Week and a half to go.

Packing in progress. Sort of.

Must finish grading today. And do laundry.

Facebook has added too many fun new applications, making me procrastinate.

We leave 2 weeks from today.

I'm officially freaking out.

At Starbucks, 51st @ Broadway. I broke down and got a one month subscription to T-Mobile (I'm willing to share my account, I would be online 24/7 for a month if I could to get my use out of it...) No luck with the apartment hunt yet. I looked at a few places in Crown Heights, one of which was a 4 block uphill walk to the subway, laundry 2 blocks away. Large apt., though. Saw a nice one with renovations in progress, but it was on the first floor. A few more showings scheduled for tonight. A few more tomorrow. I really, really, really hope that I can find something.

the search is on

I'm here in New York at urocafe in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I saw a hipster-looking guy in the window with a Macbook so I popped in. It was kind of an odd sight, since every other building is a Polish restaurant/grocery and there are old ladies everywhere in their housedresses carrying shopping bags. It sort of reminds me of Ukraine (except that I can read some of the signs and you can drink the water. And talk to the people in the shops.) So urocafe, they serve ANCORA COFFEE. I told the owner that I was from Madison and we have Ancora shops all over the place and he got excited. It's a cute little place with Ikea tables and chairs. Speaking of Ikea, Loftstel, the hostel where I'm staying, is awesome. It's a newly renovated brownstone in Bed-Stuy (yes, I felt very, very white walking around) decked out in Ikea furniture. The owner is about 25, studied in Amsterdam, and used to attend the same international student nights at Mick O'Connels that I did in Utrecht (although probably not at the same time). There is still some furniture being built and empty, flat Ikea boxes strewn about in places...and the same shower curtain and bathmat that I have in Madison. Just like home!

Tonight I'm looking at an apt in Sheepshead Bay and one in Flatbush. First, though, I need to get something to eat. The first place I tried to go was closed by order of the dept. of hygiene. Good thing it was closed, the last thing I need now is food poisioning.

My New York age is 25

This New York age puts you-generally speaking-into the young category. That's what you were hoping for, right? Run and tell your friends. Then get drunk (as usual). Then sleep it off. Then pop an Adderall. Then come back and consider experimenting with a more mature type of New York life (just once in a while). Have you ever been to the Village Vanguard or the Living Theatre? Eaten at Elaine's? Taken a date to Michael Feinstein? Before you laugh, check 'em out and see what old-school NYC experiences you can add to the new.

What's your New York age? Take the Time Out New York quiz and find out!

Freaking out about finding an apartment in NYC. I'm going next week for a few days to look at apartments, I really, really hope that I can find something then.

I just got notification about registering for classes and orientation today! wwhheee!! I'm really going to grad school! I can't believe that it starts in 2 months. Less than 2 months.

6 weeks left in Madison. Holy shit.

We (and all of our 8 bags) returned safely from Ukraine on Thursday.

I sprained my ankle in Kharkov on Saturday and was taken to the hospital; it was just a minor sprain (it wasn't even bruised) but the people we were staying with insisted that I get it examined. They wrapped my ankle in gauze (!!), told me to keep it unwrapped at night (!!), and not to wear high heels (umm, duh). Then we had to pay the doctor. The American medical system is so much more complicated than the one in Ukraine...I didn't even have to fill out any forms, I just slipped the doctor some money. Thankfully nothing serious happened to either of us when we were there. If anything major did happen we would have had to go to Kiev, which is 8 hours away.

We left for Kiev on Monday morning, spent Monday relaxing in our fancy airport hotel and went into the city on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning we left; 36 or so hours later we were in Madison.

More pictures and stories to come!