Day 21–All Kinds of New Friends December 28, 2008

I had a great brunch with Gabby today.  Then headed to Penn Station and took the train to South Orange for Margaret’s Cookie Exchange Party.

Saw this on the subway to Penn Station.  Bed Bugs will always make my think of Meghan Finn, one of the great new friends I’ve made this year.  Her paranoia about bed bugs had me psychosomatically itching for a week.  You might have had to be there, but it was funny.

South Orange is adorable.  As is Margaret’s apartment, it’s like a real adult’s apartment.  Inspiring.

Margaret and Steph are my new work friends.

Day 20–Fond Farewell to Medusa December 28, 2008

The snow made it a little difficult to leave the house today for my last two performances of The Face of Beauty. I wanted to stay on my sofa all day, but made it out and had a good final two performances.

I’m glad to finish up this project, cause I need to finish my Christmas shopping and focus on the holidays.  I’ve learned a lot this year from all the productions I got to be a part of, I am very thankful for that.  Now it’s time for a bit of a break to assess what should be next.

Day 19–Overtime December 20, 2008

Every couple of weeks I work as a stand-in for the show In Treatment. I go back and forth about what I feel about the job.  Sometimes it is exciting and feels valuable to have a first row seat behind the scenes of such highly respected television production.  Other times it just kills me, to sit warming the bench (literally), watching other people play.  Put me in Coach!  Yesterday’s shoot was a particularly long day, which is hard for a Friday, especially the Friday before Christmas, but I’m thankful for how it will pad my pitiful Christmas budget.

Also, on my morning commute I was listening to this podcast by Rob Bell, who was talking about developing a bigger picture perspective about life.  A call to stop grumbling and complaining through it.  That, with a little discipline, there are better things to talk about.  I then proceeded to completely fail at this challenge the rest of the day, but it was a good reminder.

Day 18–Gabrielle December 20, 2008

Here is my funny friend striking a birthday pose with present ribbon and Christmas ornament hair accessories–very Fall 2208.  (Yes, she is that fashion forward.)

I met Gab in June ‘06, and though I moved into my Brooklyn apartment in January, in my heart I have always considered the night I met her the beginning of my life in New York.  Looking back there have been a couple of days in my life that changed me completely, because in one swoop I met the greatest friends of my life.  It happened in July 1996, when I showed up for a bus to take me to summer camp and met not only my husband, but half of what would 6 years later be my bridal party.  And that happened again on a hot Tuesday evening in the East Village  three and half years ago when I walked into Gabby and Laura’s apartment.  Kym was there too.  These are friends that I have grown up with.  This section of life that my generation uses to discover adulthood, has been profoundly influenced by the the wisdom, grace and humor of those women and the people that I ended up meeting as a result of them.

Happy Birthday Gabby!  Your life has made a huge impact on mine, plus you are just the MOST FUN lady.  Here’s to next year, I wish you joy, freedom, creativity, those three boyfriends, and the knowledge that you are loved by some pretty awesome people (myself included).

Laura taking party pics.

Day 17–Growning and Growing December 20, 2008

My sister commented on my last post that it seems like I am over my blog at the moment.  I don’t know if that is true or not.  I think it is more that I had a long week and a couple days just felt like a battle with my disappointments.   But I’m thankful for what I am learning about battling them, not just giving into them.  And I am thankful to Meghan, Joe and Becky who came out to see my show Wednesday night.  I really appreciated their support and it was great to spend some time with them.

Day 16–Snow, New York, I don’t know, something December 17, 2008

Day 15–Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular December 16, 2008

Thanks to Jordan, last night I participated in one of the quintessential New York experiences–watching The Rockettes live kicking in a kick line. It was silly and grandiose and fun. Spectacular is a good word, over-the-top spectacle. In modern, minimalist society, a rare thing to behold.

Day 14–Friday Night Lights, Season One December 16, 2008

My favorite; crashing on the couch with hubby and pooch, watching consecutive hours of a television show so entertaining that for a while I can pretend that life is simpler than it usually seems.

I had read good reviews of Friday Night Lights, but never had a chance to watch it.  BUT, did you know that Netflix and XBox just teamed up to create a program where a Netflix customer can now watch any Instant Watch movies on their TV through the XBox.  I don’t know how to use, Chris set it up, but if you are someone who has both an XBox and a Netflix account you should look into it.  If not, you can still watch Friday Night Lights off Instant Watch on a PC, or rent it from your local video store.  It’s a heartfelt serial dramedy with really likable, and pretty believable, characters.

Some shows that I watch depict important, critical stories of society, politics, family.  They impress me and make me think.  Then some shows I watch are entertaining and sentimental, grandly evoking the bold emotional strokes of human existence– escapist, yes, but calling out an honest desire often dulled by everyday realities.  My take is that Friday Night Lights falls somewhere in the middle, somewhere between Six Feet Under and The OC.  There convenient story arches and soaring victories among quiet personal moments, shot like they were caught in documentary footage.

Anyway, I liked it, and being home, and feeling safe for a few hours.

Day 13–Chris December 16, 2008

Sometimes he just surprises me. But I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s a wonderful man, and I don’t give him enough credit.

Day 12–Laughter December 16, 2008

It really is good medicine.  It healed some of my wounds tonight.