Michelle Obama was recently in NYC to promote the arts and said this:

"The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation. The president and I want to ensure that all children have access to great works of art. We want all children who believe in their talent to see a way to create a future for themselves in the arts community, either as a hobby or as a profession."

food sketches!

I'm trying a new thing, drawing what I eat instead of just taking a picture. We'll see how long I keep it up, but it's a nice way to make myself draw.

Spinach-garlic noodles.

Falafel on rice, with french fries for some inexplicable reason. The halal guy near work puts them on everything.

I drew this picture of what I ate at work and my shoes the other day when everyone else was out so I was eating lunch alone. However, I really did get a slice of pizza delivered, which I found pretty neato. Also, I'm on a big garlic kick lately.

Balance

So May has been a pretty busy month for the NYC theatre world, so I've been getting pretty steady work lately. Which I like! I love working, I love having something to do every day, I like my job for the most part. I like the fact that after a long day at work I'm cut up, bruised, dirty, tired beyond belief, but I feel like I worked!!
However, what I don't like is knowing it's either all or nothing. I don't like working 90 hours this week knowing I might work 0 the next. The drop-off is hard to get used to. Since that is the way it looks like it's going to be though, I'm trying to find a balance. I'm attempting to occasionally go out with friends after work, or do some art when I get home instead of just crashing. All my projects I start when I have no work just pile up and clutter my room and don't get done, so I'm trying to still clean even when I'm busy and work on things a little bit so they're not so difficult to re-start when I'm faced with tons of free time.
It's...going ok so far.
Today I had a day off, but I go back in tomorrow. It started off well, got up fairly early, took a shower, did my laundry, ran some errands, had brunch with Kelly. Then I started to fade. I managed to make it to an art exhibit I've wanted to see. And that was pretty much the end of my day. No cleaning, no painting. I came home, layed on my bed for hours and finally managed to get up long enough to make some noodles.
So, I'm working on it. I like the stuff I do when I don't work. I don't want work to be my entire life. And it looks like this cycle of lots of work followed by periods of no work is going to be my life for awhile, so I might as well get used to it.

The view from the N train home. This is my favorite view of the city. Ever. Riding the N always calms me down and makes me love New York just a little.

The progression of the sky as I layed on my bed all afternoon.

Greek cup!!

I finally got a Greek coffee cup!!!!
Do you know what I'm talking about?
It's a small paper coffee cup that they use in NYC (And maybe elsewhere, I don't know). You see it on TV shows, movies, they have been using this same design for many, many years. I remember learning about it in my props class and how iconic it is. It's the one NYC thing I have wanted every time I visited, and ever since I moved here. I drink coffee all the time, it shouldn't be that hard! I see these cups on the street, other people have them, but somehow I kept just getting plain white cups.
Thank you Mexican deli across the street.

The days have been so beautiful lately that walking to and from work is my favorite part of each day.

collect 'em all

My hobby in New York is finding restaurants that I loved in STL.
So far I have Bread Co (Panera here), Qudoba, and have heard tell of an Einstein Bros on 1st Ave, but haven't made it there yet.
And the other day I added White Castle!!
(Actually I had seen White Castle a long time ago but forgotten about it.)



Milkshakes are the best!!

The result

Things I did today:

-Discovered stale chocolate Peeps dunked in extra strong coffee tastes amazing!
-Made "picture frames" out of hundred of paint samples taken from Home Depot.

I'm off to steal more paint samples.

theatre etc.

On my way to the theatre this morning I ran into another Webster Conservatory Alum in the subway. We talked for awhile, it was pretty great. I absolutely love running into people in New York because it so rarely happens to me. It's my favorite. Anyway, the people I know from Conservatory, or for that matter from theatre in general have been really great to me, and as hard as living in New York has been they have made it much easier. I don't know if I'd even still be here without them.
Back to just conservatory, what I like best is that when you see them here, it doesn't matter how well you knew them then, they will recognize you, they will talk to you, lots of times I even end up hanging out with them later. And although a lot of people are out of work now, we all try to help each other by bringing in others to jobs, hence the job I'm doing now, which started off with just one person from Webster getting a job, and now there are 4 people (myself included) helping out on it.
It's just nice to have a community of sorts. I like that the theatre world is a small one, and especially here in NYC people seem to try and look out for each other because everyone knows what it's like.

Most of my graduating class at Portfolio Review. I like that Melinda and I are on the same page.

I just love wooden ladders.

I thought this was funny, although I appreciate the recycling. Just look at all those fresh cigarettes!

The Met in under an hour

So, to go back in time a bit, I went to the Met.
I've been kinda avoiding this particular museum.
First off, I know it's one of those imposible to see everything types of museums. It's huge. I know that. But is also costs money (a suggested donation, which is actually really nice, but they make you feel really awful for paying less than the suggestion.) which means you have to really feel like going to a museum to get your money's worth.
Second, I don't mean to sound like a snob, but I kinda thought it wasn't really my type of art. I knew I would love the Greek wing, and I know that I would be intrested in the others, certain paintings catching my eye more than others, but it's hard for me to work up the enthusiasm for more classical art periods.
I was very wrong on many counts.
Ok, it is huge. But, it has art from every time period. Impressionism! Modern! Ancient!
Also, it has the worst museum map I have ever seen.
But what really just stopped me in my tracks was while racing thru the wings, asking many workers how to get to the roof exhibit, I happened to walk thru this wing:

You know, I've been to a lot of museums. African, Mid-Eastern, Asian, none of these would have surprised me. But I was not expecting to walk into this room and see these huge totem-pole things, and whatever that canopy is, and all this huge, goregous Native American art. I don't know if pictures do justice to how impressive and unexpected it was.

So after that I was pretty sold on the museum. And I knew of a few other things that I wanted to see in the little amount of time left before closing.

I also want to point out that the museum itself it really pretty, and I just love all the sunlight.

First: The Egyptian wing. I want to see that Nubian Temple Ruin!!

It was cool, but I was really disapointed you can't walk through it.

Mummy!

Creepiest/coolest mummy I've ever seen.

Fact: I love Greek art.

I could have stayed here sketching for hours. What a nice wing. I especially liked the fountain clearly there just for that running water sound.

Met, I owe you an apology. It was a wonderful museum.

SoHo wanderings

Did some electrician work down in SoHo the past two days (I cannot get away from that neighborhood lately). Today I was elected to go out in the rain lugging dozens of feet of rope light looking for a lighting repair shop. As I wandered lost, in the rain, ropelight slung over my shoulder, I realized that this was probably the most New York had ever felt like home. Working in theatre makes odd things seem so common. I have missed that.

SoHo in the rain.

Bonus: Kelly sent me out for lunch, and I have discovered a Japanese grocery place around the corner. I came back loaded down with Sasami chicken, cheese rolls, Pocky, Rice Candy, and some unknown brightly packaged snacks. My favorite part of the Rice Candy is what looks like plastic wrap just melts away in your mouth!

I'll admit that I was slow to try Japanese food because I don't like seafood, but it is pretty yummy. And you can't beat all the weird candy. I just want to try it all! The aisles are so bright!

I work tomorrow as well. I foresee more Sasami chicken in my future.