Birthdays Galore!

My mom told me that stats show August to be the most popular month for births. I know 3 people who have birthdays today. One of them is my Dad. He already qualifies for some senior discounts and is just a few years from the official declaration of senior. Doesn't seem possible. My grandparents are seniors. How can my parents be? I mean, I know I'm not getting older so how can they?! Tee-hee.

Since I was working @ Husker HQ and both 'rents work downtown it worked out well to meet up for a birthday lunch @ Noodles & Co. And since it was my dad's birthday...we stopped at The Cookie Company afterwards. (Gotta get my fix while I can!)

After work it was back to Omaha to help a friend celebrate her 21st birthday! She decided that she wanted her first drink to be The Millionaire Martini served @ Upstream. So family and friends gathered there to help her celebrate and she and her mom had The Millionaire Martini. Unfortunately my time was limited (sensing a trend?) since filming was scheduled so I quickly enjoyed my meal (which included mashed potatoes with dill havarti cheese melted on top - try it, you'll like it!) and skedaddled.

Somewhere between stops I had realized I left my script at South the night before. And as luck would have it, tonight they were filming my monologue. Oy.

I retrieved my script and reviewed/crammed as I got ready. Oh geez. I know I can do this - I just don't feel ready to...

My fake husband stood outside the set with script in hand in case I needed help. True, film is a little more forgiving when it comes to dropping a line but time is spent just the same.

Heeere we go! Several different shots were taken and by the end of the night the director asked me how I felt about it. I asked him if he felt like he got what he wanted. He said - Yes. Adding that it looked good. I said, That's all that matters.

On Tuesday we start filming in The Catacombs.

The Filming Continues...

Waking up in Omaha means sleeping in! (But not too late though....)

Breakfast at Panera! (Their new Mocha Chip Bagel is yummy!) Met up with a friend who I first met while acting in my first show in Omaha and later she hooked me up with the dresser gigs - she's pictured in the center. We caught up photographically as we shared pics of our latest adventures. We stayed long enough to see the lunch crowd build which meant it was time to split!

Yippee! I'm on my way to meet yet another friend at Valentinos Grand Italian Buffet. It somehow has become a traditional spot for us to meet - so the tradition continues! She's expecting her first child in January (Elvis's birthday) and much like my new mommy friend she has a glow, too. Unbeknowst to either of them both mom-to-be and new mom plan on donating their long locks to Locks of Love. Very cool.

After she went back to work, I attempted to catch up with all things internet at the FREE Wifi Scooters across the way. (Note to those in Omaha - this place is great for wifi use as it never gets very crowded.)

Met up with my bro @ the Subway near South for supper. After we sat down students from the school arrived and 2 were fighting over a full cup of pop with no lid. One kid decided that if he couldn't have it no one would and forced it to dump all over the floor and splatter our direction. The workers ordered them out immediately and one left behind their backpack. Please oh please let this not be a reflection on how the majority of that generation acts. One can hope.

Filming Time!

The guys and girl had separate dressing rooms but mine lacked a mirror so I would make use of theirs when all were ready. (That's when I took this pic.)

They had a monitor set up outside of the set so the director could watch what was being filmed without being in the way. I was later told by the director that another person on set said, "She does look blind!" Well, that's good!

I discovered another challenge with acting blind is that you can't make eye contact (I wasn't wearing glasses) with your fellow actor. So what you are motivated by can't be taken from them you have to create it on your own and hope you are giving the other actor what they need. Not only that but I couldn't watch these fabulous actors act!

Always the picture taker, I hid my camera in my prop purse so I could pull it out for shots such as this one...

Although we were still a bit behind we did seem to be on track.

Amerigo the Brave Begins

Today's the first day of filming and I'm continuing to play with lines and my accent. Geez, I hope I don't make a fool of myself! I haven't really had a chance to use my accent on anyone so will hope for the best.

The friends I met today - bless their hearts - had to listen to my worries about the pending filming. What if I drop the ball after all the work they've put in and negotiating of schedule to get me back in NE? One friend told me I was thinking too much. Guilty.

That said friend (check out his website) was the first one I met today for lunch. He used to work with me @ AP and now works @ ConAgra. We ate at Nicola's and caught up. As usual time flew and I took him back to work and headed for the Oakview Barnes & Noble to meet another friend for coffee.

My friend is another person I met while being a dresser backstage @ the Orpheum. The last show we worked on together was Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The pic is of her posing with "Joseph" aka Patrick Cassidy. She is also my Pampered Chef hookup as she had a party a while back and I've been using her rep ever since. So many great gadgets to use - but will I in fact ever use them?! Hmmmm...the constant debate before purchase. ;)

Next stop - Sgt. Pfeffer's to meet another friend for her birthday! Behind us in line stood a local playwright and his family. He asked why I wasn't in NY. I assured him I was only back temporarily.

On my way to meet my friend for supper I got a call that the gal that volunteered to do my hair wasn't able to come to South but I could stop by her work. Since I had plans that was a no go, so after supper my friend and I headed to Walgreen's to get whatever hair supplies I was lacking. Here's hoping something works!

Arrived at South and headed to the dressing room to get ready. I hoped they remembered a slip for me as I realized the striped bra I was wearing was probably going to be seen thru the thin material of the dress. Keeping my fingers crossed I discovered....there was no slip. Eeeek! Well...what to do? After troubleshooting with my fake husband for a bit it finally occurred to me that I had a back up in my car as I was staying over with a friend that night. Whew!

Now the hair...I was given a drawing of what the gal had in mind for my 40s do. It seemed simple enough for a non-hair savvy person like myself but ultimately I asked approval for a low slung ponytail. Too much messin' and we had to get filming!

We ran thru the scene a few times before filming and my accent got approved thankfully!

Once filming started it was a bit of trial and error as they figured out how the lights were hitting us and what shots they wanted for the scene. (The couch was basically my homebase for most of the shoot. And you can see the boom mike that was used leaning against the open trunk.) We fell a bit behind and with the alarm preset at South we had to get out of there before we were trapped in there. So no late nights to catch up. Hopefully we will catch up...we have to.

I was thankful that I didn't have to drive all the way back to Lincoln as I headed to my friend's apartment. We stayed up late catching up - didn't have much of a chance to talk when I saw her at "Anything Goes" rehearsals. But she needed to get up for work the next day so we forced ourselves to quit chattering on and get ready for bed! ;)

Like I'm Back in College

People keep asking me if it feels weird to be back. And it does. But I couldn't figure out why. It hasn't been that long. Then it hit me - I haven't been in Lincoln for an extended period of time since I moved to Omaha after college. No wonder it feels weird!

And here I am working at my old college job.

I continued my t-shirt folding project (note the red shirts on the raised display to the left in the pic, that was me!) and attempted to figure out where all the various merch was stashed.

A "Git R Dun" shirt was hanging near me and I asked my boss if Larry the Cable Guy (he has a home in Lincoln) had ever stopped by. He said he had and that he couldn't place him at first so he approached the Cable Guy and started to say - Aren't you....? And before my boss could finish he said - Git R Dun! He makes lots of money for saying that but why oh why must he be from Nebraska and help reinforce any outsiders (i.e. Native New Yorkers) stereotypes about us? Ugh.

While putting away backstock I spied a box that I had written on stored on the top shelf - apparently that batch of merch didn't sell well...

Lunch time was spent at Valentino's Xpress! The prices have changed but the taste hasn't. I was actually giddy about getting my meal there - just like college. And then, since I was re-living patterns of the past I stopped at The Cookie Company for a....yep, cookie. For whatever reason, the Omaha location of The Cookie Company never lived up to Lincoln's. The best part about their cookies is that most of the time they are still warm from the oven. And there is no comparing The CC and Eileen's because for the most part they have different varieties beyond the standards.

Oh yeah...back to work. And they let me off early!

For supper, I headed to the Haymarket to meet my friend at Lazlos. I got a table before she got there and the guy waiting on us was a guy I worked with several years ago at Garden Cafe in Lincoln. This is trippy.

When we got our bill at Lazlos it truly sank in how much more expensive NY is than NE. The price for a meal and dessert in NE would have just barely covered the meal alone at a similar place in NY. Crazy.

We met up with a couple more friends at Doc's Place. One them being a guy who just recently started hanging out with my friend and when she and some other friends were talking about me moving, he asked where I used to work and they figured out that I was the same Nora that he had known a few years before I met my friend. He was my supervisor when I worked at a telemarketing firm before I went back to college at UNL. Small-ish world.

The four of us drank (they have great martinis!), talked and laughed. I don't remember laughing that hard in a LONG time - My stomach hurt. It was great! ;)

Lincoln, Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Lincoln

I'll admit it. Today was not well planned as far as commuting goes. The gas prices are killing me! But gots to get stuff done, so what's a person to do?

Back on the road to Omaha to meet up with former co-workers from AP @ Jason's Deli. The temp I trained has left now and they have a perm. replacement that seems to be working out. I got the low down on the latest @ AP and filled them in on NYC life. It was nice chatting with them - all 3 are sweet gals. Felt a bit guilty that I was free of work for a bit while they sighed and went back.

The guys managed to get access to The Rose's costumes for the film so I stopped by there to carefully try on several vintage dresses that might work (The short takes place in 1946.) Thankfully I finally got my Brooklynese tape to listen to, too! Checking the time, I saw my meter ran out so I plugged it again with reassurance from the gal in charge of costumes that they rarely come by to check meters this time of day. Whew! Came back and found boots to wear that ended up using 3 shoestrings tied together to lace 'em up.

Ahhhh! Time! It was inching closer to 3pm already and I had told my old boss @ Husker HQ I'd start my shift about then. I said my goodbyes and ran out to the car to find the meter had expired again and I now had a ticket. Garrr!!! The director walked out about the time I discovered it and assured me they could find money in the budget to cover it. Okay - I'm good with that! ;)

As soon as I got in the car I put in the Brooklynese tape and began to try and absorb what I could. I was told the tape had a woman and man speaking so that was good. Until I heard the woman - she had an accent but her pitch was high, think Cyndi Lauper only a bit higher. My director wanted me in my lower register so there were times that I'd have to say the line like Cyndi just to feel the accent in my mouth before I could say it lower. The man on the tape read a segment from Much Ado about Nothing (Nuttin). That was truly entertaining! ;)

I was a bit late to Husker HQ - but he did say I could name my hours, right? Immediately I was put to work opening newly delivered boxes and counting/pricing the shirts inside. Then I got to fold them all and put them in cubes. Just like old times. Another worker asked me if much had changed with the place since I worked there - not a lot had. I remember helping hang the flags that still circle the ceiling in the front section of the store. But there seemed to be A LOT more merch crammed into the store. There always seems to be something new to put a Husker logo on. But apparently they keep raising the licensing fees so the mom & pop Husker Memorobilia creators are getting pushed out of the pic. Stinky.

Before the workday was over I got to go on a Juice Stop run - a tradition started when I worked there. My boss used the term "glop-ula" for his drink. Something I had totally forgotten about. Back in college I would get Juice Stop drinks to help clear the glop out of my system when I had a cold. So my boss in turn would call the Juice Stop drinks "glop-ulas". And I guess the term stuck.

Back in the car again and listening to my tape on my way to the Bellevue Little Theatre to see my friend rehearse for "Anything Goes". Am going to miss the actual performance so she suggested I come to a rehearsal. I did "Anything Goes" in High School and was surprised about how much of the lyrics I remembered. But yet, I don't remember all of the periodic table that I had to memorize in high school. Go figure. Au - gold. Ag - silver. (That's right, right?) Not all, but some.

The rehearsal was with the choreographer and I guess nights are split between choreographer and director. And from what I hear the two don't always communicate so movement is changed quite often. How frustrating.

Besides my friend I also got to see and visit with some other actors I had worked with or knew. Some didn't know I had moved.

One person said - Well, you're married, right? (Apparently wondering how my "husband" felt living in NYC.)

I told her I wasn't.

And she said - Well, I guess you just played one well then! (She played Truvy to my Annelle in Steel Mags at BLT)

Indeed.

Unfortunately as rehearsal was running late (apparently it is a trend) I had to sneak out to head back home.

And once I got home, Pizza Hut pizza was waiting for me! Yippee!

Day of Rest, sort of...

Sunday was indeed a day of rest for me. My parents took off early to check out some demonstrations at the State Fair and left a ticket behind if I wanted to join them.

After sleeping in I decided to take advantage of having access to cable and ran across an Inside the Actor's Studio episode with Michael J. Fox. His least favorite noise is when your nose whistles when you wake up in the morning with a cold. His favorite noise is water dripping. His favorite word is utopia and his least favorite word is bitch.

I finally joined the 'rents mid afternoon and fed my annual allowance of funnel cake with cinnamon & sugar (I decided to switch it up from powdered sugar this year!;) )

Headed over to the Devaney Center and got my handwriting analyzed - another annual tradition as of late as they say your handwriting changes somewhat according to what is going on in your life. It is always at least 90% accurate with what it says (according to me) - you sign your name on a piece of paper and they stick it in a computer to read. Then it also prints out a bonus horoscope with sign traits. The guy running the booth had his head down reading the printout and mentioned purple being my color, not even realizing that's the color I was wearing until he finally looked up to hand it to me. What can I say? I likes the purple.

Verizon had a booth at Devaney too with a free activation offer. I decided to make the switch as Alltel doesn't have a branch in NY and Verizon is all over. So if you have Verizon your calls to me are now free! I also have unlimited texting! :) Still trying to figure out my new phone. Preferring to still use my old one as an alarm clock! ;)

Walgreens had a mobile unit set up for health screenings so we all went over there to get tested on cholesterol, bone density and BMI. My parents signed up and my dad asked me if I was doing it, too. I said yes and the guy behind the table asked if I was 18! Look at the pic of me with the funnel cake. That's how I looked - maybe it was the glasses? Wowser - I thought I was bad at guessing ages! But I guess if I can pass for under 18 that's okay, right? Well, as long as I'm not headed for the bar....;)

The screenings all came out well, except I need more calcium intake. What?! You mean all those lattes with skim milk aren't helpin' me out?! Tee-hee. I shouldn't joke, I know. Probably need to get supplements. Or uh, drink more milk!

Besides the tests, Walgreens also had a sample bag that included a piece of Nicorette that didn't have nicotine. It was a sample of the flavor - so one of these days I'll be chewing Nicorette for the flavor. No, really...

Passing by the UNL Dairy Store on the way out I decided to try some of their Scarlett and Cream (Strawberry) ice cream - I'm low in calcium, remember? ;)

Back home I checked out more reality TV on cable with the "Two Coreys" aka Reality TV's Odd Couple and Gene Simmons Family Jewels. They had a recap of the previous season of GSFJ on and showed Gene and his "wife" (they aren't actually married) getting face lifts. Then his kids' reactions when they saw him afterward. Horror and tears - that was their response. They asked him why he wanted to do that to himself. Maybe it will deter his children from doing the same when they get older? Another episode showed Gene playing sand volleyball in a father/daughter competition with his all black outfit including leather jacket. Crack TV - you know you shouldn't watch but you just can't help it! Probably good that I don't have cable.

We had supper @ Amigos!!! And bonus that they had my favorites (Cheesy Burrito and Crisp Meat Burrito) on sale for 99 cents each. Greasy but oh so good - especially when dipped in ranch.

So much for my good cholesterol reading!

Jam Packed

Back to Omaha for rehearsal. Today we rehearse in the set the guys built.

During rehearsal my fake husband was using his Brooklyn accent and another actor was using his German accent and I was busy figuring out how to portray "blind" (did I mention I play a Blind Polish Woman from Brooklyn?) , but becoming very aware that I had no accent. Umm...

Now, originally I was told not to worry about an accent. (He'd written it with my voice in mind.) Then I was told they would have lessons for us when I got there - but so far no mention of lessons. So I raised my hand and asked about the accent and was told they had a tape. A tape which they didn't have at the moment but would get to me. Uhhhh.... I was told to call before I left Omaha for the day and connections would be made so I'd have the rest of the weekend to work on it - filming starts Wednesday.

I scurried off to Hector's for what originally would have been a baby shower but since my friend had her baby early it was now a Dora's Back from NY Luncheon (see explanation for Dora in one of my first blogs back in May). It was great to see all the D's gathered again. They'd been good about calling me and passing the phone around when they had dinners prior so I was virtually there but there's nothing quite like being there in person!

I had brought my Dora doll along and we had fun posing her with a margarita. That Dora.... And after being treated to lunch, the ladies said they read my blog (Hi Ds!) and noted my missing of Eileen's Cookies hoping to help out with this by giving me 2 dozen cookies (1 Snickerdoodle, 1 Variety) and 1 giant frosted chocolate chip cookie. I LOVE the Ds! :) They truly rock! And boy did those cookies taste gooood! (Pics to come...)

I followed New Mommy D over to the hospital to see her baby boy after lunch and even got to hold him. Tiny, tiny but yet very animated! Mommy D glowed as she told stories and observances. Since the kiddo is a preemie she told me about the Kangaroo Care Program which often aids in preemies getting out of the hospital quicker. Basically, Mom & Dad take turns each day to hold the baby skin to skin so the baby can bond and feel the heart near as if it is still in the womb. Unlike when the baby is in the womb though, the Dad can be a participant.

I recently read Goldie Hawn's autobiography and she tells a story about how she feels her touch helped Oliver when he was first born. Back then theories were opposite and concern of having the vulnerable baby gets germs and whatnot made people think no contact was better. At least studies have proved otherwise now.

Time got away too quickly and I was already late for my next meet & greet!

Next stop - Starbucks! Thankfully my friend and former co-star (she's my fake mom as I played her daughter) was still waiting for me. Originally she was going to help me run lines but due to shortened time we just gabbed. ;) (We tried to meet for coffee weekly when I lived in Omaha.)

And then I was off again to attend an early b-day gathering at a friend's mom's house. Her mom was kind enough to extend an invite to me where they served up a BBQ meal and German Chocolate Cake - My friend's favorite cake for her b-day. So being a better friend than she even knew I overcame my huge dislike for coconut and managed to eat a slice without picking at it too much!;) Her mom said a pound and a half of butter was used in that cake! Wow!

My friend's nearly 3 year old was a bit ornery squirting his squirt gun in his mouth and then bending over my skirt while I was sitting and spit on it. (I actually thought he was going to kiss my knee or something before the spit came out - hey, you never know with kids!) He had a few other moments too where each time they'd make him apologize and he would but I wasn't totally convinced on how genuine it was on the 3rd go round. It made me think that perhaps I was sending out provoking vibes without even knowing it - but then again, I got the feeling that there really wasn't a rhyme or reason to his actions. Maybe he was tired? So many variable there. Ahh...kids!;)

During all my running around I called my director a couple times to try and arrange an exchange of the tape but managed to get voicemail both times. Guess I'll wait til Monday...

Off to Omaha

Today I officially become a commuter as I split plans between Omaha and Lincoln. A friend I met while being a dresser during Lion King, runs her own business where she gives facials, waxes and the like. I made an appt. for a facial and then we made plans to have lunch afterwards.

During the Lion King run, one of our convos turned to cupcakes (we spent a lot of time with each other over that month...) and I told her about Cupcake Island. We even shared a cupcake from there with the traveling stagehand - complete with cupcake holder. Upon discovering Crumbs I made sure to bring back mini cupcakes to share with her and she told me that every time she goes to Cupcake Island she thinks of me...I guess there are worse things to be associated with! ;)

We had lunch at Kona Grill and then we split ways, leaving me to memorize lines and sip green tea at Paradise Bakery before my first rehearsal tonight. While I was memorizing, a middle-aged guy came up to me and asked me if it was a good book I was reading. Then he realized I wasn't reading a book and said - "Oh, you're studying - well, good luck!" Odd. It was time for me to find a new location.

Decided to stop at Target to get some tunes while I drove as the radio really wasn't doing it for me. Discovered the Spring Awakening Soundtrack on sale and got the Once Soundtrack, too. And in turn, those 2 soundtracks became my soundtrack for the trip.

Time for rehearsal! But first...here's the backstory...

During "You Can't Take It With You" I was approached by the Asst. Director to be a part of a short film he had written and planned on directing. Besides himself, it would also involve the stage manager and the guy that played my husband. Later I found out that the original script had 2 male leads but upon seeing how well me and my fake husband worked together he decided to rewrite it with a husband and wife as the leads with me in mind for the wife. I really liked the script but filming was initially scheduled in early June - after my move. I broke the news that I was moving but I could delay it by a few weeks. Due to another project they were working on though, they decided filming wouldn't start until August. Hmmm.... I told them to keep me posted and I'd see what I could do about possibly coming back. I had yet to find a job so figured it was better to go into a job with those dates rather than start a job and say, "Oh, by the way..." Thankfully I was let off for the time needed - mostly unpaid, but at least I had it off! :) Bonus came in the fact that an actor that I had wanted to work with in the Omaha community was cast as well.

Back to rehearsal.

Most of the filming would be done @ Omaha South. Some in the catacombs and some in a set the guys had built on stage. Their attention to detail on the set was great! I was truly amazed with all the work that was put into it already and felt bad that I wasn't around to help.

For all the time I'd spent on lines I was grateful to be able to hold it in my hands still as I learned blocking in the catacombs. And in all my enthusiasm to FINALLY be there actually starting the process of making the short film after talking about it for what seemed liked forever, I was a tad giggly, too. ;) It was just good to be back and working with these guys again. And it was just plain good to be acting!

Back to Nebraska

In prep for my trip back to Nebraska I had to pack up my room in addition to the typical travel packing. I'm moving when I get back. But only to a different room in the apartment. A room about half the size I occupy now - but at least I have a room! This sublet will be thru December and then I may be moving again....

Had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to get ready and get to the airport and LaGuardia was already full of people. CNN was on in the waiting area and they were talking about flooding the midwest. Yikes! I made a quick call to the 'rents to see if weather was behaving so I could fly in as scheduled and it seemed to be okay. Thankfully I was flying thru Memphis as O'Hare flights were being delayed or cancelled.

Once aboard I quickly lost the battle to stay awake actually being woke up by the flight attendant to see if I wanted something to drink - that's never happened before! The switch in Memphis consisted of just crossing the passageway so I didn't get a lot of exposure to the Memphis airport but I knew I was in Memphis thanks to the thickly accented flight attendant who had to check my carry on due to the plane to Omaha being small.

Although I did doze on the second flight I had lots of talky people around me so I couldn't help but overhear their convos as they were keeping me up!;) One lady talked about how it had been 8 years since she'd been to Nebraska and all she learned was to not eat the shrimp. A mother (maybe grandmother) and daughter (or granddaughter) sat behind me and the younger one (probably in her upper teens) could have been on Jay Leno as a JayWalker. She talked about how she had to learn the names of all the presidents for school and her mother/grandma told her she should know them already. The girl said she knew maybe 5 and started to list them - Thomas Jefferson...Wait. No, was he a president?

Finally we landed and my dad was there to pick me up. Then we hit the road to Lincoln to join my mom for her lunch break and have my first meal back in Nebraska at Runza! Mmmmm....Runza fries...get some! (don't worry if you don't get that last line....)

While in downtown Lincoln I stopped by the place I used to work in college - Husker Headquarters. I actually helped open the stores 7 years ago! Hadn't worked there for 4 years and upon walking in the door my old boss asked how long I was in town, wondering if I'd want to pick up some hours as he'd just fired a girl and they had lots of inventory to get put out before the first gameday. He added that I could name my hours - I said I'd be in touch.

Then I was off to get a badly needed haircut and a pedi to sooth my NY street pounding feet!;) And more importantly I made a stop at Target! Oh how I've missed the Nebraska Targets with shelves that are full! And I drove there! (Yes, those were a lot of exclamations but I was indeed exclaiming!!! ;))

Met up with the 'rents @ Granite City and we topped off our meal with treats from Dairy Queen (I satisfied my Peanut Buster Parfait craving as there aren't any DQs in NY.) Then we went home and I prepped for the days to come. Giving up on my scribbled on and scratched out plans and changes on my calendar I rewrote my packed schedule in a notebook and hoped I didn't miss anything!

The family cat, Purr-vis (we've had him since I was in 6th grade!) meowed a good night to me and thus ended my first day back in Nebraska.

In Need of Photo I.D.

I was checking my transactions online today and noticed that the DMV had yet to charge me for my expedited service to send my Drivers License out. I immediately got on the phone to check the status and once again after redialing and holding I finally got thru to be told that it had not been sent out yet. And more importantly, the gentleman told me that he didn't know why I was told 3-5 days. That's the time it takes to process it, not process it and send it out - that's 5-7 days. I also found that getting just a state i.d. would take the same amount of time and even if I did get that I'd have to relinquish my driver's license. Then he told me I should call the airlines.

I called Northwest and after explaining my sitch, I was put on hold while the guy found an answer for me. He came back on the line and said that if I had my birth certificate, social security card and my temp license I should be able to board the plane. Uh... I asked him if I could reference him if that info didn't work or what I was supposed to do if questioned. He told me to get there early. Excellent.

By this time my stomach is in knots of worry and when I got home I stare in disbelief at the kitchen counter upon which sits a fedex from the NY DMV! A package that they didn't even know was sent out! (My roommate joked that I'd probably start getting a license every week now...) But misinformation or not, at least I had it!

So now I'm a New York licensed driver - without a car! ;)

S'mac & the Bald Man

Time is dwindling on my friend's visit here but we still have a few stops to make in NYC before she goes!

This morning she went to a service at St. Patrick's Cathedral and I joined her for lunch at S'mac. Where all menu choices involve macaroni! She had the basic mac and I had the buffalo wing inspired mac. Tasty! There's another all mac restaurant in town but S'mac is the original - so don't settle for impostors! ;)

After that we went to Max Brenner - Chocolate by the Bald Man and had dessert. When we were seated we noted that brunch would have been good there, too! As one critic best described the place - "Willy Wonka does exist!" It is certainly chocolate heaven.

Once we had consumed our tasty chocolate treats using such things as a hug mug and Alice drinking cup with metal straw we looked thru the gift shop and I found an odd treat meant to inspire romance and bring a couple closer. A piece of chocolate that is meant to be passed back and forth between the couple's mouths until it melts away. Apparently, it was inspired from a scene in a foreign film. It didn't inspire me to buy it though...

Already it was time for my friend to get packed up and head for the airport. Our other friend stopped by to say her farewells and off my friend went to the airport. To sit for a few more hours than expected due to delays. Eeek!

Baseball on the Island

This day didn't start quite as early as the previous ones had. We aimed to be up in time to get lunch on our way to Coney Island at Peanut Butter & Co. Where as you might of guessed they serve all things peanut butter including a bagel concoction called the Jerry Seinfeld. They even have their own brand of PB that includes white chocolate pb and spicy pb that could very well be sold at a store near you!

My friend decided to get the Elvis sandwich - bananas, pb & honey and I opted for the Fluffernutter - pb and marshmallow fluff. Looking over their dessert options it looked like a good place to go just for that, too! The only downside is that the place is tiny so seating is lacking when it is busy.

Once we made sure our breaths were nice and peanutbuttery we hopped on the subway again and headed to Coney Island to check out the sights and watch a Brooklyn Cyclones game.

The island wasn't as busy as it was the last time I went. But it was cooler, too - causing me to impulse buy a Brooklyn Cyclones Sweatshirt.

Cooler weather aside - The pier seemed to still be hopping with fishers - fishers that weren't watching where they swung their line.

My friend wanted to ride the Cyclone so I held her stuff while she managed to score a front row seat for the ride! Then it was off to Nathan's and boy howdy was there a line! And not a fast moving line either.

Earlier we had found out that there would be free Brooklyn Cyclones duffel bags handed out to fans so I was antsy to get in line as the gate was getting closer to being opened. I also had a hunch that the famous Nathan's dogs would probably be at the concession stand, too. So in an effort to save standing time I thought I'd check out the ballpark eats.

Although they did have Nathan's @ the ballpark my friend opted to stick it out at the stand and those duffel bags? Were actually canvas bags that didn't have the Cyclones logo on it, but rather the logo of the "Official Dumplings of the Cyclones" - Chef One. Yep. Just inside the gate a prize wheel was set up to win rides, cotton candy or drinking cups for Astroland. As the line got bigger, the gal running it announced that we didn't have to spin, we could just tell her what we wanted. So I got a free ride on the Wonder Wheel!

When I met up with my friend again we found out we were in the wrong seats and upon moving my friend discovered 2 tickets to the NY Aquarium taped under her seat!

The stadium atmosphere reminded me of the Saltdogs' stadium. Homegrown. A 4 piece marching band circled the stadium with their sounds, contests with the audience were held between each inning and the view was great overlooking the rides on Coney Island. With an added visual bonus of the neon lights around the standard ballpark lights and the UFO-like flashing lights on the Parachute Tower. Plus a good old fashioned rivalry - but not too intense - the Mets sponsored Cyclones were playing the Staten Island Yankees.

Sadly the Cyclones lost but it was not a lost evening. Heck, we even got our pics taken with the mascots! :) (That's me with Sandy.)

We climbed onto the W train to ride from one end to the other (an hour and a half) and it was already my friend's last night in NYC! (But she still has a day left...;))

Ginormous Desserts & a Singin' Slayer

Today we went in early and my friend weaved her way into the Today Show crowd to watch Maroon 5. Unfortunately the setup really didn't allow for me to keep her company until I needed to go to work so I opted to chill at Starbucks for a bit. ;)

My friend had a full schedule planned while I was at work, then she met me and another friend at Serendipity 3.



We had supper and my friends ordered frozen hot chocolates to accompany their meal. I opted to have a dessert after my meal - The Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Sundae. Inspired by Mary Poppins on Broadway. It was certainly tasty - whipped cream, strawberries, cheesecake, caramel - and yes, I ate every last bit of it! Except for the white chocolate covered spoon- I saved that for coffee at work. ;) And since it has been raining more often than not I actually had my black umbrella to pose with! :)

After we parted ways (there's a group pic that will be posted later) with our local friend we headed to the Bohemian Beer Garden to meet a friend of my visiting friend's. Unfortunately, there was a rather large snag to this plan...

Story time!

A couple days before my friend hit town I got an email from the 'rents with concern over whether my Nebraska license was still valid. Since I would be driving their car when I came back they were worried about that affecting insurance. Grudgingly I decided to get it switched, got time off at work to get my license the morning my friend came and upon paying for my new NY license they took my old license away and gave me a piece of paper.

"This is a temporary license. The real license will be ready in 2-3 weeks."

Er.... Knowing my friend was in town my immediate thought was - Great! Well, if we get drinks I hope I don't get carded. Then...Ahhhhhhh! I have no photo i.d. to fly in a week!

So I called the DMV and when I finally got thru they told me - Yes, we can expedite your license, but you have to call this #. More redialing and holding and finally get thru. I was told they could expedite it and it would take 3-5 business days to get to me - cutting it close for my flight out next week.

They asked for my cc # and I asked them how much the expedite was going to be.

"Between $20-$30".

Ohhhkay. Can I have a tracking #?

"It will get there between 3-5 business days."

Right, but what if it doesn't?

"It will."

So, that brings us back to the Bohemian Beer Garden. The last time we went I remembered they checked cards, but I thought maybe I'd still be okay with my piece of paper. Alas, they had a scanner - it was a no go. So I walked home while my friend met up with her other friend and re-joined her later as our evening plans weren't over yet!

After the beer garden we headed to the IFC Theatre in the village where every month they have midnight screenings of the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Volunteer actors represent each character and "Dawn" warms up the audience as they wait outside in line. The line drew curiosity from passers by - but once they found out what it was for, most turned up their noses. One girl thought it was for the Buffy Movie which caused her to make a face and then when she found out it was for a Buffy TV episode she smirked - "Well have fun." - I looked at the people that were in front of us in line and said - She didn't really mean that. They nodded knowingly. Then we found out that they had been to the showing multiple times and gave us an idea of what to expect.

They asked us if we liked Spike. We said yes. They said we'd be disappointed in the actor that portrays him. Not exactly a lookalike.

While standing in line it was announced that people could grab their prop bags. Much like Rocky Horror Midnight Showings, we got an instruction card and props to use during the show and were encouraged to sing along! (Although I must say no one really dressed up like they do for Rocky Horror.)

We got seated and were informed that the traditional trivia and highlight reel of the Buffy Show would not be shown due to the fact that the guy in charge (He played Giles) had been touring with the Midnight Tour and lacked time to put it together. So instead the audience would get 2 bonus episodes of Buffy after the musical. Woot!

The show started and besides all of the cues that were given to us, the "regulars" had extra things they would shout out too. I wasn't sure what to think of actors acting out the show in front of the screen but it actually worked in an odd sort of way.

All great fun but since it was the end of the day tiredness was starting to creep in. We made it thru the first bonus episode but then us and many others bailed for the second. Time for bed.

We had wanted to get a shot of both of us in our Buffy gear but forgot to ask someone at the theater so we opted for separate pics once we got home.

Tomorrow, er today now we'll go to Coney Island!

Dinner and a show

The goal for today was for my friend to get student rush tickets for "Legally Blonde: The Musical". I had seen and heard about lines starting VERY early in the morning for these tickets so we debated on how early to get there - she was game to get up as early as it took. My very "in the know" roommate when it comes to all things Broadway said that we should be fine if we got there between 7:30 & 8am.

So we arrived at the time suggested and headed for the line that was already just long enough that our hopes for tickets were in doubt. We had a plan B but that would require more line standing for my friend and less site seeing so fingers were crossed tight that things would work out. I kept her company until it was time for work and waited to hear the outcome on my cell. Once again luck was on our side and she just made the cut for tickets! Woot!

Prior to my friend's arrival I had found a restaurant that was offering free bottles of wine for first time customers. I signed up and made reservations and that is where we dined for supper.
The staff was very friendly and attentive and the food was great. We had an appetizer of their house specialty - Swedish meatballs and lingonberries - and it was delish! :) Our hostess was suprised when she checked on our wine at the end of our meal and discovered we'd finished it. Waste not, want not! ;)

As I am always bargain minded, I intend to go back sometime and take advantage of their BOGO entree offer on Tuesdays! :)

Off to the show!

We were in the 2nd row for this one and although they were great because of proximity, they weren't so great because we were just low enough that any floor action towards the back of the stage (i.e. dog entrances) we couldn't see very well. But we knew they were there by the rest of the audience's reaction! ;)

The show is fun but knowing the money that went into the production you can't help but feel like there was a "good enough" attitude with some choices in the show. With a little extra time and tweaking it could have quite possibly been a show that stood the test of time - or been a kitchy time capsule to revisit. But instead it will only be a show that lasts as long as memory of the movie does - as much of the story isn't fleshed out and I wondered how it would have played to me had I not had the movie knowledge going into it.

That being said though - it was fun to sit near a guy that was learning English and getting a total kick out of understanding the jokes on stage. He took a pic of us afterwards in front of the stage and we did the same for him. What an expression of excitement he had! Once again, the show was fun and looking at it from his perspective you just have to enjoy it for what it is! :)

After the show I suggested that we stop at Neptune Diner on the way home as they have fabulous desserts at reasonable prices. We both opted for strawberry treats (cheesecake and shortcake). And as we sat there I reflected on something a co-worker had told me as I looked at the customers sitting next to us. My co-worker is a native New Yorker and lives in Astoria. He often tells me how he hates new people moving in (he's around my age) and how the various ethnic neighborhoods don't like new people because it messes up the ethnic dynamics. Adding that when I spend money at certain establishments in Astoria I'm probably helping to fund mob members. Who knows if he was saying this to try and "scare" me into moving or being dead honest...maybe best not to dwell on it, however as I continued to look around I suddenly felt very out of place. My friend, not knowing my thoughts, asked me if she was talking too loud. I gave a shrug and filled her in on my thoughts after we left. Thanks to my co-worker it seems I won't look at the local shops around there the same way again...

But my thoughts of who wanders the neighborhood soon faded as "Oh My God You Guys" floated into my head as we ended another day.

Houseguest from Nebraska

I get to play tourguide/host again as another friend of mine is visiting from Nebraska. She accompanied me on my first trip (hers, too) to NYC a year ago last May and now she's set to tackle the city on her own while I'm at work! ;)

Her flight came in just in time for us to meet up for lunch at La Paloma. Immediately we saw that our knack for unknowingly dressing in the same color hadn't faded. We were quite matchy matchy! :)

Back to La Paloma - I had found it online - inexpensive but good eats. And it was good! Both of us tried cactus in our burritos. She best described the cactus bits like spicy green beans. The only potential drawback is that seating is VERY limited so if you go with a larger group you may want to plan on takeout.

After the meal, I walked her as far as the TKTS booth where she got in line to hopefully get tickets to see "Curtains". And a few hours later I got a call that she did!

The end of the workday came and we met another friend at Vynl. A restaurant decorated with vinyl records, dolls of various singers and 4 singer themed unisex bathrooms - Elvis, Dolly Parton, Nelly and Cher.

Their special drink was a frozen mojito - sounded good to us so we ordered it without inquiring about the price. They were $10. I always forget how pricey drinks can be (and that was on the cheap side.) But they were good! :)

Their menu (much like their bathrooms) is very eclectic so it is a great place to go for a group of people who may not have the same taste in food. However, a warning...when ordering the Mushroom Burger, it is not a burger with mushrooms but rather a "burger" made of mushrooms. I learned that lesson the hard way. :(

Vynl is opening up 2 more locations in the city so apparently business has been good!

Curtain time crept up quickly for "Curtains" so we scurried off towards the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (the same theatre we both saw our first Broadway show - The Wedding Singer.) We got our programs and discovered an insert that said David Hyde Pierce would have an understudy for the performance. Truly disappointed we tried to put a positive spin on things that at least the rest of the talented cast we'd be able to see. All was not lost, right? Right!

So the show began and all of a sudden a man made his entrance that looked an awful lot like David Hyde Pierce. Sounded like him, too...wait a minute...it IS him! Woo-Hoo! We get to see him afterall! (Later, we were told by my roommate - a former usher - that there are times when programs are recycled and previous inserts are not taken out like they should be.)

Curtains is definitely a throwback to the "old fashioned" musical that is definitely not lacking a budget - as the entire cast had an outfit change for the curtain call and David Hyde Pierce came out on a lifesize plastic horse!

As I watched the show I wondered how hard it would be to put together a touring production...set wise, I guess if Drowsy Chaperone can do it, so can Curtains! It is certainly a fun show to watch and "Show People" was in our heads on the way home.

More Observations in NY

Rain continues to be a problem lately in New York. So much so that it disabled mass transit across the board one day. Most subway lines weren't running because of flooding, buses were running but had to take long detours around downed trees (a tornado touched down briefly in Brooklyn!) and trains weren't running due to flooding.

This of course caused a severe sardine effect on subways that were running and in turn caused a lot of people to be more growly than usual. Except, there was one lady that despite the fact that she was pregnant and no one bothered to offer her a seat, remained very nice and helpful. She first caught my attention when a man was looking for his wife on the crowded subway and she pointed out that his wife got a seat (oops...I thought later as I saw she was pregant, no wonder she noticed. But she wasn't grumpy about it, just trying to be helpful.)

Since I was caught in the middle and not quite within arms reach of a bar to hold onto I kind of bounced around like a pinball at each stop and start of the subway. She offered her arm to keep me steady.

As we got closer to Queens the subway started to empty and she found a seat. Across the way an older woman was asking a man whether the train she was on would get her to a certain stop. It was discovered she had missed the transfer she should have taken. Hearing this, the pregnant lady offered to get her to the right place as she was getting off at the next stop.

Her baby will certainly be filled with good karma.

This, in comparison to the fact that smiling seems to be a novelty around here. You don't dare smile randomly at someone or you may be accosted to give money or take a survey or worse. I didn't realize how much I was in the "non-smile" mode until I was hanging out with friends and spent a night laughing. My face actual reacted as if this was a foreign notion.

The worst is when you witness moments that make you want to laugh but you don't dare because you aren't even sure whether you are supposed to be witnessing it or not - on subways there are times that people still think they are in their own little bubble with phone conversations and what not, even though the proximity makes almost everyone around them witness to it.

One gal paced on a subway one early Saturday morn lamenting to her friend that the man she was dating was still in touch with his ex wife. Saying that she was afraid to say anything because after all, they had a kid together and had been together for over a decade, but still...it bothered her, ya know - even though it shouldn't. As she kept repeating how she wasn't bothered but clearly was, I thought...if you are that worried that mention of your concern is going to potentially end this relationship how worthy of a relationship is it?

The more children I see on subways, the more I think about how weird it would have been to grow up riding the subway - of course I wouldn't have known better, but it certainly would have changed my perspective on things. A child's eye view of some of the people I've encountered...well, one wonders how that affects a child.

One said kid took it upon themselves to wake the riders up one morning, shouting - Wake Up! to the riders nodding off and bumping heads across from him. When no reaction was given he shouted again! I bit the insides of my cheeks as these people continued to bob and smack heads as the child tried desperately to help them out.

Another child surprised me with manners better than most of the adult riders. He covered his mouth when he coughed. Now, mind you, if he handled a subway bar shortly after that all the germs were to go there but lets face it, the subway bars are covered with germs anyway - that's what sanitizer gel is for! ;)

The weather continues to be nearly as unpredictable as Nebraska's. As one day it could be horribly hot and humid and the next feel like fall. And the rain keeps coming.

Will be interested to see what Fall and Winter brings...

A Beautiful Child

Thanks to a friend of mine I was able to take in a Fringe Festival Show for free today. She is a talented theater critic for Off Off Online and Show Business Weekly so she often has opportunities to invite someone along to see a show.

There were many shows for her to pick from at the Fringe Festival. One can only keep fingers crossed that it will live up to its description (much like movie's living up to the hype/movie trailers). Fortunately, the one we saw did!

It was called "A Beautiful Child" and it was based off an essay Truman Capote wrote about an encounter he had with Marilyn Monroe (the "beautiful child").

A simple set surrounded by wonderful acting and staging. The same dance movement is repeated thruout the play, although the movement is the same - it manages to take on a different quality each time from fun to melancholy. A short piece, it seems to go by in a blink and left me wanting more.

I would not be surprised if other theaters (possibly outside of New York) produce this piece in the future. I can only hope they live up to the high bar this production has given it.

Prior to the show my friend and I met up at a gluten-free restaurant nearby that has addictive breadsticks and then quickly buzzed over to Cones to grab a sweet treat before going to the theatre.

Since I got to the area early, it gave me time to nose out the surroundings as I had not been in this part of the city before. A couple other restaurants caught my eye for future visits - Caliente Cab Company and the Blind Tiger Ale House (that serves Bloody - aka Red - Beers!)

Aside from eats I also stepped inside Nova Ice which is probably a rung about Girl Props as far as cost for jewelery but it is still reasonable. Nova Ice has more rhinestone-y items compared to the mostly plastic kitsch of Girl Props, too.

I'm finding more and more that if you can't find it in NYC - it probably doesn't exist. But the key is knowing where to look...

Cold Cuts

So last Monday, after the Work Outing @ Chelsea Piers I scurried home, changed and went to see some readings produced by TenGrand. The readings consist of 3 one-acts (or partial full length plays) and the next set of readings are cast from the actors in the audience who bring their headshots & resumes. This would be my third time going so my headshot and resume was on file.

Rather than drink good ol' H2O to hydrate I had imbibed more ale than water at the Piers and then got a Vanilla Frapp to give me a caffeine kick - which caused me to start suffering an unbearable headache during the first one-act read. During the 2nd one-act I shifted and massaged the base of my neck. I was starting to feel nauseous. I decided to get up after the 2nd one-act and hover in the back. That way, I wouldn't be in direct view of the actors on stage (I knew I wasn't being a very good audience member). During the 3rd one-act my symptoms got worse and I finally had to attempt a stealthy move to the bathroom. Of course no sooner do I get in there then I hear clapping! Doh! So close! I felt trapped now though because I knew the "host" of the readings was going to announce the names of who was to participate next week and I hesitated to make any noise in fear I'd miss my name (if called). So I hung out in the bathroom and lo and behold - my name was called! Go figure. Fortunately, he didn't need acknowledgement then. He just asked that we meet him in the lobby to get our scripts. I looked at myself in the mirror and I looked like hell warmed over. I had taken out my ponytail holder hoping it would relieve my headache and my eyes did not look "well".

I headed out to get my script and the "host" says "Well, at least you look like your headshot" to another person that was cast. At that moment - I probably didn't look like my headshot. Oh well. I still got cast!!! Woo-Hoo!

Now fast forward to yesterday night - my first appearance on a New York stage! (And my name was actually in a program too!) My roommates and friends came out to see me (which was hugely appreciated and also good because they helped the audience size that was considerable less since this was to be the last reading of the summer and there was no chance for casting.)

The one-act I was in, was called "Silent Strength". The plot? A young woman is stuck at a mechanic's shop and running late for "work". She befriends the assistant there and after her "work" is revealed to be a professional wrestler she proceeds to put the sleazy mechanic in his place. A fun show and people seemed to enjoy it!

Now to continue memorize lines to play Rumpelstiltskin in a Children's Show the weekend after next. I walked thru stage directions on Sunday with another Rumple who will be performing this weekend (She's new to NYC too, moved here on June 15th from London! - when she found out I was from Omaha, NE - she said, excitedly "That's where Marlon Brando is from!") Not totally sure I'll have a handle on much else but my lines (there's a song I need to know - will have the lyrics down but not sure about the tune) - but I'm going to "observe" the show this weekend and hopefully manage to pull it off! Eek!