Whew!  A little quiet on the blog front.  I’ve been busy looking for a job and having a good time here in New York.  And, if things would have come out to failure I didn’t really feel the need to document every step of that journey.  I am happy to report that after a lot of foot/phone/email work I have one job offer and an interview at a second hospital tomorrow.  Let’s just say that there was a lot of acting like I knew what I was doing as I walked, unannounced and uninvited, into a lot of nurse recruiting offices.  Of course, the paranoid freak side of me is afraid that tomorrow the bottom of the world is going to fall out and that job offer will be rescinded.  But don’t worry, I keep talking myself back down into a more logical reality.  Now, if I were a banker it might be harder to find that logical reality, but thankfully, I am not.  

I’ll write more about the job hunt later, but here are a few pictures:

Sheep's Meadow - Central Park

Bow Bridge - Central Park

Reflection - Central Park

Bethesda Fountain - Central Park

Belvedere Castle - Central Park

Turtle Pond/View from Belvedere Castle - Central Park

Empire State Building from 5th Ave and about 28th Street

Airplanes Scribbled a Message Over Central Park

Those lounging in Sheep’s Meadow and hanging in other parts of Central Park on Labor Day watched in awe as Europe’s largest brewery spelled out its name across the sky.

Hej.

Nu har hemresan kommit och de sista dagarna har gatt mycket fort. Vi har traffat en gammal kompis till M som han traffade i Spanien. Charlie bor en dryg timmes bilresa fran NY och det var en trevlig prick. Annars har vi mest spenderat tid i Central Park. Sheeps Meadow har hyst oss manga dagar nu och det blir en plats att sakna. Annars maste jag saga att det kanns skont att komma hem till sin egen sang, och mest skont blir det att slippa det skabbiga hotellet.

Vi gav Broadway en chans till ocksa, men det blev inget. For mycket ko, for mycket tid o.s.v. Jag tror helt enkelt att vi inte var tillrackligt sugna. Vi skjuter upp det och tar en Broadway-weekend i framtiden istallet! Forbetalt och bokat for att slippa allt fuzz.

Daremot sa akte vi ner till Battery Park igen och gick strandpromenaden mot Financial District. Den var grymt vacker. Med utsikt over havet, Frihetsguddinnans silhuett som syntes i diset och promenader kantade av trad myste vi till det rejalt. Dit ska man verkligen ta sig om man besoker NY.

Med lite perspektiv pa saker och ting nu sa marker jag att vi inte ar nagra typiska NY-besokare. Vi tycker allt var sa stort, hogljutt, mycket och sa vidare men alskade de platserna dar lugnet samlade sig, dar hoghusen bara syntes som en horisont och dar musikers musik slog mot tradvaggarna. Kanske inte det man brukar aka till NY for att soka, men det ar sadana vi ar. 

Nej, nu ska vi kolla var gate. Sitter pa Heatrhrow och vantar pa planet hem till Arlanda. Resan har redan varit lang och jetlagen ar hemsk. Vi hors snart.

Kramar Ann

Hej.

Nu har hemresan kommit och de sista dagarna har gatt mycket fort. Vi har traffat en gammal kompis till M som han traffade i Spanien. Charlie bor en dryg timmes bilresa fran NY och det var en trevlig prick. Annars har vi mest spenderat tid i Central Park. Sheeps Meadow har hyst oss manga dagar nu och det blir en plats att sakna. Annars maste jag saga att det kanns skont att komma hem till sin egen sang, och mest skont blir det att slippa det skabbiga hotellet.

Vi gav Broadway en chans till ocksa, men det blev inget. For mycket ko, for mycket tid o.s.v. Jag tror helt enkelt att vi inte var tillrackligt sugna. Vi skjuter upp det och tar en Broadway-weekend i framtiden istallet! Forbetalt och bokat for att slippa allt fuzz.

Daremot sa akte vi ner till Battery Park igen och gick strandpromenaden mot Financial District. Den var grymt vacker. Med utsikt over havet, Frihetsguddinnans silhuett som syntes i diset och promenader kantade av trad myste vi till det rejalt. Dit ska man verkligen ta sig om man besoker NY.

Med lite perspektiv pa saker och ting nu sa marker jag att vi inte ar nagra typiska NY-besokare. Vi tycker allt var sa stort, hogljutt, mycket och sa vidare men alskade de platserna dar lugnet samlade sig, dar hoghusen bara syntes som en horisont och dar musikers musik slog mot tradvaggarna. Kanske inte det man brukar aka till NY for att soka, men det ar sadana vi ar. 

Nej, nu ska vi kolla var gate. Sitter pa Heatrhrow och vantar pa planet hem till Arlanda. Resan har redan varit lang och jetlagen ar hemsk. Vi hors snart.

Kramar Ann

Last weekend I spent a lot of time with my best friend. We had a lot of fun together. Some of it was work but fun never the less. We worked on the computer together and got the Brooklyn loft cleaned up since I am still staying in the city at Lucy’s place but will go back to the loft on Friday.

On Sunday we took off, went to Central Park, got a lot of sun and took it easy.

Last weekend I spent a lot of time with my best friend, myself.

“Last Weekend…….” Manhattan/New York City/Central Park/Sheep’s Meadow 07-13-08 at 06:34 PM

Please check out my website at carstenfleck.com

I have just found a picnic club in Manhattan, and they meet in Sheeps Meadow! For those of you who don’t know, Sheeps Meadow is a gorgeous part of Central Park that you need to spend at least one Sunday this summer at to take in its serenity. I have picnicked there many a time with friends, but neve with strangers. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, enjoy being outdoors, and maybe eat some fine finger foods. 

They have a blog, so you can read their Picnic Rules and such. It looks like they are on for the beautiful day this Sunday:

“Dear Members,
Its 10:08 a.m. on Thursday, May 29, and as of now the weather reports state that Sunday, June 1 will be mostly sunny and have high temperatures of 78.

So without any further hesitation, we would like to invite you all, dear members, to the picnic.

Sunday, June 1
1 p.m.
Sheep Meadow, Central Park
Southeast corner of Sheep Meadow
Look for Allison and Michael, they will be standing with clipboards.

This is going to be a picnic of epic proportions. Hope to see you all there. In the meantime, check back here for any updates.

Fondly,

Your Hosts,

Now that we live in Brooklyn, spending a long afternoon exploring Central Park is a “day in the city,” rather than just what we always do for fun.

On Earth Day weekend, we took the train to the Upper East Side to see the free concerts. We ended up throwing coins in the fountain, feeding the turtles, and rolling around in the Sheep Meadow. (We missed you chasing all the squirrels, Cecil!)

The sky was blue; the sun was hot; the wind was cool. There was music and laughter and spring greenery and flowers. We had such a beautiful, wonderful, sweet day that I told Jesse (only half-jokingly) that I knew where we should live next: Manhattan. (Of course an evening in our crowded, expensive old neighborhood reminded me why we left in the first place.)

I took a few photos, including an attempt at a self-family portrait.

Of course, you can’t do that now unless you want a night stick up your ass. Thanks Rudy!

http://www.centralpark.com/pages/attractions/sheep-meadow.html

I love New York.  I mean it, I really love it.  i’m in love with it.  I fell in love when we first met.  And there are more than enough reasons why to love New York.  Yesterday was one of them.   Yesterday, you see, I was really hung over.  Now that’s a shock, I’m sure.   I was hung over, but I had made plans to go to Central Park’s “sheepy meadow” with my good pal jenfernandez and I was NOT going to cancel.  I love the sun, i love Jen, and I love to have a brown bagged beverage in the park.  It was hot.  I’m talking hot.   I packed my silly little cooler/backpack (yes, it’s a combo, and it’s pretty nifty although uncomfortable) with ice, salsa, vodka, beer, and orange soda.   As I walked to the subway I felt iffy.  My arms felt sizzly and numb and my head was swimmy.   I chalked it up to a hangover in the sun.  The only thing I was certain of was that I needed to sit down in an airconditioned subway train stat if not sooner.  Walking down the stairs into the 14th street NQRW station, i felt as if my legs were filled with sand and marbles, my knees jerked weakly with every step.  I assumed that I was just a hungover weakling who couldn’t support the heavy backpack load.

When I emerged, Jen had gone to Whole Foods – so I perched on a marble bench.  I felt weak.  I felt hot.  I felt like I couldn’t breathe properly.  When we finally set out to sheepy meadow, I felt like I couldn’t hold a conversation – it took to much effort to breathe and talk at the same time.  This did not alarm me or warn me in any way of imminent health decline, NOPE, i just figured I was over warm.  We flopped our blankets out, arranged our snacks, oiled up, and made chilly beverages.  I thought nothing of taking a little hair of the dog to fight away the headache, minor shaking, and bubbly belly.  OF COURSE this would make me feel fiiiine.  In the sun… relaxing.  I ate chips and salsa and discussed the hilarity of handjobs, the strange coincidence of unemployment, and whether or not the boy in the glossy blue shorts was on steroids.  I decided, after feeling way too hot on my back, that i would flip and lie on my stomach.  A tiny breeze licked my forehead and I became immediately aware that I was cold sweating.  Weird.  Why the cold sweating?  I stretched out on my belly.

And that was when my belly jumped up into my throat.   I sat up fast.

“You guys.  I think I’m going to honk” – I say to the bathing beauties on my right.  My back was now to the sun, I was sitting pretzel style, and I had my pink flipflop towel in a death grip.

“Really?” say Jen, looking at me like there was no way I was going to honk. “think about electrolytes.  That will make you feel better”

“ok” – me.  Barely able to speak.   I thought about electrolytes.  I thought about the distance from our blanket to the bathrooms.  I thought about the severity of the situation.  did i really have to honk?  Was this something I could talk myself down from?  Would I feel better soon?  Would I just burp and feel normal? *burp* SHIT.

I leapt off the blanket, pulled my adorable blue linen sun dress over my orange flowered bikini and hooted:

“I’m going to honk!”  The girls looked confused and amused all at once.  But mostly confused.  I lurched off towards the restrooms with saliva filling my mouth.  It’s close, I thought.  The pre-lube is already happening.  do I really want Central Park public restroom backsplash to hit my face?  Would there be a line?  Verrrp.  I turned around, crouched on my knees on the towel.

“I’m not going to make it.  What do I do?  Do I boot in that cup?  What do I do?” – I was manic, in a panic.  Blankets of new yorkers surrounded us, would they all leap up and point if I honked?!  I was going to honk.  Hardcore.  I laid face down in the grass, pulled a towel over my head, and honked out 5 hard and full pink chunky streams into the beautiful green grass of Sheep’s Meadow.   Jen rubbed my back as my body heaved with each new stream.

“would you like to support my basketball team by buying M&Ms” – this wasn’t happening.  I’m face down in the grass and there is a small child trying to sell me chocolate.

“walk away!” I groan from under the towel.  “Is anyone looking?”

“No one is looking” says Jen, who is now cleaning my honk off the grass.  She swooped in, cleaned everything up, poured water all over the place – and then we simply moved our blankets over and got back to the business of baking.

I love New York.  You can vomit face down in the Central Park sun and no one bats an eye.