Sweet Tea in NYC

Boo Radley

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the newest member of the Parker/Goulah household: Miss Boo Radley.

Yep, I said "Miss."  Although technically a boy's name, it just fits our little girl.  We actually adopted two kittens today.  Boo's not-yet-named baby sister will be home tomorrow evening, after she's been spayed.  We got the girls from the Manhattan Animal Care and Control Center, on 110th.  Boo Radley is 9 months old, and our other little kitty is 5 months old.  We had been planning to get a dog, but plans changed, and we were powerless to resist these two ladies.

It was pretty heartbreaking, actually, because I wanted to take all the little guys home, and some of them won't find good homes.  I actually work at an animal shelter, but since we're a no-kill shelter, and I know all our animals will find homes, I thought it was important to adopt from Animal Control and save two little kitty lives.

Boo's little sister won me over first.  I walked over to her cage where she was sleeping, and she opened one eye, rolled over on her back and started making biscuits in the air.  I didn't stand a chance.  She's a little grey tabby.

So now our little apartment finally feels like home, with the addition of our fur-babies.  They are amazing little girls, and you'll probably get really sick of me talking about them before too long.

I Am...

...powerless to resist this man:

 

Under Construction

Welcome to Sweet Tea in NYC's new home on TypePad, formerly of Vox.  I am a huge fan of Vox, and don't plan on leaving the site completely, but I wanted to expand Sweet Tea and have slightly more control of my layout. 

I also love TypePad's photo album feature for my photography.  I am in the middle of trying to upload all my photography onto TypePad and create several extensive photo albums; an important feature especially due to the fact that Yahoo purchased Flickr, and I find myself disappointed with the site now. 

I've moved a few of my favorite entries from Vox to my new TypePad home, and once I get my layout/photo album situation configured, I will resume regular blogging, so please check back.  I should be back in full force soon!

Home

When you are a child, and you move around all the time, when you finally move someplace and stay someplace and live someplace, that place becomes sacred.  Even when you're all grown up, that place is still special and perfect.  And knowing that it's still there for you whenever you want to come back to it is a really wonderful feeling.   

I can't explain it any other way. 

I am really overreacting, but I don't like change.  I don't deal particularly well with it, and I don't have to apologize for that.

Me + New York = One Year

As of today I have officially lived in New York for one year.  [I have also been shacking up with the Russian for a year today.]

I was under the impression that a lot of people didn't think this whole moving to New York with my boyfriend of only eight months would work out, but I guess that just goes to show that sometimes the most spontaneous, far-fetched plans you make are some of the best.  At least, that's been the rule in my life.  I just... had a feeling that all of this was supposed to be, so there ya go.  Here we are.

[Truthfully, even I wasn't entirely convinced immediately after we'd moved that this was the best course of action.  Ha.  I love proving everyone - even myself - wrong.]

Do I love New York more than anything ever?  Am I ready to trade in my Southern citizenship for that of a New Yorker's?  No and no.  But at the same time, I know this is exactly where I need to be at this time in my life.  And NYC has spurred an incredible renaissance in my creative life.  I am unbelievably grateful for that. 

This city makes me want to pull my hair out, and yet inspires me so much.  Everyday.  Often at the same time. 

But what a charmed life I am leading now.  [Hatred for my job aside, of course.]  How far we've come in this year.  From slumming it next to squatters in a glorified studio on Avenue C, to a bright, beautiful one bedroom in a quaint neighborhood on the Upper West Side, less than a block from Central Park.  [I guess you could say we kind of kicked New York's ass...]

Someday I will tire of my long commute, of the sirens blazing through the city when I'm trying to sleep, of the hustle and bustle; someday I'll trade it all in for a big house with a wraparound porch and easier access to sweet tea, but for now this is perfect.

Happy anniversary New York.  [And Goulah.]