crazy good

It's crazy hot today. I was going to go to the beach because--surprise!!!!--Chris and I both had off on the SAME DAY, but last night he came down with a fever somehow and obviously sitting out in the 95 degree temperature, in direct sunlight, on the dirty beach would have been a bad idea. I have no idea what happened to him! I met him after rockababy for dinner (at McDonald's because we are all class) and he was GREAT! In the middle of his 2nd show he started getting chills and when he got home he was a mess. The fever broke this morning and he started to sweat it off once I gave him some Tylenol. He was kind of delirious last night... he was talking to himself... it was crazy. I hate to say it but Sick Chris is the WORST. He'll moan the entire night and thrash all over. It's hard. But, anyway, it was better of us to say in the air conditioning all day than go to the beach. Maybe another time.

As Rene said, it's getting to the time of the year when it's too hot to eat. This always happens to me. I just can't imagine eating anything because it's too darn hot. Today I had cereal, a bagel sandwich and more cereal. For dinner. Of course, not wanting to eat creates other challenges... like the challenge of being able to walk down the street without getting dizzy. I don't want to be one of those people who passes out in the subway (the platforms are ALWAYS killer hot). Today I had to stop in to the Duane Reade for 15 minutes just to cool down. I bought some water and all was well. Dehydration + no food + 90 degrees = Alisa falling face first onto the sidewalk.

So, today I went to view another apartment and it was AMAZING. It was only $50 more than the first one but it was soooo much bigger and it has TONS of light and a window facing Manhattan where you can see the whole damn city! WHHHHHHHHAAAAAATTTTT?? It's a 1 bedroom. I hope so much that we get it. Oh my God. I would lose my mind. They are renovating the kitchen during July and we'd move in on August 1st. It's a 5th floor walk up but that just means it comes with it's own workout. Well, that also means that it'd be a BITCH to get our stuff into and anyone who would help us move would hate us... but I helped Broadway John move out of his at LEAST 5th floor apartment and it was just me and him and it was fine and only took like an hour. And it may not have been August that day, but it was still hot.

Please help us move. Even if we live in a 5th floor walk up. I promise you won't regret it. Somehow.

Yesterday I was trying to figure out the name of a song and my friend Len said it could be this guy Mika.... and it wasn't, but I was listening to this album and suddenly I just screamed "Who IS this guy!?!?!?!?!?!?" How insanely talented can one person be??? It's mind boggling and it's making me insane. He's like a Freddy Mercury-Adam Lambert-Michael Jackson mix.... and then some of his songs sound remarkably like the Beatles. I lost it for a while. Crazy good.

Speaking of crazy good, Radiohead will hopefully (probably?) be putting out their next album this year. So much hoooooorrrraaaaayyyy.

My PJ romper arrived from the Gap yesterday. I got 30% off the already low $12 sale price. It is everything I hoped it would be and more. Do not expect me to wear anything else until winter. And even then I'll wear it if the heat is up too high.

Of all my Pandora playlists, my favorites are the Stevie Wonder and "Play That Funky Music" playlists. The Duran Duran list is also excellent.... but once in a while I can't handle whatever Depeche Mode throws my way. Stevie's never disappoints.

On Monday at work I dubbed it, "Monday FUNDAY." My great attitude lasted for a couple of hours until I realized I was not going to make my sales goal... and then I was sad. The next day I dubbed "Monday FUNDAY... part TUESday" (get it???). Monday Funday part Tuesday WAS a great day... especially because I won a drawing for $50. YAY!

i feel like a dog in boots

I forget how old I am sometimes. I know that seems like a REALLY old person thing to do but whenever I think of my age I'm like, "Wait. Am I 27 or am I 28?" This started happening last year. I remember telling someone during Oliver rehearsals that I was 27 when I was 26. It took me like 5 minutes to realize I was wrong and then I couldn't BELIEVE I would age myself. I should start telling people I'm 25... and maybe then just not correcting myself.

I don't know what happened to all the people who are my age. They're all missing and I can't find them. Are they all in grad school? Did they get "real people" jobs? Roussos is the only person I see at auditions and I don't even go to that many auditions. Everyone I work with is either older or younger than me. WHERE ARE ALL THE 27 YEAR OLDS????

During winter I used to see this cocker spaniel mix whose owner put him in boots because there was so much snow. It was always adorable and hilarious to watch him walk because it was SO awkward. I am breaking in sandals for the first time today and I felt just like that dog. I felt like I was learning how to walk for the first time. They FEEL like flip flops but since they're not, and they have a strap in the back, it was too much for me to handle. They're very flat. I have a pair that are the same shape except a different color and a small heel and I didn't need to relearn how to walk to wear those. They also don't feeeeel like flip flops. This is weird. They're cute, though.

Listen. I really love Regina Spektor. She is so talented. I want to make a Neko Case/Regina Spektor/Ingrid Michaelson/the Police cover band.

Oh! So, that apartment. It was cute! It was an okay size but for 2 people in a studio.... I just don't know if it's worth paying $1150 a month (I know that sounds crazy anywhere else in the world, too). I know we can find studios for cheaper than that and 1 bedrooms for $1200 or less, so I THINK we're going to keep looking. If it was just me, and I made enough money to pay $1150 and live alone, it'd be great. For BOTH of us... I just don't know. The tipping point was when I was trying to think of the layout, and I had it worked out and then I thought, "WHAT ABOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE!?!?!??!" We might be able to do it, though. I think Chris is going to see it tonight. We'll see what he thinks.

Speaking of Chris, this morning I nicknamed him "Ant Farm." It sounds like a newspaper comic character from the early 1960s, doesn't it? After I called him Ant Farm a couple of times I said, "I think I'm still asleep!"

There are two parts to me right now. The part that is disappointed in herself for switching her schedule so she could go to an audition this morning and yet... she didn't go, and then there's the part that worked almost 36 hours in the last 3 days on her feet and was so tired and in such foot and lower back pain that she's GLAD she got to sleep.

I hate that. I guess, in reality, if I had gone, it would have been too much trouble anyway if I would have booked it... I wouldn't be able to break even with the money I am making now (which is NOT a lot), which means I couldn't afford my rent while gone and then I'd have to find new jobs and it probably wouldn't be worth it for 2 months.... sigh. I hate the theatre. It's such a stupid, stupid career.

Ugh. Anyway, yes, I worked almost 36 hours from Saturday- Monday. It wasn't AS bad as it sounds, but it was pretty bad. I was really tired all of the time. And my back hurts a lot and the balls of my feet hurt from wearing these sandals all weekend. I knew yesterday, when I woke up at 7-something am, that it was going to be next to impossible for me to get up today. I still prepared last night, though. I was basically ready... but when my alarm went off at 5:30am all my damn mind could think about was how it wasn't worth it. I just imagined myself getting there at 7:30am, waiting in a stupid line forever, finally getting called in to sing and then they'd say "Thanks for coming in, Alyssa" and I'd leave. Yes, there's a possibility that it WOULDN'T happen like that, but most likely it would and apparently I did not want this particular job enough to deal with the regret I'd feel for getting up in the first place if it did.

The vampires have gotten to me!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris is sick. I was sick 2 weeks ago or something so I guess he didn't catch it from me.... or it sat dormant in his system for a while. He's been working all the time, too. He likes his job at the Intrepid museum a lot which is good. He's also got a part time job which he doesn't really love and Othello until the end of the month so at least we're not home together. We got off work at about the same time last night so we met up on the subway platform at 42nd st just to spend a little more time together. I wish we could do real things together, too.

I laughed the entire time I was ushering last night. It was a lot of fun. I took tickets just so I could hang out with Lyndsey and Scott during this 3 hour long piano recital and it was totally the best decision of the night. We made a vocal mariachi band, we watched Judi Dench sing "Send in the Clowns" on my blackberry, I told them about the time I spoke gibberish in Guys and Dolls, Scott did an impression of an imaginary angry patron filling out the wine comment card.... I realize none of this is funny to anyone else, but maybe when I reread my blog again in a couple of years I'll remember it and laugh.

Tonight I am going to view an apartment! I am excited. I hope I love it and we get approved and are able to move in right away on August first because I am living in a DREAM WORLD. Most likely I'll hate it. Or we won't get approved. Or we will and someone else will just get the apartment. Oh my God, I just looked on google maps and it is literally right next to the gigantic amtrak line. Unless the apartment is on the other side of the building it'd be really dark. I guess I'll find out tonight!

I don't understand how a percolator works. Does anyone know? (Someone must. A scientist.)

i live in my bed

Has anyone else ever had their shower pouf completely unravel on them in the shower? I felt like I was washing my body with seaweed. It still worked, though.

So, on Sunday I literally worked the entire day (8am-1pm at one place, 1:30-10pm with a one hour lunch in the middle) and I was SO TIRED. I found out the 1 train wasn't running so I took the bus from 5th Ave. to the UWS. It was surprisingly quick.... and I was mainly just glad I KNEW the 1 train was suspended and hadn't been waiting for it forever. When I got to the concert hall there was a street fair happening right outside and it made me so angry. I was like "I hope it starts to HAIL because it's not FAIR to have a street fair outside if you can't go to it. It's a street UNfair!!" Then, when it didn't rain, and we went on our lunch break I was all, "That street fair BETTER STILL BE GOING ON!! I need some grilled corn!" It was still going on... just finishing up, but still there... and I did, indeed, get my corn. I also got 1 deep fried oreo because I really wanted to try it. It was fine. Other than that, as I've said before, if you've been to one street fair, you've been to all of them, but when you've got a 14 hour day, it's a little hard to deal with it right outside.

Yesterday I worked all day, too, but today I don't work until 6:30. I stayed in bed for hours. I wasn't sleeping, I was just snuggling up under the covers. I wish we had a TV. Soon enough, hopefully. I mean, when we get our own apartment. I kind of wish I did work both jobs today mainly because I feel like I can't leave the house without spending money. I KNOW that it's not true... there's lots to see and do for free... but I'm tired of hanging out ALONE. When I have less than 2 hours between jobs I don't go back home so that's when I usually tend to walk around by myself. It's getting old. I need some friends with nothing to do.

"Roxanne" started playing at work yesterday (it's not on the normal rotation) and I got so excited that I sang and danced to the entire thing. Ah, 5th Ave. There wasn't anyone at the store at the time so it was even better. Anytime the Police play anywhere I tend to go a little nuts. I just love Sting so much.

I watched "Beetlejuice" the other day on Netflix and today I read that Michael Keaton AND Geena Davis have both said they would do a sequel. Michael Keaton said it was the ONE THING he'd like to relive. That would be so awesome. The whole time I was watching it all I could think about was how good that movie still is and how good the ENTIRE CAST is. Michael Keaton is one of the best actors EVER, I'd say.

THIS is my new favorite thing:

relaxi taxi

I just dropped my popsicle and it rolled down my shirt and onto my keyboard. I guess I never mentioned this (obviously, since I didn't blog from October - April) but around Thanksgiving sometime my tiny computer just... died. I think it had a power surge, actually. I has been watching an episode on SNL, I put the computer down and then it made this weird noise and shut off. It never worked properly again and I was SO SAD. Luckily, I went to the Geek Squad at Best Buy (I mean, it was only a couple of months old) and they just REPLACED IT. FOR FREE. It was the best thing that ever happened to me when something bad also happened. They didn't have my old model so I got a new one, which is slightly bigger, but thinner and awesomer. I don't have a cool sticker for it yet, though....

A couple weeks ago Elizabeth and the Catapult played at the concert hall I work at. A couple days before I had been convinced by their publicity photo to investigate their music and they were so good I downloaded their album. And then I got to see them for free. It was great. Normally the hall I work at has classical music performances but once in a very great while they'll have something contemporary (that is NOT crap) and that's what this was.

For the last week I've only had 1 job a day (and TWO DAYS OFF!!! HOLLAAA!) and it has been so wonderful. I really hate to see it go... but tomorrow I'm back to 2 jobs a day. Forever. I guess it's good. We need to save money for our own apartment.... but I will really miss these days. I spent a lot of time just.... relaxing. Because I could. There will be no time for relaxing on Sunday at ALL!

Last night I went to see the preview of Othello that Chris is in. It was good! It was at Theatre Row which is REALLY nice. He's playing Desdemona's dad. Speaking of Desdemona, isn't she like.... 17 years old? I think *I* am too old to play Desdemona. You know who I love, though? Emilia. I think she's one of the best characters in Shakespeare. I think I'll probably be seeing this play again this year (maybe twice more, if I see Chris's show again) so it will be interesting to see the ASC's version. (Hopefully I will--- we're planning on going to Ginna's wedding and I'm assuming if we have time, we'll try to see the shows.)

I found sprouts at the grocery store and I was SO excited. I've been wanting them forever. I've taken to eating energy bars a lot. Well, Kashi and Luna bars. I figure they're better than a McChicken during my post-lunch blues. I actually like them a lot. The fact that they have some nutritional value is nice, too.

I miss so many people all the time! People who live near me, people who don't live near me... I even miss CHRIS a lot since we're both so busy! I am living so much of my life inside my brain these days that it's a relief to talk to people. I wish I got to see more people.

it's to keep you safe

I want to go on a night-time walk but I can't do it alone because it's too scary for me. I live in like the safest part of the safest neighborhood in the safest borough and I walk at night all the time, but TONIGHT... it's too scary. BooooooooooooOOOOOOOooooooooo.

I just re-cleaned the kitchen. Sometimes when you* "clean" it it's not ACTUALLY clean. I guess Ellen's subletter is coming tomorrow. I can't remember her name but I hope she doesn't write lipstick messages to herself in the bathroom mirror like this one subletter in California. I can't remember THAT girl's name, either. Do you know that Chris and I have been subletting since October? We're scheduled to move out on August 1st. I am really excited to get our own place (again). There are TWO of us subletting a room with THREE PEOPLE'S STUFF IN IT! If this other stuff were not here, we'd be SO much happier. I think we would have actually been able to bring our couch. This room isn't HUGE but it would have been big enough for a couch or at LEAST a chair. I want you to know that I have spent the last, like, 8 months or whatever ONLY sitting on my bed or the floor. To eat, to write, you name it. Chris brought a folding chair and tiny folding table but now that folding table has the fan on it. Ok, listen. Once in a while I'll sit in the kitchen. Only once in a while, though, because Chris and I are very private at home and we don't like to get in the way or bother people.

Thankfully, the one thing we DO have in our little room is an air conditioner (thanks, ENTIRELY, to my sister) because dear god did we need it. Early in April it was 94 degrees one day and like 80 the surrounding days. It was so hot in here I can't even begin to explain it. If we had no room and it was 90 degrees IN the room, we'd be so angry and miserable. Luckily, we are the one cool place in what might be mistaken for Hell.

But, like I said, we are really looking forward to getting our own apartment and I really hope we have enough money for it because... if we don't.... well... I don't know what will happen. I am hoping to move up to Ditmars Ave because it's just 2 train stops away but it's the LAST train stop, which means that the train would always be waiting in the station and you'd never be left wondering where it was. ALSO, it's really, really close to the park. ALSO AGAIN, there is a grocery store AND A STARBUCKS RIGHT OUTSIDE THE TRAIN STATION. It's like.... the best place ever. Other options include:

• 30th Ave. Where we already live
• Broadway (in Astoria)
• Astoria Blvd
• Long Island City
• Sunnyside
• Inwood

Yes, Inwood/Washington Heights is the furthest down on the list of places I'd want us to move but would actually kind of enjoy living in (otherwise known as "places we can afford to live"). I don't know why all the Kent kids want to live in Washington Heights. It is SO FAR away from everything (except the BRONX)! Yes, Jessica and Beth have a beautiful apartment in a great neighborhood, but I'd still rather live in Astoria. Even though I HATE the N train, it's still the best train. Plus, the subways run above ground here and it's wonderful! You don't feel like a mole person all of the time. No part of me wants to live in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is a place you visit.... you don't live there. Unless you live in Brooklyn Heights (which is amazing) but you have to make a ton of money to live in Brooklyn Heights.

Target has some really cute clothes right now. They're very flowery.

Chris needed me to go buy him some "safety underwear" today. If you don't know, "safety underwear" is underwear you wear UNDERNEATH costume boxers for when you are going to be "pantsed" in a play..... because what if they accidentally (or on purpose) grab the boxers, also? You don't want that. I'm trying not to use plastic bags, like, ever, anymore, so I just put them in my flowery tote bag. Then, when I gave them to him, I did it at 42nd street and 8th Ave and he had to walk all the way back to Theatre Row with a package of underwear in his hands and nothing to conceal it. Hahahahahaha! I don't know why I'm laughing. He wasn't embarrassed and it's not like I did it out of spite.

I am literally working the entire day on Sunday. Literally. 8am - 10:30pm. I am going to get paid for more than half of the 24 hour day on Sunday. It is going to SUCK.

I think all the people in NYC should be required to bring a mini stick of deodorant with them at all times in the summer. It is necessary!

*"you" denotes not me