I Need Some Advice, and other randomness...

Oh, Hi. Today, I have a mishmash of things to talk about. No real "firsts," but just some general things on my mind.

First and foremost. To job search or not to search? I am going to make a list of pros and cons and hopefully one of y'all or a lot of you (if you consider my mom and a couple other readers "a lot") can help me decide what I should do. Now, don't get all gung ho on me about how I shouldn't have been so hasty in deciding to take the job-- you stay on your parent's couch in a one-room ranch style home with two puff wagons, and a psychotic father, then we can talk "hasty decisions." With that said, here we go:

Pros:

1. Rent/Utility-Free living

2. Free Parking (This is only a perk because its NY, its an expectation elsewhere)

3. Work in Walking Distance to Home (across the path, literally).

4. Oh yeah, I guess I live near NYC (Queens is NOT a part of the city--don't let that borough stuff fool you..)

5. I really enjoy my position in Judicial Affairs (I get to investigate A LOT and I love that part of it, although I do not even have the power to suspend anyone)

6. The pay is decent for me to be living rent-free

7. I like my supervisor and other people in the department and see potential for mobility--possibly, but not friendship because I am the youngest, single, only ethnic person

8. I am 5 minutes from the airport

9. People (not NY people, who wants to visit a dorm? -see cons) love to come visit me

10. I mean I'm struggling here... Uhh.. I save money on gas??? Well no, in truth, I have the potential to save a lot of money and get a head start on my student loans

Cons:

1. I live in a dorm

2. I have on-call duties for Residence Life--pretty much can't stand that part

3. I am not allowed to have Barney--he can't even visit

4. Can't really stand this region; I fear for my life daily because of the crime and I generally can't stand the "East Coast" attitude.

5. I have to travel significant distance out onto Long Island to get to anything remotely familiar to me as far as a normal grocery or a Wal-Mart. (Yes I live in the shopping capital, but it doesn't really matter to me because I don't wear or I should say can't fit most of the things they sell and I really don't care about "fashion.")

6. I am a driver by nature; its almost impossible to do that here without paying enough to fund a small child's livelihood in a 3rd world country.

7. I am alone. I know about 2.5 people and since I live in a dorm, its not like I can host people, and because they live in apartments, its not like I can drive over to their house and park in their driveway to visit them.

8. I hate using public transportation--I mean its NYC, you pretty much have limited to no other choices AND I don't even live close to it. I have to walk to a bus stop to even get to a train.

9. I am not in the financial, entertainment, fashion, or computer tech industry so living here is really irrelevant to my career success

10. I'm ready to start my adult life and in this position, living arrangement, and lifestyle, I'm nothing more than a glorified grad student. I might as well be an undergrad-- I live, work, and interact with them the majority of the time and people are a product of their environment, I'm scared I am blending in with them.

11. Professionally, it will look "bad" on my resume to leave after just months of being here (though I disagree, I think anyone NOT in the NYC area would understand why I would want to leave, especially if I were applying in places like the South or Midwest, hint hint).

Ookay. So let me know, via comments, messages, email what you guys think I should do. I need all the opinions I can get and y'all know how I am!

Now with those pros and cons out of the way, some other interesting points about my life lately. I recently saw the movie Precious. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! It made me laugh and cry and I thought the plot was amazing. Interestingly though, I was reading a web site where a viewer was upset that all the characters with a positive impact in the film were of a lighter skin tone than the "antagonists" if you will. I found that interesting considering PRECIOUS was the main protagonist and was the most positive character of all of them. I also challenge that notion because Ms. Rain's assistant was not "light skinned" and neither were the majority of Precious' friends at her alternative school. Additionally, not all the "light-skinned" characters were the same "types" of minorities. I am not arguing or saying that the other viewer is wrong, but I think maybe on the sensitive side--especially because they wrote off the film based on that alone. Anyway, if you did not have the opportunity to see Precious, as it was only released in 18 theaters nationwide so far, please take the opportunity to see it. There is something in it for everyone!

I'm kinda dating someone (I know its a miracle), but I am hesitant to say much here about him, but lets just say he is slowly changing my mind about the "men" of NY. Wow, its hard not to say more, but I don't to blow up anything too soon.

I am looking forward to New Year's in NYC. I guess I am looking forward to Thanksgiving, maybe I will do the Macy's parade because I doubt I am going home for that weekend. Its an expensive flight and I don't get much time off so, still thinking on it right now...

okay. I think that's all I have. I know this blog is kinda long, and random. I just had a hard time putting my fingertips to the keyboard today. Actually writing the pros and cons took a lot out of me. So, don't let me down y'all let me know your thoughts please!! Miss all of you that I know are reading :)

xo,
C.

Halloweeners NYC vs. ATHENS

Ahh, here I am again. Soon, I hope to be writing about my "firsts" in other regions, but for now, another NY experience.

Halloween 2009. I don't even need to discuss, explain, or offer any insight to what this means to my OU people, but on the slight, whimsical chance that I might have someone not familiar reading, Halloween is the biggest and most infamous time of the year. People from miles around, I'm talking book a flight, get a hotel type traveling to get to OU for Halloween. Court Street officially closes to non-foot traffic and the bars open their doors for an extra hour, and who knows how much more money. Well, its actually very similar in NYC.

New York City, sad to say, simply outdoes Athens in the Halloween party mash-up. I hate to say it, but the sheer volume of people and actual organization into a "parade" featuring more than 50 bands kinda took it over the top. The parade in the "East Village," of the Manhattan borrough of course, continues along several blocks. I would even venture to say that the parade is miles (maybe 2, lets be real were talking about an island) long and there are literally THOUSANDS of people. Their costumes range from sexy-anything to full blown pirate ships, to someone walking around as an actual restaurant-serving food from her costume. It really was a sight to see.

The best part about this particular NYC Village Halloween Parade was the Michael Jackson, THRILLER Tribute Dancers. I kid you not, that's really a group. Every couple of blocks, they would crank up Thriller and do the entire zombie dance sequence, with all the Michael Jackson impersonators upfront in the crowd. These people were TRUE fans--especially when it began raining and they kept going. However, the costumes and debauchery did not stop or for that fact, even start there.

Every bus and train I saw had people dressed in costumes riding them. Face paint, ruffles, feathers, leather and lace filled the streets, subways, buses and taxis of NYC, whether they were attached to someone or just the remains of a costume gone wrong. I did love it, but I was NOT inclined to participate. These people were REALLY into it. Usually Halloweeners at OU use the night time to dress scandalously, if they are a man they dress up in drag (a secret fantasy they can let emerge for one night of the year) and its an excuse to drink away the quarter. And, if you're heading to Baker Center, dance your costume off, and that extra 15lbs you've accumulated from that pizza and beer every week for the past 8 weeks. Now New Yorkers, its a whole different kind of party...

Halloween is really the celebration of the dead- All Hallows Eve the day before All Saints Day, I'll leave it to you to learn the history. Many people take it seriously though. Their costumes cost money and time. I'm not talking order it off the internet and go costumes, I am talking hand-crafted, professional make-up and props costumes. Some people have clearly "budgeted" Halloween into their Fiscal year. To each his own right? Did I mention they even show the parade on television? Yeah, its that serious. If you are in the city and not doing SOMETHING for Halloween, its almost the equivalent to being alone on Christmas, or New Years (if you even care).

Halloween 2009, a site to remember. Will I experience it NYC style again? I hope not. But it was good, better than Athens street-walking, but I can't speak for any Halloween "parties." Whoa nelly, another pseudo-positive first. later lovies.