The Adventures of Laura Rose

Raleigh, NC!

2014-03-17T21:59:00.002-04:00

I have moved! Click here to check out my new website: Laura R Shank

WOW
Well, clearly I have been busy.

In the past six months I have... left NYC, lived at home for a month, moved to Raleigh, been to Seattle, Austin, Toronto, Charlotte, and Boston. It has been quite the adventure.

Raleigh is amazing, I didn't know how stifled I felt in NYC until I left. I love it here so much and I can see myself staying here for awhile.

To follow me on this new adventure check out my website here!

Summer in the City

2013-06-28T18:59:00.002-04:00

It's been a few months since my last post, but the longer I wait the bigger this monster task becomes. I started the draft of this post on June 2nd and now it's almost July... wah wah wah.

April

I had an adventure day where I took myself to the Museum of Natural History for a few hours, which is all that is bearable when you're surrounded by tourists. Afterwards, had some drinks with Jordy and her friend Aaron. I worked at my internship and spent the weekends clowning. I went on a few dates with a few different guys but none of them stuck. On April 26, Jordan threw Dylan an amazing surprise birthday party. During the day she surprised him by having a singing telegram come serenade him at work and then when we were at their apartment getting ready to go to his birthday dinner his two best friends from home showed up! And twenty minutes later his parents showed up as well! It was so great, we all went to dinner and it was delicious, then we took Dylan to a bar down the street where- surprise! - Jordan had rented the entire upper floor and 30 of his friends were waiting for us. It was a super fun night and so great to be part of the festivities... also I met a cute guy on my way home, so overall very awesome times were had.

At the surprise party

May

May started off with a bang with karaoke idol! Ashley sang at New World Stages at a karaoke competition and she rocked it! Me, James, Jess (our amazing new roommate) and the guy I was seeing had a great time having drinks and watching her do her thang. Speaking of Jess, we officially have a NEW ROOMMATE WHO IS NOT AN OLD ALCOHOLIC MAN! She's our age and works editing menus and books and she is totally awesome. She cook a lot of fancy food and likes to sit on the couch and shoot the shit with us. It's so terrific to have another girl in the apartment and has turned it into such a fun place. I'm so lucky to finally live with people who don't suck.

Then, I hopped on a bus to Washington DC to visit my amazing best friends Amber and Taylor. They are such a great couple and I love spending time with them, especially since we've known each other for a decade now. Amber and I spent the days watching TV, organizing her apartment, and drinking wine, which is our idea of fun. We'd hang out in the apartment, go for walks, maybe go shopping, and cooked dinner at their place. It was so great to have a relaxing weekend (I've been to DC twice already) because there was nothing pressing to do. We walked to the reflecting pool once and then went to a free screening of "The Internship" which was hilarious. I did NOT want to leave but what can you do. Amber and Taylor are trying to convince me to move to DC, which I wouldn't be against... it's such a beautiful city!

Later in the month I went to book club and then went out for Jordan's birthday. Ashley and James and I went to see Star Trek on opening day (which was awesome, just like Iron Man 3 was) and the next day our sorority sister Liz came to visit. I worked all weekend and Liz and I tore up the town on Monday. Liz is a fire cracker and our apartment was in shambles after she left, we were so busy going out and seeing the city that we made a huge mess. After she left I needed a day to recover! And then I had to clean because AMY WAS COMING!

I learned how to make a balloon monkey at work. Yes, it is as hard as it looks.

Amy got in on Friday of Memorial Day weekend and our reunion was completely amazing. We have such a great friendship and just spent the night catching up. I worked during the weekend and on Monday we had an adventure day where we dressed up in red, white, and blue, took some shots of whiskey (because, America) got off at Times Square and wandered through midtown on our way to the frying pan, getting drinks along the way. I saw Nev from Catfish riding his bike and when I screamed at him he wasn't amused. We ended up at the frying pan which is this amazing boat and pier with a bar and restaurant on it. We ordered a bucket (yes, bucket) of Corona's and proceeded to drink (because, America). I met up with Jordan and Dylan and said good-bye to Amy, which was sad. We walked to Subway where I got a free drink for dancing in the sandwich line and then I fell asleep watching TV at Jordy's apartment. Pretty good holiday weekend.

Memorial Day

Corona bucket!

That week Jordy took me to an elite Yelp event. For those of you who don't know what Yelp is, it's a website where you can rate and review businesses. So if you go to a store or restaurant in NYC you can get on Yelp and rate it, or look to see the reviews and if the place is any good. Anyway, if you rate over 60 places and also get invited or make a petition you get invited to be an elite Yelper. Elite Yelpers are part of a special group that get invited to all these cool events essentially with the hope that they'll give the places good reviews on Yelp. Jordy's been to some cool stuff with them and gotten tickets to shows even. She brought me to an event sponsored by Capital One 360 which had food, an open bar, gifts, and prizes. We had some drinks, ate some sushi, took a bunch of free stuff and had a great time. NYC has so much random stuff to do sometimes.

I also spent some time with my clown friends. Since I started working for the entertainment company my social circle has expanded immensely. I have hit it off with so many people, but I guess you have to be a certain person to be a clown. We went to the bar and had $4 margaritas. While we were leaving the owner said hello, and we kept walking. Two streets and an avenue over and I saw the same owner at another bar. He had made it before us by riding his motorcycle and since I shouted at him he invited us in and gave all 6 of us a free round of shots of Patron. Well, when he was picking up the glasses one dropped and shattered and somehow cut my toe. I was bleeding all over but I couldn't feel it so I wiped it off, stuck a band-aid on it, and put my heel back on. We went to a gay club and watched a drag show and then danced. The next morning I definitely felt my poor toe, whoops! So I just laid around and then went to see the Hangover because I had a free movie pass, and had a great casual night with Ashley and James.

This is before I cut my foot

June

Almost caught up, whoo hoo!

The first thing I did in June was go with one of my favorite clowns to Coney Island. Frank and I took some whiskey and our bathing suits and rode the train all the way to the beach. The first thing we did was get hot dogs and chili cheese fries from Nathan's and pour our booze into big soda cups to walk with on the beach. We laid on the sand and finally got the courage to run into the ocean. We literally ran and dove in and turned around and ran back out because it was so cold! Ew, the ocean is super disgusting and salty and leaves you feeling sticky and gross when you get out. We rinsed off and then went to sit outside at the bar and work on a bucket of Corona's (yes, another bucket). After we had some more drinks we each paid $9 (!!!!) to ride the wooden rollercoaster. It was super fun, but definitely not worth $9. Really glad I'm not a tourist here. We proceeded to walk the boardwalk where we convinced a man to give us our beer in two to-go coffee cups (because, America) and when it was twilight we decided to head back home. On the long ride back to Queens we made friends with the kids across from us and spent the entire ride making faces with them and then transitioned to fart noises. You know you just don't care what people think when you're 24 years old trying to compete with your friend and the 6 year old across from you to see who can make the loudest, wettest, fart noise on a train full of people.
When we got back to my place we ordered a ridiculous amount of chinese food and watched Doctor Who and fell asleep. Just a typical Tuesday.

Clown game at Coney Island

Later that week I got Jess and I tickets to go see "Fucking Up Everything" which was an off Broadway playing at Times Scare. Our manager offered all the employees free tickets which was awesome. The show was good, not great, but the lead was amazing. He played Danny in the Broadway revival of Grease and definitely stole the show. Afterward my manager and assistant manager saw us and we all walked through the haunted house, poor Jess, she was the only one who was scared. It's hard to be scared at your place of employment!

The next week Ashley sang at a cabaret competition at 54 Below. She is amazing and was clearly the best singer, but some of the other people had better developed stories and more friends. The voting was based on how many tickets you had in your bucket and to get tickets you had to buy food and drinks, so essentially the more people you had there the more chance you had of winning. Well, we did our best but the kitchen was shut down and six people can only buy so many drinks! After the singing was over everyone was heading home but it was Monday night and I decided to go out. I took a cab downtown to Avenue and met up with my old friend Jose. I had another drink and danced and talked to some of the security guards I recognized. I got in an argument with a girl who cut the line for the bathrooms and made friends with a pretty blonde girl and finally took a cab home.

The next day my friend Sig was in town for work so I went to meet him in midtown. His coworker was with him and we went out to eat where we had some delicious alligator sausage and amazing corn muffins and terrible burgers. We wandered through the city because his friend hadn't ever been and ended up down in the Village at a bar that had $3 bombs. It was amazing to buy a round for everyone that ended up in our group for only $15! We spend the night in the village shooting the shit and drinking and just hanging out.

Night out with Sig

The rest of the month was spent clowning and working in the haunt. I went to the gym and worked out. We saw "This is the End" which was hilarious, as I knew it would be. Salvation Army came and picked up a ton of stuff we had sitting in the apartment which was amazing, did you know they come and take it from your place for you? Wondrous.

Elijah Wood came through the haunt and we got to meet him after

Jordy threw an Etsy craft party where we made crafts, painted our nails, chalked our hair different colors, and at a lot of cheese and drank a lot of wine. I went to the dentist and it sucked, of course, so I got my hair cut. The place I go to, literally only one lady speaks english and she is in charge of translating for everyone. It's a tiny, broken down hole in the wall and they give the BEST hair cuts for only $15. Amazing.

The end of June I was working on a huge audition that I had to submit by video and that took up a lot of my focus. I finally submitted it and that night I went to Jordy's to celebrate, which we did by eating leftover cheese and watching TV and drinking Bud Light. The next day we slept til 2pm and watched a bunch more movies. It was just the day I needed because I had been working so hard on my audition and finally got to fully relax. I went to the haunt that night and had fun scaring some tourists and slept in the next day but poor Ashley came down with a crazy stomach flu and was in the hospital! So I packed up my overnight bag and some supplies for her and went to meet her and James down at his apartment in Brooklyn. I made her soup and watched over her while she slept and spent the day surfing Pinterest and watching movies. We camped out and finally came home last night and hung out altogether with Jess, me, Ashley, and James.

Haunt make-up

Ariel

I'm caught up! Ashley's little brother and his girlfriend are here for the weekend. I have one more week and then I'm going HOME TO MICHIGAN YAY! And after that Marcus is coming to visit, and a week after that Beth is back in the states and staying with me for a week in the city. July is going to be so busy!

Hope everyone is having a great summer and staying cool! Thank god for AC!

A Bloody Internship.

2013-04-10T13:59:00.000-04:00

I am really proud of myself for posting about once a month. Although when you live in NYC it feels like five years happen in the span of one month, and this past month is no different.
New York and I have had quite an up and down relationship, but this past month has got me really feeling at home here. Everyone said the first year is the hardest but I think the first year and a HALF is hardest. My last post I was ready to count down to leaving, but I just got a year long gym membership so I know I'll be here at least until next March. Thank goodness for amazing friends, roommates, and good jobs. Also, I think the warm weather is really helping. You don't realize how depressing winter is until it's warm and you just feel even happier. I can hear birds chirping right now and it's the best sound ever.

After my last post I had a friend from Adrian come visit me and Ashley. Our first night Kevin and I decided to investigate the karaoke that was happening at this tiny bar on my street. We were the only white people in the place, but as soon as we sang "You're the One that I Want" from Grease we had made a bunch of new friends. Right after the whole bar sang "Summer Nights" together. Who would have thought I could have so much fun in QUEENS right? (For the non-New Yorkers, people don't like Queens. They want to be in Manhattan or maybe in Brooklyn. But then they come to my large, cheap [for NYC] apartment and they are amazed.)

Karaoke Time

We spent a few days sightseeing, which is exhausting, had some sushi, and also went to see "Avenue Q." It was hilarious! There is a part where the puppets come down into the audience and I was laughing and the main guy hit me in the face. What a cool show!

The next week I had an interview with a production company to work for them on set in the art department for a reenactment show on Investigation Discovery. I've done a lot of backstage work but never anything behind the scenes in TV or film. This was a flexible internship (yes, not paid) that I could get some experience and see if I liked it. And since I live mostly off of clowning, I have some time during the week to be an intern. Luckily, I got the job and was super excited when they asked me to help with the casting that week. I helped set up the camera and got to meet the director and producer, who I would be working closely with during the rest of shooting. Seeing the audition process from the other side is way awesome and a great learning experience. But I think the best part was when the director wanted to work the camera so I sat at the casting table and all the actors thought I was someone important. Haha. Although I was part of the discussions about who was best and they asked me my opinion so I guess I was part of the process!

Clown Outfit

I spent my St. Patrick's day weekend as a clown, but one of our team members threw a party for all of us who could not participate in the festivities. I love my job, especially the people I work with. It has given me some awesome friends AND some friends who live in Queens which is great because I don't have to travel for hours to go see them. And there is nothing worse than having to travel home late at night cause you want to sleep in your own bed after a party.

Princess Belle

The Little Mermaid!

The week after St. Patrick's Day my internship started. The show is on Investigation Discovery, it's a reenactment show which means half the show is interviewing the victims and people involved in the crime and the other half is actors portraying what happened by reenacting it. There is a lot of attacks, beatings, and blood on my show. For some reason I can't escape it! And I got real lucky because the haunted house let me take the whole month off to work on this project. I got hired to assist in the art department which means I'm helping with set dressing, which means I'm part of the team that moves furniture, hangs pictures, and hides any product labels. We also are in charge of props such as burgers, drinks at bars, and for this show... meat cleavers, guns and knives.

Because the show is small I got assigned to help with wardrobe as well. My first two days were just prepping for the show by gathering wardrobe together. Our actors bring their own clothes to work in but we buy three sets of the clothes that attacks happen in because they're going to get covered in blood. Wardrobe shopping is horrific. You may think it would be fun to pick out outfits for everyone but in reality it is a nightmare. There are a lot of rules, no black or white because they're too harsh on camera. No red because they blood has to show up. No stripes, weird patterns or logos. Nothing sheer. Then you have to try and find something according to what the producer and director want, specific colors and styles. I hunted all around Manhattan for a dark hooded sweatshirt that wasn't black but wasn't light grey. And if we have night shoots we try to keep the actors comfortable by not placing them in shorts when it's 30 degrees out. So after you've taken all this into account (while shopping in the busiest city in the world, full of tourists ugh) and you find something that works, you have to find three of the same shirt/pants/dress in the same size! You'd be surprised how often this doesn't happen. Especially since all the actresses are tiny... I'll find one small and the rest are mediums and larges and I have to ask an employee to check in the back or start over. And this is just ONE outfit. I can't imagine doing wardrobe on a large show. Clearly this is not my forte.

So we started shooting and I got to do what I signed up to do, which was work in art. Although I was doing a million other things as well because I was extra hands on set. I was also making coffee, pulling wardrobe, loading the G&E truck (grip and electric) and evening holding the boom once, which was terrifying. (Boom is essentially a stick with a mic on it that you have to point at the actors to pick up their sound). So far we've turned a gutted fast food place into a "working" restaurant. We've also taken everything out of an apartment and stuck our stuff back in, then proceeded to get blood all over the walls, floor, and couch. I really love being on set and it's so fun to work in a place that uses all my skills from acting, theater, and interior design. I'm also meeting a ton of people including directors and producers so it's a way to get into the business from the other side. I make sure they all know I'm an actress as well as an art girl. The people on the crew are great as well and I feel very lucky to have such a great team to work with for my first time behind the scenes. It's not often that you meet a main production assistant or director that hugs you every time you wrap! Sometimes there is a lot more ego going around.

Most of this month has been taken over by the internship. Days of prep are about 10 hours and days of filming are usually 12-14 hours long. I'm gaining so much great experience and get free food so it's not too bad, although I am looking forward to my vacation to Washington DC when this is all over.

At home, Ashley and I have been doing some spring cleaning and trying to get into a routine. We joined a gym that is a few blocks down from our apartment and are loving it so far. It's only $20 a month and is surprisingly clean. We even have a workout calendar on our wall outside the front door as motivation. We went to Costco to get groceries thanks to Ashley's new membership and it was amazing. Why doesn't everyone shop there?!?! Maybe it's only a huge difference in New York City but the amount you get for how cheap it is is mind blowing. When we go to our local grocery store it's about $5 for a 12 oz thing of peanut butter. At Costco it's $9 for two 24 oz jars. I mean, it's a no brainer. We just hop on the train a few stops and are in the land of cheap and bulk. That Costco tripped changed my life hahaha.

I also got to go see the Game of Thrones exhibit. New York City was one of five locations around the world they brought it! Sometimes I forget I live in such a major city. It was super cool, had a spotlight on each of the major families including costumes and props from the show. There was also a simulated archery game where you got to shoot arrows in the Battle of the Blackwater and a place where you could sit on the iron throne and get your picture taken complete with a crown!

Dany's dragon

Bow down!

Afterward, I participated in a play reading from someone I had met last year when I worked in the New Media Repertory Theatre. He had met me and gave me the part, which is my favorite kind. Not having to audition cuts so much hassle from acting. I had a really great time with the reading and ended up reuniting with a fellow actor so we decided to go have drinks and sing karaoke. Somehow we stumbled into the same karaoke place that Sarah and I went to sooooo long ago, over a year ago when I first moved here. New York is really... so freaking small.

So that's it! The weather has been gorgeous here. Ashley and I did some chores in sundresses yesterday. We went to Michael's which is always a bad idea because there's so much amazing craft stuff there. Then we went to Chelsea for margaritas and tacos because it's WARM YAY! And now I'm spending the day relaxing and getting ready for another weekend of filming and clowning. So far nothing is planned for the month ahead, although I am working on my acting reel and hoping that will get me some more auditions and maybe an agent. Also, I'm going to Washington DC because tickets are cheap and I only work on the weekends and two of my favorite people live there!

Thanks for reading! Have a great day! :D

We Got More Bounce in California

2013-03-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

Wow have I had a crazy month. I feel like I have been going, going, going since I started my new job. Right after my last post I jetted off to Portland, Oregon where I visited the amazing family of Ella, Abby and Ben. I was a nanny for Ella since she was 2 years old and they flew me in as a surprise for her 7th birthday! I was so excited to see her and nothing compares to her face when I walked in the door. I spent the week hanging with that awesome family and seeing some of Oregon, which is a gorgeous and green state. We had Ella's birthday party at an art studio and got to paint and play with clay. We went out to dinner and Ella and I danced a lot, and also got in the Jacuzzi overlooking the foothills of Portland. She tried to teach me how to whistle (I still can't!) and it was so fun to visit her. She's getting so big! And I feel amazingly lucky to have such a wonderful second family to hang out with.

I can't believe she is 7!

Two Princesses on party day

Amazing view from the deck and jacuzzi

BFF's for LIFE

I just had such a wonderful time and I feel so blessed to have such a great connection with the Rogoway's and their daughter. I can't WAIT to go on another trip and visit, although I wish Ella would stop growing up so fast!

After a nice long week in Oregon I flew back and went to training and worked my first day as a clown and LOVED it. Don't get me wrong, the job is pretty exhausting because you spend your whole day trying to herd children and be super energetic but it's a thousand times better than any job I've had before. Waitressing is exhausting and makes you want to die. Never. Again.

I spent a low key night on Sunday, had some dinner and watched the Superbowl. The rest of the week was consumed by an intense sinus infection that caused me to call out of work twice and eventually drove me to the doctor. That week I tried to get better but the weekend was miserable anyway. I didn't want to call out on my second weekend of working and being happy, bubbly, and energetic when you're swimming in a head cold is ridiculously not fun.

That next week, although I was still feeling kinda gross, I made it out to book club with the Chi Omega's. Our host was arriving late so I ended up opening the champagne which made me smile because no matter where you go, you're always at home in a Chi O's house. The book we read (The Paris Wife) was a historical fiction based on Ernest Hemingway's first wife and was totally amazing. After way too many chocolate brownies I headed home and passed out.

The biggest news from that week was that I took a professional organizer out to lunch. Some of you may not know that I've always had a passion for organizing other people's stuff, which is part of the reason I loved earning my interior design degree. While I LOVE acting, part of me really hates the grind that is required if you live in NYC. Or maybe I just hate NYC. Still working on that part. But what I'm saying is I'm also interested in organizing and even have some experience here in the city. I took Lilli out to lunch and picked her brain for how she got up and running. Basically, she said to just start doing it, which was awesome advice. So if any of you in the NYC area need something organized, let me know!

I spent the rest of the weekend working and attempting to get better because on Monday morning I flew to California!

California was AMAZING. Our only complaint was that we somehow managed to get a coldish, rainy week squeezed between two gorgeous weeks, but whatever it was warmer than the east coast.

I got on the Hertz bus to go to the rental place and magically ended up on the same one as Amy. We had an amazing reunion on the bus which I'm sure freaked out some other patrons and then picked up our Mustang convertible, which we drove with the top down even though it was overcast and 60 degrees.

California Girls

We were crashing in Long Beach with a guy I met through Couch Surfing which is a website for traveler's to host and surf around the world. Now, at this point I was totally exhausted from working all weekend, being sick, and flying. I managed to convince Amy that I was on the brink of dying and she left me to take a nap while she explored the beach. I woke up three hours later with no more headache and totally pumped for the movie premiere that night.

We got dressed and headed to West Hollywood to Grauman's Chinese Theater. Before we went in the theater we met up with a bunch of cast mates and the director. Our director had a camera and was taking footage and interviews to put on the extras on the DVD. You can see the video here. Notice what special actress gets to talk ;) Haha. Amy walked the red carpet and also was the BEST boyfriend, holding coats, purses, and taking pictures.

My name on the poster!

BFF's in front of the poster

Cast and the director

We went in to see the movie and the theater was HUGE. The movie was hilarious and very good. Amy and I were dying every time I came on screen. I am ridiculously mean in the movie and a totally cliche cheerleading bitch. It's awesome.

After the movie Amy and I headed out to Santa Monica to meet up with Eric, one of my friends I met while living in Europe. It was so good to see him again especially since it has been about four years! Travel buddy bonds don't break though and Amy and I enjoyed having a chill bar night with him and shooting the shit. We got home late and woke up early because our schedules were so messed up from the time change. We got dressed in hiking clothes and headed out to Runyon Canyon.

We parked the car and ended up at a little cafe where we got a breakfast sandwich. We drove around looking for a tourist trappy store to buy junky hats in because it was going to rain and were surprised how hard it was to find one! We finally did and bought some awesome, tacky, rhinestone L.A. hats.

Sometimes it's hard to be this cool

We walked around Runyon Canyon and it was beautiful even if it was a bit overcast. There was some awesome bird watching and great views. It did end up raining on us a bit but we didn't care.

Runyon Canyon

After hiking all morning we were starving so we decided to head to Roscoe's Chicken n Waffles because EVERYONE said we had too! We decided to split the traditional chicken n waffles and some mac n cheese. It was super delicious and just what we needed after hiking out in the overcast, chilly weather. Then we went to the observatory to check out the Hollywood sign. It was far away, and getting colder, so we took a picture and headed back to our room and then passed out for about 3 hours. We were going to get ready and go out except it was rainy and cold and we were tired so we just decided to go to bed.

Tiny Hollywood sign in the background

The next morning we got up super early and went to Starbucks for Amy's birthday. After coffee we drove to Palos Verdes and went hiking along the Pacific Ocean up on a trail about 50 feet above the coastline. It was really beautiful and we could see a ton of hawks and pelicans flying all over.

After our hike we drove to Venice and Amy dropped me at the beach while she got her hair cut. I waded in to the water because I'm obsessed with swimming and wished I had a wet suit and a surfboard. When I got bored of watching surfers I headed to the boardwalk and when I got bored of homeless people I walked to In 'n Out burger. Yes, the burger was good. The fries were terrible though.

Venice Beach

Amy picked me up and we got back to the house where we got dressed up, packed up our stuff, and headed out to West Hollywood. We met up with her friends Hillary and Castro for sushi. We sat at our table for awhile and the waiter gave us free birthday shots and we had some delicious food and conversation. Afterward we headed to the club where we met up with our hosts Ken and Robert and danced to this weird European DJ.

Birthday girl!

Bottle service from the ceiling

We crashed at Hillary's house that night and in the morning got up and went to the Griddle House and had an amazing breakfast. Amy got a red velvet pancake and I got Nutella french toast. It was to die for. I also got the number of a cute waiter who was from Michigan, he had a Detroit hat on... now I have a great excuse to go back to L.A. ;)

We took the rest of the day to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway and go to Malibu where we went hiking at Point Dume. The point overlooks the ocean and was super gorgeous. I hiked back down to the beach and went climbing through tide pools like a child, poking starfish and sticking my nose almost in the water. The best part was when I saw two sea lions swimming in the surf right off the beach! So amazing.

We drove back to Santa Monica and met up with my friend Sig. He was nice enough to let us take showers and then pass out in his living room with the lights on for two hours. We woke up, got some Red Bull, and went out for our last night. We bar hopped, drank tequila, met up with some more of Sig's friends, and had a great time. Except when the photo booth wouldn't print us pictures, what a bummer! After passing out we woke up at 7am to get the car back to the rental place. It was super sad to leave California, but I loved it and I'll definitely go back and visit. Maybe this summer?

The rest of the time I've been home I've been watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch and clowning and working in the haunt. I got moved to a new position in the haunted house which I love! I'm working in the lobby which means I take tickets and give the rules to the guests before they enter the haunt. I like it because it's more of a show and has a lot more customer interaction. Also, people think I'm totally creepy and it's awesome. Maybe because I stare at them, and don't answer their questions, and have blood running down my face.

Boo.

On Friday it was Ashley's birthday! I got her some sweet balloons and her mom got her an edible arrangement which was surprisingly delicious. Maybe we should eat more fruit here. We went to 16 Handles for birthday FroYo and when we told the cashier it was Ashley's birthday he gave us both of ours for free! How awesome! We headed back to our apartment and were super excited when our friends from Adrian Rob and Mike came over to celebrate with us. It was an awesome reunion and we drank some beers and just hung out.

The rest of the weekend I worked and have been just laying around. I decided to be a person today and maybe actually do my dishes. We'll see.

So overall life in New York is pretty good. I really enjoy both my jobs, I love my good friends, and having Ashley as a roommate. But I definitely do not see myself living here forever. New York is a great city but not the right place for me. So I've decided to start my countdown by doing all my adventure cards. Adventure cards are this pack of 52 cards I got from Sarah before she left. Originally, I started doing them with Amy but she moved away, wah. I figured this will get me out seeing the city and that way I'll feel like I've really seen it all before I go. Now, I've thought a bit about when I'm leaving and I don't think it will be for awhile but knowing that it's happening already makes me feel better.

So here are the adventure cards I've already done. The Upper East Side, Meatpacking, Staten Island, Taking the Tram, the East Village, South Street Seaport, Rockefeller Center, 34th Street, Greenwich Village, Brooklyn Culture (Botanical Gardens) and Brooklyn Bridge. Throughout the rest of my writing I will keep you updated on where the cards take me and the adventures I have along the way!

And I'm taking ideas on where to go... Michigan? L.A? Nashville? Asia? The possibilities are endless...

Princess in Training

2013-01-24T15:10:00.000-05:00

Happy new year!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I know I did!

Before I left I had a great headshot session with Lee Kazimir who is a friend of a friend. He was really awesome to work with, which makes such a difference in a photoshoot. Having a photographer who you're comfortable with and who can bring out your personality really shows in the pictures. We spend the day at his apartment shooting inside, outside, and on the roof. I changed outfits a couple of times and got some great pictures of me not smiling which doesn't happen often. After the main headshot session I put on a dress and we took some shots just for fun. They're not all edited yet, but I do have some to show you, and will post more as soon as I have them!

Photo by Lee Kazimir

Photo by Lee Kazimir
With the infamous Spiderman hat!

Afterward I was totally exhausted. People think modeling is an easy job but I promise you it is not! I don't think I'd ever want to model professionally, there is so much to think about. I came home after a 7 hour shoot and fell asleep by 8pm. Then Ashley and I sat in her bed and watched the Katy Perry documentary and worked on my resume which looks awesome now thanks to her! It is so great having a roommate who is in the 'biz' we can motivate and support each other.

The rest of the week before I left I volunteered at my favorite charity project, Granny Squares, cleaned the apartment, worked on decorating with Ashley, did a ton of laundry, and on the last night headed to Jordan and Dylan's to trade Christmas presents and hang out before I left for Michigan. I gave them a cookbook with recipes for sriracha because they love that shit. And I got the most delicious cookies ever and an awesome picture for my apartment.

Me with my presents

The next day it was time to go HOME! I was on the plane and started tearing up as we descended to land. When I saw my Mom I just started crying in her arms. It was so ridiculously comforting being back with my family after all the emotional ups and downs I had gone through during the months before, and wondering if I was going to be with them or not over Christmas.

Being home was amazing, as I thought it would be. It was exactly what I needed... getting a break from the city, having the comforts of home, a vacation, and finally seeing my family.

At Darcy's band concert with Dad

Getting some puppy love

Christmas Cookies

I saw seven movies in theaters with my Dad (and sometimes the rest of the family) Monsters Inc 3D (amazing), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (amazing), Skyfall (great), Looper (great), The Hobbit (completely boring), Silver Linings Playbook (amazing), and Life of Pi (amazing and a beautiful movie). I spent some time with Andy and his family, they took me to a Griffin's game on dollar beer night which was really fun and then I saw some of my GR friends after. On Saturday Andy took me to Beauty and the Beast for my Christmas present and it was amazing! I'm always a sucker for when they shoot confetti into the audience, what can I say.

Trying to find Dad's present at the hardware store

Roxy in her Christmas shirt

Griffin's Game

Program!

Most of the time I was at home I hung out with my family. Even going on basic chores made me happy because it was just so great to be with them. On New Years Eve I got to go to Ann Arbor and see some of my friends from college. And on my last weekend in Michigan I shot a music video with my good friend Kris Hitchcock.

My BFF Marcus

We shot a video for his song "Roll Storm Roll" at a farmhouse in Cedar Springs. I got on set around noon and was given a great bathroom upstairs for my dressing room that had a vanity with a big mirror for makeup. The house was beautiful and I was shooting with a director I had worked with before (and hand picked for this project) Dennis. He is great and also had his wife helping him and his son was there as well as our Nerf gun handler. I had my Mom with me as a PA and assistant and to check my makeup of course! Since the video was just me, Kris, and his dog Fender the shoot went pretty quickly. We had a great time on set and it was fun to hang out and shoot with Kris, even during our down time he just played guitar and I sang along. I'm super excited to see the final product and add it to another awesome video with Kris! After we wrapped we all headed to a terrible bar for a few drinks and chatting. The video was a great reminder of why I act in the first place, to make great pieces with people that I love. It was so fun and I can't wait to shoot another one! Haha.

Unfortunately, after three weeks of vacation I had to head back to the city. I was pretty sad the night before because I had to say goodbye to my Dad and sister, but by the time I was on the plane I was happy to be heading back. And I ended up sitting next to a doctor who knew my old boss and now close friend Ben. I was his nanny for years and am actually flying out for his daughter's birthday in Portland on Saturday. What a small world.

Family

Going to Michigan was just what I needed and I feel like I have been back with energy and drive since I got back. The weekend I got back I had a meeting with a management company that lets you intern for them for 6 months and in turn they represent you for 6 months. They manage one of my great friends here in the city and the meeting went great, so I'm hoping to work for them as soon as they have an opening. I also met up with my friend Bill and helped him set up a blog for his journalism and writing. Luckily, I have a lot of experience with Blogger! And it is fairly easy to use. I also went back to Granny Squares that weekend and caught up with everyone there. That night I worked at the haunted house and was pretty happy to be there after not seeing everyone for almost a month.

The next week I went to Ashley's first gig, a cabaret. Let me just say this... my roommate is fucking amazing. She was hands down the best singer in the group (okay I am biased but she WAS!) and I literally cried when she sang "I'm a Star." Afterward we went and sang Broadway songs at Marie's Crisis, a piano bar where people sit around the piano and request songs and sing along, courtesy of my great friend DGR.

The next day I had an interview in Long Island with an children's entertainment company. They do parties for kids. I was hired on the spot! I celebrated by eating a ton of McDonald's with Jordan and Dylan while we watched Zero Dark Thirty (boring, not good, don't understand the fuss).

The next day I hung out with a guy that I met on set of my commercial. We had a chill day since he was shooting til 8am and went out for margaritas and Mexican that evening. It was fun and I like him and that's all I'm gonna say :)

On Friday I headed out for my first day of training (paid, oh ya) and had a great time. There were two other new girls and two that were brushing up on their skills. We started out with facepainting and I was happy to find that I was a total natural, probably from my extensive art experience drawing and painting throughout school. Afterward we went though singalongs. The next day I had my first day of training, I was picked up by Jose, another entertainer and carpooled to work. I shadowed with Amanda and did four parties with her and Kyle. We wear bright colored dresses, striped socks, and pigtails. Technically I'm a clown by we don't have wigs or makeup. I had SUCH a great time and it is clear I finally found a job perfect for me. You can get a different length of party and we do activities like facepainting, balloons, cotton candy, popcorn, bubbles, singalongs and dancing, and at the end there is a magic show. I have another day of training tomorrow and next weekend I'm going out to do parties with my teammate. It is so fun and also it is great money. Most of the clowns live off what they make on Saturdays and Sundays! So that is great, it means we can all audition and work on acting during the week. NO MORE WAITRESSING HALLELUJAH!

Face Paint Practice Arrr!

On Sunday I went to church! It had been so long that I had actually gone to service and I was so glad to see everyone. The sermon was okay (ugh it was Martin Luther King Jr. weekend) and after I chatted with everyone at the Young Adults bagel brunch. We're hoping to plan another prom (yay) and I made a new friend named Becca. We went shopping at Victoria's Secret after and then I headed home and made stir fry dinner for myself and Ashley and we ended the night playing some Super Nintendo Mariokart.

The next night I went to a magic show with one of my friends Noah who was ushering and got me a free ticket. The show was great even though I was annoyed that I couldn't find anyone to go with me! NYC is such a pain sometimes. After I went out with all the magicians to a diner and had even more fun while they joked around with me and tried all their tricks out.

The past couple of day Ashley and I have been working on the apartment. We finally took our Christmas tree down (on January 23rd) and it was ridiculously dead. We decided the best thing to do was drag it through the sliding glass doors and drop it off the balcony. It still made a gigantic mess but was much easier to clean up than if we had taken it down the stairs.

Aftermath

We put up our curtains, I painted our chairs, we hung pictures, took all our junk to the thrift store and put together a picture frame. I did the dishes and made chicken and rice which was so good we ate the entire dish before the night was over. Last night Ashley made chicken, chickpeas, and quinoa. It is so clean in her and starting to look so nice I hardly ever want to leave!

Chicken and Rice YUM

Today I went to a meeting for Central Casting, a company that places background actors in TV, film, and commercials. It is usually a good way to make some extra money while being on set and maybe make a connection or two (or meet a guy! Hah.) And now I'm killing time until I go to the haunt tonight.

And I almost forgot my BIG news... All You Can Dream is FINALLY premiering next month at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood! Amazing! So the first time I go to LA will be to see my movie :) and I can't wait.

Thanks for reading! Hope you're all having a fabulous day! Check again next month for pictures of Portland, and Hollywood!

My First "Big Break"

2012-12-12T22:06:00.005-05:00

Hey kids. Wow a LOT has gone down since my last post. Lots and lots... I hope you're ready!

I changed up my layout a bit here, hope you're enjoying it. I was hoping to make it a bit more simple. Also, go check out my website and make sure to go "Like" my fan page!

So let's start in November...

First of all, I helped Jordan and Dylan move into their new apartment!!!! Congratulations guys! I'm so happy for them, they are one of my all time favorite couples and hands down my bestest friends in New York City.
It was so exciting to official have "our" own place. And I say our because I have a little bag of stuff over there so I can sleep over whenever. And because I spent the entire weekend with them moving, unpacking, organizing, and having a damn drink after all that work.

Guess if this happens or not

Nope.

A few of you know that I had been having some problems with work and trying to go home for Christmas. Due to the nature of the job the staff had been told we "weren't allowed" to go out of town for the holidays. I had been aware of this since the beginning of November and was trying to figure out a way that I could see my family, considering I am very close to them and have always been home on Christmas day... and with the holidays coming up it is hard not to get a little homesick.
After another day of hearing that I wasn't allowed to see my family I attempted to attend book club with the Chi Omegas and I just couldn't do it. I was sick of not knowing when I'd be going home, sick of New York City, and sick of people telling me what I could and couldn't do. I actually ended up getting very upset because my family was pressuring me for answers that I couldn't give them because my bosses weren't answering me. I thought going to see my sisters would help, but all I wanted to do was crawl in my bed and go to sleep.
So I decided to leave book club early, explaining to our amazing host what was happening with tears in my eyes. The next day she called me and offered to let me spend the holidays with her and her husband. This is the millionth reason I am grateful that I joined such an amazing sisterhood! The support system I have here in the city is so huge, including my fellow alumni sisters and my awesome Big.
I went to a work meeting the next day and was told I could take off the first week in January if no one else did, so I put in my vacation request right away and settled with the fact that I'd be able to see the family even if it wasn't right when I wanted.

That weekend I received some terrible news. One of my great friends had passed away suddenly at the age of 22. Vince was a bright, energetic, outgoing, amazing man and I am going to miss him a lot. But instead of crying I'm going to play Rihanna's "S&M" on repeat because I know he'd rather have me dancing to one of his favorite songs than being sad! RIP love. So on top of the emotions I was already dealing with, I was now more homesick than ever. All I wanted to do was be with my family and friends and celebrate the amazing life that Vince had. Ugh.

That weekend was also the last weekend my roommate was going to be in town so he had a HUGE party. I had tried to find something to do, but it seemed like everyone was busy, as is the case in NYC sometimes. So I figured if you can't beat 'em join 'em. I went out to the living room where our entire table was covered in booze and had a few drinks. Just me and ten Mexican men in the living room. Eventually, my work buddy Michael came over and by then the party really escalated. I ended up going to bed around five. When I got up at 10am my roommate was still awake and our apartment looked like this:

And this is just the kitchen

I just left it because it was NOT my mess and I was definitely not responsible for cleaning it up. The apartment smelled awful though.

To get out I met up with Neil and went shopping with him for some new clothes, then I took him to lunch at a 1970's style diner which had some great burgers. It was such an amazing afternoon and just what I needed after the stress I was dealing with the previous week. I just have such a great time when I'm around him, even though I don't see him nearly as much as I want too.

The next week the bad news just kept coming... just a few days after our great afternoon Neil broke up with me. Although when we were together we had an amazing time, there were some bigger issues such as him being a bit older than me and having children. We were at completely different places in our lives. When I found out I went it was over I ran to my haven, Jordan and Dylan's. Like the amazing best friend that she is, Jordan stuck me in her shower, gave me a spray tan, did my hair and make-up, gave me a drink and took me out on the town.

I can always count on this amazing woman

Friend time!

I ended up spending the entire weekend there. I got to their place on Tuesday and didn't leave until Sunday.

Wednesday morning, Jordan had chocolate chip pancakes delivered to me while she was at work because she is THE BEST. Seriously, nothing better than waking up to breakfast at the door.

And THEN I found out that my vacation request had been denied.

I cried to Jordan and Dylan and when they left to go back to Maryland that day I stayed cooped up in the apartment grieving the loss of my friends, man and the fact that I was all alone on Thanksgiving while my family and friends were together in Michigan. At this point I didn't think I was going to get to see them at all anytime near the holidays. It was definitely a pity party. New York City is NOT an easy place to live and everything had been dragging me down, so by the time I found out about Vince and Neil and I wasn't going home I was having some real trouble. As many New Yorkers will tell you, this was another time that I was honestly considering packing up and going home. Being away from everyone was getting to be too much. I got pep talked from many people.. Amber, Marcus, Amy and my parents and I just didn't care. I wanted to whine and I wanted a hug and I wanted to cry and just be super depressed.

I went to my work Thanksgiving party Thursday night and tried to be cheerful, but I had signed up with a plus one and felt blatantly aware of the fact that I was totally alone. I even went out for a drink afterward but all I wanted to do was mope.

At the "Motor City" Bar in the Lower East Side... Not quite home

Spending a few hours with real people took all my energy so I spent the whole weekend just licking my wounds and eventually on Sunday I got up and cleaned up and came back to my now roommateless apartment. By that time I was all depressed out and thought maybe it was time to stop being so emo. I was also super excited that SOMETHING good was going to happen during all the crap I was dealing with.

He left me a mini skateboard

He left me Bieber!

He left me... this thing!

He left me BOOZE!

At this point I was starting to feel a little better, but I have to be honest when I say that not being able to go home was causing me a LOT of anxiety. I couldn't imagine being stuck in the city, alone. Or trying to go to friends apartments and pretend that that was were I wanted to be. And I felt that I wasn't getting any straight answers or cooperation from my managers at work. I was just counting down the days until December 1st because Ashley was moving in and I was hoping that having her around would cheer me up, but I was also looking for jobs in Michigan, or the south, or anywhere. I was OVER New York and over my job and over the struggle.

On Wednesday I got up and went outside and cleared me head and got ready for work. I was tired of being sad and I figured I should just put a smile on my face and tough through everything. Luckily, everything was figured out when I went in for my shift and was informed that I was no longer needed at work. To put it bluntly, I was fired.

I happily grabbed my belongings and went outside, totally free! I don't think I've felt relief like that in a long time. What a weight lifted off my shoulders. I called my Dad and the first thing I said was "Daddy, I'm coming home for Christmas." The vacation drama wasn't the only thing that caused me to be let go, it was clear that I wasn't experienced enough for the environment I was in. And I'll be damned if you see me working another restaurant job again. I KNOW it is good money but I really hate it. Haha.

So I walked up to Union Square and spent my evening in the Christmas Village looking for presents for my friends and family. I was so relieved that I didn't have to deal with work anymore, especially since I have a nice fat chunk of savings and already had my rent ready for December and January.

I went home and paid $100 to change my ticket, I'm going home for THREE WHOLE WEEKS! Yay! I can't wait. And let me say this... if I could go back I would do exactly the same thing.

From Daddy

Since I didn't work the next day I volunteered at Sunnyside Senior Center. It is close enough that I can walk, and helped in a meditation class. I spent the rest of the day cleaning the apartment getting ready for Ashley to move in!

Working hard

She came that Saturday. Her brother and his friend came first so we actually ended up moving all her stuff in without her while she was loading out her show in Pennsylvania... nice planning on that Ashley haha.

THIS COUCH IS SUPER STINKY AND GROSS

We spent the weekend in the apartment unpacking and hanging out. Ashley's boyfriend James came over so we had a full house! It was so nice to have an apartment full of friends!

Clearly an Adrian College, Mu Zeta, Chi Omega apartment

Work in progress!

So we've been spending this time getting the apartment together, and watching VHS videos on Ashley's tiny TV and playing Super Nintendo. Last Thursday our other roommate Doug texted me saying that he had an extra ticket to "The Heiress" on Broadway. It was a GREAT show with wonderful acting. It was super fun to see a show on Broadway especially since the first one I went to was really boring.

Night at the theatre

Seeing a show and having Ashley here is such a great motivator. After losing my job I decided that was a great time to pick up my acting again. People don't really realize how much work it is to be in this business. So much of it is self motivated. Until you get an agent and manager (and even then) it is all self promotion. You are the only one who can get you a job. And it is easy to spend five + hours just applying for auditions.

So I got back into the routine of applying for auditions and somehow stumbled onto a Craigslist ad looking for people with mascot experience. I thought I might as well apply because I was the Pizza Pizza man in high school and why the hell not? The next day I got an email from the producer saying he had submitted me to the ad agency for the role and that it was for a national AT&T commercial. I was excited and nervous considering I hadn't been in a mascot in years but I wasn't about to say that. After a few hours he told me I had the role and sent over information for me.

Trying to break the news to my Mom

I got call sheets and more information about the commercial so I started doing my homework and researching my directors, one of which was Jorma Taccone, who is kind of a big deal. He is one of the three members of The Lonely Island along with Andy Samberg and wrote and acted in a bunch of well known SNL digital shorts. At this point I started to get really excited and really nervous.

My call time on set was 9am downtown so I packed up everything I needed and headed out from my apartment around 7:45am. I had some butterflies in my stomach that were totally smashed when I saw Neil waiting for the train. Seeing him jarred me so much that I wasn't nearly as nervous.

I got into the studio and was led into the dressing room where they were steaming a bunch of mascot costumes, including a mouse that I recognized but I didn't know how. Then they told us that it was the same costume Bruno Mars had worn a month earlier in the "Sad Mouse" skit on SNL! So cool. I met my fellow mascot, Alex, and we chatted for a bit. He is a musical theater actor and used to do mascot work in children's show. This is his second national commercial and when he told me how much he made in residuals for his first I was... amazed. So pray that they play ours all over so I can get a new laptop! Ha.

The studio was amazing. We had a full green screen and a huge crew. There was a catered breakfast with an omelet station, they would cook you an omelet made to order. And one of the employees was super cute, nothing like some flirting and a yogurt parfait for breakfast.

By this time my nerves were pretty much gone. Usually the anticipation is the worst part and once I get on set I'm fine. We tried on our costumes and they wrapped us in bubble wrap so our outfits would have nice, round bellies.

After we were dressed we went out and shot footage of just the two of us. We danced around to a song about sharing. We hugged, we jammed out, we played with balls of yarn and bones, we had pin wheels and bouncy balls and airplanes. Jorma and Oz were great directors and we had a lot of fun. It was sweaty and awkward in the costumes but it was still a ton of fun. They were very open to whatever we wanted to try, at one point Alex was doing cartwheels and we were doing the running man.

The set

Soon the kids were ready and we continued to dance around with them. It wasn't too hard to work with the kids, although they were SUPER energetic. And they kept asking me to meow when the director was trying to tell us what to do. They were super cute though.

Me on set!

Director

Me with director Oz Rodriguez

Hugs from the kids

We wrapped around 4:30. I went around and thanked our crew members and made sure to hand out a ton of business cards. (It's all about who you know!!!) Then I came home, took a shower, and passed out by 6pm because I was totally exhausted.

The best part of this story is if I was never let go I wouldn't have been online looking for auditions and wouldn't have gotten cast. Everything happens for a reason and the universe pushes you toward where you should go!!!

The next day I went to book club and our annual cookie exchange! It was so great to see everyone and update them on my work situation. I came home and spent the night with Ashley working, watching TV, and chatting with a cute boy :)

So that's it! So much has happened! And hopefully a lot more good is coming my way.

ONE WEEK TIL I GET TO GO HOME YAY!

Here's some extra pictures for you. Thanks for reading!

Present from Amy

Present from James

My beautiful Christmas tree! Merry Christmas!!!

Surviving a Hurricane and More...

2012-11-05T16:26:00.002-05:00

Taken in the East Village

This post is dedicated to Amy, because I'm going to write EVERYTHING in as much detail as I can handle because I know she'll read it.

And for you too Daddy! Love you guys!

Out with my best friends!

September 15-22

Six Flags!

All that mattered this weekend was our trip to Six Flags. I got up nice and early and cooked Amy and myself breakfast (set the table even) and it was a great start to the day. We got dressed in our amusement park couture and headed out the door. I wish I could perfectly describe the excitement that we had at 7am skipping through the streets of Brooklyn to get to the train, but nothing can capture that feeling. We made it on the bus (the first time Amy has ridden in the front seat since her BUS CRASH) and were amazed when the ride only took an hour, because it was supposed to take two. After waiting an hour for the first ride we caved and bought the line reservation pass to skip waits and felt like royalty getting onto every other ride. Needless to say, it was an amazing day. We just went from coaster to coaster, met sexy guys (picture above), I got an airbrushed unicorn hat, and we ate terrible, disgusting, delicious food. Our half off freezer "El Toro" mugs will forever be the best souvenir I've ever purchased. 100% worth the money and going with Amy was the best decision I've ever made because we basically think exactly the same.

Later that week I headed out with Jordan and Dylan and their Living Social work team. The group of young people at Living Social is always doing cool stuff and I'm one of the outside friends that always tags along with them. They have happy hour a few times a month and this night we went to Brooklyn Whiskey and had some whiskey (yurck) and played shuffleboard (way fun). We wandered into Manhattan and ended up drinking with the entire Oakland A's team, who were wearing wrestling singlets. I don't know why, it was weird, but they did it. And the next morning I had to work at 4pm so I slept the whole day in Dylan's apartment (ugh hangovers). Thank goodness he lives a few blocks from my work!

And on Saturday I volunteered again with the Granny Squares group where we knit and crochet scarves and blankets to donate, while also keeping the residents of the center company. Then later that night I met up with my Chi Omega NYC alum Big, Jenna. We went to a great bar that had a ton of different beers and had fun trying some and just chatting about life. We got hit on by an extremely drunk man who kept repeating the same phrases over and over, but eventually bought us some pumpkin ale. Chi Omega is such a great resource and I'm so happy that I joined such an amazing sisterhood because it is still such a big part of my life even after college!

September 23-30

Daddy mailed me some birthday cake... better late and squished than never!

This week was simultaneously the saddest and most amazing one I've had in New York City, for two specific reasons.

First, Amy moved back home. It was the worst moment of my young life, when she left me here to fend in the city by myself without my other half. I am still crying in the shower and writing sad poetry because of it. I still believe she will come back. PLEASE COME BACK. Until then I have to satisfy myself with texting/emailing/facebooking her constantly.

But luckily I had the most amazing thing happen to me... LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT! Seriously, on Tuesday I was on the train and looked over and there he was, standing there, smiling at me. We got off the train together and we have been going strong ever since. He took me out two days later for our first date and kissed me before we even got dessert. It was the best first date I've ever been on. It is safe to say I'm totally gaga and that he was sent to me to replace the hole left by Amy. (But seriously, he's the best guy ever and I'm so excited that I met him.)

His name is Neil, he's a psychologist, and he lives one block down the street from me. Our first date I walked up to meet him and our outfits matched (black shirt, dark jeans). We went to a Croatian place here in Queens and had a great meal. We ate outside on a cute patio under the stars and were serenaded all night by the live music they have on Thursdays, three old men in zoot suits, one playing the guitar, one on the drums and one singing classic love songs. It was incredibly romantic. He walked me home and kissed me goodnight and I went upstairs swooning.

And then on the 28th New York City and I celebrated our one year anniversary. What a crazy amount of ups and downs I have had here... and yet here I am still, onto the next year, may this one be bigger and better!

That weekend I also started my new job at Times Scare a year round haunted house here in the city.

Scary!

View from the dressing room, overlooking Times Square 8th Avenue

I do my own makeup!

I'm getting paid to act!

And on Sunday Neil took me to brunch before I had to work. We went to the park and walked down along the river, enjoying the last bit of indian summer...

October 1-7

This week started out with another night with Neil (three dates in less than a week!) because that man is crazy about me :) and also my new schedule working two jobs.

On Wednesday we had our annual Chi Omega meeting, just like the ones we had in college (which you do miss ladies!) and it was really fun. There was wine, food, and tons of Chi Omega love.

Chi Omega!

My Big and Me

The rest of the week consisted of a staff meeting and working, and little time with Neil.

October 8-14

This week consisted of a few double shifts. I also went to Chi Omega book club where we discussed The Great Gatsby and had yummy nibbly food. Book club is a great event because it makes me read a (hopefully great) book and discuss. I actually hadn't read The Great Gatsby in high school so I was excited to dive into a 'classic.'

Chi Omega book club October 2012

That weekend I worked a TON and was supposed to go to Comic Con but I felt terrible so I stayed at home instead. Neil knew I didn't feel well and came over with homemade minestrone and then looked in my freezer and found lamp chops which he grilled for us and cooked some potatoes as well. Needless to say, I was more smitten than ever. We watched the game (go Tigers!) and enjoyed a relaxing Sunday afternoon together.

Homemade yumz.

The Rest of October...

As you can see I have been working a LOT. I'm getting my finances back on track and I'm proud to say that I've been saving AND that I have paid off one of my student loans and should have another paid off by the end of December. I haven't been able to spend any money on anything other than the essentials but I just tell myself that in a few years when I'm totally out of debt I'm taking myself on a long, totally paid for, vacation.

The Chi Omega social group came to Times Scare after happy hour and I got to go through with some of my sisters. It was a ton of fun to go through the haunted house from the other side even though I know most of the scares! I was jumping right along with the rest of the girls and having a great time.

Going into Times Scare!

Terrifying!

That weekend everyone celebrated Halloween. The haunted house was packed, and after I left the streets were full of people dressed up. I wore my skeleton makeup and met up with Jordan and Dylan for karaoke and drinks.

We also met some drunk turtles.

Luckily, I celebrated when I did because the next day the weather really messed us up!

October 28-November 4 aka HURRICANE SANDY

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who checked up on me before, during, and after the storm. On Sunday I had the day off and I spent most of it sleeping in. I watched the news and got a little prepared for the storm with some candles and a jug of water, but I must confess I didn't go too crazy. Until 8am on Monday I was being told that we were still expected to be at work! When I found out that work was cancelled I spent the rest of the morning sleeping and basically Monday I did NOTHING. It was actually much needed for me, I have been working 50-60 hour weeks and being able to just sit around felt great. I was very lucky and wasn't affected very much by the storm so instead of being sad that I was holed up in my apartment I took the time to have some fun.

Dinosaur Pancakes

I made a lot of food, watched a lot of TV, and cleaned my apartment. Neil had to go to work during the whole storm (because he's a doctor!) but luckily he was safe and got to come back home and we had a great evening listening and watching the storm and talking. It was actually incredibly romantic, so thanks for that Sandy.

By Tuesday the storm had passed mostly and my neighborhood was fairly fine. There were some trees and branches down but we still had power and no flooding. As you know, many people weren't that lucky, including a lot of my friends who live in downtown Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Jersey. The restaurant lost power so I didn't have to work the whole week. Luckily, I had been saving and budgeting so I could enjoy the time off instead of worrying how I am going to pay my bills. The haunted house opened up again Tuesday night and on Tuesday and Wednesday they paid for us to go to and from work in cabs. The ride was still an hour to an hour and a half trying to get into the city.

A walk sign about 20 blocks from me.

On Friday we had a meeting at the restaurant in the dark at work and talked about the direction the owner wants to go in. It took me an hour and 45 minutes to get down by train and bus. As I was leaving the power came back on after five days and people were cheering in the streets. My life has gone back to normal mostly, other than taking more time to get to work, but there are still signs all over the city of what happened.

Army trucks full of bottled water, East Village, Sunday November 4

But New York will bounce back! It is amazing to see all the help offered by the amazing people I work with and all the residents of the Tri-State area. I am very blessed to have survived my first hurricane with no damage to myself, other than a pileup of dirty laundry. I wanna say thanks again to everyone for their concern!

The next few weeks are going to be exciting, I'm going out with Neil, the election is happening, and my roommate is moving out on Thanksgiving and one of my close friends and collegiate sorority sisters is moving in. I can't wait! Hopefully I will have some time to sit down and tell you all about it.

Thanks for reading!

My New Job is Awesome!

2012-09-12T21:51:00.002-04:00

So after I posted last I started working at my new job. I'm waiting tables down in the East Village and I really love it. The staff and management is great, I work less hours and I make way more money. And even though it isn't curing cancer, I at least feel like I'm helping make memories for people with delicious food in NYC.

Recently, I've been feeling that acting isn't fun anymore. I decided to take a break and enjoy the city, especially since my bestest friend in the whole city is MOVING away at the end of the month, leaving me heartbroken.

Amy and I took a day and went to the Met, enjoying the rooftop and the sculptures and the paintings. We walked around central park and went to the movies and ate 16 handles frozen yogurt. We attempted to buy pet fish and then thought better of it (but would definitely like to get a bird). We went to Union Square and got cat-called by some guys who ended up being awesome and we have hung out with them multiple times now.

On top of the Met

The next weekend we went to an off Broadway show and decided to wander around Times Square. We ended up at the Stardust Diner where the servers sing Broadway songs to you. We LOVED it, especially since it was clear we were the only New Yorkers in the place and it didn't seem like the tourists were that into it. We drank a lot of beer, sang along, I got sat on by a server, and we shut the place down. At the end of the night I sang a duet with our waiter. Then we went shopping at Forever 21, drunk, at midnight... because you can do that when you live in New York City!

Getting Serenaded

Then we got up in the morning and went to church. After church we sat in Central Park again and watched people walk by.

Victor brought me to a show written by a friend of ours, it was okay, the story sagged in the middle a bit but the acting was pretty great.

That weekend Amy and I went to the Trash Bar in Brooklyn and sang karaoke on Friday night and stayed up way too late. We slept in and the had a Brooklyn adventure, going to brunch and watching the hipsters (amazing people watching in Brooklyn) then taking the train all the way into East New York (very... "urban" area) and buying sketchbooks for $3 and then taking a shuttle cause the train was down as we tried to reach the botanical gardens. I had to go to the bathroom and we got off the train into an orthodox Jewish neighborhood, so nothing was open because it was Saturday, and by the time we reached the gardens (finally!) there was only an hour left of them being open. So we decided to leave and got turned around and ended up walking right into the gardens for free. They were beautiful. Then our long journey home included dinner and shopping, and we were out for the night!

Sunday night we went to church, had some brunch with our church friends, sat in the park, and went to a free comedy show with the guys mentioned above.

I had a few auditions that week and then we get to the best day of the year, my birthday! I went to work and they cut me early for a bday present. I met up with Jordan, Dylan and Amy at an Italian restaurant called Po in the West Village. Dinner was delicious and the best part was when the servers dimmed the lights in the restaurant and brought out a dessert with a candle and shouted out my name so the whole entire place sang me happy birthday! We went to a bar and met up with a whole bunch of other friends and spent the rest of the night drinking and having fun.

My best friends! Love these guys.

Friday Amy and I slept the entire day, ate some bacon, and went down to South Street Seaport for some fun. We wandered around, saw the sights, had some delicious dinner, and then walked the Brooklyn Bridge. There is nothing like seeing the blue moon over the city at night from the Brooklyn Bridge to remind you why you came in the first place.

Pier 17 at South Street Seaport

The next weekend my great friend Ashley Greer came to visit and I hung out with her and her boyfriend most of the weekend, going to dinner, seeing the sights (the highline was awesome) and having a BBQ for Labor Day weekend.

The rest of the time here I've been working! Making money! Last weekend I volunteered at a senior center on the upper east side and then I helped Jordan organize her closet and in return she gave me all the clothes she didn't want (so many!). We went to the Standard Hotels Beirgarten and had some German beer while the storm rolled in. And last night I wasn't feeling well so my awesome friends came and surprised me which made my headache feel a lot better.

Overall, enjoying life, trying to just take everything in and not be so focused on the future. While I'm in the city I want to enjoy it and I'm hoping the rest just falls into place. :)

Ready for More...

2012-08-10T12:30:00.001-04:00

A lot has happened in the past few weeks, and I promised myself I wouldn't get so behind on this because I know all [4] of you are dying to know what I've been doing!

The week that I got back I worked at my office job. I helped Victor run lines. I had an interview that I didn't get. But then I had an amazing Friday.

First I had an interview with a restaurant that my manager from the restaurant I first worked at in NYC had moved too. Walked in, loved the energy, rocked the interview. And that night they called me saying I got a "trail" which means you follow around a server and see if everyone likes you and you like them.
Afterward, I met up with one of my great friends Hillary (high school who would've figured) and Jay.
[[That's a cool story... my best friend Sarah let me sleep in her apartment, and her roommate was friends with a guy named Jay. And Jay happened to be really good friends with Hillary, who I knew from high school. What a weird, small world, right?]]
I ended up meeting them at the same bar we went to our New Years Eve party at, Revival. Which again, is weird. Amy met up with us and we went out for dinner. We ended up at a sushi restaurant because they had half off beers with $10 purchase of food. And when we opened the beer menu we saw they were $5. So at $2.50 a beer we had a great time, played catch up and just enjoyed some dinner.

Then we walked downtown to go to the Flea Theater and see Serials. We stopped at a CVS to charge our phones, bought our tickets and went to the bar where we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and the bartender thought we were awesome so he gave us free shots of tequila.
Needless to say we enjoyed our time at the show. And then Amy came over and we passed out on my couch. And then I had to go to work (rough). That night I studied the menu for the restaurant and watched the Olympics (which are amazing.)

On Sunday I had my trail and although I was nervous it did go very well. I enjoyed the restaurant, I believe that I can handle it even though it is a bit different than my previous serving job and the people were great.
Afterward I went out to Brooklyn for a rooftop party with my amaze friends Amy, DGR, and the rest of our old prom committee. We sat on the roof and drank some beers and randomly someone started shooting off fireworks! I love fireworks! It was awesome. Had some pasta and played a game called "cards against humanity" which is basically apples to apples but dirty and politically incorrect. And on the way home (two hours, ew why do my best friends live in Brooklyn) we saw the most beautiful hipster man, and bonded with some other people on the train that were impressed with his beard, hair, tattoos, and muscles.

Monday at work I got a call... saying I got the job. I immediately put my two weeks notice in YAY! I was so excited. That night I went to Bryant Park because they play movies on a big screen on the yard there every Monday. I met up with Lauren (friend from Allsouls) ate popcorn, played Skipbo (Mom!), and laughed a lot. Also got free fake Raybans so life was good. Victor came right before the movie started and we all watched "Rebel Without a Cause" some good ol' James Dean. Afterward we drank wine out of a solo cup while we shopped in Times Square at 11pm, which only happens in NYC.

Empire State Building over Bryant Park

Bottle of wine, free sunglasses, American flags
and James Dean

Tuesday at work I got an email looking for actors for a screenplay reading, from a woman who had seen me audition and thought I was great so she kept my headshot for further projects. That was a great reassurance to know that I'm on a good path here, and bonus! The script was awesome... and I was reading the lead role, who was literally in every scene. It was nice to finally do something with acting again because I've been so off track lately.

Also, I've been watching the Olympics, loving the Fab Five, and having some nights in just trying to get ready for a new routine. I had a rough night last Friday but let me say this: I HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS. Amy D. is literally the best friend I could have and when I was facing a very rough circumstance she came to my rescue, laughed it off with me, and supported me. Love her.
And we went to the bar Sunday night because we were all tired from the weekend and had beers and even though the guy at the first place was a DOUCHE and the next place was silent, the third bar had giant beers and cute boys and life is good.

My best friends and I drankin' big beers

So now I'm feeling good. I love working nights, because I'm so much more likely to get things done in the daytime. Today I ran and updated both my blogs, going to practice my monologues and get ready for auditions. I'm READY FOR MORE! This summer has been an eye opening experience (I almost went on an interview that would have taken me right out of NYC) but then I figured out I wasn't ready. I want to act, I want to try, and I'm ready. Now I'm going to have a great day :) Hope you do too! Thanks for reading!

Clouds over my apartment on a night home!

You Never Know...

2012-08-02T11:21:00.001-04:00

25 Celebrities You Never Knew Were in Classic Movies

Acting is hard work! You may think someone is an overnight sensation but most of the time this isn't the case... they've been working their way up the ladder for many, many years!

Summer Time!

2012-07-23T21:17:00.003-04:00

It has been WAY too long since I posted.

If you read all of this you are a beast.

Last time I left you I was just starting my new position, just met a new guy, and was very grateful.

Still very grateful, but I haven't been trying as hard and it shows!

Work has been crazy. I enjoy the people I work with and I'm good at what I do, but because I work with time sensitive things like payroll and invoicing Mondays and Tuesdays are totally nuts. Luckily, I seem to be doing well and my bosses seem impressed and I am getting a handle on everything.

A few weeks ago I read at a church event called "Stories with Soul." Basically, you pick a short story and read it aloud. Our Young Adults group was doing an inter-generational month and I volunteered cause I thought it would be fun, and it was! My story was a thriller/horror and while the audience had different opinions on the story they all agreed on one thing, that my reading was awesome. Feels good! Must be all that acting and projecting I've been doing... my whole life.

That Friday we had our All Souls Prom! I had helped plan it and that day I hung out with my great friend DGR and we got a ton of booze and a ton of balloons, two of my favorite things! I made a drink called "Pink Panty Droppers" which is a lot of beer, tequila, vodka, and lemonade concentrate. Sounds gross, but I promise it is delicious and strong and every time I make it, it is a big drunken hit!

Prom was so fun, everyone had a great time and we actually ended up making some money for our charity. We really just wanted to drink and dance but we thought doing a fundraiser would make it more legit.

Balloons!!!

Vintage Prom Dress!

Then it was Memorial Day weekend and I horribly got sick and had to go to the doctor and get a bunch of meds. Luckily, they kicked and and I got to go to Washington D.C. for the night and see one of my old friends Amber (same as New Years Eve) and her boy Taylor. It is so crazy that we have been friends this long and this is the closest we've been in years! Just a quick bus ride and I get to see them. The weekend was great, we just chilled, ate dinner, had some wine on the porch, and went to the zoo the next day. It was so nice seeing an old friend.

The rest of the week was fairly uneventful. Then my beautiful friend and sister Ashley Greer came to visit! It was so great having her here and we had a great time. The best part of the weekend was when we got to go to the show "Sleep No More." It is so hard to describe the awesomeness, but basically its an adaptation of Macbeth that is interactive and you walk through the show while it happens around you in different rooms. You wear masks and no one talks. It was SO cool, and we got in with some of my connections and had free drinks and a table reserved for us as well. I felt like a boss!

Me and my beautiful friends at "Sleep No More"

We took an illegal picture! Scary!

On the walk home it was pretty late and we saw Andrew Garfield riding his skateboard through the streets! Way cool, especially when I started screaming SPIDEY! SPIDEY! And he waved at us.

Later that week I went and saw Victor at the Flea Theatre in "These Seven Sicknesses" which is 7 Sophocles plays put together as shorts into one big show. It. Was. AWESOME. The acting, the set, the costumes, the effects and obviously Victor... everything was so great. Even though the show was somewhat long I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Victor and me laughing at something after the show

On Friday I went to dinner with Tyler Ulreich and his sister Katrina and their family. They bought me dinner which was awesome and it was nice to have family time even if it wasn't my family! I traded numbers with Katrina so she would know someone in NYC.

Wow this is hard to catch up on when I haven't written in so long. I'm just going to skim over the basic things that happened to me all month.

Went on a date with a guy I met through a friend, watched one of the NBA finals games while eating sushi, had a great time.

Met up with a bunch of friends from Allsouls in Central Park, had a picnic, drank wine, talked about life. Afterwards went to a bar with two of them and met up with another 'date' I had... the dude was kinda creepy so I needed friends to balance it out. I was right, he was weird and then he was annoyed because I had brought people along. Dude... you look like a pirate. Relax. Definitely not seeing him again.

Had a trial day with a set design company. Hated it. It was 100 degrees out, there was no air, and I wasn't helping with anything design related... I was doing manual labor. Said 'fuck it' and quit after one day. Have a better internship opportunity opening up this week.

Went to Long Beach with my love Amy. Had the most amazing time. Swam in the ocean for the first time. It was cool but LAKE MICHIGAN IS A MILLION TIMES BETTER!!!!! So true. No salt, no critters. Went to a sweet bar that played 90's music, got a bunch of free drinks, went to the ocean and swam while the sun came up. The next day slept on the beach all day and then went home.

Went to a Chi Omega Alum group appreciation event on a rooftop. Had delicious food and cookies and drinks and caught up with my amazing big Jenna. Made some new friends. Love my sorority even more!

Went out with the girls at work for our bosses birthday. His driver picked us up and drove us to the party, it was awesome, we made him blast "Call Me Maybe" while we drove. Had a few drinks, then met up with Jose and went out with him and Jordan and Dylan. Had a fun night, stayed up way too late, slept the rest of the day.

Fourth of July went to New Jersey with Amy and watched the fireworks over the Hudson River! Amazing. Her friend had a balcony that we grilled on and a rooftop pool. Ate, drank, and swam all day. It was a great time.

Took Victor to see Sleep No More, also brought a friend from Grand Rapids who was visiting, Tom. Victor wasn't impressed, he thought it was much more like a ballet than theater. I got a one-on-one upstairs with a nurse who showed me a cool landscape hanging from the ceiling. Really enjoyed the blues player in the bar after the show was done. Then we got kicked out of a pizza place cause they wouldn't give us free water... oh man.

The next day hung out with Amy. Took a FEAST into the movies. Packed two grilled cheeses, cut up apples, warmed up mac n cheese in a tupperware, a gallon size bag of air-pop popcorn and two water bottles in our bags. Saw Magic Mike IT WAS AMAZING. Then when it was done snuck into Ted and it was also amazing. Had a great night, double feature with my bestie.

Last week I came home for Sarah's wedding (my roommate from college) it was a great time even though it was hot. Great party, awesome to see all my old friends. Then spent the week with the family and Andy and Aunt Maren up north in Ludington.

Now I'm back in NYC, have some things on the horizon, hoping to be able to audition a bit more and get back out there!

YOU'RE AWESOME!

100 Days of Gratitude

2012-05-18T17:01:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know, I've been practicing gratitude for about 100 days now. Every day I try to practice an hour of giving thanks, giving love, and feeling good. Granted, I don't do a full hour every day, but I've found that it is a lot easier for me to elevate my feelings now, especially when I notice that I'm not feeling very good.
And through this positive thinking and self awareness, New York City has opened up to me more than you can ever imagine. Now, a lot of what I post on this blog is the "good" stuff. I don't normally tell you the struggles, self doubt, and disappointment I have faced. And now I am proud to say that those moments are becoming fewer and less strong. I have definitely gone through some low points here in the city but I've noticed that the more I practice the more good I see and the more comes to me. It really is all how you look at it.

Last Wed. I had an audition. I had looked up the show beforehand and I was positive it was something I was perfect for. And when I got there, they loved me, and I was hired! It is called "Never Sleep Alone" a raunchy variety show and cabaret one woman show. She plays a "sex therapist" helping all the single New Yorkers get laid! Hilarious. Then I went home and worked out, worked on monologues, and literally couldn't sleep because I was so excited for the rest of the week. Sometimes I try to sleep but I start practicing monologues in my head and then I get distracted.

Thursday I worked with my organizing client. We got to a project I really enjoy-cleaning her closet. She has two closets, one is a walk in, and she also has a whole rack against her main wall for her clothes. I spent 9.5 hours going through it and folding, color coding, and figuring out how to make it all fit. For those of you who aren't anal/designers/organize freaks this may sound terrible, but I LOVED it. The whole day flew by and the only reason that I left was because I had somewhere to go. I love loving what I do.
I headed to Brooklyn to meet with the All Souls Young Adults PROM COMMITTEE. Our group is throwing a prom as a fund raiser and I'm super excited. First of all, the six people on prom committee are so fun and I'm pretty sure I have never laughed as hard as I did Thursday night (there were fake tattoos involved... and red wine) and being able to go to "prom" again with my friends and lots of booze will definitely be a great time. And it is for charity.

On Friday I went to April's again, then I had an audition. I went home and crashed for a few hours before I headed out to Little Italy to have dinner with Tyler (a friend from college) and his family. His sister is just moving into the city and I got to meet her and have some yummy dinner. It is fun to have 'family time' even when it isn't your family! (And Mom and Dad pay.. lol) They were really great and I'm excited to have another friend in the city.
Afterward, I met up with Hillary and we went to see Never Sleep Alone. I had gotten tickets to see it before I work on it... and of course who is there? My BOSS. Luckily, he is awesome and it is totally cool that we're both at this strange raunchy show the same night. We have some drinks, enjoy the show, and I head out to the after party with the girls from my table and end up meeting some interesting people... including a very attractive NYC actor. Mr. Actorman gets my number and when I'm at work the next day I get a call from him and he invites me to see a show.
He is part of an acting company at the Flea Theatre called The Bats which is not easy to get into and a great place for a non union actor to be. We saw the Serials which is five episodic shows, the audience votes and the top three get to come back the next week with a new episode and the bottom two are replaced with new shows the next week. A very cool concept and awesome shows. Afterward we went to the bar with all the actors and writers and I got to meet a bunch of people and network yay!

Sunday was Mother's Day and my FINALLY I GET A BREAK day. Things had been so totally crazy and I was exhausted. I laid around all day and then cleaned up my apartment and got groceries for everyone who was coming over on Monday.

On Monday I found out the girl who works above me put in her two weeks notice. Very sad to see her go cause I love her, but then Tuesday morning I got a call saying they don't want to hire from the outside and I got promoted... woo!

Monday night prom committee came over and I cooked a huge batch of stir fry and we made homemade margaritas and put together the invitations for prom which look awesome if I do say so myself! It was an amazing time! The friendships I've made through All Souls are hands down the best I have here, with the exception of Jordan & Co.

Tuesday I got promoted (wee!) then I went to Japanese with Jordan for her birthday. It was also another of her work friends bday so 10 of us had a bunch of sake bombs and tons of food and had a great time. The waitress was wearing a shirt that said "you only live once" and was not amused when all ten of us shouted YOLO!!!!!!!!! every time she walked by. After dinner we headed back to Dylan's and chilled, the party was over fairly early because it was a Tuesday and because... well, sake bombs. Luckily, I had held back a little, but it wasn't my birthday.

Wednesday I came to work and had my first day of training (agh!) and afterward I went up to the Upper West Side and had a voice lesson with the woman I met at church. It was so fun, her place is beautiful, and it was great to have someone helping me sing. And I sing well apparently so that was a nice confidence boost. After I headed to a meeting with some people about my acting career... without saying anything to get anyone too excited, I may have a very big opportunity opening up for me soon and I'm pretty excited about it. More on that as it comes.

Thursday I officially started training for a half marathon. I figured since I'm getting up there in mileage I might as well get a training program together and run a race. Now I just need to pick one, in mid-July. 13.1 miles! Crazy. After a day of rest, cleaning, and thinking I headed to the Access Theatre with Mr. Actorman and saw a show called Woyzeck. I liked the acting and the directing choices but the story was a bit hard to follow. When it was done we decided to go to see this weeks Serials and they were even better than last week! Hilarious.

Today I was on my way to go running when I got called into work... I'm not mad, I can use a few extra dollars and I actually do enjoy being in the office. Tonight I'm going to see another show, yay!

So things are going really well. So much acting, so many shows, great friends and opportunities and good things at work :) all it took was 100 days of gratitude. I can't wait to see what happens in the next 100 days!

Massacre: Sing to Your Children

2012-05-08T22:51:00.001-04:00

I am very jacked right now.
I just ran 6 miles and I feel AWESOME and full of energy. I got a lot of stuff done tonight.

What have I been doing...
I picked up some checks for work and met one of our clients, the owner of one of the huge nightclubs here in NYC. We chatted for a bit and traded cards, hopefully that is a great connection for me! It is all about who you know, you know!

OMG. This is so exciting... On Thursday one of my friends flew in from Michigan and brought with him two tickets to 30 ROCK LIVE! He had an extra one and brought me with him. I was in the studio where the shoot SNL! There were pictures on the wall of everyone who has participated over the years. We watched the episode filmed live, saw all the celebrities and actors, Paul McCartney was a special guest and it was AWESOME. And very inspiring. Nothing like a live show to remind you why you moved to NYC to begin with... I just can't explain how awesome it was, the energy of the crowd, excitement of everyone who was there. And if you watch the east coast show you can hear me laughing at one point. Awesome.

Marcus and me with our tickets to 30 Rock Live!

The rest of the week was fairly uneventful. I saw Titanic in 3D by myself and cried like a baby... it was awesome.
Last Wednesday I met up with one of my friends from the show I worked on because he had free tickets to see a show at the Rattlestick Theater. I had no idea what we were seeing but boy was I surprised when I got my program and it had a picture of a bloody knife on it and the show was titled "MASSACRE: Sing to your children"

...

The set was a slaughterhouse.

The show opened with BOOMING music and flashing lights and a bunch of bloody people in masks bursting through various doors. It was scary!!! But the show ended up being AMAZING (the writer was nominated for an Oscar) and the acting was fabulous, great concept and the SET. Wow. They had a working bathtub and shower. It was really cool, I loved the show and I'm so happy I got to go.

On Friday I had a meeting with a real estate broker about getting my name out there to help stage houses and organize for people. We met for drinks and even had a visit from some girls I went to college with who were visiting the city! It was awesome seeing some familiar faces.

Adrian Alums in the big city

After the girls left Ben and I decided to have dinner cause we were hungry and kinda drunk and he was paying because... well he's real estate broker in NYC so you figure that out. I had escargot! It tasted good but was definitely a little chewy. Overall, it was a great night, I have a great contact and had a delicious expensive dinner. And that was the night the moon was CRAZY! So beautiful.

The weekend was awesome. After work on Saturday I spent the night in, working. I applied for a ton of auditions and have a few this week. Sunday I went to see the Avengers. It. Was. Amazing. Just... so amazing. Movies like that are why I want to be in movies. The show was sold out and the whole crowd cheered and clapped at all the big moments. It was awesome!!! What an experience. I wish I had super powers! I guess I'll have to keep auditioning and someday I can play a superhero. That would be a dream come true.

This week I've been working a lot, getting a lot done, feeling very grateful for all I have, and getting excited about the future. I am super happy and can't wait for all that is coming my way!!! (Endorphins are great)
Hope everyone out there is feeling great as well :)
<3

Work Hard, Play Hard

2012-04-25T01:17:00.001-04:00

What a great time I've had recently!

I have been working like crazy. My job with the security company is going super great, I love my coworkers and now that I'm in the groove I'm feeling really great. They even are having me come in an extra day this week... looks like they're starting to need me! It feels good to be needed, and to be helpful.

After I work at the office, I head out to organize. I'm working on a guest room that will hopefully be rented out to people who are staying a night or two in the city. After I finish organizing I am going to help design the room and I'm pretty excited about that! Can't wait to have the before and after pictures for my portfolio. And all the hours that I log go towards me being eligible to be a Board Certified Professional Organizer.

Last Tuesday I went to the Yankee game with Jordan and some of her coworkers and it was AWESOME! She used to work for the Yankees so not only did she deck me out with a ton of gear, but she got us passes to the exclusive bars in the stadium. The played the twins, the stadium was packed, our seats were great and very cheap, and the beers were big. We also had a big bag of snacks and it was a nice 75 degree summery night... man it was a great time! I can't wait to go to another game. With $12 tickets and a 10 minute subway ride to the stadium how could you not?

On Wednesday night I led a program at church called Food and Fellowship. My topic was gratitude. We ate dinner, then talked about things we are grateful for, and then broke into small groups and discussed it further. We also wrote letters to someone we had never thanked... I actually just messaged mine to my person and his response was amazing, I made his day, and it felt great to thank someone who was so influential on my life, especially since he had no idea. It was somewhat stressful to lead the program, but overall it was a good experience. Going to All Souls always makes me feel a million times better, I love my friends in the Young Adults group AND I got a huuuuuuge lead for my organizing and design business.

On Saturday night I had a callback for a movie I auditioned for. I haven't heard anything yet but it took them a month to give me the callback so cross your fingers! Then I headed to Jordan's and we watched Game of Thrones and Entourage for a chill Saturday night.

This week has been much of the same. Working a lot, exercising, trying to get new clients. Today I was picking up checks for work and ended up meeting the owner of some big clubs here in NYC. He was impressed by my demeanor and gave me his card, saying that he has some connections and might be able to hook me up with a talent agent. Woo! So hopefully that works out.

The rest of the week is busy with work and play. I love NYC! I can never stop saying it :)

Clean Room Clean Mind

2012-04-15T17:34:00.000-04:00

Hi!
Long time no see. I say that every post, but it is always true. This might be the longest I've gone without writing. Things happened one after the other since I last posted...

March 17-24
I had a pretty uneventful St. Patty's day. I worked all day and then went home and watched TV and slept. I just didn't have the energy to do any partying. The next day I went to Jordan's and hung out, my favorite thing to do. We went shopping and I got some great deals at a few thrift stores with money my aunt sent me. Thanks Aunt Maren!

I got a vintage jacket with real leather for $15! And those coach shoes were $35, originally $100. So I was pretty excited.

I got to Skype with my little sister and she packed up a bunch of stuff to bring me when they came to visit.

The best part of this week was getting to watch my show "Wonderland" live through Skype. My Daddy set me up on the iPad and I got to see everything happen. It was a great show, the cast did amazing, and now I have a million rewrites to do! Such is the life of a writer. I'm so grateful for the wonderful technology that allows me to be there without actually being there.

Most of the week I was working, and going to rehearsals and performances for New Media. On Friday I got some extra money for babysitting my roommate's son and I spent a good solid few hours power shopping in the Queens mall. I spent $95 and got some great deals. I didn't pay full price for anything and now I actually have some good clothes to wear to work! Gotta look nice, or else bossman gets upset.

March 25-31
I woke up on Sunday and went to church, I even brought Jose (my club promoter friend.) Unitarian Universalism is such a great religion and I love spreading it to all my friends. Afterward at coffee hour I got another person interested in my organizing, so now I have 2 more potential clients! I'm excited to see where this little business I'm starting goes.

The week was work, working out, and performances as usual. Theater takes up SO much time that I didn't have much time for anything else. I did manage to head to a new dojo and take a class. I'm so excited to start up karate again! And its a pretty good deal for classes... karate is one of my favorite things to do and I missed it SO much. I can't wait to get even better and hopefully start to compete.

I also worked on my screenplay. The good thing about the time I had to kill and the people I met through New Media was I had someone on my back about writing. He told me I better bring him 2 pages and I did. That's exactly why being around people in your field is important, support and motivation.

The show closed on Friday night and I was grateful for the break. Working backstage is a good opportunity, but I definitely would prefer to either design, write, or be onstage! Good to know.

April 1-4
After a long day of working on Saturday my family came to visit! YAY! They brought me a TON of stuff from home which is awesome. Things like posters and extra clothes and some furniture, that I have lived without but definitely make my room more comfortable now.
Saturday night we went back to their hotel room and went to sleep. It was crazy, their hotel was right next to the airport and it looked like the planes were flying into our window! I've never seen anything like it and everytime a plane landed the whole family bounded to the window. We joked that we could just stay and watch planes land all vacation. We also loved it when Mom saw the "Eiffel Tower" outside the window... Mom... you mean the Empire State Building?

Sunday morning we headed to Rockefeller Center. We walked around the plaza, into some stores, including the lego store where I saw THE DEATH STAR! It was $450... I told Dad I wanted it for Christmas next year.

Sister and I at Rockefeller Center

We went to the top of the Rock which was awesome! Then after lunch we went to Times Square and walked around and shopped. The best store was the Disney Store, were Mom and I sang along to the Beauty and the Beast movie and Darcy got embarrassed. We ran through the rain and went shopping at H&M and then it was time to go home, cause we were all exhausted. Chinese food for dinner and then SLEEP.

On Monday we went down to the financial district and attempted to buy some cheap tickets from the TKTS booth but then decided they were still too much. We went to the Seaport and the pier and saw the Brooklyn Bridge. We had lunch at a diner where Darcy had one too many...

LOL my family...

And afterward we walked down to the Staten Island Ferry and rode it, we saw the Statue of Liberty. It was so cool! The water was beautiful. We headed to Battery Park after where we sat on a bench and contemplated joining the Men in Black (just like Will Smith) and also got very entertained by a hole in the dock that shot air up because of the waves. We walked back up heading toward Chinatown and saw Wall Street and all the buildings through there. We headed through China Town where Mom accidentally ate a wasabi peanut! No Mom! And I tried some dried squid. We had dinner in Little Italy at an AMAZING restaurant where we dropped a ton of money for some amazing wine and pasta. Dad even helped bring people into the restaurant after but maybe he also had one too many... We did MORE shopping cause Darce is never satisfied and then finally head home where it was leftovers and sleep.

Tuesday we headed to New Jersey so Darcy could go to Carlos Bakery (the bakery from Cake Boss). At this point I was feeling pretty worn out and sick so I just chilled on a bench and ate some pizza. I went into the bakery for 2 seconds, choose a cupcake and then left cause it was way too crowded and to me, just another bakery. But Darcy stayed and got filmed for the show! She chose a cake to "buy" from one of the ladies on the show and then when my Dad went to buy it for real they gave it to her for free. Go Darcy! What a great memory.

Darcy with her free cake! She is so cute!

We left New Jersey and went to the World Trade Center, where we walked around the memorial. The fountains are amazing and we even looked up some of the names of the people at this electronic station. It was really sad but also nice to be there. I'm excited for it to be finished and the museum to be finished so I can go again.

We started to head home and made a quick pit stop at the Empire State Building. We didn't go up just looked around. We also made a stop at the Waldorf for Mommy. After that, it was time to go home!

On Wednesday I went to work and the family went to Central Park. After work they did a little shopping while I relaxed and then we went to Target and got me a bunch of stuff for the apartment. That night Darcy and I played Super Nintendo on my huge TV in the living room and it was awesome! I also kicked her butt.

Super Mario... 1992

Thursday morning they had to leave :( SO SAD! I had so much fun being a tourist in New York City and doing all the sightseeing I haven't done yet. It makes me love the city even more and appreciate all the history. And seeing my family is always great, even if they drive me crazy. I wish they were here longer and we could all just relax and have a good time! Boo! Come back!

The rest of the week I went to work and was sick. On Saturday I just came home and crawled in bed, soooo tired.

April 8-14

On Monday after work Julie came to my apartment! It was awesome, we got to hang out and then we went into the city and went to my old restaurant for drinks. Seeing her for just a short time was great. Tuesday I slept and cleaned my apartment which was nuts after everyone visiting. By Friday I finally had everything unpacked and put away and I feel SO much better. Most of this week I have been working, cleaning, and sleeping. I did my taxes and I get a return so that is awesome! I also hung out with Dan which was fun because I hadn't seen him in two weeks. And I get to see his amazing puppy which somewhat makes up for Roxy being so far away.

Yesterday I worked all day and then Julie and her boyfriend Rohan came into town. I was exhausted from staying up late with my roommates and wanted to sleep, but we grabbed dinner first. I think not working out for the past week and a half plus no sleep really did me in because I got a KILLER migraine and was so sick I wasn't able to go out with them :( boo. But that is all the motivation I need to get back exercising because it is the one thing that keeps my headaches at bay.

Today! Today was great. I slept in, ran, showered, and made a giant to do list which I am slowly crossing things off of. Very peaceful day which is good cause I'm about to have a busy, busy week, working 2 jobs, karate, and working out. I'm also leading a program at church on Wednesday about giving gratitude! Exciting things are happening.

Also it is about to be my 7 month anniversary in NYC! Wow time flies. <3

Have a GREAT day!!!

Rehearsal

2012-03-16T16:06:00.002-04:00

Wow time flies! I have been so busy I am barely able to get on my computer to check my email.
I have been going to rehearsal every night of the week from 6:30-10 doing props for three different shows. I'm also every other crew position... we have a stage manager, an assistant stage manager, and me! It is a little bit nuts.

On Tuesday I started work at my new job and so far I LOVE it! I'm working as an assistant in an office that runs security for a bunch of clubs and bars in the NYC area. I don't want to talk about it too much cause there always seem to be bloggers that get fired for talking about their work haha but I love the people and I get to organize stuff and I have a steady job with good hours. Yay!

On Thursday Sheltie came to visit. (That would be my BFF from before high school) She was coming for a jewelry conference for school and stayed with me for a few days. We had a good time hanging out, the first night she was here we went to Jordan's apartment and watched TV and chilled with her and her roommates. There were a bunch of people over and we definitely went to the Big Gay Ice Cream store and bought every flavor of ice cream sandwich. It was delicious.
Another night, we went to the bar one night and met up with Hillary! It was a Caledonia reunion. We hit up the Ace bar for some skee ball and then went to a bar called International and played Kings.

Sheltie had to leave me on Sunday which was very sad, but I went to Jordan's and had an awesome night. I cooked her some stir fry for dinner and we enjoyed the amazing weather by wearing our sweats and playing HORSE with a half flat basketball into a garbage can and riding bikes til 3am out on the streets of NYC. God I love that girl, and I love love love New York! I can't wait for the weather to be warm all the time :)

On Monday I had work again and it went really well. I got paid from my restaurant job and decided to take Jordan out for dinner. She's such a doll and I stay at her place all the time (I even have a key) and I just wanted to show her how much I love her. Also, I didn't want to eat by myself! So we went and got sushi and ice cream.

Tuesday was so amazingly gorgeous! I opened all the windows in my apartment and cleaned off our balcony. Our balcony is so great, we have a grill and a table and chairs, it looks over the street and is covered. I just relaxed and did some writing and watched the people go by in the weather.
That night I had rehearsal and afterward I went downtown to see Dan perform. Jordan and her boyfriend Dylan came out too and we watched the comedians and bar hopped.

Wednesday was crazy. Thank god I have Jordan who helped me get ready when I was running late for work, she is truly an amazing friend. I had work and rehearsal and went home exhausted.

Yesterday after rehearsal I went to Jordan's who had a bunch of people from her work over. She's got a great place for parties and all her roommates are on spring break right now so we've been having a nutso week! Dan and his friend Adam came and hung out too so it was a real fun night.

Work, rehearsal, friend time... Life has been totally crazy but in such a good way.
Next week our shows open on Thursday soooo I probably won't be on for awhile! Ha. Crazy!
Sorry these have been short and rushed, life is SO SO GOOD!!! I love New York City and I'm so grateful to be here :)

March Madness

2012-03-04T21:35:00.001-05:00

Wow I can't believe how much time has passed since I posted last...
That rhymed.
You loved it.

SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED! And life. got. better.
I know, so crazy right?!!?!?

I have been busy busy busy and any free time I have right now I spend running, lifting and cooking so it's been hard to get to the computer for very long. But here's an update on the amazingness that is my life right now:

Most of that weekend I slept and watched TV and chilled.
Saturday night I went to Astoria and met up with the wonderful Mitchell Brown who is doing AMAZING as well, living in Hong Kong, modeling all the time, making money and loving life. He's a great friend and bought me dinner and we caught up. It was really fun to see him and chat about life and everything we are doing.

On Sunday I went to church at All Souls. After the service I talked to the woman I know (Carmen) who is a voice teacher and she introduced me to a few more people. And I GOT A JOB.
A lady at my church needed someone to help organize and design her apartment. So not only do I make my own hours but I'm working in a field I'm interested. Awesome!
After I went to brunch with the Young Adults and had a great time, we stayed for hours and I made lots of new friends :)

Monday I started my new job which was intense. She is definitely a hoarder, not the extreme that you see on TV, but it is a process working in the apartment. I have some great before and after shots though! It is so amazing to work in something that I legitimately enjoy. For those of you who don't know, professional organizing is something I've looked into as another career option as part of my interior design degree and because organizing people's stuff is something I love to do and am strangely good at.

I spent the rest of the week I working at her apartment and doing various activities at night keeping my life crazy busy, but fun.

On Tuesday I had another interview (working in ticket sales) and on Wednesday night I went to the "How I Learned" series downtown which is a storytelling series. It was really fun and I went with some of the people I met through church so that was even better.

On Thursday night I went to Jordan's work. She works at Living Social which has an awesome office, full of snacks and toys. Then we went to her apartment and just hung out. Her roommates are so fun and I always feel welcome there. We had some spicy pasta, shot the shit, and had a great time.

Friday after work I went to Amber which is a sushi place with my New York City Chi O big! We had an amazing time getting to know each other and talking Chi Omega and New York, and we're both so excited to have a Big/Little relationship here in the city. And the sushi rolls were AMAZING! I am craving some right now, I want to go back! Yum!

On Saturday I worked in the morning and after 6 days of work, going out, and working out I was POOPED! So I was laying around but got convinced by comedian Dan (I met him when Gab's came to visit and he was in the show) to go see his comedy show. I arrived and had the standard two drinks while enjoying all the comics. He was hilarious as usual but there were some drunk bitches next to me that would NOT shut up. They were so obnoxious that multiple comics gave them shit. It finally got to the point where I couldn't even hear and other audience members were getting pissed. One of the comics came over and told them to be quiet and finally I was like "would you please SHUT UP!" and they LEFT! Hahaha. Get a few drinks in me and watch out I don't take any shit. Plus they left full shots behind so all of us got a free drink.

Sunday morning I slept all day and didn't do anything until I watched the Oscars. (The Artist... was boring in the middle. I don't care what people say. They could have lost some of the drama toward the end and the movie still would have made sense.)

Monday was my last day of work before my bosslady left for Spain for the week. After I worked I had rehearsal!

I'm doing sound and props for the New Media Repertory theatre, the same place I'm taking classes. All the actors are in the union and watching them is awe inspiring and amazing because they are so good. I'm definitely learning a lot.

That week I had rehearsal every night. I spent my free time cleaning up my stuff, working out and lifting, working, and accepting and turning down job offers!

I got both jobs I interviewed for... no surprise... haha... so I took the one at the security company, working IN the office with the really cool people I met during my interview. I start on Tuesday and I'M PUMPED!

I turned down the ticket representative job for many reasons, it looked like a crappy job, the hours didn't work for my schedule, and the pay sucked! Plus I liked the other one better. It feels very cool to be able to turn down an offer.

Wednesday I had writing class which was very informative and interesting. I always come out of there with a million ideas!

On Thursday I went and hung out with comedian Dan for a bit and met his AMAZING puppy. She is so adorable I want to die. She's a pit dalmatian mix and totally delicious. Ever since Juno (shoutout to the 945 house) I'm obsessed with pits and would totally get one. Especially one as cute as Tess or as loving as Juno!

Afterward I went to Food and Fellowship which is a Young Adult event to eat and connect and discuss a topic. This weeks was about the body and spirituality and we did meditation and a 'trance dance.' I really enjoyed it and it was nice to talk deeply about the mind/body/spirit connection because I think a lot of people separate them when they're really all one. And since I've been working out steadily and got into a good exercise habit I'm starting to focus on my diet and nutrition which makes me so much more aware of my body and what I'm putting in it and how I feel.

That gets us to this weekend!

On Saturday I got up early and went to the Upper East side where I volunteered with Achilles International. This is a group for disabled runners/joggers/walkers that need assistance or a buddy so they can exercise. It was a great way to volunteer and get my workout in, I ran 4 miles with a man named John and another volunteer, Kim. Central park is a bitch on the hills! But it felt great!

I got home and cleaned and organized my closet. I can never get enough, especially in NYC, there's such limited space and I always want things to fit perfectly. My closet looks awesome now! Then I ran some errands and came back and took a nap.

I went to the restaurant and picked up my second to last check (thank god) and was poured full of martinis, crab cakes, and steak. Definitely need to go back and visit more often. When the servers got off work we went to a bar nearby and had shots while we watched the fight. VICIOUS!

This morning I got up and went to church, then to brunch after with the Young Adults. I'm starting to recognize people now and really make some great connections, plus everyone is so friendly and interesting. They're smart! Just a great group of people.

I went to bossladies apartment then came home and lifted. Then I watched some Survivor (omg hot men GALORE!) and now here I am. Not much to do... amazed at all my free time! Damn. I'm ready to start working again.

WOW! Life is great, life is good, and I'm so happy. Can't wait to see what this week has in store... maybe I'll get some sushi!

<3

Love, Church, and Rangers

2012-02-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday.

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

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

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

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

Thursday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Early morning in Times Square!

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

LOVE YA!

Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T23:54:00.000-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh you want to read? Please click here :)

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

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

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

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

-I Wish I knew How it Was to Be Free

So good!!!

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for reading :D

New York, damn, I love you.

Superbowl Sunday

2012-02-05T23:59:00.000-05:00

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

New York City I LOVE YOU!

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

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

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

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

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

Four Month Anniversary!

2012-01-30T13:45:00.000-05:00

January 28th was my four month anniversary with this beautiful city, and I definitely celebrated in style.

This week I spent my time working and getting ready for Gab! Her flight got in at 8am Saturday morning and the first thing we did was go back to bed. We spend most of the day hanging out and catching up. It is so nice to have a good, close friend here, especially someone like Gab who is just like me and knows me so well. Who would've thought when I was intensely rushing her to go Chi O she would become my little and one of my closest friends.

So attractive

Saturday night Gabs and I got ready to go out to a late comedy show. One of my regulars from the restaurant comped me 4 tickets to see him perform! I invited Jake (my old roommate from Brooklyn) and his girlfriend to come along with us. As we got ready we blasted some party music and decided maybe we should pregame. Being poor kids we decided to help ourselves from the extensive liquor cabinet of my roommate... Gosh I hope he never reads this. We justified it by saying that he always offers me his food and drink, and the fact that he has like 20 bottles of dusty liquor that clearly haven't been used in a long time.

We headed to the show at Caroline's, a famous comedy club on Broadway. We got into the showroom and were seated right next to the stage. Literally. I could have used the stage as my table.

We had a few drinks and the show went a couple hours. It was a great time, the comedians were funny and we had a lot of fun. Afterward we got to hang out with the comedians. We went to a bar and then to the after party. We met some pretty cool people and I traded business cards with a couple... even out on a Saturday night I'm always working! One of the comedians has a production company and while everyone was drinking we were talking business. Good times.

Gab and I with two of the comedians. Yes, he picked me up.

After a loooong night Gabs and I got home at 11am. We slept all day and got up to get ready for work. I brought Gabs with me, expecting a very slow Sunday night. The staff on Sunday is always fun and somehow we got even MORE spoiled than usual. Gabs and I had calamari, chicken francese and green beans, and cheesecake for dessert. We chilled, gossiped, and I even taught her how to use the computer. It was a fun hangout night since the restaurant was so dead. After a long, fun filled weekend, we came home and snuggled up on the couch and watched The Notebook. Gabs didn't want to watch the end but I MADE HER! And we cried. Don't act like you don't sob when you watch that movie.

Today we had big plans to go out but we ended up sleeping and watching MTV. I have to work later and Gabs has to get prepared for the big audition tomorrow! Woo woo! She's gonna be GREAT and I can't wait to take her out and celebrate on Wednesday night.

Ooh New York, how I love you. Happy Anniversary <3

My Nonexistent January.

2012-01-27T14:07:00.000-05:00

Hello!!!!
Well it's almost the end of the first month of the year (of the last year ever?! oh no!) and I have about nothing to show for it thanks to a sinus infection.
My last post I was hoping to get better and even though I was sleeping and not doing anything but going to work, I did not get better, I just got worse! MEH! So after going to the doctor and being diagnosed I have been taking tons of antibiotics and hoping that February is much more exciting.
So really, nothing much to say to everyone. Mostly this whole month I have been sleeping ridiculous amounts, going to work, and reading.
Thanks to a friend I saw the entire first season of "Game of Thrones" which got me hooked on the books (again). They are so addicting! I'm reading number one for probably the fourth time. Luckily, I made my boss download it on his iPad so I can only read it at work when we're slow, which is good because when I get one of George R. R. Martin's books I become a hermit and am not seen for days while I finish it.
I also just finished an amazing book called "Something Missing" by Matthew Dicks. We're reading it for our Chi Omega book club and I spent a rare late night finishing it because I couldn't put it down.
I'm getting ready for a very exciting week, Gabrielle, my sorority Little is coming to visit tomorrow to audition for graduate school! Can't wait to see her and have a friend to show around the city.

Other than that, I've been practicing giving gratitude for everything I have. It is amazing how good you feel when you start to appreciate all the blessings in your life. And since I started doing it, the subway always comes right when I arrive... I haven't had to wait more than five minutes for a train... crazy.

So here are some words from Rhonda Byrne's book "The Power" all about giving thanks:
"Thank you for my life.
Thank you for the harmony.
Thank you for the joy.
Thank you for the fun and excitement.
Thank you for the wonder of life.
Thank you for everything wonderful and good in my life.
Be grateful,
Gratitude costs you nothing."

Thanks to all the amazing people who have influenced my life, who have supported me, and who have helped me grow. I love you!

Hopefully my next update will bring exciting news. Auditions were just held for "Wonderland" (the children's show I wrote) so maybe I'll be able to post the cast list for you :)
Have a wondrous day!

Resolute.

2012-01-14T18:16:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
What a great start to the year! Mostly, I have been taking it easy as I get healthy again. After my last entry I ended up talking to an old, old friend about a film company where he was recently hired. He is the Vice President in charge of all the business of the company and I pitched him an idea for a screenplay which he LOVED so now I'm on a deadline as a paid writer to finish researching and writing so that hopefully my movie can get produced this summer. It is a small independent company but... HECK YES! Very exciting.

Which meant that I officially had to knuckle down and finish "Wonderland" (info and tickets for the show can be found at the Caledonia Community Players Website). It was mostly done but I added a few more lines, polished it up and sent it off to my director. Now I'm going to let it sit on the back burner for a few months while they produce it in Michigan and then hopefully I can shop it around and get that baby published. Wouldn't that be fantastic?

I've decided that I want to share my "resolutions" with you. I use the word resolutions very lightly because I believe the transformation I've been going through has been happening for a long time now and I'm already in the middle of a journey, but who can't say they aren't inspired by the beginning of a new year. So in light of the new year I am doing my best to become the person that I want to be. Now, I already think I'm pretty awesome... I like Star Wars, write a lot, have some great friends and an awesome family, but I'm concerned with how I spend my free time (and how everyone does, cause I'm nosey like that).
Have you ever really thought about what you want out of life? I have big goals and I'm slowly but surely working my way through a great learning process and my career seems like it is on the right path.
But what about every day? One of my "resolutions" is READ MORE BOOKS! I love, love, LOVE reading. And hand in hand with this comes-stop watching so much TV. So today, I went out and finally got my NYC Public Library card. And proceeded to check out five books and a DVD. Five intellectual books and a really crappy girly movie (okay it is Sex and the City 2, don't judge me!) but I promise my book pile is about spiritual growth, the problems with my generation, and how to live well... smart people books. And I also picked up a flyer with all the free programs the NYC library has to offer and I was probably drooling on the train. Architecture, poetry, theater and genealogy! So many amazing classes that I want to sign up for. For FREE! Why didn't I do this sooner? (Oh right because you need a permanent address to get a library card). Anyway, I'm super excited about it, going to the library always puts me in an amazing mood.

Along with the library, and the free programs, I want to experience the city while I live here (resolution numero dos?). Last Saturday I decided to go out with Jordan and I headed down to her apartment. To put it bluntly, the trains were fucked. I got so frustrated (and it wasn't just me, they had an MTA worker down there just to help us because everything was so messed up) that I almost just went back to my apartment. Then I took a deep breath and thought "I'm missing everything NYC has to offer being down here anyway. Its sixty degrees out, maybe I should just walk the 20 blocks and stop being a baby."
What a great idea! I came out right near Washington Square where I heard some amazing banjo music, pianos, and saw so many people enjoying the wonderful weather. I also saw a man doing art on the ground that I recognized from ArtPrize! That was the best part, because I got to chat with him about Grand Rapids, and it gave me a weird sense of home to see him there. How random that I ended up running into him on my way to Jordan's.
I was all smiles as I people watched on my way. The city was BUSTLING because of the sunshine. And that night we went to Johnny Utah's which is a country bar with a mechanical bull and had a great time surrounded by cowboys. It was like being at home! Okay not really, but it was surreal to be in the heart of NYC in a country bar.

Other transformations (resolutions?) I'm making include:
Working out... although that's not really something new, that was just put on hiatus while I settled in the city. And until I recover from this illness.
Cooking again! And working on my health in general. I learned too much recently about the crap that we put in our bodies to eat bad food for too long... besides, my stir fry is better than any fast food you're ordering.
Keeping in contact with people I care about. Showing everyone who is important to me how much they truly mean to me...

So we will see how this works out! RESOLUTELY! Haha.

So now I want to ask you... what did you do today that you are proud of?
((Do you really want to spend your life at a job you hate solely for the purpose of making money, only to come home tired and watch TV?)) Okay maybe not everyone lives like that but I feel like a majority of us do.
To me, TV is the biggest devil. While there is quality programming with good writing and real actors... don't act like you're not watching crap. AND I'M GUILTY TOO, I gotta practice what I preach. Small doses. Balance. When someone asks you what you did today do you really wanna say "I watched TV" or maybe say you... went to the library, took a walk, went hiking, to a museum, read a book, spend time with an old friend, or even just took a great afternoon nap.
These are the things I'm thinking about right now, and I'm hoping that maybe you'll take it to heart and play a board game. Maybe, you'll call me up tonight instead of watching TV and you'll save ME from my television as well. We can be TV free buddies.

Weird post. Hope you liked it. Maybe I should change the name of my blog from "Life of an Actress" to "Life of an actress/writer/blogger/artist/dreamer Who Thinks Way Too Much and has a Really Weird Positive View on Everything"
But maybe that's too much.

PEACE OUT KIDS! Haha now I'm going to watch my movie... wah wah. Hey I said TV not movies, and it's due back in 4 days.
LOVE!

Twenty.Twelve.

2012-01-07T01:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Happy New Year my loves!
Well the end of 2011 was quite the rollercoaster. I am loving the whole entire concept of starting over because 2011 can SUCK IT. All the shit that went down, I am ready to release that from my life and I can say for sure that so far 2012 looks like it will kick some ass.

So the week leading up to Christmas I spent a lot of time working and sleeping and watching TV. Work is a great place to be sometimes. When we got bored me and my boss would talk to each other on the phones at the front desk. Yah, we're that cool. We also stand at the hostess stand and play games on our phones/iPads. In plain sight.
I also get to leave for auditions when I want, and I had one during work. I headed out and after I put my name on the waiting list I started wandering around the theater. For some reason I feel like I have the right to just explore random theaters because I basically grew up in one. The good thing was I started chatting with some people there and met an acting coach and a producer! Both leading to opportunities, one called me up and said that I should send him my resume and shots from set design because they need a designer on their team.
I could have just sat in the waiting room like everyone else, but I wandered around and found an opportunity. Even if I don't get the part I can still say it was a successful audition.
The day before Christmas I watched Pokemon with my 7 year old roommate, met a friend and mentor for coffee (making moves) and went to a boring day of work.
After, I headed out on the town with Jordan, went to WIP which was LAME again. We had fun with it though and then she took me to her friends apt. Let me just say he was a New York Ranger, I watch him play on TV and he was a major DBAG. Good to know. Professional athlete thought he was too cool for school.
Then we found out after we left the club BEYONCE went there.
I can't even comment on that. If you know anything about me you know how I reacted. FML.

My Christmas Eve was spent with myself. All day I indulged in guilty pleasures and watched trash TV and ate and laid around. I spend Christmas Eve by myself, awesome. I did get to Skype with the family party which was pretty cool!
I had to get up damn early to catch my flight but it was AWESOME to be home. Man, I missed the comforts of living with my parents and a car and just everything that being at home is about. But it is good to know that I can survive without them... kinda... they might send me food and rent money but whatever I'm 23, don't judge.
Anyway, home was great. I saw "We Bought a Zoo" with Matt Damon (love) and saw ELLA my little sister and part of my second family, went shopping, and spent some awesome time rocking out on rock band with my bff and Darcy.
After a way too short vacation I came home and was super sad to leave, but it was great being back in my city. I didn't have much time to be sad because I had to clean my shit up and get ready for the millions of people coming to see me for New Years!
Andy, Vince, and their friend Aaron came up as well as Amber and Tay. And what an amazing New year's it was.
After the boys got here we went and picked up our tickets for the party we were going to, then we walked around Times Square which was CRAZY and I will NEVER EVER do that on NYE, people were already in line at TWELVE NOON WTF!??! Macy's Day Parade was enough for me. Then we came home and napped, Amber and Tay got here and we all had dinner, and then we got ready for NEW YEARS EVE!
All of us headed to Revival where we had drinks, appetizers, and fun! We met up with Zack and his friends and by the time everyone got there half the bar was part of the group we brought there.
It was an amazing New Years Eve with amazing friends and I feel really great about the future!

Group Picture!

Our sexy NYE hats

First picture of the New Year! Mehrrr :)

Group shot!

Priceless

Hands down my favorite picture of the night!

Oh goodness it was hard to choose what pictures to put up!!!! It was such an amazing night :)

After everyone left I was bummed, and I've spent the rest of the week working, sleeping, and trying to figure out what I wanna focus on in the New Year. I hung out with my love Jordan, got over a cold, and I'm feeling pretty great today and super excited for the rest of January and this year! YAY!
I'm so super thankful for all of the love and support from everyone, especially from the girls that have had my back a lot recently. Special shout out to NETTY and AMBLER! While I have some amazing friends and family, you two have been such a bright spot in my life recently, thank you!!!!
But you're all awesome and I'm so proud to have such great people in my life :D
So far 2012 has been a happy year, lets keep it that way!

Happy New Years loves!

I've Got It All Figured Out?

2011-12-21T15:47:00.000-05:00

Hello!!!!!
Do I have so much to tell you! Thank you to everyone who has been asking where I've been, great to know that people are reading :) Love you guys!
There are many reasons why I have taken so long to post, I've been dealing with some crap and it was just easier not to write. Also, the longer I waited the scarier it got because I knew it would take me forever to get this post up! But today is the day and I'm going to tackle this monster and let you all know what has been up in the Life of Laura for the past month.

Week One... The beginning of December.
We left off at Thanksgiving, and me on the verge of a new move. On Tuesday I took a giant suitcase and backpack full of stuff to my new apartment in Queens. This was an experience. As I took it through the subway I realized that I would have to drag the beast suitcase down and up the stairs four times, because I had to switch trains. I got through it by thinking "just move one step at a time and DON'T BE GRUMPY" and this seemed to help. My positive thinking brought me a friendly helping hand from a man I met who helped me carry the suitcase down one of the flights of stairs (although getting it down was the easy part... up is the hard part. But I was thankful) and we chatted, he was a high school teacher and artist. When I got to my new place I dumped my stuff, half went in Doug (my roommates) room and half went in the coat closet. Then I sat down on the couch and got stuck watching "Catch Me If You Can" for 1/2 an hour... whoops! That's my biggest challenge here, not getting stuck watching TV. Although it helps when Ahmed (my other roommate) watches en espanol. Or watches soccer. Because both of those do not interest me.

Most of the week I spent working, and chatting with my customers. I met an old man who used to work as a security guard and talked to me for two hours, and left me a (fake) $500 bill. The strange things I receive at my job are endless. I also had our printer telling me all night that he was going to buy me diamonds. Now that can happen anytime!
Friday Sarah had her final dress fitting, and she looked amazing. Then, we went home and it was MOVING DAY! Big, big shoutout to Sarah and Jordan who were dolls and helped me move! I packed everything into bags and some suitcases and when I saw it all I said "eff it" and called a car service to take us back to Queens. Sometime during the packing I found out that one of my old roommates (not Sarah...) had drank 2 of my beers and that caused a little fight. Good thing I was leaving! But seriously, even if I owe you money that doesn't make it okay to eat/drink any of my food. Not cool man.
The thing was, I had absolutely no furniture in my room at ALL. So unpacking ended up looking like this...

Home Sweet Home?

Whoops. That is another one of the reasons it has taken me so long to write... I was digging myself out of the mess. OMG I LOOK LIKE A HOARDER! Awesome.
After Sarah and Jordan and I had unloaded, Sarah and I went to Target to get some things. I bought a new comforter which is SO DELICIOUSLY CUTE (pictures to come) and we also saw some to die for owl bathroom stuff, and a girl getting choked out by a security guard. Only in NYC. Afterwards, for the first time, we went to our separate apartments and it was SO SAD! Boo. I miss living with Sarah already.
Now, of course I went home, looked at that mess, and instantly packed a bag and headed to Jordan's, where I spent Friday and Saturday night. I even have a toothbrush at their place now. We spent the weekend going out, sleeping, eating, and just avoiding life in general.

The reason I say this, is because at this point I was dealing with some personal stuff and it was pretty hard. Going out with Jordan was a fun way to get my mind off everything, but eventually I had to deal.
Although generally have a pretty positive outlook on life, many people don't know that I have been struggling a lot for about a year now, with feeling lost and wondering what to do with my life. Up until college you have everything figured out for you and then you're just expected to take the next steps yourself. That first summer after graduation I was working a lot on film and things were going well, and sometime around November I lost my motivation and I've been working to get it back. One thing I want to say is, it is OKAY to ask for help, and I would know because going to therapy for awhile was a big decision I made in my life, and it was a good one. Sometimes you need to talk to a professional about everything, and that is not a bad thing.
Recently, I have been forced to really evaluate what I want to do, and while I still deal with self doubt, I'm going to continue to pursue my acting career because it is something I am passionate about.
The bad thing is, my underlying negative attitude has caused me to lose important people in my life, and this was brought into focus to me the week after Thanksgiving. I was blatantly told by a very close friend that "you get what you give" and I was bringing a lot of my misery on myself.
Through this whole experience, and especially this past few weeks, I have really realized who my true friends are. I have some amazing people in my life and these are the people who love you no matter what. These are the people who listen to all my shit and all my complaining and they stick around. They know that there is good and there is bad and they are still by my side, they say all they want is for me to be happy and they love me. I am not taking it for granted anymore and I realize that I am the only person that can make myself happy and every day I am working on my positive feelings. So here's a thank you to all of those people, especially the girls who have listened to me the past few weeks (you know who you are, I love you).

That brings us to Week Two... cutting off...
Now, that being said, after the weekend I realized that I haven't been a very good friend to a lot of people lately, and also that I just wasn't in the position to support anyone else, because I was still figuring myself out.
This, along with the fact that I spent wayyyy too much time on it, and wanting to avoid seeing information about certain people led me to turn off my Facebook on Sunday. And wouldn't you know, I ended up with this...

Blankets on the floor... hobo style

It is amazing what I have gotten done without Facebook to distract me. My room looks even better (more to come later in the post) I mean, that gross rug is gone! And I have been writing a LOT more. My notebook has filled with some amazing stuff, and "Wonderland" (the children's play I am writing, adapted from Alice and Wonderland) has evolved wonderfully as well. All the crap that I have been feeling translates really well to paper, in the form of poems, song lyrics, and stories, and with a few of my connections I'm hoping to either write a song or write a play and put all the emotion into my art. The good thing about pain and heartache is that it makes me a much better writer and artist.
I am still somewhat connected, using Twitter a lot because you can only spend so much time on Twitter! Haha.
I spend the rest of the week cut off from the world, turning off my phone, spending my time unpacking, writing, applying for auditions, and working. Until Thursday night when the weekend started and Sarah came to my work to hang out. We sat at the bar and the bartender made us drinks (free, the best kind) and we got some french fries. I forget how much fun it is to chill at work, when you can get lots of yummy food and drinks whenever you want. We helped out by folding napkins for the waiters and then were on our way home when we started talking to some guys and went out for a drink. The best part about going out with SayJ is that she's always like "I'm engaged" and I'm like MORE FOR ME! Haha I don't really say that... or do I? Anyway, our new friends were Derek and Larry, and Larry is a security guard so he has met millions of celebrities (he kindly showed us all the pictures) and then we decided it was KARAOKE TIME! Oh yah I love me some karaoke.
We went to a Korean karaoke bar where you get your own room and they bring you snacks (cheese balls wtf lol) and drinks and you have microphones and you just sing along to any song you want. It was a BLAST. We sang all night and I didn't get home until 5am. On the way home I was writing on the train... I'm such a New Yorker haha.
I slept most of the day Friday and then headed to Jordan's to get ready for Santacon the next day. We were just going to have a chill night and go to bed, but of course we ended up going to Cipriani's for dinner with Jose... and then we went to meet up with my love Zack (and his friends) who were visiting from Syracuse.
This is a great story. Our cab driver wasn't paying attention and almost took Jordan and I all the way uptown, but I caught it and we ended up being a little past where we wanted to go so we had to walk back. On the way, some random dudes were like "heyyy ladies, do you need an escort?" and we were like, sure why not. They asked us where we were headed and we told them the Ace bar (where Zack and co. where), and lo and behold they were heading to the same bar! After about five steps I realized that one of them looked familiar and I was like "do you know Zack Zollars?" IT WAS HIS FRIENDS! What are the odds?! For some reason they were like, blocks away from the bar and just happened to meet up with us as we were both heading there. Crazy.
Jordan and I called it an early night (2 am haha) because Saturday was... SANTACON.

"Santacon is a non-denominational, non-commercial, non-political and non-sensical Santa Claus convention that occurs once a year for absolutely no reason." -Taken from the NYC Santacon Website.

Basically, Santacon is a "holiday" where people from all over the world (not just NYC) get dressed up as Santa (or various forms of Santa/holiday attire) and get DRUNK. Also, they collect toys and food for charity. But that takes just a second, in between all the drunkenness.
And it was amazing.
I don't even know how to describe it but I will post some pictures and videos for you... maybe you will get half of the effect of Santacon. Basically, you check the Twitter and they Tweet where to meet up, then every few hours the location moves, so we went from downtown to city park to the subway, then the official Santacon when to Grand Central Station while we stayed in the East Village. Thousands of Santas all over the city, it was SO FUN and you should come next year!

Jordan and I so cute at the start of our day

My beard is SEXY

Deadmau5 Santa complete with beard

Santa on the move

Santa in the subway!

Friends

Santa cuties!

I took two videos for you guys cause I wanted to try and capture some of the experience... it was so crazy. Jordan and I started at about 2pm and we were out until 8. We came back and napped and then Zack and co. got into the city so I got up again and went out. By 10 most of the Santa party had filtered out, although you still saw at least one in every bar. I was one of the last ones standing... go me! I partied for a full 12 hours.

Late night Santa tree climb. This is the
only time the red sweatpants will
EVER see NYC.

Then it was time for BED.

Week three... it can only go up from here...

Sunday, after sleeping all day I headed to work which was boooring. Not much happens on a Sunday night. So I spent two hours doing what I do best, decluttering. My job centers around the hostess stand and the coat closet, both of which were stuffed with CRAP. It makes my job harder because I can't fit coats/bags into the closet (which is how I make tips) and cause I can never find anything. So I went through it with my manager and threw away 2 large garbage bags full of junk. I also ended up with 3 brand new cds (Mike Posner, Pink, Santana) 5 new scarves (wash them and BAM fashionable) nail polish, $12, and a nice portfolio carrier for my headshots and resumes. Pretty good haul.

Afterward I headed out to Cipriani's for dinner and karaoke, even though I'm trying to cut down on my drinking and partying (not what I came to NYC to do) and after awhile I just realized that it wasn't my scene (no Jordan that night) and I headed out. I knew that getting better and focusing on my acting and my happiness was more important to me than drinking, and I've turned down all the parties since.

Monday I slept and then I went to work. It was another slow night, but my regulars Fred and Gene came in and had dinner. They insisted that I sit with them so for about an hour and a half of my shift I just sat down and had dinner. It was kinda weird being waited on by my coworkers, but I had been super bored and the food was delicious, and they insisted that I could have whatever I wanted! Awesome.

Then Ashley came to visit me and we stayed up way too late talking. It was nice to catch up :) Tuesday morning I had to work, then Ashley and I attempted to find some cookie dough to make cookies for book club that night. We were going to the monthly Chi Omega book club and that night they were having a Christmas cookie exchange. We didn't have any luck so we headed home and got ready.

Now, our book club meets at the same place every month and this was the first one I was able to attend so I didn't really know what to expect. But WOW

This lady lives on Park Avenue. If you know anything about NYC you know that this is a very rich area. We stepped into their home and I was breathtaken. It was a two story apt complete with a twisting staircase, library, and amazing view. Our host was like "oh yes from the 2nd story you can see the Chrysler building." So nonchalant. UM HELLO?!?!?! THE CHRYSLER BUILDING?!?!

Ashley looked in the living room and was like "um I'm pretty sure I studied that painting in art history class." We were in a home that had paintings that could pay our student loan debt 4 times over. Nuts. I was expecting cheese and crackers and we had an entire catered table of hors d'oeuvres made by their housekeeper/maid, complete with grilled shrimp and fresh fruit. Needless to say, I couldn't believe it. But all the women were fabulous of course, and even though we didn't read the book we had a great time.
By the middle of the week I was exhausted. My work schedule had been all over the place, doing morning shifts and night shifts really messes with my head. I was in a pretty bad place that was amplified by my exhaustion (I figured later that I worked 6 days in a row, with one day off, then 6 more days in a row, yuck!) and the fact that I didn't have a bed and was still sleeping on the couch in a public room in the house didn't help. Having no room and then having a room with no bed for 2 1/2 months had not been easy on me and I just wanted to be alone. After I worked I went home and SLEPT, ordered pizza, watched TV, and was sad for a day. I let myself bask in the feelings, and be emo, and not talk to anyone for the day. And all my friends were so helpful and supportive... and I just slept.
Thursday I woke up and that was it. I was done with the sad, and done with the questioning, and from now on I am focusing on today and positivity and looking ahead. And... I GOT MY BED.

LOOK AT MY COMFORTER!
Yes, Eeyore has a Santa hat on.

I found this behind my closet door, apparently no one has closed
it for months, haha. There was a dinosaur in there.

What an amazing, amazing, amazing feeling. The guy from the car service didn't complain at all and then he helped me carry the whole bed upstairs! Good tip for him. I cleaned, vacuumed, set up the bed, and was SO HAPPY! The bed has done wonders in my life, you don't realize how important something like a bed is until you don't have one for months. THANK YOU SARAH!
That night, Sarah, her brother Phil, and his friend Spencer all crashed at my place, because we were moving Sarah out the next day. We ate Chinese food, pizza, cookies and watched "How to Make it in America" WHICH HBO CANCELLED AND I'M SUPER PISSED ABOUT THAT!!!!!!!!!! Boo.
Then Sarah and I tried to sleep.... ha that never happens, whenever we're in the same room we always stay up too late talking, just like in college. We're like "okay.. .time to sleep.. for real.. ONE MORE THING!" Haha.
We got up at the crack of dawn, well earlier than that actually, the sun wasn't even up yet, and headed to Brooklyn with the van Sarah got to pack everything up. It only took us about 45 minutes to load everything up and then I said goodbye :( so sad! Although I did end up with two bags of stuff (trashcan, bowls, soup, hangers) for my apartment so that was exciting. I looked like a crazy bag lady on the subway home with my 6am hair, no makeup, basketball shorts, leather jacket and bags of junk.
I spent the rest of the weekend SLEEPING. I decided to be happy I needed a real schedule and no more partying all night. I was awake for 9 hours total on Saturday lol... woke up at 1pm and went to bed at 10pm. In between my hours of sleep I got Christmas presents, sent out Christmas cards, watched a lot of How I Met Your Mother, and just laid around. It was wondrous.
That brings us toooooooo...

Week Four: PRESENT DAY.
This week. Sunday I cleaned and worked, but most importantly, I started working out again.
Monday I went to the Post Office (never again) it was NUTS! And then I went grocery shopping for the first time which was AMAZING because I found a REAL SUPERMARKET AHHHH! This is such a big deal because there is no Meijer or Walmart here, there are only Trader Joe's/Whole Foods which have expensive organic food that I don't recognize or there are bodegas which have Oreos for $5. I found a Met food that has brands I know, lots of variety, good prices, and it's close. Buying food was so exciting. Also, I love that I'm 23 and now I can just buy candy whenever I want... will that ever stop feeling cool? Remember when your parents wouldn't let you buy candy from the 25 cent machine? Why is that something that excites me now? Haha.
I also have been making a lot of New Years Eve plans, and am excited for Amber, Tay, Andy, Vince and Zack to come visit! It's going to be a great time!
Yesterday, I woke up and went to an audition, which was super fun. I need to start going on a lot of those again and it just reminded me why I'm here in the first place. I came back and did laundry which was quite the adventure.
Picture this: I haven't done laundry in about a month, and this is the first time I'm doing it here in Queens. I walk the fiveish blocks with my giant Ikea bag full of clothes to the laundromat. Load my shit. Get out my bag of $10 of quarters. There is no coin slot. You have to put your money onto a little "debit" card specially made for the washers/dryers. Okay, nbd, except THE MACHINE DOESN'T TAKE QUARTERS! Only bills. I have $5, which is what you need to get a card... except they take $2 as a deposit. So now I'm stuck with $3 (only enough for one wash load) and $10 of quarters... I had to go to the ATM and the whole time I was thinking THINK POSITIVE DON'T COMPLAIN haha. I eventually figured it out and my clothes are clean and in the closet but, wtf kind of laundromat doesn't take quarters? Seriously.

After doing laundry and feeling so proud of myself for being such a real person, I went to work where I found out I'm going to be trained as a cocktail waitress soon. This could be good or bad, its a lot of work but hopefully it will mean more money. We will see.
So there you go! I'm caught up on sleep, I'm caught up on this blog, and I've been writing for like 2 hours, so I hope you guys enjoy it.

New York City, I love you. I wish my family was here though. To experience days like the other day when I got on the subway and saw a guy looking at a camera that it was fairy clear he had just stolen. And while I was watching him a woman sat down next to me and she looked perfectly normal, an older woman, but then every 30 seconds she would just CRACK UP laughing. Then she would stop. Then she would CRACK UP again, shake her head, and stop. Weirdest thing ever.

So here's my advice for you on getting yourself out of a bad mood, as read by Rhonda Byrne in "The Power." When you have bad feelings think of them as wild horses. So there's an angry horse, a grumpy horse, an irritable horse, and so on. When you feel a bad feeling say to yourself "why did I get on the grumpy horse?" And picture it. It will make you realize that YOU are the one getting on the horse and YOU can get off it again. Also, when someone else is grumpy/irritable/sad to you, picture them on the horse and usually it will make you laugh. It is a great way to not take those feelings so seriously and to laugh your way out of a bad mood. I did this yesterday when one of our waiters was harsh to me and OMG it was hilarious to picture this guy on a wild horse. Try it!