Screw this economy

I know, I know. I haven't updated my blog in awhile.

But trust me - it's not like I haven't had time to update it.

That's the problem.

I've got all the time in the world.

Of all the reasons to get drunk, today would be one of them. I'm celebrating my one-year anniversary... of the day I started working at the coffee house. (Disclaimer: There's nothing wrong with the job at the coffee house and in this economy I know I'm lucky to have a job blah, blah, politically correct blah, blah, blah)


But it's not the job for me. I live in New York City. I live in Midtown Manhattan in NEW. YORK. CITY. As in, I walk my dog a single block away from my apartment and I pass Hearst Towers - home of Cosmopolitan magazine, Seventeen magazine, Marie Clair magazine, etc.


If I walk two blocks, I'll pass Random House. As in THE RANDOM HOUSE. For God's sake, if they opened the windows in their building, they could hear me shout, "HERE I AM JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE!" from my apartment.


This is the city of opportunity for someone like me - a total book nerd who would be in heaven to be working at a magazine or with authors and unpublished manuscripts, even if it was in an administrative capacity. I'd show them my value and I'd climb that ladder.


But the problem is that no one has let me pull myself up on that bottom rung. I haven't gotten the chance to show what I can do. I'm a college-educated woman who maintained a 3.9 GPA all four years of school with more than five years of writing and/or editing experience.

I've done it all - cold calls, journalismjobs.com, monster.com, and just went to my first career fair. There, I spent two entire hours surrounded by thousands of similarly dressed young professionals, but only got to talk to people at two of the booths for about 30 seconds each about two jobs I'm not exactly qualified for or excited about. The lines at these booths resembled those at the most popular ride at an amusement park. And as I was walking away, I saw them place my resume on a five-inch pile of other resumes.


So here I am, contemplating applying for a full-time, unpaid internship... one that lasts an entire year. Because that's nearly half the time I've been applying for jobs in this impossible city. That's right - this June will mark two years since I began applying for jobs here - with the number of jobs I've applied for well into the more-than-100 range.


But enough bitching. I've got to prepare for a night of binge drinking.

He's a banker. 'Nuff said.

Whenever anyone asks where my husband is, I reply with, "He's a Wall Street banker."

Here, that's 'nuff said.

Essentially New Yorkers understand that when you're a banker, that's pretty much all you are.

I ALMOST feel guilty for having a job that allows me to take a painting or knitting class or join a basketball team. Brent's days off - which are only sometimes Saturdays and Sundays are spent sleeping in and watching sports while eating breakfast and lunch before taking a nap that lasts until dinnertime.

So it's definitely a bonus when I can get Brent to actually want to leave the apartment to do something fun and New York-y with me. I often forget that he's usually not at home, and therefore enjoys being at home because that means it's time to relax.

But once a month, I can get him out to do our famous "one-night stand" where we do something together that we've never done before. In New York, that's easy to do.

Tonight's one-night stand was pretty bland and straightforward, but it was an excuse to get dressed up! I've often gone to a nearby wine bar, Bocca di Bacco, to sit at the bar and enjoy a glass of wine, but I've never tried anything on their menu. Brent suggested it at the urging of a colleague, and I was more than happy to oblige.

Unfortunately, Brent ordered the steak, and was unwilling to share more than a few bites. After taking my first one, I would have done the same thing because the pieces MELTED in my mouth. I like steak, and I can honestly say it was one of the best (bites of) steak I've ever had.

For me, though, my prosciutto-wrapped white asparagus with a poached egg and brown sauce stuffed me because it was so good that I didn't stop eating it until it was gone. And their wine, which takes up three pages on a standard-sized menu, didn't disappoint either, as it never does.

Afterward, we went on a walk down 57th street, which is a staple for Brent and I. Another staple is his asking me if I'm going to make it because when I dress up, I invariably wear high heels. And while I look good standing in them, it's another story when I actually attempt to walk in them. And living in New York City, the land of pedestrians, it was disappointing to realize that while every single one of my shoes is cute, not many are meant for walking longer distances than from the car in the garage to inside the house.

And I'd go shopping for shoes, but I live in NYC. Like I could afford them.

It's totally the ball, guys. You try playing with a women's basketball while you watch us girls dominate!

When it comes to basketball, I am an addict.

I actually feel an urge to play basketball, especially when I've not been able to play for a long period of time.

But since I live in New York and the gyms I can afford here are the size of my one-bedroom apartment, (if your gym has a pool or a basketball court, you can expect to pay $3,000+ a year for those benefits) I haven't been able to play IN A LONG TIME.

So when I came across an opportunity to sign up for a weekday, co-ed, after-work league last month, I couldn't sign up fast enough. Not only would I be able to FINALLY PLAY SOME BASKETBALL, but I also hoped to meet some really cool people doing so. This league is 3-on-3 and there has to be at least one girl on the court at all times.

The cool thing about ZogSports in the city is that you can sign up for virtually any sport, including softball, kickball, rugby, ultimate Frisbee, etc. as an individual, and they will place you on a team with other individuals who also don't know anyone and who just want to play.

After meeting with your teammates, you're supposed to decide on a team name and a charity to play for. If you win the championship game, a bunch of money goes to the charity of your choice. So far, ZogSports has raised more than $525,000 for charity, which just kicks ass.

After the games, which for basketball are in three elementary school gyms in Manhattan, organizers announce the official bar to go to afterward. Their slogan is, "We cannot force you to drink, but we can strongly encourage it."

Yesterday was our first basketball meeting and scrimmage. There are seven members of my team - four girls and three guys - and I met two of the guys and two of the girls. Everyone is super nice, and even though we only won one of our games (tied another one and lost two), I thought it definitely was because we don't know each other's playing skills well enough.

But I like Beth's opinion better: we're playing with a men's basketball, which puts us women at a fundamental disadvantage. Yeah, it's the ball.