Again...

So apparently it's been another 5 months since I last posted. I am terrible at this. But I'm going to give blogging another go by starting a new one! I know, probaby not a good solution seeing as I can't even keep up with this one, much less my (very easy) Tumblr account.

The new blog will be a bit of a personal project though, in which I endeavor to lose 10 pounds by October 10th (a friend's wedding). This is not just about weight loss though, because I'm certainly not overweight by any means. Would I like a flatter tummy? Of course...who wouldn't? In fact, that's part of my goal, to be able to feel comfortable wearing anything and not worry about the muffin top hanging over my jeans! But more than weight, it's about eating healthy and taking control of what I put in my body, because I haven't been very nice to this sack of bones and flesh for quite some time now. It's time for a real, significant, long term change.

Anyway, as for my life... It's funny, because I was reading the last blog post in which I lamented the fact that I had not met anyone in my neighborhood... Times have changed! A friend came to visit in April and we decided that 4:00 was a reasonable hour to start drinking (it was Saturday, we were hungover, don't judge). After downing a bottle of wine at dinner, we noticed that a corner bar had finally opened right near the subway station... Back at the apartment, we were thoroughly tanked and didn't want to go all the way into the city to drink more, so we thought, "Why not check out that new bar?"

Well, we did, we loved it, and being the forward drunkard that I am, I decided to ask the bartender and owner if I could try out bartending. They said yes, I trained for a few nights, and suddenly found myself with a Thursday night shift! I've been at it for 2 months now, and though I'm a bit tired at work on Fridays (I have a full time 9-5 job and I usually don't go to bed until 3), I couldn't be happier. Thursdays is a "jazz jam," entailing a lot of talented musicians who jam out to the music my dad always wanted me to listen to but I never really appreciated. I probably still don't appreciate it as I should, but I'm getting there, slowly but surely.

The best part is, I've suddenly found myself in the center of a really nice crowd of people from all walks of life. I know the guys who play jazz the best, since I see them every week, and most of them are really nice people in their 20s who live in the neighborhood. There are also many other characters who show up from time to time, such as Ron, who sits at the end of the bar drinking Coors Light on the rocks with lime, or Big Sean, who is a massive, outgoing guy who wears very tight fitting, color-coordinated cycling gear and drinks Corona with two lemons and Kosher salt.

Suddenly, I know people. I'm not a particularly social, outgoing person, but I can listen and I can talk, and I can open as many Brooklyn Lagers as our stock will allow. And the money's not bad... All in all, I'm going to stick with this gig for as long as I can...Great music, nice people, cash for the week, and the social scene of a small, diverse neighborhood in NYC. I like it. I think I'll stay.

Giving it another try

It has been about 5 months since my last post. I am pretty pathetic. But I am trying once again.

This time I've started "following" Fuck You, Penguin, which is completely hilarious, and the Ditmas Park blog (I live there), and just today, a Kensington blog (I don't live there, but it sounds fancy and it's nearby). 

Hopefully this will keep me more attuned to what's happening in my own neighborhood. I am not involved enough in what's going on, I don't know anyone besides my boyfriend (who I live with) and my cat, and I should probably get out into the community. All my friends in NYC live in other parts of Brooklyn, other boroughs, etc. and it makes things difficult when I want to just hang out here. 

I feel very young in my neighborhood, however... Everyone seems to be the 27-35 crowd, and they're married, or they have kids, or this, or that. I'm sure there are plenty of people who are poor and 23 like me, but I just have to find them. 

Right now, we're looking for a new apartment somewhere closer to the subway, closer to the restaurants and shops, etc. We're kind of out in the middle of nowhere right now. There's not even a bodega on the corner to run to... Well there is, but you have to walk east over to Flatbush and I don't like to do that after dark. 4 years in the Bronx and I'm still a big wimp. But anyway, hopefully we can find something that's a little more central, a little more neighborhoody, and has a view of trees, people, the street, etc. Hopefully.

I'm going to go eat some cereal.