Day Seventy-Seven: I Don't Have a New Job

I ponder what to do today.  Being unemployed has its perks, but it gets old pretty quickly.  I’m happy to know that I’ll be starting my new job next week.

I clean out my closet to make room for the new clothes I bought yesterday.   I won’t be wearing all of these suits anymore.

I am out for a walk with Lyla, thinking about my new job when I get an email from Tom.  He informs me that the things I was going to work on got squashed and/or delayed and they are not going to fill the position.  I will not be the Director of Business Development.

Whhaaaaatt!?!?!? Suddenly everything changes.  After trying to reach Tom to discuss, I mope around.  There is nothing I can do.  I am utterly disappointed. 

I think about the positives:
1.  I don’t want to work for a company that would make an offer and renege it two days later.  Who does that?
2.  Clearly the opportunity was not what I had envisioned.

Ok, so now what?

I weigh my options.

It looks like I’ll go to Coachella this year.  I bought my ticket, plane tickets and rental car.  I thought it wouldn’t be wise to take two days off of work in my first week so I wasn’t going to go, but now I can.

Maybe I could finish my road trip with Lyla.  Drive out to California, stop in Austin along the way. But the idea of driving cross country has lost its glamour for the moment.  I want to be in California and I want Lyla to be with me, but the drive is long.  I don’t want to waste time.  I am ready to focus.  Ready to start.  I need to create new opportunities for myself.  That isn’t likely to happen on the road, though it might in San Francisco.

I meet Serafima for happy hour at the Mermaid Inn and invite Jay to join.  They are supportive.  “It didn’t seem like you were done with your travels.  I can’t believe you’re back,” Serafima says.  “You can always go back,” she suggests.  Maybe she is right, I wasn’t ready to leave, but I was chasing this opportunity. 

Do I keep going?  This is all too new.  I had my head set on this job all week.  I had my head set on this job since my first meeting with Tom. 

Here we go again.

Serafima and Jay at Ace Hotel

Day Seventy-Four: I Have a New Job

I take the 3 train and arrive ten minutes early for my meeting with Tom today.  I have a really good feeling about this job.  I think he will make me an offer. 

He does.  Tom wants me to start on Monday.  He’s sending me a formal agreement on Wednesday.   One week from today, I will start my new job as Director of Business Development for Bowlmor Lanes.  

I think about the opportunity and how lucky I am to have found it.  I trace it back to my road trip when i stayed at the Raleigh and befriended the staff.  Sammy invited me out with his friends when I met Chris, who set me up at the Standard and introduced me to Tom.  “It was fortuitous,” Tom said.  The lesson is that there is opportunity everywhere.  If our eyes are open and we are open, we can find it when we least expect it. 

Chris and Dominique come over to see me and Lyla before we head to dinner.     Dominque and Chris worked together at the Standard.  We are going to dinner at Spasso, a friend’s new restaurant on Waverly and Perry Street.

Dominique and Chris at SpassoIt’s a cozy restaurant and its packed.  The boys know the entire staff, who were poached from the Standard.

Chris has been busy starting a new restaurant, which is opening in May.

We toast to being back in New York together.   We toast to my new job.   See more pictures.

Day Seventy-Three: Lyla!!!

I listen to Si No Le Contesto by Plan B while take a shower in the morning.  I use hotel shampoo, conditioner and soap and put on my robe and slippers to ease into this transition back. I’m home.  It’s just like it was when I left it.  Except I have have a lot of new wines on my shelf. 

Kelly from Far Fetched Acres calls.  She’ll be here in twenty minutes with Lyla.  I can’t wait to see my baby girl. 

I have a huge grin on my face as I run down the stairs and out the door to the car where I see Lyla’s tail wagging in the window.

Lyla! Lyla! Lyla!  “Pumpkin! Hi Pumpkin!!” I exclaim.  Oh how I’ve missed your sweet heart.  She recognizes me immediately and gets so excited.  She licks my face over and over.  She can’t contain her excitement.  Neither can I.  All of west 13th Street stops to observe the reunion.  Joy.  Pure joy.

This transition back must be surprising for her too.  She’s been away for as long as I have.  She was at camp in the Hudson Valley.  I saw pictures.  She was having a lot of fun running around with friends.  Like me, she had fun, but she was ready to come home.

She races to the door.  She knows where she is.  I let her leash go and she races to the elevator and scratches the door as we ride up.  Onto the apartment door.  Opens.  She runs in circles around the apartment, wagging her tail.  I get on the floor and we continue the reunion. 

Chris is in the village and comes by to say hi to me and Lyla.  Chris and Jay moved to New York last week.  I was disappointed to learn this when I was leaving for Miami, but very happy about the news on my return to New York.  Jay joins us and I have a reunion with my boys.  “She still is the best thing I found in Miami,” Jay says. 

It’s good to be back.  See more pictures.

Day Seventy-One: Nacho and Lolo's Hippie Birthday Party

I put on a long white dress I picked up in Buenos Aires, a band around my head, some hippie jewelry and my favorite bag I bought in Tayrona before I head to dinner with Elliot, my step-dad.  He is here with some friends for a golf trip.  I am dressed like a hippie for Nacho and Lolo’s birthday party.

I take a taxi across the bay to Wynwood.  I welcome the opportunity to leave the nonsense of South Beach for the night.  “This is it,” my driver says.  I ask him to wait.  Is this really the place?  It’s an industrial street.  I see the restaurant.  Ok.

I walk through the restaurant to a huge open space.  I see Shepard Fairey work covering the walls.  Cool venue.  I head over to the stage where Nacho is playing.  Seeing him on stage is inspiring.  Music is in his soul.  See video.

I give Lolo a big hug.  “Nice costume!” I say. 

Lolo and me

Lolo and Nacho performAs the party continues into the night, I find some familiar faces, though I didn’t recognize them at first.  Arturo has a blond wig.  He points out Ruben, who I find and give a big hug to.

Ruben, me and ArturoI make some new friends.  I am not surprised Nacho and Lolo could bring together such an interesting group of people.  Everyone is dressed like hippies.

Gianna and me

Arturo hugs NachoIt’s an amazing party.  What a great way to end this trip.  See more pictures.

Day Seventy: Back to South Beach

I’m back. I am staying at the Surfcomber tonight.  The Raleigh was booked, just like every other hotel in Miami.  The guidos and guidettes of the county are flooding Miami this weekend for Ultra, a music festival. It’s a lot of techno, which draws a certain breed.  I had no idea until yesterday that this was going on. 

I arrive in South Beach.  As the taxi turns onto Collins Ave, I see girls with fake breast in bikinis and high heels.  The guys flaunt their muscles and have excessive amounts of gel in their hair.  GTL.

They are all walking in the same direction.  Where are they all going?  My hotel.  There is a huge pool party here this afternoon.

I throw my stuff in the room and check out the scene.  I have arrived on another planet.  It’s spring break on amphetamines.  I walk through the pool area and head to the beach.

I take a jog on the boardwalk.  It feels like I was here just a week ago.  Lyla is missing though.   I took her on this run every morning the last time I was here.

I visit Sammy at the Royal and chat with Luis at the bar.  He shows me the new cocktail list. I say hi to everyone. “Where is the little one?” they asks, referring to Lyla.  It’s really not the same without her.  I can’t wait to see her on Sunday. 

My brother, Matt, is in Miami with some friends until Tuesday.  Jordan, Gary, Adam and Matt come by the Royal to scoop me up and we head to Lincoln Road for dinner.  Our waiter brings our pizza.  We’re laughing and eating when Dennis Rodman walks by.  We turn and look at him.  He stops in his tracks, waves to us and pulls up a chair.   “Dennis Rodman, hey man,” Jordan says.  Adam laughs with a look of disbelief. 

Dennis’s posse tonight consists of two women, presumably hookers, and another unnoteworthy man.  Dennis looks horrible.  His skin is a disaster, his lips look like they are about to fall off. 

He sits behind Jordan and rubs his back.  Jordan is visibly uncomfortable.  Dennis is clearly on some drug, or perhaps many.  After a short conversation and repeating how much he likes Jordan a few times, Dennis bids us farewell.  He shakes Adam and Jordan’s hands and continues on his way, posse in tow.

“That was weird,” Gary says.  We all nod and agree.  

“I don’t want to think about where that hand has been,” Adam explains as he excuses himself to go wash his hands.

“I’ve read all of his books,” Matt tells us.  I remember seeing the Dennis Rodman books on my brother’s desk when we were in middle school.  Matt notes that Dennis was a legend in rebounding and gives us a short biography of the basketball star.  “He was always a weird guy,” my brother explains.

It was sad too see how low the former star had fallen.  He has lost himself.  

We finish our meal before I bid the boys a goodnight and catch up on sleep.