"A Streetcar Named Desire"

"So much of the play is about the death of poetry and idealism and hope—the fine, delicate things in our lives, the intangible, ephemeral things in our lives—which theater actually represents, doesn't it? It's ephemeral by its very nature. If you're not there, you miss it. It's gone." -Cate Blanchett


Thank heaven I was there! Sitting in my distant seat purchased months ago, second to last row, experiencing a slight case of vertigo... I could still feel the performance. Each member of the cast reached the back wall of the theatre, and BAM Harvey Theater is no small venue! They certainly earned their 6 standing ovations at the conclusion of the performance and took their curtain calls together. Such a beautiful show!

I pride myself on my opinion of performers being something unique and insightful and varying from the popular consensus, but Cate Blanchett may be the best performer I will ever experience in my life. My one regret is that I was so far from the stage I could not see the little intricacies I know were a part of her performance only viewable by those in the orchestra, but what I could not see I heard through her use of vocal fluctuation and intonation. Her accent rang true and the varying octaves she traveled through during the desperate moments of Blanch DuBois communicated every moment clearly to the packed house.

Marlon Brando will always be my Stanley Kowalski, but Joel Edgerton played the part well. His nasal accent was reminiscent of Brando, but I missed the chemistry between he and Blanche (but I was on the second to last row). Robin McLeavy played a sweet Stella.

My one complaint happened in the final moments. Blanche takes the arm of the doctor and interlaces her fingers to his, the theatre is silent as she delivered that brilliant line, "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers," and the idiot playing Mitch decided to take a heaving sob and totally stole an incredibly beautiful moment! Otherwise... no complaints!

"What are you thankful for?"

"I am thankful for the randomness of New York City that has allowed me to be sitting at this table with you tonight. Truly thankful."

For reasons beyond my control, I've been unable to return home to Texas for the past 9 years to be with my family for Thanksgiving. Each year, I've found myself sitting at a table sharing a meal with whoever I'm lucky enough to know at the time. Many memories, some lonelier than others, but each marks the path my life has taken thus far and I look back on them with nothing but smiles.

This year I found myself in a little neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY... Bushwick! Certainly a unique Thanksgiving, but memorable in so many ways! My dear friend, Brooke, and I had to work that morning (where we served maybe 15 people). So she invited me to be a part of her Thanksgiving, saving me from potentially dining solo... well maybe not. Anyway, we ran all over Tribeca to pick up our holiday meal, which included chicken not turkey, then barely got to the wine shop before they closed their doors, and finally found just the right sweet potato casserole from Boston Market, before we headed out to Brooklyn.

So great to be in a home for this holiday. Don't get me wrong, I love my empty, closet-size apartment but in a space where two people have lived for years, you can find their personalities imprinted in subtle ways around the house. These two women have not only placed their mark in their home, but in the homes around them by reaching out and investing in the lives of their neighbors. New York can easily be a place where you come and go without saying two words to the neighbor you share a wall with, but I was touched and honestly inspired by the community they've created in "the hood", as they call it.

Now, as the food cooked we munched on the normal Thanksgiving appetizers: cheese plate accompanied by cheddar and bacon stuffed jalapenos! Did I mention I was having Thanksgiving with a couple Southern women?! Who eats that on Thanksgiving?! The hottest things ever!!! Went so well with the wine we were drinking!

Anyways, After the Cowboys secured a victory, we sat for our meal. And we didn't get up from that table for hours! We ate, we laughed, we drank wine, we shared stories, and had the most delicious sweet potato pie ever! I will never forget those faces around that table and my night in Bushwick.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~My Thanksgiving Family!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Help Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi..."

You know the rest. The final phrase uttered by a gifted writer, performer, and self-deprecating narcissist: Carrie Fisher. I was a volunteer usher for the Roundabout Theatre Production of Wishful Drinking, which means that I got to see the show for free!

I found the evening educational, as well as entertaining. I grew up knowing Carrie Fisher only as Princess Leia. I had no idea she was the daughter of Debbie Reynolds, much less all the tabloid scandal. I'm revealing my ignorance, but personally I think it enhanced the evening. Especially when she pulled down a giant blackboard with all the Hollywood marriages that are linked together in her world.

A very comfortable set looking much like a living room, Carrie Fisher chatted with the audience about the craziness of her life. But she did it in a way that refused pity and made you feel like maybe this is part of her therapy and she has somehow lived through all this. A tiny moment near the very end of the piece I feel she briefly dropped her guard when she said, "if I am very still and very quiet, I think I can hear the angels sing."

Laughter is the best medicine, especially when it comes to your own pain. Carrie Fisher has managed to take a life of extraordinary circumstances and experiences, cram it into a 2 hour show and allow everyone to leave feeling like they know the real Princess Leia. And I think everyone, including myself, really loved the final shout-out to...well... herself.

"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."

TO BE OR NOT TO BE...

Brilliant performance tonight by Jude Law, who is currently playing Hamlet on Broadway.

The first moment on stage, his presence is felt and attention is drawn to him. The physicality of his performance alone is enough of a reason to see this play. He embodied the weight of the character, but held him with such ease that it made the rest of the cast look stiff. Simply astounding to behold. It was as if he were carrying the burden of what is to be discovered and then carried out in the course of the play. Beautiful!

Tonight marked the first time I've seen Hamlet done professionally. This play lasts near 3 1/2 hours. I had already worked a full day on my feet and gone to class and to top it all off, the only tickets available tonight were standing room and I was in flip-flops... but I loved it! The only times I felt the throbbing in my legs were during the scenes Hamlet was absent. Now, lets just be clear, I am not a Jude Law fan. I think he's pretty and he has done good work but I would not praise his Shakespeare unless it was well deserved. It was truly wonderful!

The rest of the cast seemed to be performing their parts in a way as more of a tribute to the piece written, but Jude Law seemed to be living his character. Had he been absent from the production I would have thought it was a very good technical reading of the brilliant writing of Shakespeare, but he was living and moving in such a way that elevated the reality of his world and brought him to a level that sadly was not reached by his supporting cast. I have a new respect for him as an actor and am grateful for his efforts and commitment to such a part.

If you are in NYC before December 6th (closing date), do what you can to see this play, even if you've been on your feet for 12 hours!

Can I just brag about my life for a minute?

Pardon me but I love the madness with which I am currently engrossed.

Somehow I've managed to get involved with projects in theatre, television and film! Que suerte! I'm serving as Assistant Director for a Master Thesis for the New School (film school in lower manhattan); I'm casting/organizing a reading for a proposal script for "The Office"; I'm working with classmates and other actors to create an original piece of theatre to be performed after the first of the year! And somewhere in there I still make time for class, rehearsal and work. Praise God I'm young and invincible, right?

This is why I love NYC!!! Although I'm barely getting by financially, I'm happy as a clam. So many opportunities for growth are at my fingertips, so I have no excuse for laziness or complacency. LOVE IT!

Recently, I took in a play. Now, I know some of you money conscious people are thinking, "Erin, you only have $6/day for food, how can you spend that on a play?" Well, some things are just more important than eating!

Actually, a blessing was granted to me (in the form of an unexpected tip) so I decided to support my friend and go see an Off-Broadway show. It was at Theatre Row, which is an amazing, renovated space on W. 42nd street with 6 theatres in one venue. Pretty amazing to have 6 separate works of art being performed simultaneously.

The play is by Tim Blake Nelson and explores the lengths that faith can bring people and the guilt brought on that will make them commit terrible things. I found the piece moving with a heart-wrenching end. Beautifully directed. The sound design was pretty great, as well. A surprisingly moving piece that was definitely worth two-days of food.

Check it out!

Next...

Thank you everyone for your kind words of comfort and support of boycotting Uhaul!

As usual, focus shifts moment-by-moment. The Uhaul episode consumed me for all of Friday and Saturday, but Sunday was so busy I could not give it a thought. Now its Wednesday and I haven't thought of it in days. Don't get me wrong, I'm still planning to write a very strongly worded letter to Uhaul, but for now my attention is needed elsewhere.

For some reason, my time in NYC this year has been very, very full. I think I'm just more ambitious about building a future here. This demands my time investing in relationships and thinking about my career. I feel stretched personally and definitely financially, but in an invigorating way. Everything I'm involved with fills me with energy and joy, which is such a blessing b/c I don't think I'd be able to get thru it otherwise.

This is just kind of a random post with no real purpose. Below I posted some pictures of the progress of my bed. I'm really so proud of myself. Partially, due to the whole Uhaul debacle, but mostly b/c I had to take it apart and put it back together with no instructions. I feel like I built the bed. I dunno. Its very satisfying to crawl into bed every night. Not only am I exhausted from an extremely full day, but also b/c I have a bed to crawl into every night!!!









Hooray for the boys upstairs who let me borrow their tools!!! I took them cookies as a thank you!

Uhaul....then Upay!!!

I've always heard, "If a customer has a good experience, they may tell one or two people. But if they have a bad experience they will tell ten." I'm going to tell everyone I know hoping they'll tell everyone they know about my recent, horrible, experience with Uhaul.

Background info:
I agreed to purchase a bed from a friend who was moving into an apartment in the West Village. Her cousin was also moving things from this apartment, so we decided to split the cost of renting a Uhaul truck and move it ourselves. We reserved a 14' truck, which was way more space than we needed, but only a $10 upgrade, plus $2.50 per mile. I had reserved the truck for 3 p.m. Total estimated cost $80-90 split two ways.

Ok, well due to scheduling conflicts we could not get everyone to the apartment until 4 p.m. to move, so I went to the Uhaul depot on W. 23rd (i tell you this so you won't ever go there) to pick up the truck. Upon arrival, at 4:05 p.m., I was on the phone with one of the girls at the apartment to explain the situation. I did not approach the counter at this moment b/c I think its rude to talk on the cell phone while dealing with another person. So I concluded my phone call then got in line (this is important for later in the story). By now there are 2 people in front of me, and apparently it takes 20 minutes to get thru a reservation, maybe because the staff lacks motivation and work ethic. Just a thought. Finally I get to the counter with my reservation. The lady goes thru the contract, noting that if I do not fill up the truck with gas to the amount it started on I had to pay $30 plus $4 per gallon. Ok, sign away. Please go wait at garage D for the dispatcher.

My friend and I wander down to garage D and no one is there. No one is out anywhere. We stand around for probably 10 minutes. I walk back toward the office and see a guy backing a van into the garage and asked him if he was the dispatcher. He said yeah, then looks at me and says, "Where are the keys?" "I don't know. I wasn't given any keys, I thought you would have them." "Nah, the office didn't give you keys? You don't have a little green paper with keys?" (in a tone indicating it was my fault). After lots of back and forth between the garage and office, they finally realize the truck I was assigned had no keys. So he went back into the office and got a new truck/contract for me. He walked us back to garage D and we waited at the edge for him to pull it out. I hear him attempt to start the truck 4 times before it actually catches and he can put it into gear!!! I said, "Are you joking me? You expect me to take this car?" I will not bother recounting the entire conversation, but my friend Jacob can vouch that this guy basically said take it or leave it, and that if I had asked for another truck, again, it would have taken even longer! It was a 1994 Ford truck, 15 years old. The alignment was terrible! I asked if anyone had ever been towed before. He said no, so I told him to wait for my call. (side note: there were plenty of very nice, new truck sitting in this garage. why those weren't offered up is still a mystery)

At 4:45 p.m. I pull away from Uhaul. I have to drive to the West Village (aka the maze) then to Brooklyn then to Queens and back to 23rd street... by 8:30 p.m. as told to me by the girl behind the counter.

Getting to the apartment in Greenwich Village was a driving nightmare, partially b/c of the size of the truck! Yikes! We loaded up and headed out (p.s. definitely didn't need a 14' truck). Drove to Brooklyn, dropped off the girls and their stuff, then out to Queens. Sadly, my staircase is too narrow for my bed frame to make it (its still sitting at the bottom of the stairs. i need to buy a screwdriver today). The mattress made it in! Hooray! We decided to just leave the bed frame because we needed to get the truck back before they closed at 9 p.m.

As always, driving in NY takes forever, so we rolled into the Uhaul depot at 8:45. I drove the truck into the garage. Wrong garage. Pull it out and re-park it. Go inside. I did not have time to take it over to the gas station because I was told I needed to have it back by 8:30 and it was now 8:45. I decided I wanted to contest the gas charge because I was 45 minutes late leaving with my truck. The GM reviewed security camera tapes to see what time I came in and left. She told me that I had come in, was talking on my phone and didn't go straight to the counter, so then I had to wait in line, did not apologize for the truck delay and apparently its my fault anyway because I had originally reserved the truck for 3 p.m. anyway. (so shouldn't the truck be ready and waiting for me?) Basically she kept making me feel like I was at fault and I was lying about being in a rush. She then goes further to say that while she was reviewing the tapes I could have taken the truck to the gas station around the corner and filled it up. I said I thought I had to have the truck back by 8:30 p.m. Again, making me feel I chose to not fill up the truck. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS AN OPTION STILL!!! Why would I chose to pay $30 plus $4/gallon if I could take it around the corner for $15?!

The total bill was way more than I expected to pay and in the end I'm kinda wishing I had just gone to Sleepy's and ordered a twin bed to be delivered. It may have cost a little more but wouldn't have stressed me out to this degree! Nothing is easy in NYC, but this was my first experience of truly hating living here.

Luckily, an angel was working at Shake Shack last night. After leaving Uhaul, Jacob and I went to grab dinner. The poor guy asked the standard question, "How are you doing tonight?" And I nearly burst into tears. I said, "I've had the most stressful day. Really, really horrible." He held up one finger for me to wait one second, turned around and in 2 minutes produced a little cup of frozen custard for free! Maybe there are some people in this City who understand how to treat others.

Please Note: the photo is the truck we used and yes that is spray-paint on the side of the truck!

This is my hippie pad! If that is not the picture of a poor artist in New York City, I don't know what is... maybe if there were a couple other poor souls sharing the room with me it would be a complete picture!

Yes, I have a new residency in the "City that never sleeps". I now live in Astoria (located in Queens). I live with a friend I worked with last year and another roommate, whom I still haven't met yet! We're just too busy with opposite schedules. Not uncommon to go days without seeing the people I live with, especially since we're operating on different time tables.

I chose to accept a position at a restaurant in TriBeCa, which is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan (basically couldn't be further from where I live). Luckily the trains run very regularly in the morning, so it takes no time at all to get there. Sure, I have to get up ultra-early, but who doesn't like to see the sunrise?!

After a summer of fun with family/friends in TX, a trip to see Mickey Mouse in FL, road trip to Cali with my brothers, another road trip to Montreal with my old roommate, and a jaunt to Honduras to see the amazing work of God, then return to NYC to attend the US Open, find a job, attend a fancy ball and move into a new apartment... I'm very much looking forward to class starting in a couple days! I'm ready to be on a bit of a schedule again. I could not have pictured a more fulfilling summer and I thank everyone who made time to spend with me. I've been so blessed.

Stay with me to hear more crazy stories from the best City in the world...

Picture Tour

DAY 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~White Sands at dusk~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAY 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Oliver Lee General Store~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Joshua Tree National Park~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAY 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ziggy~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


~~~~~~~~~Brian, Chance & Zoe watching fireworks~~~~~~~~



DAY 4

~~~~~~Atop Runyon Canyon with Los Angeles at our feet~~~~~~~

DAY 5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Pacific Coast Highway~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sadie & Georgia~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAY 6

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sandwiches on the beach~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAY 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Me vs. the surfboard (the surfboard won)~~~~~~~~~

DAY 8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~S'mores by the fire~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAY 9

~~~~~~~~~~~~Matt & Joey overlooking the Grand Canyon~~~~~~~~~~~

DAY 10

~~~~~~~~~~IHOP Breakfast with ZB in Wichita Falls~~~~~~~~~


A short list of memories for the roadies:

~Roadrunners-- "WHERE?!"
~LAne change
~Nose-picker, Clogger, Poopy-pants
~Ghost towns= bust
~Nature camping (coyotes, mice, deer, bats)
~Incessant licking of Georgia
~Ziggy the wonder dog
~"hey" (whisper)- Brian
~"JOEY! LOOK AT THE BALLOONS!"
~Adam's constant battle with the camera
~Creepy baby tree
~Pigeon casualty

Should We?

Dad taught us the value of a dollar. Therefore, due to the lack of available campsites on our route home, we decided to drive through the night instead of paying for a hotel room. Are you proud parents? Worry not. We are home, safe and sound sleeping off the 15 hours of straight driving with one pit stop for breakfast with our Air Force brother, Zac (who bought our meal!)

I believe the last time we checked in we had taken the longest route possible to Las Vegas! Now, due to the fact that half of our traveling party is under the age of 21, we stayed safely in the car and simply drove the Strip. Vegas isn't going anywhere. They can come back in a few years.



After a short jaunt outside Las Vegas to take in the Hoover Dam, we headed out on I-15 for the Grand Canyon. Before leaving Vegas, we stopped at what I assume is a west coast chain Del Taco and bought 32 tacos. We have been dining on mostly PB&J or turkey sandwiches for the majority of this trip b/c it travels well, but the boys have had enough. So I yielded and we stopped to change things up a bit. Of course, my wily brothers plot to make this "amazing" shift in diet last longer than one meal. Luckily, these tacos are ultra cheap so they bought a ridiculous amount to save for later!



Full on 59 cent tacos, we made our way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Our handy GPS, Ginny (Genevieve), took us off-roading. We relied mostly on our atlas, but when she suggested we turn right onto a dirt road (not on the atlas) we had to take it! A smaller car would have struggled on this road, but luckily our Honda Pilot handled the rocky terrain with ease as we laughed at the absurdity of the road. Eventually we met up with a highway and continued on to the North Rim.

Having made no reservation, we just crossed our fingers for a campsite. Jacob Lake Campgrounds does not take reservation and only 40 miles from the North Rim, it was an amazing location. A meteor shower graced our night sky and the boys hacked a dried log with a hammer providing just enough wood to have s'mores. One of the best nights camping!

Next morning: Grand Canyon. My, was it ever GRAND! Truly breathtaking. And just like everyone says, pictures cannot possibly capture the scope of this massive thing. We encountered nature, Mattie slipped on the edge (scary), and we rested in the lodge at the top. I recommend the North Rim. Less crowded and a forest surrounds the entrance, which is just lovely but full of deer, which I nearly hit.





Decision time. North route to the Four Corners (AZ, CO, UT, NM) or south route through Petrified Forest. We decided to drive to the Four Corners, forcing us to take small, two-lane highways where we hit ridiculous traffic brought on my construction. At some point along the way, we had three different time zones showing on different little technologies. My phone had jumped ahead to central time, the car clock was on mountain time and Ginny (GPS) was still on Pacific time. We had no idea who was right. When we finally did make it to the Four Corners, we discovered it cost money!!! We were outraged and mostly annoyed, so after stewing by the front gate we paid in quarters out of spite. Aren't we mature? It was a fun random stop, but Adam couldn't let go of his annoyance.



I hopped into the front seat... so foolish. Little did I know I would be driving for the next 8 1/2 hours. Adam spent the next couple hours trying to find a place we could stop that would be far enough down the road that our last day wouldn't be 12 hours of driving. It just wasn't going to happen, so it was suggested to drive through. We're young and invincible, right? After singing along to 4 musicals, I called it quits in Amarillo. I feel I did my part by driving through all of New Mexico!

This trip could've easily exceeded a month had we allotted the proper amount of time for each stop. But due to finances and the packed schedule of life, we shoved a massive amount into 10 days. Tracking 4000 miles and spending less than $200 a piece... not too bad, I believe the true value of this adventure was revealed each time we met up with friends along the way and the hours upon hours in the car we endured, I mean enjoyed, with each other. I love my brothers!

Oh, Route 66...

Somewhere between San Diego and the I-15/I-40 split, we decided it would be a great idea to take Route 66 because what is a road trip that does not include Route 66? Lame.

7 Hours later we arrive in Las Vegas (2 hours later than planned). Love road trips! We also tried to find a ghost town and made a pit stop to gaze at the stars off Route 66. I absolutely love the night sky and Adam and I were lucky enough to see a star as it fell out of the sky.

Ok, let me back up a bit. San Diego... we arrived at our hotel. Now, we chose a hotel that was far away but cheap, very cheap. A little sketchy, but we survived two nights.

The real purpose for San Diego was to surf. I have one day of surfing under my belt from my trip to Canoa in Ecuador last year. That is it! Naturally we were awful, but we had fun! Our first day was spent at Mission Bay Park and unknowingly plopped ourselves in the middle of the dog beach. It was unique, but fun!





Somehow I forgot to put sunscreen on my legs... my pasty-white legs that have not seen the sun since last summer. Needless to say, I am in pain. However, I continues to surf through the sunburn. Ouch!

Quick rinse in the public restrooms and we hit the road for the longest trip to Vegas! Thank you Route 66!

Traffic, Traffic, Traffic

The weather almost forgives the horrendous traffic... almost.

My dear friend Zoe set us up for our day in Los Angeles. We hiked to the top of Runyon Canyon to get a beautiful view of the Hollywood sign and all of LA. Beautiful...





I think I'm a fan of LA from above. I loved driving along Mulholland Drive overlooking the city but once we were in the streets driving Hollywood Blvd, Rodeo Dr and all the others it somehow lost its allure. The houses were amazing and gorgeous! We had our mouths hanging open in awe of the size and beauty of the mansions!

We had a stereotypical day in Southern California: Lunch at In-N-Out Burger on Sunset Blvd (it took 15 min to park), Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Drive through Beverly Hills (we bought a map to the stars... not worth it), Santa Monica Pier.



We managed to find our way out to San Dimas to bum off another good friend who was kind enough to offer their house for these weary travelers.

After experiencing "puffy pancakes" for the first time in our lives, we packed the car and headed for San Diego by way of the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). Loved the view and all the little shops along the way. Have I mentioned I love the weather here?

ROAD TRIP

The route: Texas--White Sands, NM-- Irvine, CA-- Los Angeles-- San Diego-- Grand Canyon-- back to Texas! Jealous?

Brothers Matt, Adam, and Joey accompany me on this westward adventure! So far we still like each other, we've spent a minimal amount of money and haven't paid for food yet!
Our first destination was White Sands, NM. Quite possibly the most tranquil place on earth. We arrived just before sunset. The temperature was perfect, not too crowded and it was the most silent place I've ever been. No sound except the occasional car driving through the park or kids laughing in the distance. A wonderful place for us to run around and get out some energy after spending 10 hours in the car! Below are some pictures...









Don't worry there are plenty more. That was just a preview!

We camped at Oliver Lee State Park that night. We decided to camp at the edge of the park at a site completely secluded from everyone else because we liked the view. Keep in mind this park never closes its gates. They're open 24 hours so anyone can come in any time. In other words, we could have died and no one would have known! We're those people in a horror film that you yell at for being stupid! So no need to worry about us. We've got natural survival instincts!

Luckily we survived the night and headed for Cali! Ok, no offense to anyone who lives in Arizone but Wow... what a boring state to drive through!! No fun stories there.

We FINALLY made it to the California state line and before we could let out a cheer, we were stopped at the border and they took our blueberries and oranges! Apparently not allowed to bring those over! I was a bit perturbed! Blueberries are expensive! Not a good first impression!

Our one real stop of the day was at Joshua Tree National Park for dinner. It was more or less an excuse to get out of the car for a few minutes and breathe some fresh air!

Over 11 hours after leaving White Sands we arrived at my sweet friend, Zoe's home in Irvine, CA. The last bit of the drive through the moonlit mountains was incredibly beautiful. The climate here in amazing!!! I love California!

Intermission

Impossible to summarize a year in New York City. The changes I've personally experienced, but also beyond my own little existence. New York City is truly the most amazing city in the world. The amount of things happening at any given moment is astonishing. I've escaped to other worlds in the theatre but exploring various neighborhoods in the five boroughs.

As I passed thru Times Square beneath the lights on my way to the subway last night, I felt such a love for the City because I have found a home here. One can feel that comfort in a city of 10 million by those 10 or so people closest to them. The blessing of friendship had been imperative in my survival this year. As I dove into myself as an actor and pulled off layers and painfully broke down walls, I shared it with my sweet, loving NY family. Most likely the most eclectic family I will ever find, but so genuine. Whether its a relationship that takes months to plan a brunch together or someone I saw daily at work/class, the pace of this City forces a realness that is so refreshing! I eagerly welcome a break from the madness, but find a tinge of exciting anticipation waiting for me at the end of the summer when I return to the mayhem!

Don't worry, while my summer will slow down considerably, I'm sure I'll have adventures that are worth writing! Thank you for sharing this year with me!

Dance

Poise. Posture. Power. Point. Process. Pain... I'm out of "p" words. This morning I observed the advanced class at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. History time: Martha Graham was an innovative dancer, specifically during the 1950's but the woman's career spans decades. Basically developed an entirely new technique all her own that shaped American modern dance. For further info, look it up or ask any dancer.

Back to my story, I snuck into a chair at the back of the dance studio, the accompanist was playing drum and piano as the class had begun their floor warm-up. The straight back of each dancer was contagious and made me sit up in my own chair. The focus each dancer maintained drew me into their movements as well. I found myself swaying with their movements. As they contract, my own core tightened; my head tilts back with them; my toes point and flex with the class; it was all I could do to spring from my chair when they did their jumps across the room! Right.

Knowing so little about dance, terminology, combinations, etc. I found it all the more impressive when the instructor quickly spouted out each exercise, doing half motions herself and then the music started and the class was in sync with each other. My eye continued to follow the same few dancers in the room; the stronger dancers who moved with more control, more full expression and grace. I would watch others but always came back to the same few. Its mesmerizing to watch such grace knowing that there is so much effort behind each beautiful movement. Come to find later that one I had continually spied was in the Martha Graham Company! Nice!

A memorable moment came when the dancers were warming up their jumps across the floor. They would do three little jumps then little kick, springy things moving forward (like my dance vocab?). They did two passes then the instructor stopped and turned to us and asked us if we had a comment. I probably had the most dumbfounded look on my face. I thought I was invisible and now I am being directly addressed with a question about their feet as they move across the floor. WHAT?! I just kinda laughed and said I had nothing to say. I didn't know what I would be looking for. I'm pretty sure anything I would have said would have been WRONG. Nothing like a good dose of humility.

Truly an inspiring and incredible experience! I'm wonder what else in NYC I can observe...

Yoga = Peace (especially in NYC)

Upon returning to the anthill known as New York City, after possibly the most stressful weeks of the year, I found a rare peace and stillness and joy this afternoon. I know, that is a lot to find in one place. And the truth of it is those things are fleeting, but to truly know them for a few minutes is precious!

Yes, I am sweating my cheese off practicing Bikram yoga. Yes, its that crazy one where the class is 90 minutes in a room heated to 100+ degrees! I'm sure other practices of yoga are equally beneficial. I love the heat! It reminds me of a Texas summer and I feel at home. The small class moved well together and something about suffering the heat and physical strain on the body brings a collective energy to a group. Its a beautiful thing! Forgive my lack of yoga terms, but I was lying in our final relaxation at the end of a 90 minute class feeling so at peace with where I am at this moment. Possibly part of this reflection is b/c we've been given our last scenes for the first year and I'm coming up on my one year anniversary of living in the City (woohoo!) but I wouldn't trade any of it!

Granted I am experiencing the "honeymoon" stage of coming back to yoga, but I love the presence of mind it demands. Last week made me face the undeniable fact that so much of our lives are out of our hands. One of my favorite people in the City (also Bikram yoga instructor) told me the other night, "How does worrying help those you care about?" There is such truth in that! To throw out another quote, "Who by worrying can add a single hour to their life?... Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." [Mt.6]

Thank you to my incredible family in TX! It healed me in so many ways to be home for a week with all of you! Thank you my NY family! Your love (and hugs) astound me! ....Ha! This part kinda sounds like the end of people's biographies in the Playbill! Haha! I'm a geek!

Lets Go METS!!!

First baseball game in NYC! Woohoo!
My bestest, best friend John Blair visited me on this beautiful spring day, and being the baseball enthusiast that he is, proposed we go see the Mets new stadium. Gorgeous! So well designed with the classic brick to make it just beautiful. There was a big, giant #42 inside the entrance. Neither of us knew why, so we made a bet that whoever could figure it out bought the other a Shake Shack shake (redundant?). [side note: just now realizing i won the bet and haven't collected] Its Jackie Robinson, by the way. According the my baseball encyclopedia (Blair) all the ball clubs retired his number this year.
We decided to walk in the opposite direction from our seats so we could look at the whole stadium. In center field we stumbled upon the Shake Shack and waited in a fast line for our yummy, over-priced little burgers. Delicious! Then made our way up to the nose-bleeds. We did the typical "sit in the empty seats until the real owner of the seats shows up and you bump down one". However, the owners of the seats we parked in were a group of middle school Canadian kids who got up every two seconds to go get more food or walk around or do anything but stay in their seat for 2 minutes! It was amazing how often we had to move for them to get out of the row. AH!
The game ended in extra innings with a walk off walk. Did I say that right? It was exciting! Blair and I had made our way down to the lower level in the 9th inning, so we scrambled to peak over heads to see the final innings. As soon as the game was over we literally ran to the subway! Down the stairs, out the stadium, across the parking lot, up the subway platform and onto the train... where we had to wait until the train was full but we did get to sit down. That was one of the most fun parts. Our mad dash to the train! We beat the thousands of people coming from the stadium though!
Go METS!!!

Don't Walk Over the Sidewalk Grates!!!

SPRING IS HERE!!!

Actually its felt a little summer-ish the past couple days, but you won't hear me complaining. I love sweating! I feel alive! (and in a month i'll hate it again). Anyway, the warm weather has allowed everyone, including myself, to bust out the skirts/dresses/anything other than pantelones! However, one must be cautious! I find it funny when people avoid walking over the subway grates that are on many streets/avenues in NYC. Are you afraid of falling in? Do you think someone might grab your leg? I always walk on them to get around slower walkers on the sidewalk, HOWEVER when one is wearing a skirt its another story! I nearly had several 'Marilyn Monroe moments' walking around the city this weekend! Ooops!

This weekend also marked the opening of the back dining patio at the wonderful Bourbon Street Bar & Grill. Basically this means that due to amazing preparation (i.e. none) we got our butts kicked and made nice money! Its one of those weekends that as I sit and reflect (and count my earnings) I see room for improvement but overall I am pleased. BUT in the midst of a Saturday night rush with no supplies available, demanding tables, slow bar-tending, I hate my life! Ah, the paradox of the restaurant industry! One wonderful aspect of the new back patio is once it is closed and I can step out there alone. The music pulsing inside is muted when the door closes, the potted trees and plants help block out the buildings surrounding me and I can actually see the night sky! I saw the Big Dipper last night. That is honestly the first time the I can say I've seen that constellation since I moved to NYC nearly a year ago. That is huge b/c I absolutely adore the night sky! Although this new seating space causes great stress (and sweat), it is also my brief escape from the City!

St. Patty's

The one day of the year when everyone is IRISH!!! Lucky for me, my name (ERIN) is Gaelic for Ireland, so I'm extra special. All the folks I served just loved that! Yes, I spent the entire day in a restaurant/bar... but I was working. The morning at Bourbon Street, which is a New Orleans themed place but owned by 4 Irishmen, therefore we decked out the place in Irish decor for the special holiday. Shockingly we weren't that busy. MAYBE ITS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT AN IRISH BAR! Hmmm... puzzling.

Anyway, the second half of my day was spent at job #2, O'Flaherty's Irish Pub. Yes, I am experiencing NY exhaustion on a whole new level since taking on this second job, but I can't complain when unemployment is on the rise everywhere else in the country. In Erin's world there is no recession... or sleep. Back to St. Patty's, O'Flats was much busier. By 5 p.m. we were so full I could not walk through the place without contorting my body in a million different ways just to get around people to deliver drinks and food. My cohorts from Bourbon came down after getting off. I even had a drink with a leprechaun (one of the owner of Bourbon is a short little Irishman who probably wouldn't appreciate me calling him a leprechaun, hehe). The night lasted longer than I thought possible and I was never happier to call it a day and fall into bed!

As a Texan, St. Patrick's Day has never been anything more than a reason to pinch someone for not wearing green. But in New York, I experience holidays on a whole new level!

The Best Ever!

Please keep in mind that this was the day after Mardi Gras...
The adventure began on a surprisingly gorgeous, sunny afternoon, where else but Times Square at the TKTS booth. The finale of the Texan and Kiwi. Two souls brought together in the melting pot of the world on Restaurant Row, each forever changed by the other. I, of course, am talking about myself and my closest friend Avi, a traveling, wine-loving, surfing, artistic, law school grad leaving March 1st to continue his journey. Ok, the scene is set, the players introduced, and so begins the best day in NYC...
Our mutual friend attends the King's College, which holds class in the Empire State Building. Upon our request, she drags herself from a mid-afternoon slumber to help us bypass the lines and receive a discount to the top! We had tickets to Billy Elliot at 2 p.m. and we didn't arrive to the top until 1:40 p.m. We gave ourselves 10 minutes to look out in each direction over the endless buildings of NYC. Despite the haze, its incredibly freeing to breathe above it all. The City is massive, but manageable up there. With little time to ponder much more, we raced thru the maze of commercialized merchandise one must walk thru when leaving the observation deck. We hit the street at 1:55 and hopped into a cab, b/c we had no other choice. The driver was informed if he could get us there in time for the curtain, there would be an extra tip in it for him. Yikes! Careful when you say that. I feared for the pedestrians. Avi and I were dropped at 45th and Broadway and ran down the street. Some of you may be thinking, "there is no way you'll make it. What's the point?" Well, a little insight for you ill-informed, all Broadway curtains are held until 8 minutes past the hour. However, despite this cushion we came in at the very end of the opening number. Billy Elliot made me cry. The first act final dance sequence blew me away. We loved it!
Next we ventured over for a drink and apps b/c we decided we'd try for the lottery drawing for West Side Story. Not a lot of people have the stamina or interest for two Broadway musicals in one day, which is why Avi is amazing! Ha! We dottle a bit too long at the restaurant and arrived to the theatre as they were closing the entries. I begged the guy to let us enter and amazingly relented. Three names in I heard my name called. Can I just say, if you ever enter a lottery drawing for tickets, please be enthusiastic when you win. So many people are just too casual about it. You get to see a Broadway show, on the front row for less than $30, is a little jumping and screaming too much to ask? That is precisely what I did. What is funny is as we waited inside to buy our tickets, we heard them call Avi's name too! We were just meant to see West Side Story that night!
With two hours to kill, we ventured to the Lower East Side to a bar we'd heard gives free pizza with each drink purchased, even during Happy Hour! How have I not visited this place before? We had our little personal pizza and drink and headed back to midtown arriving at the theatre with plenty of time to spare!
West Side Story has only just begun previews, opening in March. This particular production has Spanish mixed in and I LOVED it! Maybe its b/c I come from a land full of Spanish, but I thought it added something very interesting to the show. Another great performance that added to the magic of our day!
Eager to get out of midtown, we descended to the Village. At this point Avi pretty much took over with directions cause lower Manhattan confuses me. We stumbled upon a cute little Italian place and talked over a bottle of Cabernet. One of my favorite parts of the night. A good bottle of wine, lovely environment, great company and a conversation ended only by the empty bottle and closing restaurant.
We continued the night strolling the lively streets of Greenwich Village. We were invited in to catch the end of a free stand-up show, which I'm often leery of but we decided to check it out. We laughed but doubtful we saw the next Seinfeld. In the bar above, a live bluegrass band was playing. I haven't heard live music in forever, we were all about it. A little dancing, but mostly just listening.
Feeling a bit fatigued, we agreed to leave but we had one more stop before calling it a night. Av wanted to walk the Brooklyn Bridge at night. Now anyone concerned with my personal safety (parents) stop reading now. We hopped into our second cab of the day, which I never take cabs, but we didn't know the nearest subway and were too tired to look for it. We asked him to drop us at the bridge. He told us not to walk the bridge alone at this time of night. Isn't that great?! The cab driver was looking out for us. Of course, we did not heed his advice but thanked him anyway. As unsafe as this may have been, I'll never regret making such a poor decision. We were the only people on the entire bridge all the way across! We sang and danced our favorite songs at the top of our lungs. Incredible!
Falling asleep on the subway, I rehearsed my Shakespeare sonnet to Avi as he dozed. I am extremely grateful for everything that fell into place for this day to happen. A blessing!

From Up Here...

Weightless. I barely felt the thing move. Slowly we climb. Floating over the Upper East Side just along 60th St. Do you suppose the people that live in the buildings next to the tram notice us flying by? Is it just like living next to a busy street? Do they care we can see into their homes? Did the sales associate mention this special feature when they showed the place? Do they leave their lights on and shades drawn to show-off their apartments? Do they even realize they're on display? Does it bother them that even though they are on the 21st floor, they are still not afforded the privacy one might expect when at such a height? Or is it just a fact of life? This is New York after all.
Its fascinating to note the differences in each apartment dweller's decorative taste. Its essentially the same space but the use is dramatically different. One place I love passing every time... Eloise. I have never seen a living (or non-living) person in the place. But I think, based on the furniture and style of the apartment that we would be friends. Maybe on one of my passes I'll eventually see who lives there. Will keep you posted...

1/20/2009

Today was a momentous day in the history of the United States of America. I hate to sound like a cheeseball, but I can't help it. The day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we inaugurate our first black president. Rather appropriate, I think. Whether you voted for Obama or not, it was a great day for the US.

I happened to be in class this morning, but at the start of class our instructor asked us if we wanted to watch any of it. We all agreed that we would take our usual break, but push it back to noon so we could see the oath. As usual in any good acting studio, we were without a television, so we streamed it on the front office computer. Apparently other classes had decided to take a break for the same purpose, so it was a little crowded. In and around the small 10x12 room, 30 (approx--i'm bad with crown estimation) crammed to catch a peak at the screen. Some were crouched on the floor, others used their neighbors shoulder as a boost to look over heads.

I decided to go around to the front and watch through the glass, so I was facing most of the group. I didn't have a great view of the screen (which was delayed anyway) so I watched everyone else as I listened. It was a beautiful speech and the feeling of hope was tangible. Granted it was a room full of actor's with enduring hope about that next part, next audition, next challenge. A room full of artists propelled by passion watching what many thought improbable a year ago and impossible 60 years ago. Its a contageous ideal... hope. I know it got a little cliche during the campaign, but that is why people are constantly pushing to be better. When you lose hope, you lose ambition, become complacent and life loses its value.
So much of my life is out of my hands, but my hope sustains me no matter what my circumstance. My faith allows me the freedom to hope. Today I think the nation felt it.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

I'm officially tired of winter. Today it snowed and I was not entranced by its beauty, I was thinking, "I hope it stops before I have to go to class." When living in British Columbia, I never grew tired of the snow. It was magical when it floated silently down creating amazing conditions for snowboarding, which is possibly the missing element here. Snow in the city is simply that... snow in the city. Makes things wet (namely me) and slushy because it only stays on the ground while its snowing. Once it stops it goes away again.
I'll stop complaining about the weather. I'm just a little bitter b/c I walked home from work tonight and it was 8 degrees outside and my face was frozen! The high tomorrow is 16... yikes. I think I want to be a bear!