From East to West

As we New Yorkers begin our summer and approach the end of June, enduring a month of rainy, humid days, frizzy hair, and unimaginable perspiration, I can't help but reflect that this has been one of the best months of my stay here in this crazy city I love.

After an unsuccessful attempt at acquiring a one-bedroom in Park Slope (my dream neighborhood, based on what I can realistically afford) - I felt absolutely resigned to the scams of Craigslist brokers and shady apartment-owners. Much to my surprise, I found a brief listing, no picture, for a one-bedroom apartment on Sullivan Street in the West Village (my dream neighborhood, based on what I cannot realistically afford) - and it was actually in my price range! My expectations of a moldy, roach-infested hell-hole were pleasantly defied when I visited the apartment - a surprisingly clean, good-sized (for one person), ground floor apartment with exposed brick, 12-foot ceilings, and a decorative fireplace in the bedroom. Wha??? Without hesitation, I declared my love for the apartment and was met with unexpected acceptance, the broker later noting that they "choose their tenants based on personality" - WHA???? (The picture above is of my new block.) So this week has already started as a flurry of moving, taking suitcase by suitcase from the East to West Village along the ol' faithful M21 bus along Houston Street. I never would have thought Bloomberg's MTA would be so useful to me this summer. Saturday will be the van-rental day as I attempt to move my bed and larger furniture to the new digs. Travis is already settled in to the new place (did I mention that my brother is squatting on my couch for three months?) and loving the new neighborhood.

Yes - brother Travis graduated from UCSB last week and quickly hopped on the next Virgin America flight with two enormous suitcases in tow. His graduation (and my week off in California) was a much-needed break from the reality of New York City. Instead of days filled with subway traffic and endless emails, I relaxed on the beach and got a great sunburn to start the sunny season. It was fantastic to see some of my girlfriends that still live in SB, and catch up on reading. But for now, it's back to the city and Travis is here for the summer! He is thrilled to be an unpaid, over-worked Production Assistant this summer on the soon-to-be-Sundance-hit-of-2010 independent film, "Colin Hearts Kay." Look for it at your local indie theater in a couple of years. So yes- I'm absolutely overjoyed to be spending the summer with my brother. I've always thought that he and NYC could have a passionate love affair - Mom, don't be surprised if he returns to the East Coast next fall and doesn't come back for a while... But one of the greatest things about having Travis here was having him at my birthday bash last Friday - yes, I'm finally 25.

The day itself was perfect... started with a mani/pedi, followed by Woody Allen's new flick "Whatever Works" with Jess, a trip to the Apple store (oh, I bought myself the new iPhone for my birthday), meeting up with Travis after his flight, then gathering with all my closest friends at Habana Outpost in Fort Greene (Brooklyn) for margaritas, mojitos, buckets of beer, cuban sandwiches and corn on the cob. After a few hours of holding down the fort (greene), we headed back to Jess and Jenson's Brooklyn Height's rooftop for after-hours stargazing and storytelling. It was an all together fantastic birthday.

In other news... I met somebody I really like. Hehehehe. He's absolutely fantastic, and I'm pretty sure he knows nothing of this blog yet. It's nice to think of someone special and look forward to the next time you'll see them!

Now, back to gameplanning the rest of my crazy moving schedule!

What the What?

Did you like my April Fool's joke on you, the reader? Yeah... I'd say it's just a little bit more than that - something I like to call complete laziness. More than a few of my comrades have berated me for the lack of wordage on this here blog, so I suppose it's time I update you (few) on what I've been up to!

Musical improv. My lord, it's fantastic. A complete blend of my favorite things. Music + improv = musical improv. I've been to my fair share of shows over the last several months - enough to really pound in my mind that I need to be a part of this world (cue Ariel). So my fellow musicalimproviserfriends and I decided to form the newest supergroup of the indie improv world: Zamboni! We've been hard at work, rehearsing weekly for what is sure to become the most interesting show in the world. Somebody call Mel Brooks for the Broadway producership! Last night, for instance, we decided to take things to a little place we improviser call "crazytown" - to creat a "crazytown musical." Let's just say... it was crazy.

In other news, I'm hard at work trying to find myself a new place to live. I'm so ready to be on my own in a one-bedroom or studio, and (keep your fingers crossed!) I put in an application on a FANTASTIC one-bedroom in Park Slope that is literally a one minute stroll from the express subway to Manhattan (a fifteen minute subway ride to work). If the Gods looks favorably upon me, the apartment will be mine. I'm really hoping that after five months at a non-profit, helping the homeless, this may have built up my karma enough!

And in only seventeen days, I will be jetting off to the West Coast for some quality Santa Barbara action.... I can't WAIT to see my family, watch Travis graduate, and relax by the beach. I've already started to make a list of the places I need to visit, including getting a Super Deluxe Melt from Bagel Café in Isla Vista! Okay - I'm off for the moment, but hello and goodbye to you!

The Karate Parade show this Saturday

Phew

Today was my audition for the UCB Maude teams... and I think it went well. My characters were Ruth Madoff, Chastity the Pornstar (developed from doing my last comedy/film project), Amanda the Baby-talking Professional, Jakwin the Angry Mother, and Smoking Opera Singer. I think it went well! (At the very least, I had a great time and it seemed like the people watching did too!)

Sucking it Up

This is honest - reality, straight up, no sugar-coating.

I am STUCK. This was the first night in quite some time that I crossed the threshold of my apartment and just felt absolutely helpless. Yes, I'm doing a good job at work; Yes, I'm living in a great apartment in the East Village; Yes, I have amazing friends and am pursuing my comedic dreams (that's dreams of success in comedy, not just hilarious hallucinations)... but today, I'm just stuck.

Let's take a look at the facts. Or as the narrator of Pushing Daisies would say, "The Facts Were These.."

• I work my ass off at a job that does good things, though it doesn't quite cover the bills and my team doesn't always command the respect we deserve.
• I have aspirations and dreams of becoming the next Tina Fey/Amy Poehler, but find myself drowned in writer's block and lack of energy for success.
• I don't know how much longer I can live in this apartment... the rent is ridiculous compared to what I could get in another borough, but I can't face going through the turmoil of breaking a lease and dealing with moving right now.
• The peripheral vision in my left eye has been blurry every five minutes or so.
• I am now looking at these facts and realizing I sound like a self-indulgent biatch and perhaps need to just chug the Harrell wine I am drinking and get writing some funny bits.
  

Coming off the high of a weekend with my Mom... where groceries were gifted, meals were offered, and money was exchanged for Broadway show tickets, things look a little different in the light of day as I set back into real life and remember that rent is due next week.

Alas, I am to be gifted with a constant flow of visitors in the coming weeks to divert my attention from the dire realities and responsibilities of adulthood, and despite all my wallowing, opportunities continue to be presented to me. In the last week alone, I have been asked on two "ambigudates" - the term I coined for hanging out sessions involving alcohol and members of the opposite sex (whose intentions are not quite clear at their time of query). No matter what, the dozens of people I meet each month continue to promote new possibilities and future relationships. A friend of mine recently proposed the idea of a joint book deal - not to give too many details away... a city guide of sorts. And I have two very exciting auditions coming up at UCB, this Saturday is my Maude team audition (sketch), and next Saturday is my Harold team audition (improv).

If the planets aligned tonight, I would wake up tomorrow with a job offer from, oh-i-don't-know-saturday-night-live, a new sunny one-bedroom apartment rent-free in the west village, and a boy, no sorry, MAN who is good to me.

Or I could win the lottery. Fuck, I need to start playing that again.

What a weekend!

As I sit here on my lunch break, eating remnants of last night's dinner on Curry Hill... I can't help but wish that it was still Sunday afternoon. Last Thursday, my Mom flew in from the Bay Area, and was welcomed to New York City by attending my non-profit's annual art auction. We enjoyed the wine and food (yes, I ate quail eggs, GASP) and did not leave empty-handed, returning to my apartment with a recycled iron and granite side table. After enjoying some wine, we headed to bed in anticipation of the rest of our weekend together. Friday was a whirlwind that passed too quickly, with a shopping trip to SoHo, lunch in Alphabet City and Zeitzeff (GO THERE!), and a massive spree at Trader Joe's. After a clean, delicious dinner, we enjoyed a movie and headed to bed. Saturday, we woke up wildly early, and met up with Jess at her apartment in Brooklyn Heights. We made a delicious brunch, including Jess's famous potatoes, my ricotta/egg concoction on toast (yes, eggs, GASP), blood oranges, grapes, banana muffins, and coffee. What a spread! To work off our breakfast, we explored Brooklyn, visiting the Brooklyn Flea in DUMBO and strolling through Park Slope. Deep down, I have a feeling I’m a Brooklyn girl. Saturday evening, Mom and I saw the Broadway Show “Avenue Q” - SO good. I don’t want to give too many good parts away, because the greatest aspect of the show is the shock value. I recommend it! Sunday we slept in, and headed up to meet Brian at the UCB Theatre in anticipation of Rachel’s storytelling show... Unfortunately, I seem to have some trouble with my eyesight, and misread the show’s date, when it was actually on Saturday. But we, clueless of my mistake, purchased our tickets for the “student show,” waited in line, entered the theater and found our seats in the front row. I knew something was amiss when the class teacher came out and it was an improv teacher, not the storytelling teacher. He greeted the audience, said thanks for coming to the Improv 101 show and asked the class to come out, introducing the first group as "A Lotta White and a Little Bit O' Brown." I realized my mistake and grumbled an apology to Brian and my Mom, when Padma Lakshmi suddenly emerged from behind the stage with the rest of her 101 class. So, we stayed. And watched Padma do improv. I’ll just say... I’m a better improviser than Padma Lakshmi. After our show, and a little inspired by Padma, we enjoyed an Indian dinner at Dhaba in Murray [Curry] Hill (yes, butter, GASP) and met up with longtime-friend Dana in the Lower East Side for a Sunday performance of The Karate Parade. Our weekend together was complete this morning after a delightful breakfast at Balthazar in SoHo. What a weekend! Now I’m just catching up, getting things in order, and anticipating more guests... Christina next Thursday, and Katie/Jon the following week!

Party time, Excellent

Today marks the two-month anniversary of my new job at ACE Programs for the Homeless. Since I started, I have been working a couple territories in Manhattan, including a new branch of our organization, the NoHo/Bowery Partnership. When I first started, I made it my personal goal to execute an event in my first three months, and.... tomorrow will be my first event!

I am so excited about it. Astor Center has graciously donated the space, all the wine, and party materials. We have food donations from six different NoHo restaurants, including the not-yet-opened DBGB from Daniel Boulud (at right). How great, right?!

I just had to share the menu... WHY AM I A VEGETARIAN?

Delicatessen

• Giorgio's Meatballs, Pecorino, Red Sauce
• Tuna Tartare, Scallion, Burnt Soy, Creme Fraiche, Wasabi Tobiko
• American Cheesecake, Strawberry Compote
• "The Candy Bar" milk chocolate, salt roasted peanuts, caramelized bananas
  

DBGB

• Crispy Pig's Trotters with Curried Sauce Gribiche and Red Mustard
• DBGB Hot Dog with Pommes Souffles
• Nantucket Bay Scallop Ceviche with Citrus and Celery
• Mint Chocolate Marshmallow, Hazelnut Passion Macaroons, Nougat de Montelimar
  

Double Crown

• Duck Steam Bun, hoisin, scallion
• Spicy Seared Beef Salad Summer Roll, Sriracha mayo, crispy shallots
• Guanduja Trifle, blood orange
• Milk Chocolate and Passion Fruit “S’more”
  

Gemma

• Baked Polenta with Porcini Mushroom Puree
• Robiola Pizza Squares
• Lamb Stew with Root Vegetable Puree
• Fruit Tart
  

Mercat

• Chicken Croquetas
• Crestas de Tonyina
• Patatas Bravas
• Tortilla De Patatas
  

NoHo Star

• Crisp Duck Roll
• Smoked Salmon on Buckwheat Pancake
• Seared Yellowfin Tuna, Avocado and Chipotle Pepper on Tortilla
• Crisp Serrano Ham with Quince and Manchego
  

With red, white, and sparkling wine from Astor Wines.

Bring on the party!