Apr
27
2012

Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone

I’ve got a lot of places on my travel wish list.  Many are overseas, but within the U.S., Seattle has been at the top of my uncharted territory list for many years, just waiting for the perfect reason to start planning the trip.  Last year, when my friend (and favorite musician) Levi Weaver did a tour of almost-only house shows, he raved to me about his experience there.  So, I told him (and myself) that the next time he played Seattle, I’d be there.

 

Back in December, I met a guy named Chris at my friends Jimmy and Emily Graham’s Christmas party, and remembered that he had moved from Lynchburg to Seattle within the last few years.  I got in touch with him via Facebook to get some information on the best areas to stay, what to see, and how to get around.

 

He was incredibly helpful, and in talking to Jimmy and Emily about my plans, a better plan was born:  we’d all go to Seattle together to see Levi play and visit Chris.  Chris arranged for us to stay in his building and also made plans to fly his girlfriend, Holly, out to join in the fun as well.

 

With everything planned and just a few days to go, we got the sad news that Jimmy’s ailing grandfather had passed away.  After weighing the options carefully, Jimmy decided to go home to be with his family for the funeral, but that Emily should go on to Seattle as originally planned.  (The fact that Emily would have stayed with him gladly, and I would have understood completely, and yet he made the choice that was best for everyone ELSE speaks volumes about his character.  We’re lucky to have him.)

 

So, Jimmy drove Emily and I to the airport bright and early (so, so early) Wednesday morning to begin our long trek to the northwest.  The time difference is generous when traveling west, so even with nearly 8 hours of travel, we still landed in Seattle just after 10:00am.  Chris picked us up and got us settled in, and then he went back to work for the day, and Emily and I hopped a bus for downtown.

 

 

First, we went in search of Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour.  We’d heard the tours often booked up, so we needed to go buy our tickets first to see what hour we could get a spot on the tour.  We walked up to the ticket counter at 12:58pm.  We got two slots on the 1:00pm tour.

 

The tour guides participants through the underground passages that once were the old downtown Seattle, telling stories that the pioneers glossed over in the pages of Seattle history.

 

 

Before taking the tour, Emily and I had admired these skylights from the other side:

 

 

Next up was Smith Tower, and our armbands from the Underground Tour got us a discount to go up to the top.  But first, we stopped to eat the best chocolate chip cookies in the history of the world (or at least of my world, so far).

 

 

Smith Tower is to the Space Needle what Rockefeller Center is to the Empire State Building – a cheaper, less crowded place to go see a nice view of the city.  I find great joy in going as high up as possible and admiring what’s below, so it was a must-see for me.

 

Here’s Smith Tower from the ground:

 

 

And the ceiling of the “Chinese Room” at Observation Deck Level:

 

 

And the view:

 

 

You can see the Space Needle behind Emily here:

 

 

After leaving Smith Tower, we crossed to the other end of Pioneer Square in search of Waterfall Garden Park.  We passed some neat graffiti on our way…

 

 

…and could still see Smith Tower behind us.

 

 

We stood looking around, trying to figure out where a waterfall might be in this very unlikely terrain.  Then I spotted this lettering on a building ahead and heard the sound of rushing water.

 

 

We rounded the corner and walked into a serene landscape, hidden right in the midst of the everyday hustle and bustle.

 

 

We stopped in at a “dry soda” tasting while we waited for the next bus to take us back to Chris’ place.  Emily tasted all of the flavors, which included lavender, rhubarb, cucumber and vanilla among more expected flavors like lime and orange.  Kinda weird to me, but I’m a Diet Coke girl.

 

We were happy to once again make use of the free 99 bus across town.  It dropped off right across the street from Chris’ apartment, where I took this picture.

 

 

And this one is from Chris’ balcony:

 

 

For dinner, we drove out to Alki Beach for some seafood before sunset.  We parked along the strip and walked to Duke’s Chowder House, where we all chose variations on their fresh Alaskan halibut.  Good food, and right on the water.

 

 

I even saw a familiar face as we made our way down the beach.

 

 

The sun started to drop:

 

 

And then I pulled a Beverly Stanley and said, “So, you know when we were driving here, and there was that spot where we could see the skyline?  Can you take me back there?”  Chris is a good sport, so he did, and we hung out there until the sky went dark.  We even saw some otters playing.  (I did not get any good pictures of them, because I was too busy saying, “Oh, otters!”)

 

 

When we got back, Chris was video-chatting with Holly, and Emily was face-timing with Jimmy, and so this happened as the next logical step:  a video-facetime-chat with Holly and Jimmy:

 

 

The roof was calling my name, so I went out a took a few more pictures of the city lights.

 

 

Despite traveling to Seattle at the end of the rainy season with a forecast of rain for all 5 days, we only had one rainy day, and that was Thursday, when we drove down to Portland, Oregon to visit Emily’s childhood best friend, Nancy.

 

Chris very kindly let me drive his sports car for the day, so Emily took this picture for me.  If you can’t tell from the rain, the sign says “Entering Oregon.”

 

 

Due to the dreary weather, we had to find some indoor activities in Portland.  We started with lunch at a cute café that served a fabulous veggie burger.  I got really excited about ordering a slice of cheesecake there, too, until I found out it was actually tofu-cake.  That’s just not right, y’all.  The waiter said it was a “healthy alternative.”  I said, “where I come from, dessert is not supposed to be healthy.”  Portland is the place to be if you have a dietary restriction.  I’m not a fan of the word “diet” or “restriction,” so I just ate the regular stuff.

 

After lunch, we went to Powell’s City of Books – it fills an entire city block and is the largest new and used bookstore in the world.  I had to bear in mind that anything I bought had to go home with me in a carry-on, but I did go ahead and purchase book 17 of the Stephanie Plum series at a great price.  Emily decided to hop on that train, so she got book one!

 

 

We also stopped at another famous Portland location – VooDoo Donuts.  I’m not a big fan of donuts, so I got dessert at a cute little cupcake shop.  They had minis, so I tried two flavors – both were delicious.

 

 

As we drove around, I snapped some more pictures from the backseat, including this old Portland sign:

 

 

I only asked for a pull-over one time, and Nancy found us a great spot to look out over the rainy city.

 

 

And here we are, with awesome been-in-the-rain-all-day hair!

 

 

Emily and I had planned to have dinner at Galeotti’s Restaurant in Battle Ground, WA on our way back to Seattle that evening.  It was only about 20 minutes from Portland, and we knew we needed to time our drive to get back either before Chris left for the airport to pick up Holly, or after he’d be back, so we could get into the garage.  Time was really tight for us to get back before, so it seemed best to put dinner off for a little bit and spend that extra time visiting with Nancy and her husband, Jason.

 

It was approaching 8:30 when I thought I should call the restaurant and make a reservation if one was needed.  But surprise!  What I found out was that they were closing at 9 instead of at 10 as we had thought.  They told us to come on in, so we rushed out the door and headed across the state line.  It seemed like the drive was taking forever, and I was in a panic thinking of being those awful customers that come in at 10 minutes before closing.  But, this was our one chance to go, so on we went.

 

When we arrived at Galeotti’s, there were a few parties still there, but they were clearly finishing up.  Even so, we got a warm greeting from the hostess who seemed absolutely overjoyed that we were there.  She seated us and took our drink order and told us that Michael was tending the bar if we wanted a cocktail.  I said that Emily was pregnant and I was driving, so we wouldn’t be drinking, but joked that Michael (former member of Enation) could come over and sing for us.  She then volunteered that Luke was working in the kitchen and she’d let them both know to come over and say  hello.  Moments later, they were at our table, all smiles and with an Enation CD for each of us.  They signed the CDs and Michael said he could make any cocktail on that list sans alcohol if we wanted.  I asked him for a recommendation, and he made us his favorite.  It was delicious!

 

 

It was already well past 9pm, but no one was rushing us.  Our waitress came over and gave us the specials, and then left us time to decide.  It’s a family restaurant, and they were making us feel like we were guests in their home.

 

 

I ordered the pork chop, which had the most amazing BBQ sauce I’ve ever tasted, and it was the biggest pork chop I’d ever seen.  Everything was perfect.

 

 

We were both full before we finished our meals, so we took dessert to go and got the check.  They had comp’d our drinks, and even though it was past 10:00, they seemed sorry to see us go.  It was a great experience and I’m so glad we got to go.

 

We had gorgeous views driving into Seattle at 1am, but Emily was asleep and I was driving, so there are no pictures of that, except for the ones in my head.  When we got back, Holly had already fallen asleep from her long day of traveling, so we all made our way to bed pretty quickly.

 

Friday morning, I went back up to the roof and took (what I didn’t know then would be) the last dreary photograph of our trip.

 

 

We set out for The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival near Mount Vernon, WA.  This was Chris’ idea, as he thought Holly would like it, and he asked if we had time in the itinerary to go.  (Gotta love the respect for the itinerary.)  We did indeed have time, and it sounded like fun, so off we went to tulip town.  It was quite impressive.

 

 

I could not even believe these existed:

 

 

And look!  Hyacinth!  At the tulip festival!  My favorite!

 

 

Yes, in the background of this picture, those are fields filled with tulips:

 

 

See?

 

 

Our next destination was Snoqualmie Falls, which was wonderful!

 

 

Chris braved the bottom-most overlook with me to take this picture.  The force of the waterfall meant we were both getting VERY wet.  I was delighted, though.

 

 

Back in Seattle, we had a little time before Levi’s show, so we spent it looking around the famous Pike Place Market, watching the fish-throwing, smelling the flowers, tasting the fruit…

 

 

 

…listening to old men play street music on a very inappropriate street instrument…

 

 

…realizing that there’s really such a thing as a “Gum Wall”  (gross)…

 

 

…observing Seattle’s unhealthy coffee obsession…

 

 

…taking pictures off the dock…

 

 

…and sampling cheese curds at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese before picking up dinner.

 

 

We headed off to Levi’s show with an address and looking for a yellow door.  When we found the place, we had our names checked against the list at the door, and then we walked up three flights of stairs in a building that looked in essence like any downtown office building might.  When we reached the top, we found ourselves standing on what appeared to be the back patio of a cute cottage-looking structure atop the building, which was the destination for our show.

 

Kristen and Carrie Watt, who run Seattle Living Room Shows, greeted us on the patio like old friends reuniting after an absence that had gone far too long.  And that theme carried inside, where Levi was greeting guests and entertaining us with travel stories that could only ever happen to him.

 

An hour before the show, the room was already filling up.  Of course, I had no idea at the time of how full it would be at showtime!  The space was gorgeous – exactly the kind of place I’d love to live in.

 

 

Chris, Holly, and Emily snagged the couch for the four of us while I slipped back outside to talk to the Watt sisters some more, and watch a few more happy arrivals.

 

 

I didn’t take very many pictures in the course of the evening, opting instead to just sit back and take it all in.  There was a great energy in the room, created by a group of people who shared a mutual love of great music and were really excited to have found it.

 

I did snap a photo of Carson Henley, opening up the evening with a very svelte voice:

 

 

And of course, one of Levi wow-ing the crowd:

 

 

I couldn’t begin to capture the magic of that room with simple words, but I’ll opt instead to name my two favorite parts of Levi’s set.  One:  he played Good Medicine, which will always hold a special place in my heart, as it’s the first of his songs I ever heard, and when those first notes begin, I still feel a little bit of that great awakening that took place in my soul when I heard them for the very first time.  Additionally, the audience was so entranced, hanging on his every word, that their reactions to understanding the weight of the lyrics was actually audible – involuntary vocalizations of awe.  Two:  He played a brand new song!  (I really love it when he does that.)  He’d just finished writing it that day, and once again, he proved that he just keeps getting better.  I used the video feature on my camera to record the song (though the picture is of the ceiling), and I have listened to it about 100 times since.  I even transcribed it, so I could read through it.  Yep.  It’s that good.  I cried when he played it, and then I looked at Emily, and she was weeping, too.  Listening to the playback so many times, I definitely heard sniffles that didn’t belong to either of us.  Beautiful song.

 

Bonus:  I got my vinyl copy of “The Letters of Dr. Kurt Gödel,” and a physical copy of “I Am Only a Tiny Noise.”  Once I get a record player, his album will be the first one I spin.

 

Saturday morning, we woke up to a gorgeous day – perfect for our plan to drive way up the mountain to Hurricane Ridge.

 

Here is a picture of Emily and Baby Graham sporting their Levi Weaver attire before we set out for the day’s adventure:

 

 

And of the Space Needle, which had gotten a face lift since our arrival – painted “gold” (the locals were grumbling because it was orange) for the 50th anniversary.

 

 

We had to take the ferry to the other side of Puget Sound to get where we needed to go, so after driving the car on board, we were free to go up to the top deck and look around.  The views were lovely and the wind was strong.  One of the most impressive sights is of Mount Rainier, which is over 50 miles outside of Seattle, but is so massive that it looks like part of the Seattle Skyline.  I love how ghostly it looks.

 

 

The open water:

 

 

The Olympic Mountains, where we were headed:

 

 

The drive up the mountain was a big part of the experience.  I was grateful Chris was driving, so I could look around the whole time, and take pictures out of the sunroof.  We also stopped at the first overlook on the way up, just as a preview:

 

 

Those orange sticks you see are there so that the road crews know where the edge of the road is when they’re pushing snow.  We estimated them to be about 15 feet tall.

 

 

We made it to the top!  This looks like one of those “king of the world” type photos:

 

 

And then he fell through the soft snow:

 

 

People were skiing!

 

 

Avalanche?  Where?  Oh.  OK.  I’ll stay back.

 

 

The group obliged my need for more pictures by letting me stop at some more of the overlooks as we drove back down the mountain.

 

 

I thought it was cool to see the layers of snow built up along the road:

 

 

And then we were back on ferry, Seattle-bound.  Mount Rainier was more visible in the afternoon light.

 

 

Also, our ferry wasn’t as full as it had been in the morning.

 

 

We ventured out on foot for dinner at Serious Pie.  While we waited, Emily made our mark on the pig outside the door.  She inscribed “_____ was here” for all four of us, using the nicknames we’d given each other that day:  Preggers, Grandma Dori, Outlook, and Hiccup.  I’ll let you figure out who is who.  Hint:  Emily is pregnant.

 

Sunday was our last day there, but since our flight didn’t leave until 10:00pm, it was as if we had another full day.  We started it with breakfast at Voula’s Offshore Café, where the portions were so big that I think I had food for three left on my plate when I was positively stuffed – and I don’t go lightly on the breakfast food!

 

With our bellies full, we set out toward Gas Works Park, as it was less than 2 miles from the café.  The park was in Chris’ original list of suggestions of places to see, but with so many choices, it didn’t rank high on my list.  I’m extremely grateful that with the enticement of a tasty diner breakfast, Chris said that would pair well with a trip to this park.  It was beautiful – a perfect place to spend a sunny Sunday in Seattle.

 

 

We walked around for quite a while, marveling at kids flying kites, and adults sun-tanning, biking, and skateboarding around the park.  We watched several sea planes taking off from downtown Seattle and then flying overhead, to the chorus of excited toddlers bellowing “AIRPLAAAANE!”

 

When we left the park, we had to do a bit of searching to find The Fremont Troll.  Once we found the right place, he was easy to spot, clutching a VW Beetle in one hand and guarding the bridge with one hubcap eye.  There was a steady stream of people coming to climb on him and take funny pictures.  It took a while to get a clear shot of him.

 

 

Some of the other folks checking out the troll were delighted by Emily’s shirt.  So, this is to commemorate the moment.

 

 

Unfortunately, the troll put a hex on Chris’ car, because when we got back in, it wouldn’t start.  We could rule a few problems out, but that wasn’t getting us very far.  We got Chris on the phone for troubleshooting and ruled out a few more, and then it finally started, but was shaky and running hot.  We were going to try to get it back, but even with the heat on, the temperature was rising, and after sputtering up a hill, I saw a spot to pull it over and seized the opportunity.  Chris came to rescue us in his Jeep, and Emily’s AAA came to rescue the G.  I go from zero to meltdown pretty fast when car trouble is involved, so it was extremely helpful that Chris was so cool-headed.  He found the problem (the fans had stopped running) and said he had long ago resolved that whenever you have a car, you’re going to have a problem at some point.  I’d have liked that to not be when I was driving it, but all things considered, it worked out pretty well.  It didn’t break down on top of the mountain the day before, Chris was able to come get us in his secondary vehicle, no one got stranded alone, Emily’s AAA covered all but maybe $3 of the towing bill, and Chris has an extended warranty.

 

After the car was on its way to the shop, Chris dropped Emily and I off at the Space Needle so we could keep on track with our tourist-ing.  We didn’t have to wait long to get to the top, and of course, the views were great:

 

 

The area around the Space Needle (Seattle Center) was pretty neat as well.  We walked around and took some photos before utilizing the monorail to get to Westlake Park.

 

 

Westlake Park was interesting to Emily and I for different reasons.  For Emily, there was Sephora.  For me, there was a fountain and painted blue trees.

 

 

And a very large game of chess:

 

 

Walking to catch the bus for dinner, we passed by some snake handlers.  Well, I passed by the snake handlers.  Emily said, “Ooooh, snakes!  Can I hold one?”  That was a somewhat disturbing development in our friendship, but I stood back and snapped some pictures at a safe distance.

 

 

No snakes in the other direction:

 

 

We re-joined Chris and Holly for dinner at Local 360, which as the name implies, serves dishes created with ingredients that could be found fresh within 360 miles of Seattle.  Their menu was a little on the weird side for me, but I appreciated the idea of it, and the attractive waiter who kept bringing me ice and answering all my questions.

 

We got a candle on our table between dinner and dessert.  Don’t Chris and Holly look romantic?

 

 

Walking back to the apartment, I saw this sign and had to stop and take a picture.  Seattle folks get really excited about the sun shining.  I hardly saw it do anything BUT shine, but I hear it’s rare.

 

 

Alas, we’d reached the end of our visit, and we had to finish packing up so we could get to the airport.  I was pretty much packed, so I had time for one last trip up to the roof to catch the sun going down.

 

 

Right about the time the sun disappeared, my camera declared, “Memory Card Full,” and I knew it was time to go home.

Posted in Music, Travel | 1 Comment »

Feb
24
2012

Un-Innocent, Elegant Fall into the Un-Magnificent Lives of Adults

It’s hard to believe we are 181 episodes into One Tree Hill, and there are only 6 more to go.

I’ve written about One Tree Hill a number of times on my blog – either in recapping my show-related trips to Wilmington, or during the campaign to save One Tree Hill from cancellation after Season 7.  While I got a lot of traction writing about the latter, and still get emails from strangers asking me where to find Tree Hill locations in Wilmington, NC, I mostly wrote those pieces for my own benefit, without much idea of too many other people reading them.

So, I was both surprised and flattered when I started getting requests to write something about Season 9.  Once I realized there was interest, I wanted to oblige, but I’ve mostly just been sitting back and enjoying the ride of this last season without discussing it verbally or in print.

But now that we’ve passed the halfway point, and we’re getting close to the end, I thought I’d go ahead and give you my thoughts on the season so far, and my thoughts on what may be coming.  I’m not doing spoilers here, so feel free to share what you think is coming, but let’s keep those out of it, shall we?

First off, I’ll add my hearty “welcome back!” to the always-entertaining Chris Keller.  I was really excited when I heard he was returning for the final season (and I knew he’d always been open to that idea), but I was a little concerned that having him as a regular would be a little too much.  I was definitely wrong there.  With all the drama going on this season, his humor has been a welcome reprieve, and I’m glad it’s coming in the form of an old friend instead of a new character brought in solely for comic relief.  I grin every time he says, “Wellll, wellllll,” refers to himself in the third person, or says something totally smug and rude.  It’s funny that he still flirts with any woman in sight (including Haley), and yet he tips his hand now and then, like when he stepped up to help Haley at the police station.  Chris and Chase are funny as friends, too, although Chris’ womanizing ways play as funny, while Chase’s escapades just seem sleazy.  Funniest moment of the season, so far, though, goes to Chris kicking Chase in the leg outside of Karen’s Café when he found out about Chase and Tara.

We got a few other funny moments out of Julian and Brooke early in the season as they juggled the twins and Brooke’s battling parents.  Then Victoria took off (come back, Vicky!) and Brooke’s absentee father renewed his absentee status and seemingly took that storyline with him.

Speaking of Brooke and Julian, how great is Austin Nichols this season?  He is blowing me away.  We’ve already seen him exhibit his particular penchant for comedy in the previous seasons, and we got a taste of his drama power in that great mid-season hurricane episode last year, but this season, he’s shining in every arena.  Julian always brings big laughs, but when his life took a tragic turn, Austin Nichols brought every emotion to the table and stole the show.  Sadly, forgetting a sleeping infant in the car is a more common occurrence than we’d like to think, and I thought it was brave of One Tree Hill to tackle the subject, and to do it so well.  Having watched it, I don’t think anyone could have done those scenes better than Austin.  Now, with Xavier paroled, I am guessing we’ll be seeing yet another side of Julian before the season’s over – a protective and tough husband and father.

If Julian and Brooke’s near tragedy is the most poignant story of the season so far, Mouth and Millie win the prize for the silliest.  This is not an Eddie Murphy film, so let’s dispense with the fat suit already.  First of all, Mouth looks to have gained about 20 pounds, but even if he gained 40, he’s not so ridiculously overweight that Millie needs to be calling him fat live on the air of their morning show, and nor does everyone need to be whispering behind his back and making fun of him to his face.  Speaking just to the storyline, given that Millie has had her own ups and downs with eating disorders, she is the last person who should be judging Mouth, who we’ve been led to believe she loves.  He helped her through her turn as an anorexic, pill-popping crack-whore, and she’s going to have the nerve to disparage him for plumping up?  It’s annoying, to say the least.  And memo to One Tree Hill – your viewers are not all emaciated celebrities, and while your actresses are supporting True Beauty events to make girls feel good about themselves, you’re undoing that with this condescending and insulting storyline.  Zero is not a size, remember?

I’ll give the “Most Improved Storyline” award to Clay and Quinn.  It took me about half an episode back in Season 7 to be over their mushy, we-fell-in-love-in-10-minutes crap, and they have been the bane of my One Tree Hill existence ever since.  This season, though, after a tiny bit of mushy and a lot of yelling, the saccharin couple were separated when Clay checked himself into the mental ward.  I find them much more likeable when they’re not on screen together.  Clay’s newfound friendship with fellow patient, Logan (who is the cutest kid on the planet, probably), is actually entertaining and heart-warming.  It can’t be a coincidence that those two are bonding, so we’re left to wonder what the connection between them will be, and I am actually looking forward to finding out.  I’m sure we’ll be back to “Clay and Quinn” before the season is over, but I am enjoying this reprieve from the montage of puppy dog eyes.  Also, they seem to have finally sprung for a wardrobe for Quinn, so she doesn’t have to walk around awkwardly in her underwear anymore.  Let’s keep it that way.

That leaves me with one storyline, which actually includes my favorite part of this season as well as my least favorite.  To get the bad news out of the way first, it’s so disappointing to have so little of James Lafferty (and therefore, Nathan Scott) in the final season of the series that has been largely about him.  What’s worse, we’ve barely seen Nathan and Haley in a scene together this season.  I think they’ve been in the same room for portions of two episodes, and otherwise, we’ve had a few phone calls and a video chat, and then complete separation.  And unlike Clay and Quinn, they are not two characters that need to be apart.

That being said, Nathan’s disappearance is still the best part of the season for me.  It has nothing to do with that bizarre, Shakespeare-quoting Russian mobster, and a LOT to do with watching Bethany Joy Galeotti turn in one great performance after another as Haley becomes more desperate to find her missing husband.  Joy has always brought the acting up a notch on One Tree Hill (in my humble opinion), and without much conflict in Haley’s life last season (and with a reduced role due to Joy’s real-life pregnancy), I’m glad to see her back on screen as a major player again.

The proverbial “cherry on top” of the entire season is the return of the great Dan Scott.  Love him or hate him, he is the most compelling character on the show, and so much in this little town hinges on that man.  Going from a callous, sad excuse for a father in Season 1, to public enemy #1, to a sad shell of a man who made every possible mistake and couldn’t find his way back, Dan has always been worth watching.  Some fans have always hated him and will always hate him, but I’ve always found reasons to root for him.  I like his Machiavellian presence on the show, and I love seeing his softer side when he’s around his grandchildren, or asking forgiveness from his family for the umpteenth time.

Now, this season, once again, Dan showed up down on his luck and desperate for help from a family that hates him.  He found a brief and begrudging welcome from Haley before Nathan showed up and kicked him out in the cold once again.  Ironically, Dan got a reprieve when Nathan turned up missing, a coincidence Haley noted before digging deeper to find out that Dan had been the architect of his own disaster as a ploy to gain sympathy, so she freaked, accused him of kidnapping his own son, and had him arrested out of her own home.  Haley was being irrational, of course, albeit with good reason, but what really broke my heart is that, for fear of losing his Dad, Jamie turned against Grandpa Dan, going from his only ally to just the next person to consider him an enemy.

Dan didn’t have much time to mope over his situation, because he was busy taking action to find his son.  He rented space and set up camp at Julian’s studio (just when Julian was in dire need of some business), and launched a full-fledged, Dan-style investigation into Nathan’s mysterious disappearance.  I love seeing him make up a list of his enemies, and track them down, gun in hand, to find out whether he could be indirectly responsible for the kidnapping.  It’s great that he has something of a partner in Julian, who seems to be in it partly for curiosity, and partly for boredom.  I have no doubt that Dan will ultimately be the one to crack the case and bring Nathan home, and I am almost certain that it is going to cost him his life.

I’ve said before that I thought Dan had to die before One Tree Hill could end.  And more than that, I want him to have that redemption he’s been so desperately seeking before he dies.  I think that’s going to happen sometime in these next six episodes, and I am looking forward to it with a certain anticipation (because it’s going to make for great TV) and also trepidation (because I am going to cry like a big baby).

It’s still hard to believe it’s all coming to an end, and disappointing that we won’t get to see all the familiar faces we’ve been missing these last few seasons (like Whitey, Karen, and Peyton, who were all very high on my wish list), but I understand that it couldn’t all come together fast enough for 13 final episodes, taped straight through without a break, so I’m going to try to put the “if onlys” out of my mind and just enjoy the stories we’re given in the meantime.

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Jan
04
2012

It’s Hell to Believe There Ain’t a Hell of a Chance

I’m tired of reading press coverage on the GOP race – it’s all slanted, purposefully misleading, or perhaps in a best case scenario, totally ignorant. But I did think there was some interesting information in the Iowa Entrance Polls that the Average Joe may not have checked out. I got them from CNN here: http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/primaries/epolls/ia

Now, I’m no political expert or talking head (and have zero desire to be), but I had some thoughts when I looked at those numbers, so I’m tossing out a few opinions here.

First, a few preliminary things:

  • Perry and Bachmann continued the “poor showing” theme leading Bachmann to call it quits and Perry to either “reassess” or power on to SC, depending on what moment you catch him. But has he ever known what he was doing in the first place? Oops!
  • Gingrich isn’t going anywhere, of course, because even though he’s in a freefall, he’ll keep hanging around like a bad stench, which is his raison d’être.
  • For some reason the media is still talking about Jon Huntsman with his 1%. Who’s that, you say? Well, he’s busy campaigning in New Hampshire, hoping to pull a Santorum there. Maybe he will! Ooooh-hooo! And then the Republicans could have another candidate to talk about who will promptly fall by the wayside two weeks later.

Now, the new “top tier” is Romney, Santorum, and Paul:

  • Rick Santorum? Are you kidding me? Surely no one is taking him seriously. He’s just the current Johnny-come-lately to make Republicans hope they’re not going to be stuck with Romney. Please note these stats: More than 90% of Santorum-supporters in Iowa chose him within the “last few days” or “in December.” In other words, he spent a lot of time and money doing a last minute push in Iowa to get his name out there, and the wishy-washy voters who hadn’t chosen a candidate took the bait. Support that drops out of nowhere goes nowhere.
  • Mitt Romney. He’s the candidate Republicans hate and the one they’re probably gonna get. 48% of the people who voted for him did so chiefly because of a belief that he can defeat Obama. (I highly doubt it.) Romney also got the highest percentage (29%) of voters who chose him with reservations (because, like I said, Republicans don’t even like the guy). Oh, and here’s something for all of you 99%-types. Guess who got the highest percentage of votes from the folks who make $100K+? Yes, that’s right. Romney. They’re right to vote for him, of course, because he’ll take the money they slip to his campaign and turn it around in tax breaks and bailouts and other questionable financial dealings if he’s elected. Also worth noting is that, while Romney is the obvious front-runner (Santorum supporters celebrating their 8-vote margin are delusional), he’s still not getting the support he wants and needs out of Republicans at large. It’s sad when a guy with no chance (Santorum) can run a two-week campaign that catches up with a guy who should be blowing him out of the water.
  • Ron Paul. Somehow he’s still persona non grata to the media, but the Iowa votes indicate he’s definitely still in the game and gaining ground. (I can only imagine how much his message would catch fire across the country if only the media would let people hear about it.) Paul more than doubled the number of Iowa votes he secured in 2008, while Romney’s number was almost the same. So, Romney is still as popular (and as unpopular) as he was 4 years ago, but Paul’s support has doubled. Paul’s percentages last night also indicate that he’s the frontrunner among voters ages 18-39 (with a HUGE advantage among voters under 29), and the candidate preferred by voters with less than $50K in income (even more among voters with less than $30K). Another obvious Paul stronghold? Voters who made up their minds before December. Ron Paul voters aren’t impressed with ad campaigns (that’s another stat on the chart), they’re not beholden to the media (otherwise they wouldn’t know who he is), and they’re the most prominent group to “strongly favor” their chosen candidate. Ron Paul supporters aren’t interested in which way the wind blows; they are looking for a candidate with substance and integrity who knows his mind and doesn’t change it depending on what group he’s talking to at the time. Here’s hoping there’s something to that old adage of “slow and steady wins the race.”

What else the stats say about Ron Paul:

  • He outscored the rest of the field among voters who deemed the most important quality in a candidate to be that he was a “true conservative.” He also blew the other candidates out of the water in shoring up the voters with a moderate or liberal ideology. So… what now? Voters who want a true conservative in office have picked Ron Paul as their man. And voters who identify themselves as moderate or liberal ALSO picked Ron Paul? It would certainly seem that he’s able to appeal to a broad spectrum of voters – voters who probably recognize that he’s conservative on matters that call for it (like when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars), and he’s (gasp!) liberal when it comes to keeping the government’s big fat nose out of matters that should be none of its business. I’m guessing that also means that Democrats who voted for “hope” and “change” and got a same ol’, same ol’ Republicrat in the last election would consider casting their votes for Ron Paul as well.
  • Rick Santorum got a whopping 58% of his votes from folks who pinpointed Abortion as their “most important issue.” I keep hoping the pro-life crowd will figure out that abortion is just a talking point that Republicans use to get elected, and then they never actually follow through to do anything about it. Ron Paul doesn’t say much about abortion, because he has been busy predicting the housing collapse, trying to illuminate the problem with the budget deficit, decrying expensive wars over nothing (and refusing to incite yet another one with Iran), and putting up a fight against politicians who are railroading the Constitution at every turn. However, I doubt it’s even possible to find a candidate (certainly in this race, and probably in politics as a whole) who has been more consistently pro-life AND consistently doing something about it as Ron Paul. And if his name was actually out there, and the voters knew what he was all about, the “issues” voters who choose based on abortion stance, health care, etc. would LOVE Dr. Paul.

This race has been so crazy, it’s hard to guess what will happen next. Maybe after New Hampshire everyone will be talking about Jon Huntsman like he’s the second coming and it’ll be “Santorum-who?” again. But whatever shenanigans are going on, I’m expecting Romney to maintain his same level of begrudging support, and I bet we’ll see Ron Paul continue his climb to the chagrin of the media and the clueless GOP brass. And I’ll be stuck between being cynical and desperately clinging to hope.

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Dec
20
2011

The Clouds Inside Me Parted; All That Light Came Shining Through

I try not to set myself up for disappointment by getting too excited about things.  The idealist in me tends toward great expectations, and the realist in me likes to say “I told you so” when something goes wrong.  Even so, I consider it some measure of personal triumph that my pendulum still swings faithfully back to the hopeful side of life.  So, I filled my carry-on bag with years of hopeful expectations and hauled them all up to New York City to soak up the Big Apple’s much ballyhooed holiday cheer.  And true to form, my city did not let me down.

A lot of my friends seem to be lacking in the Christmas spirit this year, but I’m prepared to share.  It’s not the same as being there, but it’s still better than a cheap souvenir, right?

I saw at least five Christmas trees before I even got out of the airport.  They provided the encouragement I needed for my long trip into the city.  I was trying to be as frugal as possible, so instead of grabbing a $50 cab into Manhattan, I took the AirTrain from the airport to the subway station ($5), and rode the subway from the far reaches of Queens, transferred trains in downtown Manhattan, on to the Upper East Side ($2.25).  By the time I reached my friends’ place, I was feeling both triumphant and exhausted.  I was blessed with the most gracious hosts, so I was promptly furnished with a glass of ice water and pointed to the couch to relax and look out at the view, which included Ralph Lauren’s apartment, the Guggenheim, and the Empire State Building.

After the photo at the airport, I put my camera away and forgot to take it back out again for the rest of the day.  So, there are no other photos for Saturday, but basically, I went down to the theater district, lingered for a solid 15 minutes outside the stage door at Alan Rickman’s show, just on the off chance that he would appear (he did not – I would have remembered to take a picture of that!), and then I walked down the block to another stage door to wait for my friend Michael to emerge after his matinee performance.  We simply walked and talked until he had to return to the theater, but made a stop by Playwrights’ Horizons to see our mutual friend Trent, who was also between performances.  I returned to Playwrights’ Horizons Saturday night to see Trent take the stage in a fascinating quasi-period piece called Maple & Vine.

Sunday morning brought another reunion as I trekked out to Brooklyn to have breakfast with another friend.  We dined at an Israeli diner in Park Slope and the food was wonderful – outshined only by the company.  I also had the fun of being stopped by a tourist on the street, desperate for directions, and I obliged him.  It was fun to be presumed a New Yorker and to have the knowledge to pull it off.

I finally remembered to use my camera again when I arrived at the beautiful Lincoln Center, where I saw the New York Ballet perform The Nutcracker.  The outside of the theater was decorated for the occasion…

…and the inside of the theater was beautiful.  I managed to snap a few pictures before I heard the ushers telling other people that there were to be no pictures:

I had never seen The Nutcracker before, though I was (of course) familiar with the music that brings it to life.  I had also never attended a ballet before, and while I have a far-reaching appreciation for the arts in many forms, I thought ballet may push the envelope a bit.  Still, I was going for the whole Christmas experience in New York, so there seemed no better time to give it a try.  Plus, it is hard to go wrong with Tchaikovsky.

I did enjoy the show, and though I will probably not rush back to the ballet anytime soon, I was happy to have had this experience.  I loved it when the tree “grew” out of the stage and the visuals by and large were fantastic.  One of my favorite moments is when it began to snow and the dancers twirled about, making patterns on the stage floor.  I couldn’t photograph it, of course, but Google came through with this photo for your viewing pleasure:

After the show, I walked out on the second-floor balcony to enjoy the view around Lincoln Center.  I could see that there was something going on down below, but wasn’t sure exactly what.

When I walked down to street level, I discovered what the fuss was about.  The red carpet had been prepared and the world premiere of War Horse was about to begin.  Perhaps I should have stuck around to get a glimpse of Steven Spielberg, but I wasn’t interested enough to delay my day.

The weather was perfect, so I walked up to the American Museum of Natural History, taking in some uncharted territory in the Upper West Side as I moved along.  I had read that the Origami Christmas Tree at AMNH was not to be missed, and since I was trying to see all of NYC’s most celebrated trees, I decided to stop in for a look.

As the name implies, all the decorations on the tree were origami, and they were all shaped like animals (such as you see throughout the halls of the museum), except for some glittering stars that stuck out from the tree (perhaps as an ode to the Planetarium which is also on site).  I thought the tree was fantastic:

When I left the museum, I hopped a bus that was crossing the park (the subway doesn’t run under Central Park, of course), and made my way back to my friends’ place.  I wanted to make the trip back out to Brooklyn to see the audacious Christmas lights in the Dyker Heights neighborhood.  My friend Lana had never seen those, either, so she agreed to join me for the journey and added a stop at a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant she had heard of in Bay Ridge.  We ordered up 5 different dishes to try:  Falafel, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Brussel Sprouts in Yogurt Pomegranate Sauce, Succotash, and of course I can’t remember the name of the dish that was my favorite, but it was a pita with incredibly seasoned jerk chicken and slivers of almonds on top.  Oh wow.  Behold the spread of food:

After dinner, we had a bit of a hike over to Dyker Heights, but I was amused along the way as we passed some houses where the inhabitants of Bay Ridge were clearly trying to spur their neighborhood into action.  I appreciated their spirit:

Once we reached Dyker Heights, it was a feast of tacky and overbearing Christmas lights and I loved every bit of it.  A few houses tried to class things up, but my favorites were the ones that assaulted our eyes with colored lights covering EVERYTHING.  Clearly, this decorating extravaganza was a labor of love for many of the folks in the neighborhood, whereas others, not wanting to be outdone, had hired professional decorators to handle their lawns, as evidenced by company signs staked in the yards.  A few houses had even hired folks to dress up and hang around outside the houses, taking photos with children.  We encountered one Elmo and one Rudolph.  I sensed that they were part entertainment, part security, and part fundraisers for the charity of that house’s choosing.  Spectators had poured onto the sidewalks or were driving along the streets at a snail’s pace.  No one seemed to be in any hurry, though.  The fun of it all was infectious!

A Christmas display that features Eeyore?  YES, PLEASE!

This is the proper way to hang lights on a tree, y’all:

After all of that walking, and the long subway ride back, Lana and I were both exhausted.  However, I knew that Monday I had planned to walk down 5th Avenue, peering in shop windows, and that my route would take me past Rockefeller Center.  I was determined that my first viewing of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree should be at night, so I bid Lana adieu and detoured to another train and got off at Rockefeller Center.  I even walked a few blocks out of the way so that I could circle back around and get my first glance of the tree from the 5th Avenue side, which affords the most majestic view.

I stayed there, staring at the tree from all angles for nearly an hour.  I didn’t want to part with it, but I finally convinced myself to meander to the bus stop and come back to visit the tree the next day.

Monday morning, I set out for David Letterman’s studio, hoping to get tickets to that day’s taping.  I filled out the paperwork, spoke to the producer, and met some fellow Ryan Adams fans, but I didn’t rate a seat in the studio audience.  I knew the odds were not particularly in my favor, so I was content with having tried and went on my way.

I had mapped out the must-see shop windows along 5th Avenue, which included Bloomingdale’s, Barneys, Bergdorf-Goodman, Saks, Lord & Taylor, and Macy’s (which is actually at Broadway & 34th, in case you’re looking).  But first, I stopped by FAO Schwarz to gander at all the toys and see the big piano:

And then I dropped by The Plaza Hotel…

…to see their very pink Eloise-inspired Christmas tree:

Each of the major stores had multiple windows for viewing, and portions of the sidewalk along 5th Avenue were adorned with velvet ropes to separate the window-gazers from the passers-by.  Of course, taking pictures of windows as people and cars pass by doesn’t create ideal photography conditions, but if you’ll forgive the glare, I’ll share some of my favorite windows with you.

Bergdorf Goodman’s windows were decorated in a “Carnival of the Animals” theme, done in taxidermy style.  You can see professional photos of some of the windows on the Bergdorf Goodman blog here, but these are a few of the pictures I took:

And whaddaya know?  I just happened to be walking past Rockefeller Center again…

I took a guess that the beautiful New York Public Library would have a nice Christmas tree inside, and they did…

After which, I rounded the building to walk through Bryant Park.  I’m sure their tree was a prettier sight at night, but it was neat to see the ice skaters on the rink and the vendors throughout the park selling their wares to Christmas shoppers looking for unique gifts.

Then I got distracted with photos of the skyline as I made my way over to Grand Central Station…

I had read that Grand Central Station was bringing back their kaleidoscope light show this year, but when I arrived and asked around, I learned that it had been canceled (probably budget cuts).  Luckily, Grand Central Station is pretty all on its own, so all was not lost.

Back to window-gazing, I had to take a picture of the Brooks Brothers display – mostly because I was entertaining the notion of going inside to look for my very own Peter Burke.  (I decided that walking around the store asking suit-shopping men whether they worked for the FBI was probably ill-advised, so I just kept moving.)

I don’t even remember what store this was, but I thought the porthole windows were snazzy:

En route to Macy’s, I walked down 34th past the Empire State Building.  I took this from across the street.  If you look carefully at the top of the building, you can see the very tip top peeking out above the larger portion of the building.

Macy’s had some fairly impressive steampunk-inspired windows with tie-in from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  You can see some great shots of the windows here, or you can just be satisfied with this one of mine:

I actually decided to peek inside Macy’s, making it the first and only store I entered as I walked around.  And when I say “entered,” I mean that I walked through the revolving door, stepped out long enough to snap a photo, and then revolved my way right back out onto the street.  That is the extent of my shopping prowess.

The Macy’s entrance on the 34th Street side was decorated as well, and probably would have been better to view at night when you could see “Believe” lit up more prominently across the building.

While Saks gets bonus points for their Christmas projection show (more on that later), I have to declare Lord & Taylor the winner of best Christmas window displays.  They took drawings and stories from the imagination of children and brought them to life in their shop windows.  You can watch a video from the unveiling here.

Monday night, I decided to venture downtown to the financial district, as I’d read about the Chorus Tree at South Street Seaport.  I hadn’t had time to go downtown over the weekend when there is an actual choir singing at intervals in front of the tree, but I understood that the tree put on its own singing light show every hour throughout the evening.

The Seaport was also decked out with vendors in a row of Santa’s Workshop-inspired kiosks, and there are shops, restaurants, and museums all around the Seaport area.  But first, the tree!

I bought myself a bag of kettle corn because it smelled AMAZING, and took a seat and looked around waiting for whatever was going to happen at the stroke of 6:00.  When the music started and the lights started flickering, I alternated between staring in delight and trying to snap pictures of the different light formations.  They were moving too quickly for me, but you can get the idea:

Or, you can take a gander at the quick video I eventually thought to capture of a few seconds of the show…Oh, the gloriously tacky wonder of it all!

Having been delighted by the Chorus Tree, I crept toward the water to check out Pier 17, which was basically a multi-layer mall with a deck on each level that afforded lovely views of the Brooklyn Bridge (and at the end of that… Brooklyn).

I really enjoyed walking around while there were not a lot of people around and the air had a slight nip in it, but I’m sure this area is bustling in the summer months.  I’ve already made a mental note to return there on a future visit.

Before walking back to the subway, I decided I could use a snack, so I settled on a very healthy choice at Johnny Rockets:

On my way back uptown, I stopped off near NYU to go check out the tree in Washington Square Park.  When I arrived, however, it seemed that they hadn’t quite finished preparing it yet, since it was just a bare tree.  I imagine they had a lighting ceremony scheduled for later.  I was mildly disappointed, but I still took a seat on a nearby park bench and admired the beautiful Washington arch.

This was another area of NYC I had never explored before, so I decided to go back a different way via Union Square, so I could walk the streets a little bit.  It’s funny how the “college” part of town can have the same feel in most any city, but I enjoyed the people-watching along my way.

When I got to Union Square, I found a Winter Market in full force all around the subway entrance.  In fact, if I had gotten off at Union Square, I would have mistaken it for the North Pole.  The vendors there had some really cool-looking things for sale.  I may have even looked a bit closer at some of them, but the thought of trying to transport anything home kept me at bay.

I did really want that art display of the Brooklyn Bridge, though.  On sale, even!  Only $290!

I had stayed pretty busy thus far on my trip, and covered a lot of ground, so I was happy to retire back to the apartment at an early hour Monday night.  When I arrived, Colin made me the best turkey burger I have ever had.  It went very well with the fries I had eaten earlier.  In fact, my mouth is watering just thinking about it now.

Tuesday morning, I let myself take it very easy.  I was still awake before 8:00, but I continued to lay in bed with my feet propped up, listening to my iPod and eating the remnants of my kettle corn from the night before.  I didn’t have anywhere specific to be until 2:00pm, so I had time to dilly-dally.

The forecast called for light rain, so I borrowed an umbrella before I set out on my way, though the weather was perfect outside.  I wore a short-sleeved sweater over a tank top and didn’t even bother with a jacket.  I had taken note of a spa in the neighborhood, so that was my first stop for a chair massage to relax some of my muscles.  I was in and out in 15 minutes, but that woman worked wonders on my neck and shoulders.  She was unconvinced, though.  She handed me my things and said, “You come back again later.  You tight.”  I actually felt marvelous, so I continued on my way.

Another famed New York City Christmas Tree is located at The Met, so that was my next stop.  The photo Nazis were buzzing around that tree, but I took a photo as I entered the room and then I managed to get in one more of the bottom of the tree.

My 2:00 show was at Radio City Music Hall, and I still had plenty of time until then, but I went ahead and made my way down to that neighborhood.  Do you know what is just down the block from Radio City?  No?  You can’t guess?  Wellll….

I didn’t linger so long this time, opting instead to head below Rockefeller Center and find some lunch.  When I walked back up to street level and headed toward Radio City, I just happened to pass by Magnolia Bakery, so it seemed only right that I should stop in for dessert.  I splurged and got a few different treats to taste, and when I started to cross the street, some very light rain began to sprinkle down.  So, I pulled out my camera and took a picture of some fantastic decorations on the street, and then sat down on the edge of the fountain, opened my umbrella, and sat happily underneath it, eating the best cupcake I have ever had in my life.  Rarely have I felt so pleased with myself.

As 2:00 approached, I finished my cupcake and went inside to see the Radio City Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular, a holiday tradition in New York since 1933.

In the lobby, they had a different kind of Christmas tree, suspended from the ceiling:

Photography was OK during the show, so I snapped a few shots along the way.  It was definitely a fun-filled, high-energy Christmas program.

They did a miniature version of The Nutcracker:

And here are the toy soldiers, falling down in a domino effect, which was quite impressive to watch:

They had a great segment about Christmas in New York, which, given the focus of my trip, delighted me greatly.

The next portion of the show was about a mother who was out searching for the big ticket item she thought her daughter wanted for Christmas.  Santa knew better, though (cue a cute number about how Santa can be everywhere at once), and took both the mother and daughter on a trip to the North Pole to teach them that the best gift of Christmas was the time they spent together.

The final segment of the show was the living nativity, which has also been part of the show since the very beginning.  The narrator read Luke 2 and took us on a journey with the wise men to the manger in Bethlehem, where the whole cast bowed down to sing “Glory to God in the Highest.”  It was beautifully done.  (I missed getting a good photo of the camels walking across the stage, because I didn’t realize at first that they were real!)

When I left Radio City, I had a few hours before I was supposed to meet Lana for dinner near Carnegie Hall, and the rain had picked up a bit since I had gone into the show.  The mist had upgraded to a drizzle, but it was fairly steady.  I contemplated heading back to the apartment, but then I decided that the rainy conditions would mean a less populated Times Square, and I thought it would be cool to get some pictures of the neon lights rising up against a dreary sky.

I think that is the most I have enjoyed being in Times Square for a long time.  I still had another hour to kill, so I decided to head back over to Rockefeller Center to catch the projection show on the Saks building (and of course, to stare at that tree some more).  Along my way, I took advantage of the weather for some more photos.

I saw down on a bench in Rockefeller Center and people-watched while the countdown clock ticked down.  The following pictures will give you an idea of what the projection show looked like (and you can just imagine that Christmas music is blaring):

Here are a few pictures of a replica of the Swarovski Star atop the Rockefeller Tree.  They sell smaller versions for normal people trees, and I hope to get one eventually.  First, the star to go on my tree, and then the angels with trumpets to stand in front of it in two lines.

Then, it was time for me to walk over to dinner, and I stopped a few times along the way for more pictures, of course.

At the restaurant, I saw a man wearing the signature Cardinals rose design on his t-shirt, so I looked at him and said, “Heyyy, Ryan Adams!” which made him stop and verify that I was going to the show.  While we were talking, another guy walked past and heard our conversation, and chimed in, “You guys going to the show, too?  I just saw Ryan Adams at the hotel and told him I was looking forward to the show, and he said, ‘Not as much as I am!’”  I was both amazed and jealous of his encounter, but mostly really excited that it was almost time for the show… at CARNEGIE HALL.

Here was the view in front of me:

And the view behind me:

Shortly, the view in front of me improved significantly, and the perfect acoustics of Carnegie Hall were put to great use:

Ryan moved between sitting with his guitar at center stage, sitting at his piano at stage left, and standing with his guitar at stage right.  The latter was closest to me, and conveniently where he spent the majority of the show.  Now for the part where I tell you everything that he played…

He started with an old/new rotation, playing Oh My Sweet Carolina, followed by Ashes & Fire, then back to If I Am a Stranger, and then Dirty Rain.  He played a good amount of the new album throughout the show, but indulged the fans with a wide range of songs from his earlier catalogue, too.  He played My Winding Wheel, then sat at the piano for My Blue Manhattan.  He returned to his guitar for Invisible Riverside, Everybody Knows, Firecracker, and then a ballad version of Let It Ride.  One of my favorite performances during the show came when he did Dear Chicago.  He continued through Chains of Love, Please Do Not Let Me Go, Lucky Now, Two, and Crossed Out Name.

Then, he blew my mind when he returned to the piano, and I considered what he might play, but he sat down and played New York, New York of all things, turning a fast-paced rock song into a quiet piano ballad.  I love that song anyway, and it was obviously very apropos.

When he stood up to cross back to the other side of the stage, someone high up in the balcony yelled, “THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!”  So, Ryan, probably in part because I don’t think he enjoys being hollered at, pretended to misunderstand her as having said, “Howard is Beautiful.”  He said he didn’t know any Howards, but then he started to strum his guitar and made up an entire song – multiple verses, bridge, the whole nine yards – about Howard and his beauty.  It was hysterical, and the kind of moment that you can’t just get from any artist.

He got back on point with Do I Wait, and then delighted the audience by digging back in time to the Whiskeytown era, playing Jacksonville Skyline, Round and Round (Ratt cover), and 16 Days.

He did another improv incorporating many of the jokes and happenings from the evening into a song called Thank You for Coming to the Show.

He did the encore bit (a process he had joked about earlier in the show), but could only play one more song due to time constraints and contract issues with the theater.  I’d have sat listening to him all night, of course, but he had already played a lengthy and fantastic set, so I had no complaints.  Then, he began his last song, which to my sheer delight happened to be Blue Hotel.

I caught a bit of Blue Hotel on video, so you can appreciate the ambience of the moment, and get a vague idea of how beautifully his voice carried inside Carnegie Hall.

Wednesday morning, I hopped a bus to the subway to the AirTrain to the airport for a delayed flight, which left me little leeway time to drive home from Raleigh in a torrential downpour.  I got to my apartment at 6:10, ran in, unpacked my suitcase, went to the restroom, and at 6:15 I was back in the car headed to Charlottesville with Jessica and Melissa for The Civil Wars concert.  I had debated about going after an illness caused the date change, but I figured that since I was going to be exhausted the next day regardless, that I should not miss the concert.

As I waited for The Civil Wars to take the stage, I flipped through the photos on my camera and figured it was worth noting that The Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville is pretty snazzy, too, after taking pictures of the likes of Carnegie, Lincoln Center, and Radio City.

And, of course, The Civil Wars were great!

Merry Christmas, everyone!  I hope New York helped get you in the spirit!

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Nov
18
2011

I Won’t Be Your Last Dance, Just Your Last Goodnight

I had the privilege of attending a farewell event in Wilmington last month to celebrate 9 years of One Tree Hill.  The “Evening with One Tree Hill,” as it was billed, was bittersweet for the cast, crew, and fans alike, but it was evident that this “Little Show That Could” touched a lot of lives on both sides of the TV screen.  The cast passed a box of tissues back and forth for the sentimental moments, only to let loose with uproarious laughter a moment later when they reminisced over a funny story or watched Rob Buckley demonstrate his signature dance move, the Power Drop, while the audience looked on, delighted.  It was nice to see that the show that has meant so much to fans around the world also made an indelible imprint on the people who spent 9 years bringing it to life.

So, it came as no surprise that the cast took to Twitter during the last week of filming to share their memories and say their goodbyes to the iconic people and places of Tree Hill.  I simply wanted to commemorate it by compiling a few of my favorite quotes and pictures from the cast members during filming for episode 187 of One Tree Hill.  I’ve replaced Twitter screen names with real names for the ease of non-Twitter readers, but I’m keeping the hashtags in place, because they were special to all of us.

~~~~~~~~~

Sophia Bush:

Today marks the first day of filming the last episode of One Tree Hill … My heart is bursting at the seams. The years we’ve shared laughing, crying, and growing … What a family we are. Thank you, each and every one of you, for coming on this journey with us.


Day 1 of filming the One Tree Hill series finale…

Bethany Joy Galeotti:

James Lafferty:

Lights shining on our Rivercourt for the very last time. This is one location I will never forget. #GoodnightRivercourt

Sophia Bush:

One more week. But tonight we celebrate …

Bethany Joy Galeotti:

Lindsay Wolfington (Music Supervisor):

Gavin DeGraw on-camera taping today. In between takes, he’s quietly playing chords to ‘I Don’t Want to Be’ #coolsentimentalmoment #OTH

Gavin DeGraw:

Thank you again to the creators, cast, and crew of OTH for having yesterday. You’re a class act.

Stephen Colletti:

Last call. Cue Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” last day of shooting in Tric “FOR-EV-ER.” My fingers are feeling a little sticky…Goodnight, TRIC. May you forever hear the jams that rocked you.

Bethany Joy Galeotti:

Day 5 of 9, OTH Series Finale.  Countdown picture of the day… Goodnight “Karen’s”

This picture turned up online with reports that Joy kissed the door of Karen’s Cafe as filming was completed:

WildLife_TV:

#GoodnightNathan

Picture from a fan, RT’d by James Lafferty:

#GoodnightNaley

Stephen Colletti:

My man. That’s a wrap on Chuckle.  “CHUCK!”

Bethany Joy Galeotti:

OTH Series Finale, Day 6 of 9 Countdown Photo… That’s a wrap on James Lafferty, a gentleman and a scholar. Goodnight, Nathan Scott.   (James responded:  I’m still in there. Decided to pretend like it’s not true. Just waitin’ to be called for rehearsal…..)

Bethany Joy Galeotti:

We’re up on the Karen’s rooftop set. So many memories here— mini golf, water balloon fights, laughter & tears… It’s a great place to leave Haley James.  Thank you all for your years of support… You have made possible many wonderful memories for me.

Sophia Bush:

That’s a wrap on Jackson Brundage. A celebratory bear pile was in order. I’m so lucky to have such a great little friend. #GoodnightJamieScott

Shantel VanSanten:

Just rehearsed & about to shoot my last scene ever on OTH with Rob Buckley. It’s an honor to work beside & laugh with my BFF for 3 seasons!

Robert Buckley:

I can’t believe that I’m halfway through my final day on OTH; to say it’s surreal would be a colossal understatement.

Shantel VanSanten:  There were many tears shed (even by Rob Buckley) but here is how we’re coping with wrapping on OTH! #GoodNightClinn

Austin Nichols:

Last day of work for Lee Norris. I was there for his final scene. Great actor. #GoodnightMouth

Stephen Colletti (quoting the U2 song for which the show was named):

“I’ll see you again when the stars fall from the sky and the moon has turned red over One Tree Hill.”

Bethany Joy Galeotti:

#GoodnightQuinnJames #GoodnightClayEvans #GoodnightRedBedroom

RealOneTreeHill (official Twitter):

9 years. 187 eps. Over 8k scenes. Millions of amazing fans. 6,471,818,671 people in the world, and sometimes all you need is #OneTreeHill

James Lafferty:

As One Tree Hill wraps today, I think we all owe a thank you to Mark Schwahn. He dreamed it all up and changed our lives. #ThanksMastermind.

Sophia Bush:

Three more scenes as Brooke Davis. Wow … “For now, I say goodbye to this chapter in my life. And I look forward to what comes next.”

Daphne Zuniga:

AAAAHHHH! Today’s the last day of this show!! Drinking my last am cup of java in makeup… Dear time, can you please slow down a little bit today?  Thx J

Daphne Zuniga, to Sophia Bush:  I love you so much! Victoria and Brooke made it work.

Sophia Bush:

And that’s a #GoodnightVictoria @DaphneZuniga. I love you like a mother, a sister, a best friend. xo

Austin Nichols:

Today is the final day of shooting for One Tree Hill. Saying goodbye to all these talented folks.  Unraveling a bit.

Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols:

And then there were two. Picture is up on our final scene. My heart is bursting with love. What a gift these 13 weeks have been.

And that’s a wrap. Oh my heart. To end where it all began … #GoodnightBrookeDavis

Bethany Joy Galeotti:

And after the wrap:

Sophia Bush:

I’ve been crying for 36 hours. Spontaneous sobbing in strange places. It happens in an instant, then I start swearing, & repeat.

Wilmington has renamed the street that runs alongside Screen Gems Studios to One Tree Hill Way.  Here are some cast members posing with the sign at the One Tree Hill wrap party:

And, perhaps as a sign that with any ending comes a new beginning, two OTH guest stars (who are married in real life) welcomed their first child to the world just as One Tree Hill wrapped filming.  Congratulations to Scott Holroyd (who I remember fondly from his As the World Turns days) and Allison Munn!  Allison had this to say on Twitter:

Allison Munn:

@scottholroyd + @allisonmunn = Nathan Powell Holroyd.  Welcome to the world, Baby Nate!

It certainly feels odd that filming is wrapped forever, and the One Tree Hill cast have packed up their boxes in Wilmington and moved back home, but we still have another season to watch!  Season 9 premieres on the CW on January 11th!  I’ll be there with my tissues at the ready.

#GoodnightTreeHill

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Oct
17
2011

Suddenly There is Music in the Sound of Your Name

I rarely go anywhere without an express purpose.  I’m not the type to book a week’s vacation at the beach just to go lay in the sand and read.  If I’m at the beach, it’s because a band is playing or a show is filming, and not just because I want to “relax.”

So, in the 15 or so times I’ve been to New York City since the first time in the Spring of 2003, I’ve had a reason for going.  After my last trip, there wasn’t another reason in sight, so a year and a half slipped by with no trip up north.  And I felt it acutely.  Seeing New York on television, I felt wistful.  Hearing a song about it, I felt longing.  And when a total stranger brought it up to me in the office one day, I caught my eyes watering.  Thus, when I bought a plane ticket to the Big Apple this time, it wasn’t because I already had a ticket to some event there.  It became a necessity, and I simply had to be there.

I made plans to share a hotel room with a group of girls – all but one of whom were complete strangers to me.  I also realized that since they all had their own agendas, I was going to be on my own for the majority of the trip.  I consider myself an independent person, but in the back of my mind, I wondered if I would get bored or lonely being on my own.  As it turned out, I had plenty of company, and even when I didn’t, the city itself feels like an old friend and is a delightful companion.

In addition to the other irregularities, I also went into this trip without a full itinerary, detailing my every move.  I had a list of places I wanted to go and things I wanted to do, but nothing was set in stone and I was on my own schedule.

Janice, the one roommate I did know prior to this trip, flew into New York early Thursday morning like me, and she had a free day.  She had told me she wanted to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and eat pizza, so I proposed a trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, followed by a walk on the Promenade, lunch at Grimaldi’s, and a walk back over to Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge.


I loved this graffiti art we found along the way.

When we got back into Manhattan, we walked around City Hall and up to Federal Plaza, so I could be a nerd and sneak a peek at the FBI building.

We filled most of our day in Brooklyn, and before I knew it, it was time for me to get ready to go to my Broadway show.  Conveniently, I was seeing “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, and it was less than a block from our hotel.  In fact, we could see the marquee from our hotel window:

This Broadway revival is starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette…. AND the one and only Michael Park, who is extremely dear to me.  I met him through his work on As the World Turns, so while I had heard his voice on several Broadway soundtracks, it was impossible for him to do TV and theater at the same time, so this was my first time seeing him on Broadway.  When I found my seats – fourth row, center! – I felt like a kid at Christmas.  I excitedly perused the Playbill and smiled at each mention of Michael’s name.  I was so focused on seeing him that I hadn’t really taken the time to think about how I’d feel about seeing Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter, if you live under a rock) until he came shooting up a mere ten feet in front of me at the start of the show.  I was equal parts astonished, overwhelmed, and delighted.

The show itself was magnificent.  I highly recommend seeing it if you can – and preferably before year’s end, when the cast begins to change.  It’s a musical with high energy and lots of laughs.  I was completely smitten with it, and I could not clap and cheer enough at its conclusion.

The night I attended was special in that it was part of a charity night benefitting The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention group focused on the needs of the GLBT community, who are unfortunately at a higher risk of suicide due to bullying, rejection, and the other travails of youth.  The cast did a Q&A after the show and several items were auctioned off to benefit the project.  Daniel Radcliffe slipped back into his native British accent for this portion of the evening, which I found charming.

As the crowd stood for another round of applause, Michael spotted me from the stage and motioned for me to meet him at the stage door.  A kindly security guard helped me navigate around the raucous crowd at the barricades, and before I knew it, I was whisked away backstage.  Here is the view from the stage:

Michael continued the tour and showed me around the whole outfit.  So many moving parts and so much happening at once, and it has to go right the first time, because there is no “Take Two!”

I got back to the hotel still grinning from ear to ear.  Janice was already half asleep, and I was exhausted from very little sleep the night before, but I couldn’t manage to settle down for quite a while after such a fun night.

Friday morning, I got to sleep in a bit and had the morning to myself, so I went and had breakfast in the Renaissance Hotel.  I discovered it one year at breakfast with Bradley Cole, and while it’s a little more pricey, we’re talking about $5 difference for $10 better food.  Plus, the restaurant has windows on three sides, looking out into Times Square, and I find I can enjoy the Times Square experience a lot better while I’m looking at it from across the table that is holding my bacon and eggs.

While I was eating, I met some first-time NYC visitors who were from Australia.  They had come to New York as part of a larger tourist group, but one of the couples had already been travelling for six weeks time at that point.  They had wonderful accents and were equally delighted by mine, and I took turns leaning left and leaning right to give them travel tips for their time in the Big Apple.  After all, first-timers have a tendency to get stuck in Times Square (like bugs in a bug-zapper, I read once), and I didn’t want that to happen to them.

Once they were “sorted,” and I’d finished my “hot breakfast,” I caught the subway and rode up, up, up, uptown, headed for Riverside Church.  The train I was on (headed for 116th St.) had been running local (as opposed to express), but when we got to 103rd St, the intercom voice said, “Next stop, 125th St.”  Luckily, I had the presence of mind to hop up and jump off, remembering there was something I wanted to see at 108th and Riverside.  My fellow “Collars” (as we White Collar fans have come to be known), should recognize this house as the abode of one Mr. Neal Caffrey.

Of course, it’s June’s house, so Neal lives upstairs…

(A little trivia for you:  When Neal’s tracking data shows him “at home,” his tracking dot is on the Upper East Side, maybe around 70th and 2nd, which is actually nowhere near the practical location of the house.)

From there, I walked over to Riverside Park and took that route up to 120th and snapped this photo of the first glimpse of Riverside Church as the trees break cover from the park:

As I approached the church, the bells were ringing, and when I walked inside, someone was playing the pipe organ, which added greatly to the experience.  The church is so beautiful that pictures can’t do justice to it – in fact, looking back, the pictures almost look fake to me:

I had spent a little more time than I intended strolling through the park, so when Janice texted to say she was on her way to the Museum of Natural History (where we had agreed to meet), I started booking it back to the subway.  On my way, there was a cabbie standing outside of his car on the curb.  He looked at me, hopefully.  “Taxi?”  I initially declined, but then considered that I was sure to be late, and given that the subway skipped 116th on the uptown route, it occurred to me that it may be closed for construction, and I had already done a good bit of walking.  So, I turned back to the driver and agreed to the ride.  He seemed to like me, and drove part of the way before he ever turned the meter on, all the while quizzing me on whether I had a boyfriend in New York, or a boyfriend back home.  He suggested I attain both, and jokingly yelled out the window (at the empty street), “Beautiful Amanda needs a boyfriend!”  My mother would have liked him.

With my cab ride and Janice’s missed subway stop, I actually made it to the museum first.  When we went inside, we watched the “Journey to the Stars” show in the Hayden Planetarium, which was quite fascinating but made me realize my desire for a nap as I looked up at the night sky.  The space center itself was a pretty fantastic sight to behold:

Roaming into the Natural History side of the Museum, we strolled through some of the animal exhibits on our way upstairs to the main attraction…..

…DINOSAURS!

Leaving the museum, Janice surveyed the vendors on the street below and declared her immediate need for a hot dog and a Diet Coke.  She purchased hers and we crossed the street to the Central Park side to find a park bench to sit on.  There was a vendor on that side of the street, too, and the scent got to me (along with the sound of Janice’s Diet Coke bottle opening), and I decided to partake in this grand New York tradition myself:

Janice had a ticket for the City Sights cruise Friday afternoon, and I decided to get a ticket and join her.  The problem:  there were 40 minutes until the boat set sail, but in order to buy a ticket at the pier, you had to be there 30 minutes prior.  You could buy a ticket at a satellite location, but again, it had to be 30 minutes prior.  So, I called the cruise line and said, “I need to buy a ticket for your next cruise, but I cannot get to the pier in time, so can you tell me where else I can go to buy one?”  In response, the girl tells me that I can buy a ticket at the pier up until 30 minutes before the cruise begins.  [Wow.  Helpful.  Did I not just say that?]  So, again:  “Yes, I understand, but I cannot get there in the next 5 minutes.  I am in midtown.  Can you tell me the other ticket location?”  “Oh, you can buy a ticket at Madame Tussaud’s, but you have to get it 30 minutes prior.”  “OK, what are the cross streets?”  She then replies with an address.  [Honey!  Are you new to this town?]  “Can you tell me the cross streets, please?”  “Well, it’s on 42nd Street.”  “OK, 42nd street.  And which Avenue?”  [Clock is ticking, ticking, ticking…]  “8th.”  “OK, thank you.”  [For annoying me to death and leaving me 2 minutes to run 4 crowded blocks and buy a ticket.]

I blazed quite a trail through the crowds on 8th Avenue, leaving Janice behind, only to get to 42nd and discover that Madame Tussaud’s was actually on 42nd and 7th, so I had another (long) block to run.  Out of breath, I got in line and reached the ticket counter just at the cutoff time.  Janice had caught up by then, and when I told the guy that I wanted a ticket for the next cruise, he hemmed and hawed [I feel like I’m back down south, for goodness’ sake] and told me that I *could* make it, but I was really going to have to hurry.  [Thank you, Captain Obvious.  This may be why I ran to your counter and am out of breath, because I have already gotten the ‘hurry’ memo, and I wish you would take my cue.]

Finally, he handed me my ticket and we ran back across the street, hailed a cab, and said, “Pier 78, and drive like a maniac!”  Our cabbie seemed to enjoy the challenge and he lived up to it nicely, getting us to our destination with 5 minutes to spare.  We all got in on the fun of yelling at trucks that tried to cut us off and pedestrians who walked out into the street wherever and whenever they pleased (aka speed bumps).

Once our boat set sail, we moved out onto the bow of the ship for the best views (and the surfing sensation whenever we passed through the wake of a larger vessel).  I enjoy the cruises for the tour guide’s facts about the city, the views on both sides of the river, riding under the beautiful bridges around Manhattan, and the up-close views of the Statue of Liberty.

Plus, there are always gems to see that don’t coincide with the skyscrapers of the financial district, like this old Domino Sugar plant in Brooklyn:

When we arrived back at the hotel, windblown from our boating adventure, I had just enough time to shower and change to head down to the Village for dinner.  That is, of course, before I missed my train like a bozo, putting me five minutes behind, and then got turned around in the notoriously confusing West Village.  I walked to the intersection of three different streets (not part of the grid system), and stood bewildered in a triangular median trying to figure out which way to walk.  A local came by, so I solicited his help to point me in the right direction.  He said he was on his way to work and I could walk with him.  I took me half a block to realize that he actually had less idea where he was than I did, and another block and a half of me trying to convince him his way was illogical, before I just thanked him for his “help,” waved goodbye, and turned back to walk the right way.

Luckily, it was all worth the confusion, as I finally got to meet my friend Lana, who I correspond with regularly for work purposes.  Since we all deal with exasperating people at work, we can also agree on what a treasure it is to meet someone you are actually happy to hear from in the course of the day.  Lana is one of those delightful individuals, so it was great to put a face to a voice and a name, and we had no shortage of things to discuss over our delicious dinner at Tremont.

After dinner, we took a walk around the Village to our mutual chorus of “oohs and ahhs” at the perfectly situated brownstones that line the streets.  Lana even pointed out Carrie Bradshaw’s front stoop for my friends who loved Sex and the City.

We got back on the subway together, but my stop came up first, and far too quickly, so we bid adieu before the train doors could close again.  I’m really thankful that I have another NYC trip planned wherein I’ll get to spend more time with her!  I’m glad I remembered to snap a quick photo from our first meeting:

Saturday morning, I rounded the block to stand in line with other hopefuls to score rush tickets to “How to Succeed,” as my friend Chris was coming in from Staten Island and wanted to see it, and this was a great opportunity for me to go see it again, pretending I was doing it for her sake, but knowing all the while that I wanted to go again, regardless.  The guy behind me in the ticket line thought he had an AMAZING voice, and he wanted to display that to his captive audience by singing Jesse McCartney’s “Beautiful Soul” over and over and over again.  I thought that was surely the depth of all despair until he took a few moments to segue into some John Mayer song that I don’t remember, but sounds an awful lot like “Oooh, baby, I love your way” (like most John Mayer songs).  Moments like that, my friends, are the reason we own iPods.  I cranked up some Florence + the Machine, but then discovered that the quiet parts of the songs still allowed his singing to seep through, so I switched to Lucero.  Take THAT, terrible-singing-girly-man.

I was about ten people from the front of the line when the ticket girl came out to announce that the evening performance was all sold out, except for standing room tickets.  I figured the matinee would follow suit before I could reach the front, but was delighted to get to the window and be able to walk away with two matinee tickets for $30 each.  I practically skipped away from the box office and texted Chris with the news.

She was taking the bus into the city, so I still had a few hours to kill.  I decided to head downtown and walk around some areas I hadn’t been before.  I first headed to Madison Square Park and walked around it before roaming over to Park Avenue and heading downtown a bit further.

I walked through Gramercy and discovered that their park was by key-access only, so instead I just enjoyed the architecture in the area and seeing people out walking tiny dogs on a Saturday in three-piece suits.  I also love getting pictures of old buildings with new buildings reflected in the windows (and vice-versa), like this one:

Having enjoyed my stroll thus far, I decided my legs could carry me a bit further, so I walked for Union Square, where I found a Farmer’s Market in full force.

The Farmer’s Market reminded me that I hadn’t had anything to eat since dinner the night before, but I didn’t leave myself quite enough time for a meal.  I had resolved to eat cheesecake for lunch, but as I was picking up a slice to take back to the hotel, I thought I should eat something at least slightly more practical, and had a croissant instead.

As I was inhaling that, Chris was arriving from the bus station, and shortly we headed over to our show.

I love the performance photos that are always along the outside of the theater for each show.  Here’s one of Michael from a fun sequence in “How to Succeed.”

Unlike Thursday night, I hadn’t told Michael I was coming to the show, so afterwards, we went over near the stage door and stood in the masses until I could get the guard’s attention.  I said, “Could you let Michael know that Amanda is here?”  “Michael Park?”  “Yes, please.”  “And he is going to know you by your first name?”  “Yes.”  He was looking at me in sheer disbelief with that “Suuuure, lady, whatever you say” expression on his face, and I was rather doubtful that he was going to pass the word along.  Apparently he did, because soon I heard Michael’s voice from inside say, “Where’s Amanda?” and we were handed VIP badges and ushered to the stage.  Michael had some family visiting as well, so Chris and I seized the opportunity to act like fools and take photos in front of the elevator used in several portions of the show, including where the actors come out to take the final bow.

Of course, we spent some time chatting with Michael and snapped a few more photos:

As it turns out, we did well to get matinee tickets, because Michael had an injury and was sending his understudy on for the Saturday night performance while he got checked out.

Chris and I were both ravenous by that time, so we opted for a leisurely evening and prix fixe dinner at CharleyO’s, near the hotel.  Since we only get to see each other on rare occasions, it was a great chance to catch up without feeling pressed for time.

After Chris left to head home, and after a considerable inner debate with myself, I decided to take my chances at heading back over to the theater in an effort to have my Playbill signed by Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette.  I am not a fan of crowds, but weighed against the notion of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I bit the bullet and joined the ranks of crazy fans at the barricades.

Space was cramped and I was plenty uncomfortable even as we heard the show ending inside.  Once John Larroquette stepped out the stage door, the crowd smashed together beyond what I even thought possible, and I would have run away if it were an option.  The truth of the matter, though, is that I couldn’t even move my right arm, and it took considerable effort to wriggle my left arm free enough to lift my Playbill up and hand it to John Larroquette.

I had hoped that the crowd would ease back a bit once he was safely whisked away in a waiting SUV.  No such luck.  They knew that eventually Daniel Radcliffe would step outside, and they were not going to give an inch until then.  As we waited, though, Rob Bartlett, who played Twimble and Wally Womper in the show, came out and signed our Playbills as well.

When Daniel Radcliffe came out, the crowd erupted in cheers and personal space became a pipe dream.  I had arms on all sides of me – on top of my head, even – and I probably could not have been under more physical pressure if a semi-truck had rolled over on top of me.  Luckily, I was well positioned in the swarm of Playbills and programs, and when Daniel Radcliffe was directly in front of me, I simply held my Playbill up and he signed it as I held it.

When he finished signing for our side, he moved quickly to the other and was met with the same frenzy there.  Time is hard to gauge in a situation like that, but I can’t imagine it was more than 5 minutes between the time he stepped out of the stage door to the time that his SUV was driving away.  As he escaped the scene, so did I, pushing my way through the finally-loosened crowd to fresh air and freedom.  I could only look at my signatures with a sense of euphoria and proud accomplishment, given what I had endured to get them.

The crowd at the stage door helped prepare me for the crowd in the hotel room on Saturday night.  With hotel prices, you just keep cramming people in to lower the cost.  We had five in the room Saturday night, so I had someone sleeping next to me and someone sleeping at my feet.  All part of the adventure…

Sunday morning sent us our separate ways.  Janice, Breda (a Saturday night room addition), and I went to breakfast and then walked along the street fair that had set up on 8th Avenue.  Along the way, we stopped so I could pose for this picture with my boyfriend, Alan Rickman.

We walked along the street fair, Janice and Breda stopping to look at wares, and me stopping to take pictures, and when I realized we’d reached 50th Street, I bid them farewell and walked toward Rockefeller Center, stopping for more photos along the way.

Janice had given me her ticket to the Top of the Rock, because she wasn’t going to have time to go.  I’d been up a few times (and I love it), but I had not been up during the day.  So, that was my first stop.

With no pressing engagements, I spent a fair bit of time just sitting in Rockefeller Center, tourist-watching next to a fountain.  (I’ve never met a fountain I didn’t like.)  Then, I proceeded up 5th Avenue, taking more pictures along my way.  I can’t afford to do any shopping on 5th Avenue (seriously, who can?), but I did splurge with a stop into Lindt Chocolatier for some truffles to savor along my walk.

Note the reflection in this slanted building:

And this is Grand Army Plaza, at the southeast corner of Central Park.  I love how shiny that building is across the street.

While I was in the neighborhood, I did something I’ve never done and went inside the Grand Plaza Hotel.  Wow.  I’m not sure I could fake belonging there on my best day, but I was certainly out of my element in my “I’m-going-to-the-park” attire.

With all the walking I had done on the earlier days of my trip, I was tired, with aching feet and a shin splint that left me hobbling slightly.  Thus, I had intended to hire a pedicab at the base of the park and pay him an exorbitant amount of money to drive me around while I took pictures.  (I really love riding in those things.)  Still, I knew the pedicabs couldn’t go everywhere I wanted to go, so I decided that before I hired one, I’d walk into the park a little ways and look at some of the bridges around the pond.  That turned into a walk past where the ice rink would have been, and then a walk to see the carousel, and then I realized roundabout the Sheep Meadow that I was too deep into the park to even find a pedicab.  I was exhausted and dehydrated, but I didn’t have much of a choice other than to keep walking.  Luckily, I found a beverage cart and got myself a huge bottle of water and sat down on a park bench and listened to a violinist playing through some beautiful tunes for passersby.

After getting some water in me and a few moments of rest, I felt inspired enough to keep going, having resolved that I couldn’t be too far from Bethesda Fountain, the Bow Bridge, and Cherry Hill.  So, I walked on, and as I went, I stumbled upon group after group playing live music in different areas of the park.  I walked from a jazz band to an ambient orchestra in a matter of minutes.  The charm, spontaneity, and community of it all kept me motivated along my way.

My sense of direction had served me pretty well up until that point, but after walking through unfamiliar woods in The Ramble for a while, and not having the stamina to wander aimlessly, I did pull out my phone to check the compass and make sure I was walking northwest.  I was, and I ended up exiting the park at the Museum of Natural History, at 80th and 8th.  At that point, I was very tempted to just faint on the hood of a taxi and let it take me back to the hotel, but somewhere in me was a dogged determination to keep going, so I hoofed it on over to the 79th Street station and got back to the hotel like a New Yorker should.

I was grateful for a shower, a rest, and a few bites of the cheesecake I’d picked up the day before.  I only headed out again to enter the lottery for tickets to The Book of Mormon.  It is clearly the “must-see” show on Broadway right now, and while it wouldn’t normally interest me, I was persuaded that the social and religious implications were reason enough for me to attempt to see it.  Admittedly, I had no idea what I was getting into.  Unlike with “How to Succeed,” where the early bird gets the rush tickets, the lottery system only requires that you show up, write your name on a slip of paper, and hope your name is called.  There is only a 30 minute window to enter, so I arrived 10 minutes before names were to be drawn and got my name in the running.  As the announcer was about to start the drawing, I heard people around me discussing how it was their 10th or 11th try at tickets.  That gave me a pretty good idea of my chances.  I didn’t win, of course, but since I didn’t have my heart set on it, it was no great loss.  We were told, however, that if our names weren’t drawn for the $32 tickets, we could get in the cancellation line and hope to get tickets at retail, starting at $180, and going on up to $475.  No thanks, buddy!

My walk over to the theater was not in vain, however, as I found another church to duck into along the way:  St. Malachy’s.

Janice had set up a dinner at Daniela’s, right across from our hotel, with some of her friends who I had not met.  They agreed to let me join in the fun, and we did have a fantastic time sharing laughs over pasta.  I had the prix fixe again (usually the best deal), so I got to have my choice of desserts.  I selected the chocolate mousse cake without hesitation, and allow me to tell you that it was AMAZING.

After dinner, I was quite content to go back to the room and relax.  I’m pretty sure that I was fast asleep before 11pm, which usually doesn’t even happen when I’m at home.

Monday was going-home day, but we were up early enough to get packed and head out to breakfast and still do some walking around before we had to come back to the hotel to check out and head to the airport.

I proposed walking back to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th and actually going inside this time.  They were having a service (presumably for Columbus Day), so we were able to stand in the back and listen to the congregation singing before slipping back out again.

Oh, 5th Avenue.  Where stores can afford to decorate the sidewalk and even Forever 21 looks classy.

Also, LOVE!

And another fountain!

And finally… back to the bright lights of Times Square.

Janice’s flight was an hour earlier than mine, so we rode back to the airport together and I had extra time to kill.  I would like to take this moment to thank whatever entrepreneurial genius conceived of the notion to put a spa in the airport.  I rolled my suitcase right on over there for a foot and leg massage, then face, head, and shoulders massage, and then they just let me lay there in this awesome massaging chair for another half hour.  I happily gave them the money that I had planned to give the pedicab driver the day before, and used the last $20 to finally buy The Hunger Games in the airport bookstore, which was a good way to not face going back to reality.

Even so, as my flight took off from LGA, I couldn’t help put press my nose against the glass and look down at the beautiful city below.  I watched without blinking until the city I love was gone from my sight, and then did the only logical thing left, and cried.

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Aug
02
2011

The Magicians in Your Eyes Make the World Disappear from Mine

Dear Jeff Eastin,

A week later, my mind is still reeling from last Tuesday’s White Collar episode, “As You Were.”

First, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that more of Agent “C.J.” Jones (in dress whites, no less!) will never be a bad thing, so three cheers for that.  You have a wonderful ensemble cast, and I’ve been enjoying seeing each member get to show off a bit in their various episodes this season.

You terrified me with the new storyline going into season 3.  The tide turned in a big way, and since I had been enjoying the status quo so much, I was a bit tentative about what it would all mean for Neal and Peter.  However, after two glorious seasons, I had no reason to doubt you, so I decided to let the reigns go loose, as it were, and enjoy the ride.

It has been a season of poignant moments, but I think the conclusion of last week’s episode may be my favorite.  It was one of those TV moments when you’re on the edge of your seat, holding your breath, expecting the typical shocking-suspenseful-climactic event to take place, leaving the audience with a cliffhanger to build excitement for next week’s episode.  Instead, the writers left us with a subtle phone conversation between our two heroes, which actually carried much greater weight than any splashy moment could have delivered.

I love that White Collar has given us characters so nuanced that the most compelling story in each episode is not catching the bad guy and closing the case, but where Neal and Peter stand with each other when the FBI day is done.  Every episode, they’re staring down the barrel, anticipating that inevitable moment when it all blows up in their faces, and neither they nor the audience has any idea what will happen when it does.  I love not being able to predict where it’s going, and it provides for some great dinner conversation among friends, as we all have differing theories on what will happen next, and what the repercussions will be when it does.

So, when I see a lot of text-speak clutter on my Facebook feed about who the Bachelorette is going to choose or what the people of Jersey Shore are doing, I take solace in knowing that there are still impeccable writers out there, making television worth watching.  Of course, I’m counting down the moments until tonight’s episode:  Neal will be “On the Fence” – I’ll be back on the edge of my seat.

Sincerely,

Amanda

P.S. – A few things:

It’s fantastic when you live-tweet the episodes.  And I enjoy your candor in general.

I still feel a little guilty about not liking the new opening, but thanks for giving back the old one.

I hope Sara wins in the end.

I don’t know if it makes me miss the city more or less to get to see it looking so dapper week after week, but either way, thank you for shooting in New York.

After a decade of following Matt Bomer’s roles, I recall being highly annoyed that he wasn’t cast as Superman, and now… Superman only wishes he was as cool as Neal Caffrey.

When does Adrian Tulane get out of prison?  (Soon I hope.  He was awesome.)

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Jul
06
2011

People Love You the Most for the Things You Hate

“People love you most for the things you hate and hate you for loving the things you can’t keep straight.  People judge you on a curve and tell you you’re getting what you deserve, and this too shall be made right.”

I was trying to post a link to Matthew Paul Turner’s blog about all the Caylee/Casey Anthony/Not Guilty hysteria, and as I started to type an accompanying remark, I realized I had more to say than was appropriate in that venue.

Matthew Paul Turner (who you may know as Jesus Needs New PR) raised a lot of good and important questions about why it is that we care so much about this one particular case.  Like him, I did not follow the case day in and day out, and I understand that those who did came away from yesterday’s “not guilty” verdict feeling angry and cheated.  My Facebook and Twitter feeds were filled with “righteous indignation” as people decried the “lack of justice” for Caylee.  All I could think is that Caylee does not care one bit whether we leave our porch lights on or change our Facebook status to support her.  She is in a better place.

What about the children who aren’t?  What about the living, breathing children who face abuse, hunger, and neglect every single day?  Do we care about those children, or do we only care about justice in this one, highly-publicized case?  And we care inasmuch as we aren’t required to do anything except rail at the system that we believed has failed.

“Children dream of wishing wells whose waters quench all the fires of Hell, and this too shall be made right.”

I spent the months of May and June fundraising for Love146, an organization that spends every day and every dollar doing their part to stop child sex trafficking and give innocent children their lives back.  Two children are sold into slavery every minute (1.2 million children every year) and the resulting sex trade nets $32 billion annually.  That is a lot of little girls like Caylee (or like Child #146) that deserve our attention and our thirst for justice.  Yet, though I emailed friends and family, blogged, posted on Facebook and Twitter, asking for any little bit of help for those children, I heard little but crickets chirping in response.  In one particularly revolting scenario, my description of this organization’s purpose caused the three people I was telling to erupt with laughter at the very notion of helping these children.

I would like to first say that I do not even come close to doing all I can to help, and I need to do better.  I would also like to express my gratitude to those who DID offer their generous support to that cause.  And I understand that not everyone is able to give large donations to any cause, no matter how noble, and that’s OK.  But what troubles me is that so many people spent the last year of their lives seeking justice for a child who is gone, and could not be bothered to seek justice for the MILLION children objectified and brutalized in that same time frame – children who are still alive and need help.

“We say we’re just trying to stay alive, but it looks so much more like a way to die, and this too shall be made right.  There’s a time for peace and there is a time for war.  A time to forgive and a time to settle the score.  A time for babies to lose their lives, a time for hunger and genocide, and this too shall be made right.”

So, if you want to leave your porch light on and grit your teeth and wish for Casey Anthony to burn in Hell, then by all means do.  But if somehow, that doesn’t seem like the most fruitful use of your time, I would implore you to consider taking that anger and that love of justice and applying it liberally to something still within your grasp.  Help a child that is living in pain through Love146 or Freedom 4/24.  Help a brother or sister in Africa get clean water to drink through Blood:Water Mission.  Put a smile on the face of a child born with a cleft palate or other facial deformity through Operation Smile.  Whatever your passion, find a way to help someone who needs it, because Caylee no longer does.

“I don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door, and I join the oppressors of those I choose to ignore.  I’m trading comfort for human life, and that’s not just murder, it’s suicide.  And this too shall be made right.”

(Lyrics from “This Too Shall Be Made Right” by Derek Webb.)

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Jun
01
2011

…And I Would Walk 500 More


Today is June 1st, so it is officially the halfway point of the two-month Tread on Trafficking project I’m doing for the fantastic organization, Love146.  So far, my team (The Love Warriors) has raised $8,365.54 to stop sex trafficking, which is more than halfway to our goal of $15,000.

If you recall, my personal goal for the two-month stretch was to walk 100 miles, raise $500, and hopefully (in consequence) drop 20 pounds.  I figured the 20 pounds would be the hardest part of that equation, but that’s actually the only part that is on track at the halfway point.

As it stands, I have done 40 miles, raised $100, and lost 10 pounds.  So, that’s 40%, 20%, and 50% of the way to my goals, respectively.  My donations so far have been (very generous!) fixed amounts, rather than per mile, so I’m having a hard time getting motivated to crank out the miles.  I am determined to reach my goal of 100 miles, but honestly, that doesn’t matter to me as much as reaching the $500 goal, because that is really the part that is going to make a difference in the lives of these exploited and abused children.

So, I am reaching out again to ask you to consider giving a donation to this worthy cause, which will help me reach my goal, and more importantly, help save these young lives.  Donating is easy through the Tread on Trafficking site, and you can complete the transaction online HERE on my donation page.

If you’re on the fence about donating, be sure to read the Love146 “Love Story” – about how the organization got its name.  You can read about girl #146 here:  http://love146.org/love-story

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May
01
2011

Maybe I Was Dreamless and Full of Suffering

 

There are a few charities close to my heart, but starting today, for the first time, I am participating in an official campaign to raise money for one of them.  It’s a world-wide event for an organization called Love146 that works to rescue children from the sex trade running rampant in the world right now.  The event, Tread on Trafficking, begins today (May 1) and runs through the end of June.  Participants sign up and look for people willing to sponsor them per mile (or at a flat rate), with proceeds going to help Love146 continue their work – to rescue these children from suffering and help restore their dreams.

I am not a big fan of “exercise,” which is no mystery, but such is my belief in this organization that I am going to be getting off the couch to participate.  I have joined Bethany Joy Galeotti’s team, The Love Warriors, and our team goal is to raise $15,000 over the next two months.

My personal goal as part of this team is to raise $500 over the next two months, and I would love to double or even triple that, based on the support I receive from YOU.  Donations can be made directly to Love146 right now through my personal “Tread on Trafficking” page HERE.   

Of course, I appreciate any and all donations that you can give to this organization, and I understand why a flat donation may be easier or more comfortable for you.  However, I would love to have as many as are willing sponsor me PER MILE, so the harder I work, the more money I can raise, and we all win.  I’ll be doing my “miles” in various ways, so if I can’t accurately measure a “mile” out of a workout, then I will measure in 20-minute increments, which is roughly the time it takes me to “tread” one mile.  I have 8 weeks of “treading,” and I am setting myself a lofty goal of 100 miles.  So, if I achieve that, and you sponsor me for $1/mile, then together, we’ve raised $100 to stop sex trafficking.  Sponsor me for 50 cents/mile, and that’s $50. 

I can only assume that undertaking this project will cause me to drop a few pounds.  (Quite frankly, I am going to be highly annoyed if it does not, because otherwise I could be watching TV.)  So, if you want, you can even sponsor me per pound.  I have two months, so I’m setting a goal of 20 pounds.  At $1/pound, that’s $20 out of your pocket.  But if you’ve ever tried to lose weight, I think you’ll agree that a pound is worth more than a dollar.

So, please consider sponsoring me per mile, per pound, or at a flat rate.  I’ll keep you updated on my progress sporadically, and your support will keep me motivated as I do this!  If you want to come do some “miles” with me, then I invite you to come dance around the apartment with me, or take a stroll around town.

Above all, go check out www.Love146.org and consider getting involved!

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