Chitchat

Abrahammy.....

This is a nice friendly board and I enjoy the limited time I get to come here. Granted, our number is small, but the quality is large!

Sky wrote:

Granted, our number is small, but the quality is large!

That is perfect put Sky!!

I view this board as a very pleasant place to come and chat, even if it isn't very active.

On all boards conflict makes people madly post. I don't miss that. Quiet is just fine with me!

Hugs to you all.

Quote :

On all boards conflict makes people madly post. I don't miss that. Quiet is just fine with me!

How true. It is truely cathartic to let all that go. The conflict/drama becomes addicting and you don't even realize it starts taking over your life in a very negative way.

Would anyone be interested in starting a travel thread to talk about past/present/future travel adventures?

Luca, I think that would be great. I have a couple of cool stories to tell. I spent two semesters abroad - one in England, and one in Greece.

As for the conflict taking over your life... ah, girlfriend, you and I should talk. This is so much nicer.

Intelligent, sane people who discuss things with patience, tolerance, and humor. The coolest thing is, we don't even have to agree with each other. We just have happily CHOOSE to behave like adults.

A group hug would be sickening, wouldn't it?

No, I love group hugs!

{{{{{Wisened Women}}}}

I like group hugs too...........

{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

A travel thread would be great. Feel free to start it.

I will do it! Can't wait to hear travel stories from everyone!

I dunno if I mentioned where my new parttime temporary job is, but it is for AIDS Project L.A., a major resource for anything related to AIDS, support and services for people living with AIDS.

All the guys who work there are very cute. All the women are like me...women (regardless of age) who gay guys feel comfy being around.

They do not pay quite enough, so I will most likely aim for the other job I mentioned, but I am loving it. It makes me very happy to be working for a place whose whole reason for being is to help people who are really in need of help.

That sounds wonderful Frazz! And you are perfect for a job like that! Wish it paid more for you so you could stay, but I am sure you will also enjoy the other job!

Thanks, FC!
The other place is a major Theater Company, and I will feel at home there, too. My second interview will happen on Tuesday, Oct 23.

Oh goodness!! A major theather company!!!! You just got to get that one!! I'll be sending all the good vibes I can on the 23rd!

Hey guys, is it true a U$5,000.00 monthly salary is not enough to get by in New York?

I don't know for sure MM, but we went to NYC on a family vacation about 18 months ago and everything is soooooooooo expensive! Even coffee and toast at a restaurant is insanely expensive. Now maybe there are some areas that are a little better, but forget the city. I'm glad we went and experienced the Big Apple, but I don't care if I ever get back there again. Unless of course it was to see Clay on Broadway!!! Too bad we can't swing that

I pretty much adore New York. You avoid overpaying for food by buying bread and cheese and stuff at your less marquee meals at the little shops dotted all over the place. I had ONE AFTERNOON to try to see the entire Metropolitan Museum of Art and it just wasn't enough time; I spent long enough aft the Museum of Natural History to know I needed to take my son there sometime.

And then there's ALL the plays. I am a frustrated theatre major. I love plays. It does not have to have an Idol in it. After my adventure last winter I had a brief period where I wanted to move my entire family out of Texas (also known as One of the Five Most Backward States in the Entire Nation) and into NYC. Hey, my husband is a computer programmer and I'm a librarian. We could find work. His skills are high demand and mine are not as common as they used to be, believe it or not. The profession is aging and at forty three, I'm actually kind of a youngish gun in my field. Meaning, I'm still looking to move up and improve my skills rather than retire. I could sure work for the NYPL.

But we have to get out of debt before we can move, and George prefers mountains to skyscrapers.

I think if we lived in NYC, we could drive to mountains. My God, I'd like to live in a city that isn't completely run by backwards Philistines.

Congratulations and good luck Frazzle!

Native New Yorker here. Although I left a LONG time ago. No, $5,000 a month is not enough to live (well) in the city, UNLESS you have a roommate and don't require a lot of space. But if that's your only salary and you have to support a family, probably not. You would have to live in Brooklyn, Queens, etc. A one-bedroom in Manhattan can easily be $2,000 per month. I know someone living there now who I'm sure doesn't make that kind of money, but she's very young and she shares an apt (and it's probably a one-bedroom and not in a great area).

When Frankie and I were in NY in February, we twice ate pizza slices at a place downtown (I think the slices were only $2 which was quite a bargain). Our hotel was the size of a not very big box and cost $290 a night (although it WAS nice). Cabs are expensive, but we didn't have time to take the subway. We even took a hired car one day and it was $30 to go about a mile. (I didn't want to do it).

Drinks in bars are expensive.

One morning I got up early and went for a walk (in the cold an slush) and found a little old shop and bought coffee, bagels, knishes, etc., and brought it back to the hotel room. Frankie was happy. And when you eat like that it's not that expensive. It's just the sit down restaurants that can get insane.

I still love going there, but my husband hates it pretty much (and he lived in NY a lot longer than I did), so we'll never live there unless it's north of the city.

abrahammy wrote:

My God, I'd like to live in a city that isn't completely run by backwards Philistines.

Then just move to Austin!

You could go to upstate New York, which is shockingly gorgeous country as I had no idea upstate NY was so beautiful, and you can see mountains!

We were rushed when we were there too. We hit NYC the same trip that we did DC and we spent more time in DC because we wanted to see every inch of every building in the Smithsonian! Which BTW the Smithsonian is an absolute must see for anybody. So freaking amazing! Just so so much to see! I was in tears many times at some of the more historical things. I mean the items from 9/11, the "real Old Glory", real gowns from every first lady and so so many amazing things. We spent all of 4 days going through every building. All the art, American Indian heritage building. God it was a wonderful trip! So anyway, since we were so taken with DC it cut our time short in NYC. We did hit all the Burroughs though and Yankee Stadium and Central Park - which BTW is so freaking unbelievable, and all the typical NYC tourist attractions.

Well, I can live simply in the first year. No clubbing or eating out in restaurants. Eat simple stuff since I'm perpetually on a diet anyway. Just work, read books or watch tv if I have time, go to church, clean my place (will probably take the whole weekend since I can be a neat-freak) , do my laundry and go out on errands on weekends. Just low maintenance living. Only luxury would be a pedicure every two weeks.

I just recently reconnected with female friends/colleagues from my audit days (sort of like Ernst and Young) and one is in Illinois working in the Finance Dep't. ( as a licensed CPA with a Masters Degree to boot) of a publicly-listed Fortune 50 company and another one is now a head honcho of a big real estate firm in Manila. They're both risk-takers. We've been sharing stories and this friend in Manila asked if I want to try to work there cuz she has a friend who owns an accounting/audit firm in NY who needs auditors for the coming audit season. She herself only lasted 5 months working in NY cuz that girl likes to live luxuriously and didn't like the experience of starting over again in the bottom rung of the corporate ladder.

I'll probably be more comfortable living with others in an apartment outside Manhattan than being all alone. I have relatives living in White Plains but I don't like to stay with them if this pushes through at all.

Wow, best of luck mishmash! Have you been to NYC before? I'm not sure if I read that. Washington DC is very cool too (I have relatives in northern VA.)

My favorite east coast city has to be Boston though. Extremely cool. Although I have NEVER been there in winter and I'm sure I couldn't take that weather. Much cleaner than NY and much more compact. Great walking city.

Frazz is from there, right?

Thanks Austin! And thanks for your input y'all. I had a chance like this when I was 24 years old (I'm 40 now and still single) but I didn't take it. Right now, I'm thinking I should have taken the risk a long time ago and I would have been pretty settled by now. As it is, I'm perhaps fueled by mid-life crisis and now willing to experience working far from home as I sometimes get bored out of my skull in my present job.

MM, are you moving to NYC??

It's not sure yet FC. I'm still thinking about it.

That's so cool!

How does your mom feel about the idea? I know how close you two are. Is she doing better?

Will you be looking for a new job or a job transfer? What a big step that would be for you! To up and move to a different country!! It would certainly be exciting!

Maybe you could move in with Arte and Carpe! KIDDING!!!!