I think I’m happy again.

I have to use the qualifier term “think” because the truth is it has been such a long time since I’ve been happy that I had forgotten what it feels like.  In fact, the feeling reminds me of a time in my life that I have been unable to look back upon with fondness.  Whether that is because my last time of happiness slid down a very sharp slope or because I was unable to bring myself to recall happiness, it’s all irrelevant now.  For a while, I wondered if I could ever be at this point again.  It took a while, but I think I’m here.

My last post, written nearly two months ago, was written on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  Shortly after composing it, I retreated to my bed and broke down in prayer, begging for something new.  I didn’t know what I wanted anymore, I just wanted something to happen, and I begged and pleaded God for it.  The next morning, as I ventured into Waco to pick up supplies and in turn regain cell phone signal, my prayer was answered in the form of a voice mail from my former place of internship.  I was offered a job.

The ensuing couple weeks were a roller-coaster ride of rushing to make plans and then diving head-first into New York City homelessness.  Staying at a YMCA in a crime-ridden area, I would stare out the window at a gorgeous view of a brick wall.  Luckily, I had friends to remind me that I was in paradise, finally making something happen.  I have God to thank for getting me there, and my friends to thank for keeping me level-headed.  It’s as if, like Job in the Old Testament, I had to lose all my dreams, aspirations, self-image and self-worth before God could bless me.  I had to stop asking for what I wanted and ask God to do His thing.  It’s been an amazing blessing that His thing has been to put me where I’ve been asking all along.

I’ve been in New York for a month and a half, and I have been loving it.  Work, though not glamorous, is phenomenal compared to the temp-ing hell-hole I found myself in in Dallas.  My apartment, though a crap-hole, is *my* crap hole in a neighborhood with a lot of old charm.  Things have really been working themselves out.

I hope I can hold on to what I have found here.  I have always suffered from an extreme form of the Grass-is-Always-Greener Complex.  I have never been quick to make friends, so Friday and Saturday nights can take their toll.  But regardless of what happens, I think I’m happy again.

One year ago today, I had my last class as an undergraduate.

One year ago today, I was offered a job by the president of a television production company.

One year ago today, I turned twenty-two. By all accounts, I should not be able to remember the ensuing night, but I do and I remember it fondly. For those that weren’t there, I promise you, it was a celebration. Parts of me wish I could be spending this birthday at Rudy’s Bar & Grill in Manhattan with my closest friends, but it just wouldn’t be the same.

You see, I’ve squandered this last year of my life. My twenty-second birthday was great because I was concluding one hell of an academic run if I do say so myself. It was great because I was being offered the kind of job I’d wanted for so long. It was great because though one chapter was coming to a close, I could see the future approaching rapidly and I was ready to take it on.

So what went wrong? For the last year I have done nothing but make excuses and lie to myself and others. I didn’t accept the job in New York because “the pay was too little.” I practically laid in bed for six months because “I was exhausted from an intensive year at Baylor.” In the last 365 days, I have told countless people – AND MYSELF!!! – that I was using my free-time to write.

I’ve written a whopping four pages and scribbled down a couple pages of notes that hardly count for an outline.

I’m done making excuses and I’m sick of lying to myself. Though I don’t traditionally make a huge deal out of birthdays, I suppose this day is as good as any to mark a new beginning.

I hate my job right now. It’s not a bad job, but it’s not where I want to be. As such, I’ve spent the last two weeks of my free time developing StolenLawnmower.com (still not done, but it’s coming along). I’m breaking out of my lazy habits and starting to be productive again. Let me tell you, it feels good. Damn good.

I’m no longer content to sit around and watch CBS and play Grand Theft Auto and merely talk about my candy-coated future. I’ve made many mistakes this last year, but I’m ready to forgive myself and pick up – as best I can – where I left off one year ago. The future I want won’t be handed to me. It’s up to me and me alone to make stuff happen.

One year ago, I told people I would have a film in the can by my twenty-fourth birthday. I’m now twenty three and behind, but I’m ready and willing to make up for lost time.

Hello my future. It’s me again. Miss me?

It is 10:28pm as I begin to type this conclusion. I’ve checked out of my room and all my bags are packed, and I leave for the airport in only six hours.

It’s weird.

If you had asked me a couple months ago if I were ready to go home, I would have said, “Yes! Yes! Unequivocally yes!” Even a month ago, or a couple of weeks ago, that would have been the case. But the sun has come out… in more ways than just one.

I didn’t feel like what I was doing at work was anything special, but the people there really appreciated me… and I appreciate that. The open show of support towards the end really turned things around in terms of the way I was feeling. I mean, I might come back. I don’t know how I would manage to make things work here, it’s just so damn expensive… but I wouldn’t be too terribly opposed if I could make it work.

And with the weather warming up, the people here seem to have warmed up, too. I can now walk down the street and see plenty of people with smiles and a bounce in their step, where before there was only anger and misery. I’m not sure if it was merely my perception changing, or if there really is a change in people because of the weather. It sparked a change in my own attitude, so I wouldn’t doubt if other people respond in the same way.

Coming up here, I thought I was moving to the New York I thought I knew through the movies. The bright, sun-shiny, beautiful Upper West Side, Central Park, Cloisters New York. I discovered very quickly that that perception of New York is a meticulously crafted fake New York, romanticized often by purely native New Yorkers. My bubble burst so quickly, and the resulting funk left me extremely homesick.

But in my last three or so weeks here, I’ve begun to see what natives love about New York so much. Central Park on a nice, clear day is absolutely amazing, and EVERYONE grabs a spot in the fields and just hangs out. You don’t get that in Texas, because it’s only nice for about a week before it gets too hot to do that. Meanwhile, all the plants are sprouting, and the trees are a gorgeous green. And the Cloisters are fabulously serene......

The New York of the movies is a real New York, but only at certain times of the year. I love this New York… But I can’t handle another New York winter. So I’m a little sad to be leaving everyone I’ve gotten so close to, and the weather I’m becoming very fond of, but Texas has never left me in a month-long, hazy funk. And Texas has mexican food. And cheap everything. I’m looking forward to going home, but I do think I’m going to miss what I have here.

Will I come back? That still remains to be seen.

Things I’m Going To Miss About NYC:

• The man who operates the Rafiqi’s Halal Food cart. He always sports a giant smile.
• The variety of foods.
• The people at work. Several of them are genuinely cool people.
• Central Park, now that it’s warmed up and turned green.
• The people I live with. No matter how much crap we’ve gone through, I love them all.
• Being able to walk everywhere if I so choose.
• Delivery.com - Nearly every restuarant that delivers to me, at my fingertips.
• Dr. Kickasola / The classes I took. I genuinely enjoyed them. Learned a lot.
• Having a reason to listen to my iPod (blocking out street noises, bored on the subway, etc.)
• Beautiful getaways like The Cloisters
• This beautiful spring weather.

Things I’m Not Going To Miss About NYC:

• The lack of visible horizon-lines.
• The lack of hospitality.
• The cash-only nature of most businesses.
• Waiting for the orange line trains late at night.
• The prices on everything.
• Tourists who don’t understand how to move in a pedestrian city.
• The depressing gloom that is cast over the city mid-winter.
• The lingering burning smell from Sabretts and Nuts 4 Nuts carts.
• The smell of piss… everywhere.
• The fact that the City That Doesn’t Sleep only stays up if you’re a bloody alcoholic… Everything else closes relatively early.
• Pizza delivery people who can’t hold a pizza flat while delivering, and wind up delivering a pizza with all the toppings pushed to one side.
  
  
• TIMES SQUARE.

Well, it’s the last week here for me in New York City. There are a million thoughts in my head all jumbled up, and I’m not going to be able to get it all down in one sitting, so here begins the first in a series of Final Thoughts. Below is a recap of how my last three weeks of work went.

T Minus 2 Weeks
I think I’m finally getting over myself. At the very least, I can finally admit to myself (again) that work isn’t that bad. Reality TV is not a bad job. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday in the edit room with Dylan, kind of talking about my future plans. I explained how I’m just not sure if I could afford to live in New York, so I’m also looking at opportunities in Texas and California. He had indicated at one point that he might offer me a job closer to the end of the semester, but on Wednesday, I found out he doesn’t really have that power. Rather, he would just recommend and support my nomination the next time a production assistant job opened up.

Anyway, in the discussion about opportunities, and particularly in Los Angeles, Dylan told me I should keep in touch with him, because the possibility has existed for a while now that either he, or someone else with the company could theoretically be relocated down to LA to do some producing, and they would need a good hand out there. I know right now, they have one guy out in LA, and they’re trying to establish themselves there as well. Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind working with this company, but I’d much rather do it in LA than New York. (28 Hours worked)

T Minus 1 Week
Even though work is getting better, I think I’m finally at peace with what I want to do. New York is warming up, and it seems that everything about life seems to be warming up with it. So even though I like City Lights and the people there, and even though New York isn’t the depressing place I thought it was… this isn’t where I want to be. And that’s ok. I’m ok with the fact even though I spent the last (almost) decade wanting to come to New York, that this isn’t really the place I need to be. I would love to work in Texas… I wouldn’t mind working in California. But this semester has been absolutely perfect in the sense that I was able to get New York out of my system, able to know it’s not the place for me, without investing the time and money to actually relocate. I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything, but, at least at this point, I don’t think I’ll be coming back. (22 Hours Worked)

T: The Last Week
On Monday, I was offered a job. A producer approached me, wanting to hire me as a production assistant for a show starting up in early-to-mid-May. I informed them that I would be unable to do it, as I’m returning to Texas to walk at graduation, and I would need a few weeks after that to get my affairs in order. I didn’t want to say flat out that I’m not coming back, because to be honest, if the pay were right, I would totally come back. But only if the pay were right. Anyway, he gave me his card and told me to keep in touch. And that was it for two days… But Wednesday was my last day, and in the last two hours, nearly everyone in the office practically offered me a job. The entire office apparently loves me and they all want me to come back. I don’t quite understand it.

On my way out, the president of the Television department approached me. I don’t think I’ve said more than 2 words to this guy in the entire time I’ve been at City Lights, but he wanted to make sure I was coming back. He mentioned that I’m one of the few, rare interns that people talk about liking. I was flattered, because if you’ll remember, I was phoning it in for several weks there. Anyway, he said they could only start me off as a production assistant at $26k/year, but because I’m interested in editing, I could have access to their edit suites to teach myself Avid, and theoretically, I could move up to be a full-time editor in only a few years… and editors get paid handsomely.

So I don’t know. My peace was short-lived and now confusion reigns supreme. It’s really a pretty solid opportunity I have before me… but I don’t know how I would be able to live on $26k/year when I have student loan payments coming up rapidly. And Reality TV has never been my ambition. Never. But it is a start… Isn’t it? (21 Hours Worked)

I’m getting really bad at updating this thing. I guess it’s been about three weeks now. Well, here’s a re-cap of how my thoughts have progressed during that time:

3 Weeks Ago:
Work has become extremely dull. The days go by in a blur of nothingness. The only things I can find myself remembering about my days now are what I listened to on my iPod going to and from work. It’s not that work sucks or anything, I just can’t seem to get excited about what I’m doing and I’m not sure if it’s because I now know this isn’t what I want to do or what… Am I wasting my time here? (21 Hours worked)

2 Weeks Ago:
In class, we were talking about internship experiences, and I brought up how everything is going by in a blur, and I went so far as to say that things were getting better, but I can’t imagine ever being excited about this stuff, so I went back through my blog to see how things have progressed. Less than a month ago, I said I was beginning to enjoy work. I don’t remember this anymore. I mean, work isn’t bad, but is it worth doing if you don’t enjoy it? I need to get paid, but I also need to feel like I’m doing something worthwhile. (22 Hours Worked)

Last Week:
There is a certain satisfaction that is derived from knowing you are appreciated. Even if you don’t think you’ve necessarily done anything of value, when people appreciate it, it takes on a completely new level of value. I keep going to work and engaging in what seems like minutia. Transcribing tapes won’t keep the world from blowing up. But those who need it done really appreciate it. I like knowing that. As such, the blur is beginning to regain some sense of definition, but only in those moments where my work is being recognized. I just hope I don’t turn into an attention hog. (22 Hours worked)

Other Random Thoughts:
I got to see Tarzan on Broadway for the first ever preview night. Kyle won tickets, and we both got to sit literally in the middle of the front row, behind the conductor’s head. I brushed elbows with Phil Collins in the lobby. I would have said something, but it looked like he wasn’t really enjoying all the attention, so I left him alone.

Then I saw Phil Collins in Central Park the following Sunday. He was looking at the seals in the zoo. He looked so peaceful, I let him be.

I’m going to see Straylight Run in concert tonight. That’ll be fun.

I don’t really know what else to say. So that’s it for now.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, so I’ve got a little bit to say, mostly about work…

Last week was relatively boring. Monday through Wednesday was represented by the same old, same old transcribing. Thursday, though, I went on a shoot with the guys on 10 Things. It was supposed to be an easy shoot, but it was characterized by excessive boredom. We spent something like three hours shooting b-roll of hardwood floors. Not the installation. Not the dressing thereof. Just hardwood floors. That’s right. The floor itself. I wondered for a while if this might be representative of a career in reality TV production. Shooting the same old boring, tired crap all the time. If this is the case, I really don’t want to do it for a living… I can’t shoot b-roll of hardwood floors. That’s BORING. I want’ve always wanted to do production in general because it is fun. Reality TV, not so much. (31 Hours worked)

Though I didn’t do a lot this week in terms of actual work, it ended up being rather exciting. At least, today was rather exciting. During a particularly boring stretch, I invaded the equipment room and began talking with Dan. They were preparing for a green-screen interview shoot, and Dan was about to consult a blue-screen guide he had just printed off the internet. Being unusually cocky, I told him to quiz me on what was inside, even though I’d never seen this particular primer before. Ever. Luckily, all of Corey’s teachings came flooding back and Dan and I had this big one-upping techie discussion about the benefits of different kinds of lighting for green-screen.

Meanwhile, the VP of the TV department stuck his head in and was apparently impressed by the amount of knowledge in this insignificant intern’s head. Dan told him that I’d shot a short film on the F900, and the VP expressed interest in seeing it. As corny as it may seem, I’ve kept a copy of “Filtered” (That’s the short film’s name) in my jacket pocket for several weeks now for just such an occasion. He’s a busy man, so he didn’t have time to watch the entire 16 minute opus, but he managed to get through the first five minutes before an interruption, and he said he enjoyed it and particularly liked the relationship diagram. Since I’m off Thursdays and Fridays, I left the DVD with him until Monday, but only after at least two other people expressed interest in watching it as well.

So my short film is making its’ way around the office. Is this a good thing? I’m not sure, but I haven’t heard a bad thing yet, so… I’ve been entertaining the idea of writing a feature length script and approaching a company like the one I’m at to secure financing based on the completed script and previous short film. Perhaps this is the start of such a relationship. I hope so, that would rock. I really don’t want to shoot reality TV b-roll forever. I want to make movies. I have to make movies. I am a director. (26 Hours worked)

As for everything else, things are going along as normal. I hit a rough spot recently where I was really homesick and NYC felt a little bit like a personal hell. Luckily that feeling is starting to lift. I could probably work here if I have to, but all things being equal, I’d rather not. Unfortunately, there are simply more realistic opportunities here than in Texas, and on the surface that seems to equate to more money, and God knows I’m going to need to repay these student loans somehow.

Anyway, tomorrow I’m supposed to be meeting Karina for lunch. She’s a girl who went through the Media Tech program back in high school a year before I did. Apparently she just moved up to Brooklyn and some mutual friends told her I was here, so she sent me an e-mail, wanting to get together. I agreed to it because it’s always nice to see a familiar face, but I have to admit that receiving the e-mail seemed a little bizarre. You see, I’ve met her at least a dozen times… and yet every time she has failed to recognize or remember me. Tomorrow will be interesting, we’ll see how that goes.

On Thursday, I took my short film down to NYU to show Stephanie, and her boyfriend Mark happened to be there as well. We screened it in one of their film school’s screening rooms, and I’m not sure how to respond. They didn’t laugh once. I saw them smile at several parts, and they insist it was pretty good and they didn’t really have anything negative to say about it, but… It was supposed to be a comedy. Now I’m left wondering if they just don’t laugh, or if my film isn’t funny, or what my film is supposed to be if it’s good but not funny, or… I don’t know. Just a weird experience.

Luckily, work this week was rather enjoyable. After having spent about 10 hours on the set last Sunday, I came in late on Monday to load seven tapes on to the Avid. It was easy and I managed to create some downtime to play with the timeline, trying to learn how exactly Avid works. It’s a very different workflow from Final Cut / Premiere, but the theory seems to be the same. I need more time on it to really understand it. I wouldn’t be able to do anything of value on it just yet.

Tuesday and Wednesday were just average days, coming in and transcribing, going on runs and whatnot. Nothing really eventful, but on my way out on Wednesday, Dylan said “See you tomorrow.” I informed him that I don’t come in on Thursdays. I can’t remember exactly how he responded, but he seemed genuinely scared that I was leaving for good. Then I reminded him I’m only a three-day a week guy and he gracefully recovered from his accidental slip of concern. I almost offered to go ahead and come in on Thursday, anyway, but I’d already made plans for Thursday that I didn’t want to break. I guess the fact that I’m willing to expand my hours like that suggests I’m starting to truly enjoy work, despite the low nature of what I’m doing. Go figure.

Last night I went to the Rockwood Music Hall in SoHo to see Andy Zipf perform. I’d been listening to him for a couple years, and this was my first chance to see him live. His set was amazing, albeit very short, and he did an awesome cover of the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. The club itself was a great piece of work, very small and very intimate. Unfortunately it was filled shoulder to shoulder with aging hipsters. Oh well.

I haven’t been doing that much lately. I think somehow I’ve gotten past the initial New York tourist phase and I’m almost treating my time here like I live here. Apart from going to the Statue of Liberty (I’m waiting for a warmer day) and maybe a road (er… train) trip to Niagra Falls, there isn’t really too much I feel I have to explore.

My internship continues to plod along. I spent three days, once again, transcribing raw footage, but only after coming in Monday morning only to have to shovel the snow out from around the rental vans that needed to be returned. It’s amazing how much you can sweat in 30 degree weather.

Sometime either Monday or Tuesday, I overheard Dylan and Michelle talking about needing to load some more footage onto the Avid editing systems, but how they didn’t have anyone to do it, and they didn’t really want to hire anyone new to take care of it… so I stuck my head in and asked if it wasn’t something I could be trained on to help them out with. I’ve edited on almost every non-linear system, EXCEPT Avid. Anyway, Dylan looked into it, and I sat in on a loading session on Wednesday and today I am to go in late (3pm as opposed to 10am) to starting loading footage on my own. It’s not a hard process, but at least I’ll be familiarizing myself with yet another system, which many consider industry standard.

Yesterday, I went with the crew on a shoot out in Long Island. They couldn’t find a paid Production Assistant in time that had a driver’s license (Apparently driving is a specialty many New Yorkers don’t worry about), so I ended up driving the cargo van from Midtown NYC to a small community in the Long Island area. It’s a suburb just like any suburb back in Dallas. On one hand, it reminded me of home, but on the other, I finally saw a place I could see myself living without paying an arm and a leg.

I still love this city, but I’m not convinced that I could live here. Not for any extended period of time, anyway. If I were to work here, I think I would probably see if living in one of the smaller Long Island area communities and commuting every day would be a viable option. I’d be within 30 minutes of the city and I could still drive around recreationally. Parking in the city would be a pain, and I’d probably have to find a commuter parking lot near a subway station closer to the city. I don’t know. Those are just some of the things on my mind. I don’t even have a job yet, so this is all just really big speculation.

Snow, snow, snow. I love snow. The snow is finally falling and I love snow.

...does this mean I need to buy a pair of snow boots?

We all went to the Met today as part of a field trip for the classes I’m taking up here. We were required to go through the Egyptian, Ancient Near Eastern, Medieval and Renaissance sections. As much as I enjoyed looking at all the Catholic art in the latter sections, I was riveted by some of the stuff in the modern art section.

In particular, I saw this giant painting by Salvador Dali called “Crucifixion.” Something about this painting draws me in and I can’t define it. It takes place on some kind of surreal landscape, and floating in the air is a 3D cross from which Christ is hanging. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to convey some kind of message. It’s just… wow.

Work was simple this week. Just transcribed all day, every day. I’m developing a sort of stamina. The longer I do it, the less painful it becomes. The biggest point of the week however, was finding out that this was Taqiy’s last week. He’s been working as a freelance assistant producer for the producer I’ve spent most of my time working with, and he’s been the guy that’s been the easiest to talk to, and I think I’ve learned the most from so far.

His contract was up as of yesterday, so he’s moving on, going to Houston for a few days, actually. On my way out Wednesday (my last day for the week), we exchanged information and I subtly expressed an appreciation for his guidance. He refused to make any kind of good-bye, though, insisting that the world of production is much, much too small and that we’d run into each other again soon. I hope he’s right, because I enjoyed working with him.

Dylan, the producer is still there, and he’s a cool enough guy, but he’s always in high gear, pushing through trying to get the show done, so the time in which I can get to know him and talk to him about the company, etc. is very limited. I’ve kinda gotten to know Michelle, the P.A., but she’s also freelance and I’m not sure how much longer she’ll be around.

The nature of this business is so transitory that it has me wondering how I’ll be able to repay my loans, but everyone seems to be getting consistent work, provided they’re willing to use their contacts and start off with the low-end stuff. I’m curious how much a general freelancer makes, but I don’t know how to ask about that without getting too personal. After all, it’s impolite to ask how much someone makes and stuff like that.

In any case, I don’t really have too much new to report this week. I’ve been kinda cooping myself up in the Lamb’s, trying to get over this damn cold of mine. It seemed like every time I went outside, the blast of cold air made my cold twice as bad. It’s mostly gone now, but it’s still a pain in the ass. The Hard Lesson Learned: Even if the weather is only in the 40s, if you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time and there’s a chance of rain, a hoodie is not enough—Wear a real jacket.

So The Bronx at night… officially a bad decision. Brian wanted to see if he could find the restaurant where Salazzo was killed in The Godfather, and supposedly it was deep in the Bronx. And someone told us that particular part of the Bronx isn’t that bad.

Oh, but it is. You don’t want to be caucasian in the Bronx. Not at night. You could cut the racial tension with a knife. We were white, and we were not wanted. There were random people standing alone in random spots, and it reminded me of delivering pizza to the ghetto in Waco, with the crack dealers on every corner. You could feel their stares pierce your soul. Needless to say, we got out of there VERY quickly. I don’t want to think what would have happened had we stayed a second longer. I’ve never felt so uncomfortable in my life. It was very… very… scary.

I guess trying to find a restaurant in a real notorious borough where a fictional character was slaughtered should have set off red flags, and I guess it did. But Brian said he talked to Ruth, who works in the Bronx… so… whatever. I’ll never go back. I’ll keep to the Manhattan / Queens / Brooklyn areas.

But now for a pleasant update: Work has been interesting. I came to the realization this week that a production company, at least so far as the one I’m with goes, doesn’t actually MAKE anything. They hire all technical workers from out of company. Almost no one in house is responsible for shooting and editing and what have you. This bit of knowledge deflated my already diminished expectations further, but luckily things look to be on the upswing.

On Saturday, I went on a shoot with the producers I’ve been spending most of my time working for. Upon arrival, the resident equipment guy, Assaf, gave me this really long lecture about never leaving equipment alone and about all kinds of protocol which should be common knowledge, but apparently had been ignored in recent weeks by other members of the staff.

On location, they made me the guy responsible for moving little bits of equipment such as cables and monitors. I was yelled at a few times, told to hurry up. So I did, taking the barked orders in stride. After all, if I can bark out obnoxious orders like that on my own set, why shouldn’t they? By the end of the day, Assaf pulled me aside and thanked me for the good work and said he felt like he could trust me, and that was rare. I guess most people just don’t know what the hell they’re doing… and I do. Or something like that.

Monday, I’m supposed to go see him in the equipment room and he might have some stuff for me to do. I don’t know what that entails, but I’m almost certain it’s better than logging tapes, and it’s one step closer to the production side of a production company. All this is just to say that things are getting better with work, and I think I’m actually starting to enjoy it a bit. Just don’t let them know that.

As for my free time, this weekend has mostly been a really lazy weekend, and I’ve loved it. Thursday I kicked my own ass by walking the long loop around Central Park (roughly 6 - 8 miles, including trip to and from the Park). It took about two and a half hours, but it was so beautiful. I’m in love with northern Central Park (the Harlem area). The little ponds and waterfalls and Harlem architecture in near sight just make the area absolutely beautiful and peaceful. I can’t wait to go back.

Then Friday night, Travis, Brian and I went to Little Italy again… and I had the greatest meal I’ve had yet in New York City… details to follow:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MEALS OF NOTE:

“Da Gennaro Ristorante” - Italian - Pollo alla Bolognes, White Zinfindel
Thoughts - OH MY GOD, THIS PLACE ROCKS! The Pollo alla Bolognes is chicken breast, topped with a slice of prosciutto, smothered in melted mozzerella, on a bed of your choice of pasta and marinara sauce (I chose Fettucine). I really don’t know what to say other than THIS MEAL WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Easily the best meal I’ve had in New York so far. I think the restaurant was brand new, because the place was packed, so we were seated outside (luckily it was a nice evening, 55 or 60 degrees) and the manager came and chatted with all the customers, leaving business cards for people to take. The glass of white zinfindel wasn’t particularly special, but that’s ok because the meal was just THAT amazing. Highly recommended. If my family and I are ever up here at the same time, I might have to bring them all here. No. I WILL have to bring them all here. THAT amazing.
Total Cost - $28 (includes $15 plate, $6 glass of wine, tax and tip)

So I’ve been falling in love with the city more and more every day. There is a certain rhythm to the city, and it’s reflected in all the street/subway performers. Music is everywhere, and it’s all good. I’ve yet to hear one bad street performer.

In fact, several days ago, when heading up to the ABC building with a bunch of people from the program, we were waiting for the sub when we encountered one particular subway performer. He was a little old hispanic guy (probably Puerto Rican) named Frankie, just sitting there with his guitar. He announced to everyone that it was his 73 birthday that day, so he wanted to sing Happy Birthday to himself. And then he did. With his little guitar in hand, he proceeded to perform a very sassy version of Happy Birthday, and whenever there was a break in the lyrics, he would shout, almost mariachi-like, “SEVENTY-THREE!”

Frankie was the definition of a cute old guy. Rachel would have absolutely fell in love with Frankie. No doubt in my mind.

Anyway, since then I’ve just been working and wandering around the city having fun.

On Wednesday, I was helping out on a shoot for a pilot when one of the producers assistants asked me if I had a pair of jeans (I was wearing khakis). Of course I do, so they sent me home to change, saying they wanted to use me as a “model” in one of the segments. I thought I would just stand there as the technology guy demonstrated digital cameras, since that was the topic of this particular show. Little did I know…

I returned to the assistant who asked me to put on a T-shirt they’d bought for me. I wear XXL. They bought me a medium. So I put it on. Then they told me to go to make-up. So I did. And they made me up to look Euro-Fab. I was everything an alpha-male shouldn’t be. The irony was completed when I found out that I was supposed to be the centerpiece to a mock fashion shoot, sandwiched between two gorgeous girls, both of whom actually do some modelling on the side.

I felt absolutely ridiculous, and they say I look high in a lot of the pictures, but it was such a goofy fun time. I opted to keep the make-up on for the rest of the day, just for the hell of it. Hopefully I’ll get a copy of these pictures because they’re so ridiculous. And I do mean ridiculous.

Then that night, Efren requested that I watch a movie called “Grave of the Fireflies.” Traditionally, I have been very vocal about how much I hate the anime style of animation. Efren suggested this movie would change my mind, so I approached it as openly as I could, despite my bias…

...and I found it to be one of the most moving films I think I have ever seen in my life. It’s the story of a teenager brother and his very young sister trying to survive in Japan during World War 2 after both of their parents die. It is quite possibly one of the saddest movies I’ve ever seen, and a tear did fall. It’s a beautiful movie, and I now strongly recommend it as well.

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MEALS OF NOTE:

“Haru” - Japanese / Sushi - Sushi Variety Entree, Sake
Thoughts - OK, I was worried about this place. I’m not huge on fish, and I especially don’t like Tuna, which seems to be a large part of almost every dish here. However, I figure I might as well try everything once, and if I don’t like it, then at least I’ll know why. Well, the sushi was absolutely fantastic. It took some experimentation to figure out just how much wasabi was appropriate, but I loved nearly every bite. The only part I didn’t care for was the caviar. So bland. The sake was quite possibly the strongest drink I’ve ever had. I couldn’t handle more than a drop at a time. Overall, a great meal.
Total Cost - $40 for everything, including tip.

OK, so I’ve gotten through two days of my internship. It’s been alright, I suppose. I showed up yesterday at 2 p.m. just expecting to sign some paperwork and talk about a work schedule. Instead, I signed my name and contact information to a sheet, and they started me off with the bitch work. Within five minutes of entering the building, I was outside, making the long haul to a video production equipment store to pick up some kino flourescent bulbs.

Then, when I got back, I was given a VHS tape with hours upon hours of down-converted footage for a TV show I’ve never heard of outside of this company, but that bears an eerie resemblance to The Biggest Loser. My task? Transcribe every word spoken with a rough time-code outline. Not necessarily bad, except there are physical challenges and the main person talking speaks like a drill instructor, making my process tedious and painful.

Luckily, the day ended with the production manager saying he wants to start taking me out on their shoots pretty soon, which will be a VERY welcome development. Meanwhile, today, I again set out to transcribe more footage. After about six hours I couldn’t make out individual words. I was going loopy. So I took breaks by delivering paperwork to the Mayor’s office and reviewing/doing coverage on a script the company had solicited. Not a bad story, but it needed work.

Anyway, around the time I started going loopy, a representative from another place I had applied to called me. A place that I would have preferred to work at, to be honest… but they got back to me too late and I can’t quit. That kind of killed my motivation for the rest of the day, but I think it’ll all work out alright. I just need to start taking on bigger and better projects than the crap they’ve been giving me. Which I think they will. Eventually. Hopefully.

But overall, I’m having fun and enjoying myself. And the food is freakin’ excellent. So with all that previous stuff aside, we move on to my favorite part of this blog:

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MEALS OF NOTE:

“Europa Cafe” - Sandwich / Salad Shop - Chicken Fajita Panini, Double Fudge Brownie, Sun Chips, Mug Root Beer
Thoughts - The sandwich was pretty good. Not really spicy, but good enough that the sauce to the side was unnecessary and unused. The brownie was REALLY dry, but the Sun Chips great as always
Total Cost - $11

“Bread” - Sandwich Shop - Prosciutto and Mozzerella sandwich, Tomato Basil Soup, Coca-cola
Thoughts - Excellent sandwich, so-so side salad, and quite possibly the BEST Tomato Basil soup I have ever had in my life. It was AMAZING. The 8 oz. coke bottle was a bit of a disapointment, but it didn’t end up being a huge deal.
Total Cost - $13 with tip.

“Fat Sal’s Pizza” - Pizza Delivery - Supreme Pizza, Pepsi
Thoughts - It was good, but nothing special. Average as far as New York pizza seems to go. I can’t say it was anything below good, but I can’t really praise it either. At least it was big. I couldn’t eat more than 3 slices. I sold a slice and gave the rest away after it sat in the fridge a couple days.
Total Cost - $25, including drink and delivery tip.

“The Times Deli” - Delicatessan - Philly Cheese Steak, Health Chips, Giant Cookie
Thoughts - The cheese steak was decent. It seemed strange that they used yellow cheese, but it ended up tasting pretty good. I wish I could say the same for the chips. I don’t even remember what they were anymore. I just saw some kind of vegetable variety chips and figured I should try everything. But they were gross. The chips were flat out awful. Thank God I got the cookie, too. It was so big and so thick it almost had the consistency of a cake. It was good.
Total Cost - $12

“Szechuan Gourmet” - Szechuan - Chicken with Orange Flavor, Brown Rice
Thoughts - The chicken was REALLY good. The rice was REALLY dry. I love rice, so that bothers me a little bit, but the chicken was good enough that I think I’ll forgive them.
Total Cost - $10

Once again, I have walked myself to exhaustion, but it has been good. I walked with a bunch of people up to the area just to the west of Central Park. One of the girls wanted to check out where she was working, and I wanted to see Central Park. As far as I could tell, everyone else was just along for the ride.

We stopped at Aegean Greek Cuisine on 70th St. & Columbus. The atmosphere was cozy and the food was EXCELLENT. I had a combination plate that included souvlaki, lamb chops and some kind of hamburger-like patty. It was an expensive lunch, and I need to stop letting myself do that, but it just seems wrong to order something simple that I could get in Texas. Hopefully once I get into a routine of working, I’ll start cooking for myself again.

After lunch, Brian and Travis followed along as I checked out The Dakota and Strawberry Fields. I wanted to get my picture taken by the Imagine mural thing, but apparently every other tourist in the city has the same idea. I didn’t feel like fighting them, so we moved on and just roamed around Central Park a bit. It’s obviously a very beautiful place… in the springtime. Right now it’s very grey and sad. But peaceful. The random saxophonists improv-ing provided an excellent backdrop to the experience.

On the way back to the Lamb’s, I stopped and got a Sabrett’s hot dog with everything, as per my father’s suggestion. I was scared when they put sauerkraut on it. I hate sauerkraut. But this concoction was actually damn good. So thanks, Dad.

After returning to the Lamb’s and resting for a couple hours, Brian, Travis, Sapora and I went and visited Ground Zero and the Financial District. I wasn’t ready to see Ground Zero, but our initial plan of going to the Empire State Building was dashed by the existence of heavy fog / cloud cover and I was outnumbered. It was a somber experience and hard to imagine the two behemoths that used to jut out of those massive holes in the ground. I wish I could have seen them in person.

And that’s about it. But it reflects block after block after block of feet killing activity. And I don’t regret a single step.

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MEALS OF NOTE:

Lunch - “Aegean” - Greek Cuisine - Lamb combo plate, Coca-cola
Thoughts - I liked this place. A lot. I just wish my meal wasn’t $18.50 before drinks, tax and tip…
Total Cost - I paid about $28, including tip.