Don't let the bedbugs bite...oh wait, you can't stop them

It's been such a long time since I last wrote...not really literally, I think it's been maybe 5 days or so, but here I'm experiencing new things every day, and I want to write about all of it! I've been pretty busy, though, hanging out with my roommates, reading massive ammounts of information regarding early art history and the BIBLE. Haha. And despeately trying to contact that random girl for my article. Frustration.
However, besides all the homework and class, I have been having such a good time. I'm pretty proud of myself for adjusting this quickly...after seeing my emotional breakdown when we got to the hotel 2 weeks ago, most people would've assumed I would have dropped out already. Alas, I have not...it is weird, though, to find that place of knowing that I'm away from home and knowing that stuff is going on while I'm not there, and just accepting that and looking to what I can do in my new environment to make it like home. I seriously love my room. I spend more time here than I thought I would. And I guess to sort of brace me for a potential bad roommate, a lot of people told me that my roommates probably weren't going to be my best friends...but they are. I get along on different levels with all of them. Mallory even slept with me last night!
Okay, that needs some explanation. The only thing I don't like about my ROOM right now (and, actually, the entire 16th floor)...BEDBUGS. It's disgusting. And a serious problem. Mallory had all these bites up and down her arm, and she had to go to the health clinic, and it was really bad and just gross gross gross. So she took all the bedding off of her mattress, and she was going to sleep on the floor last night, but she wouldn't stop complaining (she only had towels for blankets...haha...) so she somehow managed to fit on my bed. It was actually pretty hilarious. But the bedbugs are awful. We're all paying so much for this space, that shouldn't happen.
September 11th was yesterday, that was different for me. It's definitely a new experience to be in the city for that day. It was a beautiful day, blue sky, fall breeze, but there was still a chilly aura about the city that I can't explain. I mean, people on the street weren't silently crying all day, but there was just a feeling of bittersweet sadness. Of rememberance. Not something I would have felt in Minneapolis. In the morning, we watched Mayor Bloomberg's speech at ground zero, and we participated in the moment of silence when the first plane hit, 8:46am. That gave me chills. The busy street outside was quiet, everything stopped. And, our dorm is right next to a church, so bells went off. It was really moving, and just eery...then, as the day went on, I began to realize how incredibly close we are to ground zero. I don't know why, but I always consider myself living in the east village, but it really is lower Manhattan. Below us is SoHo, then Chinatown, then the financial district. On September 11, 2001, they evacuated NYU because of the dust. The firehouse by one of my dining halls, Palladium, was one of the first to respond. Ironically, I had to read a journal entry from someone who survived being in the towers for my writing class, and he describes getting out of the building and walking up to Union Square...which is 5 blocks north of me. I would have been right in it. And then, last night, they turned on the lights in place of the towers, and that was what made it the most real. The lights were so close, I had to crane my neck to look up at them, they were just right there. The 5th anniversary of 9/11 was more meaningful to me here than it could have been anywhere else, obviously.
On a lighter note...Sunday night was the most fun I've had since being here. I was in serious need for an improv fix...it had been way too long since I saw it. So, once again, I convinced Jenny and Mallory to come with me to try to get into Assscat at the Upright Citizens Brigade. We got their earlier than the week before and sat and sat and sat and stood in line and waited and we GOT TICKETS. The tickets are free if you're one of the first 200 or so people to get there. There is always a sickeningly long line, but this time we actually got tickets, numbers 115, 116 and 117. I love that place. I'm not exaggerrating, I'm being completely serious, I love the UCB. They did some quality improv that made me want to jump up and get on stage, just to be a part of that group energy. I love it when I can see improvisers meticulously calculating when to cut a scene, when to add something, make an entrance. I was in 7th heaven. It was sort of sick. But what made the improv even BETTER...the people performing...Matt Walsh (he started the theater with Amy Poehler and 2 other guys, he's on that Comedy Central show "Man Bites Dog"), Jon Lutz, a guy from "Best Week Ever", Jason Sudeikis (new last season to SNL), and Horatio Sanz were there to perform! Ahh! Semi-famous people doing improv! Emily loves it! They just did simply monologue-based montages, but I really couldn't be happier. Apparently, Amy Poehler performs there almost every weekend (she was there when we didn't get it...boo...), so I'm now going every Sunday night. My roommates....aren't. It was a long time to wait for tickets, and then it didn't get out until like 12:30, so I'm going alone. Every Sunday. Transportation might get a bit expensive, but at least the show's free.
I had more I wanted to write, but I don't think people want to read more right now. That's cool. These posts have been seriously long, so I'm sorry about that...once I get writing, it's hard to stop me. Okay. I need to: shower, get dressed, go to Social Foundations. But first, if anyone religiously downloads music, or as access to it, you should download "God Is My Friend" by Bob Schneider. It's my favorite song right now, I can't stop listening to it, the chorus makes me sad and happy at the same time. Bye!