Happy Halloween!

Tonight I wound up going to the Halloween Parade in the village on my own. The picture is of spooky tower near where I was standing. They had a giant blow up spider puppet hanging of the side. It was hard to get any good pictures with night vision liking a steady hand and the million people crowd. It was hard to even get close, the police had every adjacent block that had residents on it blocked off. The closest I go was when Ii accidentally got in line to cross the street right in front of the parade. But I finally snagged a steady position right in front of a bicycle which made for a pretty good veiw but was really uncomfortable once everyone wanted to leave. Pretty much anyone who is dressed up can march in this parade. There were marching bands and a few floats including the band KISS at the end. They didn't sing... but they looked good. There were, of course plenty of political statements to be made. The coffins of Ignorance and Homophobia were carried. It was all very dramatic. And tons and tons of people in inventive and standard costumes were there to be seen. My favorite was a guy who went as a hand. He had all five fingers the middle of which was attached to his head and was the only one erect without extra effort. And on the back it said "talk to the hand". He obviously made it himself. Maybe its crude... but who thinks to go as a hand?! I applaude you sir.
The weather has been really nice the last couple of days. I have been working at H&M for over a week now. I like the people but I am completely done with training. I am ready to know everything. Its definitely harder on my feet than the receptionist work... and it doesn't pay as well. I'm already feeling that. But I will be getting benefits in 2 months. And Dr. Dismuke (or the New York equivilant) and I can reunite.
I got hired fulltime for the new 5th Avenue and 18th Street store that opens at the beginning of December. Right now we are training at the Lexington Avenue store which is only 3 stops away from home! I was the oldest of our group of newbies. It's a very young store. I don't think any of the managers have hit 30. There is apparently "a lot of oppurtunity" with the company right now... or so I've been told by, well, everyone. Also NO ONE ever complains. No one ever says "I HAVE to find a better job". Hmm. I'm still not sold though. I hate it when I can't find where the garmet goes. That game gets old. And the music "station" they blast everyday is truly HORRIBLE. Who knew R&B had followed the well trodden course of country music? Increasing in popularity at the same rate increase of uninventive lyrics and all around formula-ed, terrible songwriting. I don't know.. anything... about songwriting. But I'm pretty sure uneloquently stating the point of your song over and over is not the way to go. There has to be some mystery or it is UNINTERESTING. Also, there can only be so many songs about how your man done you wrong. But I'm sure we have not yet written so many that all that is left is song in which the main lyric is "I'm feeling really unappreciated". Well I guess the room for interpretation is up. Boring. I share a locker with a guy named Carlos who is from L.A. We also share the exact same schedule and the same contempt for the house jams.
I also have strong opinions about how Bank of America done me wrong.
Another funny reunion on the subway (platform, this time). One the way home from work the other day I ran into my friend Kimberli who I haven't seen since we did summerstock in upstate. We exchanged numbres... she moved here in August. Crazy.

Back on the Job

I am VERY happy to be back on the clock this week. Somehow last week taking Tuesday off turned into a week vacation. My first New York auditions have come and gone. I woke up at 6am on Tuesday to go to my first audition for the National Tour of Wonderful Town at Chelsea studios. I got there a little before 8 (auditions start at 10) which still put me at #72 on the unofficial list. I saw two people I knew the entire day. Lisa from Cypress Gardens (who actually got a callback!) and a girl I met through Ben Neill at his production last month. Who ALSO got a callback... or a danceback. Long story short I was 2ND IN LINE to sing the 8 bars that had been shortened from 16 when Dave Clemmons crammed us ALL back into the main room again only to tell us that there were too many people and they were going to type us. So I had to fight to get my headshot back only to stand in line with 50 other girls, of whom 5 or 6 were asked to come back on Friday to dance. They didn't even want to see them sing or do anything that day. So I ended up being there slightly longer than I would have if they had actually HEARD me sing AND I didn't get seen. Slam bam start. The Into the Woods was slightly more successful. Meaning I got there only s half hour early and was #70 but I did get to sing AND "dance". It was the second day of auditioning and there were at least a hundred people there. I didn't get a call back but I DID leave a pair of shoes there. Which is just a shame.
I have my 3rd interview today with H&M. I thought they weren't going to call us until our background checks come through in 2 weeks. They BEST not be getting me to make a trip out of my way after work just to let me down. I might have to cause a scene. If I get hired I'll be working at the 5th Avenue store which was their charter H&M. It's huge. I went there after my last interview just to check it out and it was total choas. Three stories of cheap clothes may spell hell. I'm going to apply at Urban Outfitters pronto. It is way less threatening.
Last Friday night I went to a Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins concert. It was really really good. Jenny Lewis is one of my favorite new musicians. She has a kind of western, gospel rock style. The Little Willies, Norah Jones's new band, were SUPPOSED to open for her. I was pretty disappointed they didn't show.
This week I am working for the internet trading company that called me in for all of 2 and half hours a few weeks ago. The hours are much nicer this time. Full 8 hour day with an hour lunch. I transfer calls, send fed-ex and messenger stuff, sign for and document packages, and sort (into unaphabetized folders) the two enormous bags of mail that come in every day. It's pretty fun.

Yen and Zen

I am at work once again. This time not only is the boss not in, he hasn't been in and he won't be in today. I have not seen a single soul who can help me. A woman just came in speaking only Spanish and, though I got her name and apartment number out of her, when I tried to ask her about her "lease" I'm afraid she thought I meant "leave" because she said "ok" and walked out the door. Eeeee. Plus there is an angry man who I've spoken to several times who I am of absolutely no use to...and none of the numbers people have given me to call "in emergencies" have worked. Ugh. I'm basically an answering service. I should pretend to be automated.
I found two auditions that I am planning to go to next week. One is for a non-paying theatre in Brooklyn that is doing Into the Woods in December. I am going to try to see their production of Ragtime this week to scope out the theatre before I audition. And the other is a non-equity tour of Wonderful Town which I love. I'm going to the principal audition because I know I'm not a good enough dancer to make it through the chorus audition. I'm not really right in age or physicality for either of the main girls but I think I'm an o.k. canidate for the part of Helen Wade. So if anyone has any ideas for soparanoish traditional musical theatre 16 bars OR Sondheim-ish 32 bars let me know. Unfortunately I don't have any of my music books here... so options may be limited.
This weekend Liz and I went to the green market in Union Square which is AMAZING. I bought some bread and tomatoes and apples and a basil plant! I've decided to name him Basil (with the British pronuciation so the "a" is like "cat" instead of like "kate") of Bakerstreet. So far he is a very well behaved plant and he smells nice. While looking at the art part of the market a woman walking too fast with a display of framed pictures bumped into me and shattered every single frame. I think she thought some of it broke on my head because she was very apologetic. For lunch Liz and I went to the Zen Palate vegetarian restaurant where we shared two different kinds of spring rolls, vegetable dumplings, and yam fries. Afterwards we headed into Babies'R'Us. On the way in the door I was stopped by a guy who wanted to know if I "was into heavy metal". I believe I told him "Not at all. Why?" Which caused me to miss out on some probably completely sweet free tickets to a heavy metal concert in the city. Gah.
There was a street market on MY Broadway (in Queens) on Sunday. Our yoga teacher bought a bonsai tree there for $150 dollars. I bought a two dollar ear of corn. It was delicious.