Melting...

New York City hit a record 104 on Friday, but the heat index was higher! Now, as a native Texan, I know anyone down south will read that and laugh in a casual, "yeah... and....?" kinda way. I've survived the 30 consecutive-100-degree-days that are becoming a staple for Texas summers, however may I remind you all that you travel from your centrally air-conditioned home to your SUV that may take 5-10 minutes for the AC to kick in, then you get out of your ice-box car and walk into an equally freezing store/gym/restaurant.

In New York City... there is no escape. My poor window unit is cranking out as much cool air as it can, but its a little guy, he can only do so much. As soon as I step out of my room, it hits! I'll shower and immediately start sweating, so I'll rush into my room to air dry. But as soon as I step out into the hallway of my apartment, the heat and humidity are present. Walking down the street provides a slight breeze, but there is the inevitable dissent into the subway. The guts of NYC, which today closely resembles the atmosphere inside a body, probably! Stagnant air so thick its difficult to take a deep breath. The thin layer of sweat already covering your body begins to pool into drops that roll down your back. If you're lucky a train will arrive shortly that is, God-willing, air-conditioned. However, on this particularly hot day, the train air-condition cannot keep up, so its a muggy mess inside the car. A traveling sauna makes its way from 145th St down to lower Manhattan.

Lucky for me I'm only riding til 57th St this day, where I'm transferring to make my way to Brooklyn. I'm working on a film shoot this afternoon. Now anyone who has ever had the pleasure of shooting a film knows that any time the camera is rolling, any noise making device must be turned off so as not to interfere with the sound. This includes AC & fans. So the sweating continues throughout the day! Joy! By 5 pm I have sweated through all of my clothes, but its pointless to return home to shower because of the above paragraph. What do I do? I bob over to H&M and buy a new outfit for $10. I love H&M!

I enjoyed a friend's show that night but immediately after I bid them goodnight and raced home dying for a shower! It's a sweaty business living in NYC in July! Glad I'm vacating for August!

Liberation!!!

Just because I do this often, doesn't make it any easier!

Since moving to New York 3 years ago, I have moved 4 times, held 3 jobs and made $0 in the profession I'm pursuing (acting). And yet, I take another plunge into the unknown fully confident of landing on my feet, because...well... it is New York City!

My most recent job of serving coffee to the rich and occasionally famous clientele of Tribeca ended this past Sunday. After two years in lower Manhattan, I walked away feeling a great sense of relief. I've met so many great folks who are now good friends of mine, shared many stories across the counter and even managed to make some connections in the business and gain some babysitting clients! I do not look forward to having to start paying for my coffee, but I do look forward to not having to work for tips! Yes, I am determined to never return to the restaurant business! Despite its immediate and lucrative return, it makes me jaded toward people, as a whole. Not good. So I leave it behind!

Coincidentally (I don't actually believe in coincidence), my final weekend at work fell on opening weekend for a show in which I'm performing. It's called Dear Brutus written by JM Barrie (author of Peter Pan). A delightful ensemble piece where I get to work with such fun actors. The past month of rehearsing til late in the night, then having to wake up for work, has been incredibly draining, but the hard work has paid off for our run. Such a joy to perform and play on stage! It's actually the perfect transition. Moving from what I had to do to what I love to do! Soon I'll get paid for it, so I can just love my work all the time! I know, I know-- I'm a dreamer!

(heavy sigh)

Warning: This one is not so cheery, but its honest.

Wednesday could possibly be the worst day in recent memory. I was repeatedly bashed over the head with the reality that no matter what, I cannot do everything I really want to do and subsequently I let people down, I disappoint. I don't mean this to sound in any way arrogant and that I'm so popular I couldn't possibly accept all invitations. NO! I mean the simplest thing, I feel like there are just not enough express trains to get me to everything and I certainly can't afford cabs. I'm not so in love with NYC at this moment.

Wednesday morning, I rose to the humidity trying to slowly begin my glorious day off. However, immediately (and foolishly) I checked my email on my phone and boom 2 hours later my quiet morning is gone. Apparently I had a lot of emailing to do, castings to submit to and things to mail out! Now I'm rushing off to catch a noon yoga class, but because I've only ever been to this studio once (I visit every studio in Manhattan to do their intro special, then never go back- I'm a creative poor person) So I'm running into the class. Having only spared enough time for a banana all morning, my blood sugars is a little low. Needless to say, this was not an easy class.

Upon departing the yoga studio, still sweating from the humidity- and to be perfectly honest, I'm a sweater- I rush off to UCB for my improv class. Now I'm not sure at all how I managed to be a tiny bit late to this class but I was. The magic of navigating an unfamiliar part of Manhattan! Class was fun, but it was one of those "learning" days for me... in other words I didn't feel funny at ALL, which is rough when you're doing improv. Ah, well, shake it off, right? This is where the day really takes a turn for the worse.

Now in my "yes" mentality of life, I have double-booked myself. I'm supposed to have dinner with my dear friends in Brooklyn AND attend an art show with portraits inspired by a theater piece I co-wrote and performed a year ago. I thought maybe if I rush out to Brooklyn for cocktails then I can be back for the show, OH AND I got an email to be a reader for screenplay from a splendid actress from a theater group I've started meeting with! So I'm rushing to the wine shop to grab a bottle to... I dunno... FLY to Brooklyn so I can be back by 7 to Chelsea then midtown by 8. Ambitious, I know. Everything came to a screeching halt when I realized, in my haste to leave UCB after class, I left my sweatshirt with my house keys in the pocket. ________ insert your expletive of choice!

There goes Brooklyn, but maybe I can make the art show. I call my friends in Brooklyn and say maybe I can meet up with them after the reading, if they're still out. This seems to appease them... phew! I then rush back up to UCB only to find my sweatshirt was kindly picked up by one of my fellow classmates. Thoughtful, yes. Helpful, no. Through the wonder of mass emailing, I found out my sweatshirt was safe and sound on the Upper East Side (I live in West Harlem) BUT on the bright side, its with someone.

I rush over to the show and literally walk in, find my gorgeous photographer friend, 'ooooh and ahhhh' at the photographs, kiss her cheek and walk out the door. I had to rush over to East 43rd for the screenplay reading. This part was actually the lone bright spot of the entire day. I just have to pause and give reverence to the part of my day that I loved. We read on top of a 10 story building right by the United Nations overlooking the East River. Despite the dark nature of the screenplay, it was perfect. We had a discussion afterward about the script, which pushed my departure time back to 11 p.m. Still having to go retrieve my sweatshirt from the East 80's, I lamely texted my Brooklyn darlings with my regrets- to which I got no reply, not a good sign.

My dear roommate accompanied me to the sweatshirt safehouse and we decided to venture on a bus for a ride home. Good in theory and maybe at that hour it truly was the fastest way home, but it took us an hour to go from E 86th st to W 140th st. Sheesh!

The only time I felt fully present and not frustratedly out of sorts was on that rooftop, reading a screenplay... is that indicative of something, do you think?

Spring has sprung!

At last! The NY winter refused to go quietly this year, but the past few weeks have been a glorious reward. Now, for someone who grew up in a land of two seasons (TX=4 weeks of winter and endless summer) spring has grown to become truly a rebirth of my love for New York City, and I appreciate it more with each passing year. Its not just because my birthday is in the spring, which formerly served as my reason for liking spring. After trudging through piles of snow (so many times this winter) and wearing layers upon layers of clothing and the sun setting at 3 p.m. and consuming more coffee than one should simply to stay warm, spring is NY's resurrection!

Sidewalk dining, sunny afternoons in the park, smiles on the faces of New Yorkers and everyone suddenly wants to take their dogs on a walk! I swear the amount of dogs I've seen in the last few weeks has increased exponentially! My mood has also increased exponentially, as has the amount of visitors we've housed in our Harlem apartment. I just had to write to say- Spring, I love you!

TriBeCa Film Festival

Now, I've worked in TriBeCa for over a year now. Last year I received one free ticket from Bob's office to a premiere and walked the red carpet in my flip-flops (which I blogged about) and it was a fun introduction to the world of film festivals. THIS year, however, after making thousands more coffees & teas for employees of TriBeCa Film, I enjoyed the festival on a whole other level! That's right, it just takes a little time for those early mornings to pay off! :)

Through various connections that I've established across my marble coffee counter, I received every ticket I requested with a couple bonus ones! I had so many tickets I couldn't even use them all and was able to share the wealth with other poor actors! Wonderful! I even got a birthday bonus invite to an exclusive screening & party!

The 10th Annual TriBeCa Film Festival began two days after my birthday! Let this be a lesson to all those shy, passive folks out there... let people know its your birthday!!! Even if you don't want to say how old you are (which you shouldn't care unless you're an actor/model/any profession where that DOES matter), its the one day that you are allowed- nay, expected- to be the center of attention AND people love to tell you happy birthday! So let them! Now, luckily I was able to work on my birthday, which meant my day was full of love! Plus, I got an amazing invite to a screening and after-party during the festival!

Fast-forward to the screening, the film was ok. It was called "The High Cost of Living" starring Zach Braff and Isabelle Blais. An interesting storyline that might have been more believable with a more sympathetic character. Isabelle Blais was lovely and tender in the film, but Zach Braff seemed distant. Anyway, after the screening we headed to the after-party at the Mondrian Hotel Penthouse in SoHo. An incredible view of Manhattan, with a huge terrace (that was too windy to stand on for too long) and a room full of film folks! Love it! I attended this screening/party with a co-worker from the hotel, which meant we knew no one in the room! Great! At first, the sheer excitement of just being in the room and people watching felt sufficiently entertaining, however what kind of struggling actress would I be if I didn't realize the networking opportunity I found myself in!

Across the room I spotted a familiar face, is that... yes, it is! Shawn Hunter from Boy Meets World!!! Well, just for my own wonderful memories I have to go say hi to this fella! So I muster up the courage and just don't care, walk over and politely ask, "Can I just be a teenage fan for one second?" Rider Strong is his real name! And such a gem. He was so gracious and lovely. He then introduced me to his producer, and girlfriend, Alex and then his co-writer and director and brother, Shiloh. They were all so fun and great conversation that we just hung out with them the rest of the party! I found out they had a short film in the festival, which I screened a couple days later!

All in all, this was far and away the best festival I've personally experienced! The films I viewed are listed below with a quick review. Some of them are already released in select theaters in NY. Oh, and I did walk a couple more red carpets this time around, but with close-toed shoes!

"The Bang Bang Club"
~slightly unfocused as they tried to cover apartheid and the group of photographers, so neither were solid

"Higher Ground"
~directorial debut of Vera Farmiga, beautifully told journey of a woman's evolving faith, very tender and relevant

"Last Night"
~will they/won't they? its an interesting look at infidelity and its many layers-- super fun viewing experience, which probably enhanced my feelings toward the film

"Romantics Anonymous"
~quirky French romantic comedy including chocolate- really delightful and charming

Series of Shorts-- all good with varied subject matter, but of course I'm partial to the film by the Strong brothers called "The Dungeon Master". They're very talented and charming, plus Rider is a walking piece of nostalgia for many folks my age, so I think they might do well! I hope so anyway!

Next year I'll be attending the festival as someone involved in one of the films! Won't that be nice!

HALF MARATHON

The sound of church bells pulls me from my slumber at 5:30 a.m. A calm, gentle chime to transport me from the floating subconscious to the waking world. Sunday mornings usually begin this way, however I am not heading to Tribeca to serve coffee to the brunching stroller brigade. Oh no, this Sunday is all mine! And I'm voluntarily running 13.1 miles in Central Park with about 8,000 other women!

Team Honduras slowly rises to greet the pre-dawn morning. My older sister beside me in the bed and our other teammate, Tiffany, has already popped her head in the room to make sure we haven't accidentally forgotten to get up. Must eat 2 hours before the race, so Rachel gets to work toasting our whole wheat English muffins with almond butter. We decide to wake up the whole house by setting off my overly sensitive fire alarm when toasting the muffins on the stove! Our fourth teammate is Bethany, also team photographer and designated jacket holder for the race! Whom we greatly appreciate!

We manage to catch an express train down to Columbus Circle. Very fortunate considering we lost a few minutes when we got to the subway and realize someone forgot their Metro card (Tiff)! We MUST be at the start one hour prior to start time so we can use the restroom, stretch, use the restroom, check our bag, use the restroom and warm-up! One of the many new experiences this race allows me to experience... Central Park at sunrise. So peaceful!

We make our way to the corral with all the other heifers, waiting for the race to begin. Lots of people have to say a few inspiring words before we start, none of whom I knew or could hear. We did all pause for the singing of the national anthem. And then slowly but surely the thousands of women around me move from a walk to a jog to a run. And we're off!

Let me preface the account of our race with this: Rachel and Tiffany have been training buddies in Honduras since we signed up in January. They're a little hardcore about it and to be perfectly honest, its been a hard winter in New York City, so I have trained as best I could, kind of. All that to say, I was not 100% sure I could even run the whole 13.1 miles, but my sister and I made a deal that if I never walked, she would stay with me the whole time. Thanks Rachie! Tiffany on the other hand left us on mile 2! She also set a personal best, so we're very proud of her! Also, Rachel and I decided we were going to dedicate each mile to someone we loved, which would motivate us a little extra during the race. Oh! And a last minute decision to run with my iphone allows me to document the journey around the park!

Mile 1 is for the parents, who recently celebrated 33 years of marriage!
I am feeling good and quite pleased with my photography skills in mid-stride! The sun is shining! This is going to be a wonderful run. Mile 2 put us on the the UES near the Great Lawn in park. Still able to converse fairly well with my sister and trying not to think about the approaching hills. Stay present. Stay present. Actually the climb by the boathouse wasn't so bad. Mile 3 is for our Air Force brother Zac, who is somewhere overseas flying some mission! We're so proud! Mile 4... dreading! The climb on the top side of the park. A slow, gradual incline that just keeps curving and you can never see the crest. However, due to adrenaline or peer pressure, I maintain a positive, almost happy disposition as we receive encouragement from folks clapping and cheering us on! I think they're angels! Mile 4 is dedicated to my roommate Jacob, so I sent him this picture, which woke him up laughing! This inspired him to get out of bed and come down to Central Park to be my lone supporter! I will love him forever for this!

We continue traveling down the west side of the park thru Mile 5. Did I mention this race was just loops of Central Park? The park is about 6 miles, so we ran a little over 2 loops. As we pass the Delacorte Theatre (where Shakespeare in the Park is during the summer) I do my best to quote a few lines from a sonnet, but my lungs and brain are a bit short on oxygen to I can't get out much. Mile 6 is for my brother Matt, who just recently visited me! Mile 7 is for brother Adam! And Mile 8 for brother Joey! Good thing I have a large family to fill up these miles! You can see the truth start to show in my eyes for these pictures! Mile 9 is for our dear Bethany! And Mile 10 for the Grandparents back in Dallas! Mile 10 is the second adventure with the slow and steady incline at the top of the park! This time I pull the headphones out of my iPhone and allow my sister to be inspired by the tunes! What came on? "Hullaballoo! Caneck! Caneck!" The Aggie War Hymn, which anyone reading this who has never heard of Texas A&M will be ultra-confused, but anyone who knows it and especially is an Aggie will appreciate how brilliant the timing is for this song to play! Definitely got up the hill with that!

The following miles are rollers on the west side and certainly worthy of a great deal of effort. Its amazing how the simplest phrase can really help inspire you through a difficult moment. A woman on the side, maybe even a volunteer, cheers us on with, "Come on ladies! You can do it! Kick this hills ass!" (sorry mom) But it really did help! I thought, "Yeah! Its not gonna beat me! I can keep my legs going!" Which, by the way, each leg weighs 50lbs at this point! Mile 11 is for Krissy, my other roommate. For Mile 12, Rachel and I were a little lost as to who we wanted to dedicate it to. We were out of brothers and parents and grandparents. We decided to devote Mile 12 to my brothers girlfriend, Ashley, whom we love like a sister anyway! And Mile 13, the finale, the home stretch, the coup de gras is dedicated to each other! Awwwww! Aren't we sweet?! Even the last mile is crazy hard! But there are SO many people around for the last couple miles that there is no way I'm stopping to walk here! We make the turn toward the fountain and the race path gets incredibly narrow. Our teammate, Tiffany, had already finished, so she burst through the crowd to scream, "Go Team Honduras" as we made our final push! Maybe the most people dodging of the entire race is there in that last tenth of a mile! How could someone possibly walk now?! I actually speed up! Rachie & I cross the finish line together!

We immediately hit a wall of runners filing through a tiny passage way to receive our medals, apples, bagels, and shiny space capes (not sure what they're really called but this is what I call them). I think a little more planning needs to go into the finish area. Way too narrow! But we did it! I picked up two apples, two bagels and couldn't wait to get my cape!

We snap photos together! Share race stories! Congratulate one another! And bask in the endorphin-induced euphoric state of completing on of the most challenging physical efforts of my life! I am truly surprised I ran the entire race and profoundly awed by what can be accomplished when doubt is shunned and possibility embraced, fully!

The post-race festival ends up being a little lame-o, with not nearly the food we had hoped. We do get a free stretch and on our way out of the park, stop by the bagel/apple station to load up! Delicious & free!

This final image is what I found in my house this morning, three days after the race. Team Honduras has parted ways, with two teammates returning to Honduras and one to Tennessee. Shoes abandoned having surpassed their duties, running more miles than they should through the trails leading to and from Guatemala and the streets of Manhattan. How many conversations do they hold? How many thoughts have they carried? Could there be a better place of rest than laying side by side in the spring sunshine? I sooooo appreciate my sister and Tiffany dumping their old, smelly shoes in my house! Haha! Kidding! I kinda like the memento!

The Final Countdown

This afternoon Team Honduras was united for the Women's Half-Marathon Sunday. We're Team Honduras because 2/3 of the team are living in Honduras and our race day shirts are Honduras soccer jerseys! It may be confusing as none us look anything like Hondurans, but it matters not!

Presently, the latest arrivals have decided to scope out the race course. I ran an easy 4 miles this morning. I'm absolutely the slowest one on the team, but hey... I'M ON THE TEAM! I will run as far as my legs can carry me and then I will zen out on the run and my legs will keep going and when I rejoin my body it'll be over and I'll be getting free stuff at the finish line! Can't wait!