Unforgettable Day in NYC

The first day of a two-day flying visit to NY turned into something worthy of a short story.

So I woke on the Tuesday at 4 a.m. to catch an early flight from the island in the company of two colleagues. We arrived in NY around 9 a.m. The hotel kindly had our rooms ready already so we could dump our stuff and head out for a big breakfast. Then we got to the photography studio. Then I got a message that my voice-over agent wanted a demo voice test that I could make on and send from my iPhone. But they needed it by 5:30 p.m. I figured I would be back at the hotel in plenty of time to make the deadline.

And then I got a message that I had a box seat for the opera that night (starting at 7 p.m.), but also that I would be meeting my boss.

I was in jeans...

I hightailed it to Macy's, flinging myself on the mercy of a couple of salespeople who were WONDERFUL. Armed with some new clothes and shoes I exited the store to find myself in rush hour and unable to find a cab. It was 5:10 p.m. My agent was hurrying me. I ducked into a doorway and held up the script, bellowing into my phone, trying to sound well-modulated and irresistible. Of course the script was to do with promoting tourism to the States. I e-mailed the test off, pointing out to the agent in my e-mail that the whistle sounds, car horns and sirens were all perfect ambient noise as I was in fact standing near 34 Street and Fifth Avenue. She found this very entertaining. I ran back to the hotel, got changed, rushed up to Lincoln Center, collapsed in my box seat (back row of the box thank goodness, so no-one could detect my breathlessness), and was swept up in the magnificence of Strauss's Die Frau Ohne Schatten. A totally wacky story line on paper made beautiful sense as it came to life on stage. I momentarily was swayed by sleep and remembered I had been up at 4 a.m. The opera was four hours long and kept me riveted. I collapsed into my bed near midnight.

And after a perfect sleep, I woke to the sound of a cello very sweetly playing. I couldn't make it out at first, but then realized it was an actual cello being played very near by. It turns out some sort of Italian youth orchestra was staying in the same little old hotel near Penn station.

A perfect day in NYC... IMO.

P.S. I got the voice over gig! :)

Two Things I Don't do Often but Love When I do

1. Go to baseball games
2. Drink beer

I drank beer at a work event. Then I drank more beer at the game.

Here are four reasons I love attending live baseball games:

1. It's a beautiful sport.
2. It's redolent of long summer evenings, and conducive to talking and relaxing while watching
3. You can eat and drink all through it.
4. There is always something new to learn.

But there are four reasons I don't do it more often:

1. Arriving and leaving the Rogers Centre (formerly and always in my heart known as the SkyDome) is horrible. The hallways resemble maximum security prisons.
2. Concession tactics mean the only water available is Dasani, which is vile. And you can't bring your own water. So it's alcohol or soda. Pffff. Alcohol please.
3.  Players now wearing long pants. What happened to the long socks and short, TIGHT breeches? I used to love watching the pitcher, weight on one leg, standing there like a David. Sigh. Those were good times.
4. Plastic grass.

By the way, at last Friday's game, which is the one I attended, the Jays beat the Texas Rangers Wankers 6 to 1.

Hey Reader

Yes, I do work in arts administration, and, no, I'm not a particular fan of Ryan Gosling. But, put those two together and you have my favourite Tumblr. Okay, I'm not even sure what Tumblr is, but I know when I need a smile, and these have my cheeks hurting. And if you're not into guys, here's another winsome arts administrator.

And here are three of my favourites - argh, they strike home too brilliantly!

I... think I'm becoming a fan.

Fumbling Towards the Weekend

What I want to do is blog about a weekend on a lake, theatre, film, food, Toronto, yadda yadda... but what I am doing is working what feels like non stop.

What I'm grateful for is so much, and today that's gerbera daisies that have lasted so long. Their rich, red elegance greet me every morning when I get up earlier than usual, and every evening after a very, very long day at work.

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Foot on the Brake

A long work day started early and ended late. At home this evening, I slowed everything down. There was so much to do between volunteer jobs and getting myself organized after a long weekend away. But I took my time, accompanied by the sweet sound of Loreena McKennitt in the background, as a spatchcocked organic chicken roasted its heavenly scents through my home.

Life is good. I'm grateful.

It Will Rain on my Soul, All Night, All Day

... well I'm sort of hoping it'll stop enough for me to get home dry this time.

It's been a Neruda kind of day. I came in to work as it was destined to rain and I had much to do to catch up and get ahead.

I'm always amazed at how much I can do on a weekend day at work. I achieve more in two hours than I do a normal day, with no interruptions, no segues. So, as much as I refuse to make a habit of it, at times it's very effective.

The rain did start. And I enjoyed the strange pearly light coming in my two office windows, a pearly glow that got progressively darker, until it begain to feel a little apocalyptic. At its heaviest the rain has been magnificent.

I warmed myself with my stash of peppermint tea, some Godiva dark chocolate pearls, and this beautiful scene from Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990 - has it already been 21 years?!)

//Update: The sky cleared, the barometric pressure dropped... all is cool and fresh now - heaven.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...

Today is my last day at work before my vacation, and I'll be away for over a month. Not since I was a teenager have I had so much vacation at once. I didn't take much during the year, so this feels good and necessary. And with my office tidied and caught up, I'm ready.

The topic of work is one that keeps me and my friends talking for hours. A recent retiree told me that the most startling change he had recognized in himself since stopping was the revelation that he no longer spent the majority of his waking hours trying to please someone. It doesn't matter really how much autonomy you have in your work, at the root of it there is some need to please someone.

I'm lucky to have a job that has kept me stimulated and intrigued for quite a few years.

See you in 33 days, little office.