Texas Bound!

I leave for Texas this Wednesday! It's my first return trip home since I moved to New York (seven months, if you're wondering), and I'll hit all the old haunts while I'm there.

The return trip home starts in San Antonio, then on to Italy, Denton, Waco and Austin. I leave out of San Antonio on March 20 to return to New York. I plan on hitting the Nx35 Flaming Lips show and stop by a few SXSW venues while in Austin.

I need a recharge of Texas in my heart!

I also finished my first week back at the Clinton Foundation, and it is absolutely the perfect place for me. The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is doing a lot of great work, and I can see the direct impact it's having on people's lives. Please remember the earthquake victims and try to help as much as you can.

Snow Day

The moon is currently waxing gibbous. I'm not sure what that scientifically means, but I believe the current definition is "a lot of snow." The snow began last night as a mix of heavy slush, which turned the streets into puddles of brown slop. Now the sidewalks, roads and trees are brilliantly white.

Slim was called out of work for the weather, so we've stayed warm indoors. We are watching the snow and sharing a bottle of French red wine. Yum!

I'm having trouble uploading photos, but I'll update as soon as possible.

A Series of Tubes

A multitude of marvelous moments happened recently, and the Internet is the latest in fortunate events. Slim began his first day at work yesterday, and he loves it. He's working as a financial analyst for a risk management firm a block off Wall Street. This is a great step up for him and opens a lot of doors to him in the future.

So far, he's settling in nicely and wakes up before his alarm goes off to get ready for work. That's a great feeling. He's wanted so much to be given the opportunity to prove he can do the work it takes to be great in this competitive market, and he's ready to work.

After a lot of debate about my current employment, I decided the best decision for my career was to quit my part-time job and begin the search for the perfect job that fosters my goals. I have a lot to get done, and I realize if I don't start now, I will continue to push it behind other obligations.

Today is busy, and I plan on making the most of it. Also, I'll get back to showing you more of the city in the next post. I will be in Texas in mid-March, and I can't wait to see everyone!

Workin' in a Coal Mine...

Just kidding!

I began a new job the day after my internship, and I have been so busy ever since. I am working at Soho House, and it's good so far.

Slim is still interviewing, but we feel great about 2010 being way better than 2009 (because it almost couldn't get worse).

Thank you to everyone for your holiday cards and good wishes. It was nice to have a piece of home sent this way. We both miss our families terribly, but we were fortunate to have my dad visit over the holidays. I think we wore him out. By the last day, he said he wasn't walking quickly anywhere.

As the tragedy in Haiti continues, I am seeking volunteer opportunities through the Foundation and the UN. Hopefully, I'll be helping soon. There's not enough I can do.

Please visit the following site to contribute anything you can to the people in Haiti:

http://clintonbushhaitifund.org/

Too Much to Tell

I apologize for the delay in updates, but Slim and I have cut down on all non-essential item (such as internet) until we find gainful employment. My internship ends Friday, so I am beginning the perilous journey of job-hunting.

Slim is having luck meeting head-hunters and has gone on a handful of interviews. Unfortunately, none have panned out, but he's receiving excellent feed-back on his resume and interview skills. The market's tougher than tough right now, so it's a waiting game.

The internship provides a lot of great resources for networking and opportunities to meet accomplished people in many fields, so I'm leaning on those introductions to help out in the long-run.

On a limited budget, we're experiencing the frugal side of the city. It's pretty entertaining. I believe we have rented every possible video from the New York Public Library on 96th Street or are at least well on our way.

On a recent walk, we stumbled onto a magnificent promenade on the East Side of town. A quick six-block walk east led us to the Carl Schurz Park. It is much less crowded than the well frequented Central Park and almost as close to our apartment.

The park includes a community garden, fenced-in big and small dog parks, a great view of the river and a nice track for biking/running/walking.

It feels like a much more "New York" place to be, if you're looking for the real deal. A lot of kids, people playing sports and little old men feeding the birds. It might be my new, favorite place.

The park is such a great find. I hope we can brave the cold to head back out, though. It's a nice, crisp 27 degrees today, with 13 mile-per-hour winds from the river that makes it feel like the skin is peeling off your face. It kind of hurts.

My "Da" hopefully arrives next week for a nice visit, and he night even guest blog about the experience! I hope to keep everyone informed on a more frequent basis, maybe it can be my New Year's resolution. Happy Holidays!