Two Point Five Years Later... and This is IT?

Well, there is a change of scenery. The landscape is rather bleak - this Sparkle has lost some of its shine but nothing that a rinse in the jewelry shop won't cure - or at least I hope. I come back here to this blog 2.5 years later, and find my shiny life in Los Angeles gone, my good friends scattered all over the country requiring a flight or a bus trip as my beloved Honda is parked in Massachusetts. Where am I now? New York City... Manhattan... East Harlem part of Manhattan. A place dubbed "gross" by a few of the Manhattanites I've encountered so far. Lovely. I'm making the most $$$ I've ever made yet ironically I'm living in a ghetto and dubbed "low class" in this city. Of course, in this city alone. I'm comfortably upper middle class in the remaining 99% of the country. Funny, huh? Well, sadly, I'm not laughing.

I could lay in bed and cry all day, but that's not really me. Or I could shop the voids away - but that results in more debt on credit cards that I'm trying to pay off and have done well so far - I mean, who the hell pays off $17,500 of debt in one year (This girl here does...)? While I'm here temporarily (yes, if I have any control over this, it WILL be temporary), I'm making the best of it. I mean, this is a city with $400/night hotels for a reason - people find SOME redeeming qualities here... And what does a normal 27 year old do in such circumstances besides hanging out with the few friends she has in the city? She checks out the guys... and sees what adventures she can get.

First there is Omen. Omen has a high-flying (literally - he jets off to the Middle East at a moment's notice) career at my old firm. I met Omen at a trance music festival - he was a friend of a mutual friend that I got back in touch with. He was great company, we discussed various aspects of electronic music, clubs in the city, etc.. He made sure my beer glass was always full and gave me a ride home on both nights of the festival - he got a good night kiss both of those nights. The Armin Van Buuren set was amazing, and I'm glad I got to enjoy it with good company. However, the buck stopped there. Both of us had such busy schedules that I rainchecked him the night we were supposed to have our first official *date.* Then he left for the Middle East for work, and that was that. He was a little too *chill* for my taste though, and I don't think he is capable of being attached to anyone, really. He's 36 with a house and sees the house as "too much of a commitment." What I found a red flag about this city overall is that our mutual friend told me he was "too clingy" in her opinion. Um, I didn't realize 1-2 emails a week, a missed date that was never really made up counted as "too clingy," but ok... I happen to like having people in my life on a close level - that's just me - feel free to run if that's not you - I'll figure it out and not take offense.

Next is Basement Boy - 29 going on 30 within the next few weeks and still living in a rented basement apt in Jersey while mysteriously owning a nice plasma screen tv. Ok, I would like to know how guys who make way less BANK than me own nice big plasma TVs while I still have the big-ass silver TV that I got for my 21st birthday while still in college? No fancy plasmas here... Maybe if I sell some of my plasma... bad pun, I know. A college dropout which raises a flag, but it also didn't phase me when he didn't follow through on the simple stuff. If you can't finish college, which should be the main priority in your life, how are you expected to um, get, maintain, and keep an adult relationship? If he contacts me and schedules a date to see me, I'll consider it, but if not, no real loss there... NEXT.

Well, hello Mr. Southern Gentleman. When I moved to NYC, I never thought I would be getting in touch with a guy from the South who also happened to be someone I grew up with ... as he lived a few doors down. Mr. SG is intriguing... he knows this because I've communicated this to him. I want to know more about him... about his life. Who he is really. I feel like there is a mask involved with him - I walk past him and turn around and keep staring, because he's fascinating. My one major concern is that Mr. SG seems to be a little anxious about seeing me. I do not understand this as we saw each other in passing every day as teens. This baffles me. I can't even say anything more about Mr. SG as I'm so baffled.

Then there is the Artist. An educated older guy - definitely would have him on board as a museum buddy - we share the same love of MOMA - he paints and may inspire me to really get back into painting (I thought the city was inspiring at first, but maybe the city inspires enough pain and loneliness to paint?). I'm not sure of my feelings for this guy just yet, but I'm 100% receptive to meeting him at a museum to have someone to talk to about the paintings I've seen and what Bruce Nauman's newest mindf*** art is. There is a black and white Roy Lichtenstein exhibit I've been meaning to check out - this dude could be the one to check it out with.

Honorable mentions go to Polish Persian - a good looking social guy who would be fun to hang out with as friends, but not boyfriend material AT ALL. And Buff Asian philosopher - not into Asian dudes at all, but this one is smart and could be fun to talk to - back burner for now, I guess. The most baffling award goes to the obviously gay Asian BigLaw lawyer who claimed I was "hot" - a friend told me her Gaydar went off full force on that one.

So yeah... we'll see what happens! :)