hey mama

This week in New York, my MOTHER visited! The entire weekend was quite miraculous as my apartment is now clean and I can actually see the carpet, and we only got in about four different fights, which for us is very good (yes, I have Mommy issues, but I can also admit they're stupid and not worth two segments on Dr. Phil).

On Friday we ventured into the city because I had a job interview. At the risk of being dramatic, this job is kind of my last hope -- I'm for sure leaving the penthouse on July 31st and 90% says Minneapolis while 10% says I miraculously get a decent job and an affordable apartment in that time frame. Yowza. They seemed to like me and said they would call me later to schedule a training session. I don't want to give away too many details because I'm worried about jinxing it, but I will say that it's a restaurant job with a hiring process so complicated you would think I am trying to become a member of the NYPD.

Saturday we saw In the Heights, recently nominated for 13 Tony awards. If you are in New York, see this show. If you are not in New York, buy the soundtrack. It is funny and inspirational and sad and it will make you wish you were fluent in Spanish. I really enjoyed it. My mother cried through the entire thing, much like the time we went to the Martina McBride concert at the Minnesota State Fair.

Sunday we did nothing because I was tuckered out and wanted to stay in bed, so my mother enjoyed my neighborhood's laundromat and grocery store and found it amusing when a Caribbean man called her "Mami". That night we watched the Desperate Housewives finale, which was certainly a WTF.

Monday we went to go see Ground Zero but kind of got lost, as it's in a section of Manhattan that neither one of us has been to before. "I saw where it was," she said. "That's all I really needed to know." We then took the 6 (like J Lo!) up one stop to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall and walked from the bridge to Brooklyn, where we had great sandwiches at Celeste's Diner -- and on the bridge, we saw a bride and groom walk past us, in full-on wedding garb. One of those "only in New York" moments.

My mother left this morning, and I finally was on the phone with my best friend Erin! Erin and I are very much like Oprah and Gayle in that we talk on the phone all the damn time, and Erin has been studying abroad in France for the past five months. I made her a CD for her birthday but then forgot I didn't have any blank CD's in the house, so now I have to mail it to her. Then I had my first "training day" at the restaurant. I feel it went well, but they said they were trying out other people and if they want me back, they'll call me in a couple days. Getting a job in New York is worse than dating.

I also was sort of cheap last week and had a boy over (yes, I'm 21 but I still say "boys". Someday I will use "man" when I feel I am mature enough about it). I felt kind of bad about it, but then he re-organized my DVD shelf and I was like, "Oh, THAT'S why people do this." Maybe next month I will have another hook-up and get my light bulbs changed.