Back to the blogging board.

I’ve been back in the city for about a week now. It’s been a good week looking for work, working out, submitting for auditions, and re-connecting with friends.
I got to JFK late in the evening Thursday, January 22 after having a nearly 3 hour layover in Long Beach, California. That dear little airport is about the size of my hand when I make a fist or a small beverage cooler with about as much entertainment value as either. There were so many people in the baby sized airport I was feeling a bit claustrophobic. Granted, I was able to go outside without exiting the airport and the weather, in spite of the light rain, reminded me of springtime. I got a little taste of it and I really wanted it to magically be spring when I finally got to NY later that day.
One long flight and 100 thru 8 of the top songs of the 1980s on VH1 later, I reached NYC. Thank God for Jet Blue’s TVs; I’m a serious channel surfer.
I’m back! The light snow on the ground I could see out the plane’s window seemed both to taunt and welcome me back. And although I’ve been to JFK’s Jet Blue terminal (5) many a time, I still managed to get on the wrong shuttle train. When you’re tired and just want to get home after a long day of travel it somehow amplifies the annoyed feeling you get when you make a stupid mistake. So I took a spin around the JFK airport. Maybe I should apply for a job as a JFK airport tour guide. Nah.
For the next hour and a half I heaved my mammoth suitcase around Queens before finally arriving home. I dug my keys out and at last was thru the front door. And there stood my roommates with a cake and balloons welcoming me back. Awww. You guys! How sweet! Carrot cake and yellow and orange balloons filled the rest of my first evening back. Aw, I feel loved. (The yellow and orange balloons were not a statement but a matter of economy)
So I’ve had a fairly relaxed week. I’ve been applying for work and sending my headshot/resume combo out for the looking. It’s sort of eerie how little work appears to be out there (across the board). I’ve checked all the good old standbys where one could expect to find job postings and it’s just weird the lack of openings.
However, I have managed to find a couple positions to apply for. One was for an after school tutoring position, seems cool. So I got back “in the saddle” with writing cover letters. That’s a true gift when you can pump out cover letters like a machine. It’s hard! I am not a machine just yet but I believe I’m on the path.
I am proud to say I’ve been working even more on the acting/singing. I’ve got my headshot out there. I have even been to the post office several times this week to mail it out snail mail style. It’s actually a GIANT pain going to the post office just once, but severl times a week? I deserve a medal.
Aw the post office. How is it that there’s always a line that’s 5K long and it moves at about the pace I’d run a 5K. SLOWLY. AAAAA! How does the post office have one guy, ONE GUY, running the counter? (Do you need more help USPS? I’m looking for work!) And of course I feel badly for the fella because he’s always got that one dude who decides that he’s gonna pick a fight, a fight to end all fights, with the poor postal clerk. Yikes. That’s when I dig down deep for a little grace. And somehow the line moves. This poor world is wound so tight…
It’s a small task to endure for the glad feeling I get after mailing out my acting resume. Perhaps I’ll get an acting job before I get a “job job” haha! Right.
On Sunday I went to church. It was so great to see my church family again and some new faces as well! I got such a warm and unexpected “welcome back!” from everyone. I am so glad to be a part of that church. God is doing really great things thru his people there.
I was able to serve on the load-out crew that morning as well. I was given the task of driving our church’s van with all the gear we use at the service to the parking garage. (We meet at a school so we take our stuff with us). I got to drive a big ol' van in Manhattan! I was oh, just a bit scared. I drove from the Upper East Side on the FDR drive (kinda a highway) on the easternmost side of the island of Manhattan down to Chelsea (further south on the island). It was a really pretty, sunny day and I’m convinced that had I not been white knuckling it and in ironclad focus-on-the-road mode, there would’ve been a gorgeous view to take in of the East River and the land across the river (Roosevelt Island, Long Island City, and Brooklyn). Ok, I did sneak a peek once or twice.
I got the van to the garage safely and am proud to say that driving in Manhattan wasn’t so hard or terrifying after all. Maybe I’ll become a cab driver? MmmHmmm.
So I found a new gym to go to here in Astoria thanks to a tip from my roomie. It just opened a month ago and they are having a killer sale on membership. I mean, unbelievable, it’s by far the least I’ve ever paid for a gym membership. How is that!? Love it/Need that in my current state of unemployment. The gym is a short walk from my house, has really fancy equipment (and lots of it), as well as free tanning, and a free massage chair to use. What!? I pretty much love it. I actually look forward to going to the gym and can only hope that feeling lasts. Oh, and the best part, there’s no fine print! Yay!

Which just about brings me to today…

I awoke this morning to an unfamiliar sound. In my initial hazy state I had no idea what it could be. Someone dragging their plastic garbage can around outside my window? No. One of my crafty neighbors fancying himself a carpenter again? No. Sounds like…oh no… Someone shoveling snow! It snowed last night!
Now I should note that I have, just this season, adopted a rather sarcastic attitude toward snowfall. This is thanks to the fact that I was unfortunately snowed-in in Oregon for several days recently and have also seen plenty of snow while in NY to know that it doesn’t equal snowball fights, igloos, and snow angels. No, it means slippery slushy sidewalks and endless invisible black puddles everywhere! Ok, I’ll lighten up a bit, I still get excited about snow, but seriously everyone, when you shovel snow you create an even more slippery surface of ice to try and walk on. Not fun. Deadly. Oh well, the rest of the US has snow, it was only a matter of time, right?
So I’m inside in an attempt to avoid icy sidewalks and catching up on Netflix, reading, and of course, the trusty blog. How’s that for a comeback entry!? It’s a novella! Thanks for reading.