There's a New Girl in Town

2008. A new year, a new me. 2007 brought with it a lot of changes, and here I am, back in the neighborhood I grew up in, back in my family home. It feels good to be back home, surrounded by loved ones. The neighborhood has changed so much! Who knew Greenpoint would become one of the hottest places to be in NYC? I certainly didn't when I was growing up here. It's still got that small community feel, and there are still a lot of the same faces I remember, only now markedly older. It's strange to see all the neighbors' kids grown up; makes me feel old! Of course, now there is also a sprinkling of hipsters throughout the hood, as well as trendy shops and restaurants; not to mention the tons of huge condo and loft buildings going up everywhere (where are all these wealthy people coming from?!). I like to complain about it, but I think I secretly love it. It feels good to be among such a buzzing community. Also, it's great that there are now lots of places where a vegan (such as myself) can find something to eat!

2008 promises to be a better year for me. I have a sense of renewal, of starting over. I hope that it brings peace of mind and happiness, which has in the past seemed just beyond my grasp. Already, it's off to a really good start! I have been inspired by B to create a blog, and I hope to include at least one entry per day. It taps into my urge to "journal". Since it is now early morning, Saturday Jan. 5, I'm already a little behind. So, here's a summary of Jan 1 - 4:

Jan 1: What better way to kick off the new year than to spend time with my new "special man friend" B?! We ate at this Pan-Asian vegan restaurant on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg called Wild Ginger. Afterwards, B got to meet my adorable doggies Lucy and Ellie. I think we startled Ellie--who must have just woken up--when we walked in, because at first, she barked and barked at B. "Who is this strange tall man?" she said to me. When I assured her that B is a very sweet guy, she eventually came around, and in the end, she loved him! She sent him a note today saying that she misses him. It's true.

Jan 2: Work and then I made dinner. I was feeling too lazy to use the stovetop, so everything went in the oven. I made roasted delicata squash, roasted portabello mushrooms, and baked tempeh (fermented soybean patties) with tamari, kombucha, and herbs and spices. It was quite tasty, but I think I was a little overzealous with the balsamic vinegar on the mushrooms! My brother walked into the kitchen at one point and exclaimed "Whoo, what's that smell?" While I ate, I watched an episode of Heroes Season 1, my new favorite show. B got me the DVD box set, hoping I would love it, and I do! Save the cheerleader, save the world!

Jan 3: At night, B and I hung out in Chelsea. We did some shopping, and then we ate at Better Burger, which was pretty good. Afterwards, we ended the night at Starbucks. I sipped my new favorite hot beverage--I got a medium (I refuse to say "grande"!) decaf soy misto, extra hot (that's what she said)--while we ate some vegan sweets and talked, and then fiddled around taking pictures. He played with his new Canon Elph, and I toyed with the camera settings on my cell phone. It was probably the most fun I've had in a Starbucks! Oh, earlier in the day, on my way to work, I was on a pretty empty train car, and this one freaky guy walks up toward me and grabs onto the same pole as me. I look up from my book and notice that he's staring at me! It was strange. I quickly averted my eyes and set them back on the page of my book, but now I couldn't concentrate. I felt his gaze on me still. Luckily, it was only two stops until I had to get off the train, but that train couldn't move fast enough! Freak.

Jan 4: At work, I had my weekly knitting lunch with my coworkers. I've taught them all (6 of them) how to knit, and we get together weekly to stitch 'n bitch at lunchtime. It was fun. After work, I met B and we went to Best Buy. He bought a phone and I compared digital cameras. I'm hoping to get one this weekend and I'm excited! I'm impressed with B's camera and I'm considering the same one for myself. At night, I heated up leftovers and watched some TV, and now this. Wow, I really should go to bed, it's 2:30 AM!

Pleasant nightmares!

heh heh, I said "a little behind"!