Love, Church, and Rangers

WOW
I just read my last post and it was so great!  And guess what, life got BETTER.  I can't believe it.
I just want to say thank you to everyone reading this.  I do it because I love it and it is so awesome to have a written account of everything that happens to me in New York, but it is also great to have fans that like to see what I'm doing.


Tuesday.
Valentine's Day was so great.  I got up and worked out which always pumps me up.  Then I went into Brooklyn for orientation with New York Cares.  On the way I smiled at the train conductor and fifteen stops later when I got off he held the train so he could tell me my pretty smile made his day, that I was beautiful, and thanked me wishing me a happy Valentines Day!  It gave me so much positive energy and I walked into orientation grinning.

After volunteer orientation I got on the train to Manhattan and got out downtown because I had a little time to kill on my way to book club.  I just enjoyed the sights and all the people that were out for Valentine's Day as I walked uptown.  I got a delicious sandwich on the walk and then passed a Goodwill store I've been in before and spent some time shopping which was so fun because NYC Goodwill has some really good stuff.  I walked out with a $3 scarf that has roses and is glittery!  Score!

I met up with Sonia, one of my Chi Omega sisters and we went to book club which was super fun.  I'm starting to recognize people and book club always has good food!  I also really enjoyed this month's book so that made the discussion even better than normal.

On the way home I started chatting with a cute boy playing video games on his phone and I gave him a princess Valentine.

Overall, it was a wondrous Valentine's Day.  I hope you all had the same joy and happiness and love as I did!

Wednesday.

Wednesday was my day off for myself.  I slept in and relaxed and then I ended up being late to my first class with Miranda, the woman who runs the theatre that I'm working with.  We did a writing class and I really enjoyed it!  I think she liked me as well and now I am able to get more involved, starting with a production meeting for the shows that are going up this spring!  Yay!  It was AMAZING to be on a stage again, even with just Miranda in the audience.

After my awesome class I was so happy, I headed home to rest for a bit.  Then I headed to the restaurant and picked up two checks, thank goodness.  I talked to a few of our regulars who couldn't believe that I had quit but promised to keep in touch.

Then I headed uptown to All Souls and met everyone for food and fellowship, a program for the young adults where you eat and talk about the topic of the night.  This week the topic was love, which is a huge category to try and discuss in a few hours but when we broke off into our smaller groups it went really well.

Afterward, everyone headed to a close bar and had a drink and chatted.  I ended up staying til almost midnight and just had the BEST time.  There are so many cool people at All Souls and I met writers and artists who inspired me to want to work harder at what I'm doing.  It was probably one of the most fun nights I've had in New York City so far and I'm really excited to make some solid friendships with everyone that I met.  I can't wait for church on Sunday!  Wow, I never thought I would say that haha.

Thursday.

Thursday was a big morning because I had a job interview!  Of course it was pouring rain and I was just imagining having a movie moment where I'm running through the city and a car goes by and splashes me, but luckily that didn't happen.

My interview was with a security company that works with a lot of high profile companies, nightclubs, and people.  I would have the chance to work part time and still focus on my other projects while possibly making connections with important people.  The office was also really cool, and the president and I ended up just chatting for awhile.  It was very comfortable and I definitely could see myself fitting in with the company.

I headed home and ran before heading to volunteer, I had signed up with New York Cares and the first project I did was with children doing theater games.  It was really fun, and eye opening, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to go back and have a better relationship with the students so I can help them love theater as much as I do!

I also got a call from one of the women I met at the writer's group on Monday (Carmen the voice teacher) who let me know as soon as I got on my feet she would be able to help me with voice lessons.  She also let me know that one of the women who attends All Souls is an agent, and she would pass my information along to her and see what tips and advice she might be able to get me!  That is pretty exciting because an agent is my next step to take my career further.

When I got home I needed to rest up because I was being bullied into going out.  I almost didn't make it because I'm such a homebody but I rallied and ended up going out which was a great idea because I had such an amazing night.  We went to Cipriani and had a delicious dinner and then headed to 1OAK where the night started off slow but while we were dancing I spotted Robin Thicke!  He was easy to see cause of his nutso hair.

Our table got moved and we were standing with the New York Rangers.  I ended up sitting with them for the rest of the night and dancing!  It was super fun, even though I wasn't drinking.  All the guys were really nice which was somewhat surprising I guess because I feel like there is a stigma that pro athletes are assholes.  It might have helped that I was sober and not dressed like a whore and just having a good time, but they asked about me and my life and let me hang out with them and have some fun.  They were friendly to the few fans that came over to say hi and weren't too crazy either.
I don't know what was cooler, the fact that I got to chill with them or that I actually recognized a lot of the players!  I'm so proud that I'm becoming such a New York sports fan.

I was out so late but it was a beautiful night so I took a stroll with Ryan up through the city, and finally got on the subway at about 5am.  I got home and took a shower finally getting into bed at 6:30 in the morning.  This is why I don't go out every night but it was SO fun!  We got free 1OAK hat's too... Rocking them out in our picture.  Good times.

Early morning in Times Square!

What a great last couple of days!  I've been feeling so grateful and happy and now it seems like life is just exploding with greatness.  This weekend I have a lot of fun stuff planned so check back in soon!

LOVE YA!

Valentine's Day

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!
I might be a bit early, but I don't care.  I wish you joy and love on this special day :) I hope you give love to everyone special in your life as well!

Let's see what has been going on in New York City...

The day after the Superbowl I worked a double.  I spent the hour between my shift in the library which is BEAUTIFUL!  Even though it was a bit hard to get up and down the stairs with my stupid runner's knee acting up (which just means it is time to start up karate again, yay!)

Now, there has been a bit of an issue at my job.  Basically, they have gotten behind on payroll.  I don't know about you but I depend on my money to live so this is a problem.  On Thursday I had the day off and I went for a coffee with Bill (my writing friend/mentor) and then headed up to the restaurant to finally collect my check.
It wasn't there.

So I told the manager to take me off the schedule and that I wasn't coming in anymore... I guess I'm jobless again.  I had been looking for a bit and I have a few leads so please keep your fingers crossed for me!  I'm not panicking yet because I have faith that everything will work out, but a prayer is greatly appreciated.

So I took the time to finally get some things done like send very important mail and packages and clean my room and do some cool things in the city.  I also was convinced by a friend to start a website where I can post more of my writing (an infinite supply of poems and short stories) and Tumblr seemed like the perfect place.  It has been a bit addicting because I can see when people "like" or "reblog" my work and WOW it feels so good to know people are enjoying what I wrote.

Oh you want to read?  Please click here :)

On Saturday Lindsey Shull (aka Woodcock) came up with her husband to visit and I met up with her and Hillary Frazier for coffee and it was SO GOOD to see them!  And to catch up on life and see where they are and tell them about all the great things I have going in my life.

Then I went home, inspired and happy, and finished some work on "Wonderland" which is currently in rehearsal.  Any donations to help me get home to see my play are also greatly appreciated. ;)

On Sunday I got up and went to church.  The high schoolers led the service which was okay, but the best part was one of the hymns that we sung, which I believe really sums up how I'm feeling about life right now:

I wish I could share
All the love that's in my heart
Remove all the bars
That keep us apart
I wish you could know
What it means to be me
Then you'd see
And agree
That every man should be free
I wish I could give
All I'm longin' to give
I wish I could live
Like I'm longin' to live
I wish I could do
All the things that I can do
Oh, I'm way overdue
I'd be startin' anew


-I Wish I knew How it Was to Be Free

So good!!!

Anyway, then I headed home and just laid on the couch watching the Valentine's Day movie marathon on FX (woo! awesome!) cause I kinda just felt like poo.  And I'm trying to work on feeling better by practicing gratitude and being thankful and sharing love and working out but yesterday I just couldn't do it so I went to sleep real early and prayed for a better day.

AND TODAY WAS AWESOME!  Well it started off a little ho-hum but then I texted Annie who saved me (as usual... love her!) and I went for a nice walk and run, I took a shower and I headed out to the writer's group that meets once a month at All Souls church.
It was awesome! 12 women, 12 writers, sharing work and giving feedback.  I was by far the youngest there, but it didn't matter, I enjoyed it so much and I can't wait to go back next month.

The best part was the fact that I had been singing ALL day and thinking about missing singing and wishing I could pursue my vocal career more and possibly use my poems as lyrics and write my own songs, but I didn't know where to start.  And one of the women gave me her card... and she's a friggin' voice teacher.

DEAR UNIVERSE.  DEAR GOD (cause to me they are one and the same) THANK YOU.  Thank you for the "sign" and thank you for the push and thank you for proving to me that I'm on the right path and in the right place.

Just wow.  What a great day, what a great life!!!  I'm feeling all sorts of positive and happy and it is AWESOME.  So that's where we are right now, and I've got a great week ahead so come back soon!!

Thanks for reading :D

New York, damn, I love you.

Superbowl Sunday

Sunday.  A time of reflection.  And football.
Let me start off by saying GO GIANTS and what a great last quarter that was to watch.  I had fun, but I also was remembering last years Superbowl and the wonderful memories I have from that weekend.  I looked back on them fondly as I sat in the restaurant today, a year later, and thought about all the changes that have happened in the year since the last big football game.  Now I'm in NYC watching the New York Giants win the big game... what crazy changes have come since then...

New York City I LOVE YOU!

For so many reasons.  Like walking off the train and hearing two 15 year old girls talking...
"And I was like what the FUCK is that BITCH THINKING?!?  Obviously it was x = - y!!!  DUH!"
Wow.  Totally not what I was expecting her to end that sentence with.

Or walking past the car repair shop on my street and only getting hit on by one person... The lesbian mechanic.  "Hey sexy..."  Hahahaha.

Or having a family of tourists near me on the train and their mother saying "watch out for the pretty lady with the pretty hair."  What a nice compliment :)

So lets see what has been happening with me since I left you...
Gabs had her auditions and I helped her out by taking her around the city and showing her where to go.  We had a great pasta lunch and lots of deep discussion and fun all around.  Unfortunately she didn't get a callback for her first round so she came to my work and sat at the bar and our regulars gave her wine, snacks, and advice and that made her feel better.
Luckily, the next day she auditioned again and got callbacks and interest so we were happy!  And I went to a meeting at a theater on the Upper East Side and met an amazing woman who I'm going to be taking classes from.  If things go well I will have the chance to get my scripts produced on a NEW YORK STAGE!!!  ANNNND I can work with Equity actors!  (Equity is one of the actors unions) And also, possibly, act with them as well and get into the union myself.
So to celebrate all the greatness of the day we went out!  We went to Wip (dumbest club everrrrrrr, except that is where I missed Beyonce boo) and then to Greenhouse and just had fun dancing and drinking.  It took us forever to get home and Gabs had to leave early in the morning so I was exhausted and slept all day.  Thankfully, I had taken the day off because I had big plans with my Chi Omega sisters.  I met up with Sonia, a 2011 graduate that I clicked with at our last book club meeting and we went and got frozen yogurt for a few hours before wandering through some stores on our way to the theater.  We met up with a group of Chi O's and I made some new friends :) then we watched "The Artist."
Okay... The Artist was a good movie.  Nice concept, good acting, great camera work and sets and blah blah BUT IT WAS SOOOOOOO LONG.  Granted, I was pretty tired, but still.  The dog was adorable though.
The rest of the weekend I worked, exercised, read, blogged, did chores, watched TV and relaxed.
Today, I went to All Souls Unitarian church.  It was really amazing and uplifting and everyone was so welcoming.  The reason I love Unitarianism is because its not a bunch of religious nut jobs shoving beliefs down your throat.  Its a religion that focuses on loving everyone and kindness to humanity.
And the day ended with a wondrous football game!  What a crazy last quarter, I was screaming and jumping out of my seat and scaring all the tourists from Europe who don't get football.

And walking home hearing joy and shouts throughout the streets "Giants! WOOOOOOOOO!"