My apartment is beginning to look more lived in than a homeless person’s cardboard box. And that’s the good news.

Right now I am sitting at the largest desk I have ever owned, ruminating on what to say to all of you. I have let yet another month pass me by without writing anything on my blog. I am sure you all missed me immensely (and if you didn’t, don’t feel like you need to inform me – okay, Nishchay? Oh wait, Nishchay never reads anything over three lines…)

So I’ve started my career as a Special Agent. It has taken me all over the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens – even downtown Manhattan – but I couldn’t for the life of me tell you where I’ve been. This city is monstrously huge. Suffice to say that I’ve been to neighborhoods where English isn’t spoken, and already fingerprinted several lawbreakers. I even attempted to speak Spanish, which I am convinced isn’t as bad as I thought once. Of course, none of this has worked for any of my cases, which are going to take more work to close than it takes to bring my cats to the vet.

The good news is that I get to start next week by completely abandoning my casework. I am going on my first protection detail, just in time for Michelle’s visit to the Big Apple. My timing is amazing!

I must admit that I am more than a little nervous to head out and do protection. The butterflies in my stomach all but kept me awake last night. Despite the fact that I do not know how long I will last in this job, I don’t want to screw up. I am sure things will turn out to be easier than I currently think, but it is the waiting and anticipation that always screws with your mind, isn’t it?

Oh, before I forget, here’s a great website for all of you who don’t really understand what I do for a living: http://ds.state.gov/faq/#q1

In other news, Vincent has kidney stones. Yup, and you thought I was the only one! We’ve been living through every last kidney cramp for the past week now and I sincerely hope we are through. I don’t know if I can handle a sick Vincent for very much longer. However, sick as he may be, we are driving out to Philadelphia today so we can attend his father’s Harry S. Truman Ball, a big fundraising event for Vince Sr.’s campaign. We were supposed to leave yesterday, but Vincent decided to completely pass the stone last night and we thought it best to stay put. Oh the things you didn’t want to know! (But how I delight in telling you…)

And that’s the long and short of that. Most of you missed my graduation ceremony, but da’ momma, Dan, Vince, and San did not. They were regaled with such uplifting commentary as, “Thanks for your patience while your loved ones were in training. Now we can send them to Syria and Iraq, and you will never see them again. Let me thank you in advance for your sacrifices.” It was truly motivational.

But then it was over. The whole ceremony was anti-climactic. I am always looking for more fulfillment, something more final that doesn’t sit in my stomach like a brick. That graduation certainly wasn’t it. My class didn’t even have one final soirée to kick off our new careers together. No matter what I’ve said about them before, I will miss them all (especially now that Herald is no longer a member of BSAC 72). They are the only people who will always know what I’m talking about when I mention those seven months of my life.

I spent the rest of graduation weekend with the movers and my mom. How soon my first on-my-own apartment was reduced to a place I can’t even recognize as mine. There were so many good things about living by myself that it was hard to witness. I almost didn’t believe that I was actually moving to New York. I know it is crazy to say this about an inanimate object, but I loved my apartment. I miss my apartment.

So I took my mom to the zoo. Armed with my Zen tea from the Starbucks across the street, I gallivanted, I named all the birds in the bird house, and I oohed and aaahed over everything. I love going to the zoo! Even if it did start raining. Of course, the rain began as soon as we were at the absolute furthest point from the entrance and, more importantly, our car. Not that it mattered. Vincent bought me an ice cream Snickers bar and we began the long, slow trek back in the rain. There is nothing like spending time in the rain with the ones you love. I even got another Zen tea as a treat for making it to the other side.

Then there was New York. Boxes everywhere, and I had to start work. You all know what transpired after that. I wrote it at the beginning of the email, just to ruin the chronology you all have come to cherish within my blogs.

And that’s that. I must now go shower, now that the Super has fixed the water heater and I can be clean again! Then it’s off to Philadelphia for Mommy’s Day weekend – remember to call your mommies!!!