wrong day for local travel

My ancient iPhone S has a cracked screen, and its memory is full. 

I think if I had an Amazon Echo, or something like it, I would fill my home with music again.

And my once-loved Nikon D-80 now records the fatal letters Err when I go to shoot anything.

Yup, I need some new electronics.

This morning I decide to venture to the far west side to B&H, the largest non-chain photo and video equipment store in The United States.

And it's friggin' freezing out

What is it with NY busses and the cold?  All of a sudden, they seem to disappear. I wait 30 minutes for a crosstown bus. It's so frigid I wait inside a Citibank across the street from the bus stop. And I miss two busses. Yup, two. 

A bus pulls up; I race across the street (almost getting hit by a car); catch the bus driver's eye; and motion for him to stop and wait. I then watch as he pulls away (and maybe I imagine it, but I think I see him smile). This happens twice. Do bus drivers become insensitive and smug when temperatures drop?

One bus, one subway, and a short two-block walk, and I arrive.

.

B&H is a good place to find people who know what they're talking about. And to try out any camera you're thinking of getting. Last week I went to Best Buy and they had one of the cameras I'm interested in. But the floor model was broken and they had no others to try.

I bought my last DSLR camera, a Nikon D80, in June of 2007 for $990. Today's cameras are much better and cost less. I've been waffling between the Canon Rebel T7i and the Nikon 5600. Since I already have the Nikon lenses, and I like the feel of the Nikon body better, I make my decision.

I'm not quite ready to make the purchase yet, but at least I know what I want.

I take a Via home. It comes quickly. But midtown at noon is a traffic-filled nightmare. It takes almost an hour to get home.

atypical January

December is usually a good month in retail. Christmas shopping, tourists, and all that.

My December was fairly slow. 

Now January is usually the month for lots of returns. All those gifts that didn't fit right or looked dreadful on (or off, in some cases). Those impulse buys.  And even those holiday outfits that were worn once (don't think we don't know) for that very special occasion and are now being slyly returned (yup, we get plenty of those). 

But surprisingly, my January has been great. In fact, I'm up 22% in net sales for the first four weeks vs. the first four weeks in December. The store hasn't been particularly busy, but there seem to be fewer sales associates. But whatever the reason, I'm not complaining.

Aside from the money, it's a satisfying feeling to work hard and actually get paid for the effort. In retail, it's all about the numbers. And when my numbers are high, I feel like I'm doing a good job. Like getting that A on a report card. But unlike that report card A, I work just as hard on days I don't make any money than on days I do.

I think the company I work for does not value its associates. In general, the pay is dreadful. The benefits practically non-existent. And the paid days-off a joke. But oh that discount! 

These past few weeks, we could buy designer items that were on clearance for a total discount of 82% off. And surprisingly there were still some great pieces showing up on-transfer from other stores.

Staying positive, I also very much like most of the people I work with. 

The other day, the beautiful, 6-foot, incredibly nice Paige wanted us to take a group photo. She looked like she had just walked off the Rick Owens runway.  When it came time for the photo (taken by Kareem, who had even brought his Nikon DSLR to work that day), it was just three of us, including a nice guy I'll call H.

(And in case you're wondering, I'm the short, ghostly white person on the right.. not the far right, that's a mannequin).

nothing much to say

I haven't posted in almost two weeks. 

January is a slow month.

I mean really, how much can one say about:

• Not having the flu.

• Nothing major happening at work that I can write about.

• Attending a BAFTA Board Meeting, where again I wonder, how did I get to be part of such an illustrious and talented group?

• Participating in an online Focus Group for the company I work for, where I try really really hard to NOT be the most outspoken person on the call.

• Buying a gorgeous $885 Comme des Garcons skirt and paying only $153. I wear it to work and get tons of compliments from other associates and customers. I even end the day well, despite the Floor performing badly. Maybe what you wear does make a difference? Either that, or it's a good excuse to get a non-traditional piece or two into my wardrobe.

               So then I also buy this dress from the same designer for 88% off.

• Learning that I can seamlessly switch out HBO for SHOWTIME with no changes to my bill. So now I can watch last season's HOMELAND and when I'm done, switch back over to HBO and watch this past season of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. 

• Discovering (well, actually M recommended it) a new, non-drip vacuum-insulated travel mug that I can use at work (or home); it's my new favorite thing and costs under $20.

• Dealing with wildly unattractive fly-away hair and hoping it's not being exacerbated (dare I say caused) by my new Dyson hairdryer.

So that's why I haven't written. 

I've had nothing much to say.

Except of course, Go Pats!

"out, damned spot! out, I say!-"

A couple of months ago I spill a large cup of dark coffee on my light beige bedroom rug.

A big brown stain immediately appears and it is impossible to revove. I try.

Several rug-stain-removers later — all claiming to work well on coffee spills — barely make a difference. But the stain is under my desk, and not all that noticeable from a standing position.

But then, a few days ago, I do the same thing again. 

Now the stains are noticeable from any position and look disgusting.



I consider moving my living room rug into my bedroom and getting a new living room rug. Too expensive.

I could get a small remnant to cover the stain. Too obtrosive; too ugly.
.
Or, I can call Reuven at NY Steam Cleaning. 

I do this and send him pictures. Reuven tells me he that coffee is tough; he can't guarantee the stains will be totally gone, but can promise they'll be better. The cost is $150. Not inexpensive but less than a new rug.

Today Reuven's team comes. The newer stains get lighter than the older stains. it's not perfect, but it's a lot better. And from a standing position, it's hardly noticeable. I'm happy.



If it ever happens again, I'll know better than to try and remove coffee stains from a wool rug. I'll call Reuven first.

But I hope I won't have to. Today I order a Contigo. 

incredible!

I am about to leave for work.

But first I need to call Captial One to report my employee credit card missing. Last night when I had tried calling they weren't open.

I'm about to dial (probably not a correct usage of the word anymore) when my cell phone rings.

A number I don't recognize pops up. Maybe a customer?

"Lyn?  Hi, my name is Gene (some unfamiliar last name). I found your wallet."

OMG. I can't believe it.

I ask him where. "Just now,  on the street, corner of 79th and First."

Last night I had gone back to the area where my Via had dropped me off and looked all over the area. I found nothing.

My wallet sat out all night, on the street, unnoticed. From about 8pm until 11 this morning.

And then, someone, who is going to church across from where I live finds it and calls me.

I meet Gene at the top of the church stairs. He is holding my wallet. I give him a big hug, I am so overwhelmed.

Whoever doesn't love New Yorkers just doesn't know them!

one event; three perspectives

So here's what happened.

Off the selling floor are various large rooms where inventory is stored. There are rows and rows of clothes, with narrow aisles in-between. Every rack has a wheel-like thing on it that one can turn to move the rack right or left. If someone is standing in an aisle racks away they can end up getting squished between the racks.

This happens all the time. The typical response goes something like this:  "STOP! SOMEONE IS HERE!" And then the person turning the wheel stops. No one ever gets angry. And no one ever gets hurt.

But today, that's not what happens. 

The person I accidentally squish gets really angry at me when I squish her between racks. This certainly wasn't my intention. Then she sits down, gets all teary-eyed, and is comforted by two of her colleagues. I ask if she's okay. (She looks fine). She glares at me, and her co-workers tell me she's okay and to just leave. I do. But I feel bad.

I separately tell three of my co-workers and their vastly different responses typify their personalities.

Employee One

She's a tell-it-like-it-is kinda girl. She has little patience for some of the drama that often erupts at work.  I tell her what happened and she responds, "I would tell Marlin (our boss). That's just not right. You didn't do anything wrong, and she shouldn't have gotten so upset and make you feel bad."

Employee Two
She exudes warmth. She doesn't like conflict, and if two co-workers aren't getting along, she will work hard behind the scenes to restore peace. She is a mother of three young kids and her nurturing spirit is obvious in everything she does. Her response? "Oh Lyn, is she okay? Was she hurt? You should really go back and just check and make sure she's all right."

Employee Three
She is reliable, even-keeled, little bothers her. She never complains, follows the rules, and is someone I can't even picture getting angry or flustered. Whatever happens, happens. I tell her and she says, "Ya, so?"

I love working with all three. They are a great group of hard-working, honest, and trust-worthy woman. Spending time with any one of them is always time well-spent. 

a day of minor losses

It's cold. I dress in my long shearling, a coat I rarely wear. I even put on a pair of fingerless cashmere gloves underneath a pair of shearling mittens.

I take a Via to work. And as I am leaving the Via, I notice that I am wearing one fingerless glove, having removed the mittens to play on my phone during the short ride to work. So missing are the two mittens and one fingerless glove. Gone. They are not in the Via. I have no idea how I could have lost one glove and two mittens without noticing. But somehow they are all gone. And I'm sad because 1), I'll have nothing on my hands when I leave work later, and 2) I really loved those blue fingerless gloves, probably impossible to replace. 

Despite the weather, work is fine. Busy enough.

I call Via when I'm about to leave. It's a short wait and a female driver arrives. Very nice. Named Maria. She laughs when I tell her how much I love the cold. She finds it pretty unbelievable. But then, she's originally from Haiti.

I leave the Via, get home, and realize my little Fendi change purse, another one of my favorite things, is gone. This was a gift from M over five years ago.

I get in touch with Maria. She calls back when she can pull over. My purse is not on the floor of the front seat where I was sitting. She even looks on the right side of the seat just in case it'd fallen there. Nothing.

I go back to 79th and First where Maria had dropped me off. Maybe it had fallen when I was exiting the Via? But I guess iwrong. No little blue wallet in the snow, on the street, or anywhere around.

The cost of the gloves and purse and the inconvenience of replacing my company credit card, ID and keys are insignificant compared to the loss of two small, but well-loved, irreplaceable items.

the same good news/bad news

It's friggin' freezing.

I mean, really really cold. 

I love winter, and I have a nice warm coat. But the snow is now mixed with dirt and has turned an ugly gray. Gusting winds make it feel colder than it is. And ice patches make walking dangerous.

But maybe the stores will be busy. All those people wanting to get out of the cold.

I get to work and the first floor is quiet — not a good sign.

I clock in, check my coat, then look at my returns for the past four days.

I am surprised to see only one small one. A minor miracle.

Ah, the weather, I think. It's keeping people out of the store. One can only shop from the comforts of a cozy couch — not return.

That's the good news.

And, that's the bad news.

Customers are not leaving their warm homes to return. And, they are not leaving their warm homes to buy.

I'm at work for 8.5 hours today and gross around $80.

It would have been better if I could have stayed home too. Unfortunately that wasn't an option.

an unexpected, unwanted call

I get a call from my dermatologist's office the other day. 

"Hi. We got the results of your biopsy and it's a basal-cell carcinoma. You should call Dr. Becker's office and schedule a consultation. Let me give you his number."

Boom. Right in the middle of an uneventful day.

It's a tiny tiny scab (barely noticeable) on the left side of my nose opposite my left eye. I am honestly not freaked out about it.  I'll have Mohs surgery and be fine.

So today, I brave our first little snowstorm to see the highly-recommended Dr. Becker.

The city is relatively quiet, and the news coverage makes it feel like an epic storm is hitting New York City. But the plows have been out, cars are moving, and I get a bus right away.

I even arrive at Dr. Becker's office early. And even better, he sees me early.

He explains the procedure: A little bit of skin is taken off and tested. If cancerous cells are seen, then a little more skin is removed and tested. This continues until zero abnormal cells are seen. He told me that in 40% of cases, he only needs to remove one layer of skin. I hope I'm part of that statistic.

Dr. Becker has performed over 30,000 of these procedures. It's done with just a local anethestic —no one needs to come with me, and no pre or post instructions seem needed. 

We set the procedure for February 12, unless of course I meet the man of my dreams before then and he wants to do something special for Valentine's Day.

I'm pretty sure I won't need to re-schedule.

movies, friends and food

I've been on an inside vacation for two days. 

Yesterday Robyn, Shari and my neighbor Peter come over for a couple of movies:  Downsizing and All The Money in the World. 

It should be obvious that the attire for the day is no makeup and lounge-around clothes.

My friends help get rid of some Sunday night leftovers.

Today Zelia stops by, and we watch Baby Driver; the music is the best thing about it.

Before leaving, she acquiesces to a photo. Her clothing speaks to the weather.