New York stuff I miss (Part I)

Empanada Mama

This fine eating establishment has it all: empanadas stuffed with about any filling you can imagine and CHEAP sangria.

The menu has more than 40 different varieties to choose from... personal favorites include the ever popular "Viagra" (seafood mix) and "The Hawaiian" (ham, pineapples, and mozzarella cheese). Almost as good as the food is the alcohol. A large pitcher of sangria for just $25. No joke. I know, I know, I fell over the first time I saw that price, too (granted, it was after I had half the pitcher, but that's besides the point).

It's fun, festive, and cozy... and I want it now.

Note to self: never write posts about food you cannot have when it's dinner time.

Puffery the Magic Dragon

Résumés are the bane of my existence.

ré⋅su⋅mé

 [rez-oo-mey, rez-oo-mey]

–noun

1.	a summing up; summary.

2.	a brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as that prepared by an applicant for a job.

How do you make a résumé stand out? I'm finding it hard to compete with applicants who have waaaaay more experience than me. And obviously, that's what it all comes down to... experience. I have experience (some). I'm not Barack Obama, but I've had some good jobs (let us forget the couple months I worked for Abercrombie & Fitch). So how does one make his/her work stand out when every third person has the same résumé... or one that's even better?!

May I now introduce to floor... Puffery, ladies and gentlemen.

Making something out of (almost) nothing. It's not lying. Lying is wrong and will make your pants spontaneously combust if you're unlucky. It's just making the best of what you've got.

I'll highlight some details, add those sizzle words, and maybe even quadruple bold the NBC factor and I'll be well on my way to a powerhouse résumé. Mind you, I've considered adding glitter and some cologne to make it stand out... but it's so hard to accomplish when you're emailing an application. Sigh.

Greetings from the Vortex

Welcome to Return to New York- a new blog about the trials and travails of a former New Yorker and his quest to get back to the city he loves.

I was born and raised in New York State, so one would think that wherever I lived, it must be just a hop, skip, jump, or some other spastic movement to Manhattan. But the five boroughs always seemed so big and far away. Why? Because I lived in Albany. It sucks you in and refuses to let you leave.

I petitioned local officials to have the city renamed Inescapable Vortex... but they didn't really go for it.

At the time, my whole life was in Albany. I grew up in a nearby suburb, went to high school in the area, and even decided to say there for college.

Then college graduation happened! I wriggled free from the Vortex, moved to the city a week later, and started interning at MSNBC. That internship became a job, and that job became a promotion to a better job with NBC News. Then the recession hit and my contract wasn't renewed.  My apartment lease just ended, and as I'm still unemployed, I decided to move back home with the parentals until I can find a stable job and move back to the city. My city. My home.

This little blog will track my progress in reaching my ultimate goal: re-residing in the most special of cities (but wait... there'll be even more! Stay tuned to find out).

Thus commences my journey to... Return to New York.