Last Days In New York... this year

New York Coffee.  The very first thing I will do in Seattle is go to a proper coffee shop.  Who knows?  Perhaps someday a Seattle type shop will be here so that New York can be properly caffeinated. 

I wandered around Brooklyn today looking for a place for a haircut. I came across an offer I couldn't refuse.  $12.  There are a myriad of barber shops so I'll have to sample a few.  On a scale of 1-5, I'll give this place a 3.5.  

I also got one last days worth of work in for the year.  We finished off Sharon's kitchen with a new coat of paint.  She chose the colors.  We have a darker blue for under the cabinets and a lighter for the rest.  

Sharon is to the left.  She has been quite the helper through the whole process.  The final addition will be a granite slab in the window sill and trim around.  

And I got once last day with Kharma.  I have been assured that come spring, Kharma and I will be spending a lot of time at the park.  

So I am off to Seattle this weekend to try and remember how to be green.  

Winter in Waiting

Ok.  So I have been promised a harsh winter and snow by pretty much everyone here.  But after seeing the pictures of the winter wonderland in Seattle this weekend, I have to admit, I am deeply disappointed.  

This is the closest to winter we have gotten here.  It was cold as I have ever felt last Saturday, with windchill down to 15 degrees.  And there was a little bit of snow this morning, which quickly vanished.  

However, it was fun to see my buddies from Jordan, who operate a market on my block, marvel and take pictures of the snow as it fell as there is a lack of such flurry in the harsh deserts of the middle east.  

So after some winter teasing, and with my trip back to Seattle in just a few days, winter in NY will have to be one in waiting.  Perhaps January will be more fitting.  I do hesitate briefly, remembering the old saying, be careful what you wish for. 

Touring NY

On Saturday, I accompanied Eddie, to scope out prospects for both CBS and Leonard General Construction, on what was supposed to be a real estate tour.  However, upon arrival to the real estate office in Queens, our agent apologetically informed us she had gotten the date wrong.  

So to make up for her error, she took us to a little Korean restaurant down the street for coffee and pastries.  After discussing our real estate prospects we moved on to other subjects.  

Here is our agent ordering our goodies.  This restaurant is located in Queens on Main Street and 70th.  

Below is the picture of our vehicle for Friday and Saturday.  It is the Quest which was fitting considering our tasks for the two days.  We needed to go up to Manhattan to get a couple of things appraised at the auction house, then back down to Brooklyn to finish a client's kitchen, and then up to Queens to meet with Eddie's cousin Mike who owns a number of real estate properties and a bar.  I was Eddie's driver for the two days, an easy way to make money despite the complexities of NY traffic.  We were also treated to a game of pool at Mike's bar in north Brooklyn.  

I was sitting at the bar with a complimentary beer when Eddie came over and handed me the pool stick, telling me I had to play, and whispering that he had played the guy for money years ago and that he had never paid.  He didn't want him to recall the incident.  I tried to let the guy win but he was just that bad.  

Meet Leonard General Construction's new mascot, Kharma.  Eddie got this kitchen job via Kharma.  Kharma lives down the street from me and is learning how not to chew up everything in his path, maturing from a puppy.  

First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum

I was told that the Brooklyn Museum hosts free admission on the first Saturday of each month where they serve wine, include music and a dance floor, as well as opening up the galleries to all who show up.  Now I expected the company to include some of our finest senior citizens and perhaps a pleasant waltz in the dance hall but was surprised to find the entire museum packed with locals and city dwellers alike ranging in age from toddlers to our esteemed citizens of advanced years.  

The picture above is the dance floor, complete with DJ's, in a simply amazing section of the museum that crossed between a European disco and what must have been the parties of old.  There must have been hundreds of people on the floor and when I commented on the diversity of the attendees, he responded, "looks like Brooklyn," with a smile.  

This is the outside of the museum as I approached.  I could tell from here there were going to be a great deal of people as a line was forming outside the foyer.  And for my first celebrity sighting, in attendance was Wyatt Cenac of the Daily Show.  I went with my roommate Marnie, along with some of her friends from NY and from NYU film school. 

In a similar vein, I was in a short film, written by Marnie, for her final project for her director's class.  As soon as I have the video I will post the link.  Even in the midst of finals, there is no shortage of entertainment.  

Working Towards Understanding the New

One of the unexpected benefits of moving to New York, and the need for employment, has been the friendship and unofficial training in construction here.  I have seen nearly every apartment in my building, as it is sadly falling apart, as well as sites in Queens, Manhattan and other places in Brooklyn.  

Below is a picture of a new learned skill, namely grouting.  The tiles, having been previously placed, needed to be grouted and Eddie took the opportunity to allow me to learn. 

We also had to repair a ceiling, having been previously "repaired" twice by the super in an apartment in my building.  Below is the nearly finished product being sealed by Eddie.   

The picture below is the debris left from the super in his "attempts" to replace not one but three ceilings. 

And here is a picture of me about to head back down for clean up after the ceiling demolition. 

This was the state of the ceiling before we fixed the previous mistakes in craftsmanship.

Eddie has given me a great opportunity to learn a ton about construction I had not previously had, although many previous opportunities helped pave the way for the basic understanding of that which I am learning now.  It has also given me the chance to meet those who came to NY for the opportunities to work as well as meeting those who are struggling to keep their jobs through this present financial downturn that has hit NY especially hard.  I have told Eddie a great deal about the now mythical Seattle and he is eager to get on a train and asks me every time we meet when he might be able to go.  His impression of me has given him the belief that Seattle is full of hard-working, polite people.  I guess he is mostly right and can only humbly accept the compliment.  It is naturally only the product of a good upbringing and the sense of community the NW has to offer, despite its negative qualities.  

Signs of Christmas

It begins with a little sign.  Christmas trees mark the sidewalks, decorations appear on fences and street crossings, and flurries of snow fall from the skies.  My first snow in NY comes in the first instances of Christmas.  I was asked to visit the Rockefeller Center and I will attempt to do so Wednesday following my final.  

With Christmas comes the bone chilling cold of the East Coast.  As a West Coaster, this is something I am not even remotely accustomed to.  Let me share a few observations then.  Like the heat in CA, it helps to keep moving.  But nothing, and I mean nothing, can prepare you for the hurt that accompanies the wind.  You may be slightly less than comfortable walking down the street or waiting for a bus, but when the wind comes up, you want to scream for relief.  

I was given a skull cap and that has been a welcome and much needed addition to keep my ears and head warm.  In time I am certain gloves will be necessary and I am most certainly considering growing a full beard.  But for the most part, the freezy chill is avoided by hot drinks, subway rides, and generally staying indoors.  

A final interesting observation is meeting all of the transplants also not accustomed to the weather and those that say it just isn't as bad as Chicago and so on.  So they tell me, it only gets worse.  Brace yourself, they tell me, for sub freezing temperatures and a wind that only continues to shred your outer senses.  Bring it on I suppose.  

Fun Places in NY

One of the best things about living in NY is how the ordinary is transformed into something just a little bit special.  The first picture is from a movie theater near Columbus Circle, and the South end of Central Park, where under NY custom, ordinary transcends into the unordinary.  

The other three pictures are taken on my way back from the Chinatown express, taken to DC, in the belly of Chinatown.  I can't help but be reminded of Blade Runner every time I pass through. Enjoy the pics and a little creative editing.