Cynically Optimistic

I'm settling into my new digs in Manhattan this week. I've exhausted most of my travel desires for the summer, so it's NYC for me for a while now. Today's project was shopping around for a new bank, since my old credit union from L.I. doesn't have any branches here.

First stop: Citibank. Upon entry I was greeted quickly enough and ushered over to the New Accounts manager. She was very nice, but she was a super fast-talker. Apparently the hospital where I work (known forevermore as "The Hospital" or "The Instutute") has some relationship with that branch so they know what's up. The situation, however, was a bit too high-pressure for me. She wanted me to fill out the paperwork right then and there, and promise to return before 5:30 with a letter proving my residence in the area and it was all a bit much. I left with a few pieces of information and an application. While she got up to get said application I noticed she had the most enormous butt I've ever seen in my whole life. I suspected for a moment that someone had stuffed 2 x 60 cm exercise balls down into her stretch pants. LAWD! Sir Mix-a-Lot would have been happy.

Second Stop: Chase. A middle-aged blond woman greeted me, and I requested information on checking accounts. She turns around and asks another woman sitting at a desk (who was assisting a couple who were carrying a awful lot of black binders) if they had any info on checking accounts. "Oh, no, you have to go to the Chase website and click on International Investor Relations." I blink profusely. "Do you not have a basic free checking account? I'm not international." It's at this moment I realize that the woman helping me is either handicapped or heavily medicated. Someone slipped this chick a roofie, methinks. Eventually I leave with a pamphlet geared for company benefits managers. She has carefully stapled her card to the pamphlet, indicating that her title is (for real y'all) Vice President.

Third Stop: Washington Mutual. Best experience of the lot. I was greeted initially by a young woman standing at a podium who immediately directly me to a table where I was handed a pamphlet by a nice woman who basically explained that their accounts were free. Period. And their main feature is that they offer free outgoing wire transfers, which I guess would be awesome if I were wiring money home to another country, probably in South American. Don't hate - I'm just using that as an example.

Fourth Stop: Commerce Bank. The nice black woman at the counter greets me right away, and as I approach her I hear her speaking to someone else, "oh, HELL no she d'int! ... oh! Sorry 'bout that." I reply, "go right ahead, take care of bid'ness". She smiles and sends me to the nice woman with the carribean accent who gives me 4 (!!) pamphlets all about their various services. She explains that the main feature of their particular branch is a machine called "Penny Arcade" which is a coin counter that customers there can use for free. At least it had a main feature other than drugged out blonds.

Fifth Stop: North Fork Bank. It was completely empty, and the woman at the table seemed surprised to see me. She indicated that she could help me find a checking account, as they had many. From a drawer she extracted a large stack of papers inside sheet protectors, all hilighted in various columns and rows. I never got to see what was on the paper, she just kept asking me questions and running her finger around the page, eventually stating, "yes, we can get you a checking account." Two more pamphlets and I'm out the door.

I get back home and hijack another wireless connection and check all the websites, quickly eliminating North Fork, HSBC, and Bank of America because of poor branch location. So, it's either Citi, Chase, or WaMu. I see the main advantage of Chase being that they have the most ATM's in NYC, and will refund other banks charges up to 3 foreign withdrawls per month. Citi reimburses 5, but has less ATM's. WaMu... I dunno. Everything seemed free there. A little too free...

I'm still up in the air. Any of you New Yorkers want to voice an opinion? Have a bad/good experience with any particular bank? I'm not doing anything just yet, but I'm glad I went shopping.

Oh, and I got groceries tonight. A box of Cheerios was $6.99!!! I'm gonna need a student loan in no time.

Posted by Jeff at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I kept the camera handy while driving across the country. I "safely" snapped this photo as I passed this truck at 80 MPH. Thank goodness my camera turns on quickly and has low shutter lag.

Posted by Jeff at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The first stop on my half-lap around the lower-48 was, you guessed it, D.C. I ventured out of the city for once to hang out for the evening with the Family Munch after watching Superman Returns. I really enjoyed the film, I just wish we had been on time and didn't have to sit in the second row of the IMAX theatre. Later that night, Tom and I joined the Munch's on a trip to Wegmans. I wish we had one out here on L.I. but I guess it doesn't matter since I've moved into NYC now (technically, still moving).

The next day we hit Costco to stock up on party supplies, after a quick trip to buy swim suits. There was a quiet gathering on Monday night that ended up with a few of us going out for a wicked time at a party called Taint at a club called DC9. Independence day was spent sipping beer and eating burgers while dodging chlorinated pool water. It couldn't have been more perfect, except for the one small thundershower - but that totally didn't matter since the house had a huge HDTV with World Cup Soccer on it. Suh-weeeet!

The day before I left town I stopped by the Holocaust Museum, which was very sobering and moving. I enjoyed learning about Hitler's rise to power most of all, and found it creepily similar to things we are seeing in our own government today. Thursday morning then rolled around and I zipped out of town, through Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and finally made it to my parent's house in Iowa by 8:30 PM. Thank goodness for that time change.

As an aside, I'd like to mention how happy it makes me when people play along for a photo, as in the example above. A huge Thank-You to all involved. :) You made my photo-day.

Posted by Jeff at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Grand intentions are fun, especially when one watches them fall crashing to the floor. I should have known better than to think I might update regularly while on the road. When I had time to update, I had no internet connection. When I had a connection I was having way too much fun to update.

I'll fill in the gaps later, but for now, I'm safely settled on a dial-up AOL connection *full body shudder* at my great-aunt and uncle's house in NASCAR country, N.C - where they've lived for the past 50+ years. I've seen most of the relatives and friends and neighbors, just like always. Everyone sits around on the porch down here, and it's kind of nice. People stop by, you wave at folks, it's very familial. And it's hot and humid! No wonder some southerners are drunks. I was needing a mint julep after 5 minutes in this heat. Unfortately, there's no fresh mint or bourbon nearby. Mercifully, Aunt Pearl had rescued a Sam Adams Summer Ale from 2 years ago, bless her precious heart.

A spectacular thunderstorm rolled through this evening. The sky was lit up with spiny trails of light and I was rumbled from inside by the loud thunder. I loved every second of it. Thunderstorms are my favorite. I've been eating loads of fried okra and sweet corn and 'mater sandwiches.

I'll fill in a lot of gaps later on, but for a brief recap, check out Wendy and scroll down a bit. 4th of July with Tom was a a fantastic pool party. I have literally gigabytes of pictures to deal with and sort through and post, which apparently I wont have much time to do. We'll see what happens.

Simma!

Posted by Jeff at 10:40 PM | Permalink

Today begins my lap around the east coast / midwest. As always, I'll have my camera. When I get back to NY it'll be time to move and become a city mouse for the first time in my life. First stop, Independence Day weekend festivities in DC. Call or Txt me. Seriously.

Posted by Jeff at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)