Mid-Week Field Trip

It was crisp and sunny this morning when I headed out. I keep forgetting to post a picture of my street, so here's one Neil took when he and Nate checked out the apartment for me.

Super cute, right?

Anyway, I rode the same Sixth Avenue train to midtown but this time got off one stop earlier at Bryant Park to attend an all-day meeting. The upside was free lunch! It was a special event for some advisory partners, so there was quite a spread: served roasted cod in tomato and fennel sauce, lemon chicken, orzo with vegetables, roasted vegetables, salad with feta, olives and dessert. Yummers.

When I got home, it was a bit chilly and drizzly, but I put my computer bag down and then went out to shop for tomorrow night's dinner. I promised Kurt a special "thank you for choosing me" meal. We're having pork chops in a mushroom whiskey sauce. I'd been to a pretty basic grocery store on Sixth Avenue last night, but Kurt told me there is a D'Agostino a few blocks down on Greenwich Street. It was great. (This would be like comparing Winn Dixie or Food Lion with Fresh Market in my past lives--quite a contrast.) I love every little venture I make in this neighborhood.

School Day Pictures

Continuing my "school theme," this morning I walked over to 30 Rock to get my building ID made. (Note to Quincy friends: Where is Miss Debbie to do your hair in French braids when you need her?!)

Again, I must say I cannot believe I get to work at such an iconic New York City location! The bank has a flagship building at Bryant Park, so people act as if working in 50 Rock is sort of a consolation prize, but I  think it's a grand prize. I'm sure the novelty will wear thin at Christmas when tourists are lined up for Radio City and other attractions, but it seems like such fun right now.

For lunch, I made myself eat the rest of my $16 salad from yesterday (I decided I needed to spread that budget-buster over two days.) But since it was cool and rainy, I let myself get a cup of split pea soup too. I did a little midday stroll through the concourse and enjoyed seeing all the lunchtime diversions my new environment holds, including Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Crabtree and Evelyn, Pret a Manger (possibly my favorite chain), Ben and Jerry's, Hale and Hearty Soups, some fancy restaurants overlooking the skating rink, a shoe repair shop, a waxing salon, AT&T wireless, and an old-school barber shop. I love it!

On the way home, I figured out how to walk through the mall to the subway, and I found a grocery store on Sixth Avenue that should come in quite handy. I've promised Kurt a homecooked "thank you for picking me" dinner on Thursday night (his choice: salmon or pork chops), so stay tuned for my first cooking assignment in my new kitchen.

First Day of School

I had a fantastic first day at work! It was sunny and pleasant outside, and I wore a black sweater dress with black and white beads so I'd be properly attired for my phat evening meal. (More on that below.) Since I wasn't sure how my commute would go, I headed down 12th Street in my trusty black coat and baby blue scarf, wearing flats and carrying my hooker boots in a bag.

There is a subway entrance about a block and a half from my doorstep. (Yet another reason I totally scored with my living situation. Thanks, boys!) I had to walk a few blocks underground to get to the train I needed, so I'll probably stay outside in nicer weather, but it was good to know I could be inside if it's raining or cold.

I rode up Sixth Avenue and got off at Rockefeller Plaza, my new office. I wasn't sure exactly how to exit the subway, and I ended up taking a route that had me walking right past the staging area for the Today Show. The crowds had dwindled since it was already after 9, but that was definitely a cheap thrill.

My plan had been to get in a few minutes late because I wasn't sure my building access had been worked out yet (long story). So, I sat down, changed shoes, and emailed my friend Noelle, a gal from Charlotte who moved up here in November. She came downstairs to meet me. We picked up some coffee and then she helped me get settled on the 6th floor of 50 Rock. It is mostly a Marketing floor, but Noelle and one other Communications colleague are also working there, and one of the Marketing teammates who sits near me is someone I know from working in London.

I managed to get onto the bank's wireless network (minor miracle) and felt relieved I'm not starting a new job. Given all the other change, it's pretty awesome to be working on the same thing on Monday that I was doing on Friday. Around noon, Noelle came by to see if I wanted to grab some lunch, and we went back downstairs to the same area where we'd gotten our coffee.

There is basically an underground mall beneath Rockefeller Plaza. All of the office buildings have escalators to connect to it, and it's this subterranean world with all sorts of shopping, services and restaurants. Best of all, it's on the same level as the ice rink, so you can watch the skaters through the huge glass windows. We hit one of the places with a salad bar by weight, and I loaded up my clamshell with all sorts of goodies: roasted brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, tuna salad with capers, pasta salad, broccoli, corn, etc. Then I got to the cash register saw it would be $9 a pound and realized I had probably overdone it. Um, yeah. I bought a $16 salad. Welcome to New York!

The afternoon flew by, and around 5:30 I left to meet my manager, Sarah, who is in town for some meetings this week. Our PR agency partners invited us to meet them for dinner at Monkey Bar, Graydon Carter's restaurant in the Hotel Elysee. It's on 54th Street between Park and Madison, so it was an easy walk from my office. The description on the website is pretty apt: The dining room's lush red leather banquettes and dim, attractive lighting have restored the fizzy thrill of dining in a restaurant -- both glamorous and cozy -- and harken back to a bygone era when a gentleman never left the house without a tie and a lady always had a pair of white gloves in her purse.

Sarah and I got a drink at the bar while we waited for our dining companions, and I enjoyed a perfect cocktail. I think it was called a Monkeytini? I may honestly have to return to have it again. It was a bit like a mojito: tart and refreshing, but with a hint of ginger.

I started with the roast beet salad with goat cheese, walnuts and orange. I'd forgotten my camera, so Ben played photographer with his BlackBerry.

Sarah and I both got the Chatham Cod, which I found to be absolutely scrumptious. The menu was very understated, which I think fits the "old school" approach of the whole place. So, all I can tell you about it was that it had tomato, broccoli rabe and fennel sausage. There was also a nice dusting of some sort of dried herbs for a bit of a crust on the top of the fish. I loved it!

Ben's grilled chicken paillard with arugula, tomato and lemon was so lovely, I made him get a shot of it too.

For dessert, we ordered Eton Mess (my pick; I'd never had it before and was dying to try it...and it seemed like a perfect spring dessert since it's berries and meringue) and a chocolate chocolate-chip layer cake. I loved the Eton Mess. (Hypothesis: Banana pudding is to the American South as Eton Mess is to England. I bet you even get some people who like their meringue mushy and some who like it crispy, just like people and their 'Nilla wafers with banana pudding.)

We finished off the meal with cleverly presented malted mint balls. Big thanks to Kim and Ben for making my first day at work so special!

Now, here's where the day went a bit downhill. It was so pleasant outside that I decided I'd walk the few blocks back to the subway and just ride home. I was enjoying the challenge of finding my way around. This is one for the bad idea file. I had on my boots, and they are not made for walking. I accidentally got on an express train, which skipped right over my stop. It was a bit frustrating but a good learning experience. Fortunately, my neighborhood is quite lively (and safe), and there were still lots of people on the street at 11 p.m.

I climbed the five flights of stairs and made a beeline for the bathroom. New York Lesson Learned: Never leave a restaurant without availing yourself of the ladies' room. You do not want to hold in your Monkeytinis for 40 blocks. 

NYC Welcome Wagon

When I landed at LaGuardia, there were two handsome men waiting for me at baggage claim.

What more could you ask for?! Neil and Nate loaded my bags in their new car. Then we drove to meet my new roommate, their friend Kurt.

My room is pretty small, so I tried to whittle down my wardrobe to the bare essentials. My summer and winter clothes are boxed up at Leigh Ann's for now, and she has one box of shoes and books to mail me. 

(If you live in Charlotte, I must suggest you get yourself to the Junior League Wearhouse pronto to pick through the clothes, shoes and jewelry I had to part with. There was some good stuff! But honestly, this whole moving process has been incredibly freeing. I think we all have more clothes than we really wear or need. It feels great to be down to the basics.)  

"This is a cute street!" I exclaimed as we got closer to downtown.

"I'm glad you think so -- this is your new neighborhood," said Neil. "We're in the West Village."

While Nate parked, Neil helped me lug my bags up the five floors to my new abode, a small room in the apartment where Kurt has lived for almost 20 years. It's hard for a photo to do the room justice, so I'll try to describe it. There is a wardrobe and a dresser for my clothes, plus several hooks on the wall for scarves and other sundries. (Kurt very kindly got some new furniture at Ikea to spruce things up for me -- he had to rent a Zip Car, drive to Brooklyn AND carry the goods up the stairs.) He had fresh flowers in a small vase on the dresser, and the bed was ready with new sheets and striped bedding from Ralph Lauren. The bed was so artfully made, I hated to mess it up!

Here's the view from my bedroom window.

I'll post more about Kurt and the apartment later, but for now I'll just say I couldn't feel more fortunate to have landed here. The West Village is loaded with cute shops and restaurants; it was sunny and in the mid-50s yesterday, so lots of cafes had set out tables on the sidewalk. We can see the Hudson River from the street, and I can't wait to get out for a jog on the greenway path that runs along the entire west side of Manhattan.

We walked by a farmers' market on the way to Cowgirl, where we all had burgers. (It was about 3 p.m. by then, so we were all starving.) Nate had a fabulous mango margarita, which I'll look forward to enjoying on my next trip. (When I got home, Kurt had a funny story about Cowgirl; he said Monica Lewinsky and Chelsea Clinton were both living in this neighborhood for a while and once ended up eating at Cowgirl at the same time. Awkward.)

After lunch, we stood in line at Magnolia Bakery, where Nate and I each had a cupcake and Neil got some banana pudding. I spent the evening unpacking and hit the bed pretty early. All of the goodbyes and packing in Charlotte had worn me out!

This morning, I found my way on the subway to meet N&N at Christ Church United Methodist, which several of my Myers Park UMC friends had recommended. After the service, we had brunch inside Barney's (veggie fritatta for me, club sandwich for Nate, huevos rancheros for Neil), then we wandered around Barney's and Ralph Lauren and walked along Madison Avenue back to their place.

Late in the afternoon, I met up with Kurt, and he introduced me to the Chelsea Market. Cannot wait to go back--an awesome fish market, great sundries store, handcrafted chocolate, cheeses, etc. Great meals await us! I forgot to mention that Kurt made some curried broccoli soup and a ham sandwich on a baguette with chutney and arugula last night. He has a whole row of gourmet cookbooks in the fully-stocked kitchen. Can you imagine a better roommate for me?

One final note: the yellow flowers in my room were in tight buds yesterday. I thought they looked like some kind of baby tulips. Some of you may know that my move was inspired in part by a quote from Anais Nin: "After a while, the risk of staying tight in a bud became more painful than the risk that it took to blossom."

This morning, I did a double-take when I looked I looked at the vase and saw the tight buds had transformed overnight into daffodils!

Here's hoping the flowers aren't the only things blooming in New York this spring.

Charlotte: A Few of My Favorite Things

Charlotte is a delightful place to live year-round, but this city really rocks during the spring. And, honestly, I feel like spring came super-early this year.

New York had snow last week. Charlotte had bright blue skies and perfect, sunny 70-degree days. I've been savoring the scent of the lilies I got from the lady who picked up my sewing machine.

Anyway, I've been collecting dining tips for a friend of a friend who's new to town, and that made me get a nostalgic for all the things I'll miss doing (and, um, eating) in the Queen City. My friend Elyse put together a great city guide on her blog a few months back, but I decided to make a little list of my own favorite spots and favorite memories -- in no particular order.

1. Sandwiches from Laurel Market. Curried tuna salad, BLTs, turkey and avocado. And the sides. And the cake!
2. Muller's Sandwich Shop on a sunny day, when Betty is your waitress and makes you feel like her favorite customer, insisting you taste her cucumber salad and bringing you extra banana pudding. 
3. Asian sea bass at Upstream. It's been ages since I've had it, but I still remember it as one of the best things I've ever eaten--probably a knock-off of Nobu's black cod with miso, but it was new to me.
4. Tony's in Gastonia for homemade ice cream and burgers. I just love local places that have been around forever. A perfect evening trip last summer in LA's convertible!
5. Hiking Crowders Mountain.
6. Discovering Boone and Blowing Rock. As a girl who grew up expecting it to take all day to drive to the mountains (would we ever get out of Georgia?), I still can't believe I can get there in under two hours.
7. Owen's Bagels and their quirky list of uniquely titled sandwiches. I cannot remember what clever name they have for their tuna melt, but I crave it all the time.
8. The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Seriously, our library ROCKS. Leigh Ann and I are its biggest fans. You can order books online, to be delivered to the location of your choice. And you can return books to any location. Blockbuster could have learned a thing or two from the PLCMC.
9. Cardio Funk with Andre at Myers Park Presbyterian Church. I could kick myself for not discovering this class sooner. It is one of the most diverse and inspiring exercise experiences I can imagine--all shapes and sizes getting down to Andre's clever choreography. Exercise should always be this much fun.
10. Amelie's Salted Caramel Brownies. A two-toned brown square of heaven.
11. Foodie Field Trips with my friend Anne, from the Matthews Farmers' Market to the Bradford Store in Huntersville.
12. Something Classic. Mid-day sandwich runs at the uptown location (how will I survive without the turkey avocado wrap with that secret sauce?). Picking up some comfort food at the mini-Teeter on my way home from work (sherry poached chicken with wild rice, I love you!). Spending $75 on picnic provisions (too many good dips to pair with the herbed pita crisps).
13. Pops in the Park, Shakespeare on the Green, Verizon Amphitheater. Memories of watching Jimmy Buffet in the pouring rain one summer night.
14. Tres leches cake, stuffed eggplant, patatas bravas and tortilla espanola at Sole. I am so sad this place closed but thankful I got in one last birthday dinner before it did. My friends always laughed at the way I'd make them go for tapas whenever I visited New York, Boston or D.C. I was so happy when I finally had a tapas restaurant in my own city.
15. Restaurant Week at Sonoma or Aria. Pierre Bader knows how to do Restaurant Week--unlike some of the chintzy restaurant owners in this city. He puts his full menu on the three-course special. Pierre is also Lebanese, which makes him even cooler.
16. The Manor Theatre and Park Road Terrace. Having grown up in a town without a movie theater, I still cannot believe I can get to one in less than five minutes, and I love it that the two theaters closest to me specialize in the artsy or subtitled flicks I like best.
17. Shopping at Goodness Gracious, the gift shop at my church, staffed by volunteers with all profits dedicated to missions. I've found so many cute things there over the years, especially for baby showers. And I made some of my best friends working the register.
18. Sitting outside at Nolen Kitchen or Selwyn Pub -- and the fact I can walk to either when the weather is nice. (Being able to walk somewhere is still such a novelty...flashbacks to Quincy when the only place Ranie and I could walk was the fro yo/ice cream counter at Movie Time.)  Bonus points when Reinaldo is playing live Brazilian music at Nolen.
19. Eating a spinach chimichanga at La Paz in South End. It wasn't on the regular menu, but I had it once in 2004 as a lunch special. I typically have a rule against ordering the same thing in a restaurant, but this was an exception. They always made it for me when I asked. 
20. Drills at tennis clinic on Saturday mornings with Pat and Sam. And, a special shout-out to my first tennis coach in Charlotte, Aaron. Thanks to all three of them for showing me that one's hand-eye coordination improves remarkably after age 15.
21. Walking to church for an evening program and knowing I would see someone who wouldn't mind giving me a ride back home.
22. Sitting on my porch on sunny days and working from home with the windows open.
23. Trading leftovers with Leigh Ann. "I left some chicken pasta for you in the fridge on your floor," she'd ping me from her office seven floors below my cube. "It's in a blue bowl."
24. The Common Market in Plaza-Midwood--tasty sandwiches and an amazing beer and wine selection.
25. Grilling out, especially pork chops. Something tells me this will not be a frequent occurrence in my new digs.
26. Finding bargains at the South End Exchange, a consignment shop for home furnishings.
27. Bunny rancheros for brunch at Zada Jane's.
28. The awesome selection and -- even better -- informed staff at Blackhawk Hardware. My favorite staffer is Sloan, who acted as if he cared as much about my paint colors as I did.
29. The Wednesday food section of the Charlotte Observer. Pages of recipes...what a mid-week treat!
30. Meeting Peggy for Thursday 6 a.m. spinning at the Y...and her endless patience with me when I bailed. 
31. Buying my meat from Bucky at Reids -- and the fact he would give me a discount for singing a jingle. Never again will I find a butcher who took such a wholesome and well-intentioned interest in my love life!
32. Discovering the delight that is Vietnamese food at Lang Vanh.
33. The best caipirinhas and pao de queijo at Chima. I can't speak for the expensive beef buffet, but the bar sure does rock!
34. Not having to travel for holidays like Thanksgiving because I'm blessed to live near so many family members -- and extended, extended family -- here in town. I'll put this one last but certainly not least, as it's likely what I will miss most of all.

Spring Break with "Miss" Lynn

The more things change...

A really cool thing happened to me last Thursday night. I had posted my blog entry about moving to New York earlier that evening, and I'd gotten a stream of congratulatory comments. So, when my phone rang at 10:15 and I saw an 850 area code on the caller ID, I figured it must be someone good.

It was! "Miss" Lynn was calling to see if I wanted to join her for the Duke game on Friday. Of course I did! We both happen to live in Charlotte now. Watching my favorite team and catching up with one of my favorite moms? What could be better? Then I realized Friday was the first day of spring break for my old high school. Flashback to this:

Spring 1994. Panama City Beach.



Our parents insisted that "nice girls" didn't go on Spring Break without a chaperone. Enter Miss Lynn, one of the coolest moms from our class. Our friend Amanda was dating her son, Adam. Miss Lynn was the perfect chaperone -- responsible enough to keep us out of trouble but fun enough to make sure we all had a blast. In fact, I believe one of our favorite nights was the evening we stayed home and played cards with Miss Lynn. We introduced her to some of our new "friends."

I cannot tell you a thing about this young man, other than his name was Cliff. It's somewhat frightening I still remember that, isn't it? I'm certain my attraction to him was largely based on the fact he was a dead-ringer for Morris Suber. I'm certain his attraction to me was based on my bulky J. Crew barn jacket. Way to reel 'em in, Lyns!

Anyway, the eight of us had such a great week with Miss Lynn that we presented her with the perfect PCB memento: an airbrushed t-shirt with our names.

She promised she would wear it whenever she was ironing or washing her car.

I'm sure the t-shirt would have been a big hit at the NCAA tournament, but we pulled out some blue t-shirts instead and watched Duke beat Hampton. Unfortunately, the game wasn't much of a contest. That just meant we had plenty of time to catch up and reminisce.

There is nothing better than time with old friends, especially when you're embarking on something new. It's a long way from Panama City to New York City, but I'll be taking with me a lesson from my favorite chaperone: you can indeed stay out of trouble and still have a blast!

Hello to All That

New York, they say, is for the very wealthy or the very young. I am neither. By the time I seriously considered moving there in my late 20s, most of my girlfriends were on their way out of New York, off to grad school in Boston, law firms in Atlanta, husbands in Dallas. For too long, I convinced myself that door had closed.

Besides, I reasoned, I was too old to live in the kind of tiny apartment I could afford in Manhattan. What would I do with all my stuff? My Cuisinart, my books, my grandmother’s rug? Moving into my condo seven years ago, I reveled in being reunited with the beloved belongings I’d stored as I lived briefly in Brazil, then with my mom, then with my sister. I filled the bookshelves in my condo with my treasured books, categorizing them by genre. I lined up my black boots in the closet. Unpacking all my stuff felt good. It felt familiar. I was home.

I’m not sure when that began to change. Maybe when I realized I should seize the opportunity of being single. Maybe when I did a six-week stint in London and loved every minute of being on my own in a big city. Maybe when I realized the biggest thing keeping me from moving was dealing with all that stuff.

When I bought my condo in 2006, I got a five-year adjustable rate mortgage. Five years seemed like an eternity. I was 29. By June of 2011, surely I’d be married or ready to move into a real house, wouldn’t I?

And yet, here I am. I have zero interest in schlepping my stuff to live anywhere else in Charlotte. I love my condo—even though there’s no way I could sell it in this market. Meanwhile, I’ve watched certain friends’ lives evolve. They’ve finished graduate school, fallen in love, gotten married, had babies. And here I am, living in the same place, working for the same company, going to the same parties. Something had to change. Had I really missed the window on a big-city adventure?

Too many of my ideas about why you’d only move to New York in your 20s come from one of my favorite pieces of writing, Joan Didion’s essay “Goodbye to All That.” It’s about arriving in New York when she was young and naïve. And it’s about leaving years later, jaded and pessimistic, having realized “it’s distinctly possible to stay too long at the Fair.” I’ve read the essay a dozen times in the past 15 years, and I’ve come to realize it’s not just about New York. It’s about the way we all get older, lose our innocence, change our priorities.

“I was very young in New York,” she writes, “and at some point the golden rhythm was broken, and I am not that young anymore.”

I may not be that young anymore. But I’m not that old either. And I’m fortunate enough to have a job at a global company that facilitates flexible work arrangements. Half my colleagues are in California; my manager works on a different floor than I do. We spend our days dialing into conference calls and sending emails. Couldn’t I do that from another location?

Yes, it turns out, I can. My manager was supportive and agreed I could work from an office in New York. Then came the hard part: renting my condo and finding a place I could afford to live in the city. Both happened surprisingly quickly. I found a friend who wanted to rent my place fully furnished; I think she’s as happy to get it as I am for her to live in it. While I chased leads on Craig’s List, my friends Neil and Nate found me a room to rent with a friend of theirs in the West Village. Hooray!

As all this unfolded, it’s been a little bit like finding my way by flashlight. Even in the dark, little signs kept popping up to tell me I was on the right path. Moving to New York has reminded me of those trust falls we used to do at summer camp. And yet, as I’ve jumped, God’s been right there to catch me. Helping me rent my condo, finding me a place to live, giving me the courage leap into something unknown. Being 34 years old and abandoning your own condo to rent a room—a tiny room—may seem like a sad step backward to some people. To me, it feels like following my spirit and letting my light shine. It feels like making the most of this time and place in my life. It feels like choosing to live in a world of trust and abundance, not fear and scarcity.

The grass in New York won’t be greener. In fact, on some cold, grey, lonely days, it will probably seem awfully brown. But you can’t stay too long at the fair if you never even let yourself go in the gate.

Jogging today on a perfect spring morning, I looked at the blooming trees and savored every block of my lovely neighborhood. It will still be here when I’m ready to come back. In the meantime, I’m preparing to travel lightly. How many books or pairs of black boots does a girl need? I feel like I’ve decided to choose between stuff and adventure.

And I choose adventure.

* * *

My heartfelt thanks go to Leigh Ann and Neil for their enthusiastic encouragement of this leap and their help with the logistics. I am convinced God plants angels along our path when we need them. In this move, both of you have been my most faithful cheerleaders. I hope I can someday return the favor.