How crazy is this? I've only been in town for one week, and already have bumped into someone I know. And not even one of those random drive-by honk-and-wave scenarios. My long lost high school roommate was literally right behind me in line at the pizzeria. Our dual double-take was priceless. Turns out she works around the corner from me. What are the chances?!

Went to an alumni event tonight, and met several people who used to have my job and now are successful (read: paid) and have real apartments and real furniture and real addresses and a real life here. Gives me a shred of hope. Their horror stories were also reassuring: "When I first moved here, I moved seven times in six months." "When I first moved here, a friend and I shared a bed for several months. We lived in a railroad apartment. With a magician." (???)

Also found two familiar but unexpected classmate-faces in the crowd, another NYC newbie - fresher off the boat than me - and a visitor in town for interviews. When I told him I was staying in Bed Stuy, he balked - "Isn't that neighborhood worse than Chicago's Englewood?" Well... I didn't hang out in Englewood often, but I'm gonna go ahead and say - probably.

I did almost laugh when someone yelled "rich bitch" at me as I walked home from the subway. Because - and I counted twice - I have $0.43 in my wallet. (And a jumble of useless foreign coins.) Sure, I've probably led a much more comfortable life than many of the people I pass on the street, but I have a theory: I don't think anyone here has any money. Okay, so maybe I haven't seen the "nicer" side of NY since I've been here. I'm not really in the place to, I guess. But from what I can tell, everyone here is a starving actor/dancer/artist/writer/crack addict/whatever.

I'm sure there are people living in cushy apts up on the Upper East side who could change my mind, but even the city itself seems rundown and like no one is bothering to fix it up. I'm sure local govt does the best it can, but... it's like my brief visit to Hollywood. You expect a place like that to sparkle, the sidewalks to literally glitter in the sun. And then the reality of it is just that - it's not a shiny stage set. It's not a page out of a magazine. Millionaires walk the same sidewalks as the rest of us. I guess from the glass-is-half-full side, that's not so much a letdown as an encouraging revelation. But on the other hand, if this is as good as it gets, what's the argument against laziness and sloth? Oh right, that whole self-fulfillment thing...

I also got to see mag prof/industry guru at this shindig tonight, who -surprise!- actually knows my name! And is proud of me. Which nearly made me cry.

The biggest news - I'm 98% sure I have a home! It's a great apartment, in a great neighborhood, with great people. I'm subletting from an actor because she just landed a regional tour. The place is nicely furnished and really comfortable, and I'll live with another actor and she's cool too. I'm so relieved. Hopefully soon I will no longer be accessing Craig's List in my dreams...

At work I'm researching several incredibly interesting trivia questions. I don't want to Karl Rove here, let's just say that tomorrow I'll be placing calls to NASA, Durex and the publicist for Queer Eye's Fab 5. Curious? Here's my shameless plug: Subscribe, and you too will be privy to the world's deepest, darkest secrets.