Ten On Tuesday

1. I got this post started just two minutes before midnight! Hurray for Ten on Tuesday!
2. I did a pretty good job not caring today. I think that the fact that I stood up for myself last night worked in my favor today- no stress and no worries!
3. I realized that it was pretty easy to tell myself not to worry about all the stuff I can't change, but when people are involved that I feel are being taken advantage of, I really do want to care. I just have to realize that other people have to learn to ask for what is right in their lives and that I don't have to do it for them. They'll figure it out eventually.
4. Christine (a girl that I work with) and her father Frank took us to the rooftop of the MetLife building today. Just as an FYI it is not a public building like the Empire State or the Chrysler building. It was open to the sky and the view was spectacular! It was an amazing treat!

5. Luiza's new tattoo and the Chrysler building!

6. The Empire State building. It was so close, we could see the flashes from people's camera's.

7. This short, stout building is the United Nations with the East River and Queens in the background!

8. The majestic Chrysler Building.

9. Me in front of the Chrysler building. Of course I had to get one self portrait in there. (For the record, it was bright and I had forgotten my sunglasses and I had just finished my first shift of the day- I look a mess, I know!)

10. And this is 100 Park Avenue. I kind of love that the number is all the way at the top of the building!

I Care Too Much

I know I haven't spoken much about my new job- I don't particularly like it. Ok, why dance around it? I really don't care for this job. I'm waiting tables at a restaurant that is closed on the weekend. That's what I like- the weekends free to feel like a somewhat normal human being (and spend time with OB). But, I don't think there will ever be a waiting job that I love- it's not who I am. I am an actress that finds herself waiting tables at the moment (this very long moment). The unfortunate thing is that I care too much about all the bullS&^t that happens. Caring about it is a waste of my time and I am well aware of the amount of time it consumes my thoughts and generally pisses me off. The real problem is that I'm a fixer and a perfectionist- there is a problem, I see a clear cut solution and when those around me don't see it or add to the problem I get frustrated. I need to remind myself that not everyone thinks like I do, it is not my responsibility to make everything alright, and I am paid way too little money an hour ($4.75, plus tips, of course) to care as much as I do. So, I am on a quest to go to work for the rest of the week and only do my job to the best of my ability and let all the other stuff go- I will not join in the complaining and I WILL NOT tell my friends at work what could or should be done to make things better. I hope this works. To be continued...

Been Away...

Sorry I have abandoned blogging once again. It is never on purpose (oh, except for that one time...) it just happens that life gets in the way. I will be back, just not yet. I don't feel particularly witty or interesting at the moment, so I'll be back when I do feel that way. Until then watch this episode of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The first two segments deal with the the terror watch list and the drama over the New Yorker cover. It made me laugh so hard my belly hurt. And who doesn't need to laugh?!

Ten on Tuesday

1. I spent the weekend in Baltimore for Charissa's birthday! We had a great time, drank a little too much, and ate a ton of fabulous bad for you food. It was so fun! (Enjoy the pics!)
2. This is Charissa and I playing Police 911, which was Charissa's favorite game at Dave and Buster's. I have to say, my hair looks pretty cool in the action shot Rissa took of me!
3.I started this post Tuesday morning at around 12:45AM, and I had only written number one by Wednesday night at 11:39PM. I am not doing a good job staying on top of my blog.
4. Remember those Rollerblades I bought last week with my stimulus check? Well, I crashed today. It will probably take me at least an hour to finish this post because I'm typing one-handed, while I hold ice to my bruised and swollen knee (mom, don't worry, it sounds worse than it is).
5. Note to self: Rollerblades should never be used as a mode of transportation unless you live in the plains where hills/ downgrades don't exist at all. Or if there was a way to only skate up hills and not down...
6. So, as I was running late to my voice lesson and Doug lives just two miles away and it usually takes forever to get there using public transportation, I determined skating there was my best and most fun option. I put on my skates and crossed Northern Blvd. As I headed down the street a man in a second story apartment shouted out, "Nice!" I thought, "Yep, I'm hot shit." Second note to self: when gravity could be a factor, never get cocky! A guy passes me on a bike going the other direction and it's at this moment that I realize a huge hill looms before me. As I head down and pick up way too much speed, I decide to begin skating side to side, while using my brake (useless at such speeds) to slow down. It's about halfway down the hill that a slight panic begins to set in. This is no bike and hike trail (long story, but it involves me, Craig, Rollerblades and a separated shoulder- not mine!) this is a flippin' street in Queens, NYC. What in the bloody hell was I thinking? I'm not into extreme sports, but I realize that the only thing I can do is stop by running into something that hopefully doesn't have its own inertia. I scoped out an already banged up vehicle and head straight for it (let's be honest, I was already headed straight for it!) As I approached I grabbed for the side view mirror so as to not slam into the side. I flipped over and landed on my left knee and my left elbow. Remember the cyclist I passed on the street? He heard me crash, stopped and asked if I was OK (That was so nice of him). I was fine. I scooped myself and my dignity from the road and decided at the corner that I would be walking the rest of the way!
7. I can't decide if this new job is worth it. The bonus is every weekend free- it's a restaurant in an office building that closes for all banking holidays and weekends. And that's where the bonuses end. I won't go into it here, but I have never worked at a place so disorganized.
8. I've met some cool people, though, patrons and co-workers.
9. By the way, it is now Thursday morning at 12:33. I have officially been at this post for two days- oops!
10. My cabaret seems to be coming along well (I just needed to get out of my own way!). I know I haven't talked about it much, but I have decided that it is going to be my birthday gift to myself. So, mark your calendars for the week of November 18th. You're coming to NYC to see me sing for my birthday! And that means ALL OF YOU!!!!

How I Stimulated the Economy (and failed) by Jodi Beck

I received my letter from the government last Monday (in case you don't know, delivery of the stimulus checks was based on the last two digits of your social security number) telling me my check would be mailed to me by July 5. For some reason I was not eligible for the entire 600. They docked me $47. "That's okay," I thought, and I proceeded to spend the week dreaming about what I was going to do with this treasure that had befallen me. I first thought that I should put it in the bank and pay down some of my debt, but it was the week of our country's independence and I was reminded of my duty to country. This was called a Stimulus check, for Pete's sake, and I would go out and stimulate! I felt an odd sense of pride on Saturday as I spent the money I had not actually received (it didn't end up in my mailbox until today). I bought a duvet cover, sheets, lunch for OB and me, Rollerblades (I've had the same pair for at least 10 years), and a manicure and pedicure. I stopped at this point because I got nervous that the check might get misplaced in the mail and as per the letter I'd received, I wouldn't be able to call the government to ask about it until six weeks had passed. But that gave me some needed time to reflect on the money, and I've decided it's going in the bank. It may seem patriotic to spend the stimulus check, but I want to have some money in the bank when the Chinese come knocking to have our debt repaid. I thank them so much for the joy of new (and cheap) things (yes my Rollerblades were made in China), but it's America that I live in and America's birth I celebrated on Friday. Spending money that should be saved has become the American way, but it's the least patriotic thing we can do. Saving it helps us all become a tiny bit freer of the tangled web of debt that we have created and the Chinese buy up like it was land in Manhattan. They will want it back at some point and you have to believe it will probably happen at the least convenient time. So, that is how I tried to stimulate the economy and failed. How did you do?