New York Life, post-classes

After classes ended and Mom and Dad went back to Florida, I went job-hunting with a shiny new qualification: open availability. Within a few days, I was lucky enough to land a hostessing position at Maxie's Bar and Grill, a sister restaurant to a well-known steakhouse here called Angelo and Maxie's. It is located in Union Square, so it takes me about 30 minutes to get to work on the subway. The remainder of August was very enjoyable, as there were still a few stragglers left from school. I've learned I don't need much in the way of social outings, so living was easy and we went out to do various things (see a movie in Central Park, get frozen yogurt, go out to eat, or catch a free improv show at Upright Citizen's Brigade). The last remaining survivor, Jenna, went back to California at the beginning of September. For her last night, we went to a little cafe called Serendipity. Apparently it is famous for being featured in a movie of the same name. They are also famous for their frrrrozen hot chocolate, so we split one. It was huge! And very good. Here we are indulging in the chocolate goodness...

There are still a couple of people here who live in New York (2 in Queens and 1 in Long Island). I did go visit one guy (Theo) in Queens (Astoria) and we had a decent time. He's from Greece and is here getting his masters in psychology. We basically just walked around and went to Astoria Park, on the East River. There were rats crawling in the rocks below. We got some ice cream and just hung out for a bit before walking back to the subway through the neighborhoods of Astoria. It's actually a pretty nice area and, good for Theo, there are a lot of Greeks that have settled there. The neighborhood itself actually kind of reminded me of Ohio, not sure why. The houses all looked about the same and were close together and older, and it looked like most of the residents had been living there for their entire lives.

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Otherwise I have pretty much just been working. I work Tuesday through Friday and I am off on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The job is okay, but not nearly enough money to let me stay here. However, it is certainly helpful to have some sort of income and I am grateful for anything! It's pretty slow at this time of year (so they tell me)... so mostly I just stand there for about six hours. Yep, it's pretty boring. Except when good old Joe comes over to talk to me. Joe is a regular at the bar. Need I say more? He's probably in his 60s and comes in all the time. He drinks until he is pretty wasted so he always reeks of liquor and cigarettes. He's told me he wants to adopt me and/or take me on a date, despite the fact that he is married, and, well, in his 60s. Um, ew. Joe likes to think he is very perceptive and was surprised I wasn't more impressed when he guessed that I was either an only child, or had 3-4 siblings and was the youngest. He said there is something about me that connects with him. No, I am pretty sure there isn't! Actually, a lot of people guess that I am the youngest child (I guess I am pretty obvious somehow)! He also wants me to help him develop an advice website. Sure, I'll get right on that. One day as he was leaving he leaned in to give me a kiss on the cheek. I backed away revolted! He apologized a few days later (when he was sober) but still... what is it with these guys? I just don't get how they have such an overdeveloped self-esteem that would allow them to think that kind of behavior would be okay! Is it me? Ick...now I remember why I don't like working in restaurants, because you have to be nice to people like that all the time. On Friday when he went outside to smoke, the bartender and I were joking about how annoying he was. As I looked at him out in the rain, smoking his clove cigarette, I actually felt a twinge of sadness for him. Because here he is going about his life, thinking that we are nice to him because we like him, with no idea that we can't stand him... oh well. The feeling quickly faded.

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I have also decided I am going to try and see as many Broadway shows as I can until I have to leave. I am trying to get the cheap rush tickets. This weekend I am trying for Avenue Q, because it closes today actually. No luck so far and I doubt it will be any different tonight, but I have to try. I also want to see Hair and Wicked! Wish me luck.

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So due to financial constraints and lack of better job prospects, I have decided to come back home and live with Mom and Dad for a while, who are nice enough to put me up. The tentative date of return is October 13th. I am very okay with it, because it will give me some time to think about my next move without worrying about expensive rent. I need to get ready for grad school auditions in January! Also there is an audition I am going to try and go to for paying theatre companies throughout the entire southeast. There is a screening audition in Florida in November and the audition itself is in March. I feel like I have a lot of things to take care back home anyway.

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Well I am off to try and get theatre tickets, else go to church and maybe a run in the park. I have been so lethargic lately that I can't even go to sleep at night! And I will use my awesome new SanDisk mp3 player (which I recommend completely - $70 for 4GB, radio, recorder so you can record from radio OR your own voice...beat that Apple)!