As unexciting as the first month back in New York has been, I still find I've so much to mention, but with it being my first blog post, and being new to this kind of thing, I'll keep it short and sweet.
Despite not having a place to live upon arriving (Thursday June 2nd) I wasted no time in calling my boss from last year, the great Mr. D (Daggett) to see if I could have my old job back. He responded positively as I had expected him to and the following Monday I was back in the Coliseum building 345 West 58th street, Manhattan. Unfortunately Mr. D has since left for a different Superintendent job in the City, but as of now a guy I get on with just as well, Jose, has stepped up from his assistant Super position to take charge for the time being. The Coliseum is a Midtown Manhattan apartment complex which I'm estimating holds about 700 - 1000 tenants between its north and south sides. I've become part of a group of concierges/doormen that are employed here to greet residents (and visitors) as they enter or depart the building, hand out their mail and dry cleaning, help with luggage and try solve any problems they may have throughout the day. But if you're given the midnight to 8am shift like I've had to do mostly so far, then your job is to pretty much sit there for eight hours and play with your thumbs, something that I've been excelling at to this point.
As well as Mr. Daggett and Jose, it's been great seeing again all the other doormen, the handymen, and the porters that keep the Coliseum running, like Vinny, Armando, Willy, Richie, Sergio, Rob McCrae, Dominic, Kenol to name just some. After being away for nine months, my first day was awful, as I'd forgotten basic things involved in working at the door but thankfully after a month of solid hours, I feel I'm back comfortably in the swing of things, not that the awkward moments have ceased entirely just yet.
So after nearly a week of crashing at Glenno's (a mate) place in Jersey, James found a big apartment in Fleetwood, right beside Yonkers. The story of the search for accommodation is a long and topsy turvy one in itself, way too much so to talk about here. We have currently too many people staying in the pad, four more than what's known to the landlady, so basically I'm just taking each day as it comes as we could be looking for a new place at any time over the coming weeks, it's that uncertain. The apartment itself is slick, the area has everything one would need, the only problem is it takes me nearly two hours to get to and from work. I can live with that, however, just like I can live with nine people in a one bathroom apartment.
Thus far, the many, but unexpected, working hours I've been receiving has restricted ventures out and nights on the beer. Time and energy is quite limited at the moment and getting sleep has become a luxury. I'm not complaining at all though, I know as summer 2011 grows older, the working time will lessen and the fun times will become more frequent for myself, Henno and James and all other mates I have here who join in and I will have plenty more to write about. That's all for now.
