I'll be home for Christmas!

I am loving life right about now, sitting in my rocking chair in the Baltimore airport.  I’m on my way home for Christmas, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited to see the south.  New York has been really good to me so far, but I am ready for some sweet tea and southern accents. 

My bag was way over the weight limit, so I had to pay the additional fee.  It’s all because of those Christmas presents that I intended to wait and buy when I got home.  I decided that New York gifts would be better.  I’m glad I did a little shopping though.  While in the Chelsea Best Buy, I got this huge ego boost by some random stranger.  I was looking at the television series dvds, when he walked by and pointed at one of the covers and said “that should be your face instead.”  I could’ve kissed him square on the mouth.

I love the airport at Christmas.  There are kids and dogs everywhere, and people have generally been in good spirits…even after the security line that took an hour and a half.  I’ve been fortunate to see my family over the last few weeks while they have been visiting, and now I get to see my friends too!  Yay for vacation!

The Sound of Music

It's amazing how influential music is over your mood.  A song can make you feel like you can conquer the world, or make you curl up into a ball and rock yourself back and forth while crying hysterically (never done it).  Music does provoke all kinds of emotions, and that's exactly why I love it.

I recently changed up the selections on my ipod, and intentionally chose more uplifting songs.  On my way to work this morning, I just couldn't stop smiling.  I honestly don't know the title or the artist, but the lyrics of my new favorite "on my way to work" song are about nothing being impossible for God....and about He holds my world in His hand.  Those are some pretty powerful statements that reminded me that nothing matters in this world without Him.  He is the reason to get up everyday, and face all that life throws our way.

This week in New York, I plan to explore multiple musical venues, genres, and performances.  Last night I went to Trinity church on Wall street, to hear Handle's Messiah.  I honestly just went to hear the Hallelujah choral song that mom used to play in our living room while she was working out to Charlene Prickett.  After the first two hours with no Hallelujah chorus, I was afraid I had made a terrible $30 mistake.  Finally, at the end of the second act, I got to hear exactly what I had come for and it was beautiful.

Tomorrow night I am going to hear Dave Kellan at Backfence in Greenwich Village.  Dave is a friend of a friend, and has played in Nashville many times.  The venue he is playing in is apparently listed in the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die.  I'm really excited about hearing him, and being at a legendary club in the village.

Finally, on Friday night I'm hoping to go to Bill's place in Harlem.  Apparently Bill is a world famous jazz musician and has opened a venue in his brownstone for Friday night performances only.  It always sells out, and is in his living room, so seating should be interesting.  Regardless, I am ready for a week of music in the city!

The "New York Moment"

New York is not an easy city to live in.  Everything is expensive, nothing about it is laid back, and you are in constant competition with people who are either your equals or superiors in talent and ambition.  It can be exhausting in so many ways, and there are times when you wonder if you have chosen wisely by making it your home.

And then you have a "New York moment"...

Such a moment confirms that your decision is probably one of the best of your life.  It can be anything from participating in the filming of a movie, to finding a fabulous new restaurant that was probably in a movie, or encountering a celebrity on the street.  These moments are distinctively unique to New York, and provoke thoughts of awe and wonder to a new resident.  They remove all doubt and make you think"so this is why I live here."

I've been really lucky to experience many New York moments since moving here.  Most recently (this evening actually), I was walking around in Greenwich village looking for the Chick-fil-a at NYU, and ran into Meg Ryan.  She passed me at the intersection of Broadway and Astor, and was with a man who I did not recognize.  She had her City of Angels hair-do, and really big lips.  Definitely not the same face as in You've Got Mail (one of my favorites).  But it was really cool, and totally made up for the fact that Chick-fil-a was closed.

Another World-not the soap opera

New York is filled with a plethora of sightseeing options, but none of them can quite compare to the happenings occurring daily on New York City public transit.  The next time someone asks me what they should see when they visit, in order to have a true NYC experience, I will direct them to the nearest 4,5,6,7,1,2,3,N,Q,R...etc...etc. You are assured the biggest bang for your buck in this whole other world, affectionately known as the subway.

I have visited many cities in the country (and world, for that matter) that have public transit, but none can quite compare to ours.  There are incredibly pleasant experiences, such as the one I had this afternoon.  While commuting to a client visit, a group of about six men started walking through the car, shaking money cans and causing a commotion.  The jaded almost-New Yorker in me just rolled my eyes, and kept talking to my colleague.  This type of scenario is usually followed by a speech requesting a monetary donation.  But instead, to my surprise, they started singing Christmas carols and they had unbelievable voices.  My coworker told me that they have actually make television appearances, and are fairly well known.

Tonight I sat across from a mother and her baby heading downtown from Morningside Heights/Harlem area.  It was endearing to watch them interact.  It looked as though she was on her way home from work (this was around 10 pm), and they were both equally ecstatic to see each other after being apart all day.  Sitting next to me during all this, was an elderly Asian man who found joy in making faces at the baby.  He, too, was on his way home from work and was carrying a bag full of Chinese newspapers.

The only thing that I find incredibly obnoxious is when people play on their phones NON STOP while riding the train.  I literally had to look away from a woman last week who was so obsessed with whatever she was doing on her phone, that she missed her destination.  I mean, can't you just stop looking at something electronic for a fifteen minute commute?  Bring a real book or magazine, listen to music, or here's a thought....maybe even have a conversation with someone next to you.   I bet when the first subway was built in 1904, people spoke to their neighbors, men gave their seats to women, and the floors were urine free.

NYC Holiday Season Part 1

When I realized that I wouldn't be able to afford the trip home for Thanksgiving, I was a tad upset.  However, when I got the news that one of my best friends from college would be here visiting her family, and invited me to join, I felt better.  But when we decided to attend the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade, I knew it would be worth the sacrifice!

All the locals here will tell you to avoid the parade, just like they say to avoid the lighting of the Christmas tree (which I will be attending tomorrow night) and New Years Eve in Times Square (which I did two years ago).  What's the point of living in this city if you don't partake in the holiday shinanigans, I always say.  Gina and I also went to the inflation celebration on Thanksgiving Eve, which takes place at the Natural History museum on Central Park West and 79th.

The parade was much better, in my opinion, because the floats were all bolted down the night before and the crowd was worse.  We got a great spot at the parade, right on the street, thanks to a lady from Georgia who muscled her way to the front as we trailed behind her.  We had front row seats to see Kanye West (everyone was yelling Taylor Swift!), Jessica Simpson (conveniently placed behind the Pillsbury Doughboy, which I thought was a bit cruel), Joan Rivers, Gladys Knight, and some guy who may or may not have been a Jonas.

Thanksgiving dinner with Gina's family took place in Stratford, Connecticut.  The food was amazing, and the game of spades was entertaining.  We did some black Friday shopping at Target the next day, and then I came back to the city to have dinner with the Brewers.  I have never seen so much food in this apartment, and I must say that I loved having it here.  A stocked refrigerator just makes you feel like you are home.  I was lucky enough this year to get two amazing Thanksgiving meals with some fabulous people!

The next morning, we all went to see the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.  After it was over, I ran some errands and came back home to take a nap.  I was siked about dinner and the Georgia game that evening.  So siked, in fact, that I proceeded to throw up all over myself and Mrs. Brewer as we were exiting our elevator on the way to dinner.  Three times to be exact.  Needless to say, I had sprite for dinner and was in bed by 8.

Today I went to get lunch with a coworker, and was fondly reminded of an infamous Seinfeld episode.  We went to this place called Ashbys, where I excitedly got in the line for soup.  The gentleman taking orders was basically yelling at each person in line as they approached, so I had to be prepared.  There were around 20 different options, so I got nervous and just yelled out the first thing that came to mind..."Chicken Noodle!".  I then stepped aside quickly, just like the compliant patron that I am.  The sandwich guy was even worse.  When I requested a grilled cheese panini to go with my soup, he shouted "No panini today (for you)!"

And....SCENE!

Today was the final day of filming for our sequence in Man on a Ledge, and what a great experience this has been!  Not only did I get to meet Sam Worthington and Ed Harris, but I got to actually be featured today.  The assistant director pulled me out of a crowd, alone, and placed me directly in front of the camera.  And also by Kyra Sedgewick.  It was not a speaking part of course (apparently "y'all" and "fixin to" is frowned upon by Hollywood, unless of course you are in a remake of Steel Magnolias), but a featured role nonetheless.  I am basically a girl getting a hot dog, listening to her reporting her news story.  I get to put that on my resume, and hopefully get some additional features in future projects.

The casting company apparently did not hear my name correctly, because my call number was associated with the name "Darah Decker" for the entire duration of filming.  I respectfully reminded them each week that it was actually Sarah, but eventually gave up and went with it.  A few people said that Darah was more memorable, and that I should consider making it my stage name.  At the end of today, I requested a SAG waiver for it being misspelled, but apparently the production assistants didn't think I was serious.  I also got two referrals to this agent affectionately known as Desiree ,who actually does her job getting her people bookings.  And of course, the friends I made are priceless.  Looking forward to the future!

Life is good!

Hello blog family!  I have a few random thoughts to share, and also update you on my latest activities.

The commute home from work is so interesting.  I usually walk to either the Wall Street or Fulton Street 4/5 train, and it takes me anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes to get to my exit at Grand Central.  Occasionally I will stop at McDonalds for a large sweet tea, and if it's been a really long day, 3 chocolate chips cookies.  This costs a whopping $2.19, which is the best money I could spend after working 9 hours without much of a break.  

Once I make it out of Grand Central and to the street, I get to pretend I'm in a mosh pit at an Alice in Chains concert.  Not because the people I see look like the Alice in Chains type, but because they will body slam you if you so much as hesitate to move while on the sidewalk.  Once I pass Wendy's, I'm usually home free...at least until I turn down 47th street heading to my building.  

At this point, I get to pass the art studio.  It's basically an office sized space that hosts a different project or display every week.  Tonight they were blasting some eerie Friday the 13th-ish type music , and these two women were running back and forth to the window, first one and then the other.  They have strings of white yarn pouring from the entire ceiling too.  The whole spectacle is too bizarre to even write about.

Only a few more steps to the apartment, and I pass about four sushi restaurants, and a bar that always has at least ten Asian young professionals standing outside it.  What amuses me most is one of the guy's hair.  He looks just like Chozen from Karate Kid II.  He is usually standing near the psychic who works above the restaurant, and almost always asks me for a reading.  One day, I think I just might do it for kicks.

Work is so intense here.  People cram the amount of activities into one day, that used to take me a week at the bank.  No one really takes a lunch break, which has been a difficult adjustment to make.  But they are incredibly ambitious people, and take a lot of pride in their work and that rubs off quickly.  The sales process is definitely more direct and to the point, but relationships are still valued and acknowledged as the key to success.  I went on a business call yesterday with a senior manager in my group, who has been with the company for 27 years.  He was griping about how young people don't know the meaning of hard work, and also how the best way to do business is to always leave someone a pen or notepad with your company name on it.  I wanted to add that a gift basket is a good way to make a statement too (Office reference for those of you who don't watch it), but didn't think he would find that funny, so I refrained.

This past Monday night I was able to attend, on behalf of my company, the Financial Executives International Hall of Fame Gala.  Wooo...that's a mouth full.  Actually it was a black tie dinner, with me and about 200 other more advanced professionals in attendance.  We were celebrating the careers of two retirees.  One had been the CFO of Pepsi and the other the CFO of Exxon.  BIG TIME.  I got to wear a new purple ball gown, and eat really fancy food, which I was excited that I did not spill on my new purple dress!

Other than working like a crazy woman, I have been filming a movie on the weekends called Man on a Ledge.  Elizabeth Banks, Kyra Sedgewick, Ed Harris and Sam Worthington (Avatar man) are all in it, and we have been filming right outside the Roosevelt Hotel.  I have met Ed and Sam so far, which has been exciting.  This weekend should wrap up our scenes, and I'm glad because a 5 a.m. call time is getting a little old (we've been filming for the last two weekends).  My favorite part of this process (besides getting to be in a movie of course) is making friends with my fellow actors and getting paid to laugh with them all day.  

This upcoming week I get to see my beautiful friend Gina, and spend Thanksgiving with her family in Connecticut.  We will also be going to see the floats being inflated on Wednesday night, and then the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on Thursday!