End of Summer Blues

As long as I can remember, I’ve always become incredibly nostalgic at the end of August.  It  just feels more like the end of the calendar year to me, especially more than the end of December.  You can feel summer ending.  And though it is still warm, those nice autumn breezes are starting to sneak in to remind you to buy new pencils and cardigans.  When I was little (at least once I moved to Vernon), the last day of summer usually involved my sister, my neighbors, and I, finding as many ways to roll in the dirt and jump in the lake as possible.  Then I would mope inside in denial that school began the next day.  Though I’m not rolling in the dirt and moping anymore (partially true), I thought this feeling would go away after I finished school.  But nope, not at all.  Each September 1st since I’ve graduated has been marked with some sort of significant event.

September 1st’s:

2009: Left for Spain for the Camino

2010: Moved to Queens

2011: Moved in with Ben

2012: Moving to Jersey City!

Great Year.  F’ing Exhausting.

Here I am again, packing up boxes and planning a new way to settle into a new place.   I’m exhausted…but OH SO thrilled.  When Ben and I found this place last year, we were scrambling for anything in Astoria in our price range that wasn’t a hell hole.  We shelled out a brokers fee for our current place, and though it is very pretty inside at first glance, it came with several lovely welcome gifts.  These included: a year long construction project across the street, a hell of a mess from not-so-sanitary past tenants, a landlord who doesn’t like women, a terrible leak from upstairs into our living room, creepy evil mold that I hope hasn’t scarred us for life, a broken oven, and the sweet sound of the tri-borough bridge.  To top it off, Ben and I went into last September with barely any hope of income.  I was a bit stressed.

So did we have a terrible year?  No, because Ben and I are ninjas.

By the END of September, Ben and I had both landed jobs.  I joined AFTRA in October and spent most of my year teaching and getting paid to run around with kids.  Not once did I serve food or sell a cupcake.  Ben got cast in a show in Boston and joined Equity when he got back.  To top it off, when Ben was away, the lovely Helen O’Rourke lived with me to give NYC a try for 2 months.  The city and I have not let her leave.  She is still in Astoria, along with a mob of other favorite Drew friends.  We also got Viola, the coolest cat on the planet.

Not only did we manage to pay our rent on time every month (by some miracle), but now we’re at the point where we aren’t scrambling for any position under the sun willing to pay us.  My cat puppet busking plan can be put aside for now! (A dream my sister and some friends had for me for years)

Still, when I look back on the year, though I’m very thankful for everything that happened, I can’t remember one time when I wasn’t somewhat close to pulling my hair out.  By the time I made it on vacation last week, I was so bleary-eyed from working my ass off all summer that my immune system also went on vacation half-way through the week.  So clearly, it’s time for a move in a better direction.

I can deal with skunks

So please bring on September!  It is time for even better things, and I can barely wait.  Ben and I got the 99% green light from our new landlord that the place is ours.  When the lease is signed on Sunday, I will take a deep breath, and  collapse on our new floor.  It is on a gorgeous tree lined street in the “island-section of Jersey City.  (We have to go back to the island!!  Sorry…still healing from LOST)  When we asked her if the neighborhood was safe, she replied that they do have some feisty skunks on the block.  The community group had met about them though…..I am so pumped that this is their biggest concern.

The house was built in 1880 and was renovated by a lovely lady who bought it last Spring and lives there with her sister.  So it’s just two nice young ladies, and Ben and I.   No construction, no bridge, no Russian Prostitutes at Jimbo’s bar across the street.

Our goal for this coming year?  Continue to find more time for the work that makes us happy, but this time without as much hair pulling.  I’m joining Equity in October and by then want to have my audition ducks in a line enough to go take up residence in the Equity building for some nice long audition days.  I know the stress won’t go away, hell I’m an actor.  And it’s me, come on now, let’s be serious.  But when  I get to good ol’ quiet Elizabeth Street, I am taking a long quiet nap, and starting fresh.

Also, I have been slowly chipping away at a wordpress version of my acting website!  I will post the link soon when I have done a little more work on it.  In the meantime, I will be performing with the Liar’s League at KGB Bar in Manhattan on September 5th!  It is a free reading series of original short-stories.  Should be a great time with lovely people and some drinkin’!

http://www.liarsleaguenyc.com/

 

Updates to come soon on the amazing week in TI Park with incredible people:)  When my brain and liver has fully processed it, I will try to sum it up.  Happy rest of the summer everyone!