2012!

This has to be one of the best New Year'ses (is that the plural of New Year's?) ever. Granted, a lot of my New Year'ses have really sucked so, much like my birthdays, this didn't even have to be THAT great to win. But it was.

I'm working on another show so I've been in rehearsal from 10-4 all week and then running to my day job immediately after to work until 8:30. It's been a LONG week. In addition to the long hours, the actors and other people in the rehearsals all speak Spanish to each other and I do not understand much more than "donde es...chalk?" and "hola". Also at the day job we went from super busy and stressed to painfully slow and ohmygod I still have 3 more hours alone in this office?! Anyway, that's the mindset I was in at the end of this week.

My friend Angela was in town with her students on a trip. Friday, she texted and said they had an extra ticket to War Horse (the play, NOT the film) and did I want it. Uh...do penguins wish they could fly? Yes. So stoked.

IT WAS STUNNING.

Visually, it is probably the most beautiful show I've ever seen. The story is great and it's presented really well, but OH MY GOD it was gorgeous. Really fantastic lighting. The projections were done well. Transitions were good. Loved. It.

After we went to a pub with two of the students (I know, I know...I took high school kids to a pub) for dinner and beer (for us) and they eagerly asked me questions about stage managing and theatre and college and professional theatre. I'd kind of forgotten what it was like to have a dream like that. I didn't know any stage managers or even what they were before I went to college.

Then last night, New Year's Eve, after a particularly frustrating rehearsal, I went to the Lower East Side to watch my friend Bambi (a nickname, of course) in class. She's at the Paul Taylor intensive and I haven't seen her since July 2010 and REALLY missed her. It was really fun to watch dancers just...dance. Not rehearsing a show, not auditioning. Just dancing.

Afterwards, she, her sister, and I went to La Follia to see ML and eat dinner and have wine. Then we felt like going to a pub to drink. I took them to Barrow St. Ale House, where I always end up. We decided to skip all other NYE options I had and just rang in the New Year together. Afterwards, a group of awkward guys started buying us drinks and of course, that's always nice. I got to talk to Rusty on the phone, got some random mass texts, and stumbled home at 3:30 remembering why I don't like tequila. Today we slept in super late, had brunch at Cafe Orlin at 3:30, I showed them Times Square and Rock Center, and we had sushi at Mikado. Great. Weekend.


I've got some goals for the year: join a gym, learn Spanish, etc. So we'll see. Also...blog more.

30 Days of Thankful 2011 edition

Last month (via my Facebook statuses) I did the 30 days of thankful thing where each day you say one thing you're thankful for.

Rachel's 30 Days of Thankful:

Nov 1: Thankful for having a job to be stressed about.
Nov 2: Thankful for leftover Halloween candy - the breakfast, lunch, and dinner of champions.
Nov 3: Thankful for Amy Davis for her inspiring yet "ha! glad it's not me!" advice.
Nov 4: Thankful for a very cozy bed.
Nov 5: Thankful for an extra hour of sleep tonight!
Nov 6: Thankful for the number of performances allowed under NYC Showcase code.
Nov 7: Thankful for her bed.
Nov 8: Thankful for laughter and long running inside jokes with good friends.
Nov 9: Thankful for the amazing weather today. Also for Baskin Robbins.
Nov 10: Thankful for Emergen-C.
Nov 11: Thankful for veterans. And future veterans.
Nov 12: Thankful that Kristen Evensen introduced her to Food Should Taste Good multi-grain chips.
Nov 13: Thankful for AraBella, scotch, and new skirts.
Nov 14: Thankful for having time alone to wander the city.
Nov 15: Thankful for Jack Daniels and that is all.
Nov 16: Thankful for April Leonhard and post show shots. Also her hard working cast and crew.
Nov 17: Thankful for 3 am cabs and Jack Daniels (again) on the rocks or straight up.
Nov 18: Thankful for Swedish Fish.
Nov 19: Thankful for Sarah Corey and this cupcake. Both are divine.
Nov 20: Thankful her show had a great closing performance.
Nov 21: Thankful for clever friends in so many different cities and Facebook for keeping them laughing at the same things.
Nov 22: Thankful for knitting.
Nov 23: Thankful she didn't have to set an alarm this morning.
Nov 24: Thankful for Nolan, Brit, Raisa, and Daniel for the food prep, amazing all day feast, and wine.
Nov 25: Thankful for 11 hours of hanging out with Kira and reflecting on other 20-ish year friendships.
Nov 26: Thankful to be sitting on this balcony drinking Lager with Paul Bratcher and Kevin Gift...wait. KG is drinking Miller Lite. Less thankful for that.
Nov 27: Thankful for her ability to instantly sleep on buses.
Nov 28: Thankful for Trader Joes.
Nov 29: Thankful to have found the cake baked in a pumpkin link.
Nov 30: Thankful for the highs and lows of the month, Racheliffic shenanigans, Maoz dates with Andy, and the Muppets.

Catch-All

I've been in the new place for one week as of tomorrow. It's pretty great. Still in Astoria. I like the location a lot. There's a bar on the corner, which is a lovely thing. Roommates are good. I live with guys again, which has always been better for me. I've got ALMOST everything out of boxes right now. I had a packing hiatus due to rehearsal and general exhaustion. I have a few more things to go through. The box labeled "decor" is one I haven't bothered to fight with yet.

I think I have too much stuff. Since everything I own (except one dresser, one box of requisite high school junk, and one bag of high school drama t-shirts) is here, it isn't technically a lot. However, I have a lot of things I don't really NEED. Today I declared: "There's a fine, fine line between sentiment and crap." Story of my life. Also, I could use a bigger bookshelf. I tend to keep things on the assumption that if it doesn't work in this place, it could work in the next one. I also tend to leave things behind at places if I am super frustrated with packing. For example, I left a trash can, drying rack, 2 coolers, some plastic flower pots, and a full length mirror in PA. So far, I miss the trash can. And the mirror. And the drying rack. Damn.

Rehearsals have been going pretty well. I'm trying to get back into the mode of Real Stage Manager vs. Theme Park Stage Manager with little to no transition time. I'm doing all right. Not my best, but I'm not unhappy with my performance yet. I meet two more of the actors tomorrow. That'll be neat. Hopefully.

Home?

I'm back in New York now. Today my producer called me and asked if I was "home" yet. That gave me pause. Because technically, this is home. This is where my stuff is kept. Where my mail gets sent. Where my driver's license was issued. Where my bank is located. Where a big chunk of my friends live. That's home right?

My Great American Road Trip 2011 was a lot of fun, but sometimes, nostalgia is a bitch. Highlights:
-I went and visited Jason in Indiana again. He's a good half way point between the East and the Midwest. It was all familiar and fun. TV. Beer. Some good natured Apple vs. the rest of the world banter.
-Next stop was La Crosse. It was pretty good. The friends part was great. Recov and Spotted Cow. Great. The professors-judging-my-life part...not as fun. To be expected I guess.
-Des Moines was almost great. Almost ran into the last person I wanted to see at the farmer's market. Thank god for Jenny and Tyler. As usual. And maaaaaybe I should have told my mother.
-Chicago was fun. Meg and I are pathetic though and don't bother going out when we visit each other though. The Thai food by N Sheridan was great, incidentally.

Regardless of my deep thoughts, I'm glad to be back. I've seen a few friends. Got some pho. Anxious to move into my new place. And I get to monitor some auditions this afternoon.

I still heart New York.

A Bit of Earth

I've got some plants outside on the patio. Four regular tomato plants, two strawberry plants, basil, oregano, cilantro, and a few small cherry tomato plants from seed that are still questionable in their success. We've also got a small pot of marigolds.

This is actually the second basil plant we've been through. I used one up and it was starting to flower so I got a new one. We had another tomato plant that had to be sacrificed because I planted them too close. We also had a dill plant at one point.


I say "we" as if anyone else has been in on this gardening project. Technically, Danny helped me a little with the tomato salvaging and I let Janelle plant the marigold seeds. Really though, this is mine. If I still have stuff growing when I leave, I'll gift it to Danny and Janelle. Danny's got a pretty badass garden at Janelle's parents' house. I sometimes wish I had actual land in which to plant a garden. The square foot method intrigues me.

Alas...I still claim residence in NYC where there isn't land and gardens are part of a concrete jungle.

Tiny Tomatoes!

I get ridiculously excited about silly things. Kiddie pools in bright colors. Plants sprouting up from seeds. Tiny tomatoes appearing on a tomato plant of questionable success. I acknowledge that normal people don't get as excited as I do about such things, but...there are such summery things happening around here.

The roommate and I bought a kiddie pool and a hose and some lawn chairs. I planted some marigold and cherry tomato seeds and they look like real live plants now. I got some normal tomato plants and planted them and now there are TINY TOMATOES! Why wouldn't I be excited?

Also haircuts. My friend Tony is wonderful and cuts my hair a couple times a year for the low, low price of one sushi lunch. It's the best deal ever. I trust him and he makes me look pretty. 10 inches and some judgmental comments about how much I don't take care of my ridiculous Asian hair later and I feel fantastic! And did I mention pretty?


Tonight I'm playing some mild avoidance and am conveniently going to dinner to round out a group and preserve some sanity. How's that for vague? My roommate is having a lot of people over to watch the Tony's and after the torture that was last year, I am not going to be here nor at any other Tony's party. Instead, I am going to a birthday dinner where good food and whiskey will keep me happy.

June!

Recently, a friend reminded me that I have this blog. So...this post is for you, Tim.

Life is pretty good. My main show is finally open so I can sleep and eat and shower on a schedule like a normal person. My other show is going to open...really soon. I hope. Did you know sea lions aren't the most compliant animals?

Roommates are still good. Tonight we made homemade ravioli, marinara sauce, garlic bread, and banana bread. I'm drinking a bottle of my very favorite beer. Jazz night starts up tomorrow. Epic television plans with a friend Friday. Bridal shower Saturday. Sushi Sunday. Xmen First Class comes out this weekend. So much good.

Really...that's all I got right now.

My dinner was delicious.

Growing Up?

I am strangely optimistic.

Perhaps that should be phrased: I am optimistic, which is strange.

Things are good roommate-wise for the first time in a while. Two of the three and I have a good system going right now. Blonde Girl #1's fiance declared us "perfect for each other" today. We've already hosted our first dinner party (see below). Last Roommate arrives tonight...we hope she adapts well because we don't really want to change the direction we're headed.


I've got a fair amount of work to do this week, but unfortunately a lot of it is based on waiting for things/people to arrive. In the meantime...there are cookies to bake. What can I say? Hershey domesticates me.

Stubborn or Something Else

My 10 year high school reunion is going to be next summer. There is a Facebook group about it right now. That's right...14 months in advance. Rather surprised to start getting notifications about it...thanks Facebook for letting people add me to a group without my knowledge. That's a greeeeeaaaat choice.

I am not going.

I was not friends with most of those people 9 years ago. I hardly talk to any of them now. I wasn't part of 80% of the things they're reminiscing about. To make matters worse, their plan is to have a huge family-friendly barbecue so all the kids can meet each other. That sounds perfect for a girl struggling with all her friends getting married, having children, and leaving her in the dust, right? Ugh.

I'm being stupid about this.

But, if I won't go home for Christmas, why would I go for a reunion?

Self-Reflection and the Past

I told my friend Meg yesterday that I feel like I'm in a time warp. I started talking to an old friend again after an almost 2 year silence (we just drifted apart) and there's still familiarity there. It kind of wigs me out. And there are some other people from the past popping up too. If I ever needed a reminder that everything is cyclical...there it is. I don't think things are linear with solid stops and starts. I think everything comes back to the beginning and this is both comforting and awful. I'm rambling. It IS rather early, after all...

I'm the kind of girl that always had boys as friends. Not in an "I'm a Giant Slut" kind of way, but in an "I like Ninja Turtles and not wearing dresses" kind of way. That hasn't ended now that I'm older. I've had this feeling like a void for a while and I realized: I don't hang out with as many dudes as I'd like. Part of it is age-there are fewer dudes to hang with because a lot of the people I know are married. Part of it is occupational hazard-I'm in theatre...lots of the "dudes" are gay. (Not that that's bad. I love my gays.) It's kind of like when I went to college and there was a huge lack of other Asian people in my life. I grew up with other Asians and boys as friends and it shaped my self and now I need that to be content.

Long story short: I need some straight dudes to drink with, preferably single so as to not get into any girlfriend jealousy awkwardness.

Long story shorter: I need my drinking buddies from the last 2 summers to convene again.

And (full circle) I have to stop clinging to the past and longing for it because life always moves forward...not back to my comfort zone.