Everything’s New Again

Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve stopped here for a visit. A new job has been keeping me busy the past six months, and although I haven’t quite gotten used to the new gig yet, I figured I needed to get back into a routine outside of work. I need something to try to keep me sane when I’m feeling out of control.

Don’t get me wrong—I love the new job and I’m so thankful for it—but like any job, you have your good days and bad days. The one thing I’m struggling with is adjusting to working for such a large corporate company. I’m slowly catching on to the game and trying to figure out the best way to approach it. Let me tell ya—it’s mentally exhausting and I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get it right. The truth of the matter is I really have no right to complain about anything at work. I have a job, a better boss and a steady paycheck. Right now, that’s all that matters.

Other than work, well…not much else is going on right now. The winter weather has kept me indoors most of the time. It’s officially spring, but the weather still hasn’t changed much. Last night I actually went out into the city and had a girls’ night. It almost felt like SATC. I was sitting in this lounge taking in everything around me and it was weird to actually be in the middle of it all instead of watching the entire scene on a TV screen while sitting on my couch. Yes, I really do need to get out more often.

Anyway, AR invited me to an event TBJ had at the Alphabet Lounge featuring two of the artists she manages. After my bad week at work, I needed something to take my mind off it and this was the perfect distraction. AR and I started off the evening by having sangria and tapas at Tapeo 29. We stumbled upon it while walking around and were so glad we decided to take a chance on it. The tapas menu looked great and the specials that night smelled amazing. We opted for the patatas bravas (piquant fried potatoes and yams served with aioli and romesco sauces) and chorizo al sidra but they made a mistake and we ended up with the chorizo al vino (chorizo glazed in red wine), which was pretty fantastic so we didn’t complain.

We got to the lounge just in time and saw TBJ doing her thing. She was like a mama bear taking care of her cubs. She’s so good at what she does and I’m amazed that she gets all this done while raising one of the cutest two-year-olds I’ve ever seen. After giving her big hugs since we hadn’t seen her in forever, she introduced us to the poet and singer performing that evening. Let me tell you, these are two very talented guys. Justin Baron was rocking that keyboard and singing his heart out. At one point, I could hear TB mumbling next to me about how he needed to sit back down on his chair before he busted a knee. Then Miles Hodges went up on stage to perform his poem “From Head to Toe” and he killed it. If you ever get the chance to see these guys perform in person, you definitely should. They’re so engaging and did I mention incredibly talented, too? Added bonus for the ladies—they’re adorable and very charming. If I were younger I’d be one of their groupies, but stalking them at my age would just be wrong, very wrong.

Once the show was done, AR, TBJ and I decided to get some dessert and catch up at this cute little place we’d passed earlier called Cocoa Bar. They served a bunch of chocolate desserts, wine and a bunch of cocktails. While AR and TBJ opted for the wine selection, I had something called a French hot chocolate, which was dark hot chocolate with cognac. We ended up sharing the Chocoholics Platter that had a flourless chocolate cake, two chocolate patties and six chocolate bonbons. It was pretty much the perfect way to end the night.

I’m hoping as the weather gets better I’ll be able to spend more time in the city. I miss it and I like that I miss it. Now that I don’t have to commute into it every day, I have a newfound appreciation for the sights and sounds of NYC. It’s nice.