Simple Things

New York has so much to offer. Too much. BUT where the heck is a super store when a girl needs one?

It is weird how I feel like I am building a routine that is reasonably familiar and somewhat soothing for my type A personality ;-) and yet feel like I just moved up here last week. I have enjoyed all the unique experiences here like seeing celebrities, neat events and benefits and all but once again today I realized why NY can be so challenging for a suburbanite like myself.

Things that seem accomplished simply elsewhere become an amazing challenge. For example, I have had to buy certain things and I don't even know where to begin to find them. In Charlotte I would go to Target or WalMart but here I don't have a clue. I have to ask for help and advice a lot!

The other day I wanted to buy helium balloons for my boss' birthday. Where do you buy balloons in this massive city?????????? I tried to look online but that was a bust so I called a friend who has lived in the city for almost 5 years. She knew of 2 different party stores on the upper west side. I know this might seem ridiculous to complain about but honestly something like this happens everyday. Something I once knew how to negotiate, I'm am clueless on how to even begin.

Where do you buy a greeting card? I figured it out a few weeks back when I needed to mail a birthday card. One item at a time, I'll find the tiny, obscure shop that sales it.

Another example is that my roommate stepped in dog poop. How do you get poop off your shoe without grass to rub it off in, a hose to wash the shoe, a yard to leave the soled shoe in???

Another example, I just got back from Fair Way, the grocery store I go to regularly just 2 blocks up. I asked Kristin and Laryssa to go with me because it was a rainy night and pretty sad to just sit around doing nothing on a Saturday. As they said I got what I deserved. We walk over like normal but I tried to avoid a very large puddle of water in the road. Because I was dodging it I didn't notice the cab flying by. Laryssa and Kristin did. You guessed it! Soaked. Head to toe. I felt like Bridgette Jones....again!!!! At least I was not on my way to work. Ridiculous, right? I know. But, it is my current reality. (Youtube video...it was something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wHJ-_RvU6I).

Luckily I've made a few friends here that have helped me get over these once lower, now much higher, hurdles. I guess I'll figure out where to buy things one item at a time as I need them. I now know to stand WAY back on the curb when it is raining!

Where do you get keys copied? Well, I just discovered here it is a teeny little shop on Columbus Ave. that charged me $12 to make 3 keys.

I realize now how much and why I shopped at Wal-Mart! I miss Wal-Mart.

Don't get me wrong the cuteness of the little shops all around town is nice. It just isn't practical when I'm used to buying something quickly and moving on with life. Here it is a day's ordeal.

I'm learning so much about my lack of patience and self control in the little things. I did laugh off the slush that came after me without warning on the curb. I think this is where it counts. I pray that soon I will see the fruit of the spirit working in me when I'm standing in the heat with no way to know with any reasonable time where to find what I'm looking for! One of these days I hope to know effortlessly and instinctively, like a real New Yorker, where to buy something when I need it. One day.

By the way...I put this pic of us of when we were out at an event in the city. Thankfully I don't have pics of myself soaked in the grocery store to share ;0). Even if I did have them, I just don't know if you'd see them!