Our First Week: Some Lessons Learned

It’s hard to believe we’ve been here for a week already!  And even harder to believe that we’ve been living in New York for one week . . . in an empty apartment.  Why are we living in an empty apartment?  Well, that’s because our stuff, which was “guaranteed” to be delivered on July 26th, will finally arrive tomorrow.  In the meantime, we’ve been making do with an air mattress, a few sets of plastic utensils we borrowed from our local pub, and patience.  Okay, that last part might be a lie.  Needless to say, the last week has been exciting, a bit stressful and exhausting.  We’ve made three trips to our local Bed Bath & Beyond, two trips to the local furniture store, two trips to the grocery store and 7 trips to the coffee shop next door.  We’ve learned that you must press the “door close” button on the elevator or the door won’t actually shut, Chipotle tastes a little different in Manhattan than it does in San Diego, and that you cannot shut the door to the manual elevator leading to the laundry room or it will lock everyone out (oops, sorry about that one!).  We’re also getting the hang of living in a doorman building, although at this point, I’m not sure how the doorman feels about us.  Since we’ve never lived in a doorman building, I had no idea that the phone next to our kitchen actually connects directly to the doorman.  When I thought I heard the phone ringing (it was really my cell phone), I picked up the phone.  My exchange with our Ukrainian doorman went something like this:

Doorman:  Hello?  Hello?  I can’t hear you.  Hello?

My thought bubble: Hmm, if I push the “key” button maybe that’ll work.  Okay, I’ll push it a few times.  Hello?  Hello?  Hmm, that’s not working.  I should press the “key” button a few more times.

Doorman:  No!  No!  No!  Stop pressing that button!  I can’t hear you!  Hold down the other button and talk.  You must hold down the button and then talk!

My thought bubble: Well that button has a picture of an alarm on it.  Who knows what might happen if I hit the alarm button.  So he must mean the “key” button.  I’ll press that a few more times.

Doorman:  NO NO NO!  Stop pushing that button!  Push the OTHER BUTTON!

Me: Hello?  Can you hear me?  I’m so sorry; I don’t know how to work this phone.  I just moved here and I’m still figuring things out!

Doorman: Hello, I can finally hear you.  What do you need?

Me: I don’t need anything!  I thought you called me?!

Dial tone . . .

NO NO NO!  Not the top button!