What a Shock, I Chose New York

In case you didn’t know I’ve decided to stay in New York.  Probably not a big surprise to those of you who know me well.  (New York has been my dream destination for I don’t know, the last 9 years-ish). 

The fact is that I love this city.  I felt right at home here from the beginning.  (At least more so than my previous travel assignments).  Don’t get me wrong, I was pleasantly surprised by Texas, and Los Angeles has beautiful weather, but let’s face it, no city can compare.  I desire the subway and bus over driving, and I’ve always wanted to live within walking distance to I don’t know…everything.  I’ve spent the last 4+ months walking 12 blocks to work each morning and the same 12 blocks home each evening.  There is a type of peace and calmness that exists within me here.  Perhaps it is being surrounded by so many people.  For some this would make a person feel more lonely, but for me I feel as though it does the exact opposite.  I interact with few of the people I see, but instead of isolating myself within the confines of my car I cram myself onto the train or hurry past other rushed city dwellers on the street.  There is always the possibility for interaction, although sadly I believe that few view this as a plus or use this to their advantage.  None the less, living here has been fantastic and at this point in my life, the exact experience I have been craving.

It’s difficult for me to accurately describe what my life has been like the last…wow!…third of a year, but here is my random assortment of happenings that will hopefully paint a halfway decent picture.

Let’s start with the BIG one.  I signed a lease and will be moving into a studio apartment on the Upper East Side tomorrow!  (Building entry between a McDonald’s and Indian Restaurant).

Second runner up…I discovered, through the help of a very important fellow travel nurse, what is hands down the world’s BEST brownie.  I’ve included it at all three meals and find that it stands up /pairs well with toast, cottage cheese, sandwiches, and chicken.  (In case you had your doubts).

I’ve been working in gastroenterology “office practice” wearing business casual to work each day, learning the “secrets” to Outlook, and having most of my patient interaction occur via telephone.  The job has included advising patients to 1) take a laxative, 2) include fiber in the diet,  3) try a different laxative, or 4) purchase and ingest either Metamucil, Citrucel, or Fibercon.  Joking aside I teach patients about the procedures they will be having, triage their symptoms (do they need to try one of the four or all four of the above interventions, come to urgent care clinic, or just relax and let “things” happen).  I also call to inform them that their biopsies are negative and they don’t have cancer, of which had already been alluded to, but not officially confirmed.

I’ve learned that living in the city involves actually designating a time for laundry rather than just throwing in a load after work and then leaving the clothes in the dryer for 2 days.

I silently judge those who own large dogs and live in tiny apartments.  I have polite conversations with them in the elevator, all the while thinking that if their oversize pet drools, sheds, or nudges me I will have no choice but to let loose with my meanest dirty look.

I decided to give the Lactaid pill another shot and happily rediscovered all things dairy.

Again I seriously contemplated pursing my writing career over nursing.

Again I continue to find myself in the nursing profession.

I’ve been cut in line several times and not really cared because I know the person at the register will “have my back” and yell at the customer for me.

Yesterday a patient said, “Good-bye Lucy Lu.”  My response was to simply say “I don’t look like her” and walk away.  (Apparently on the east coast a person of Asian descent can and will be referred to as “Chinese” regardless of their actual ethnicity.  At least I’m not being characterized as “the Oriental girl” as was once the case in Texas).

I’ve expanded my knowledge of the Jewish faith.

I’ve attended more weekday Masses and found that it helped me feel less anxious while I was in the process of finding another job, a place to live, and contemplating whether staying was ultimately the right choice.

I drove a car in New Jersey, contemplated selling my car, then bought insurance for the car I will no longer be driving.

I got a tad restless in the city which resulted in visiting a close friend in Chicago, where by the way I felt like I was back in the suburbs.

I’ve worn every outfit I brought in my ONE suitcase.  I’m now sick of my clothes and glad to be taking a short trip back to Seattle to gather my winter wear as well as other small items that are to soon find themselves in a new home.

I’ve learned that it is 100% okay to want what I want, but to sometimes be a bit more patient and allow the pieces to come together on their own accord…in New York of course.

NY…For Sure

It’s official.  I’m going to NY!  I’ll be arriving in Manhattan with two suitcases and no pillow.  Crazy!  (But good experience in “letting go”).  I feel relieved that this decision has essentially go been solved for me.  I’ve debated…stay in LA, move to northern Cali, go back to Seattle and work a bit there, or just do the NY thing so there will be no chance of future regrets.  The job offer came out of the blue.  I’ll be working at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center doing the day nurse thing.  A lot of patient education, telephone calls, etc.  Basically what I did in Seattle on Same Day Unit, but probably (hopefully) much more organized and professional.  4 days a week, 10 hour days, 3 day weekends…every week for three months.  (Yes, this is a travel assignment).

I think I’ve been under so much stress and anxiety, flip flopping back and forth over where to live and work that I forgot how long I’ve been wanting and waiting to move to NY.  The other day it occurred to me that I have no real reason why I’ve wanted to live there.  I ended up telling my recruiter on the phone that I just love public transportation.  Her response was, “Well, now you can drink more and not worry about having to drive.”  This is very true and the thought has crossed my mind on more than one occasion, but it’s odd hearing it come from your employer.  (Although she does frequently call me “girlie” and “honey” so the statement isn’t too striking).  Basically prior to graduating nursing school the desire has been there.  This winter (after the pain of applying for my NY license) and then recently having it get lost in the mail (twice) it seems that this “dream” is becoming my reality.  My goal was to be there by my birthday and (yay!) it will be met. 

I’m going to give NY an honest try.  Texas and LA got it, so NY definitely deserves the same. 

Taking a travel assignment is essentially A LOT easier than moving to a new place on your own.  2 days prior to receiving this offer (and literally minutes before the phone rang) I was still debating about whether to stay in Cali or just do the east coast thing completely and take a permanent position.  Three months is a good amount of time to figure out if I would like to stay longer.  If it’s not for me I can always come back here.  (Truthfully I anticipate I’ll love it and have to kiss this beautiful weather good-bye, but we’ll see). 

I’ve decided to post an entry (Thoughts on NY) that I wrote  a few nights before I was interviewed for my new position.  It’s honest and perhaps more revealing than this post.  Funny thing though, I continued to talk myself out of going even after I had compiled my thoughts and fears, which is ultimately why I chose not to publish it immediately.  Now that this is all happening my hesitation has mostly dissipated.  I’m packing (organizing what goes and what doesn’t), driving back to Seattle to leave my car (I’ll miss you), and then flying over in a week or so!  It’s quickly coming together, and I look forward to relaxing and exploring a new place very soon (which is essentially why I do what I do).

Thoughts on NY

Okay, I can’t believe I am doing this, but I am going to NY.  I have debated (several times a day) whether to stay in Cali or go after my “dream” and live in NY.  I have so many excuses as to why I should stay in Los Angeles.  The weather is great.  I feel as if I’ve been cold for about 80% of my life and am just now beginning to warm up and properly regulate my body’s temperature.  There is so much to do here.  Great beaches to visit, weekend trips to San Fran or San Diego…but the truth of the matter is I feel a probing to migrate to the east coast.  I don’t have a solid reason why.  I’ve just always had this desire (since nursing school) to live in NYC, which I guess is reason in itself.  Being here has awakened me to the fact that I desire to make roots.  I love to explore and visit new places and working as a travel nurse has helped me grow both professionally and personally, but I need to find a place that I can call home, at least for a few years. 

Honestly, moving to New York scares me more than I care to admit.  It is perhaps even more nerve racking than going to Korea and meeting my birth mother.  (Yeah, really).  And so, I feel that this alone is why I should not take the “easy” way out and stay in LA.  One of my biggest fears is having regrets, and I don’t want to make that fear my reality.  Tomorrow I will probably wake up and still try to convince myself that staying in Cali is a good idea.  I’ll probably continue to do just that until I leave LA and maybe even after I am back in Seattle.  But ultimately I don’t feel that I belong here.  This is not my niche.  If NY had LA’s weather there would be no question whatsoever where I belong.  JFK would definitely be my next destination. 

All I really want is to feel at peace with my decision.  Today while I was at church I prayed for just that, and immediately I felt God saying, “If you choose to go; I’ll take care of you.”  I can’t really ask for much more.  So if the promise is there, I can’t pass this opportunity up.  I’ll just buy a new coat for the winter and anticipate a high electric bill.

What’s Next?

This is a good question and one that I’d like answered.  But suspense and nearly having an aneurysm each day is exciting as well.  (OK, not 100% desirable, but at least my life is not boring).  My contract with LA’s Kaiser on Sunset Blvd will end May 17.  Then I will be off to NY?  Northern Cali?  Staying here?  I’m not sure.  I do know that I would like to take a permanent position and settle into a place.  “Settling down” is not the proper terminology, but one thing is definitely certain, I do not want to “settle.”  (Uggh, the thought alone makes me queasy). 

I’ve been trying to not over think the events that will be unfolding in the near future.  What is meant to be will be…right?  At least that’s the philosophy that’s made me feel most at ease in my life thus far.  A new friend recently asked me if I consider myself someone who can tolerate a lot of chaos swirling around me and still remain for the most part sane and  inwardly at peace.  I thought about this for a moment before offering my agreeance.  I like that I’ve realized this bit of insight about myself.  They (great philosophers, statisticians, average people) say that moving is in the top 3? 5? of life’s most stressful events.  Perhaps, but personally I find ironing, certain family situations, and encounters with reptiles to be much more alarming.  (Thankfully I’ve been able to talk a friend into doing my ironing for me, rarely go to the zoo/explore nature, and try to limit family functions as well). 

Moving to me is life.  If I had chosen to stay in Seattle I wouldn’t have experienced Texas and Los Angeles.  I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to build as many new relationships and seek a fresh and captivating dimension of independence.  My best friend calls it bravery.  I call it a necessity.  I like change because it exercises my adaptability (something I’ve supposedly grown to be quite good at).

So, as I practice patience my plan for now is to move again, but hopefully find a job and surroundings that allow me to stay longer than 3 months.

(Wish I had more juicy details to divulge.  Soon…very soon!)

LA Land

I’ve officially been here a little over a month, and yes, now I am liking it. Surprisingly….

 
I guess LA has found it’s place with me. And I’ve come to accept some thing that are just so LA. Examples: Sun…love it! Korea Town…convienent, love it! Debit pad at Walgreens whose default is always set to Spanish…why not love it? It’s not as if I need the bill to be in English to understand the amount I am required to pay. Hospital…not bad. Don’t know yet if I would want to be a patient there. They are a little outdated in some of their policies and techniques, but as a whole a LOT better than the facility in Texas. Mostly because the majority of patients actually say “thank you” as opposed to “I want my pain medication NOW!” Getting places still takes a while, but I’ve adjusted. It’s just part of the LA package.

 
I haven’t really hung out in Hollywood that much. I think that scene would get tiresome. I’ll just say it and risk sounding judgemental…pretension bothers me. I was getting my hair done the other day at a Korean salon (where I paid a little more than I would pay in Korea, but way less than what I would pay in Seattle. Obviously another great perk about living here) and flipping through OK! and People. Over half the stuff was semi-applicable in the sense that I’ve driven past some of the places the stars visit or am now moderately familiar with what mansion in the Hollywood Hills really means. Odd stuff….

 
I’ve met a few other writers as well. Mostly nurses who are also not 100% devoted to the profession, but doing it to pay the bills, etc. However the difference between myself and them…they write screenplays and well, I don’t. (Actually I’ve never even considered writing one and would have no clue where to start). Also, many people out here say they are in the “entertainment industry.” That can be taken multiple ways. Entertainment as in dancer (the kind that wears very little clothing)? Actor? Writer? Stunt man or woman? I have difficulty understanding this phrase. It’s too broad and basically alludes to a thousand or so different jobs. In Seattle one would say, “I work for Microsoft.” Or Boeing or I don’t know, Costco. I’m trying to figure out if the people who say this are in fact currently employed in the “entertainment industry” or just waiting for their big break. I guess it would feel more natural to me if one said, “I work at Disney as a sound manager.” It’s specific, but perhaps not as mysterious and entriguing as some would prefer.

 
Most of the time I just find myself thinking, “This is just so LA.” (And of course secretely liking it).

My New City

First Impressions

I’m in this place called LA, and I find myself thinking, “This is not Texas.”  (Yes, duh).  I haven’t seen one cowboy  hat, and I’m beginning to consider that a crime.  Many of you have wondered (and asked) “What was so great about Texas?” That thought has crossed my mind on numerous occasions as well.  Tonight, after 12 hours of hospital and unit orientation I thought to myself, “What if I find myself back in Texas?”  Perhaps I should just consider the Lone Star State my first love.  After all it is where this whole travel thing began.  Just getting there alone constituted my first solo road trip (and to be even more accurate my first real adventure where I and not my father drove).  I’ve told people that I love Texas because I went with no expectations.  LA on the other hand…well, I’ve visited (many times throughout my life) so yes, to some extent a picture had already been painted in my mind.  Surprisingly the scene I had envisioned is quite unlike the reality that hits me in the face each morning.  I’m not sure what exactly I think of this place, which is fine, given that I’ve only been here what, 5 days.  I do however know that when MapQuest says it will take 15 minutes to get to a destination that really means up to one hour.  The scenery is beautiful, especially when viewed from a higher elevation.  It rained earlier this week, but I like the fact that over the weekend I had to change out of my Uggs because I didn’t feel right about wearing them when the sun was shinning.  (They’ve also been my stable footwear for the past 2 months while in Seattle).  Another scenario that seems slightly misplaced (and surely the strangest) is that I attended Mass off of Hollywood Boulevard this past Sunday.  To further confuse my mind the pastor stated, “If you plan on attending service next week at 5 pm please allow for extra time due to the Oscars and road closures.”  The fact that I could be celebrating Jesus within a half mile radius of perhaps the most well-known entertainment event seems absurd. 

I’ve always considered myself someone who would enjoy living in a large city.  (No, Seattle is not a large city.  It is more like a town in comparison to my current living arrangements).  LA has done a sufficient job of evoking moments of exhaustion.  I’m living downtown in a huge apartment complex.  It literally occupies two city blocks.  I’m on the 10th (and top floor) of my building, and the trek from the parking garage to my door has sometimes taken between 5-10 minutes.  (Tonight I considered forgoing exercise in exchange for promising to always take the stairs, which in reality is probably faster than waiting for the elevator).  I guess I’m living and learning.  Sounds corny, but it’s true.  I’ve been gone from Seattle less than a week, and I’ve already faced the possibility of having to put chains on my tires and drive through a snow storm, as well as encountering a dead car battery and having AAA come and replace it in the parking lot of an Albertsons.  (I don’t know why I am always struck with transportation drama.  It’s starting to get annoying). 

Second Impressions

I love the sun, when armed with sunscreen of course.  I’ve had two days of hospital orientation on my floor and am now receiving 16 hours of computer training for a charting system that I learned in Texas.  (If they want to pay me to sit in a classroom all day and not wipe poo, that’s fine with me).  It’s great to not be cold.  Sunny and in the 70s today.  Although I do not appreciate the traffic jams I continue to enjoy driving by new places.  Even if the commute is long, at least it is interesting.  Only in LA do you come across a Home Depot in Koreatown, with a taco stand out front, next to a Food 4 Less, on the same lot as a discount shoe store, complete with a Starbucks.  These are the things that are currently making me happy.

Leaving Fort Worth

It’s hard to believe that in about a week and a half I’ll be making my way out of Texas.  The time has felt been both short and long.  I’ve been counting down the number of shifts I have left at work, and I am excited to say that there are only four more!  The job hasn’t really been all that bad.  I know that it could have been a lot worse; however last night was in many ways the icing on the cake (or whatever the negative equivalent is), since they gave me seven patients while everyone else took five.  (Long story behind it, but basically they just do things “differently” on Harris 6).  I stood up for myself and ended up getting some relief from the charge nurse, but the whole night was just confirmation that I am ready to move on.  I do feel as though I’ve made progress and grown professionally, or at least gotten back to where I was a few years ago, seeing that it had been awhile since I had worked continuous med/surg.  In the beginning I felt I was struggling a bit.  Both due to sleep deprivation and the overall task of getting my groove back.  I also (and I’m going to be really blunt about this), had trouble truly caring about my patients.  That sounds like such a horrible statement, but I think it had a lot to do with my feeling overwhelmed at work.  Still, and I think most nurses would agree, we all go through phases where it seems that one more drug seeker or confused/demented individual could quite possibly push us over the edge.

When I first got here I strictly enforced my rule of NOT talking about work when I was not physically AT work.  I still believe that overall this is a good policy, at least for my mental sanity, but I have chosen to loosen the reins a bit.  I know that this is a huge relief for my friend Jonah.  In the beginning I practically cut him off mid-sentence if he so much as mentioned Harris 6.  Now I am able to entertain some work conversation, i.e. gossip, without becoming too bitchy, although sometimes I do still sense my blood pressure rising and need to change the subject. 

But enough about work because that is truly the boring part of life, my life anyway.  I’ve enjoyed my time here in Texas.  Unless something hideously drastic happens in the next 9 days I will look back on this experience very positively.  Honestly it wasn’t really that hard for me to venture here without my solid social network.  Sure I had some anxiety around the whole issue, but I guess it just “felt right” and therefore the daily/nightly routine has come pretty natural.  It also helped (a lot!) that I made a friend right away and luckily it is someone that I know I will stay in contact with for a very long time.  Jonah is a wonderfully smart, caring, and hilarious individual.  I don’t think I have ever laughed so much in one 3 month stretch of time.  We’ve attempted to skydive together (twice), taken turns accompanying each other to both gay and straight bars (although the ratio is about 1:10 in my favor), and felt comfortable enough to share our slightly odd food habits.  I’ll miss our gluten free pizza and chick flick nights, as well as 3 am dashes to Wal-Mart for 99 cent fries and browsing their 5 dollar DVD sales.  Very good times.

Probably the number one thing that I enjoy and learned feels so good is getting in my car and driving wherever I want, knowing that wherever I choose to venture will feel fresh and new and freeing.  It can be a 50 minute drive to Dallas or a 4 hour drive to San Antonio.  The distance doesn’t matter.  I get a small rush when I take off and explore a new place.  I believe it is more that I am utilizing my opportunities and stepping a little out of my comfort zone which makes the journey to these places that much more satisfying. 

One thing that I wanted to do and said I would is go to the rodeo.  I just haven’t been able to fit it into my schedule (or maybe I didn’t really try hard enough).  Oh well, I feel that I have gotten a pretty good taste of Texas and will be able to leave without feeling too remorseful. 

Right now I am looking forward to the next phase of my itinerary.  Back to Seattle for a few weeks to spend time some QT with good friends, then off to Korea to visit my family and spend Christmas in a body jarring cold climate.  I’ll start my next assignment in San Jose, California on January 9^th.  Yes, that’s right; I am taking 30 plus days off!  As for now I continue to put off all forms of packing/organizing.  Leaving in 9 days still seems like an event of the distant future.  Perhaps reality will hit when I finish at the hospital and go for a margarita at 7 am.  You can’t buy wine at the grocery store before noon on Sunday, but you can find a restaurant that mixes a drink at the time when most people are just rolling out of bed. 

The Lone Star State

I missed Texas.  It’s odd and I wasn’t expecting this, but yes, I did miss this place.  I missed the open land, the ugly and frustrating airport, my local grocery store, my apartment, my walking trail.  Okay, well I didn’t truly miss the airport.  That might be going a bit far.  I do love airports, but this one was a bit disappointing, especially since I view it as one huge brown monstrosity that made me worry I might miss my flight.  (It’s 4.5 ridiculous miles from the north to south end, complete with a toll at each entrance).  I guess what I am trying to say is that I didn’t truly miss Texas itself, but rather what it represents to me.  Basically my freedom to explore, meet new people, and eventually find a place where I would really feel lucky to settle down.  Also, it is not Seattle, which is grossly familiar.  This next thought may strike some of you as a bit peculiar, but during my short stay this past weekend I got the feeling, deep within my soul, that the city was trying to give me a huge hug, only I would not allow it.  It’s as though my body was speaking, saying “not yet, I haven’t been gone long enough, save your embrace for later.”  I’m sure that at some point I will be in need of that particular type of reception.  I may want it so desperately that I’ll book a flight just for that sole purpose.  Who knows?  I sure don’t, but for this trip I am aware that it just didn’t feel “right.”  When my plane landed back in Dallas I actually thought to myself, “I’m home,” because this is where I am choosing to make my home at the present time.

Finally In Fort Worth

After 6 days of travel I am finally in Fort Worth.  I have to admit that the last week has actually been a lot of fun, and it feels really good to finally be here.  Over the last 6 days I’ve found myself in 6 different states.  Thank you Honda for not breaking down!  Gotta love those Japanese automakers.  During most hours the drive was relaxing and allowed me to see a variety of new sites.  My favorite leg of the journey was across Arizona, New Mexico, and into Texas.  The highway runs through a lot of “nothing,” but the sites of nothing are new to me so I enjoyed taking in the rocks, open landscape, cactus, and red-colored mountains.  (Reminded me of the Grand Canyon on a MUCH smaller scale).  Cruise control as well as old CDs that I haven’t listened to in about 10 years immediately became my best friends.  Bluetooth is NOT my new best friend due to the fact that the thing kept falling off my ear and did not get great reception, so sorry if I didn’t call to chat. 

In Cali I visited friends in SF/San Carlos and LA.  Then I headed down to San Diego for some exploring at La Jolla and downtown in the Gaslamp District.  At my hotel I got to ride in an old school elevator complete with a metal gate.  Very cool, very slow (per 21st century standards), and with a very heavy door.  You practically need both hands to pull the thing open and keep it open so that you can enter/exit.  It closed on me a few times so I resorted to taking the stairs (quicker and painless). 

I visited a lot of gas stations, washed my windshield with cockroach infested water, and talked to a few friendly, but not creepy truck drivers.

I arrived yesterday and my company allowed me to check into my apartment a day early.  While at the leasing office I ran across another traveler from American Mobile.  Turns out we are both going to be working nights on the same unit at Harris Methodist.  What are the odds?

I moved all my belongings up to my 3rd floor apartment.  My neighbor told me good luck walking up and down the stairs.  It’s not cool here, and I know I looked like I was putting in a good workout.  I’m proud of myself for doing it though.  No guys around to help. 

I made a late night run to Wal-Mart right before closing to buy all the necessities that I hastily threw away in my rush to stuff my life’s belongings into my car.  (TP, cleaning supplies, shower curtain, laundry detergent, etc).  Then off to the grocery store so that I had something besides trailmix to eat this am.  Oh, and I needed wine to celebrate my arrival.

It’s hard to believe that I came here to work and will soon have to face that reality.  Hospital orientation next week and then 12 hour nights.  My body gets to enjoy it’s normal sleep/wake cycle for a bit longer.  And with any luck my patients will be as well-behaved (i.e. not jumping/falling out of bed or combative) and friendly as the Texans I’ve met so far.

Two More Weeks, Not Months

Wow, it feels as though it was just yesterday that I was posting my two months to go entry.  Eeks!  Fourteen days is such a short amount of time.  I’ll admit that I am more ready at this point than I ever expected.  So far I’ve had no events resembling major “freak outs” or emotional melt downs.   (But there is still time).  Honestly I wouldn’t mind a good cry.  Perhaps that will come when all my furniture is gone, and I am sleeping on the living room floor.  (I don’t think I can bring myself to sleep in my bedroom without a bed.  It would just feel wrong). 

My responsibilities at work are basically finished, and I have the next two weeks to wake up later, waste time watching the morning shows, hang out with friends, and pack. 

I recieved my Fort Worth Visitors Guide in the mail a few days ago and spent a little time flipping through the pages.  It’s described as an “Urban Oasis.”  “City Life with Country Values.”  “…the city of Forth Worth proves you can live in the city and still feel like you’re down-home country.”  Well, I know what it is like to live in a city, but I have no clue as to what “down-home country” should feel like.  I feel challenged by this statement and determined to figure out what “country” really is. 

I love this next introductory phrase:  “Forget the Stetsons [I don't even know what those are], Wranglers, and boots: just for a second, OK?  Think night-on-the-town dress shoes [I have those].  Think hipster [I can be hip], GQ jacket/tie combos [Is this an attempt at a metrosexual reference?], and chick dresses.  Think arty and cool.  And yes, you’re still in Fort Worth.”  Apparently the new face of the Fort Worth nightclub scene includes “an upscale maze of danceatoriums, chill-out lounges, and live music venues” while the old face encompasses the Stockyard area and is home to Billy Bob’s, cowboys, horses, and bars. 

Of course this “new social club” is most likely the environment where I will feel most comfortable; however I have no hesitation about venturing out and exploring those bars with the horses and cowboys.  After all, my whole goal is to have new experiences and challenge myself in different situations.  

And…just in case the cowboy thing doesn’t work out, I did notice a restaurant advertising the “finest wine list in town,” so I can always resort to that as my backup.  Plus, it can still be considered a new experience since I’ve never sipped wine in Texas!