Friday, June 8, 2011: This Time Around

            Ok so I hadn’t realized that I didn’t write since Tuesday, but nothing really eventful happened. Well I did get 3^rd row seats to see Hanson in MA and then the next day got tickets to see them in CT, so that was eventful for me (but no one else).

            Wednesday nothing out of the ordinary happened at work. I did a lot of promotional things through Facebook and various other forums. We have our Summer Jazzfest next week and then the Summer Reggae Fest the week after so I’ve been looking at different places to especially promote those shows (as well as other ones we have just announced). The only other thing that really happened on Wednesday was that the fire alarm went off not only once, but twice (we literally got back in from the first one and the 2^nd one went off). We still aren’t entirely sure what caused it, but at least I now know that FDNY can get to NYU fairly quickly (on a side note, I found it entertaining that one of the fire trucks had a little dinosaur attached to the top of it…which of course was during the first fire alarm so I didn’t have my camera with me).

            Yesterday I ended up reading at the High Line again. I only ended up staying for a little over an hour and then wandered around Columbus Circle for a bit. I debated on going back to the High Line, but I had a reaction to a bug bite (not as bad as usual, but still enough to make me not feel well) so I headed back. About 10 minutes after I got back, the skies opened up (so I’m very glad I came back when I did). After dinner a few of us did some laundry and it was the most crowded I’ve ever seen the laundry room (I guess Thursday night at 9:30 is a popular time to do laundry).

            Today I went into the office to make up for Monday being a holiday and it ended up just being me, Carly, and Jen the entire day. I got to chose the YMLP winner for the Kermit Ruffins show next week, help make adjustments to show posters, as well as promote the Groundation show that’s coming up in a couple weeks. It started raining again at about 3ish, and lasted throughout the night. We went to go see Horrible Bosses, which I didn’t really have any expectations for, and it turned out to be a pretty good movie.

            I can’t believe that there are only 2 weeks left. Time really does go by faster the older you get. I think the plan is to jam pack this weekend with things on our bucket list, so hopefully that means I’ll have something a little more exciting to share with everyone.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011: Give a Little Heart and Soul

            So Sunday, I ended up feeling sick all day. I woke up with a really bad headache that just wouldn’t go away. Therefore, the entire day was spent in bed catching up on movies that I have been meaning to watch for awhile (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Brokeback Mountain, etc). The good thing about not feeling well on Sunday was that it was iffy weather out all day so it wouldn’t have been a day to really go out to do anything.

            July 4^th (aka yesterday) was beautiful all day. Steph, Katherine and I went to Greenwich Village for lunch and it was pretty good. On our way back we were going to stop to get fried Oreos but the place was closed so we stopped by Baked by Melissa for mini cupcakes (about the size slightly bigger than a quarter) instead. It was a little pricey, but they were very good (I ended up getting Firework, Cookies & Cream, Cookie Dough, Chocolate Chip Pancake, S’more, and Red Velvet). We hung out for a bit down the hall before going out to dinner and heading over to watch the Fireworks. The crowd for the fireworks was insane, some roads were blocked off and we ended up not being able to go as close to the water as we were hoping, but it was still fun. We saw 4 of the 6 sets of fireworks and it was the most fun I’ve had watching fireworks in a long time. Afterward we walked back and Steven and Chandler started singing the National Anthem and before we knew it a huge group of people joined in; it was a lot of fun.

            Today was pretty laid back. I still didn’t feel 100% so I didn’t go exploring like I had planned. Instead I read my book, did some laundry, and ran a few errands. However despite still not feeling well, this morning was by far the best part of my day! Hanson announced their Musical Ride Tour! They will be at Toad’s Place in New Haven during Columbus Day weekend! Therefore, for once in my Hanson fan life, there isn’t a conflict with seeing them! Not only that, they will be in Northampton, MA the night before (only about an hour and twenty minutes away from school, and an hour and a half away from home!). I have an issue and am planning on going to both shows (I’ve been trying to see them for years, and tickets aren’t too expensive, so why not?). Plus they are having the fans vote on the set for each show, so I’d be seeing a different show each night. I fully embrace my Hanson obsession and the only thing that would make each of those nights better is winning a meet and greet pass.

            Anyway, back to New York life. The weather was nice so after dinner we hung out in Washington Square Park and Steph M. and Steven played in the fountain. It was highly entertaining, especially when Steven forced Steph to go through the huge jet in the center (completely drenching both of them).

            Also, Happy Birthday Jimmy! Can’t believe you turned 19 today! No you will not be getting a cruise for 4 from your older sister as a present, but I’m sure I’ll find you something in NYC before I come home that will be acceptable (and not as expensive).

Saturday, July 2, 2011: Dance the Night Away!

            Ok so a lot to catch everyone up on. Let’s see, Wednesday was a fairly typical day at work (I can’t recall anything out of the ordinary happening). I’ve gotten the route down to a science now, so it’s gone from being something I didn’t like doing to something I look forward to. After work, Dream Careers had a Music Industry night, and it was really good. The discussion was a lot of stuff that I kind of already knew (through the panel I went to a few weeks ago and the book I’m reading), but it was still good to hear. And the two performers, Susan Cagel and R.I.C.O., were extremely talented and it was the best part of the night.

            Thursday I spent a lot of time preparing for the possibility of doing informational interviews and made a list of questions that I have about the industry and about different things I could be doing. Over all it was a pretty relaxed day. A lot of people have other things going on this weekend between friend’s visiting, going to visit friends, and family visiting. After dinner we went to Little Italy for dessert! It took longer than we expected to walk there but we finally ended up at Ferrara. Ironically, Tyler and his friend had been there maybe a half hour or so before we got there, and just after Chandler, Nick, Katherine and I sat down, Shelby and her family walked through the door. In as big of a city NYC is, all of us somehow ended up at the same place. I got Tiramisu, and it was definitely worth the long trip. 

            Ok so yesterday, I ended up going to The High Line. It’s probably my favorite park so far. It’s basically an elevated walkway that is built along where the old railroad tracks are. There are plants everywhere and a beautiful view of the water. There is even a section of the walkway that has a strip of about a ¼ inch of water that you can walk through off to the side of the normal walkway. I went from 14^th St to the end and then back, and ended up staying to read for about an hour. Once I got back to NYU, I did a little research on the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and am considering doing that for a year when I get out of school (hopefully in either LA, Nashville, or NYC). Last night was a pretty slow night; Nick, Chandler and I went to go see Larry Crowne, which was a decent movie. Afterward we had planned on meeting up with Steph M. (Chandler’s direct roommate) and Katherine to go to Serendipity, but we wound up hanging out in their room instead and just talking.

            Finally, now on to today: This morning we ventured to Chinatown, which was definitely and experience (I didn’t end up getting anything though). After lunch, Katherine, Steph M., and I went to Central Park and rented bikes. I loved it. We rented them for an hour and got to see so much of the park (a lot more than I expected we were going to). We got slightly confused when it came to heading back to finding a path that cut across the park so we could head back to the bike rental place, but we eventually figured it out. 

            Once we got back we had to get ready for the Dinner Dance Cruise. It was phenomenal, probably the best event so far. We got all dressed up, went to Chelsea Piers, and got on the Spirit of New Jersey (the entire night we sailed around the harbor). The food was better than I was expecting, and we finished eating before the ship even left dock, so we were able to hang out on the top story when the boat took off. The view of the skyline was breathtaking and we got to watch the sunset. We spent the night dancing and just hanging out, and it was just an amazing night. The only unfortunate thing about the night was that Steven and Tyler weren’t able to come. We were only out on the water for 3 hours, but it definitely seemed a lot longer (which was a good thing).

            I’m not entirely sure what the plan is tomorrow, but I’m sure we’ll wind up finding something fun to keep this 4^th of July weekend going greatly.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011: Pizza, Movies, and Music

            Sunday my family came to visit me (even Jimmy)! Though since I’m use to being at school and I talk to them a few times a week, it really hasn’t felt like I’ve been away from home for that long (in reality I haven’t, it’s only been 4 weeks). Regardless it was still nice to see them. We went to Lombardi’s Pizza in Little Italy and it was definitely the best pizza I’ve had in awhile (though Pepe’s Summer Pie is still my favorite). Afterwards, I exposed them to the NYC subway system and we went to the Central Park Zoo. It’s very small, but they had monkeys and penguins so I was happy. The polar bear that was there kept doing the same thing over and over, and it was entertaining to watch (at least for a little bit). And to backtrack a little, while we were waiting in line for tickets, Miranda Cosgrove (the girl from iCarly) was in line maybe 15 people behind us. I took a “creeper picture” just to prove that she was actually there (I didn’t want to go up and bother her).

            Yesterday, I decided to walk to work (I had my cool brace on my ankle so it didn’t hurt any more than it does to go up and down the stairs of the subway) and it is definitely something I’ll continue to do. It’s only about a 35-40min walk, it’s nicer than the subways, and I have the time to do it. At work I spent a lot of the day promoting the Summer Jazzfest and doing other promotional odds and ends. It was weird because it was the first day that I didn’t go out of the office to run errands (which I missed doing). As I was headed back to NYU, I finally checked my phone (I don’t check it when I’m at work, so your best bet if you need to reach me during the day on Mondays and Wednesdays is email) and Tyler had mentioned something about going to Bryant Park for the Summer Film Festival (they show a free movie every Monday at sunset), so I ended up walking there instead. It was fun, but I honestly have no idea what the movie was about because we couldn’t really hear it (Steven ending up looking it up on Wikipedia). 

            After we got back, I ended up watching The Human Experience, a documentary that I’ve been meaning to watch for a few months now. I absolutely loved it! Though I feel like I watched it at the perfect time because I feel like the experience when Jeffery and Cliff live homeless in NYC for a week, wouldn’t have had the same impact if I hadn’t ever lived in the City. I mean, yes everyone is more or less familiar with the issue of homelessness, but I’ve now lived in NYC for 4 weeks and every day it is something I come across (whereas in Worcester and Ansonia I would only see it every once in awhile (I know it’s there, it’s just not something I encounter daily)). While the other experiences were inspirational as well, it was definitely the first on the resonated most with me.

            Today, I did some work from home, looking into trackable QR Codes and information about creating an iPhone App for Sullivan Hall. It was slightly frustrating because a lot of the sites weren’t that helpful. After working for a few hours, I decided to go to Washington Square Park and read for a bit. It was very nice out and since it was late afternoon, it wasn’t extremely hot.

            Tonight we had a networking panel where alumni from the program came to talk to us about the importance of networking. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it ended up being the best seminar yet. It was very different from having a speaker more or less lecture about things that you should be doing because while you know that speaker is giving you decent advice, it’s more personal being given advice from someone who has already experienced what we’re going through now. One of the panelists is in the music industry and even talked to him afterward. He gave me his business card, and I found what he had to say very helpful. Tomorrow night there’s another panel, but it’s specific to the music/entertainment industry, so I’m really looking forward to that.

Saturday, June 25, 2011: Comedy in the City

            So I got my ankle checked out Thursday morning, and basically paid for them to confirm what I already thought was wrong with it (a strained muscle and I just need to ice it and keep it wrapped). It’s been rainy/overcast the last few days, and the iffy weather messed up my plans on spending time outside reading, so I ended up just doing things around the room (reading, organizing, etc.). Last night I worked another show for work. It was busy, but I’m getting the hang of working the door.

            Today, everyone went on the Washington DC trip (we had the choice between going there and going to a Comedy Club). I stayed in NYC to go to the Comedy Club for three reasons: 1) because the trip to DC was going to be very rushed (they come back tomorrow around 8pm) 2) I’ve been to DC and got to spend more time at all the sites when I went in 2003 (and 2001) 3) I wanted to experience a NYC Comedy Club. We don’t leave for the show until 8:45 so I had to kill time before then. I decided to just wander around the city for a bit.

I started off at FAO Schwartz, where if you just happened to have $25,000 lying around you could purchase a Barbie Foosball Table (yes you read both the price and what was for sale correctly); I proceeded to check out the Apple store (which was right next door), and then wandered toward Rockefeller Center with the intention of either doing the NBC Studio Tour or Top of the Rock. On my way there I stopped at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, which was beautiful. I found it amusing how there are TV screens (they’re literally everywhere) and a camera setup so that people can see the Mass no matter where they sit. I ended up doing the Top of the Rock, and the view was phenomenal. I’ve grown so accustomed to looking up at the buildings, and it was very different to see everything from so high up (67-69 stories). After spending a decent amount of time there, I wandered to Time Square and went to M&M World and the Hershey Store. The Hershey Store wasn’t that impressive, but I enjoyed the dynamic of M&M World. They had a huge wall off M&Ms in basically any color you could imagine. I remember the time when the only colors they had were Red, Yellow, Orange, Green, & Brown (not even Blue was around), and now you can get M&Ms in colors such as Cream, Electrifying Green, or Aqua (crazy!). 

(time lapse as Kristen goes to the Comedy Club)

Overall the Comedy Club was good. It was very weird not having our normal staff running the trip (all of the Union Square staff are on the DC trip, so the Gramercy Park staff ran the Comedy Club event). The 2 women who performed were ok; some of their stuff was funny, but it wasn’t anything memorable. The main act, Jim David, was by far the best (the other opening guy was decent). It was definitely worth the experience, but there wasn’t anything that stood out about actually going to the comedy club as opposed to watching the comics on TV.