catching up with st. valentine

Okay...so I'm a few days behind.
Here's to the highlights of the last four days:

Sunday...Double-Dipping at Church
I walked to church in the morning, finding yet another path through the park. This week the string quartet was back and Mark Delevan (from my bible study, and frequent baritone at the Met) sang "Love bade me welcome" from Vaughn Williams' "5 Mystical Songs." Tim Keller continues his series on the end of Mark and the beauty of the Cross. This week he spoke on the Garden of Gethsemane passage. I had never heard an insight into the parallel between the first garden where Adam sinned and this garden where Jesus had a foretaste of the hell he would encounter to take on that first sin and everything inbetween. Adam was asked by God to obey Him by the tree and he failed. Jesus was asked to obey God by the tree, a different tree, and as our substitute fulfills the law for us. Okay...sorry for the divergence but I am loving learning about the cool details of God's plan for us. In fact, I was so into the sermon that I went back for a second round in the evening. More on that later. At the first service I ran into Coke, (yes that is his name) a tenor who is also in my bible study. He introduced me to Jenny, the girl who sang in church last Sunday. I really liked meeting her and she also introduced me to another singer, Piper, who told me about a Monday artists fellowship group called "the Haven" that I'm planning on checking out in a few weeks.
I walked home from church...I just love Central Park and all the little hidden groves and playgrounds (all ready for Char!) that I keep finding.
It was quite chilly went I headed back to church so I went for the bus and subway route. The evening west-side service is held in an ancient Baptist Church on Broadway. I sat next to a really sweet girl from rural West Virginia named Samantha. She just graduated from Princeton and decided to move to NYC. We exchanged info...Adrienne tells me I'm really great at meeting nice girls at church but that I should work on the nice boys part. Hmmmph. I went out to eat with the Citilights group afterwards at Cosi...a chain cafe here. My new friend Mitch came along...he has quite the ascerbic wit. I also met Christine, a second year drama major at Juilliard; Bob, an engineering student at Columbia; Cambron, a boy from OK who moved here on Wednesday; and Elizabeth, an oboe player who also just moved to the city.

Monday...No audition love
I woke up early, early Monday to press my luck at an EPA for The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. I got to NOLA studios at 8 in the morning...only to wait in line out side for 20 minutes before being shuffled into a hallway for another half an hour...not being able to sign in till 9. I had a bad feeling, as I saw the steady stream of Equity Cards being flashed, that I had skipped beauty hours for nought....and around 10:30 the monitor dismissed us. I decided to go to the MOMA for some free inspiration. I explored the special exhibit on the 6th floor which is currently featuring Reveron, the first modernist of Venezuela. He was a quirky dude with a penchant for building his own dolls and then painting them, often in the background of his own self-portraits. The exhibit included some of the actual dolls as well as the self-portraits.
I also spent some extensive time on the 5th floor where some of my favorites were the Kandinsky paintins, Klimt's "The Park" and Van Gogh's "Starry Night." It's cliche to say but the brushstrokes up close make for an amazing museum moment! I enjoyed eavesdropping on a tour guide with an English accent...she was very passionate about DuChamp, who seems to be a bit of a nut.
I met Grace, Mary and Seri's friend, for lunch wayyyyyyy downtown. The problem with downtown is that all the numbers go away and I remember how truly directionally challenged I am. It took me a while to find Grace but we ended up meeting on a corner in Tribeca...very fun and chic down there. I passed by the Odeon Cafeteria and glanced at the menu...sandwiches for $19! Eek. I guess that is how lunch goes down in Tribeca. Grace and I went to a really yummy pan-asian place called "Mangez Avec Moi." I could mangez there every day...it was delicious and they had really reasonable lunch specials with brown rice!!! Hurrah! I had a peanut-curry chicken with potatoes..yum-o. I walked with Grace to her office...in the historic Woolworth Building...wowsers! For the first time, I walked past the World Trade Center site. I think it's easy to think of 9/11 as something that happened a long time ago, in a far-away place that doesn't exist. Seeing the big hole in the ground and the bustle of business people all around made me think of the faces I see in the Subway on their way everyday to those surrounding buildings...realizing they probably knew someone in that hole, or could have been neighbors had I lived here then. Heavy thoughts. To run away from the heaviness, I went across the street where NYC's most famous discount store lives...Century 21. I'd heard about it since I moved here and seeing it across the street from the WTC Construction made me think it's a great big dose of retail therapy for NYC. The great prices are certainly no secret...the place was packed. I went straight to the hosiery department and bought some tights...my daily staple in the cold weather.
On my way back uptown, I stopped by Trader Joes for a few essentials and you will not believe who I saw again!!!!! Angela from Project Runway. I guess we are meant to be besties...Crazy, right?
I did some practicing and went to the gym before making dinner. I was planning on going to DTUT (coffehouse) for a Citylights Coffehouse event...it was funny, they didn't have a clear sign marking the group and although I guessed it was them, I found myself unusually shy and ended up cozying up in a corner and journaling. At that point, I felt like it would be reeeeeely dorky to approach them so I spent about 20 minutes journaling before my new friend Carrie met me. She had agreed to check out Brandy's Piano Bar where my friend Michael sings on Mondays. I was so glad she came...we had so much fun at the somewhat random place...Michael was dreamy and amazing as always and Carrie and I both expressed regret on why the cutest ones are always gay. Ah. It was a late night but Michael's run-through of his Xanadu audition sent me to sweet dreams.

Tuesday...lots of homework!
I slept in a little bit on Tuesday, went to the gym and read a play. I did a bunch of practicing before walking across the park for Bible Study. Ah! I got lost. In fact, it was a little scary for awhile. I ran into the pond, I think, where there were signs that said "no outlet." I guess it DOES matter which cross street you start at....hmmm...I arrived at bible study not too late but much too sweaty for a wintry day! It was a great study on Romans 5 and I am starting to feel more comfortable and able to speak up. I found out that Louise, our leader, has been playing in the pit of "The Producers" for over 6 years and they are set to close this summer. Right now Tony Danza is starring...you better book your tickets! Adia, a new girl, came and visited the group. I really liked her and she is also a singer-actor and actually went to CCM. I look forward to talking to her more when we're both not rushing off. I had to go back to the East side to see my friend Maria D'Amato in the cover performance of L'Arlesiana that she is singing with the Opera Orchestra of New York. It was so great to hear her beautiful singing again and I also ran into Luke Grooms, another CCM friend. I was so excited to hear how well his career is going. He has management is getting set to travel to Baltimore for a stint with their opera company. As I walked home it began to snow! I was so excited for the snow...I figure if it's going to be this cold, we should get rewarded with the pretty powder.
I went to bed much earlier than I had been and fell asleep with the windows open. Really, the blinds I have don't keep out much morning light anyways and I have to say it was pretty thrilling to wake up, on Valentine's day with a pinkish cloud spurting out snowflakes!

Wednesday...oooh, did I really wish for the snow?
Okay, the snow on the ground, so beautiful. The snow on the ground, run over by dirty Taxi wheels, when I have to walk through it, disgusting. Today was a productive Valentine's day. If I'm not going to be wooed, I may as well be clean and efficient. I did my laundry in the morning and prepped for my coaching before heading over to the West side. I was excited to get some errands done before meeting Michael at Juilliard at noon but my plans were totally foiled. I ended up walking around for about 35 minutes in the freezing rain, which really hurts your face when you're walking downwind of it. Yuck. The Nor'Easter is no longer my friend. After my coaching, I headed to midtown to get some heeled tap shoes, a necessary evil. I had gotten a bit scolded at the one dance call I attempted for my flat shoes. I figure it's time to grow up and learn to tap like a star! Walking around, collecting ice on my boots and jacket and then trying shoes on was not a great idea, but I got what I needed, all in time to go to tap class back uptown. I just love the teacher, Germaine Goodson. She is so positive and patient. On my way home I stopped by Gourmet Garage to replenish the Peets supply...they sell the beans!...and also got Adrienne some Valentine tulips. I made us my special dinner...goat-cheese and pineapple and walnut stuffed chicken breasts with spinach and whole-wheat cous cous. I made creative use of the extra peach cups that I bought for Charlie's package...and made a wine reduction sauce with them. I don't know how Char would like his peaches after tasting that! I enjoyed hearing him say "Bye, bye Kithy" on the phone tonight. Aw. Adrienne and I just watched Idol and I'm a little bit shocked about some of the choices...hmmmm...I need to get ready for my really long day of open calls and my first class tomorrow night. It should be an exciting Thursday!