Four and Half Hours Until The Week-End...

When I jump ship from The Job at 5:30 PM today, I do not have to return again until High Noon on Wednesday, July 6th. This brings me much joy. I mentioned earlier my plans for the week-end. So. Hurrah.

In the meantime, check out the bit I wrote for The Simon about this summer's box office slump. I have theories, people.

Also, the lesson learned last night is that when one is working on a screenplay with their writing partner, only one person should be drinking. The other should be responsible, in the driver's seat at the laptop, taking notes and waxing poetic. When both of you are chugging cabernet like it's going out of style, character development just isn't going to happen. And someone is surely going to fall asleep.

Ahem.

The Weekend Shape-Up

I'm usually really bad with making plans for long week-ends, but this year a few things just sort of fell into my lap. Some old high school friends of mine are going to a party for another old-skooler in Connecitcut on Saturday, while Monday is a family party out in Greenwich. Sunday was a toss-up. I thought maybe I'd head out to Long Beach for the day, but now it seems that I'm going to Mattituck, the north fork of the Hamptons, for the day. Awesome. I love Mattituck. It's all wineries and farmland and SO pretty. Hooray for serendipity.

And of course I'll photograph it all.

It's such a strange week-end that I actually had to sit down and make myself an itinerary, complete with how much each train and bus ticket is going to cost me. It's all starting to remind me of the summer of 2002, when I spent literally every week-end outside of New York City. Perhaps 2005 will shape up the same way. I'm not complaining.

I should add that this is all a nice change of pace from the mellowness I've been experiencing lately. Seems that in absense of rehearsal or a show to prepare for I don't know what to do with myself. It was also too hot to go to a dance class.

Last night I went to go see Jessica Cutler read and talk about her book, The Washingtonienne. I didn't buy a copy but it was nice to see her in person. I'm not a big fan of tell-all books and I wanted to dislike her, but she seemed cool and cavalier and that was good enough for me. Then I went home and worked on the assorted writing projects that taunt me. I also drank a lot of diet creme soda. Ever have that stuff? It's like crack.

NYU Students Ruined My Free Monday Night Movie

Last night in lieu of doing anything productive I decided to go down to the Anthology Film Archives where they were showing a free screening of, "Wet Hot American Summer." I had never seen it before and I heard there would be free beer, so I walked the 15 blocks or so from my house and got there at 6:20 PM for the 7:00 PM show. There were plenty of people in front of me in line, mostly NYU film student types, but not that many. I stood, I waited, I checked my voice mail.

Then I started to noticed that instead of, say, 30 people in front of me, there were 50. Seems all these students who were waiting in line for the movie started calling their friends in the dorms up the street to come down and meet them. The line moved up, but I was still at the end thanks to all the last minute add-ons.

I finally got into the actual building and suddenly I saw the five people ahead of me turn and walk away. "No more tickets!" The guy in the box office shouted. We're all full." I walked over to the booth and asked if he had just one for me.

"Nope. Sorry."

I was shooshed back onto Second Avenue and walked north again towards my house. Back home I flipped through magazines and read this article about the teenage girls in New York City who go out and get hit on by 40-year-old men. It's kinda creepy, but sad because it's probablty true.

Hogs N' Heffers Is The Poor Man's Strip Club

...and yet there is something strangely brilliant about it.

That's where I found myself on Saturday night, at the second bachelorette party of the evening. Shots were imbibed, fire was blown from the bartender's hands and many a lady danced on the bar. I feared for my life on more than one occaison. It was a small price to pay to the party gods.

Hopefully, photos will come soon.

In other news, well, there is little other news. It's Monday, it's not even 8:00 AM yet and I am looking to fill my after-work hours this week. Let me know if you know of anything good.

Undisclosed Location

June 21st is my actual Day of Birth. Ergo, I took today off and I am aimlessly wandering around. Thus far I have seen the neurologist about the herniated disc in my back, got my nails done and ate some Mr. Softee. Perhaps I will go see Batman later on. It's all up in the air.

If you are one of my brothers...how come you haven't called me yet? Pop is in Italy....he has an excuse.

I think a nap is in order.

Dee-Lite, Naked Lunch and the 28th Day of Birth

Is it just me or is my hair totally "The Rachel" circa 1996? All you Syracuse folk will notice that if you go through The Archives there are probably no less than 832 pictures of Dave and I exactly like this one. I guess we're ubiquitous like that.



True story: Last year I saw in Vogue these awesome Louis Vuitton shoes that could have been mine for the low price of about $500. Not having $500 to spend on shoes, I sulked for almost a year until I found these awesome knock-offs. I don't walk in them, only slink around parties in them.

My phone rang at 6:00 AM and it was The Job, wondering if I could come in early. I was already supposed to be in at 7:00 AM, so I wasn't sure exactly what they meant by "early". Nevertheless, I hopped in a cab and went over. Seems there was an illness and they needed backup. Stat.

Which has given me some time to update and discuss the Birthday Gathering, which I am so, so happy with. I realized that I was fighting for people with at least three other parties Saturday night and I was thrilled that 40 of my nearest and dearest made it out. (And even some with gifts! Yay!) Eventually my little section of Solas was over run by a gaggle of NYU meatheads and what looked like either a prom or a wedding party, but like Cher in Clueless once said, "The more, the merrier."

I must offer the accolades to the cast of South Pacific, as well as the other Heights Players, who not only came out after Saturday night's director's workshop but also started the dancing. They also stayed on until the end. I can always count on you guys for late-night staying power. Also of note was that somewhere around 1:00 AM I heard Dee-Lite's, "Groove Is In The Heart" which is one of my absolute favorite songs of all time. Some other time I was explain how that album, "World Clique" changed me from boring, 8th grade Pauline to the version you know and love today.

After Solas Hillary, Velazquez and I went down to Naked Lunch, which proved to be way more fun than I expected. I hadn't been there since, easily, 1998. At the bar I started talking to some guy named Matt who had familiar but subtle drawl to his voice. Turns out he was from the Oakland area (Lawrenceville, actually) and spoke with the patented Nothern Californial accent. (I only know this because my dad has lived across the bay in the Marin and Sonoma County areas for over 10 years.) For those of you unfamiliar, a NorCal accent is kind of like Surfer Lite. Anyway, Matt took me under his wing and we danced and had some laughs and at 4:00 AM when we were all kicked out of the bar with cups of Amsterdam Chocolate in hand (it's really good but really potent) I jumped in his cab and I went back to my place to 20th, only because I had no cash and no ATM card on me. (Hillary and Velazquez had pretty much evaporated by that time. Funny, that.) Matt then went back up to that bastion of coolness, Murray Hill.

All in all, it was a great gathering. I spent Sunday shopping on the LES, had some gelato, bought an awesome, tricked-out sequined skirt and I finally read "Brighton Beach Memoirs." (Highly recommended, by the way.) I also dropped off all my film, so perhaps in a few days I'll have some photos. Prepare to be dazzled.

CVS And Other Payday Rituals

It's Friday, it's the 17th and when I woke up this morning I had far more money than usual. Payday. Since I started working in 1999 I have had two pay day rituals: The first is getting a bagel with lox and cream cheese (the only time I ever eat this dish). The second is going ape shit bananas at the local CVS. Most paydays also include taking a cab to work, but I've been working evenings lately and so I just walk. It's gets the humors flowing.

I am not a Duane Reade girl. I read the article in last week's New York magazine and its descriptions of the filth and chaos in Duane Reade is exactly the reason why I don't go in there. Every store is different. I can never find the pantyhose or the lip gloss or the beverages. This drives me crazy. As much as a spaz as I can be, I crave order. CVS, on the other hand, is an oasis of clean and organzation in an otherwise chaotic world. I find their employees to be helpful. Their prices are low. Their store brand Noxema delivers.

This morning I took my list of needs down to 23rd and First Avenue, one of the most inexpensive CVS's I've found in the city, and got down to business. I got a Father's Day card, a scrapbook, rubber cement, multivitamins, vaseline, hair mousse, lipstick, diet coke, antihistamines (damn allergies), scotch tape and the new issue of Glamour magazine. I was an inch away from buying some Jovan Musk perfume, but then I realized that standards needed to be upheld and backed away. $65 lighter, I felt like I was well stocked, at least for another week.

I hauled my freight home, fed the cat and then I got on my hands an knees and started cleaning my hard wood floors. This has become one of my latest fascinations....how clean can I get my apartment? Killing dusts bunnies can be strangely therapeutic. Anyone who knows me knows that I was not put on this earth to be a house keeper, yet I seem to be drawn to cleaning products lately. You should see my bathroom...it glimmers!

Time to return to work, or whatever passes for it lately.

A Few Links As a Nightcap

I realize that I may not always be as entertaining as I like to think I am. That said, I added a few links on the side. Click as you see fit. I realize they're pretty eclectic, ranging from NYC-centered blogs to a dance studio, but what can you do? If you ever can't find me a tap class at Broadway dance is a good place to start. I love me some shuffle flap steps.

Hrmph. At Work.

Even though it feels like I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep in, oh, three months, I really need to stop with this sleeping until noon business.

The only reason I think even I'm roused from unconcioussness is because the two schools on my block are at recess in the middle of the day and all the kids gallop past my window. Oh, and all these 11-year-olds are swearing at the top of their lungs. I don't remember swearing when I was 11. I remember going to gymnastics and trying to find a way to get Jordan Knight from New Kids on the Block to propse to me. But swearing and screaming and calling girls bitches? What do these kids have to be so angry about? They're already living in downtown New York City. How could life possibly suck?

But all this sleep seems to be doing me some good. The delusions and crabbiness seem to be at an all-time low. I'm also getting better at cleaning. Whew.

Not much else to add for now. Maybe I'll be a little more prolific after my afternoon coffee. You know how it is.

A Quick Post

In case you have little to do at work today, check out this link to my latest column at The Simon. It's about The Killers and why people who live in Murray Hill are ruining them. Hrmph.

The Death of The Killers

Yeah, So I'm 4,000 Years Late on This Whole Blog Thing

Hey Kids,

I've actually had this blog name for well over a year, I just never updated it because, well, sometimes I can be a spaz. (You know this.)

But since life has been a bit of a whirlwind lately and since I will likley continue along that road, I figured I would use Ye Olde Blog as a way to communicate with everyone, so that I'm not repeating myself whenever I see/e-mail/call you. I don't know what I've told anyone anymore...so if I have a blog I can be an equal opportunity informer. (Insert clip from 1993's song, "Informer" by Snow here...)

Anyway, if you're keeping track...I finished that three week run of South Pacific with The Heights Players back in May. Then I did a quickie gala with them, which entailed learning a tap combination that ruled my life for a week and a half. You don't know how hard triple time steps can be.

I also have a few uber-cool freelance projects in the works, and even though the ink is dry on them I'll alert you as they come to fruition. That way you can run to the newsstand and check them out. Yes, I said newstand. Because that's how I roll.

Don't forget to come to my birthday gathering Saturday, June 18th at 9:30 PMish at Solas on East Ninth Street. It'll be grand.

And if anyone knows of a good tap class that I can take this summer, holla back. I need to kill my idle summer days.