Mom's visit!

My mom came to visit Rich and I in NYC last weekend, and we had a blast! The only other time she's been to the Big Apple was when she and I were touring colleges when I was a high school junior, and that trip was quite the adventure. Neither of us had any idea what we were doing, which provided some comical experiences.

Let's just say this trip was the opposite of that. Thanks to my new knowledge of the city and Rich's generosity, she got to see how awesome New York can be. Rich hooked her up with a room at the Palace, and the first night she was there we had an awesome meal at the traditional Italian restaurant Il Menestrello. I stayed with her at the Palace the first night so we could be up bright and early to take the Circle Line tour around Manhattan, and that night we had dinner with Rich's parents at the Chart House in New Jersey. We had another amazing meal, but the best part about the restaurant was it's marvelous view of the New York skyline.

The last day she was there we went to brunch and then to the matinee of "Hair." Ok, maybe I should've done more research before picking a play. I knew Hair was about the '60s and Vietnam war and all that, but I wasn't prepared for how ... sexual it was. Let's just say the full nude scene took us all by surprise, among some other parts. But the play was still very good and we all had a good time. We finished off her trip with dinner at the classic New York steakhouse, Smith & Wollensky.

The trip went by so fast! Two and a half days is nowhere near enough time to see all that New York has to offer, but we all had a great time and now we know what we want to do when she comes back! It was really special to experience it with her. And a big thanks to Rich for making it all possible. =)

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Here it is! eFlirt Expert's first real press - and it's in the Washington Post!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/23/AR2009072301172.html

Laurie also had an interview with the Boston Globe, and hopefully that will be hitting news stands this weekend or next weekend too! Press = exposure which hopefully = clients! Woot!

Family, fun and sun

So, it's been almost exactly a month since I last posted - which could be the longest I've ever gone since starting this blog - but I have a good reason! For the last three weeks I was on vacation surrounded by family, fun and sun. The first week I was in Orlando for my grandmother's 80th birthday and the last two weeks I was in Lavallette in the Jersey Shore with Rich and his family.

Some highlights:

• Rich got initiated with the Hartmans with little to no injury, haha. No, just kidding, the visit went flawlessly. It was the first time he'd met everyone except my dad and they were all very accepting. Even Uncle Rick.
• I got to take Rich to see a little of Orlando through a native's eyes when we went to my favorite restaurant, Cafe Tu Tu Tango, and to Pat O'Brien's at CityWalk.
• I also got much closer to his family while at the Shore. His kids and I bonded a lot. I've spent a lot of time with his family before, but this was by far the longest at one time. Thankfully, I think they still like me.
• I had forgotten how much I missed the beach. This trip came at just the right time - I was really stressed out about my job situation (or lack thereof) and needed to get away for a while. Some sand in my toes and sun on my skin did just the trick.
• After loving the beach so much, I was actually really worried about how I'd feel when I came back to the city. But thanks to some promising news with eFlirt Expert and the knowledge that I'll still be able to work from home for ICE, I at least knew that I'd have some work to do. And as we were driving home, I got a perfect view of the New York City skyline and it took my breath away like always. I suddenly felt refreshed and ready to take on the future.
• I started a couple freelance stories while on vacation that I'm pretty excited about. I don't want to say too much on here yet, but I think if I do the right research and interviews they could be glossy sellers. Hopefully.

So that's where I've been. Rich and I are headed to dinner with a good group of great friends tonight, and I'm really excited about it. I belong here.

Movin' on up

Today I said goodbye to Washington Heights and hello to Chelsea. The Heights will always have a special place in my heart. It was the place I got my start in New York. If Chris hadn't had an extra room, I'm not sure how I would've made the move in time. It might not have been a glamorous place, but I was right next door to beautiful Tyron Park, the subway was right around the corner, and it had a great Chinese take-out place across the street. Your first apartment in New York isn't supposed to be glamorous anyway, right? I had a lot of fun there.

But like I said, I said goodbye to it today, and moved in to a super-cool loft studio with my boyfriend in Chelsea. I really love everything about Chelsea. There are a million restaurants around the apartment, including Moran's, and the people and atmosphere are great. I feel very lucky to be here, and am very happy about making the commitment to live with him. =)

Here are a couple shots of the apartment:

  

Yep, that's a backyard! A prized possession in New York.

I'm a lucky girl.

New job!

So things at ICE have been a little rocky lately. The job is still solid and isn't near ending, but I feel like I've been there long enough and it's time to move on.

So this morning I set out to get a job serving. I know I didn't spend four years in college to wait tables, but at least this way I don't have to be behind a desk copying and pasting and can meet some fun new people. Plus, it'll give me more time to work on my internship with Laurie. Let's be honest, I didn't spend four years in college to do data entry either. 

Now, trying to get a serving job in NYC is no easy task. It's the fall-back job for everyone - actors, models, out of work journalists, etc. And in this city, that's a LOT of people. I went on an open call at a restaurant last week and within 10 minutes 20 people were in line for one hostessing position. It's no joke.

But this morning was different. There's this great historic steakhouse literally around the corner from my apartment called Moran's, so I went there first. I gave the owner my resume, answered a few quick questions, and then she said, "Ok, when can you start?" "Um, tomorrow?" I answered. And that was that. I start at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. It's a small place but has great food and wine and has been around for more than 100 years. Best of all I can expect to get around 35 hours a week, which is a lot for a restaurant. I really only need three or four good tables a night to make enough money at a place like this.

I know turnover is crazy in the hospitality business, especially in NYC, but I think if I do a good job this will stick at least for a while. Rich and I have eaten here several times and it seems like a good place to work. Yay!!

eFlirt Expert promo video

Here's the new super-cute promo video from eFlirt Expert! Check it out and tell your friends!

eFlirt expert promo from Laurie Davis on Vimeo.

Hooray internship!

I'm so excited about my great new internship! It's with my friend, Laurie's, new company called eFlirt Expert. Basically I'll be doing a lot of guerrilla marketing, including posting fliers, passing out cards, posting things online, etc. But I'll also be helping out with events and other fun stuff. We already have a networking event next week! It's just part time for now, but it has a lot of opportunity for growth and I can still work while I do it.

The company is really smart. Laurie has a lot of experience with online dating and marketing, so she turned that into her job. She does everything from revamp and create online dating profiles to being your own wing woman! She's really trustworthy and knows what she's talking about, and her prices are really reasonable. To get a full list of her services click here. She just started a few months ago and already has a few couples that are moving in together! I really think eFlirt will take off soon and I hope I can be a part of the company for a long time to come.

So do you or someone you know need a little push in the dating department? Talk to Laurie! She can help anyone from any state, so Florida people this is for you too!

Go to eFlirtexpert.com for more information! (Picture is of Laurie)