Money Matters

So I'm finally starting to feel my groove here in the Big Apple. This is my first blog from my apartment and as I type I can look out the window to the Manhattan skyline. I'm also into my third week at work and things are going great there. However, I still haven't been able to locate a weekend job to curb my finacial situation. It seems a few times a day I catch my self estimating my monthly salary in my head to see if I can afford rent. I think that with my current work situation, I can afford rent, utilities, and two bologna sandwiches.

Still, I have defininitely had a good time up here so far. Its not like I'm going to a Broadway show every night or having dinner with Donald Trump, but I have had an enjoyable time and it has cost me alot-of-money. For instance, last night I went into the city to have dinner with some friends, no biggie. My sandwich, "The Catcher in the Rye", cost $12 and I ended up leaving $15. I needed to get home and go to sleep since I had an early morning the next day and I realized walking to the bus stop would take nearly 45 minutes so I got a cab. That cost me $8 even though I asked the cabbie for $3 back from my 10. So after dinner, the cab, and a bus ride home, my three hour outing cost me $25. Ouch. Anyway, I'm not here to save for my retirement or put kids through college. If I breakeven, that will be a success. I mean, afterall, Money is for Spending.

Weehawken, Woo Hoo!

This is just a quick update for my slew of readers out there. I became an offical resident of the city today. I now have a place to live in Weehawken, NJ. I will be moving in on Thursday with my new roommate Collin. He is 25 and very affable. We each will have two rooms to ourselves and will share the rest. I have no idea what to do with two rooms which is a great problem to have when moving to New York. I think one will be my bedroom, obviously, and the other will be my reading room where I can listen to jazz and read books and fill out my blogs which will be inspired by my new metorpolitan experiences and... my incredible view of Manhattan through my window.

My purpose in NY revealed, Kenny.

I knew from the beginning that if God wanted me to be in New York, he would provide. But, the Lord wouldn't bring me to the city unless there was a purpose for me to be here. Today I felt like my purpose has already begun. I haven't started work, I don't even have a home yet, but I feel like God is already using me here, and I love it.
As I wandered the streets today searching for a job as a waiter, I came across an odd man outside a restaurant. He looked like a normal person but wasn't at work and needed to shave. When he started talking to me I realized that something was missing upstairs. I smelled some alcohol on his breath and knew he was pretty drunk. It was only noon. We didn't really talk about a certain topic, rather he rambled on about...I don't know. He did mention, though, that he was a Christian Jew. I asked him to explain to me. I also asked if he believed in Jesus and he said absolutely. He also dropped hints about his recent past as a struggling alcoholic. He can't see his daughter and recently lost his job. Out of nowhere he mentioned that he "goes" to church at Times Square Church, which is where I visited the day before and Loved it. I told him I went there and he could hardly believe it. Right then, we both realized that we were meant to meet right there on the street.
I felt horrible for the things he has been through and encouraged him to quit drinking. He is certainly struggling through life right now and it is only getting harder as he continues to drink. I promised to pray for him all week and urged him to be at church on Sunday. When we departed, he was in tears. I could see the Holy Spirit convicting him as we spoke.
I was so excited that I met Kenny and was able to pray for him and encourage him. I know that I will see Kenny somewhere, sometime soon. How awesome it feels to know God has already begun to reaveal his purpose for me here in ministering to people who are suffering with out His lead in their life. I can't wait to get settled into this city at work, in my community and in a church home. I am so excited to see more opportunites to minister and see God's hand move in my life.

Baby Steps

I am realizing now that my time table for moving to the City was way off. First of all, I started talking with Starbucks in May. Just now in mid-September have they finished something off for me, and it isn't quite the position I aimed for in the beginning. More on that later. Also, apartment hunting is quite a lengthy process. I have yet to step into a possible home for myself. I think that tomorrow I'll have some break throughs on that. I am also searching for a second job as a waiter. I feel like I've made little or no progress on that. A few restaurant managers took my resume and two offered sincere advice but none have shown a glimmer of hope for employment. One thing is working quickly and that is my search for a church home. I have many options but today I went to Times Square Church and was blown away. The pastor, David Wilkerson, wrote a book that I read last summer. That is one reason I visited today and I definitely see the Lord's hand in that. It is an enormous congregation, around 5,000 I think. They meet at 51st and Broadway in an old theater. It is beautiful in side with intricate designs and paintings on the walls. I thought it was neat that there was an enormous crown looking carving in above the stage guarded by two angels. I usually hate cheesy things like this but it reminded me Christ the 'King' and it is in the middle of Times Square Church. Anyway, the music was great. A big choir and a seven piece band led a mixture of hymns and modern praise and the entire building shook to the beat of the praise. Everyone clapped and was sincerely singing to God. After that Pastor Wilkerson brought a message that was the opposite of low-key. More like, no-holds-barred style preaching. He spoke on the Holy Spirit and how Americans don't really let it into the church or experience it to the fullest. He put the fear of God into me and every other person in the room. I would go more into detail but you had to be there, because it was the Spirit of God.

So, I am taking baby steps toward making New York my home. God has a plan for me here, I learned that today. And he will provide in due time as long as I trust him to do it. I have a job and maybe a new church home. Now I get to be blessed with an apartment, maybe a roommate and a new job. Be in prayer.

Start Spreading the News

Sinatra spoke for us all when he sang,

Start spreading the news. I'm leaving today.
I want to be a part of it New York, New York.

If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere.
Its up to you New York, New York.

At last, my life after college is taking some definite shape. I have been anxiously waiting over the past four months for the next step of my life and now it seems I am on the cusp of a great transition. As I write this I am on my one-way flight to Newark, NJ where I will stay with Andrew for the time being. I have my final interview with Starbucks where my New York destiny will be determined. Ever since my first visit to New York two years ago, I have wanted to live nowhere but there. It looks like my dreams may finally be coming to fruition.

It was sad this morning having to leave my family. I know they will miss me a lot and I already miss them. I joked about how disappointed everyone would be if this job doesn't work out and I'm back in Houston next week. I really do feel like God is working things out for me though and that my dream life in New York may actually be happening.

So here I am on the East Coast. God only knows what will happen next...

Laborless Labor Day

Labor Day is usually a coveted three-day weekend by people that have jobs but since I am still unemployed it was just another day. Nevertheless, Micah had the day off and his wife was at school so we decided to spend it together.

He came into Kingwood for lunch. I cooked some sausage on the grill and we had that on tortillas with corn on the side. Always one of our favorites, Carpe Meatus! After my dad yelled at me for not helping him powerwash the driveway, we elected to leave the premises.

The Astros were playing an afternoon game so we decided to go get some $5 tickets. As luck had it, a man at the gate had two extra tickets and gave them two us. We didnt' really want to sit with them though so we snuch into some cool seats on the left field porch. Eventhough we weren't hungry, it was dollar hot dog day so we had to buy a few. The Astros romped on the Reds. We saw three homers in one inning and the pitcher hit a two run shot the next inning. When we left in the 8th the 'stros were winning 11-1.

Micah lives really close to the park. On our walk home we decided to stop into the neighborhood corner store. We bought a six-pack of Miller High Life 16 oz. and landed ourselves poolside at his apartment. The sun was hot on that September afternoon and we were living... the High Life.

I'd like to mention my new Alex Wood Quotable Moment. We saw a girl at the pool pouring a Dos Equis into a cup for her boyfriend. Although I was jealous a bikini clad lady wasn't pouring my drinks, I don't think Dos Equis should be served in a pink plastic cup. In imitation of the boyfriend I shook my head and said, "Baby, that ain't the High Life." ... guess you had to be there.

After the sun was down, we went up to the apartment and a spaghetti dinner with Jacy while we watched Seinfeld reruns. I cannot get enough of that show. I was meeting Jenn for coffee at seven so I split after the dinner. I know Micah and Jacy had things to attend to. Jenn and I sat at Brasil and talked for three hours. She's moving to New York on Friday so we talked about that and life in general. Hopefully I'll follow her up there soon.

Leaving Manhattan – Part I

As I predicted would happen, NeYork City has made my life as a recent college grad even more difficult to cope with. I came here seeking employment and was filled with high hopes of living in Manhattan. These desires only grew stronger as the minutes ticked by. Every person on the street, every taxi on the road, every wait in the subway, the endless sidewalks, scheduled protests for the RNC, getting ripped off at dinner, overspending my budget daily, getting sunburned in Central Park, seeing beautiful girls everywhere and then realizing my chances; all of these things are just a start to my endless list of things I love about New York. I want to live here so badly.
And now, as a result of this fantastic trip, my life is now filled with even more agonizing anticipation. I had two successful interviews with Starbucks over the past week but my future with them is still unknown. I expect to hear from them within the next two weeks; however, I am still not sure of their feelings for me. As odd as it may seem, I am rather optimistic about the situation but I’m not making any promises. Now all I can do is wait for the phone to ring and schedule that last interview and hope for an opportunity to move here. I feel like Starbucks is dragging me across hot coals to give me this job. It is just an Assistant Manager position but like Beene said, the process sounds like The Apprentice except when I win I won’t run a four-star Trump hotel, just pour coffee.
Anyway, as I was saying, this trip has only made me love the city that much more. I can’t picture myself living anywhere else right now but I have no guarantees that it will ever happen, just hope. I can only dream of my perfect life of urban living. I can only fantasize about my small apartment with holes in the ceiling, neighbors getting “intimate” every night at 2AM, no money in my wallet, working full-time for the rest of my life, still eating macaroni and cheese on a regular basis. Sheer Bliss!
And so now I sit in the Newark Airport with a wonderful view of the Manhattan skyline. I wonder when my next trip to the city will be. Now I can only dream of what my future holds for me. Until these dreams come to fruition, I will be on my parent’s sofa spilling my heart onto this page and thinking of what may someday become the reality that is, New York City.

Healed by Jazz

Well, here I am in New York for my ever hoped for and anticipated interview with Starbucks. I’ve been excited and anxious to get in there and see where my path would lead me. I’ve spent a few days here in the city with Andrew just hanging out and eating cheap pizza. Yesterday while chatting with Julie I was informed that my favorite jazz musician of this day and musically declined age, Jamie Cullum, was playing a free show in Central Park that night. I would have to swing by a theater downtown on my way to the interview and pick up tickets. The line was about 150 people when I got there; almost all of whom were “twentysomething.” Luckily the line moved super fast and I was handed my two free tickets within minutes. I hailed a cab and cruised into the shadow of the Empire State building for my interview with next door. The interview went well but I’m still unsure of my chances for employment. Therefore, I elect to stray from the subject of interviews and jobs. We got to the park at about 7:15 while the first guy was playing. He’s a guitarist who happens to be blind. My favorite skill of his was his ability to perfectly simulate the sound of a trumpet with his mouth and play solos during his songs. The next act was okay. A white girl who used her Beastie Boy-esque lyric pattern and her piano to perform a quasi-comedy act set to music. I was less than enthralled, to put it nicely. Finally, Jamie Cullum took to stage at about 9:00 with his drummer and bassist. You can’t put into words what jazz is and how it feels but I will say that the stress from my interviews was lifted and replaced with total elation by the music last night. Jamie was so energetic yet enormously talented. They played all the good songs off of their album but my favorite was a Billie Holiday cover called Comes Love. It was about a twelve minute rendition chock full of some incredible solos from each part of the trio. The audience was overcome with that numb feeling of calm and contentment that only Jazz music can bring. I can’t do anymore to describe the music because words and music are two separate ideas that I don’t think can accurately describe each other. How fortunate I was to see Jamie Cullum in Central Park for free on a night like that. Beautiful weather, beautiful venue, in a beautiful city filled with beautiful music. I love jazz and I love New York. Hopefully they will both continue to contribute to my life experience in the near future.

Tour de America

In the past few months I have been fortunate enought to travel from coast to coast visiting friends. There are still new legs of this trip pending but I shall summarize what has happened up until this current hiatus.

In April I flew to Chicago and met Dan and Co. for a couple of Cubs games. None of us had ever been to Wrigley field which has been home to the Cubs since 1916. The Friday game was one of the best games I have ever seen as Sosa hit a homer to tie the game in the ninth and the next batter, Alou, hit another dinger to win. The stadium exploded into celebration which continued as the fans emptied into the streets. The trip took a downer when I broke my ankle and jacked up my knee dancing with some girl I didn't know. I'll spare anymore details so I don't have to painfully recall the entire episode. I hobbled to the game the next day and then through two airports that night. All in all, it was still a fantastic time.

Due to my recent injury, my scheduled Father/Son trip to Vegas was postponed from May until a pending date. I was able to make my next engagement in mid June. My dad and I went to Las Cruces, NM to for my grandmother's 81st birthday. We dined and wined and came home.

Two weeks later I went west to visit Ryan and Laura in San Francisco. The city was beautiful with its steep hills and suspension bridges. The weather was my favorite part. We did some sight seeing and caught the obligitory baseball game. My Red Sox happened to be in town but did not prevail that day. I loved the city but wouldn't not want to live there because of bad transportation and...bad transportation.

The following week I traveled in the opposite direction to the Eastern Coast with Dad and Bro. Boston was our destination and a religious experience in Fenway Park was our goal. The oldest baseball stadium in the world is home to my favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. We caught to good games but the atmosphere at the stadium is the most memorable part. We and sausages on Yawkey way before the game and washed them down with some Harpoon IPA. The outfield bleechers were cramped and rowdy. Fenway was like a time machine taking us back to the glory days of the game. As I watched the game, I imagined what it would have been like to see guys like Williams, Pesky, Dimaggio, Yaz, and Fisk among others play there. After the games we headed over to the oldest tavern in the U.S., the Bell in Hand. Sitting on the corner, we took in the city life and did our bonding. We loved the park and the city as well. It was a successful trip that all three of us will always remember.

These were the major stops on my 2004 Tour de America. I'll be in Colorado in a couple of weeks for a wedding. I also have plans to be in New York sometime in August or September for interviews depending on how my upcoming phone interview goes. I think that will pretty much round out my cross-country tour for this year, and now you know.

A Life to be Discovered

   The summer is now half way over and not much has changed.  With the exception of my new position as substitute for my brother at Hin's Garden Chinese Resturaunt, I continue to spend countless hours at home either playing X Box or sleeping.  I do read some, watch an occasional Seinfeld rerun or head to Starbucks but that's all my life is really comprised of at this moment.     
   Micah just moved into his apartment yesterday so I went down tonight to christen the his new abode with a bottle of chardonnay I stole from my dad's collection.  His apartment is a really swank loft in an old mattress warehouse.  The complex renovated the warehouse and made the rooms look very nice.  The walls end just short of the high ceiling and the floors are concrete.   With the help of Jacy, their new home has a very modern look with its track lighting and sleek looking kitchen appliances.  The whole place comes together with the vintage Wurlitzer piano by the t.v. 
   We had some wine and then went for a quick swim.  After the sun went down we drove over to my new favorite dig in Houston.  It is a cafe called Brasil over on Westheimer.  Its a pretty young crowd with half studious college kids and half lazy bastards that smoke too much.  I love it though.  Its the only place in Texas that I've ever been where someone my age can get away with drinking a bottle of wine on a Tuesday night.  Along with the vino, they also have some decent coffee and some of my favorite beers on draught.  The food is not bad either.  All its missing is a young lady on the other side of the table.
   Anyway, Micah and I chilled there for a few hours and talked nonsense and went back to his place.  We messed around on the Wurlitzer and talked music some.  This is when I started thinking.  I have envisioned an lifestyle where I live in a place like his and go to places like Brasil on a regular basis.  I read good books and write in my spare time.  There is always jazz in the background no matter where I am and in a perfect scenario, I can play some of those songs on the piano.  I imagine having a girl wich is a friend that I meet on the weekends and she lets me buy dinner.  I have a job but it doesn't dominate my life, rater it is just another chapter of this bachelor lifestyle in which I live.  All of this is in my head of course.  In reality, I live in the burbs with my parents.  I have no full-time job.  I deliver Chinese on the weekends.  Micah is my only friend in this city of four million and he'll be gone in three weeks when he marries.
   I am experiencing none of what I dream of.  When will things come together?  How do I get to this city of fate?  and When?