September 16, 2009
My new place does not have Internet yet, so another late blog. But it's worth the wait! Today is move in day! The apartment looks great! Pictures to come later.
Brick roads are charming, but not when you are hauling 70 pounds of luggage behind you. They tend to topple your things over in the middle of the street. Mom and dad sent three boxes that included a blow-up mattress, Dora the Explorer dinnerware, and plastic utensils and cups--not to mention plastic shot glasses! Mom must know I plan on celebrating!
I ask my dad to just pick one of three boxes of clothes and send them. It's getting cold here, so I need some warmer garments. When I open the box, guess what I get? The one box that is full of SUMMER clothes. Damn! Now what am I going to do? I suppose 30 layers of tanks and tees will keep me warm in this 60-degree weather, right?
With no Internet, what am I to do? Um, duh--turn up iTunes and dance the afternoon away while unpacking. So, I'm getting ready to shower and as I am completely naked in the middle of my room, I realize, Ashley, you don't have curtains yet, and your neighbors are right there, where they could possibly see you. Awesome. You bet I make a beeline to the bathroom.
I finally find a place that serves home-style cooking, right down the street. Southern fried chicken fingers and Mac-and-cheese--you can't beat it. While waiting to check out, I hear, "Is there actual pieces of pineapple in here, because if not, I don't know who would eat it...Who would eat fruitcake anyway?" A female worker: "Why don't you go fruitcake yourself somewhere else?" A male worker: "Can you say, get a life?" The best part--he was a short, fat, balding guy in his thirties...named Brett! Spelled with two T's! Ha!
I started Planet Hollywood last night. So much fun! My co-workers are awesome and being able to talk to people from around the world is so interesting. I met people from Brazil, Australia, France, Holland, London, Israel, and so on. My favorite--the French men. Two are very attractive. They walk by me once and stop to talk--they come back around and say they have to walk by me one more time. Walk by all you want--I'm enjoying the view as much as you say you are! ;)
You get to see a lot working in Times Square. The homeless man posted up outside all night just staring into the store--like he is thinking of how to hold the place hostage; a models photo shoot in the middle of the street; and a random, older guy having a dance party with himself and our glass door--stripper style. If you can only imagine. Yeuck! The consensus with my co-workers: "I'm going to go finish being bitter, while this poor excuse for a model is making $250,000 and I'm making minimum wage." =)
By the end of the night, my feet are killing me. I am so ready for bed. Getting back and being in silence was wonderful. So relaxing. Time for bed, another long day awaits.
Note to self: Learn how to say NO! Don't be afraid to hurt people's feelings, because really, who is getting the shitty end of the deal? You are--you don't want to follow through with your commitment anyway. Say NO to the co-worker who swoops his Donald Trump hair from his face, telling you about his weight problem, and then proceeds to ask you to a movie--only to follow with a text message at 2 a.m. reminding you to save his number in your phone. What a hot date this will turn out to be. And say NO to the curly-haired French tourist (different from the cute ones), whom by the way, may or may not be balding on one side of his head, when he asks for your e-mail address. "The next time you come to France, you look me up?" Yeah, maybe in twenty years when it's a feasible time to go. Yeah, don't think so. Be thankful to those who look out for you and come and "save" you from these creepers. And always make a code word or gesture, so they know when to get you out of yet another funk you have managed to get yourself into.