Big Band in Union Square

Last Thursday, I was walking with Ethan Nichtern post-"Meditation in Everyday Life" class that he teaches and for which I'm the Teaching Assistant.

As we chatted and walked through Union Square, we heard the delightful sound of a live Big Band. It sounded to me like New Orleans-style music. It was delightful to hear and wonderful to watch people just dance and enjoy themselves.

I took a little snippet using my wifey, the Iphone 4.

enjoy!

A Dream Gleeky Dream Come True

There is no excuse for this blog post being this late, except for to say, I was ambivalent about writing is. Then I decided 'Eff it! I owe it to the gleeks of the world' to talk about my experience with DJing the Glee National Live Tour after party at the fabulous 6th Street Kitchen owned by my friend, Chris Genoversa.

It happened the way all of these Hollywood/New York City dream stories happen--very quickly. One minute Im on the phone with Sophia talking shop, the next, Chris is calling me to ask if I can show up in 6 hours to the restaurant...cuz the Glee cast is coming. Is you crazy? Hellz-to-the-yes I'll be there.

I show up around 11pm, already one hour past my bedtime, and chef Brandon and the rest of the kitchen guys were there along with Darren and another waiter. Coffee. Me, a self-professed non-coffee drinker needed coffee to both wake up and still my nerves (oh the irony). I felt like I was going to throw up. I was going to meet BRITTANY!!??? OH. M. GEE! It starts off with the sweet costume designer and a handful of back-up dancers and singers showing up around 11:30. It was all very civilized.

The menu, was, as usual, amazing: chorizo sliders with manchego and aoili, veal and lamb meatballs, delectable beet salad, and some to-die-for brownies ( i almost climaxed when I ate mine. sad but true). Okay, but ya'll wanna know was there? ER'EBODY, except Puck and Mercedes and Sue and Will. what up wit dat? I can understand my gf Jane Lynch and sexy Matty M. not showing up, but I really was hoping to catch a glimpse of Amber Riley (Mercedes) and Mark Salling's Puck. Alas.

All I have to say is that Kevin McHale (Artie) and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina) are as funny, quirky and sweet-as-pie as you would expect. These actors have manners and style. When Kevin asked me, oh-so-politely if I had Usher's "OMG," I rushed to find that shit (after my hands stopped shaking) just to see him dance more. He can jam. What else? Harry Shum (Mike aka Other Asian) and Dijon Talton (Matt aka Shaft (thank you Sue Sylvester)), are incredibly talented, handsome, sexy men, if I went that way, mm, mm, mm, mama would likey. Ahem, Didja know that Dijon's cousing is my wish-wife, Meagan Good? mm, Megan. Okay. Cory Monteith (aka Finn) was totally quiet and politely Canadian. Perhaps one of the straightest men I've met in a long time. Naya Rivera (Santana) walked in and the finest quotient went up about 1000%. I used to think Lea Michele's anti-hero Rachel was my favorite, but Heather Morris as Brittany has my heart. Lea walked in the latest sporting a smile and great dance moves. I didn't recognize Dianna Argon (Quinn) cuz diva was rocking the biggest Aretha Franklin-esque hat to obscure her visage. All these tricks were dancing like crazy. Chris Colfer (Kurt) was a bit shy but right up in the fray dancing and singing away.

And then there was Heather Morris--what a ham! Making screw faces every tome someone took jer picture, doing the running man and cutting up, having a really good time. She's got some true comedic talent--like Lucile Ball/Carol Burnett/Gilda Radner potential. Sigh. I kept thinking to myself, 'you're my favorite.' But who wants to say a thing like that to a stranger? No, no, I kept my shades on and spun out the tunes. At one point, one of the dancers said, 'look at the DJ getting down.' It's true, you can't spin that good as music ("Rhythm of the Night" Hello!!!) and not feel it.

I was so bummed when I didn't get ticket to Radio City Music Hall to see the Glee cast, but Iw as blessed with a much better gift--I get to say and know tthe cast and crew and creators and executives of Glee danced and sang the night away to the music I played.

Favorite Moments of the Night:

--Creator/Producer/Director Ryan Murphy telling me I was doing a "great job" spinning...DYING!!!!

--Kevin McHale talking to me.

--Naya Rivera asking me where the bathroom was

--overhearing some juicy ass gossip about someone's sexuality. ha ha ha.

--just watching it all, taking it all in, hands shaking and all.

--seeing Harry Shum and Dijon Talton singing to Beyonce's "Ego."

--the whole figgin' night!

the only thing that could possibly top this is the cast of 30 Rock partying at 6th Street Kitchen. Are you listening Tina Fey?

I Love NY, Part Two

So. It's cold. In the teens cold. Bitterly, miserably cold. Yet, I feel like jumping up and doing a little Irish jig. Why? Because everything's coming up (frozen) roses. Who knows? Life's Too Good, especially when it sometimes sucks donkey balls.

Anywho, So, I Love NY, Part Deux. I had a really great picture of some crazy-ass stickers, imparting such gems as " God The Father," in the font of The Godfather. Trez Awe-sume! And one other koo-koo one, but alas, I've lost them. So instead of talking about that, I want to talk about... DATING!

Oh. My. God! It's insane!!! Why do we do it??? It's so much fun. Seriously, I feel like I am on the coolest, scariest, sexiest ride of my life and it's basically due to the fact that I finally feel relaxed enough to be myself. At thirty-something years old (and from what I hear, that isn't too old to make these sort of discoveries), I'm pretty okay with me. Now, it took a failed marriage (okay we can pressure the term "failed," but the shit is over, so yeah, failed works), and a failed long-term relationship, for me to accept a lot a truths about myself, but I am beginning to do just that.

Truth Number 1: I am a NERD. I have hid this perceived shameful secret my whole life, but now that shit has cache (uhh, add the accent) so I am going with it. Nerd qualifications: Battlestar Galactica fan (old and new),HUGE Buffy/Josh Whedon fan (I know all the words top all the songs of Once More with Feeling)...that's right. I own several rolly carts (so maybe that's more granny than nerdy), I own comic boo--uh, graphic novels. I posses dictionaries in multiple languages. Sci-Fi turns me on. Stop me before I kill again!!!!

Truth Number 2: My middle name is Romantical. Ahhh, to be a mushball. Do you know there are people out there who are ashamed of being romantic? Mon Dieu!!! I am proud to say, I am a total mush ball. A pragmatic one, but soft and mushy at the center nonetheless. How do I know this? Well, let's see: I love breaking into song to express my feelings (this could also be a sign of delusional psychosis, but let's go with romance). Right now...I refuse to say what song is in my head right now. That will be my secret shame. Anywho, sweet, sappy, heart songs. woo-hoo! Don't fuck wit it. Oh, that was an earmuffs moment for the eyes. Sorry.

Truth Number 3: La La La...it gets mean and/or derivative from this point on, so let's just say that up close and personal, I have the same degree of warts and faults as all people, but am becoming increasingly relaxed about them. Basically, I care less about what you may think and more about how to be authentically me in the moment. This basically translates into treating myself and others well. As a friend once said to me, "we can do things that hurt people's feelings, but I promise no bullshit." Pretty cool and quite a challenge. Sorry for cussin'.

Truth Number 4: I have no idea what is going on. This is probably the truest of the true, but hell's bells, I am enjoying the unknown. It's really fun liking ladies and I had forgotten that. I got away from what was basic about me: I'm silly and light and serious and super-cute and arrogant and inappropriate and loyal and fierce and kind and all sorts of human contradictions and foibles and loveliness. Yea.

Truth Number 5: Kissing. Is heaven. I forgot just how much fun it is. I mean for those of you who like the ladies, whoa, ladies lips are super-soft. Amazing!!!! And NY ladies are sort of crazy but also really direct, upfront and take-charge--I dig that. Referring back to Truth Numero Dos, I am a typical Libran lover of hearth and home and family, but also, until I settle down, I like to be generous with my affections. I don't mean being loose or throwing it around, just being cautious and getting to know folks. wait, this was about kissing. Okay, kissing rocks. next paragraph.

I do the "ohhh you're intriguing, let's get together" thing, but you know, I may not really be feeling that person or her feeling me after a few months. But by then, you're trapped and in the "trying to work it out" phase. No thanks. Smooches, chilling, getting to know you, making sure you're not married, insane or from the Planet Marklar is where I'm at these days.


So I'm definitely looking forward to finding someone I can chill with long-term, but for now, the adventures continue and I welcome them.

I Heart NY, Part One

Soooo...I've been suffering from serious writer's block. Songs go unwritten, my poor doctoral dissertation is a disparate garble of bizarre musings that are barely fit for my eyes only, and this poor, poor blog has remained sad and barren. Well thanks to my friend Ernessa, fellow Smithie, I am inspired to blog once again. Hopefully this will translate into beautiful songs and a fierce and nerdy dissertation (which, by the by, I did work on today. Tavia, that's for you if you're reading).

Why do I love New York? Too many reasons. The number one: BROOKLYN. That's right biz-natches, Brooklyn is the borough. Having lived here over 10 years, I can officially call myself a New Yorker, but more specifically and importantly, a Brooklynite. Brooklyn is like the nerdy girl in a John Hughes film who gets a make-over and you realize, "Oh My god! She's so hot and all she had to do was take of her glasses!!!" Yeah man, that's Brooklyn.

Being a single lady, I have lots of time to myself. I am also a dutiful mother to a sweet, unpredictable, seriously funny dog named, Tilo. I'll write more about him in my new column, still to be named, on Fierce and Nerdy. Anywho, we're walking down Clinton Avenue towards Fulton Avenue, passing gorgeous brownstones, trees popping with Autumnal vigor, latte-sipping liberals and then I see it...


what cruel, cruel summer human being could leave CHOCOLATE CHESTER ( I just made that up) here on his own? Both Tilo and I did a double-take and I worried that my dog, who loooooooovvveeeeess stuffed toys, would take this cute, but most-likely-infested-with-bedbugs, gorilla and drag him along the wide Brooklyn avenue. He didn't. A simple sniff, glance at me, and then we continued our merry trot in the blustering wind.

BUT, this is why I love New York and Brooklyn--the unexpected always occurs and it's frequently pleasing. I felt pure joy seeing this stuffed toy propped outside. Sure, some kid probably tired of it, or maybe it did have some unpleasant infestation, but there he was, so gloriously perched, giving me a chuckle, and my doggy something sweet to smell.

There was something completely innocent and small-townish about Chester and it's one of the situations that always makes me appreciate this challenging city. For every complaint, siren, crime, loud stereo, over-priced apartment, 8.25% sales taxed item, there is a stuffed toy on a stoop, a beautiful flea market, a gazillion homey, comfortable, over-priced-yet-completely-endearing coffee shops (that are not Starbucks), a ridiculous amount of people on scooters, bikes, and skateboards, lovely parks. New York City is the most beautiful, confounding, heart-breaking, heart-stopping, precious lover I've ever known. She's never left me, even when I fancied abandoning her for somewhere more bland or manageable, she's reminded me that I belong to her. And I do.

Quick story: I was walking down Dekalb Avenue, heading to WAMU (soon to be part of the JP Morgan Chase monster) and I glanced over at a tall, Black gentleman. He was dressed in what I like to call "Badu-Badu" wear: head wrap, many Hali Salasi pins, Ethiopian colors, and he grinned at me, asking me if he could take my picture, commenting on my beauty. I blushed, as one does, as I never know how to deal with the compliments of men, since they are really only friends, brothers and pals to me...but we walked and talked, he walked me to the bank, giving me his newsletter of Pan-African news. I smiled and thanked him for his conversation. We said our goodbyes. I felt happy, that I made that bit of connection. This city constantly gives me opportunities to remember how generous and loving people are, how funny and tragic we can be. For every person who tells a lie, someone else offers truth. For every unkind word, there is plenty of kindness.

This may not be the New York or Brooklyn most people think of, but it's the one I know, it's where I live.