I just saw one of the greatest things that link back to my childhood: a Delorean. (Think, Back to The Future). I was so excited that I took a picture with my phone.

Unfortunately, my phone decided to produce only half the image, with the Delorean just under the part that was actually saved. I’m pretty disappointed, and I just wish software companies (like Verizon) would more aggressively test their software.

Alright Grandma, I lied a bit. Although it will get nerdy soon — I promise — I had to blog about my first day at work.

I woke up this morning at around 8 p.m. Training didn’t start until 10, but I wanted to wake up early enough so that I wouldn’t have to rush. After moseying around a bit, I had breakfast, got ready, and then tried to shake off those normal first day jitters before leaving the apartment. It was a beautiful day in Manhattan — sunny, with a quiet breeze — so I decided to walk the 20-block span from my apartment to work. The walk was relaxing, but I didn’t quite notice because I was walking a little bit faster than normal. I could’ve walked slower, but I didn’t want to be late.

I got there about 10 minutes early, and noticed five other people all sitting together, each eating complimentary muffins, cakes, and coffee that had been set out to welcome us. Guessing that these guys were the new hires, I decided to sit with them.

The office wasn’t what some would call the stereotypical office. There were no cubicles, and no motivation pictures tacked on the wall. (Here’s a de-motivator, it’s all I could find). The building is a reformed apartment building in the middle of West Village, and the main room — the place where we all congregated after walking up two flights — was a big open space lined with brick. There was a deck to the left of the room, and a kitchen to the rear.

The Open Planning Project — TOPP, my employer — owns three floors in this apartment building. The lower floor is a set of quiet rooms and couches, a bathroom and a few other miscellaneous spaces, where people can work if they need somewhere to go. The middle floor houses the main room, deck, kitchen, and an odd room filled with Roman pillars and random archways. The top floor, the highest floor in the apartment building, holds a bedroom where I would have stayed had I not been able to find an apartment.

The day went pretty smoothly, and was very relaxed. We went over the main layout of the various TOPP projects, from both a technical standpoint and a theoretical vision, and got acquainted with what we we’d be working on for the foreseeable future. The most interesting projects were OpenPlans, an online collaboration tool for community activism, and GeoServer, a project aiming to make a wiki for geo-spatial data (think, Wikipedia for the world). We had lunch at a little Thai place — a place that apparently at night seems totally different — and then got started on the more practical sides of work: computers, email addresses, desks and workstations. After finishing up the technical parts of the day, we spent the rest of it sitting on the deck, getting to know each other and getting to know the feel of the workplace. For those who work in the software industry, I’m told it feels a lot like a startup.

Here’s some great things that I can’t help but mention:

• Work usually starts around 10 a.m. (I can start earlier if I need to).
• Everything’s casual.
• I get free lunch everyday from local restaurants around the area.
• There’s an open work space. No cubicles.
• I get to work on really cool software.

Although the last bullet was the real motivator behind taking the job, I can’t help but appreciate the first four.

Overall, I came out of my first day feeling very relaxed (loving the beautiful walk home through Hudson St. in West Village), and generally confident that I made the right decision. I think I’m going to love working here, and I can’t wait to go back to work tomorrow.

Now that my New York adventure is over, it’s time to start blogging like normal again. Family, it’ll get nerdier as we go forward. You’ve been warned.

Welcome to my living-room-dining-room-bedroom-kitchen.

Take a look:

It’s small in non-New York standards, but hey — that’s the city.

Good news! I got an apartment.

Actually, for reasons I don’t totally understand, my guarantor has changed her mind, and decided to send the paperwork needed to secure the $1890 apartment.

It was really a surprise. First, I was told my broker sent her an email apologizing for everything that happened during the last two weeks. Then, I got a call from my guarantor saying she’ll FexEx over what was needed. It was odd — I never suspected a single email would make her change her mind.

In any case, I’m thankful I have an apartment, and I’m thankful for everything my guarantor has done for me. It was really a stressful time for all, and I’m just glad it’s coming to an end.

Thanks for following along in my apartment search! I’ll post up pictures of the apartment in the next couple days.

Due to an unfortunate turn of events, I won’t be moving into the $1890 apartment.

To make a long story short, the landlord needed an updated piece of information from my guarantor. This made her angry, and she has now backed out on me.

I need to find an apartment that is $1500 or less, something that — by landlords’ regulations — I can afford on my own, without a guarantor. My friend has set this Friday as an upper limit on the time I can stay, so I need to find something and move in by then (or else I’ll be homeless!).

If anyone has any information that might help, I’d appreciate it very much.