The Real-versary

This past Monday was our official 8 year anniversary. Yay!!! We hadn't planned on doing anything as we're off to Barbados in a week, and we had celebrated our non-official anniversary 2 weeks prior. But towards the end of my work day on Monday, Blondie texted and suggested doing dinner. We headed to our favorite turkish restaurant, and split some spicy hummus and falafel. I had manti and Blondie had chicken and spinach. And then we stopped on the way home for gummy bears for yours truly. It was a really nice dinner, and glad I got to do a night with the Blonde One.

Work this week has been tiring. More than ever, I'm so exhausted from having to lead daily meetings - I never have a break (boo hoo). I just wake up every morning, and then immediately start thinking of the 5-8 daily mtgs I have to lead and it makes me weary; and then I'm done in before my day even starts. So pretty much every day this week was like that. I'm so much fun to be around, aren't I?

We also got our notice for our new rent - our lease is up in January, and they are jacking our rent $300/month and now we also have to pay to use the gym in our bldg (it was free the first 2 years). We're debating about what do - move to Brooklyn? Stay in the city but look for something cheaper? Renew our lease? Bite the bullet and buy a tiny ass studio just so we can finally have something again that's our own? We have until end of November to decide as that's when we would have to give our notice to move out.

Friday I met Blondie at our bar to relax and forget the week had happened. It was a good time seeing everyone. When they got wind of our plans to potentially leave the hood, it was non-stop "talk-us-out-of-leaving". It was uber cute, but it was also sad, because I would miss these guys like crazy. The bar, as weird as this sounds, has turned into another family for us. The regulars and our bartender are literally some of the nicest people we know, and I don't know how I would get through my weeks without seeing this group at some point.

Yesterday we put phase 1 of our "where do we live" plan in motion. Blondie and I caught the subway over to Prospect Heights, and met up with a coworker of mine. She took us all around her neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods so we could see what it was like, and if we would potentially like living there. We had brunch, and then walked the parks for awhile, before hitting up Target (restroom break. Also, TARGET!) After that, we hit up a beer garden and then a last bar for the night. We got back to the city around 10:30 pm, having been out all day long. It was a great time, and we had a blast, but we're just not sure Brooklyn is where we are supposed to be.

I know I'm harping on this moving / not moving thing, but I'm torn. I hate the thought of paying the kind of money we're about to have to pay for this tiny ass apartment of ours. But I hate the thought of leaving Manhattan. I feel like we've gotten this incredible opportunity to live here in Manhattan, and we've only taken advantage of it for 2 years. We shouldn't have to leave yet. But staying anywhere else in the city is going to cost about the same - so I have to pay the kind of money we're about to pay for rent.

We're finally in a city where it feels like home to both of us, and I don't want to give that up. (TX felt like home to Blondie but not me, and SF felt like home to me but not Blondie). What to do? It's eating at me.

This week I did pretty good about working out. I ran Tues and Thurs, and did an Insanity disc on Wed. I took Friday off, and then we walked all over Brooklyn on Saturday. I'm taking today off too as I have some errands I have to run. I'll work out this week 3-4 days, and then B.A.R.B.A.D.O.S! When we're back from that vacation, it's hard core back into running as I attempt to break a 2:30 half marathon in March 2012.

Plans for this week include meeting our friends from the bar for dinner tonight, and then we're off on Tues night to West Village to see my same friend perform her Cabaret/Burlesque show. A coworker of mine has quit, so her going away party is on Thurs. And then when Friday comes, a happy dance. As work is over for 1.5 weeks. And vacation on the beach is on.

--K