Available March 1:

$600 - 2 Private Rooms ideal for Grad-Student/ Young Professional (BathBeach/Bensonhurst/Gravesend)

2 Private Rooms for Grad-Student/ Young Professional Located on 18th Avenue in Brooklyn, directly across from the D train are available as an apt-share. We are looking for somebody to make a long-term commitment; one year would be acceptable though.

Includes a large bedroom (14'5" x 10'10") and smaller room (7'3" x 9'6") that is ideal for an office/computer room. Apt has two entrances and you may choose to use the private entrance through your second room.

This is a third floor apartment share. There is a large shared living room, full bath (shower/tub) and kitchen with all new cabinets. New carpeting. Shared DSL, Direct-TV, electric, and gas.

Rush-hour, 40 minutes to 34th St, Manhattan. Short train-ride to Coney Island. There is also ample street parking available, and a Park & Ride lot, located around the block, adjacent to the local NY Public Library branch.

Great shopping nearby with pizzerias, Dunkn' Donuts, Diner, Vegetable/Fruit Stand, 24hr bodegas and larger supermarkets nearby. There are many laundromats nearby, including two (both 2 blocks away) that are open 24hrs/day.

The bedroom is partially furnished with a large dresser, and the living room area has a coffee table, end table, couch, table and chairs; the kitchen is stocked with all the necessary cooking supplies. Active DTV box (yes, we get YES). The electric, gas, DTV, DSL approximate $100 a month. Rent is not negotiable.

The other person in the apartment works in computer systems, is in his early 30's, and is laid back and respectful.

No pets (as in no pets!). No water-beds. No children.

I just wanted to take an opportunity to say hello. I hope everything is going well with you. From time to time, Jguz or JF and I say to each other, "I wonder how they're doing?" I thought now was as good a time as any to ask you, How are you doing?

Things have been crazy for me this past year, and especially the last few months. Dissertation proposal, internship applications, issues at my job, and people moving in and out- it seems like once one fire is put out, another is lit. Forgive me if I've been an absent friend.

Talk to you soon?
Nz

Welcome to the 2006 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends!

You know the drill. Highlight, copy, and paste (not forward) and change my answers to your answers. Be sure to send back to me. Enjoy!! Everyone has time for a few moments of fun! Don't be a Scrooge!!!

(My words - Just fill it out if you want)

NAME: Nz

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? This time of year, you gotta do the Nog. But not too much… There’s nothing nastier than nog-vomit.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa either wrapped them, or put them together- and he was nice enough to leave all those “extra” parts.

3. Colored lights on tree/house: colored or white? White lights are soooo 1980’s yuppie- waspy- Color, baby!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? One time; senior year of H.S. I pinned some on top of my Santa hat… It had mixed results. ;^)

5. When do you put your decorations up? Hopefully before December 24th… but you never know. Some years I get stuck decorating at least part of three to four years.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Ahh- the seafood salad!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child. Mom tired or hung-over, or both, with my dog jumping at her face as she would sit on the staircase on Christmas morning.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? You mean the truth that Santa buys his gifts at Toys R’ Us?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Uh- no; because it’s Christmas _EVE_ not Christmas day.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Top to bottom, with the lights wrapped around all the branches.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Once you have the responsibility to shovel the party is over.

12. Can you ice skate? Sure. Wanna go?

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Uh- no. Should I?

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? The most important thing is that he stress must finally come to an end (at least until the credit card bills come).

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Struffoli, smothered in honey- yuuuuuum!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? The Feats of Strength.

7. What tops your tree? A star that I bought at a local hardware store. Pathetic, right?

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Naughty little question…

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I work at Burger King Making flame-broiled whoppers- I wear paper hats

20. Candy Canes Yes or Yuck? They get so sticky… eh.

Odds N' Ends...

As the summer draws to a close I find myself at a strange point (a nexus??). I am starring down an immense number of school related jobs (finishing my dissertation proposal, writing the five necessary essays and applications for internship, etc.), and I am reflecting upon the summer that has passed all too quickly.

The summer has not gone exactly as I had hoped. Leading into the season, I imagined myself working hard (as opposed to hardly working) on my paper-work. I thought that the normal incompetence at CSS would be replaced with some sort of efficiency in completing my full-time hire.

I also hoped for a truly memorable summer. The city was ‘supposed’ to reimburse me for my trip to Madrid. It did not. In fact- the bastards never truly said either yes or no. They simply stopped responding to the requests written my program director.

On the other hand, Cancun turned out to me far more fun than anticipated- despite a few solitary moments when I thought about who was not there. . .

Some friendships were breathed new life, while another was strangled by a bridezilla, turned wifezilla. . .


The weather was not what it was meant to be either. Nearly every weekend forecast was the same “rain”. And then there was more rain. . . My normal Mermaid Parade (aka, escape from daily reality) was a washout; as were attempts at BBQ after BBQ. It would have been nice to have the get-together, but when it’s called off- it’s off. Ya’ know?

Finally, one got off, without a hitch or a hiccup. I was glad for the people that were there. With the new propane grill fired up, there was chutney shrimp, seasoned turkey burgers, and yummy pasta salad. Everyone that was there was truly a part of the festivities, and proved that with minor direction, folks could really pull through for each other.

Even the annual smAlbany trip was a damp one. It’s always frustrating to be there without one of the girls, but science has not done its part: no flying cars, no cloned organs. Regardless, it was nice to chow down at an old favorite place with people close to me. It reminded me of a very lonely summer in the state’s capitol. And made me happier about where I was in my life these days.

Within days now, my roommate will be leaving for good, and taking her belongings with her. More than a year back, I thought it was time to break my increasingly neurotic habits, and stop my days of solitary living. Afforded a new perspective now, I know that having a system and being cleanly isn’t so awful. It makes quite a bit of sense to do many (although not all) of the things that I do.

And of relationships. . . To be happy with someone (although she may question me from time to time) is a leap from imagining me with the self-interested and emotionally closed-off people with whom I did imagine myself to be with.. Not being right all the time is more valuable then not being wrong all the time. Who would have thought that I would be the first one to suggest that we live together? And I’m glad we did rush things. I take tiny baby-steps in relationships. The trade-off is that I am pretty sure about my decisions when I make them.

I don’t’ know how much blogging I’ll be doing as I finally hunker down and do my work. But I’ll be around, wit the occasional wise-azz comment on the zonks. And even if I don’t post it, I’ll be grumbling about the inequities of the world, and the stupidity of people. And I’ll finish my work. And I’ll get that internship. And then my kiddies, I will be back- and with a little effort, faith and luck, things will be as good as they are today-

just a random post...

Yesterday i was riding the train to work, and as we rolled trough Borough Park I watched the Hasidic Jews climb abourd the train.

I'm always amused that as a NYC train travels through different neighborhoods, different people of different ethnicities and religions and races board (almost exclusively from one group) the train at different stops. Groups living mere blocks apart- mingling only on the subway. As a teenager I took the train to HS and would use my own type of 'racial profiling' to figure out when a seat would open up!

Well, one of these guys in his typical black hat, black coat, black shoes, and Santa Claus beard (insert tasteless joke here) breaks out a Blackberry.

And that my friends is a better definition of anachronism than any Wikipedia can give!