NY, NY

The New York Experience

This is day three of my time in NY. So far I'm absolutely loving it - even the breakdown of the R train this afternoon.

First off we visited with Caroline and the girls that live with her from the agency. Do I know WHAT agency...um - no; all I know is the guy who sends them out to their casting calls is Jason and his assistant is Obie. The girls at the house are very nice. I've met Kelsey and Vanessa and Jessica. Elias, the only guy who came in at the same time, is in another house but hung out with us on Sunday. Caroline, Pierce, Becky and I went through Prospect Park in Brooklyn (not as large as Central Park but still huge). Then after we went to dinner at Cafe Enduro (I believe that is the name) Mexican food restaurant and then back to the bungalow for a rousing game of Spades. We had not yet taken a subway any where. We thought we could walk from Caroline's to the hotel but man it was far, a far far walk. We finally took a taxi for $5.40.

Monday Caroline had a casting call and so we (Pierce, Becky and me) went to Ground Zero and walked through the World Financial Center and from there along the water front of the Hudson River and through Battery Park where we thought we'd catch the ferry to Ellis Island and see the Statue of Liberty. However, the line was a mile and a half long (literally) and so we

didn't. We met up with Caroline and ate lunch at Au bon Pain.

Off to 5th Avenue to shop at FAO Schwarz where I bought the absolute cutest little limited edition Steiff puppy in the whole world as well as something for myShelb. Also saw the flagship store of Abercrombie and Fitch (where Caroline works).

We were going to go to Times Square for dinner but saw a steak house (Uncle Jack's) which is a 5 star restaurant and supposedly the best steak house in Manhattan. We ate there. Man the steak that Pierce and I ate was to die for; the best we've ever tasted!!!

Today Caroline had another casting call which was by request only and was filmed for a reality TV show on MTV called

The City. Becky went with her so Pierce and I visited the NY Aquarium and then headed to Coney Island, which was right next door. I wanted to eat a coney but Pierce believed we were going to meet up with Becky and Caroline for lunch and so we didn't get a dog. We hopped on the Q train to go back to the Atlantic Ave. stop and catch the R back to Union St. however when we got to Atlantic the R was stopped and so it took us an hour and a half to get back to the hotel. It was weird though because when we finally got OFF the subway, Becky and Caroline were on the same train a couple of cars ahead of us. We came back to the room where Pierce and I ate leftovers and Becky fell asleep. Pierce and Caroline are supposedly at Central Park though I bet they really went back to her bungalow.

We'll be heading to Times Square for dinner tonight.

NYC is everything I ever dreamed it to be ... the tall building, the crowds of people, the noise and the traffic. I LOVE it!!!

Heading Out

Well, I'm off to New York tomorrow morning - Miss Becky will pick us up at 6:00 in the morning. I'm very nervous and not really looking as forward to this trip as i should. i've always wanted to go to New York but with myTed or my BFF. I've wanted to stay in the more luxurious hotels and visit Broadway and Central Park and FAO Swartz. I am not too sure about the Holiday Inn Express in a downtown Brooklyn that is under construction and has the run down look of any ole downtown in any ole large city. myTed went to Google maps and did a street level walk about from the motel to Caroline's house and then out and about through New York. I am much more worried and anxious now after seeing the street level views than I was at the bird's eye view.

There is no parking at the motel - well actually there is, 16 spaces for compact cars and the price is $24.oo a day. Wow. The subway is supposedly a 13 minute walk (course they don't know how slowly I walk) and then there is a six-minute subway ride to the station closest to Caroline's house and the walk to where she is. Caroline has already told us that we'll hate the subway - "it's dirty and smelly and crowded" but she loves it (how weird is that?).

I want to see a few things. Quite a few things really. I want to see Ground Zero. The Brooklyn Zoo. The Statue of Liberty. The Museum of Natural History. FAO Swartz. There is a botanical garden near Caroline's home. Central Park would be kewl too.

sigh ...

just wish the circumstances were different.

The Concert

I believe the concert was a huge success tonight. There were about 103 people not including ourselves there tonight (which is average for OxyMoron concerts). The people attending the concert all had fun, many danced. The performers all had a blast, many danced between sets. I had a blast, though I didn't know my songs well enough. I was told by more than one person that I have a "stage presence", not sure what that means though. One person told me that it means that I portray the role that I step into really well - like I am the person.

I got Josh at 5:00 (and Trish's costume as Dolly) and then we gathered to eat dinner (potluck) at the church at 5:30. We were dressed and ready and waiting at about 6:45. At 7:00 we were startin' to worry about Crystal who was portraying Tanya Tucker, the first act; she did make it, we were just worrying.

Everything went off without a hitch, Minnie Pearl was a great hostess and each performer/band/group was exceptional. I wish I had footage to show everybody but silly ole me forgot to get the camera out of the purse. Darn it all!

OxyMorons Go Country

Concert Tonight!

It's going to be a really long night - we have to be at the FLC tonight at 5:30 and the concert starts at 7:30...probably last until 10:00 and then we have to pick up, pack up, and get out.

Took pictures with my cell phone. I'll upload them now and then add them to this post.

concert preps

the oxymorons will be performing friday night at the java hut at st. mark's umc and so i was out shopping for clothing for tammy wynette and crystal gayle today. we (crystal and i) went thrift shopping. surprisingly crystal gayle was the most difficult to shop for; she is conservative in a '70's sort of way that made it difficult to pin down. i found something for her in 'vintage' that looks to be maybe early '80's. tammy wynette was a piece of cake since she began singing in the '50's i went for a cute little dress that looks to be late '50's early '60's. next was the wig shopping.

now it's always a challenge for us to even get to judi's costume shop in newport news (we never remember if it's off of warwick or jefferson); we always pick the wrong road first and today was no exception. so after driving way out of the way we finally get there (about 11ish) only to find out that she doesn't open shop until 1:00. darn it all. she has the weirdest hours and you'd think i'd learn to call her ahead of time but i never do. so we went to the mall to kill time. :D

we ate at the new chipotle (yum!) and shopped a bit and got back to judi's at 12:55. judi actually arrived at 1:15 (so much for store hours). we dug through two drawers in which the wigs are stuffed (literally). there is no organized system so we had to pull out wig after wig. i never found the piece i wanted for tammy wynette (a '50's boufant) so i settled for a long(ish) wavy blonde. crystal gayle once again proved to be my problem child. judi didn't have a long brown wig so i got a 'jesus' wig (deep brown) and a long hair extention (auburn). hopefully the house lights will be down enough to hide the color differences.

dress rehearsal tomorrow night. i'll post pictures on tumblr (ack!).

Hurt and Pain

I'm really struggling right now with the concept of hope through pain. I've thought about it alot lately as there is so much hurt and pain and loss at my home church right now. Well, more than my church home actually. A dear friend of mine has been in the deepest depths of depression for over a year now and is going into the hospital yet again for another series of electroshock therapy (she's already had 40 sessions). She is not a believer per say, she's had more than her fair share of hurt caused by the church; and yet it seems that she 's succumbed to hopelessness. Were does the unchurched find hope? She's having to result to extreme measures and has for many months with little to no results.

Kay and Chuck just found out that he is battling bone cancer - found in his legs and arms and spine. He had prostrate cancer which neither of them knew about that has spread. Kay is taking it pretty hard but Chuck seems not to be. He begins a series of tests and then treatment next week. He hasn't given in or given up - he has hope.

Through our study tonight I've thought an odd thought - the devil attacks the faithful; our church has more than its fair share of hurt and suffering therefore, our church is faithful in doing the will of God. Is that a logical conclusion? Who knows. It helps me get through, to maintain my own sense of hope. Maybe that's what faith is.

Happy Birthday myShelby

16 years ago today I gave birth to myShelby. What a day it was too. At 6:00 a.m. (MDT) I woke not feeling too well, tried to eat a bagel which just wasn't working. I climbed into a warm bath thinking that would help. By 7:40 I was in desperate need to get to the hospital, fortunately Alamogordo is little bitty town. He sped even running the one remaining traffic signal that was on the way to the hospital. We got checked in, up to a birthing room and I felt the need to go to the bathroom and while on the toilet I yelled out "I need to push" and the nurses are saying "oh no you don't". It took a moment for them to find the doctor (by this time it is about 8:15); they paged him and found out that he was just leaving the hospital. He came up right away and proceeded to tell the staff that he only had time for gloves and mask. Shelby was quick - she WANTED to be in this world. At 8:44 a.m. I had my 7 pound 8 ounce little girl. Ted cut the umbilical cord and they laid her in a bed where she was cleaned up and beautiful. What a treasure.

The most humorous thing that happened was when, nearly two hours later, a nurse tried to tell Ted that he couldn't be in the room without a gown and boots. We laughed hysterically. He'd not been gowned or had boots on when she was born and held her and changed her first two diapers; I mean, the doctor was in his shorts and a polo shirt too!

What an adventure. And now I look at her - 16 today - at the woman she is growing into. From the shy little child she was to the wonderfully outgoing, delightful young lady she is.

Happy Birthday to my love, myShelby.