Photo Phriday - Lost & Found

After romping around New York and seeing a few NYMF shows I happened upon this sight.

A tiny purple plastic sandal pictured has lost it's way. Ripped from the owners plump foot or more likely kicked off while riding astride in some overpriced stroller, by the owner with the non-attentive parent making their hustle from 9th to 8th Avenue. It made me smile and then I thought how sad, no more play dates, birthday parties, or tip toe ballet moves. Only to spend what little time wedged between a wall and a hard place before heading off to some land fill. Sad little beauty of modern man's contribution to toddler foot wear. What a waste.....

Freshly Tossed

I panic on occasion for no apparent reason. Everything went fine last night. I guess I just can't handle not having ALL the control. As a stand up comic I am all things, producer, director, performer, eternal child like pan. So when I have to give over to others with the power I tend to panic. I like things the way I like them, I trust few and respect less. It's a problem. I know. However this enterprise is giving me the opportunity to grow and let go of some of the weight of the world that I put on my own shoulders and trust others with the load.

Now on to the adventure that was last night....

So after my meeting I met up with my friend Shana. We've been seeing NYMF shows together and having a blast. We saw Freshly Tossed, a dance hodge podge that was extremely entertaining and different as they try to work in as much comedy as you can while wearing Capezios.

Some pieces were great and others well, let's just say I don't like clowns who make a living with balls. After the show we joined Shana's friend and her companion for some food, cocktails and chit chat and that is where the night got really interesting.

New people can be a problem for me I usually am very quite and don't speak for a good while until I have ascertained the intentions of said newbies. Shana's friend from Lichtenstein, my first Lichtenstonian! Was a pleasure with charisma and sass, her Renfield partner in WEIRDNESS was another story. A composer, fine, lives in Brooklyn fine, but he had eyes like in those old horror movies where the picture on the wall would seemingly be staring right at you and yet THROUGH you. He was also extremely hairy on his four arms to the point were the hair met at a seam that ran down the length of his arm.

We all enjoyed talking about theater etc...and then moved on to more social topics. When all of a sudden somewhere between Bed Bugs: The Musical and Ward 9 spiders became our focus. He revealed that he had captured a spider and was keeping it as a pet, ok, then he said he said found her a mate and that they had produced an egg sac and now he had 30 odd so baby spiders. Wait for it....when asking how they managed in their cage he said, oh their NOT in a cage. She has a web in the kitchen and that's were they live.

If I was a screaming type of person I would have omitted one of those blood curdling whoppers from the 1970's slasher films. Renfield, who is alive and well and taking care of his master in Brooklyn, was now making me itch. It was all I could do to keep a straight face and be polite. Soon after we got the check and Shana and I thought we had made a clean escape. When we realized Renfield was walking with us to the train. The longest most uncomfortable walk which included discussions about fish eye viscus and other seafood delicacies. We finally lost him at the F train on 6th Avenue. Then we could finally share in our mutually freakedoutness.

Now everyone is special. We all have our "things" but this one is going to make for grand party entertainment for at least a few weeks. Charlotte's Web is one thing but a grown man in Brooklyn harboring a safe haven for god only knows how many 8 legged beasties is more than this city girl can handle. Especially since he feeds them roaches I don't want to even know where he gets those....eeeeck!!!

Deep Cleansing Breath!

I feel sick. Or maybe it’s just fear of change creeping into my coffee.

If I make it to “Freshly Tossed” tonight it’s a good chance everything will be fine. Or I’m just going to play in traffic.

Why my nerves get to me is beyond understanding, I am capable, competent and a theatrical whore the only thing bad that can happen is if I get fired and I have already been told in front of witnesses that, “there will always be a place for Brandy.” Ugh, but it’s really just psycho babble crap that makes my stomach turn. Breath, relax, shuffle ball change, I’m ok you’re ok. This is the time when a parental unit is handy but I’m fresh outta those at the moment.

Okay comrades, once more into the breech, or penthouse apartment as it were.

Photo Phriday

I’m in love with Bonnie Hunt. I guess I’ve always been. She has been a fixture as second banana in every movie role for the last 20 years. Time after time she has made me laugh as the funny friend, sister, aunt, or mother. Nothing makes me happier than finally seeing her get her due with, The Bonnie Hunt Show. I never pictured her as a talk show host but she is killing me. I laugh so hard my dog thinks I’m dying and runs around trying to dial 911 but can’t because she doesn’t have thumbs. She recently had Teri Garr on and said that Teri was a big inspiration and role model for her well that’s how I feel about Bonnie.

I am not from Chicago, I have only one sibling and yet I completely identify with Bonnie’s outlook on family and how Catholicism can and does ruin your life. lol. Watching her show makes me feel like, at least for an hour I’m home. I wish I could articulate more how she makes me feel less alone. Family was such a huge part of my life that any glimpse of something that jogs a memory becomes precious. Like when she makes her mom laugh or talks about growing up in a working class neighborhood, or how much she loves her dog. How her Dad thought her mom had it easy at home raising 7 kids. I’m giggling right now as I write this….ahhhh well that’s why Bonnie is my Phriday Photo. She’s bringing back so many things I’d thought I’d forgotten and I look forward to laughing through all of it.




ps - Frankly I think her mom and Ellen’s mom should do their own show. Now that would be a hoot!

Whittle Wand....

MSNBC TIDBIT...(pun intended) Daniel Radcliffe suffers localized stage freight, Shrinkage affects all the greats — just look at Michelangelo’s David. That’s what Daniel Radcliffe hopes audience members keep in mind when he strips down on the Broadway stage later this month for his role in “Equus.”

“(David) wasn’t very well endowed, because he was fighting Goliath,” the “Harry Potter” star explained in an interview with the New York Times. “There was very much that effect (for me). You tighten up like a hamster.”

It has nothing to do with him being English. Rigggghhhtttt. Regardless I heard the show is AMAZING and if you can, go see it. The show, not the penis. You know the girl, Anna Camp, is naked too, but nobody seems phased by that???? WTF?

Blind Luck....

or Fluck as I like to call it. Found me last week as I played my newest obsession. Scrabble on Facebook. I scored 74 point using all my tiles spelling, DIVERGES, as in a path diverges in a wood and I took the road less traveled. (not exact but close)

My mother who was a wordsmith and spelling legend would be so proud.

Retelling is Rethinking....

On this day every year I invariably retell my 9/11 experience. Usually at lunch with the girls and this year was nothing different. Most of my friends at work now were still in college when it all happened and the fact that I’ve had this job for 7 years means I was here with my Jews on that day.

Time passes and I still haven’t been downtown since the attack. I never have a reason to be in that part of town, my life never really goes below Bleecker. I get too emotional to really deal with what happened, to process it, mostly I just get angry, a color I don’t wear very well. Especially if some tourist asks me which way to ground zero, like it was a ride at Disneyland.

That night after making my way home, I watched the city burn from my Williamsburg window not knowing what would come. How the world would be different, how I would be different? Well I know now and it’s unfortunate that it only went from bad to worse.

The election is the only light, if things don’t change I fear we will continue to spiral into the darkness, but there is hope. My hope is that America will get better and get over this mess. I survived 9/11 and the lung infection that I got from inhaling the black cloud that floated across the river and into our apt. My hope is that Obama is the antibiotic that will change the course of this slow Bataan death march into being the biggest world power embarrassment ever.

Land of the free, home of the liars and bullies of the oil fields, this is NOT what we are supposed to be. Does anybody even remember what this Nation is supposed to stand for? We used to stand for revolution, and freedom, and independent thinking. These have been replaced by fear, homeland security and fast food. I’m choking to death on all of it.

After seeing the musical, Tale of Two Cities this week, I’ve decided what was good for France is good for Washington D.C. Let my tax dollars purchase a guillotine. Let’s see who flip flops in front of a shiny steel blade and brings up pigs wearing lipstick. Punishment for all who serve themselves and not the people…that includes you Department of the Interior, who’s first Madame Guillotine is waiting….it's god's will afterall.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz......huh what? oh...Photo Phriday!

This weekend (known as Weds-Thurs Night) was some of the best quality time I have ever spent with the rowdy crew of characters known as Vinnie, Tom, Brian, Roseanne & Myself. Two days and one night in Atlantic City felt like a week’s vacation. Sleeping 3 hours out of 48 wasn’t bad at all, but it caught up with me this morning at 8am. More dehydrated than tired I think, getting up and coming to work this morning was truly an effort. But I wouldn’t trade the fun of Vinnie’s 40th Birthday Party for the world.

Things accomplished in Atlantic City:

~ Won $30 dollars
~ Learned all about Craps, Slot Machines, Black Jack and 3 Card Poker
~ Could have people watched all day. Where do they come from?
~ Ate my weight in Crab Legs and Shrimp at the Buffet!! Thank you Tom!!
~ Taught Vinnie how to shell a shrimp in 2 moves.
~ Rolled like a playa in our suiteass hotel room!! Huzzah HARRAHS!!

View from our Suite!!!

~ Jacuzzi Tubs

Pictures of Vinnie Covered in Bubbles are on the way!!! :-)

~ Got my period…of course!
~ Having smoky treats while getting ice from the machine!
~ Drank beer on a frozen bar!
~ Was wished luck by more people than Michael Phelps
~ Ate my weight in bacon and had the best omelette ever. Thank you Roseanne!
~ Enjoyed Safety Stops both ways!
~ Laughed, bitched, laughed, drove, bitched and laughed some more!!

Things learned on the way home from Atlantic City:

~ Vinnie drives like a man, Tom does not! LOL!

Looking forward to FOXWOODS, next year, god help them hope they are ready!!!