Food is expensive

Hey ya'll-

Work was great today. The last time I had a serious sit-down-all-day-and-write-code kinda job, I had to have my hand held for weeks before I got the hang of things. Granted, that was the first time I'd had a job like that. But today, 4 days into a brand new language, and I'm rolling with the punches and getting stuff done. It's been quite the opposite of hand-holding this week, and I've basically been on my own with a list of stuff to do. And I'm knocking it out. I feel like a big boy now. :)

 I even stayed until 8:30p today so I could finish up what I was working on. Plus I figure working a lot isn't the worst habit to be in. I'm sure there's lots of trouble to be had in this city, and the way I see it, I'm keeping myself out of it. Plus it'll give me a chance to get ahead and show off for the first month or so, become a valued member of the team. And I realized today, that if I walk home from work, it totally negates the fact that I've been sitting down for hours and hours and hours. I never got to learn that in Atlanta, cause I went from office chair to car seat to wooden dinner chair to couch cushion, etc, ad sedentarium. And when I walk home instead of taking the subway I get to see all the schtuff too. That appeal may wear off, I guess, but I'm good with it for now.

Ok -- food. I'm sure most of you know how much I like my food. And my appetite isn't quite what you'd call petite. Food is so not cheap here. I had a long sandwich and pasta salad and chips for lunch today, and it ran me $12. Sheesh. And barely filled me up. So on my walk home today, I figured I'd stop at a grocery and get some dinner. And that didn't help either! I spent $35, and that food *might* last me 3 days. My dinners out have been averaging around $10-12, which isn't bad for dinner, but the portions are just barely enough to fill you up! No chance at leftovers. So $2 for breakfast, $10 for lunch, and $12 for dinner, that's $24 a day on food. I could honestly eat in Atlanta for $5-10 a day.  So I'm still going to have to figure out how to work all of this out. I hear there's a Costco on the island somewhere, and (thanks Mom,) I have a card. That may be my saving grace.

So I realized today when I'm really going to feel like a New Yorker. It's going to be summer, most likely. I realized this after talking with Poppy today. He asked if there were many people out on the streets. There were a decent scattering, but nothing even close to crowded. That's when I realized -- I moved to NYC in January. Who in their right mind does that? And of course there's very few people visiting right now. When tourist season picks up, I'll have been here for a few months and gotten used to everything, and then its going to be crazy packed with tourists. And I can see it already; I'm going to be grumbling under my breath all the time about obnoxious tourists always being in the way and not knowing where they're going or what they're doing. That's when I'll feel like a New Yorker.

Ok, I'm out for now. Everyone keep warm and healthy, and thanks for all the comments and love. It's great to be able to keep up with people, even in such a tenuous way as fiber-optic cable and glowing screens.

Much love!
-K3