Happy Three Year Anniversary to . . .

THIS BLOG!!

25th Bday... 2 days shy of 3 years ago.

That's right.  THREE YEARS ago today I posted my first blogpost ever.  Thanks to those of you that have stuck with me during the wedding planning and then the sporadic post-wedding updates and the long lulls of nothingness.  We've come pretty far together. 

There was the agonizing about the monogram, the dress fitting upon dress fitting upon dress fitting (18, in fact), one wedding photo and then nothing for the rest of 2009, 2010 consisted of trying to blog about our first year of marriage while catching up on the wedding planning (don't think I ever caught up!), minimal blogging in the back half of 2010, dropping you all and then coming back this past spring with my personal favorite — the Scavenger Hunt posts. 

Since starting the blog, I've lived in 3 apartments and in 3 different states (about to go to my 4th of both!).  I became an attorney and Erik got his Ph.D. (Drs. Nelson in the house! woo woo!!).  I've started and quit my dream job.  Erik worked at Hahvahd and will working at what could be his dream job.  We traveled to Spain and Napa Valley and Cleveland.  And now we are moving across the country.

I hope to continue to entertain you and seek your support.  And don't worry, guys.  I will continue to do my Scavenger Hunts NorCal style. :)

Fresh Plate Project: Red Week

Red pepper soup and red wine (wine courtesy of my Uncle Bry)

Another post for my friend's blog.

Red Week for the Fresh Plate Project occurred during the week I was interviewing in California so I didn't get a chance to cook anything.  I did eat a lot though so that should count for something.

I did eat something "red" so that I could find a comparable recipe to post.  I am still kicking myself for forgetting to ask my hotel's restaurant (yes, I'm lame and ate most my meals at my hotel) for the recipe.  Although, I have a feeling that it involved heavy cream (it was just so tasty!) so maybe that worked out afterall.

So, what is pictured?!  A fabulous red pepper soup.  I wasn't able to find a recipe that sounded exactly like what I ate, but here's a close second:

Creamy Tomato Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Vidalia onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons sugar, optional
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute until just fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato paste and cook until toasted, just 1 more minute. 

Add tomatoes, red peppers, and chicken broth and let simmer for 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded together. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, and the sugar, if needed. Add half-and-half and basil, and puree using a hand held immersion blender until smooth.


Serve in soup bowls with a sprinkle of fresh basil on top.

Bonus photo from my hotel courtyard:

Fresh Plate Project: Quick & Easy Supper

Another submission for my friend's blog.

Much like everyone else on the eastern seaboard, I stocked up on a ton of food.  Of course, bread and peanut butter were on the list but that doesn't really count as a "recipe" does it?  Anyway, I was not alone.  I also know that my "hurricane binge" "dinner" of buffalo jerky and wild rice ricecakes would also not count for this week's theme.

However, Sunday night, I decided that a real dinner was in order.  And I was feeling lazy.  So that meant quick and easy.  How perfect.  So here it is:  

Meaghan's Post-Hurricane Couscous.

Ingredients: 
- couscous
- roasted almonds
- dried cherries (or any other dried fruit)
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- salt & pepper

Directions:  First, there are no measurements for this recipe.  It really matters on how much you want to make.  I made 2 servings since I currently am cooking for 1.  So sorry in advance if this is vague!

Cook the couscous according to the package directions.  In the meantime, heat olive oil in a small pan.  While that's heating up, chop up equal portions roasted almonds and dried cherries.  Add the chopped mix to the olive oil to toast/ heat up.

Next make a vinaigrette with the olive oil and red wine vinegar.  Add the heated up chopped mix to the vinaigrette.  Now add that to the couscous et voilà!  I know it's not the most balanced meal, but it did the trick for me and held over well for the next night. :)  You could add a salad if you were feeling a need for veggies.

Scavenger Hunt: Lower East Side

This is my third post from my dim sum adventure with Carin.  As you can tell, we saw a TON of stuff.   And there’s still more!

After walking down Canal Street from Chinatown, we next went to an area in the Lower East Side (LES) that’s by Seward Park.  This was traditionally a very Jewish area according to my friend Carin.  And as we know from of my previous scavenger hunt posts, she’s a Jew and therefore would know. ;)  (Before you get offended, I’m obviously saying that tongue in cheek).  This was also confirmed by my book.  In the mid-1880’s many many Jews ended up in NYC (and particularly the LES) to escape persecution from Czar Alexander III, who was an anti-Semite who unleashed “wholesale pogroms” against the Jewish population in Russia, Ukraine and Poland.  (Ch. 94)  Anyway, by the end of the 1800s New York was the largest Jewish city in the world and remains to today (if you don’t count metropolitan Tel Aviv).  (Ch. 94)

First up on the tour was the Eldridge Street Synagogue.  It was the first major synagogue built by Eastern Europeans Jews in the city (completed in 1887).  (Ch. 94)  Though on its face, it looks almost Christian in style, it still has encoded Jewish meaning.  (Ch. 94)

The rose windows pictured above is made from 12 smaller roses, symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel.  Below that are 5 windows, representing the 5 books of the Torah.  Below that, the 4 entryways represent the 4 matriarchs.

Down Division Street just up the corner from the Eldridge Synagogue are the last remnants of NY’s elevated railway.  In the late 19th Century, NY was having a whole host of problems.  The most significant of which were lack of public transportation and lack of open space (CP help to solve the latter problem).  On June 11, 1870, the “El” opened for business by Charles T. Harvey.  (Ch. 81)  However, these trains suffered lots of engineering problems.  Harvey was bought out and the New York Elevated Company took over with steam locomotion.  (Ch. 81)  Critics at the time imagined the city turning into some sort of multi-tier city much like in the movie Star Wars or the Fifth Element  with the lower levels being polluted, dirty places where the light of the sun was never seen.  Obviously this did not come to pass from the ground to the air but rather from the ground to further below ground.  The only remaining evidence of the El is a sign on a very nondescript (and, honestly, not very well described building in the book) sign that was on a power substation that provided electrical power for the trains.  (Ch. 81)

Look closely!

Waking from the Division and Allen toward Seward Park, you can see the “Forward” building on Straus Square.  This is the building of one of the most famous Yiddish-language newspapers, the Jewish Daily Forward.  (Ch. 130)  In the 1930’s it had achieved a national circulation of 275,000.  (Ch. 130)  Abraham Cahan, the man behind the newspaper, used it to further union and labor causes while at the same time attending to recent transplant needs.  (Ch. 130)  At the time the building was finished, it was the tallest building in the LES.  (Ch. 130)  Ironically, it’s now the home of luxury condominiums.  (Ch. 130).

In the same neighborhood, is the city’s first municipal playground, Seward Park established in 1899.  (Ch. 113)  At first it was just a park, but in 1903, the city added all-new playground equipment, making it the first city-run playground.  (Ch. 113)  The park was named for William H. Seward, who was both a NY governor and the famed senator whose “folly” gave us Alaska.  (Ch. 113)

William Seward

Right across the street from the park was this little shop that sold pickled whatever you want.  They had them in large barrels that were open (ew!).  The good news is that we got to taste their daily special -- pickled pineapples (like I said before it was a taste of sensory exploration)!  The pickled pineapples were actually pretty tasty.  A nice blend of sweet and sour with a little red pepper flake kick at the end.  Carin and I both got sour pickles for the road.  Too bad I won't be here for the annual Pickle Festival since it's on October 17... bummer!

This was featured in another guidebook that I've been using (and wished I had had a chance to use more!). 
The Best Things to do in New York - #964

Pickled pineapple in an open vat...

I've been cuter...

Carin is so excited!

It's confirmed.  They were sour!

# 746 This store was insane.  Think a grittier version of those mall bulk candy stores and add a fabulous selection of European candy.  The line was long or else I would have stocked up.

#410 The famous Kat'z Deli.  We didn't go inside because, as you can see, the line was INSANE.  Quick reference, this is the deli where Meg Ryan's character in When Harry Met Sally faked an orgasm.

Bossypants (#2)

I'm on a roll, aren't I?  I have completed my THIRD book in a few months.  Oh, thanks for that big pat on the back.  I know, I know.  I totally deserved it. :)

So, here it is, Bossypants by Tina Fey.  Again, this was a book I listened to rather than actually read.  I debated what to do.  I mean, it would be an awesome book to have on my bookshelf of trophies (i.e., books) but then again, Tina Fey read it herself!!  What a great opportunity!

It was an absolute joy to listen to.  Tina Fey is hilariously funny while at the same time very real.  I finished this book within a week of starting it and repeatedly embarrassed myself in public by laughing out loud (best locations: work elevator in the morning and the packed subway)!  It was addictive.  So far, 2/2 with amazing audiobooks that I was sad to finish.  After these two books, I've resolved to keep my trial audible.com membership (free bonus point from hulu+) that is $15/ month and you get one free audiobook a month and 30% off all other audiobooks.  Seems like a major bargain since audiobooks are generally $20+ (Bossypants was not an exception to that).  I'm counting this book as nonfiction to go with my nonfiction/fiction pattern.

One highlight:  "If Oprah tells you that you may be overextending yourself, then you need to re-examine your fucking life."  That's just great life advice (not to mention all the beauty tips and random stories about men peeing in jars).  An unexpected bonus was the playing of the September 2008 skit where she did Palin for the first time.

Hurricane Irene

Saturday, 11:30 p.m.

As I've mentioned, I was really really bummed about leaving NYC and my friends and my job.  But then Mother Nature got involved and gave me a big "Are you fucking kidding me?! Go to California with your husband and be happy it worked out so well already!" kick in the ass.  So here I am waiting out a Category 1 hurricane.  We'll call her "Irene" because everyone else is.  Well, except my friend Mark, he calls her "Swirling Vortex of Death" (SVoD for short). At any rate, I successfully freaked myself out enough that I took an extended lunch break (I mean, I quit, right? There have to be some perks...) on Friday and went to Whole Foods at Columbus Circle.  It was INSANE.  Like the line stretched almost to the front of the store.

This was taken a few weeks ago in Whole Foods. 
This was normal busyness.  Just imagine
about 6 times as many people!

Of course, while I was there I got the essentials.  This is what I bought:  Grapes, cheddar cheese, peanut butter, loaf of whole wheat bread, loaf of rosemary bread (I mean, I'm roughing it after all), two types of olives (lemon and garlic is my favorite!), 2 6-packs of micro-brew beer, buffalo jerky . . . You know, the absolute essentials.

After freaking out at work all afternoon with my co-workers and trying to remain calm while we were getting emails about how the office was shut down from 8am Saturday until 8am Monday.  My officemate is in Evacuation Zone A, which means he had to leave his apartment by 5pm Saturday.  Another friend of mine was supposed to get married Saturday, I don't know if it happened.  I hope so for her sake.  And yet another friend was picked up by her mom and whisked away to NJ to ride out the storm.

As for me, as soon as I realized that Zone A included most of downtown, I left work on the early side and immediately went sightseeing!

There were still many places I had left to see in the very down downtown area (expect scavenger hunt posts) so I made sure I got them all in before it got flooded. You know, because that's super important.  I'm happy to say: Mission accomplished!

As for Saturday, I woke up slightly hungover (pre-hurricane partying with mojitos, aka always a good decision).  This did not stop me from cleaning my entire apartment and clearing things away from my windows.  I also filled my bathtub with water because that's what you do when there's a hurricane.  Don't believe me? Google it.  The maintenance guys checked my "storm windows".  I also filled pitchers and water bottles with water because despite the fact a hurricane is coming, I'm really opposed to plastic water bottles.  I mean, my tap water is free and tastes better.  What I am not doing is ordering food from seamlessweb (i.e., the best invention ever).  However, some people may be:

I'm still debating whether I'll be sleeping in the only 5 foot space of my apartment that is not in the direct line of fire for swirling projectiles of death coming through my window.  The current plan is to wait for Irene's arrival and see how bad it is when it gets here.  I'm adverse to risk, so I'll probably be camping out on my couch cushions and praying that the hurricane doesn't enter my apartment through broken windows.  I'm watching the plant pot on the 2nd story roof of a building across the street from me and sending bad thoughts their way.  I'm just hoping the winds don't blow the pot up 5 stories to my place.

Sunday, 10:10 a.m.

Last night I made the game time decision to just sleep in my own bed.  This was an excellent decision because, to be honest, the hurricane was quite underwhelming (in a good way!).  I've actually experienced worse winds/ rain—at least in my apartment.  And that flowerpot?  Didn't even budge.  Also, I still have power and the rain has stopped.  There doesn't even appear to be much of a wind.  I'm experiencing some major cabin fever.  However, there's nowhere to go (everything's closed) and nothing to see since sightseeing during rainy weather is not ideal. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous this week so I'm hoping to take some more extended lunch hours.  I mean, I did do the remaining downtown area in about 2 hours (including transit time).  I guess that's if the transit system is up and running by then since they shut it all down yesterday at noon.

Anyway, it all boils down to this: I'm safe, and I'm very grateful that I'm underwhelmed!

Thoughts on Leaving NYC

During the past 10.5 months, I've learned a lot about myself.  It's easy while in school or while living with someone to ignore things about yourself or to focus on other things.  Fortunately/ unfortunately, during my precious few non-working hours, I've had a lot of time to just think about things.  Me, myself and I have done a lot of hanging out these several months.

Some things I've learned:

1. I actually don't like a very conservative, hierarchical work environment. 
• I do not enjoy being afraid to drop by my boss' office.  I also don't enjoy stressing over a reminder for vacation days.  And, frankly, just to be honest, I don't enjoy wearing a suit everyday.  I feel like my personality has been stifled here.  I enjoy bright colors, patterns and most things that are just not "corporate New York" or are just not BigLawNYC LLP.  I may look like a tourist, but I'm fine with that.  And so help me, I'll continue to wear my FitFlops even though they look "cheap".
2. I truly dislike being micro-managed.
• I don't respond well to it.  In fact, I become kind of like a naughty child or passive aggressive adult and do a worse job than I would normally.  I mean, the person is going to check it anyway, right?  Plus, reap what you sow, buddy.  I know this is a negative quality in myself and I should work on it.  But it's really hard to rise above when someone a year above you is drafting emails for you to send to your partner that consist of one sentence.
3. I'm more a walk around and explore kind of person than a museum or theater person.
• This should be completely obvious to those of you who read the blog.  Have I mentioned a show or museum exhibit once?  Nope.  Well, maybe in Pensacola but it was raining so that doesn't really count.
4. I enjoy what I do.
• In spite of the long hours, the stress, the dumb forced hierarchy and, at times, the clients, I LOVE what I do.  I do.  I think I made the best decision becoming a corporate attorney.
5. I spend too much money on food and wine.
• Looking at my budget, I allot (and spend) a ton of money on food and drink.  Some of this is a symptom of not being able to hang out with people until after hours, which means meeting for drinks.  However, most of this is a symptom of me just loving to eat and wanting to take advantage of all the culinary offerings NYC has to offer.  I would probably blog more about my eating adventures, but most of the time, it just doesn't seem appropriate to take a photo of my food in the restaurant.  No worries though, I have them all up here (points to head).

 After giving notice at work on Tuesday and Wednesday, I was feeling quite glum about the whole thing.  Was I making the right decision? Why am I leaving my dream job?  I was (and still kind of am) majorly bummed about leaving NYC so soon.  There's so much left to do!  I wanted to see ALL the places in my book and now I'm not sure it's possible, but I will make a valiant effort.  Anyway, like I said, I was feeling rather dark about leaving.  And then the earthquake happened.  3 thoughts occurred simultaneously: 1) Earthquake (I did grow up in NorCal afterall), 2) terrorist bombing of the subway underneath my building and 3) my building collapsing.  Once the floor beneath me stopped undulating, I realized I was safe but still.  A little freaky.

Then, a mere 5 days later, an unprecedented hurricane is heading my way.  I live in an apartment with an entire exterior wall of windows.  I live in one room...  This means that my entire apartment save for my kitchen and the 5 feet of "hallway" in front of my bathroom are the only safe places away from windows.  I'll devote a blog post to the hurricane (figure it deserves it's own post).

Needless to say, I'm not feeling so sad about leaving NYC anymore.  I'm also not sad about moving back with my husband.  I would much prefer not having to face a HURRICANE ALONE.  So yeah: Get me the heck out of dodge.

Scavenger Hunt: Chinatown

Leaving where I left off with my Five Points adventure, across the street from Chatham Square and indeed stretching out from it along East Broadway is Chinatown.  At Chatham Square is another little square called the Kim Lau Square.  Within that square is a statue dedicated in 1997 to Lin Ze Xu, a Chinese diplomat who was born in Fuzhou in 1795.  (Ch. 179)  The statue base reads "A Pioneer in the War Against Drugs" for his involvement with the First Opium War.  In 1838, when the emperor of China sent Lin to Guangdong, Lin immediately banned the sale of opium, impounded the drug from British vessels and wrote a nasty letter to Queen Victoria.  (Ch. 179)  Obviously, that didn't go over well.  And the First Opium War had begun.

Statue of Lin Ze Xu

Tight concentration of memorials!

Everything was moving...

I'm shocked that
the health dept. is cool with this.

The fact he's from Fuzhou is important because in Manhattan, the largest and the fastest-growing segment of the immigrant population is in Chinatown, where most people hail from Fuijian.  The statue "gazes down east broadway towards the heart of the Fujianese neighborhood".  (Ch. 179)  Indeed, when I got off the subway at Stillwell Avenue, I felt like I had just landed in another country.  There were strange smells and sights and LOTS of people.  I mean, LOTS AND LOTS of people.  It was actually the first time in NYC that I felt claustrophobic.  After eating dim sum, Carin and I wandered around Chinatown not only to see the sights I had planned out but also to experience Chinatown.  We experienced with all our senses.  There was this little sweet shop that had all sorts of interesting dried fruits and dried fish and candy.  It was like a catchall and everything was in bins with samples on the top.  I tried most things (unless it looked like it could be mango) and a few times was absolutely disgusted by what I put in my mouth!  We also went into some markets and saw LIVE shrimp, crab, prawns, etc.  We also discovered longan fruit, which is surprisingly hard to understand someone saying.  It took several attempts, and I think the purveyor just  took pity on us and gave us a sample.  It was quite tasty (and a little exciting - I had no idea if I would be allergic to this too (don't worry, Mom, I had my epi pen)).

Nom Wah Tea Parlor shown in this picture is
Chinatown's oldest dim sum parlor, opened in 1920

Next on the agenda was the "Bloody Angle" (aka "The Most Dangerous Place in America") of Doyers Street.  (Ch. 141)  Honestly, when I looked at the street, I thought it might be the most dangerous place because it's a road that turns at a sharp angle (think any small street in Europe) and I was picturing the All State guy saying this is where the most accidents happen.  Well, I was wrong.  In 1910, police started a campaign to "clean up" Chinatown.  They warned white women from going to noodle restaurants with Asian men because it would be assumed they were prostitutes!  They also asked tour companies to stop taking white people on late-night excursions to Chinatown.  (Ch.141)  Side note: What is with the people in NYC in the mid-1800s to early 1900s!?!  Tours to slummy neighborhoods?!

Anyway, this street got its name because Chinese gangs (the Hip Sing tong and On Leong tong, specifically) would often meet up here for their fights.  The police declared that more murders happened on Doyers than anywhere else in America (based on their expert knowledge of such things).  (Ch. 141)  Today, it looks rather innocuous and apparently is good feng shui (the curve in the road confuses evil spirits).  (Ch. 141)

In the heart of Chinatown is what was originally a Lutheran church that turned Episcopalian but ultimately became Catholic church, having been purchased in 1853 by the Catholic archdiocese. (Ch. 64)  The Church of the Transfiguration was built in 1801, which makes it the third oldest church in NYC. (Ch. 64)  At the time, Irish Catholics had come to NYC in such numbers that it was the second-largest Irish city in the world (second to Dublin, of course).  (Ch. 64)  It was strange to see this very anglo-church (anglo meaning protestant or catholic) in the middle of a sea of Chinese letterings on buildings.  It's definitely a testament to the way things change. 

 

Across the street from the Church of the Transfiguration, is 32 Mott Street, which the book says is one of the oldest shops in the heart of Chinatown.  (p. 308)  According to the book when the first Chinese settled on Mott Street, it was the center of a thriving Irish community (hence the church with almost 20,000 parishioners by 1860). (Ch. 87)  I actually didn't know this but it was the completion of the cross-country railroad in 1869 that sparked a Chinese migration from the west to New York.  (Ch. 87)  Upon thinking about it, that makes complete sense.  On the other hand, Europeans now had access to the west coast.  It was also during this time that the Chinese Exclusion Act was promulgated in Congress, which meant that those Chinese people who wanted to stay in the U.S. could never leave.  The book says that this is what led to the phenomenon of Chinatowns -- people creating some semblance of the life back home because they could never return.  (Ch. 87)  I guess that makes sense too. 

Street of Chinatown (Mott Street, specifically)

The oldest Chinatown shop.

So fun!!

We also visited Columbus Park which was right by the Five Points intersection.  It was named Mulberry Bend Park until it was renamed for Columbus in 1911.  (Ch. 105)  The blocks surrounding the park were condemned, dispossessing about 2,500 people, who likely moved to Hell's Kitchen).  (Ch. 105)  It was established to act as a positive influence on the youths of the area.  (Ch. 105)  It's now a huge gathering area for Chinatown.  Carin and I enjoyed seeing the elderly men play dominoes and the women gather to listen to another woman sing/ tell stories.  It was a very active Sunday in the pa

Mulberry Bend Park from the book.

You can still see the building in the above picture (that's what behind this blue tent). 
Carin and I couldn't figure out why ALL the women were in this group and watching this woman.

This definitely seemed like the kind of place where people
just came and relaxed/ spent time together on a Sunday.  So nice.

65 Mott Street

Lastly, a description about Chinatown would not be complete without describing the tenement buildings.  The first tenement in NYC is at 65 Mott Street.  (Ch. 32)  From the description in the book, I imagine that living in these buildings is similar to what the Irish immigrants in Far & Away (ignoring that it was set in Boston) faced (from what I remember of it anyway -- it's been a long time!).  In 1824, to help combat the growing poor popular problem, a developer came up with the idea of growth upward instead of outward.  (Ch. 32)  There were 2 apartments on each floor:  a front apartment with parlor, living room, and 2 bedrooms, and an identical rear apartment overlooking the outhouses.  (Ch. 32)  However, tenements after this came to usually have 4 apartments on a floor and no natural light could penetrate the back bedrooms.  (Ch. 32)  Fortunately, new laws in 1867 and then again in 1901, improved tenement living.  (Ch. 84)  The 1901 law mandated enlarged airshafts (so there would be a window in every room), running water and bathrooms in every apartment.  (Ch. 84)  These tenements were soon replaced in the 1930s by the city's new preferred mode of low-cost housing -- housing projects.  (Ch. 84)

The Fung Wah bus.
It's the cheapest way to get to Boston (even cheaper than the Bolt Bus!). 
Although that cheap-ness comes at a price.  I will say that my bus experience
included sitting between an obese woman and a European woman with a
cat in a carrier... oh, and no A/C/! 5th circle of hell, anyone?!?1

Working on #5 (Part III)

Note: You may want to read starting at Part I also posted today.

So, the trip to California went really really well.  I flew back this morning on a red eye (ouch!!!) after doing a double-header interview (2 firms, 10 people, one day.... again ouch!!).  The good news is that even before I left Cali, I had 2/3 offers!  The third came today.  Ultimately, there's one firm that stuck out in my mind.  Of course, I have to see the official offer but I will be negotiating certain compensation items.  I can't wait to tell you all about it when I officially accept!  I think that it will be sooo different than my experience now (in terms of social etiquette stuff) but will also be very similar in terms of actual work!  Best of both worlds?!!

Anyway, because I've gotten offers, I decided that I shouldn't wait to give notice.  I will say that the people I told were pretty surprised.  It's very early in my career to make a move.  And, frankly, last week notwithstanding, I'm actually pretty bummed about not getting more out of my experience.

At any rate, I did it.  Today, I quit my first legal job.  It's so hard to believe.  My last day will either be the 9th or the 16th or somewhere in between.  Only 3 weekends left!  Expect lots of Scavenger Hunt updates. :)  My past stresses with telling partners at the firm stuff were no indication of how easy it was to give notice.  I'm leaving for good reasons not bad so there were no hard feelings.  I was able to tell them with a straight face that this was not part of the plan and that I'm a little disappointed to be leaving so soon.  But I also told them that I'm so happy to be reunited with my husband.  That they can totally relate to!  SO, as of September 1, 2011 (a full TWO YEARS ahead of schedule btw), I will accomplish my #5 on the 30 Before 30 list.  YAY us!

As for now, I'm taking a mental health break and not planning any logistics.  Between the back to back interviews, stress of my deal before I left, the red eye, a busy day at work and the earthquake (really strange on the 47th floor), I need to relax!  Expect more updates as we finalize plans.

Working on #5 (Part II)

Note: This blog post was written on August 16, 2011. Warning. It's really long, but it's worth it. Well, if you want to find out about #5, then it is. :)

We last left off on Friday night where I was told to get sleep in preparation for a hellish weekend.  Well, it certainly was!  I worked about 32-33 hours this past weekend.  I'm not even joking.  And did the deal sign yesterday?!  NO.  Maybe it'll sign tomorrow, maybe it'll never sign.  At this point, I just don't even freakin' care.  I could go into a huge rant about being marginalized on the deal (potentially my fault for being distracted last week but not entirely my fault because the person I'm working with has trouble delegating), mismanaged (sitting around for 4+ hours waiting for comments on a beautiful Saturday!) and sleep-deprived (not going to bed before 3:30am Saturday night and leaving work at 4am on Monday morning only to come back in at 10am and bill a measly 3 hours -- soooooooo pointless).

Some good things have happened since last Friday.  Erik faxed in his offer acceptance today (their final approval pending on his background check).  And, I got another interview in California and booked my travel out there.

This is all happening very quickly.  I will say that this past week of work has not made the decision harder.  Especially since while I'm trying to write this (at 9pm-10:30pm at home, mind you), I keep getting emails with work even though I billed a total of ONE f*cking hour during normal work hours!  While I'm not too upset about leaving my job, I am sad that I worked the whole of what may will be one of my last weekends in NYC.  But my body really hates working like this.  Between the crazy week at work and Erik interviewing and me interviewing and wondering how I'm going to get to California for several days without letting the cat out of the bag, I've been a little less than calm and collected.  My ulcer is acting up.  My allergies decided to go haywire (which really makes me think I'm allergic to my firm.  The last time my allergies similarly freaked was during an equally bad week.  I'm thinking it's the air recirculating in the skyscraper....).  Also, I'm really really tired.  And don't even get me started on my back...

But the absolute WORST thing about this is that I can't tell anyone.  I mean, I can but I can't.  Sure, like 10 people total know.  The people I talk to every day.  I can't lie to the people I have close relationships with.  I just can't.  But the associate who's kind of making things terrible for me?  Eh, he doesn't need to know.  I'll tell him (and everyone else for that matter) when I give notice at my firm.  And I won't give notice until I have a job offer (I'll give notice before I accept the offer -- hopefully, I'll have several and be able to negotiate for higher pay/ step-up in class year/ signing bonus /etc.).  Anyway, I'm not a dishonest person by nature.  I just am not.  I have a really hard time lying.  Someone asked me if I was renewing my lease and I was like, "Ummm..... well..... yeah....".  So bad!  Now said person thinks something is up and keeps asking me random personal questions.  He really wants to know what's up!  We're not that good of friends, buddy.  It's actually kind of funny.  My friend Jisoo and I have dubbed him Noseyparker.  Coincidentally, this post hit ATL.  All I could think was—exactly!

One of the things that I had to do yesterday was let the partner know I was taking personal days.  This is the same partner of this post and this post (and the 8 months post about only getting after hours emails).  I mean, do I say that I have "family issues" or "personal stuff"?  Do I make up a sick family member?  Do I tell him I'm moving?  Do I tell him Erik has a job in California (he knows E was looking for a job and that we are long distance)?  Ultimately, I ended up sending the following email after I got my travel confirmation from the firm in Palo Alto:

Subject:  Personal Days  Hi [Partner],

I know this is probably not the best timing but over the course of the last week some personal stuff has come up. Unfortunately, I am going to need to take a few personal days to go to California Thursday through Monday to take care of things. I was hoping that XXXXX would sign today so I wasn't leaving in the middle of a deal. I'm taking the red eye back Monday night/ Tuesday morning so I anticipate being in at the beginning of the day Tuesday. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Best,
Meaghan

I stressed about this email much like I stressed about this email.  Clicking "send" literally took my breath away.  Fortunately, he was receptive.  He emailed me back rather quickly (as opposed to my vacation reminder with no response) and merely said that it was fine with him and to remind him later.  Wow.  So easy, right?  An unfortunate and unexpected side effect of sending said email was my motivation plummeting.  It was as though by clicking send, I effectively gave notice that I was leaving.  I know this isn't the case and I am fairly confident he doesn't know what's up, but still.  I haven't taken any personal days before (and probably wouldn't if not for this).

Anyway, despite working ALL weekend, things during the week have been really SLOW.  That's totally annoying.  Monday, I billed a total of 2.7 hours.  Today, not much better.  Sigh.  I guess that's life.  One of the things that I've decided to do while being slow (and will probably continue to be slow because I won't get staffed on something as soon as they know I'm leaving), is to work on finishing my Scavenger Hunt series.  So, today I made a list (by neighborhood) of all the things I have left to see.  I haven't even scratched the surface, guys!  I have my work cut out for me but hopefully I'll have some work-free weekends to explore and cross things off the list.  Wish me luck!

Working on #5 (Part I)

Note: This blog post was written on August 12, 2011.  Warning.  It's really long, but it's worth it.  Well, if you want to find out about #5, then it is. :)

This has been a crazy, crazy week.  In fact, it's made that much crazier by the fact that I CAN'T TELL ANYONE what's going on.  I mean, sure, there are people that know what's going on.  (I think I could count them on both hands.)    There are lots of reason why I can't tell anyone.  Most of all because things may not work out as planned and then I'll look like a failure and also I haven't given notice at work.  Erik's already held up his end of the bargain with his (awesome!!!) job offer.  But now it's my turn...

K, I should reset.  Background.  Back in April/May, Erik dropped a bombshell on me.  What if we moved to California?  Umm...... WHAT?!!?  For the 6 months leading up to that point, he had alternated between moving to NYC, looking for professorships around the country (most likely Atlanta) and doing consulting in Chicago.  He was trying to make his own way and figure out what he truly wanted, and I was TOTALLY supportive of that especially because I can practice law anywhere.  For real.  But California?! Really?!!  Let's just say that that weekend was not our best weekend visit.  I freaked out and it was tabled.  By the way, for those that don't know me very well, I don't like life-changing surprises.  God help us if we accidentally get pregnant before we (okay, I) prepare.

Fast forward to June.  The third week of June, Erik mentions California to me again.  Only this time, I'm receptive.  Another lesson learned: Tell me something, I freak out.  Then mention it a few months later, and I'm totally game.  Ah, to be a woman...  Anyway, I was on board this time.  Erik and I began work on his resume and cover letter.  He actually wanted to take advantage of my editing skills! Yay for Team Nelson!  All joking aside, he's an excellent writer and presenter and just an overall rockstar so he doesn't really need my help... well, except for those italicized commas and small typos in the resume...  The life of an attorney.

We waited and we waited for places to get back to him.  He followed up after 3 weeks (and after Simon and Annemarie's wedding!).  Then, during my vacation from work during the last 2 weeks of July, he had a phone interview.  AND it went well!!  So, during vacation, we decided that I would contact a recruiter that had already placed 2 people in my class (the "Lost Generation" of lawyers) at my firm to other firms (both in Texas, oddly enough).  I heard he had good contacts on the West Coast as well so I figured it was worth a shot.  Initially our search included Portland but that was quickly thrown by the wayside after the recruiter confirmed it was a career-killer for me.

Anyway, fast forward again to this week.  Erik flew out to California this past Tuesday to interview at two amazing and well known companies (which will not be mentioned on the blog for obvious reasons).  I have half a mind to call them I'm-So-Smart, Inc. and We're Badass Corp.  Only because Erik's so amazing to have these opportunities, especially in such a bad economy.  Anyway, also during this week:  One of the deals that had died, come back, died, and now is back in a very complicated form has completely destroyed my week. I only went to bed before 3:30am once this week.  ONCE.  It was Monday night and it was 1:30am.  Although, in hindsight, Monday night's late night was totally worth it.  I met my Bmaid Jess (yes, I still consider her my bmaid 2 years later) for drinks and it was fab to just catch up!  Despite that otherwise bright spot, this week (for me) has been very stressful.  Erik was out of pocket with interviews and work was stressful and then to boot, on Wednesday I got an interview at my top choice firm!  I'm not a deceitful person by nature.  I think that's why this has been such a stressful week.  I don't like not telling people what's going on with me.  I'm an open book and being a closed one is just killing me.
Anyway, back to Wednesday.  Erik's interview on Wednesday went amazing and he got a really fabulous job offer at his top choice.  OMG YAY!!  As of right now, he's still "thinking" about it, which is, honestly, driving me coo-coo.  Like, didn't you think of this before you went out there??!  Anyway, we're 99% sure we are going to California after his interview.  Umm.... HOLY COW!!  Also on Wednesday, I received interest from THE top firm in the Silicon Valley.  Even though I've been working insane hours, I decided to pull the trigger and make it happen.

On Thursday at 5:30pm, I had an interview with a partner from the firm.  Thankfully, I was able to sneak out for an hour.  Within 10 minutes he said "When we fly you out...".  I was, like, "Oh, thank you for saying that.  I really look forward to it."  The practice in his group is basically exactly what I do now.  A mixture of corporate governance and mergers & acquisitions.  I love the importance of client relationships with this firm.  So, I come back to work on Thursday at around 7pm with the knowledge that I have an interview next week in Palo Alto, California.  Well, actually two interviews.

Quick digression about Palo Alto.  It's 2.5 hours from my family in Sacramento.  It's 1.5 hours from where we honeymooned!  Talk about crazy.  When I fly to Palo Alto next week, I will be flying to the same area exactly 2 years from our honeymoon.  And this deal at work is INSANE.  Obviously, I can't talk about it now and won't even when it signs.  But, let's just say I'm really looking forward to Monday when it is supposedly signing.  I was told tonight, Friday, that I should go home in a few hours (this was at 7pm) and "rest up" and "get as much sleep as possible".  This does not bode well for the rest of my weekend, which also happens to be Erik's and my anniversary weekend.

Obviously, there are more pressing things on our mind right now.  I think the sacrifices we are making now (i.e., not celebrating our anniversary together) are going to pay off so well in less than a month.

Scavenger Hunt: Five Points

Manhattan Bridge

Carin reading my guidebook
outside of Smith's house

I used my dim sum adventure to do some scavenger hunting around "Five Points" and Chinatown.  I was with my friend, Carin, and she was totally game.  The first stop was 25 Oliver Street and the home of Governor Alfred E. Smith, who also received the nomination to be the 1928 Democratic nominee for president.  (Ch. 144)  This was notable for this area of town dubbed the "Five Points" (see below).  It was also notable because Smith was the first Catholic to be nominated for president.  (Ch. 144)  However, it was not to be and Herbert Hoover won the election in a landslide victory (by nearly 20%)! (Ch. 144)  The book implies that maybe Smith was just too "New York" for the job (I that sentiment would still be true today).  (Ch. 144)


A block away from here was Smith's old church, St. James (Ch. 43)  In 1837, there was a fear that the current Nativist ("real American") movement would lead to more acts of violence against immigrants (more so than the early 1830s which were pretty bad).  (Ch. 43)  This led to the creation of one of the first unified civic organizations, the Ancient Order of Hibernians (Hibernia being Latin for Ireland), which is still alive and kicking today, at St. James Church.  After the Irish Potato Famine in 1845, the Hibernians' focus shifted to helping immigrants adjust to a new city.  The most well-known (or at least to the casual observer) contribution of the AOH is organizing the annual NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade.  (Ch. 43)

"There is no other but the house of God and the gate of heaven."

AOH

James St. is even honorarily named for the AOH.  In the back right, you can see the fabulous
new building by Frank Gehry (finished just this year).

About a block away from Smith's home and St. James, is the first cemetery of the Congregation Shearith Israel and was established in 1656.  (Ch.7)  The bummer about this stop on the tour was that the cemetery was closed to visitors.  I was still able to get some neat photos but I always find it morbidly fascinating to figure out how long people lived before they died.  This congregation was actually created by the first Jews in "New Amsterdam", who actually landed there by mistake.  (Ch. 7)  Spanish and Portuguese Jews were displaced during the Inquisition (trying to get to the Netherlands) but ended up being accosted by Spanish pirates.  Before the pirates could make it to the Caribbean, a French privateer intercepted them and told the captives that he would take them to New Amsterdam for a fee.  The Mayor at the time, Peter Stuyvesant, was not pleased about the immigrants (fearing he would have to accept immigrants from all over); however, he granted them space for a synagogue and didn't relegate them to a ghetto, which would have been typical at this time.  (Ch. 7)

You can see the Hebrew on the gravestones.

Alive and well today in the UWS.

Quick funny story about the cemetery.  So, I'm sure I haven't mentioned this before because it's not really pertinent to anything except this story.  My friend Carin is Jewish and when we were looking at the cemetery, I asked her to hold on (before moving to the next sight) because I wanted to take a picture.  Well, she thought I asked her if she wanted her picture with the cemetery and was, like, "Why? because I'm a Jew?!"  Umm.... no because I want a picture.  Talk about a quasi-awkward moment.  Anyway, we moved past it (since that's not what I said and at any rate, would that be bad?!  If we saw a Catholic sight, it might be nice to ask me if I want a picture....  Anyway...)

Next up we went to Five Points (think: Gangs of New York).  "Five Points" got its name in June 1829 because it was the intersection of 3 streets Orange, Anthony and Cross (that no longer intersect) and at the time which formed an irregular five-cornered junction. Hence, Five Points. (Ch. 37) Original, eh? This neighborhood is the square mile north of Collect Pond (a subject of another Scavenger Hunt post).

In 1840, Charles Dickens visited the Five Points and it was at that point that people began to realize just how bad it was there.  (Ch. 45)  To quote from Charles Dickens account of his experience:

Poverty, wretchedness, and vice, are rife enough where we are going now. . . .  Debauchery has made the very houses prematurely old. . . .  Do they ever wonder why their masters walk upright in lieu of going on all-fours?  And why they talk instead of grunting? (Ch. 45)

Umm... OUCH!  Can you even imagine someone writing that now and not being crucified by the media?!  Anyway, people apparently did not react to this with horror but with curiosity and took tours there.  In fact, according to the book the term "slumming" it may have come from these northern NYs paying Irish policemen to take them on guided tours of Five Points! (Ch. 45)

Also related to Five Points:  The infamous Civil War Draft Riots started because people could avoid the Civil War draft by buying a substitute for the equivalent of a year's wages of someone who lived in Five Points, which was a very poor and immigrant-heavy area.  (Ch. 67)  The proximate cause of the riots (July 11-16, 1863) was that volunteer firefighters weren't exempted from the draft and somehow the draft office started burning to the ground and so the riots started.  (Ch. 67)  After the riots, City Hall mounted an investigation that would lead to the destruction of Five Points in the early 1900s (Ch. 67)

The city attempted to connect the Five Points area with Chatham Square so that C. Square's "middle-class values" would influence the so-called Sixth Ward (aka Five Points and also the tongue-in-cheek name of a bar in the LES).  In fact, the opposite happened! 

All that's left of 5 Points is now the intersection of Worth (formerly, Anthony) & Baxter (formerly, Orange).  In fact, "so thorough was the city's decimation of the area that when Herbert Asbury published The Gangs of New York in 1928", he didn't know where it was and placed it one block too far east, which made Martin Scorsese do the same in his movie! So now you know better than Martin Scorsese.  That should make you feel good. :)

Worth & Baxter

Right next to Chatham Square is Kim Lau Square, where a statute of Lin Ze Xu stands. But this is long enough for now.  Stay tuned for Scavenger Hunt: Chinatown, which shall be forthcoming. (Can you tell I've been drafting/ reviewing contracts all day!??).

My Commute

My commute consists of 3 short blocks (that's how E and I describe the north-south blocks as opposed to the east-west blocks).  Let's just say that 20 blocks equal a mile.  You can do the math, but it's an extremely short commute by any measure.  In the mornings, the commute goes by really fast.  It's sunny.  It's not too hot yet.  The street smells haven't become more pungent by the summer day.  I haven't been beaten down by a day of work.  Etc.

The commute home, however, has it's downsides.  I can never get home fast enough.  I live in a very touristy neighborhood, and I identify with the feelings behind this article sooooo much.  (No, really, you should click the link.  It's really good.)  Anyway, living in this neighborhood does have upsides.  For one, I can walk home safely at night until after 2:30am (that's my personal safety threshold).  Any later than that then you have to deal with the roving teenage gangs.  No joke.  I left work at 4:45am one morning (I know, please kill me) and asked the security guard to walk me home please because it was snowing and there were no cabs and I felt unsafe.  Good thing he did!  There was a real life gang of about 5 teenage boys on my side of the street.  Had I been alone and not with a retired police officer, it would be have been very scary.  That was back in January or February.

For the last 6 months, my journeys home have been rather uneventful.  Until Thursday of last week.  I'm walking home at 2:30am from work (right at the threshold) minding my own business when this tall English guy (who reeks of alcohol btw) says something to me.  At first I think that I must be hearing things because no one talks to each other on the street (see #5 on the list from the article).  But no, he was talking to me.  This is our conversation—we'll call him Liam:

Liam: Do you feel safe walking by yourself at this time of night?
Me: (in my head: Yeah, until now you creepo! Please don't attack me, steal my purse or rape me.  I'll attempt to be nice to you so you don't get offended then aggressive then do the things just listed.) Yeah, I walk home in this neighborhood at this hour often.  It's a pretty safe area.
Liam: Really?  I don't know if I even feel safe walking alone.  You sure?
Me: Umm... why? Should I not feel safe for some reason?
Liam (ignoring my why-the-fuck-are-you-talking-to-me attitude): Where are you coming from?
Me: Work.  I work in that building right there.  It's not a far walk.  And there are always lots of cops around this neighbor (so don't attack me!) so it's definitely safe if that's what you are worried about.
Liam: What do you do?
Me: I'm an attorney.
Liam: Oh, wow, you must be really smart...
Me: I don't know about that.  I'm at a job where I'm just now leaving work.  Where are you coming from?
Liam: [unintelligible because he's obviously VERY drunk]
Me: Fortunately, I'm home! Bye!

All I can say is thank GOD I live so close to work and live in a doorman building.  This is exactly why I picked my apartment.  Just this past Monday I walked home at 4am!  No, it probably wasn't the smartest decision but I looked around and saw city construction workers and a cop car so made the decision it was safe.  The one scary part was when I heard fast footfalls behind me.  I turn around quickly and see this man running towards me.  Took me a second to figure out that he's running for exercise.  Who is this insane person exercising at 4am in the morning?!  Why is he already awake?!  And why was I still awake?!!

Anyway, really, Mom, it's safe.  I swear!

Scavenger Hunt: Cooper Union

On the way to McSorley's, Mom and I saw the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art at Bowery and 3rd Avenue.  Peter Cooper was one of the first generation of self-made men in America.  (Ch. 66)  He was an apprentice coach maker and hat maker before moving on to be a glue maker.  (Ch. 66)

He actually figured out how to take a byproduct of the glue-making process and turn it into edible gelatin.  (Ch. 66)  Ummm... Ew!  I understand why vegans/ vegetarians don't eat gelatin and I still feel bad about hosting a baby shower for a dear friend with gelatin in the punch (one of the guests was vegan).  Anyway, after he invented this, a pharmacist would add cough syrup to the gelatin and give the world Jell-O.  (Ch. 66)  Now, wouldn't it be nice if we could all take our medication in Jell-O form?  Mary Poppins would agree.  Anyway, the money that Cooper made allowed him to invest in an iron works, which later produced the first beams necessary for cast-iron architecture. (Ch. 66)

By the 1840's he was one of NY's wealthiest citizens and did it all without a formal education -- he didn't have enough money to go to Columbia.  (Ch.66)  By 1854, he endowed The Cooper Union, a free institution emphasizing engineering and practical arts.  (Ch. 66)

It was in this building that Lincoln made his "Right Makes Might" speech in February 27, 1860 that catapulted him to the presidency. (Ch. 66)  Rumor has it that he stopped at McSorley's for a beverage afterward with Peter Cooper.  (Ch. 57)