Update...

We started out with the very best of intentions. One month ago we had a bit more freedom and flexibility with our time. Now we are wrapped up in the whirlwind pace of the city, running from place to place, spending hours working full-time jobs, and setting up our permanent apartment in Manhattan. After transporting several loads via the subway from St. John's and our place in Manhattan, we were wondering whether having a car would be all that bad (we miss our SUV's). Our lives flow throughout the city, and the subway is our lifeblood. Yesterday, in fact, we took the subway down to Costco in Brooklyn where we stuffed a large rolling duffel bag full of reasonably priced food (at the markets around our apartment a half gallon of milk costs as much as you pay for a full gallon, and cereal is a precious commodity at $6 for a baby box). Our jam packed duffel looked suspiciously like a body bag, and it didn’t help that we were dragging it from near the Hudson River docks. We have both become very used to the strange stares we get when transporting ironing boards, IKEA boxes, TVs, or large bags of bulk items across the city. Even a homeless man commented to me the other day, "How are you carrying all of that?"

But for now, most of the large transporting is over—we have our pod unpacked and the items in their proper places (thanks to our parents for their HUGE help on the Utah end…”Big Al” and his greedy thugs helped unload it here in the city). We have purchased a few things to make our one-bedroom pad seem more palatial and more like home. Thanks to the generosity of so many people, we have been able to start our little home and make it the sweetest spot on the island. (Now we are ready for visitors...hint, hint)!

Last week Jonathan finished up teaching high school US Government as part of his Teach For America training; now he tutors biology at the school where I will be teaching starting in the Fall. I have been doing a variety of things for work: taking hair coloring/cutting clinics at the Redken Exchange, touring numerous Redken salons in the Northeast, attending glitzy Vogue parties, and going to lots of meetings. I am working in the field for the next month, following salon developers around and attending more sales meetings. I am enjoying my job but am looking forward to having a permanent desk on 5th Avenue (right now I am based from home and anywhere I can take Amtrak).

We love our little place, and hope that many of you will take the opportunity to come out and see the city (oh, and see us too). If you come, don’t look at us strange if we are carrying an ironing board on the subway.