took a few photos on the way up.

The Unisphere built in 1964 for the World's Fair

Action on surrounding courts

I was very excited about the view from our seats! On television, Arthur Ashe Stadium looks gigantic (it's the largest tennis facility in the world), and I thought the players might look like ants to us. Surprisingly, it's actually a pretty intimate setting! You know how on TV, the crowds are shushed at the beginning of each point? And they're not allowed to use flash photography? And no movement is allowed during points? And people are only allowed to leave or go towards their seats in between points? Well, that ain't the case with the upper level seats and we peasants who sit there. It was total anarchy, I tell you! People were chatting audibly on cell phones, chit chatting among themselves, and getting up and down during points. I was irked each time I had to stand up in order to allow some pinhead to pass in front of me with his beer and nachos during a point. I don't understand how a person can be present at such a monumental event and not want to soak in every moment. I suppose there will always be people around who aren't there because they love the sport. There are those who want to make an appearance because it's trendy to be able to say that you were there. I happen to be a tennis purist who deserves nothing less than front row courtside seats!

The view from Sec 340 Row F Seat 14

I forgot that this is the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Open. In 1968, the tournament became open to both professionals and amateurs, thus elevating the quality of tennis being played. Great Britain's Virginia Wade was the ladies' champion that year, and the late great Arthur Ashe became the first African American to win a major tennis title as he took the men's title. Because it was the 40th anniversary, the opening night ceremony was a pretty big bash--much to my thrilled surprise!! Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke, and Academy award-winning actor Forest Whitaker hosted the ceremonies.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Forest Whitaker is introduced

A choir from Harlem called the Songs of Solomon performed, as did a youth drum corps called Drums of Thunder.

Songs of Solomon : An Inspirational Ensemble

Drums of Thunder

The magnificent Earth Wind & Fire performed! I kept waiting for them to belt out my favorite "September", but alas, it never came. Additionally, performers from the Broadway musical "Jersey Boys" sang some numbers from their show.

Earth Wind & Fire

The "Jersey Boys"

And finally...the highlight of the night for me! They introduced former champions of the U.S. Open! Many of my childhood idols were there, and it was all quite thrilling for me. The champions included Virginia Wade, Rod Laver, Stan Smith, Billie Jean King, Ilie Nastase, Chris Evert, John Newcombe, Guillermo Vilas, Tracy Austin, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Boris Becker , Gabriela Sabatini, Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, Marat Safin, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Roger Federer. Arthur Ashe was represented by his wife and daughter, Jeannie and Camren.

The Champions gather

The parade of champions. The lady in black in the middle is Gabriela Sabatini. She and Chris Evert are clasping hands as they walk by each other. That made me smile.

The colors were presented, and a giant American flag was unfurled as Earth Wind & Fire performed "God Bless America" along with Songs of Solomon.

This scene sent chills up my spine and gave me goosebumps.

Finally, we were ready to play some tennis! The night's matches featured the women's No. 2 seed Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) vs. CoCo Vandeweghe (United States) followed by the men's No. 9 seed James Blake vs. Donald Young (both from the United States).

The match between Jankovic and Vandeweghe was pretty anti-climactic, though Vandeweghe was fun to watch, and she hit some impressive shots...her serve is quite good. Jankovic was never truly tested, so we didn't get to see any glimpses of her brilliance. She wasn't really forced to exhibit her champion form. During her post-match interview, however, she was her usual charming and engaging self---she thanked the crowd for coming out, and we acknowledged her with a warm round of applause. She then autographed three tennis balls and hit them into the upper levels so that us peasants could have a shot at a souvenir.

That's Jankovic in the yellow dress receiving Vandeweghe's serve

And this is Jankovic hitting one of her autographed balls towards fans in the upper level seats

Donald Young is a 19-year-old U.S. Open rookie from Atlanta, and he gave James Blake a run for his money! These two put on a very exciting match that went 5 sets and well into the next morning (Blake won). At this point, the wind was blowing and it was actually pretty chilly! Brooke and I were exhausted and cold, so we left around 12:45 a.m. during the 4th set. Part of me hated to leave because we were witnessing a very exciting match! But the part of me that wanted to be warm and in bed won. The trains don't run quite as frequently during non-peak hours, so it was almost 2 a.m. by the time we got back to Brooke's place. Needless to say, we went straight to bed without much fanfare. We were both exhausted.

That's Blake at the bottom returning Young's serve

I got up early the next morning so that I could say my good-byes to Brooke before she left for work. Thankfully, she decided to go in a little late, so she had time to recover a bit more from her long and late night. We hugged as she was walking out the door and we said good-bye.

The balance on my Metrocard was enough for one more bus/subway ride, so I decided to take the $2 bus ride to the airport rather than the $15 cab ride. It's a little bit of a pain keeping up with luggage on the bus, especially when it's crowded (which it was), but it's worth saving the $13. I disembarked at the Delta terminal at LaGuardia, and I got my luggage checked within 10 minutes. I grabbed a slice of pizza at Sbarro's along with a bottle of water, and I plopped down at the gate with plenty of time to spare.

I'm happy to report that the flight back to Charlotte was uneventful AND on time. My suitcase came through on the baggage claim carousel very soon after we landed, and then I rode the shuttle to the daily parking garage. I was out like a flash, and I walked into my apartment around 6 p.m.

As always, I'm eager to get back to New York City ASAP! Hopefully, I'll be returning there as a new resident by the end of the year. I'm grateful for the trips to Westchester (north of NYC) and to Long Island, because it showed that I have other options of places to live if/when I become a student at NYU or Columbia U. Living in the city is going to be very expensive, and I think it would be very very difficult to live there as a poor college student. Brooke and her friends gave me some good advice about places to live that are right outside of the city, as well as the various modes of public transit that take you right into the city. The Long Island Railroad takes you to Penn Station, and the Metro-North takes you to Grand Central. Each of those locations is a short subway ride away from NYU. Knowing about these other options eases my mind and makes me feel more optimistic about my chances to succeed there. Once I have my master's degree and a job, then I'll look into completing my dream and moving into the city...preferably to Queens.

My application to NYU is almost complete, and I'll be putting it in the mail tomorrow. The NYU School of Social Work's website states they take 4-6 weeks to review an application and make a decision. Hopefully, I'll know something by the middle of October, and then I can start taking the next steps.

Stay tuned!

Day 1 in New York: The 'Burbs

The view as we touched down at LaGuardia. Who says New Yorkers aren't friendly?

My flight from Charlotte to LaGuardia was uneventful, and I was looking forward to dinner that night in the NYC suburbs with Lauren and Jayme, a married couple with whom Brooke is close.

Brooke met me outside of baggage claim, and we hugged as we loaded my suitcase into the trunk of her Mazda sedan. She mentioned, "Lauren wants us to pick up a patio table on our way to her house tonight." This made me laugh because Brooke said it so casually, "patio table" could have easily been replaced with "head of lettuce" or "bag of ice". The thought "How are we going to fit a patio table into this car?" flashed momentarily through my head, but it dissipated as suddenly as it appeared. It turned out to be rather prophetic.

We figured we'd walk into the first store we found, pick out a table, and head north for dinner. However, it seems that finding patio furniture in a northeastern state on the cusp of September is not all that easy. After visiting one Target and two Home Depots, we finally found a table at a gigantic liquidation discount store. We liked the table we saw on display, and we were delighted to find that there were plenty in stock AND it was on sale for 50% off! We looked at the box, looked at each other, and the question of "Is this going to fit in the car?" was introduced. Naturally, we had no tape measure with us. We examined the box from several different angles, and we knew it would be close. So we threw caution to the wind ('cuz that's how we roll) and decided to take a chance on it.

Brooke paid for it, and we pulled the car to the front of the store and waited for the table to be loaded. We looked at her car and decided that this would never work. The box was going to be too big. We shook our heads as we waited for the gentleman to bring the table out. We planned to tell him "Sorry, but it's not going to fit", get Brooke's money back, and head to Lauren and Jayme's sans table. A young guy rolled the table out with a hydraulic truck dolly, and another gentleman who appeared to be the manager came with him. Brooke popped her trunk, and the manager shook his head, saying "No, it's not going to work. It's impossible." However, his young employee was more optimistic. In a soft voice laced with what sounded to be an African accent, he stated that we could indeed get the table into Brooke's car. He tried to fit it in several ways, but it wasn't working. It was just barely too big, which made it all the more frustrating. We were standing around and shaking our heads when the young man asked, "What if we take it out of the box and load the pieces separately?" Our faces lit up as we enthusiastically agreed that this was a brilliant idea! Our young friend cut open the box with his box cutter, and we were cooking! Brooke and I tossed the legs, brace, and hardware into the trunk as the two men started to load the table top into the car.

Suddenly, it was no longer about the sale. It was no longer simply two employees trying to load a table for a customer. They turned into "guys" who now had a project. Come hell or high water, they were going to figure out how to get this tabletop loaded into Brooke's Mazda 3. They were driven by the challenge that had been set before them. Their eyes glazed over, and they went to work. Doors were opened and pushed to their maximum span, headrests were removed, seats were reclined, and billions of stryofoam particles were expelled. I was wondering where Brooke and I were going to sit if and when they did manage to get the tabletop loaded. I envisioned having to lay flat in the backseat while Brooke drove us to dinner.

And then somehow....somehow...the table slid in. They were able to shut all four doors and return both front seats to their upright positions. I clapped my hands and proclaimed that a miracle had just occurred. Her car reminded me of one of those bottles that contain a model ship. You don't know how the ship got inside, and you don't know how to get it out with breaking the bottle.

The drive up to Lauren and Jayme's was something of which Lucy and Ethel would have been proud. Bear in mind...the glass table top was balanced precariously on top of the headrests. One end was resting in the back window while the other teetered just behind our heads. Brooke tried to slow down when we came to tricky spots in the road, but it's impossible to dodge them all. I'd reach behind my head and brace the glass with my hands as we simultaneously yelled out "OHHHH!" each time we hit a bump or a dip. We'd cringe and listen for the sound of glass cracking, but it never came. At one point, I was laughing pretty hard. But only because the glass never broke.

We finally arrived at Lauren and Jayme's beautiful new home located just north of NYC. It's a gorgeous house set in an idyllic neighborhood...a perfect place to raise their new baby son, Alexander.

Lauren and Jayme's beautiful home

I finally got to meet little Alexander. He's the cutest and smilingest baby! His face is so expressive...he reminds me of Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes". Everyone wanted to hold him. Lauren and Jayme were gracious enough to allow him to be passed around like a cigarette.

Brooke, Lauren, and li'l Alexander

Believe it or not, the tabletop came out of the car much more easily and quickly than it did going in (ain't that the way it always happens?). I will say, however, that the expression on Jayme's face was priceless when he initially looked inside of the car and realized we weren't exaggerating with the "model ship in a bottle" analogy. Jayme is the last of a dying breed. He is a thirtysomething guy who knows how to repair stuff and put stuff together. He had the table assembled in less than half an hour, and we were in business! The table looked great, and it even matched the four chairs that Lauren had bought earlier at a different store! I am convinced that this table was destined to live in Lauren and Jayme's backyard.

Jayme enjoys the fruits of his labor

Lauren and Jayme are the most gracious of hosts! Lauren brought out some chilled pink champagne and pita crisps while Jayme got the grill fired up. Remember how I said Jayme can fix stuff and build stuff? Well, he's also a grillmaster! He has it down to an art. He has all of those grilling accessories that nobody really knows how to use or what they're for...but Jayme knows! He cooked pork sausage links, hamburgers (to perfection!), fresh corn-on-the-cob, and peppers. Lauren prepared some tasty baked beans. We had quite a spread! I had never eaten grilled corn-on-the-cob before...it was truly some of the best tasting food I have ever eaten. I practically buried my face in it. It smells like popcorn when it's grilling. We ate it straight off the cob with the husks still on. It doesn't get much fresher than that, does it? It was so pretty, I took a picture of it. Yes. I'm that dorky.

Mmmmmmmm!

We ate and ate and ate, and we shared wine, beer, and conversation. Sitting in this wonderful backyard on a breezy summer night while the sun went down and the crickets chirped, I thought of my childhood and how this used to be my favorite time of day. Brooke and I commented that we never saw lightning bugs anymore (the "do you call them fireflies or lightning bugs" debate ensued). About 15 minutes later, little yellow lights were flashing all around us. It was the most relaxed I have felt in a long time.

By this time, li'l Alexander was bathed and tucked safely into bed. Lauren, Jayme, Brooke, and I relaxed in the den and watched television and talked. It had been a long day for all of us, so we were all in bed by 10:00. We slept with the windows open, and I could hear the crickets chirping as I lay in bed waiting to doze off. I was asleep within 10 minutes, and I slept hard. It was a good good day.

Start Spreadin' The News...

My upcoming trip to NYC will soon be upon me...I'm leaving Saturday morning. I'm very excited! NYC is my favorite place to be!

I checked the seating diagram for my flights, and it looks as if the flight up is a full one. Sigh. I always secretly hope that the seat next to me will be empty. Coach seating is so cramped, I consider it to be a special treat if I can have a row all to myself. However, it looks as if my wish will come true for the flight home...so far.

I'm not sure what exactly we'll be doing over the weekend, other than attending a cookout on Saturday. However, my friend, Brooke--with whom I'll be staying--and I managed to score tickets to the night session on Day 1 (Monday Aug 25) of the U.S. Open Tennis Championship tournament! I am so excited about this that I can hardly breathe when I think about it! I have wanted to go to the U.S. Open since I was about twelve years old, so a childhood wish is finally coming true!

Brooke has to work during the day on Monday, so I'll be on my own. I just booked a great walking tour of lower Manhattan...Ground Zero. Whenever I visit NYC, I feel a need to reflect on 9/11. While the rest of the world may have emotionally detached seven years later, NYC is still grieving. And how can they not be? There are reminders everywhere.

A firehouse located near the apartment I rented last summer. The plaques you see on the front right wall each represent a member of this squad who died on 9/11.

After my tour, I'll probably go say 'hello' to the Statue of Liberty since I'll be in the neighborhood anyway.

On Tuesday, I'll fly home, and my adventure will be over. For now, anyway.

I'll be traveling with my laptop and posting tales from my trip. Stay tuned!