Snow-ga Time

This was the view from a couple of my windows this morning.

So, the snow might have stopped, the sun might be out, the ban on all non-emergency vehicles is lifted, and buses and above ground trains are back running, but Jonas is by no means stopped affecting the New York weather and travel.

I did walk to yoga today, which was an ordeal. Two+ feet of snow is no joke! Holy crap! I've never seen that much snow in my life. It's just unmanageable. I didn't wear my snow pants today on the way to yoga, so my sweats definitely got a little snow on my pants and in my boots... It was sorta a shitshow.

My walk to yoga! It was nut-balls!

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow!

So, I have been tracking the Jonas snow from my bedroom window. There are three bars on my window. At 830am (top left) it was just below the second bar, at noon (top right) it was just above the second bar, at 3pm (bottom left) it was just below the third bar, and at 4pm (bottom right) it was at the third bar. So, yeah, it's snowing a bit here...

Well, I'm hoping to be adding a couple videos of me walking through the snow for you all, but holy catfish! So much snow! Apparently this is one of the TOP FIVE snow accumulations in NY history. I would say there are at least 18" out there already. Mayor de Blasio is predicting 20" in NYC, but I would say that BK will probably get closed to two feet...!!!!!!!

It's fun out there , but it's getting a bit more treacherous. My walk back from the coffee shop was a LOT colder (might have just been that the wind was blowing INTO my face, but it seemed a lot darker an more ominous, closer to the white out that is predicted for this evening) than the walk to the coffee shop 90 minutes earlier.

So, yes, I will be staying indoors from now on thankyouverymuch and avoiding the insane amounts of snow blowing around out there.

Hitting My Reset Button

The poster for my upcoming show, Marty'd Signs, surrounded by our cast headshots

We've had two rehearsals so far and I am thoroughly enjoying playing with these lovely ladies. We rehearse 2-3 times a week until the end of February and then pick it up to 3 times a week, until tech week hits at the end of April. We have two performances April 29h and 30th!

So much fun!

Blizzard Conditions

Top pictures are from this morning, from our living room and the view outside my window, the bottom pictures are from last night, a dusting of snow and snow in the streetlight

There's so much snow right now. That top right picture of my window sill was taken just about 3 hours ago and now it's about an inch above that metal bar! So, yeah. Two more inches outside since I went out to take the garbage out and it was about 8", just about at the top of my snow boots. I have broken out my snow pants and my ski gloves and am gonna venture out in a bit to do... I dunno, something. Maybe, get coffee or something. Jesus. SO. MUCH. SNOW.

#blizzard2016

PS This week JK Rowling came out and said that she told Alan Rickman what the meaning behind "Always" was. She trusted him with one of the most intensely guarded HP secrets $ BOOKS before the rest of the world found out.

Little Tiny Pieces

Ugh.

One more because I can't deal with it right now. Alan Rickman on his phone call with JK Rowling that convinced him to accept the role of Snape:

 "She gave me one tiny, little, left of field piece of information that helped me think that he was more complicated and that the story was not going to be as straight down the line as everybody thought."

I would LOVE to know what that conversation was. What tiny little hint she gave to him to help him decide to take such a fascinating character and turn in such a wonderful performance. When the movies started filming, only three books had been released (Sorcerer, Chamber, and Azkaban).

Flowers at Kings Cross Station. *sob sob sob*

Contemplating Kumquats

Acquiring answers from avocados

Yesterday, being the silly humans that we are, Jess and I decided we would start a YouTube channel where we ask important life questions in various areas of the grocery store. I would do it over the produce section and she would take the canned goods. The show would consist of a collage of images (either stills or moving) of us with corny music in the background. The questions would come in thought bubbles over our heads (or in her case, on the back of her head as she examines the tomato paste options). And I think there would be a voice over of us actually ASKING the questions. I am unsure whether or not we would receive answers to our questions, but somehow I picture it working something like the sad cat/dog diary videos.

I think this would totally work. And be brilliant. Now just to find someone with the equipment to make this happen. Also, I have no idea whether or not Jess would actually be into this. But I think it's hilarious.

We are weird people.

This all came out of us talking about whether or not I would have enough energy to grab dinner and drinks with a friend tonight after work since I've not been sleeping that much (or that well) and I've been getting up early every day to practice yoga for an hour before getting ready for work (3 days in a row now!). PLUS, I am subbing the 830am Gentle Yoga class tomorrow morning and (possibly?) playing some touch football with the Carlow crew afterwards. THEN it's early morning brunch before another 1pm kickoff on Sunday... I'm already looking forward to sleeping in on Monday morning...

Also, I find it amusing that I am going to leave my house earlier tomorrow than I have at any other time this week. Even though I worked this whole week, teaching an 830am class on a Saturday somehow feels different. And I know it's only for an hour, but STILL. I have to wake up so early on the weekend to go teach. (PS Next week's pay checks--both for Slope Fitness AND for Forthright Staffing--are gonna be NICE. Focusing on that right now as I fight through my exhausted stupor.)

And on Wednesday I start rehearsal! I seriously cannot wait to get back into the rehearsal room and start really playing with these ladies! First day of school jitters and all, this is one of the best feelings in the world. SO HAPPY TO BE ACTING AGAIN!

I also just read the following Alan Rickman quote and got all teary-eyed AGAIN: "Theatre is my religion. That's what I go back to." Ugh. #truth I seriously cannot deal with how brilliant he is (was *SOB*)!

...Always...

Between Snape, Hans Gruber, and Alexander Dane/Dr Lazarus (in Galaxy Quest), he's been too, too many amazing roles in too, too many of my favorite movies...

So... I may or may not have cried at my desk this morning (hint: I did). I am so sad that two of my most favorite celebrities have been taken by cancer in their 69th year THIS WEEK. WTF 2016?! My heart is breaking. Especially since I just rewatched all 8 HP movies between Thanksgiving and Xmas. AND just listened to the Sorcerer's Stone audiobook when I was traveling...

Snape has always been my most favorite HP character and Alan Rickman WAS Snape. He became him so seamlessly finding the vulnerable tortured soul at the center of this very defensive and unhappy professor. He is 99.9% of the reason I am happy to call myself a Slytherin (the other 0.1% is Merlin). I will really miss his hearing his incredibly distinctive voice in new movies. I am just so sad right now.

By Grabthar's Hammer, you will be missed, sir!

Enjoy my favorite Snape gif.

Good Things Come...

Yup, I'll look JUUUUUUST like that...

Well, after hemming and hawing (and a seminal conversation with la mama), I ended up talking to the woman at my temp agency about helping me be able to find temp work AND make this daytime rehearsal schedule work, and she was amazing! She agreed to help me as much as she could granted I get her the rehearsal schedule specifics by the Friday before.

I cannot wait to start rehearsals next Wednesday! I also really love that it's an all female production, that the director (and adaptor!) seems so on the ball (and crazy Shakespeare-smart), AND that we are going to start rehearsals as an ensemble first, with her casting specific roles in about a month(!) It's a crazy way to do something, but I kinda love it. What if I fall in love with Chiron? Or Titus?

FIRST NY SHOW! 2016 WINS!

Happy Face

Me after eating something

***UPDATE***

After eating lunch I am feeling MUCH BETTER. WAY MORE ENERGIZED. Might be because I realized I hadn't really eaten anything for almost 24 hours (not since yesterday's lunch). Gotta get back on the eating breakfast bandwagon... But I don't wanna wake up any earlier...

Also, I can't stop watching that Doug Baldwin gif. Reminds me of my obsession earlier this year with the Bam Bam goal line punch winning us the game against the Lions. Or last year's goal line stop from ETIII winning us the game against the Rams. Also, now all three of these are in tabs right next to each other and I'm just flipping back and forth between the three. This is my happy place. #cantstopwontstop #sorrynotsorry

Before You Go-Go

Yum, restorative yoga...

You wanna know what's hard? Putting down a good book and going to bed RIGHT NEAR THE END. You wanna know what's even harder? Waking up less than 6 hours later to do yoga before work... But guess who did both those things in the last 12 hours! (If you guessed me, well done!)

Seriously, practicing yoga early in the morning makes the fact that I have seven more hours at work seem somewhat doable. That and the yummy lunch I made for myself (tuna--thanks again for the packets in my stocking, mama!--with sriracha mayo on tortillas, and some almonds). But yeah, I'm actually kinda surprised my asana practice was anything other than restorative or an excuse to fall back asleep. I managed to do some hard-ass hip openers and worked on a new flow (wild thing to fallen triangle twice in a row on each leg) that opens up the hips and stretches the spine.

Yesterday's yoga class was definitely harder to teach than Mondays. My words weren't quite there, which is always frustrating, and generally means I'm tired and my mind isn't making connections as quickly as it usually does. But I got to teach three lovely ladies and they all seemed to enjoy the class. At least, there were no complaints...

I am very excited that tonight all I have to do after work is take a quick jaunt up to midtown to grab some library books I have on hold and then head straight home. I will definitely be going to sleep a whole lot earlier tonight, too. Especially if I intend to get up early again tomorrow to practice before showering, getting ready and heading to work... Good intentions!

Just in case you forgot. #89 is LEGIT.

Raining and Pouring

Taught an impromptu private for a pregnant student last night

Well, everything comes in waves, I know, but holy crap! Not only was I offered a part in the Titus adaptation workshop that would go up in April, but a friend of mine offered me a role in a 10-minute play festival he's directing that would have a one-night performance in February! w00t! I am (potentially) a working NY actor, people! Now, I just need to start getting PAID for my work. So, I'll keep auditioning and applying for commercials, and films, and touring groups, and, and, and... hopefully something will land. But I feel like I've nailed the first step: auditioning, and the second step (getting cast) isn't looking too shabby either... I mean, I've had 7 auditions in 6 weeks and received two offers. I like those odds.

Let me put it this way: in 2015 I auditioned 3 times. Total. Last week I had 4 auditions. 2016 is looking good, so far!

Oh, even better news, because my friend's 10-minute play would rehearse in the evenings, if I accept the Titus workshop, I could definitely do both! w00t again!

So, yesterday was the first day that I worked 9-hours, and then taught a yoga class and it went well! Honestly, I didn't even know if I would have a chance to see what it was like because no one was in the room until around 8:35 when Yasmine, a woman I have taught before, walked in. She is very pregnant (I think 30+ weeks, at this point), but it was SO FUN to be able to teach her a private! Since I had prepared a class that had a lot of backbends and twists (things you should avoid when you're preggers), I had to switch it up last minute. So, I asked her if there was anything she would like to work on and she requested hip openers, so I adjusted my sequence and we banged it out. She loved it! And is even planning on coming back to my class tonight.

We ended the session with a very interesting conversation about Kegel exercises (sorry gentlemen, but that's essentially what is supposed to occur when you engage your Mula Bunda). Hah! I like her. And, god, do I love accidental private classes. I feel like I am so good at reading the client when it's a one-on-one situation. Not that I can't read a whole room, but especially in her case, where there is so much adjustment, it was nice to be able to build a sequence specifically for her and work with her body to make her a) feel more comfortable, b) help her prepare for her upcoming delivery. Yay new challenges and experiences!

On my way home last night, I stopped by the grocery store and bought chips, so I go eat the shit outta some nachos when I got home. They were amazing. #worthit

All Hail the Goblin King!

RIP David Bowie

I just saw the news when I woke up this morning. Labyrinth is one of my all time favorite movies and David Bowie is a HUGE reason why. I think I'll go as Jareth for Halloween next year.


This is my all time favorite Bowie song. Enjoy.

Can't Hold Us

This was what it looked like yesterday at Carlow East after the missed field goal. In. Sane. (I'm pretty sure the actual pic is from Superbowl XLVIII)

So... The Hawks won. It wasn't pretty, but in -6 degree weather, we'll TAKE IT! Carlow was absolutely INSANE! We were all prepared to be disappointed AND THEN! AND THEEEEEEEN! HE MISSED IT! So. Good. We all rocked out to Macklemore (as we always do after a win), but this one was especially lovely. Wow. So much stress that game, too. And how about this play from DangeRUSS?! HOW?!?!??! In Russ I trust! Or this one from DOUGIE (even though nothing came of that drive)?! (ADB! ADB!) I'm still in shock.

Needless to say, I did not leave the bar immediately after the game. Nope. Stuck around way too long, drank too much. And I got there around 10:15am to do brunch with the whole crew, so I was at Carlow for something ridic, like, 10 hours yesterday... But hey! I'm here! I'm at work (and on time, too)! We'll see how I feel tonight when I teach... Might be rough.

And I'm sure you're thinking, hey, what about all those auditions you had over the weekend? How did those go? Well, sir and/or madame, I am glad you asked. As I was getting ready to tell you about them, I received an email offer from the audition I had on Saturday! It is for an all-female adaptation of Titus Andronicus, focusing on the two female characters (Tamora and Lavinia). She cast it as an ensemble, so that we can all do the movement, script, stage combat work together FIRST and then after the second week of rehearsal, we'll get our characters. To be honest, I'd be happy to play ANYone in this show and am super excited about the opportunity. The only issues are that there is no pay AND the rehearsals are all during the day (usually 12-4)... I have until Thursday to accept her offer and I really want to, but I'm worried it will keep me from accepting paid temp work... UGH. WHY IS THIS SO HARD?

The director was SO knowledgeable, too. It was an absolute DREAM to audition for her. She had us all do our monologues within the context of the play, so for me I got to have someone be my Duke, I had a guard, I had someone being the crowd of people watching me march to my death. It helped SO MUCH. I love auditioning like that. And she immediately knew what the context of my piece was, and it's from Henry VI pt 2. No one knows that piece. I really wanna work with her... Complications!!!!!

The audition on Friday was so strange. I had a great time working with the ladies in the room and the director, but when the writer was working with us, we did not gel. And it didn't seem like I was the only one. English is her second language, so I'm not sure if it was just that we weren't understanding what she wanted from us, or if she just wasn't clear enough. Either way, it didn't quite work. But I'm still glad I did it. We did lots of viewpoints and composition work and I always like doing that. Plus, lots of running around, so I got my workout in. And it was up near Columbia, which is beautiful and I'd never seen it before, so there were good things.

Off to the Races

As seen in Williamsburg. Note the two huskies chilling on the roof!

Whelp! Yesterday was a doozy and today is shaping up to be the same. Yesterday, I worked for a couple hours in the morning (more training for the temp job I'm doing today through next Fri) and then headed to an audition/callback in Williamsburg (hence the photo). I actually spent so much time running around yesterday that I didn't eat ANYTHING until I got home from the callback around 7:30 or 8! Whoops...

I did manage to wake up early and do yoga before work both yesterday and today (PROUD), so we'll see if I can maintain that trend through next week... This was even more of a feat yesterday because my roomie had hosted a Nollaig na mBan on Wednesday night that lasted past when I got home from my callback, so obviously I watched the last few pieces before making foodz and heading to sleepy-time.

OK, so what is a Nollaig na mBan you may ask? Well, I attached the wikipedia page if you wanna read a little more about it, but the basics are that it's an Irish tradition that translates to Little Christmas or Women's Christmas (or sometimes even Women's Little Christmas). It's held on the Feast of the Epiphany (Jan 6th) and in Ireland the men take care of the house for the day, while the women go out and celebrate. Maridee focused OUR celebration, what we called #WakingtheFeminists, on celebrating women in the arts by creating a space in our apartment (my yoga nook) to showcase plays, devised works, short films, photos, whatever that women in NY (& beyond) had created. We presented 8 pieces total (I only caught the final 4) and served snacks and drinks, inviting people to give feedback to these artists at the conclusion of the showcase. It was pretty awesome.

Where we hosted Nollaig na mBan on Wednesday evening!

I ducked out before the feedback/partying really kicked off (see above re: early morning), but we probably had 20-25 people in our apartment (and I apparently missed the majority of the people) when I got home around 10pm and it seems like they trickled outta there between 11 and 1. Plus, the pieces I observed all seemed to go off without a hitch! All in all, a success.

Needless to say, sleeping in tomorrow will feel rather glorious. Even more so because I have another "be prepared to move" audition tonight after working a 9-hour day. And, yes, that makes four days in a ROW of these kind of extended auditions (3.5 hours the first day, 2.5 yesterday, 2 tonight and 1 tomorrow) where I get to dress in 80s-tastic yoga clothes and move around with other people. They're all rather exhausting. And yes, I know, these are my favorite kind of shows to work on, and yes, I know, that's why I submitted for all of these auditions, but IN A ROW! Christ! I deserve my football day-off on Sunday (GO HAWKS! Only not too off since I have to be back at work at 9am the following Mon).

BTW, audition on Wednesday (The Bacchae, a Greek tragedy by Euripides that would go up in March) went crazy well, and I'll hear from the director on that one in 2 weeks(!), and I think yesterday's callback/audition (for a dinner theatre, hosted by a women-owned sex shop, examining sensuality and society to go up in March or April) went well too (lots of choreo, contact improv, viewpoints and mask work), but that one was harder to read (you all know I'm an actor who moves, not a dancer, so...). Tonight's audition is for another devised work that claims to mix spoken word, poetry and punk cabaret, loosely based on Kafka's Metamorphosis that would start rehearsals immediately for a one night performance at the end of Feb. And tomorrow's audition is for a workshop of Titus Andronicus, through the viewpoint of the two women in the show (Tamora and Lavinia) which performs in late April. We shall see...

Sooner Than Expected

This picture will be going out to THREE people this week. #headshot

So, funny thing, that callback that I thought was gonna maybe be this weekend or next week, yeah, it's tonight, so... That's one audition down. And then I have one tomorrow (after I work half a day) and one on Saturday. These are all LONG auditions, too (like 2-4 hours long. Yesh), so it's not like I can just head there real quick and then head home, nope, it's a day. At least all three want me to "wear comfortable clothes I can move in". No skirts for me!

Also, last night's yoga class was one of those where at 8:33PM no one was there, and I was getting super sad that I would have to cancel my first class... And then! THREE PEOPLE SHOWED UP! YAAAAAY! I love teaching yoga! I'm starting to tell stories in the beginning of class (told the one about "awkward pose" when I was teaching la mama on Monday, and last night I told about my flight's getting delayed, delayed, delayed, and then finally cancelled and getting, "do your yoga breathing" and "just breathe and think yoga thoughts" from both parents. And how much following their advice helped). Super enjoy teaching. Fun times!

Also stayed up entirely too late coloring leaves last night. They took something like 5 hours total. Ridic. But sure worth it. They look so good! Totally zen, too. Just slightly too stimulating to do late at night. After finishing, I just wasn't tired, but hey, now I know not to color before bed.

So. Many. Leaves. Seven different colors of green. So. Much. Work.

Back on the Horse

Family pictures in Ithaca

So, my life has changed a bit since I last wrote. Gonna try to do a better job of staying on top of things here, since I know some of you follow this more than the facebooks or whatever.

Right now I am teaching yoga at a gym in Park Slope, BK Monday and Tuesday evenings and temping through a great small NYC agency for more income. It's good. Flexible and fun. Better than expected, actually.

I am also starting to audition more. Which, if you remember, is the whole reason why I uprooted my life to move to this amazing city in the first place... So, obviously that is also a very good thing. I updated my Backstage account (where they post auditions for local and national auditions in NYC) so  now I am getting daily emails with potential auditions within certain parameters (age, sex, film/play, etc). I just have to weed through those and pick which ones I reply to each day. I've been staying on top of that pretty well, and, although I haven't been cast yet, I do have a callback(!) coming up soon that I am excited about.

I have an audition on Thursday and one on Saturday with a few more that I applied for and hope to hear back on. So far, they've all been small auditions, but there are a few upcoming (that are just open calls, so you have to just show up and put your name on a list) that are bigger and pay more, so we'll see... Feedback has been positive. Although I didn't get cast in the new musical I auditioned for before I came home fore Xmas, I did receive a very encouraging email from the director where she told me it was a crazy hard decision for her and that she is keeping my headshot/resume on file for future projects. Good feedback indeed!

I created a challenge for myself back in July where I was trying to do yoga every day for 100 days in a row. I succeeded. In spades. And, actually, have not stopped. Today is day 168. In a row. Including meditating when I was too ill (or traveling too much) to get a physical practice in. I have noticed a HUGE change in my asana practice, too! It's not like I wasn't doing any yoga, but making it a daily priority has helped me become stronger, more flexible, and overall, a better teacher and practitioner. I love it. Even when I was in TT I was dropping to my knees during Chaturanga because my strength just wasn't there, now not only can I do a Chaturanga, but I can teach through it. Stopping and holding the pose for up to 10 seconds to demonstrate the proper alignment. My Crow pose has come a long way, and I am getting close to straightening my leg in Bird of Paradise. Before, even standing UP in this pose was not in my practice.

The meditation has helped me a lot, too. Giving myself the time to quiet my mind, and get in touch with my body has changed the way that I deal with stress. And I feel like I am sleeping better and, generally,  have more control over my life. I love having the opportunity to teach this to others, as well. Honestly, it's one of the more rewarding things I've ever done. And I'm starting to get a small following in my classes! There are two or three women who consistently attend! So fun!

Going back to Seattle for Xmas was crazy fun, too. Nice to see la mama and nana and Uncle Johnny! And to see my city again. It'd been almost a whole year... Too long. Already planning a return trip (if only to visit Linda and get mah hers redone. Seriously, no one in NYC can do it like she can!).

The second half of my trip was a little more... shall we say, stressful. At least the GETTING THERE part of the trip. There was a freezing rain storm in Chicago, so I was delayed over 8 hours. And, to be honest, lucky to even get upstate on the 28th. I guess almost 5000 flights were cancelled in Chicago... Yesh. Well, I made it to Syracuse and we drove to Ithaca and we got to spend three lovely days doing not much at all upstate. It was very nice.

But I am happy to be home. In my room, on my bed, with everything organized and my inbox nearly empty, getting back to real life. Real life may be sorta boring, but I'm glad to be back in it.

I start a temp job on Friday and work it all next week (first time I'll work during the day and then teach at night, so we'll see how that ends up...). I like temping and I like having an (extra) income. Now all I need is a show to rehearse thankyouverymuch!

2016 Resolutions!

Oh, and PS here is my Facebook page for my yogas: https://www.facebook.com/YogaGinaMarie/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel