Come and put me out.

I found $4.63 in spare change tonight, plus three rupees.

I also wandered somewhere I wasn't supposed to go and was rewarded with a lovely little bird sighting. A common yellowthroat warbler in a courtyard in Chelsea. I'd been out walking before an appointment since I had a lot of time to spare, and approached the building heading east instead of west, the way I usually do. So I entered through the easternmost entrance and first thought someone had moved the office to another floor, then found out it's just a really long building - one of those New York City buildings which takes up the entire block, something I hadn't contextualized before since I'd never been this early. I began making my way over to the office, but when I passed by a hallway leading off to the side, I immediately took a left and stopped when I got to a lobby area situated between two large courtyard.

So I stopped, sat and read for a bit, then asked the concierge - his title according to his desk placard - if I could head out into the courtyard for a bit. I said I was waiting to see someone in the building, would it be possible for me to spend a few minutes outside? And he waved me through.

Twenty floors rising straight up all around you makes for an impressive sight. It'd been a gray, soft day, so the sky wasn't all that much to look at, but there were little waterspout gargoyles way up at the top, and vines creeping up the first few floors, and a big fountain with no water, fish, or coins for wishing, and a few benches for sitting. It was clean: no garbage anywhere, not even a candy wrapper or Starbucks drink sleeve. I walked the perimeter, by the ferns and small plantings, and looked at the right spot at the right time to catch a bit of motion. Bird-type motion.

So I followed it, being careful to take note of belly and eye markings, and a few hours later, saw it was a male common yellowthroat warbler. Not a rare bird. Just a rare spot to see one.

I also talked over leaving my job with my dad. He suggested I negotiate for my last day instead of handing in a resignation. I guess I can accept that - nice as it would be to walk away and not look back, it could still be done on my terms, with the added advantage of forcing them to sit down and actually talk to me about what's going on around there.