Post-Christmas Adventures in Shannon-land

So, I returned to New York on Monday after a lovely almost-2-week vacay in the Thrill. I gave myself a break and took a cab home, but hauling my 50.5-pound suitcase up 5 flights of stairs still proved a difficult task...anyhow, I did make it. I soon discovered that the friend of my roommate's whose Internet we'd been using decided to change the password...and she was (and still is until Jan 7th) in Geneva. Awesome. Perfect timing since I will be home and it will be freezing cold for the next few weeks.

Tuesday I decided to conquer the doctors visit I had to make to start my new job. I went the the Ryan Center (which is also the clinic I'll be working for) and registered as a patient, then waited for an hour. I was taken back and asked a few medical history questions, weighed and then sent back out into the waiting room for another hour. Finally they called me back again and I saw the doctor for about 2 minutes.

"You're in good health?"
"Yes."
"You don't have any problems or feel bad at all?"
"Nope."

With that, the doctor signed off that I was in good enough health to work and sent me back out to the waiting room to get in line for the lab. The waiting room was full--all the same kinds of people I'd seen at the food stamp offices through my adventures there...after yet another 45 minutes, the lab called me back and drew some blood to ensure that I have, in fact, had all the vaccinations they want me to have had. Then I was sent to a nurse's office to be injected with whatever tests for tuberculosis, a test that is deceivingly called "PPD." Finally I was sent home.

Wednesday I let myself sleep in and planned to go into my old office to pick up the remaining things--coffee mug, gum, pain killers, etc--and turn in keys. On my way, I decided to finally sign up for a membership to the city recreation centers, which i've been meaning to do pretty much since August, but now if I even want a place to run I'll have to join since it's so cold outside.

This, it turned out, was an adventure all of its own. I wanted to be able to transfer memberships to all of the centers in the city, so I had to join a center with a pool (they're $75 a year as opposed to $50, but the non-pool locations you have to go to the same center). So I went to one at 59th and half a block past 10th avenue. I went to a different center in October and their machines were down, so I was unsuccessful in my attempt to join since all I had to pay was a card. This time I came prepared with my checkbook, and was congratulating myself on my forsight since their machine, too, happened to be broken. My congratulations came to early, as they informed me that they could not take out of state checks AND though I had cash, they also didn't take that. I had to go pay $1 to get a money order. Nothing is ever easy.

Let me also set the scene--30 degree weather with constant wind of about 15mph. And snowing. So I had to go back outside to find some check-cashing place to get a money order. After walking re same two blocks twice in the evil winter weather, I called the center to give me better directions to the place (thank you, iPhone, for the # of the center) and finally found it, made my way back to the rec center and completed my registration. Lovely.

After stopping by my old office one last time, I went to look at a possible new apartment. It was quite cheap, so I didn't expect anything spectacular, but I had to walk, still, in the freezing, biting wind. I made it and was unsurprised to discover the room a bit below my standards (which, really, I don't think are THAT high, bit whatever).

I made my way home and got ready for the new year--! I went to a friend's party in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with lots of hipsters.

And now the new year is here. I'm looking forward to an even more wonderful year than 2008. Today, I looked at another apartment, this one much more to my liking, though a bit small. So I didn't sign anything yet, but I let my roommate know I'd move out at the end of January. So...it really is a whole new year. Cheers! Happy New Year to all!