little girl, BIG CITY!!

I've never really been clear on what it takes to be able to call yourself a “New Yorker.” I know that in Maine, you're only ever REALLY considered a Mainer if you were born there, your parents were born there, and you feel comfortable using downeast jargon (“yeah bub,” “wicked,” “cold enough for yeh?”) in everyday life. I imagine that there is some sort of similar code for the city of New York, so for the time being, I will refrain from calling myself a New Yorker. Instead, I will simply say that I live in New York now. I LIVE IN NEW YORK NOW!!

Ben and I are now the proud tenants of a sixth-floor, one bedroom apartment on the upper east side. The whole thing was pretty simple, actually. We just had to open a joint bank account, provide proof of prior cohabitation, sign over power of attorney to each other and, oh yeah, schlep over to city hall and become domestic partners (shockingly easy, with the exception of the clerk making awkward jokes about when the proposal would happen...) And now, POOF!! We're officially recognized by the school as a “couple.” Awesome!

As I'm sure you are all dying to know, Babs is getting along quite swimmingly in the new place. She was stress-shedding a lot when we first brought her up here, but I think she's come into her own. She's chasing her toy mice and meowing at her food bowl and putting herself in inconvenient places. All is well.

I'll admit that I was a having a bit of anxiety about finding a job/things to do with myself while Ben is examining cadavers and studying embryology (his very first class- uplifting, I know). I spend a full eight hours earlier this week applying for jobs- mostly administrative, but a few serving- and, POOF! I may have one already...?! It seems almost too good to be true, but tonight I have my first training shift at a tiny bistro on 2nd Avenue. The co-owners, two very sweet brothers, seemed satisfied with my previous casino experience and winning smile, and, since I “seemed pretty easy going,” they offered me a job about 5 minutes into my “interview.” They also seem perfectly chill with the fact that I will be using this job to finance my walk-on role on All My Children. Or my best-seller. Whichever comes first.

Dare to dream, Mandy.