Muffins of Angst
April 22nd, 2006 / 3 comments »Today was a rough day. The trains ran weird, had to do that stupid shuttle transfer @ 168th and it made me 30 minutes late to work. Then I got into a scrap with a coworker I’ve always been keen on, he just pressed the wrong button on me way too early in the morning and I got Business on him. I got over myself later and made nice with him in the locker room (… not like that, whores). It’s good now, feel so stupid for letting it bother me that much, I was just in no mood to play. Other coworkers got me riled up today. When I leave work, I try to leave everything AT WORK and not think about things anymore. For the most part it works fine. Today I’m just extra defensive or something, which I think is just emotional residue from the other night @ the theater.
I went to see The Drowsy Chaperon @ the Marriott Marquis on Wednesday afterwork. I got there 30 minutes late (time management issues) and the usher actually had to direct me to my seat with a flashlight during the middle of a huge number — of course, my seat was right in the dead center of the orchestra. So about a bunch of ppl had to get up outta there seats to let me through to mine and the resentment was just overpowering, One guy actually looked me in the eyes and snarled, “This is fucking ridiculous.” Ugh, I felt like the most hated person in New York City… next to those Greenpeace fuckers who stand on corners screaming about Global Warming. Anyway, the show still was hilarious if for no other reason than it had a number in it called, “What Is It About the Asians That Fascinates Caucasians?”
Came straight home from work, took a nap, and decided to turn my bitter angst into pastry delight — I baked muffins in my new heat resistant silicon cookware. The pan is flimsy and rubbery and the muffins actually bake in it w/o needing muffin cups, and when you’re done, you just POP them right out of the pan! It’s BRILLIANT. I’ve also just discovered Gumby Headphones by JVC. They’re just like the regular ipod headphones but cheaper ($9) and they sound AMAZING. They come in 5 colors (yes, I have and need each color) and don’t hurt your ears cuz they’re rubber! What the hell?! This rubberized shit is changing my life.
Drama Break
April 17th, 2006 / 1 comment »There are some folks — affluent locals, splurging visitors, critical press, production investors — who sometimes get the opportunity to sit in a Broadway theater and watch phenomenal performances live and upclose on infamous stages. For those who don’t get the chance, there’s YouTube. Making me very gay, here are a few of my favorite Broadway clips so far:
Clip 1: Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls belts out “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” @ the ‘82 Tony’s. if you look closely, that’s Sheryl Lee Ralph (from Moesha!) and Loretta Devine in the scene with her. Though Frenchie Davis covers it well, this is Jennifer’s signature song and it made her a star. AMAZING.
Clip 2: Yeah, the famous “Defying Gravity” number from Wicked. In the story about the witches of Oz, the shy Green Witch decides to defy the controlling Wizard and do her own thing instead. The song is thrilling, I had tears in my eyes watching Idina Menzel soar and declare that she’s flying solo but “at least be flying free”.
Clip 3: From Bare: a Pop Opera. The show ran Off-Broadway (the first production to open the new Dodger Stages) and was set in a private Catholic high school,with the token homo totally in love with the closeted jock. The boy on the balcony is actually Aaron Lohr (from Newsies)! Not the best show, but this opening number “Are You There?” was always really touching.
Clip 4: Eden Espinoza sings the shit out of “Once Upon a Time” in Bklyn: the Musical. I saw this cheesy show three times b/c the music was just so incredible — even with just 40 ppl in the audience (IT bombed!) everyone jumped to their feet at the end of this song. The last note she hits gives me chills.
And here’s one I just couldn’t resist posting. She’s clearly a serious Wicked fan. The saddest part is that she sings it better than me.
One Singular Sensation
April 16th, 2006 / No comments
One of the best things about working as a Concierge in New York City is getting last-minute (free!) access to cool shit like Broadway shows that you normally could never afford to see. One of the worst things about it is that its virtually impossible to find anyone available at the last minute to join you. Try tracking down just one damn single person in your cellphone who doesn’t already have plans or is willing to leave their apartment on a lazy Sunday — Easter Sunday @ that. In my dream world, everyone I know is DYING to hangout with me when I call at the last minute. “Chris? HI! Sure, I’d love to get together, I don’t care WHAT we’re doing! What time?” In reality all I tend to get is, “Um what show is it? Oh. Where are the seats? Yeah, I’m kinda doing something else.” See, that’s what I get for sending my boyfriend off to play with his peeps, I was just all kinds of sure I’d have a Plab B person to fill in for him. And here I am, hours before The History Boys matinee and totally singular. It’s just as well, I’m not much on the cuteness lately — got a deep cleansing facial the other day and my skin is in all kinds of transition. I’m excited about seeing the show anyway, it’s supposed to be coming off a stellar run in London. I don’t know much about it but the boys in the poster sure are cute. Like young Abercrombie boys but obtainable.
So, yesterday I actually broke out of my comfort zone and voyaged to that Brooklyn place people keep talking about. My kissable friend Suppa (who really loves pearl necklaces) has been trying to lure me out to her hood for like 2yrs, and finally after running out of excuses I agreed to meet her afterwork. That weather yesterday was just insane — a high of 78! and I was soaking up the sun like Sheryl Crow except she’s battling cancer now and I already did that once. She (Suppa, not Sheryl) took me on a tour of Billyburg and damn, I actually enjoyed it. My faded H&M shorts and Target tee shirt were no match for the throngs of vintaged hipsters parading up and down North 6, but still I was amused and even suprised at the overall LACK of neighborhood upkeep. For a neighborhood that’s so notoriously trendy I was expecting all kinds of modern architecture and slick lofts, but it was mostly lots of run down little cafe’s and boutiques — all of them inhabitated by immaculately dishevled clerks and patrons doing their damndest to look aloof while fully aware of their asthetic. It was awesome. Suppa and I had drinks and desserts @ Sea, which I recognized right away as that restaurant from the beginning of Garden State. Although I maintain my tree still does not grow in Brooklyn (I keep it rural up in NoWa, ok?), I gotta say it was a great day and I had a cool time out there.
In other happy news, I’m actually getting a tax REFUND this year! I usually end up owing a shitload of money that wipes out a big chunk of my checking account and keeps me financially tense thru the fall, so this is HUGE and exciting. Also huge? I just found out thru my mom that my dad apparently LOVES Gilmore Girls too… although I’m pretty sure we like it for very different reasons.
UPDATE: The show was AMAZING, very Dead Poets Society but with more HoYay. The boys were electric, just so commanding onstage, made you feel like they were total prepschool brats merely letting you watch their interactions. The house was SOLD OUT and I had an extra ticket. Just before the curtain went up, I crept up a staircase @ the back of the theater and surveyed the Stand Room folks (who pay lesser prices but don’t get seats), trying to decide which one I’d deem worthy of sitting next to me. They were all lined up against the back rail, looking mighty sad, and I just I felt drunk with power. Went up to this pretty girl who was kinda short and offered to give her my extra ticket so she’d actually be able to SEE the stage, and told her all she’d have to do is gimme head. The bitch rolled her eyes and denied me. Okay, not really. But I did offer the ticket and she said “No Thanks” (is it crazy that my feelings were a little bit hurt? Come on, twice rejected in one day), so me and my Jack Spade bag enjoyed 2 premium seats in the front balcony all to ourselves.
It was a quiet day to myself, really. I spent most of my shift this morning in project mode, emailing and sending letters to the rooms and txt messages to guests cells just so I could keep actualy face-to-face time to a minimum. Walked uptown for awhile after the show today, just looking around and enjoying the weather. Today was actually the end of my work week and around this time of the night P is usually on his way over here. Not tonight, he’s out with his boys. And all of my friend-types are doing their Holiday things. So it’s just me this evening, my first Friday night alone in awhile. Kind of weird. Kind of nice.
Sprung
April 1st, 2006 / 4 comments »OK, so the good news is that I’ve been living my life out loud and none of you have had to hear about it. Feels good, but then everytime I look at my lifeless webpage I just wanna beat myself with a bunch of wet branches. 4 months into 2006 now, an entire weather cycle has passed, and there’s only 9 crappy entries to show for it? This is what it feels like when blogs die. Rest assured, life continues to go on @ full blast up in here.
However, if it’s blood you want? take your shit to this guy.
It’s all his fault I’ve been away pulling a Tina Turner and ain’t missing you @ all, but just look into those eyes of his and try to hold it against me — hypnotic like you don’t even know. Yes, lightning has somehow struck me thrice and I find myself sprung on this rough-n-tumble little guy. Our schedules are something alike and I get to see him a lot, which is awesome b/c it’s always been a stumbling block for me in the past. There are lots of things on the horizon with this, I hope. I rarely talk about my boyfriends on this blog, but I think this may change. He (P) is just amazing, so funny and quick, patient and very affectionate. Kisses me so good I get dizzy. Of course now that I’ve gone and posted about our relationship I’m sure it’ll end by the time you refresh this browser.
I hereby vow get my shit together and POST about all the things irrlevent, like I used to do. Seems like everyone’s blogs are getting better and actually REFLECTING their lives. I don’t know if any of you have noticed but my web buddy Shan — who is actually coming to stay with me (again) in a week — is back from blogging exile and has been posting up a storm over @ the Blurb. He posts like every 3 seconds and even does a Photo of the Day, it’s just ridiculous. That used to be ME! Shit, even Bravo came back to the web (he’s Erik now — looks like there ain’t no more cutesy handles for either of us) and he’s just showcasing the shit out of his new career as a nightlife photographer. What a dreamjob, man. I knew he’d be back, you can only stay away for so long anyway. Since winter is OVER and spring is upon me, why not change up the format a bit? You can expect for posts to be a little less lengthy (but no less lame!) than before and coming to your monitor more often.