A Comfortable Routine

Tomorrow marks my first full month of life in the Big Apple. I've settled in quite nicely and life is easy.

Three weekdays will be full of fun at the park, children's museums, playdates, etc. The other two days are spent at home where the girls and I are often playing "school" and painting each others nails. At five, the folks return from work and I am relieved of my duties. So I'll go to my room in the back of the apartment, lay down on my twin-sized bed, place my laptop on my belly, and check emails, blogs, etc. By 6:30, the girls will run back to my room to announce dinner. By eight, they're being tucked into bed. Nine o'clock brings the beer. The beer is part of a package deal, you see. I've been very fortunate. The three adults of the house kick back to shoot the shit with a nice cold beer and though I've often tried to contribute to the beer fund, they refuse to accept. If their nanny-ad had said that they were looking for a drinking-buddy as well as a nanny, I think I would have had a lot more competetion!

Sometimes they work from home. Last week, the Misses set up her living room as a studio where she took photos of seven fat and happy babies from seven different ethnicities. When the girls and I returned for dinner, the Misses said to me, "I was thinking; if you'd like to make some extra money and model for me, I'll go ahead and leave the studio set up for the night."

'Moi?' I thought, "Sure!"

After an hour or two of sitting around with "D" and the Misses, drinking beer, shooting said proverbial shit, and taking simple direction in front of a camera, they wrote me a check. The sum was three times more than I expected and with tipsy enthusiasm, I thanked them.

Sometimes, I'll go out on a weeknight. As I've mentioned before, there are often free concerts in the park, or perhaps I'll go to a movie with friends. But not at some cold theater with stinky seats. No ma'am. We go to the old McCarren Park pool, which has been dried out for many years. The huge hole will be filled with people on their blankets, couples cuddling, friends laughing so hard that beer comes out of their noses, and picnics made to share. A screen will be hanging with something like "Wet Hot American Summer" or "Desperately Seeking Susan" being projected and tall speakers surround the pool for all to hear.

On Saturdays, I'll go to the beach with a book or ride my bike on Fifth Ave in Brooklyn to shop through all the vintage stores. Sundays, I do laundry. As I wait, I'll sit in the cafe next door with free wi-fi, like I'm doing right now. I'll update my blog while drinking chai tea and make time for feeling a little homesick. But, I'm happy here in this routine of mine, which is why I said yes to this family's request for me to stay well beyond the two-month live-in agreement. So, it is certain. My break from the books will most definitly be considerable.

Time to switch over the loads!