I'm in the process of writing my story of when I was living in NYC studying acting. There's a lot to my story and for many years it's been so private and special it was hard to even talk about. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times :) If you're just tuning in, I suggest you start at Part I for it to make sense. All links in order at the bottom of this blog entry. I promise it's a juicy read. These entries often include actual journal entries from that time in my life. I'm so grateful I documented so much! Once I finish here, I hope to expand into a book. I'm posting these frequently but they'll also be interspersed with real time blogs :) Thanks for reading & supporting!
*All names are changed
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My birthday was just around the corner. The Guy got me a present, two great seats to a play starring famous actors, including Willem Dafoe. I thought that was all kinds of cool, until he told me he couldn't go with me and I'd be going with his brother Sean. I loved Sean and actually went to a few shows with just him, but it was my birthday present and The Guy wasn't even going? There was always a catch. I don't know if I was getting used to it or didn't want to scare him again so I didn't make an issue of it. I was happy to get something.
The play turned out to be awesome and I loved getting to see Willem that close and personal. He wore a loincloth the entire play and I don't think I'd ever seen someone in that kind of shape before. His body was unreal. He was skinny, but ripped. Not one ounce of fat on that guy.
Taking tickets was one of the girls from school. From way back in the beginning who I had once done a scene with. One that had lied about her age that first day when Tucker had us all say out loud how old we were. When I found out she'd lied by three years and had been offended I couldn't believe it. I hadn't known about the whole actor/age thing yet. She'd since left school and as I saw her from across the theatre I wondered why she had ended up behind the scenes, and if she was happy.
Jack and Julie arrived in NYC. They came straight to school to meet me. We'd planned that Julie would be staying with me and Jack would stay at Jennys. I was surreal to have them there. I'd actually been to NYC with Jack before as a senior trip right after graduation. He was swindled trying to buy a fake ID, all his money was taken and he was left ID-less. It's always an adventure with him and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen this time.
This was one time in my life I was proud of my age, actor or not. The bar I chose for us to celebrate at was the place to be and be seen. I was holding off on going there because I was sure they wouldn't overlook me "forgetting my ID" or crying until I got in. They'd definitely ID me and I was so excited about it.
I headed over with Jack, Julie and Jenny. Lynne and The Guy would be meeting us later. I walked up to the bar...and walked right in. The one time I wanted to get carded, and nothing! Despite feeling like I'd missed a right of passage, I was determined to have a great night. We had dinner upstairs and them moved downstairs for drinks. Jack kept ordering midori sours and every time he'd come back to our group and set one down, he'd turn to talk to some other people we'd just randomly met. Julie and I would then drink his drink and when he turned around we'd blame it on someone else. It went on for awhile and we thought we were so funny. And sneaky.
Lynne came. The Guy came. I think Sean stopped by. The Guy had just come from some kind of a performance, I don't remember what, but he looked handsome in a suit and tie. He met my friends and had a drink but was in a mellow mood and was going to be leaving soon. What? Leaving my party? I told him I wanted to go with him. And I did. I left poor Julie and Jack in the hands of Lynne and Jenny and took off.
At the time I was happy to do so. And thank goodness I had great friends who didn't mind. On both parts. To be left, or to take in those I'd left.
The next morning when my head was clearer I was worried and wondered where poor Julie'd ended up for the night. She'd spent the night at Lynne's and had gone to another bar where you can not only dance on the bar but you can give them your bra for their decoration. I'll never forget her telling me, in almost a whisper, "I donated my brassiere!"
Jenny and I had recently discovered a bar in the east village that had kind of become our new spot. We'd drink then walk right across the street into the burrito place at four am and eat the biggest burritos you've ever seen. Remember what I told you about this kind of diet doing nothing for the figure? Yeah.
But we loved this place and we took Jack and Julie there. I remember Jack brought up the Old Flame and was telling me things about him and his ex girlfriend that I didn't really want to hear. The girl that the Old Flame said had ripped his heart out. It weirded me out, I didn't want to know stories or details.
When I was at school, Jack and Julie would sight see and then we'd all meet back up. Jenny met us one day near school and we were all talking about where we'd be going next as we were getting on the subway. Right then, the doors closed with Jack and Julie still outside and Jenny and I on! It was right out of a movie. How had it happened that my two out of towners just got left? It was also really funny. Mostly because Jenny shrieked and put her hands up on the glass that looked like she was seeing them for the last time. Thank goodness they'd heard enough to know where to go, and we met them quickly.
New York seems so impossibly big, but I was learning all the time how small it really was. In fact, from the moment I'd set foot there I kept seeing people I knew. Once I even ran into a girl from high school in the middle of times square. She was vacationing and I was running out for ice cream, looking like a hot mess. It never fails. Those times when you run out not wanting to bump into anyone, you do. Even in times square. I would see many of the same people at auditions too.
One night Jack was at Jenny's and Julie and I were together. We went to a store so she could get a CD. This was a CD that reminded me of The Guy. We played it a lot and this was also a store we'd meet at regularly if we were going back to Brooklyn. We walked in, got her CD and ran right into, who else? The Guy. We ended up going to a bar I'd never been to before and having a great night. We danced on the bar and talked to all kinds of "new friends". It was the kind of night where you wake up the next morning, look at your pictures and wonder who these strangers are in them.
We went back to Brooklyn and I was pretty excited about taking Julie back to meet Ty. Julie was super cute and single. Ty was going to die. Except...he was out of town. The one time I have my available friend with me (Ty and Lynne were not exclusive). But at least this meant Julie would get to stay in his room and have a night in a bed to herself rather than squishing in with me on my futon.
Jack, Julie and I also shopped and Jack bought the infamous Jesus Christ Action Figure. We hopped on the subway and, lucky us, got into a car with a crazy person. A guy ranting and raving about something religious. Jack pulled out the action figure and held it up. The car was full and they all laughed and applauded. The ranter was actually completely silenced!
It was time for them to go. The way the flights worked they'd be going to LA and spending one night there before going back to SLC. And they'd be staying with the Old Flame. Of course.
Everything just kept connecting.
And also ending.
Endings of the most unexpected kinds and strange turns of events were, I was about to find out, going to happen over the next few months.
I just didn't know that I was already in those final months.
Part 1: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-york-state-of-mind.html
Part 2: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-york-state-of-mind-part-ii.html
Part 3: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-new-york-diaries-part-3.html
Part 4: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-new-york-diaries-part-4.html
Part 5: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-new-york-diaries-part-5.html
Part 6: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-new-york-diaries-part-6.html
Part 7: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/im-in-process-of-writing-my-story-of.html
Part 8: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-new-york-diaries-part-8.html
Time to Press Pause: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/time-to-press-pause.html
Part 9: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-new-york-diaries-part-9.html
Part 10: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-new-york-diaries-part-10.html
Part 11: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-new-york-diaries-part-11.html
Part 12: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-new-york-diaries-par-12.html
Part 13 (with an extra shot) http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-new-york-diaries-part-13-with-extra.html
Part 14: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-new-york-diaries-part-14.html
Part 15: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-15.html
Part 16: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/im-in-process-of-writing-my-story-of.html
Part 17: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/im-in-process-of-writing-my-story-of_10.html
Part 18 (September 11th) http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-18-september.html
Part 19: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-19.html
Part 20: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-20.html
Part 21: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-21.html
Part 22: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/im-in-process-of-writing-my-story-of_20.html
Part 23: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-23.html
Part 24: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-24.html
Part 25: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-25.html
Part 26: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-26.html
Part 27: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-27.html
Part 28: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-28.html
Part 29: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-29.html
Part 30: http://beanerlarue.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-new-york-diaries-part-30.html
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