Espresso My Thoughts

For the first time in months I am settling back into a routine. I go to work and pour some coffee, then come home and read. Not much too it. Therefore, I am lacking material to write about. Just by looking out my window I feel like I should have a new adventure to describe but honestly, during the week I often forget that I live in New York.

If its Starbucks that you are so interested in then I'll tell you about my life as a Starbucks Barista. I am being promoted on December 1st to Shift Supervisor; $10/hr. Not bad for a college graduate, right? Most of the people I work with are 19 year old girls. There are only two other guys in the store. The girls love to bring their prissy little attitudes to work and share them with me on a regular basis. I can't even make a move with out this one girl, Monifa, criticising me for doing it wrong. Oftentimes, what I do isn't even wrong but she still tells me that it is. Just wait until December when I get my promotion. Then they'll know who the boss is; the guy with the college degree and $10 an hour. That's right, biaaatch. (I learned that at work)

Since we're on the topic of bad stories I have from work....today my manager was singing 'Gin and Juice' and when she got to the chorus, I chimed in with "Laid Back!" and she just thought that was hilarious. I guess its because I'm white and not supposed to know rap songs. Actually that's one of the four I do know.

Anyway, I'm gonna work this job for awhile. Until I run out of money or go insane. Then I'll start searching for a 'real' job. I wouldn't mind working for the Starbucks office, but that would entail my transfer to Seattle. I could look for a company in NYC that would pay me to shuffle papers and decorate my cubicle. We'll see what happens, and you'll be the first to know. Until then, "Would you like room for milk?"

Ease His Pain

Its that time of year in New York where the weather is cool, the leaves begin to change and the Damn Yankees make my insides churn. I am just 90 minutes from the start of game seven ALCS. It is the night I have been anticipating since last year's game seven when I threw a chair across my house in front of my roommates guests. The Red Sox have made an unbelieveable recovery from a 3-0 deficit and will try tonight to be the first baseball team ever to come back from 3-0 and win a playoff series. The tension is strangling me.

This year has been very different from my previous playoff experiences. I am in the city of my much loathed rival and to top it off, my roommate is a die-hard Yanks fan. We've watched 3 of the past 6 games together and have swapped enough trash talk to fill the Newark landfill.

-----

Its now 35 minutes until game time. There is an eerie dark fog hanging over Manhattan. I've donned my lucky Red Sox shirt. I'm so nervous. I'm speechless. Go Sox!

Kaboom!

I awoke this morning to the shuttering of my walls and the deafening sound of sudden death. At 7 AM today a car exploded about 200 yards from my house and shook my bed until I awoke bug-eyed. The sound was as if my head was in a metal trash can and someone ran and slammed it with a baseball bat. I froze, wide awake, and thought frantically about what just blew up. My roommate and I met in the kitchen leaning out the window to stare at the pillar of smoke rising up just two blocks away. Almost immediately, a line of police cars made their way to the scene to be soon followed by a hook and ladder fire truck and ambulances.

The news first reported that it was a domestic disturbance gone deadly, as if the angry wife had wired her husbands car to blow. It turns out though that the lone victim of the blast worked in a chemical factory and for some reason had two spare tanks of acetine gas in his trunk. They must have leaked because when he turned the key....lights out.

Later in the day the U.S. Arson and Explosion investigation team showd up along with the ATF, K-9 units, and everyone else looking for action. The story made the NYC news and I think my apartment showed up on the morning video.

So welcome to the big city, Alex.

This Trash Can Dream

Now I know, "Spanish Harlem" are not just pretty words to say.
I thought I knew, but now I know that rose trees never grow,
in New York City.

Until you've seen this trash can dream come true,
You stand at the edge, while people run you through.
And I thank the Lord, there's people out there like you,
I thank the Lord there's people out there like you.

This Broadway's got, its got a lot of songs to sing,
if I knew the tunes I might join in.

I go my way alone, grow my own,
my own seeds shall be sown, in New York city.

Subways no way, for a good man to go down,
Rich man can ride, and the hobo he can drown.

Until you've seen this trash can dream come true,
You stand at the edge, while people run you through.
And I thank the Lord, there's people out there like you,
I thank the Lord there's people out there like you.

While Mona Lisas and mad hatters, sons of bankers, sons of lawyers,
turn around and say, "good morning" to the night.
For unless they see the sky,
but they can't and that is why,
they know not if it's dark out side or light.


"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" by Elton John

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.