Happy Halloween!

Halloween in the city is quite an experience! Tonight on my way home there were lots of people in costume going out and about. I saw Fred and Wilma Flintstone and Hannibal Lecter among many others. There is a huge Halloween parade in Greenwich Village each year, but I didn't venture down that way tonight.

Tonight after school, I talked with Mzee on the phone. He was so excited because one of the preschoolers at daycare dressed up like A FIREFIGHTER!! I told him that maybe next year he could be a firefighter.

Mzee dressed up as a Husker football player and got to go trick or treating with the kids at Milan's daycare. Milan dressed up as a tiger, but it was too cold for her to do much trick or treating. Then after trick or treating Mzee got to hand out candy. He requested that he do it himself. Don tells me that he would stand by the door and open it before the kids could ring the bell. He told each of them, "don't ring the bell, or Lucy will bark."


I also got a call from Mzee tonight asking me how to say goodbye in Spanish. He knows "hola" means hello, but wanted to know how you say goodbye. So we practiced saying "Adios."

I sure do miss the kids, but it sounds like they had a great Halloween!

We are still waiting for word on which house we might be able to rent. Hopefully there will be news on that front tomorrow!

The House Hunt Continues

Well, I had a busy weekend of house hunting. Luckily this weekend was more fruitful than last weekend. We actually have two houses that look very promising! It's quite a complex process renting out here. You have to provide tons of documentation, even when renting through a realtor. The require information on income, taxes, bank accounts, etc. I think it might actually be harder than qualifying for a mortgage!! :o) One of the houses we really like is rented directly by the owner and he requires SIX references!!! I thought that was a bit excessive, but it is a GREAT house! I should know by the end of the week which house we will be renting. They are both pretty great houses, with great kitchens --one of my highest priorities, of course! But seriously, they both are very nice, one just seems much more 'perfect' for our family, with a great playset in the backyard and a gorgeous yard overall. But, there is one person in the queue ahead of us for the 'perfect' house, so we are also trying for the other house, which has plenty of room for us as well and will be great too!

Don has been staying very busy with the kids! He took them to the Air and Space Museum this weekend (see pictures below) and Cabela's. Mzee loves Cabela's because he likes to "shoot the skunk" at the shooting range in the back. Milan's cold has gotten much worse and she developed a really bad cough, so Don took her back to the doctor today to find she has an ear infection. So, a round of antibiotics for her! Mzee and Don bought candy today to give out to the trick or treaters on Wednesday. Mzee is very excited about that!




Yesterday the fire alarms went off in my apartment, so we all had to evacuate the building. The building is brand new and is still being finished on certain floors. It has a very high tech alarm system that actually announced right in my apartment in a lovely computerized tone: "Your attention please, Your attention please! There is a fire on your floor, please evacuate the building. Do not use the elevator...." I wasn't too concerned, but did make my way down the stairs right outside my apartment to the parking garage and then to the lobby. We had to wait for the fire department and it became quite comical....I assume the firemen knew that the specific alarm code for the building wasn't indicative of an actual fire because the firemen were quite literally just strolling into the building one at a time with some gear behind them. I am sure that in the case of a real fire, they move much more quickly! Mzee was very excited when I told him that firefighters came to my building. And as I was hanging up last night he said "I hope there isn't another fire in your building, Mommy!"

Happy Hour

It's Friday again! The week seems to have flown by. It's rained for two days. Luckily it hasn't been too bad during my commute. Although it is fun dodging puddles on the sidewalk...maybe rain boots are in my future...
Today was another busy day of work, trying to learn as much as I can...I even brought home some 'leisure reading' for the weekend, if I can find the time.
This afternoon, my division hosted a happy hour in the conference room on our floor. This was because there have been a lot of new people that have started and they thought it was a good idea to have some socializing, snacks and drinks to allow people to mingle. I have to admit it felt a little nostalgic, like an ACI "Friday @ 4" from back in the day. It was a great way to meet some other people on my floor, and I really enjoyed myself. I was able to show off pictures of Mzee and Milan, which was great! I did go back to work to finish a few things after it was over.
Tonight after work, I had to make a trip to the grocery store to get a few things. Its only about four or five blocks, so not bad at all...of course it was raining, so the trip home was quite a workout with four bags of groceries and an umbrella....I miss my car! :o) Honestly, most days I don't miss driving at all, but tonight in the rain, I was wishing I could have driven myself.
Mzee and Milan are still suffering from colds. Mzee got his flu shot today and got to run some errands with Dad after that. Tonight, Milan got to stay home with Tifanie, the babysitter, and Mzee got to go with Daddy to hang out with some of the soccer coaches. Mzee had a great time kicking the ball and scoring a few goals. See the picture here of him at the soccer field:Tomorrow, I'm geared up for a FULL day of house hunting...I must find us a house this weekend! I have quite a few houses to see so am confident one of them will be our new home!
And the big news of the day is that I bought my plane ticket to go home next weekend. I'm SO excited to go visit even if only for a couple of days! I miss Don and the kids a lot and can't wait to see them! I think I told everyone I saw at the office today that I have a ticket to fly home next weekend!

The Real Work Has Begun

Monday I had a meeting with my manager and he asked me to get involved in three separate initiatives. I've only started work on one of the three and have been very busy the last few days! I am currently working on the current UN talent management system known as Galaxy. It is a home grown system developed at the UN where all applications are routed through among many other things. I've been testing some new workflows and putting into production some things that needed to be there to correspond with an update that is going into the system tonight. The system is very complex and I am learning a lot about it as well as the corresponding recruiting process that is managed within the system. I can tell I will be kept very busy here, which is the kind of job I love. I'll also be getting involved in a Change Request Management system roll-out as well as assisting to create some testing templates, among other things!
Today was the last day for someone in my office who took a job in Geneva. We had a staff meeting with the entire division today and several people have just returned from working in other UN offices around the world and it is great to see the global footprint of the UN!
News from Don is that Mzee can be stubborn and not want to take a shower in the mornings (he's no longer a morning person like he once was). Don and Mzee have been watching baseball playoffs and Mzee likes to mention he's a baseball player, so Don got creative and informed Mzee that "Baseball players have to take showers." Well, as you can imagine, that was just the trick to get Mzee in the shower!
Milan has a bad cold and went to the doctor today. However, she has no fever and otherwise is fine, so had her flu shot while she was there. Mzee gets his flu shot tomorrow!
After a week of commuting daily on the PATH train and then two subways, I've finally figured out, for the most part, my way through the maze of walkways in the subway to make the most efficient use of my time from one train to the next and the best exit to get me to street level where I need to be! The really need a map not just of the subway but of all the stairways and tunnels to navigate on foot below ground!!!
I'm pretty used to the commute now, it doesn't much phase me. I'm also adjusting to the work time here. I had been getting to the office between 8:30 and 9:00 as I often did in Omaha, but found I was usually one of the first ones in. It's not unusual for people here to arrive at work between 9:30 and 10:30. It's much more relaxed in that respect. Of course, people tend to work later in the evening. I've decided that people at the UN at least pretty much work the same hours as Omaha, not taking into account the time zone!
Every night on my way home there are different musicians in the subway tunnels and they are usually very good! It's a great energy boost when you are dragging at the end of the day!
I had originally planned to fly home this weekend to see Don and the kids, but it looks like house hunting is more critical at this point. I am determined to find a place this weekend and am making plans to fly home next weekend to see the family! I miss them so much!! It is so quiet here....not counting the sirens and street noise of course! :o)

Another Day of House Hunting!

Today was a FULL day of house hunting. My friend Pat, who I've known since I was a child, now lives in New Jersey. She offered to drive me up to Westchester county so I could look at some houses I had interest in. I don't know if she knew what she was getting herself into, but we had a great time. THANK YOU PAT! We went all over lower Westchester and looked at about 7 houses. We got lost a couple of times, but always eventually found our way where we needed to be. We got cut off a few times by a couple of crazy drivers, but that's par for the course here in New York. And we learned what you can get for your money in Westchester...not as much as I'd hoped! We saw one VERY nice place and discovered several WONDERFUL communities that would be great for our family. Now I just need to find something in our price range! So, the search continues...

As for news from the Midwest, Don and the kids were still at my parents. Mzee continues to come up with things that just make us laugh. This morning when my mom called him for breakfast when he was playing toys in the basement, she called: "Wiiilliaaam!" to which he replied: " Buuuuusssssyyy!" He also got to help grandpa mow the lawn today, which is always a big hit.

Milan now also says "Uh-Oh". She had a great time at grandma and grandpa's too. They got to go to cousin Jadyn's 4th birthday party today and they had a great time! They are on their way back home as I type this!

House Hunting

Today, I spent the day house hunting...although it wasn't very productive. It was quite a treat to sleep in, although, I really miss Mzee coming in to wake me up!! I did venture up to Westchester on the Metro North train, but after a couple of false starts, I only ended up seeing one house...and it was a 35 minute walk from the train station...and back...uphill both ways, literally! Tomorrow, I'm going out with a car, and an agent and hopefully will see more houses!

Don and the kids are at Grandma and Grandpa's this weekend. Don informed me tonight that Milan has a new word..."thanks!" She says it any time anyone gives her something or she gives something to someone else.

And Mzee informed me that he was playing with a knife at Grandpa's. When I argued with him, he persisted..."See, it is a knife!" He still can't quite get the fact that we can't see through the phone. He had my Dad and Don cracking up though over the whole thing. My Dad then informed me it was a toy exacto knife from one of the toy tool sets and Grandma and Grandpa's.

Tonight Mzee also asked: "Do you miss me Mom?" Of course I do!!!

My First Week is Complete

Thursday work was more of the same…meeting lots of new faces and reading lots more documents! After work on Thursday I ventured four blocks down to a true grocery store...I had forgotten how to shop for one, so that was a bit of a shift in thinking. I also saw lots of families, so got even more homesick for Don and the kids! And that reminds me, Don is doing GREAT with the kids! And it seems the kids seem to be doing fine without Mom there too! When Milan asks for me in the mornings, Mzee promptly reminds her: “Mommy is in New York, working!”

It was great to eat some home cooked food after eating restaurant fare for 4 days straight!

Friday at work was more of the same…although it rained throughout the day…luckily after I got to the office. I had to do some paperwork in an office across the street but opted to wait until Monday since it was raining! I sort of expected people to clear out early on Friday, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, which was fine as I had nowhere I had to be. At the end of the day it had quit raining and I made my way back to the subway for my commute, which consists of: a three block walk, the subway for one stop, transfer to another subway after walking through a long tunnel. In the tunnel there is always a musician of some sort playing tunes with a tip jar out. The music is always very good and I can hear it over my iPod. It always makes me smile. I then get on the second subway, go one stop and then walk through the tunnels to the PATH train. Here again there is always another musician or group of musicians and it is very lively and makes the commute home somewhat fun! The path train takes 22 minutes and ends up right at the front door of my building! I made it back to my apartment Friday night and kicked my feet up after a long week!

Day 3

This morning I went to see the apartment in Jersey. It is in a brand new building, right behind the PATH train station that will take me to the city each day. The apartment is all new, with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and my own washer and dryer, which was VERY exciting! The best part was that it was available that day. I headed back to the city where I checked out of my hotel and stored my bags. Then I made my way to the office. I spent a little time reviewing documents and started the paper work on the lease for my apartment. Then, I went with some of my office mates to a presentation on the North Lawn. There was an event for Stand Up Against Poverty! The event was taking place at UN offices all over the world in hopes of breaking a world record for the number of people “Standing Up” for extreme poverty! The Secretary-General was there and spoke to us as well as several others. Then we were all asked to recite the Stand Up Pledge. It was at this point that it really hit me, how great it was to be part of an organization that works on a global scale to help improve the quality of life for so many! You can find out more about Stand Up at the following website: http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/

I had to do a bit more paper work that afternoon and continued reading documents. Then I left a bit early to get settled into my apartment. I went back to my hotel to get my bags and asked the concierge about a taxi to New Jersey. By now it was nearly rush hour so she advised that I would be better served to hire a private car for $65 to take me there. I told her that would be fine, since I didn’t really have another option. When she called to make the reservation they told her I would need to wait 1 ½ hours for the car to get there. I decided at that point, being frugal and stubborn, that I could make better use of that hour and a half by moving my luggage myself. Some probably would call me crazy, but hey that’s what makes me who I am. I went to the luggage room and got out my small suitcase (on wheels, of course). I took it with me on two subways and then the PATH train to my apartment, where I checked in and got my keys. I took my bags up to my room, and headed back to the city for round two! Project BIG suitcase. It was getting to be after rush hour at this point, so I got back to the hotel and took a taxi with the big bag to the PATH train station. There was an elevator there to the train level so it was pretty easy to get on the train. The train ride was uneventful and when I got to my stop I only had to carry my suitcase up one flight of stairs to the escalator and I was right outside my apartment building. It really wasn’t that bad at all…I’m sure it sounds worse than it actually was!

At this point I was worn out so I went right outside my apartment to a little ‘bodega’ where I bought a few things for my apartment. I then went next door to McDonalds which I can honestly say was the worst McDonalds I’ve ever been in. Anyway, I went up to the apartment and talked to Don and the kids so long my food was cold when I finally got around to eating it….so it was even worse!

Day 2

On my way to work today, they were unloading the trucks outside the theatre where the Little Mermaid starts next month. The doors are already decorated with the logo and there were many carts outside and they even had the doors open into the theatre so I could see in!

At lunch time I headed back to my hotel to check out and walk over to the Super 8 to check in! The Super 8 had much better rooms than the Paramount…still small, but a lot better overall!

The rest of the afternoon I spent looking for a temporary place to stay. I contacted several agents, private subleases and also an agency that exclusively rents short term furnished apartments. I was to meet an agent after work to see an apartment within walking distance to the UN, however, when I got there, he never showed up. I did have an appointment for the next morning to see one of the short term furnished apartments in New Jersey.

My First Day On Staff

My first day at the UN is here. I needed to report at 10:00, so made my way there. I started walking, but it ended up being a little farther than I realized, so I caught a cab for the rest of the trip. I was to enter through the visitor’s entrance, where they have the security scanners as I did not yet have my grounds pass. However, with my letter of appointment I was actually allowed to enter through the employee line there, where my items were still scanned, but I didn’t have to wait for the visitors. I then had to check in and receive a temporary grounds pass and made my way to the 24^th floor for orientation. There was one other NCE (National Competitive Exam) candidate starting Monday so we went through orientation together. I was also informed that my office was right next door to the lady we were meeting with. We had a short orientation and then were given a tour of the Secretariat building (the building with the flags out front). The UN is really like its own little city. There is a post office in the basement, with mail slots on every floor. There are several cafeterias in the building, and several others in other buildings of the UN Plaza. There is also a newsstand where you can buy magazines, candy and even Subway metro cards. There is also a Medical Center where you can get medical care like flu shots and things like that. It seems they’ve thought of just about everything!

After the tour, I made my way back upstairs to fill out LOTS of paperwork, as is usually the case on the first day of the job. There is a bit of additional paperwork at the UN it seems. However, it really didn’t take too long. Then I went back up to my office where I then realized how great an office I really have! I have an awesome view of Manhattan and can directly see the Chrysler building from my office. What an amazing view!! Take a look for yourself!

The View From My Office

The Chrysler Building

At this point I realized it was WELL past lunch time, so I made my way to the main cafeteria. What an experience! It was actually a bit overwhelming at first…there are many stations, where you can get anything from grilled/fried food, build your own pasta bar, home cooked food, healthy choices, Panini sandwiches, cold sandwiches and a full salad bar featuring hot and cold food. And Randy, unfortunately the food is mostly American…not a lot of international options here! I finally made a choice, paid and then came the adventure of finding a place to sit…the cafeteria has a sign posted with a capacity of about 500 or so…so there were lots of tables, but also lots of people!! Think of the phrase “It was like the United Nations”…and it was! It was so amazing to be surrounded by so many people, some in traditional dress and many speaking many different languages! I finally found a seat right next to the wall of windows overlooking the harbor! It was amazing to sit there and look out onto Long Island! This was probably the first time during the day that the importance of where I was really hit me! I was at the United Nations! What an amazing feeling to be somewhere that so many people from all over the world come together to work for positive change! And I’m lucky enough to be here…who would have thought a small town girl from Iowa could be working here?

After lunch, I needed to get my Grounds Pass (ID Badge), so I headed across the street with the requisite paperwork. The office I needed to go to was very small and there was a VERY long line. A couple of hours later, I finally had my ID badge and now could come and go as needed through the employee entrance! I had plenty of documents to read and that kept me busy till the end of the day! As I was leaving one of my coworkers tipped me off to the bus that went cross town very near my hotel, so I ventured out to take the bus…of course, as it would happen I actually boarded the WRONG bus! Luckily it only took a few blocks for me to realize this and I was able to get right back off at the next stop where I could catch the correct bus! This was a pretty good way to get back to my hotel, however, during the evening rush the bus probably actually goes slower than I can walk…but I’d been on my feet all day and so appreciated the break! I grabbed a quick sandwich on my way to my room where I spent the evening searching for a hotel room for the next night, since I’d only booked two nights originally and could not extend at the same price. I got lucky and was able to book the Super 8 only two blocks away! The pressure was off for another night….I needed to get busy looking for my temporary apartment!

I Have Arrived!

Well, the day finally arrived, time to board that plane to the Big Apple! I left Omaha around noon on Sunday…leaving the kids was by far harder for me than for them. I had an uneventful flight and shuttle ride to my hotel. When I got there, I discovered how truly small my room was. Thank goodness for Priceline…I had a great rate for the room! I settled in and then took a stroll through Times Square which was less than a block away…not feeling so bad about my small room at this point! :o)

I’ve been to Times Square several times so was pretty familiar with it. I searched for a place to get a quick bite but all I could find were chain restaurants…there must have been 5 Sbarro’s within the four block area around Times Square, not to mention a couple of TGIFriday’s and others. I walked back near the hotel and ate at this nice little Italian restaurant and had a great meal! Then I made my way back to my room to iron my clothes for my first day of work. Now there’s something I haven’t had to do in awhile…iron clothes for work!