Half a Mile Away

Half a mile away isn’t really all that far. According to Google maps it’s only a 15 minute walk. Usually you can go that far and be in the same neighborhood you started out in with this city.

In my case I’ve moved a half a mile away (alright, 7/10ths of a mile) and have moved from the border of Chinatown on the LES to the border of Chinatown in Nolita/Soho, and already things are changing in a big way.

Sure, there’s the obvious changes: Now I pay a higher rent, live closer to a lot more subway lines, and bathe in my kitchen (yes, I went for the apartment with the tub in the kitchen counter; for more details see previous post). I no longer wake up to an international house of pancakes going on outside my bedroom as people speaking Norwegian, Swedish, and Pretentiousartist eat breakfast together and loudly try to understand each other.

(Breakfast at my place)

But there’s another big change: This place has been blessed by Joel. Not only does Mulberry Street get it’s name in one of his cherished song titles (I live on the corner of a street intersecting with Mulberry), but in the 24 hours since I’ve moved in, Billy has sent a ton of great things my way. Since moving in yesterday I have gotten two phone calls asking me to come in for job interviews, a offer for single babysitting gig, eaten homemade cupcakes via my new roommate, had a great 24 hours with mom, and watched TV on an actual television. I have to say, cup cakes are a lot more welcoming than a dead mouse when moving into a new place.

(Picture of Mulberry Street circa 2010)

While Billy may be sending good “Surprises” my way, I did have to learn some things without the help of his music when it came to moving:

1. College Educated Movers, while having a lousy name, are excellent at moving things down six flights of stairs and up another 6 flights of stairs, despite their higher level of education.

2. In “Bed, Bath and Beyond” the “Beyond” stands for another dimension, because literarily you enter into another one while in that store. If I didn’t stop and ask 6 different people how to get to the rugs, and from there, how to get out of the store, I would still be wandering around that store lost. Honestly, from the outside it looks like it’s going to be a little bigger than Barnes and Noble size, but on the inside you might as well be at Hershey Park. That being said, they deliver SAME DAY to any place in Manhattan for only $15.

3. Salvation Army has baller furniture. I have nothing really to add to this, but I thought ya’ll should know.

4. Don’t ever ask me to hang a mirror or a picture on your wall. It will come off slightly crooked. Though, then again, maybe you do; I find that a crooked full body mirror has added character to my room.

(Story of my life)

Well, that’s it for today. Sorry for the delay in posts. I know I haven’t been completely living up to my New Year’s Resolutions, but with a new apartment and (knocking on wood) a new job, hopefully soon I'll be keeping up with some of those resolutions I let slide.

Stiletto

The other day I was in Starbucks, reading a book and drinking some tea (how original of me, I know). I had two packets of honey for my tea. I opened one of them no problem. The second packet, however, well let’s just say Joel was testing me. I got a text message right before I started trying to open it. By the time I had finally opened this packet, after trying fingers, teeth, Jedi mind tricks, and asking the Ascetic Jew sitting next to me (who may very well be one of God’s chosen people, but that doesn’t help him when it comes to opening honey), it was still unopened when I looked down at my phone again 10 minutes later. I’m pretty sure at some point everybody in that crowded Starbucks in Soho knew I should give up, but just watched in silence as I kept trying. Just as some Italian woman taking pity on me was about to hand me her unopened honey packet, my teeth finally prevailed.

(The Enemy)

I’m not sure why this story is important or what it says about me yet, but I do feel like Billy was trying to tell me something from the experience. Maybe I was supposed to taste the bliss of perseverance as that honey came gooping into my mo

uth. Maybe I needed to learn about patience. Maybe Billy was saving me from burning my tongue on tea that was too hot. Or maybe, just maybe, I was meant to remember that no matter how good that honey is, the guy behind the counter at Starbucks will just give you another packet if you can’t open your own and save you from becoming the center of attention, but that conclusion seems unlikely.

In news where I don’t reveal stupid embarrassing things that I do…

Since last week I have only found my way into three n

ew apartments.

The first belonged to a middle aged hippy, whose voice never rose past a stage whisper, and a French woman who did not speak any English. Upon entering this strangely decorated Zen sanctuary I couldn’t help but to notice that the long grey haired man’s incense burning could not cover up the stench on weed or the fact that he was trying to charge me $200 more a month than the place was worth.

The second place was in an even grimier and less attractive area of Chinatown than I live in now. I would be without a closet and four blocks further from the same F train. When I first met the two people looking to become my new roommates they mostly just spoke Chinese to each other. The one roommate was a white guy who was definitely American and therefore spoke perfect English, but I’m not sure that his girlfriend, the other roommate, could speak any. They were also asking for a hundred dollars more a month.

Meanwhile, the apartment I'm currently trying to get the Hell out of has taken a turn for the worse. My one roommate moved out because she got in a fight with her boyfriend (our other roommate) and took the tv. So now I'm currently living with the one roommate I don't want to be around, a guy named Thor from Norway and a girl from Sweden whose name I can't spell. I wish Billy would send some ghosts of my Scandinavian ancestors to come help a girl translate.

The most recent place I saw was in Soho. The apartment was an amazing location, great television, and a room with storage space. Problems? The bath tub is in the kitchen and the bedroom has tile floors. I’m thinking I could live with it though; after all nothing screams a scene from a movie about a poor artist living in New York that a young woman taking a bath in her small kitchen in Soho. And really when have I ever passed up a chance to make my life play out more like a movie?

As for the title of this post I have a job interview on Wednesday to work at a very trendy shoe store. I won’t tell you if I got the job or not; you’ll know because the next time you’ll see me I’ll be wearing one of the pairs of the following shoes:

Only Joel knows how much I want a discount of any of those completely impractical-I'm-blinded-by-their-brightness-glitz-and-beauty shoes. Cross your fingers and be thinking about me Wednesday night.

This Night

I’m back in New York after a long weekend in Baltimore. It was good to relax and see family and friends. I got to see the Ravens crush the Patriots on television on Sunday, making it the first full football game I got to see this season; the things I give up for the sake of my dreams are truly dreadful.

This night has been all about implementing all of those New Year’s resolutions that I spoke of last time. That means I’ve had a very serious a long date with Craigslist while scanning for both apartments and jobs (and of course “missed connections,” incase Billy is looking for me).

So far there’s a few leads on the Apartment front; nothing that’s really jumping out at me, but for the rent I’m looking to pay that’s too be expected. I’m mostly looking to stay around the same area, I figure I should completely conquer the Lower East Side before taking on another neighborhood, though I’m open to suggestions if you have a friend that’s dying to live with me (which I know you all do).

The job search is going just swimmingly. I had a few job interviews which went well, though nothing seems to be in the bag just yet. I’ve found that I usually do a lot better when there’s a guy who’s doing the interviewing. Don’t know what that says about yours truly, but I’m not gonna worry about it too much.

I’ve gone back to looking for auditions. It’s looking far more promising this time around than it did in November when I was last looking at casting calls. I’ll write more later this week as auditions and interviews come up.

As for some of my other, more serious resolutions, Netflix is starting to better predict what movies I actually want to see, which goes to show that my dedication to the site is growing. My sister gave me a cook book when I was home and tonight I made myself taco salad. I expect to have my own gourmet cooking show by the end of the year (I only hope that I can be half as successful as the Swedish Chef). I’m planning to go see a play on both Wednesday and Friday and I’m updating this blog as we speak. So far, I’m only failing on the meeting Billy Joel and other famous people front. I’m ashamed that its two weeks into January and I’m lagging, but there’s still time to fulfill my resolutions.

Anyway, let me know if you have an apartment in New York with a nice tv and a couch so I can invite myself over to watch the Ravens vs. the Colts game Saturday night. I will forever love you and be in your debt if you do.

Everybody has a dream

Well this year has been crazy.

I started off January of last year still at DePaul with some of the greatest people I’ve ever met, loving every second of Chicago. Well, that was a lie, I didn’t really love the cold, a couple of my acting classes, or the cut, but I generally loved life and don’t remember a single day I was there when I wasn’t laughing.

Then came summer, where things got flipped upside down and suddenly I was obsessed with finding a way that I could move to New York and try to jump start my dream. This obsession cost me 4 trips up to the city until I found the hole in the wall where I currently reside.

Then came the epic job search of fall 2009. This also included the time when I had my worst audition ever and getting fired for the first time in my life. Following the job search was the time of having two jobs and working 60 hour work weeks. It was hella tiring, but I've also had an incredibly fun time with new and old friends and getting to know the city since moving here.

Thank Joel, Billy was there to see me through it all; the good and the bad.

It has been a big year for Billy and I as I've been chasing my dream, and I couldn’t have done it without him. A little bit of credit going to the support of my family and friends. After all, they do let me listen to Billy’s music whenever I so desire.

So without any further ado I bring you my list of 10 New Years Resolutions to make my dreams for 2010 and beyond a reality:

1. Spend at least 20 minutes every day searching for auditions. Gotta get your big break somehow.

2. Get another job. Gotta pay those bills.

3. Meet Billy. Gotta get you big break somehow and pay those bills.

4. See more plays.

5. Buy a cookbook, man can’t live off bacon, mac&cheese, eggs, and potatoes alone.

6. Find a job that doesn’t include using nail polish remover all the time. Billy probs doesn’t like girls with gross hands.

7. Take advantage of Netflix like nobody’s business.

8. Have more run-ins with famous people. They might know Billy.

9. Find a new apartment.

10. Update this more often. No other way to get my family off my back.

So there you have it 10 resolutions for 2010. I had an excellently random and fun New Years Eve last night, and I hope all who read this did as well. I’ll leave you with something Hughie said to me yesterday that made my day:

Billy Joel on the Radio: I've been stranded in the combat zone, I walked through Bedford Stuy alone, Even rode my motorcycle in the rain

Hughie: He shouldn’t do that! That’s dangerous!

Tolly: You maybe right, he may be crazy.

Hughie: He IS crazy!

Happy New Years