Alabanza!
I had an interesting weekend in New York City. A great weekend, really. It was one of my favorite trips, hands down. But I cried a lot. Haha, not like bawling cries, but a lot of emo moments. More on that later.
Day One:
My connection to DC was seriously delayed, but the pilot hauled ass in the sky (apparently they had latitude to fly faster) and as it turned out, I was continuing on with the same plane to JFK, so everything worked out just fine, and I arrived shortly after noon. This time I pored through the TimeOut website and made a list of things around the city I wanted to do. I didn't end up needing it too much, but it was still nice to come prepared! As it turned out, my arriving activity was to be the Met's new Greek and Roman galleries. Or not. My bag was too large to take through, and the check line was way too long. So I opted to walk through Central Park to the Natural History Museum instead to check out their new exhibit on Climate Change, among others.
As the museum was closing, Mat (mat_t) finished up work and met me there. Together, we took the train over to his place in Jersey City (which is awesome, btw) and met up with perkbear, Noah and Jay. Mat advised me that I may recognize Noah as one of the BearCiti BearModels on the login page (second from the left if you're following...). The five of us had a great dinner together and consumed a few pitchers of Blue Moon (except Mat, of course, who disapproves of drinking. Er, beer.)
Day Two:
I don't think we got up until 10:00, which is OMGSOLATE for me. I think I needed the rest though. Especially considering the level of activity that was planned for the day.
I started by taking the PATH train in to meet up with my friend Ethan and his son Jacob. Ethan and I worked together at The News Record back in my college days. Even before I'd been on a date with a guy, I had a "crush" on this one. He's cute, sure, but his high level of energy, idealism, and humor always attracted me to him. Of course, he's not gay, but he was always a good sport about it. Or maybe he didn't actually realize it...haha. At any rate, he left Cincinnati for Tennessee a few years before I graduated, and lives in Queens now. I hadn't seen or heard from him since he left, but we reconnected only a few weeks ago on Facebook, and both agreed we should keep in touch. The three of us had an insanely filling lunch at a neighborhood Italian place called Manganaro's ("where real working people go," he told me). He hasn't changed a bit, and I was so grateful for the timing, the chance encounter, and the return of so many memories.
He and Jacob walked with me a few blocks north to Stay, my chosen hotel for the rest of the weekend. Stay had a great rate and was in a great location right by Times Square and all the theaters, so I was happy to test it out. I don't like forking over money just for a place to crash, but I also don't like to force my friends to put up with me more than they have to, especially on a weekend, which most of us use to unwind.
I had talked to Dino (burnoutfuture) about spending the afternoon with him. He was on the tail-end of surviving some kind of flesh-eating bacteria and there wasn't much on my Master Activity List (tm) that we had time for, so we just chatted and caught up for a few hours. I got a lecture on my current boy-situation and he got a haunting image burned into his brain from my wall art, so it all worked out. Next time I hope to spend more time and perhaps create a culinary masterpiece together! Or maybe just some chili. Well, in my town, that's a masterpiece :)
Mat and I reconnected and caught the evening performance of Billy Elliott - The Musical, which we both wanted to see. It was good, though we both agreed the music wasn't memorable. From a technical standpoint, I was impressed. Great vocals from the ensemble, nice lighting effects, creative use of the set. The dancing was great, as it should have been, and I enjoyed the lead actor's (Billy) ability to transform his dancing ever so slightly from hideous to perfection. Even I was impressed with and surprised by the final product he became. Some of the blocking choreography was odd, integrating the kids with the grownups in ways I didn't completely understand, but net, I liked it. The story is of course phenomenal; the message: "always be yourself." And who doesn't love a kid having all his dreams come true?
It's a bit like being angry / it's a bit like being scared / Confused and all mixed up and mad as hell
Like electricity / Sparks inside of me / And I'm free
Following the show, we took the train down to Brooklyn's Southpaw club for Blowoff, a bear-centric dance party with music by Bob Mould and Richard Morel. I went for the experience, not expecting to enjoy it half as much as I did, but my new favorite cocktail (vodka and red bull, thanks) illuminated the way for me to forget about my lack of coordination and dance around with all the specimens of hotness. I was also pleasantly surprised to get to meet (and rub the furry tummy of) the magnificent clickboo. After a dizzying train ride back to 42nd St, I fell asleep the second I hit the bed, sometime between 4 and 4:30.
Day Three:
Slept until 10 again. It was a struggle to get up this time, but I didn't want to waste the whole morning. I zoomed through the cleansing and morning hydration and hauled it down for a free walking tour of the lower east side at 11. Sadly, the tour guide never showed up or I didn't notice him/her, so I took my own stroll around the 'hood, which worked out ok. Nothing wrong with a little unstructured meandering, right?
I decided to spend the afternoon seeing In The Heights, and Mat and I made plans to see Forbidden Broadway Goes To Rehab that night.
In The Heights took me by surprise. Yes, it won the Tony for best musical, but I still hadn't heard that much about it. I heard one song from it on the radio a few months ago and it kinda gave me a "wow" moment, so I added it to my list of wanna-sees. I'm so glad I was able to see it! This is a show that is full of heart, and it ripped me apart. Even now, doing YouTube searches on it, I'm finding myself flooded with emotion. I'm actually glad that I didn't become familiar with the cast recording before I saw the show. It definitely has a "different" feel to it. Tight harmony, brilliant orchestrations, latino-centric, passion, big dreams, reality hitting you in the face like a sledgehammer, and wildly creative dancing. What's not to love? Here's a great review with some more info about the show. See it if you can.
I found my island / I've been on it this whole time / I'm home!
Mat and I had dinner at Junior's, where I had a remarkable bacon cheeseburger and a piece of carrot cake cheesecake so large that I was unable to finish. Yes, you read that correctly, I did not finish my dessert. Nor did Mat. That was probably a good thing though, and not only calorically, because we were running late and ended up having to run a few blocks to the 47th Street Theater for Forbidden Broadway Goes To Rehab.
Now, Forbidden Broadway is definitely a show for theater nerds. I knew of the series, but my theater diva friend Bruce gave me the push to go see it, and since Mat was on board, it sounded like a good plan. I was worried that I wouldn't get all the jokes, not being as familiar with all the old (and new) gems as some are. But there were only a few references I didn't quite understand. Mostly it was very accessible, highlighting items everyone knows about, even if you hadn't seen a specific show. There was a LOT of Disney hate going on, and in particular, a lovely Mary Poppins sang a song about how we "feed the 'burbs" a bunch of nonsensical crap that sells out night after night. It was brilliant and I laughed my ass off.
Feed the 'burbs / Tepid a show / Tepid, vapid, titles they know
And that was the annual (well, at least the first this year... I suspect there will be another one later this year) trip to New York City. Now comes the introspection.
I get weirdly emotional whenever I leave a city I've been visiting. I start thinking about all the friends I saw that I won't see again for a while, about the fun I had, and that I'm going back to my same old routine, and it makes me sad. It seems to happen without fail. I guess I'm just turning into a big wuss.
Spending time in another city always makes my mind wander. In the middle of seeing a show, taking a breather on the bed listening to rain, or walking a random path in a new area... outside of my routine and my life, I start evaluating every aspect of my life. Am I happy where I am? Do I still want to live in a small three-bedroom house in the quasi-burbs? Do I still want to live in Cincinnati? Do I still want to work at the university, my first real job? Do I really not mind being without a master's degree? Am I sure I'm not satisfied being single and busy with other things? Am I on the right path for me? Am I doing what I'm meant to be doing?
It's excruciating.
But not as excruciating as figuring out what to do about it.
As usual, I offer my deepest gratitude to Mat for his hospitality and to Mat and Dino for their time. It was also terrific to see Dave, to meet Noah and Jay and Tom, and all three Chris persons, and George, and others I'm forgetting to mention.
Day One:
My connection to DC was seriously delayed, but the pilot hauled ass in the sky (apparently they had latitude to fly faster) and as it turned out, I was continuing on with the same plane to JFK, so everything worked out just fine, and I arrived shortly after noon. This time I pored through the TimeOut website and made a list of things around the city I wanted to do. I didn't end up needing it too much, but it was still nice to come prepared! As it turned out, my arriving activity was to be the Met's new Greek and Roman galleries. Or not. My bag was too large to take through, and the check line was way too long. So I opted to walk through Central Park to the Natural History Museum instead to check out their new exhibit on Climate Change, among others.
As the museum was closing, Mat (mat_t) finished up work and met me there. Together, we took the train over to his place in Jersey City (which is awesome, btw) and met up with perkbear, Noah and Jay. Mat advised me that I may recognize Noah as one of the BearCiti BearModels on the login page (second from the left if you're following...). The five of us had a great dinner together and consumed a few pitchers of Blue Moon (except Mat, of course, who disapproves of drinking. Er, beer.)
Day Two:
I don't think we got up until 10:00, which is OMGSOLATE for me. I think I needed the rest though. Especially considering the level of activity that was planned for the day.
I started by taking the PATH train in to meet up with my friend Ethan and his son Jacob. Ethan and I worked together at The News Record back in my college days. Even before I'd been on a date with a guy, I had a "crush" on this one. He's cute, sure, but his high level of energy, idealism, and humor always attracted me to him. Of course, he's not gay, but he was always a good sport about it. Or maybe he didn't actually realize it...haha. At any rate, he left Cincinnati for Tennessee a few years before I graduated, and lives in Queens now. I hadn't seen or heard from him since he left, but we reconnected only a few weeks ago on Facebook, and both agreed we should keep in touch. The three of us had an insanely filling lunch at a neighborhood Italian place called Manganaro's ("where real working people go," he told me). He hasn't changed a bit, and I was so grateful for the timing, the chance encounter, and the return of so many memories.
He and Jacob walked with me a few blocks north to Stay, my chosen hotel for the rest of the weekend. Stay had a great rate and was in a great location right by Times Square and all the theaters, so I was happy to test it out. I don't like forking over money just for a place to crash, but I also don't like to force my friends to put up with me more than they have to, especially on a weekend, which most of us use to unwind.
I had talked to Dino (burnoutfuture) about spending the afternoon with him. He was on the tail-end of surviving some kind of flesh-eating bacteria and there wasn't much on my Master Activity List (tm) that we had time for, so we just chatted and caught up for a few hours. I got a lecture on my current boy-situation and he got a haunting image burned into his brain from my wall art, so it all worked out. Next time I hope to spend more time and perhaps create a culinary masterpiece together! Or maybe just some chili. Well, in my town, that's a masterpiece :)
Mat and I reconnected and caught the evening performance of Billy Elliott - The Musical, which we both wanted to see. It was good, though we both agreed the music wasn't memorable. From a technical standpoint, I was impressed. Great vocals from the ensemble, nice lighting effects, creative use of the set. The dancing was great, as it should have been, and I enjoyed the lead actor's (Billy) ability to transform his dancing ever so slightly from hideous to perfection. Even I was impressed with and surprised by the final product he became. Some of the blocking choreography was odd, integrating the kids with the grownups in ways I didn't completely understand, but net, I liked it. The story is of course phenomenal; the message: "always be yourself." And who doesn't love a kid having all his dreams come true?
It's a bit like being angry / it's a bit like being scared / Confused and all mixed up and mad as hell
Like electricity / Sparks inside of me / And I'm free
Following the show, we took the train down to Brooklyn's Southpaw club for Blowoff, a bear-centric dance party with music by Bob Mould and Richard Morel. I went for the experience, not expecting to enjoy it half as much as I did, but my new favorite cocktail (vodka and red bull, thanks) illuminated the way for me to forget about my lack of coordination and dance around with all the specimens of hotness. I was also pleasantly surprised to get to meet (and rub the furry tummy of) the magnificent clickboo. After a dizzying train ride back to 42nd St, I fell asleep the second I hit the bed, sometime between 4 and 4:30.
Day Three:
Slept until 10 again. It was a struggle to get up this time, but I didn't want to waste the whole morning. I zoomed through the cleansing and morning hydration and hauled it down for a free walking tour of the lower east side at 11. Sadly, the tour guide never showed up or I didn't notice him/her, so I took my own stroll around the 'hood, which worked out ok. Nothing wrong with a little unstructured meandering, right?
I decided to spend the afternoon seeing In The Heights, and Mat and I made plans to see Forbidden Broadway Goes To Rehab that night.
In The Heights took me by surprise. Yes, it won the Tony for best musical, but I still hadn't heard that much about it. I heard one song from it on the radio a few months ago and it kinda gave me a "wow" moment, so I added it to my list of wanna-sees. I'm so glad I was able to see it! This is a show that is full of heart, and it ripped me apart. Even now, doing YouTube searches on it, I'm finding myself flooded with emotion. I'm actually glad that I didn't become familiar with the cast recording before I saw the show. It definitely has a "different" feel to it. Tight harmony, brilliant orchestrations, latino-centric, passion, big dreams, reality hitting you in the face like a sledgehammer, and wildly creative dancing. What's not to love? Here's a great review with some more info about the show. See it if you can.
I found my island / I've been on it this whole time / I'm home!
Mat and I had dinner at Junior's, where I had a remarkable bacon cheeseburger and a piece of carrot cake cheesecake so large that I was unable to finish. Yes, you read that correctly, I did not finish my dessert. Nor did Mat. That was probably a good thing though, and not only calorically, because we were running late and ended up having to run a few blocks to the 47th Street Theater for Forbidden Broadway Goes To Rehab.
Now, Forbidden Broadway is definitely a show for theater nerds. I knew of the series, but my theater diva friend Bruce gave me the push to go see it, and since Mat was on board, it sounded like a good plan. I was worried that I wouldn't get all the jokes, not being as familiar with all the old (and new) gems as some are. But there were only a few references I didn't quite understand. Mostly it was very accessible, highlighting items everyone knows about, even if you hadn't seen a specific show. There was a LOT of Disney hate going on, and in particular, a lovely Mary Poppins sang a song about how we "feed the 'burbs" a bunch of nonsensical crap that sells out night after night. It was brilliant and I laughed my ass off.
Feed the 'burbs / Tepid a show / Tepid, vapid, titles they know
And that was the annual (well, at least the first this year... I suspect there will be another one later this year) trip to New York City. Now comes the introspection.
I get weirdly emotional whenever I leave a city I've been visiting. I start thinking about all the friends I saw that I won't see again for a while, about the fun I had, and that I'm going back to my same old routine, and it makes me sad. It seems to happen without fail. I guess I'm just turning into a big wuss.
Spending time in another city always makes my mind wander. In the middle of seeing a show, taking a breather on the bed listening to rain, or walking a random path in a new area... outside of my routine and my life, I start evaluating every aspect of my life. Am I happy where I am? Do I still want to live in a small three-bedroom house in the quasi-burbs? Do I still want to live in Cincinnati? Do I still want to work at the university, my first real job? Do I really not mind being without a master's degree? Am I sure I'm not satisfied being single and busy with other things? Am I on the right path for me? Am I doing what I'm meant to be doing?
It's excruciating.
But not as excruciating as figuring out what to do about it.
As usual, I offer my deepest gratitude to Mat for his hospitality and to Mat and Dino for their time. It was also terrific to see Dave, to meet Noah and Jay and Tom, and all three Chris persons, and George, and others I'm forgetting to mention.