Deep in thought

I just watched the Motorcycle Diaries. I really have no words right now. It was very moving. It's interesting what ideas are fed to us and we believe as children. Then, when we see or learn something about the "other side" or contrasting point of view it opens up an entirely new world. Wouldn't it be nice if we could look at every aspect of life objectively and make rational and educated descisions. I guess there will always be those narrow-minded individuals incapable of humanity and admiting they might be wrong. Don't misinterpret me. I don't discount anyone for sticking up for their ideals, but sometimes I wonder what this world would be like if we all just took a moment to understand eachother. And as my Granny would say, "Put that in your pipe and smoke it."

Simple pleasures

I LOVE crawling into bed with clean sheets that still smell like fabric softener right after I've shaved and I'm all smooth. Yep, I could just roll around in my sheets that way for hours. In fact, I love so much I had to get up and write about it. While I'm up and on the subject of things I like I'll run down a short list. I love easy open soup cans. That was just an incredible invention. I love dancing and singing in the subway just to make everyone stare. Luv free tickets to concerts...went to see Good Charlotte tonight...free tickets, can't beat that. I love finding new litte restraunts. I just discovered Maison on 52nd Street and 6th Ave. It's open 24/7 and looks and feels like a little French bistro. It completed my night perfectly. I love shopping in the middle of the night and buying random "As seen on TV" products just to see if they really work. Just a side note: Epil Stop and Spray was not nearly as effective as I had anticipated. What a disappointment, but it was an adventure trying. Next time I'll go with Nads. I love Spring when you can smell the blossoming trees. I love my iPod. I love banana pancakes. I love getting emails from friends. I loved today.

Update on my current bliss

In the past few days I've had quite a few things happen. I found myself a really cute pair of green shoes and got a great deal on them. So, naturally, I had to find a shirt or two to go with them. All for the sole purpose of strutting around the city with my friend Kim when we met for dinner and a movie. Dinner was at the Westside Cafe, Monte Cristo sandwiches and cheesecake for dessert. Yummy. I even received two comments on my swanky new ensemble. The movie was Fever Pitch. Kim and I could both relate, both widows to baseball. I also saw Sin City. Maybe I already wrote about this, I can't remember. Anyway, loved it...the art direction was outstanding. At times I felt as though I were looking at a pen and ink comic. Narration the entire time in true graphic novel style. Genious is all I can say. Tyler, Cami and Aaron all went along. This was preceeded by Chevy's. Gotta love the Tex Mex. I've really had a fantastic few days and I believe it's due to my making a conscious effort to maintain a positive attitude. Good Karma...and the result...most tips I've ever made in one day at work. Although I would like to say this was all a result of my optimistic outlook, it could also be attributed to the table of 20 Norwegian guys that I waited on as they guzzled massive amounts of alcoholic beverages. After several rounds of shots, Jager, peach schnapps, Hennesey, Absolut Citron, and so many beers I can't even begin to count them, I had them buying t-shirts, hats, pins and the list goes on. The bill for the alcohol alone was over $1000. Yet another reason why I don't drink. Far be it for me to deny anyone else the right though, I'll just stay sober and reap the benefits. Now, I'm home. I took a long bubble bath and shower with candles and all. I'm clean, smooth, relaxed and ready to sleep in. Sweet dreams to all. Tomorrow I'm going to treat myself to another new pair of shoes...special ones. ~Ro

The best birth control

Why...why would you bring a sick child into a loud crazy restaurant. I just don't understand. I'm bringing out the food to this family's table, a dad and three kids, and the little boy who's sick gets up, walks to the side of the table and begins puking all over the place. Ahhh...joyous. I think I completely froze for a few seconds. Puke was everywhere and going by all my other tables. I had to get the mop and clean it up because the dad took his son down to the bathroom and left me with the mess. I clean up the mess...appease my other tables...who, as a result, lost their appetites and had to leave...then, attempt to go about my business as if nothing happened. That was by far the most disturbing experience for me at Hard Rock. Then the family just stayed forever. Why wouldn't they want to get that little boy home. The poor little guy was laying on his dad's lap and couldn't even move. On top of it all, I didn't even get a great tip. I wanted to say "Are you kidding me? I clean up your kid's puke and this is all you leave me?" If it were my kid, first of all I would make sure the clean up situation was being handled, I would take my child home to care for him and I would leave a great tip...especially if another person had to clean up the mess. I understand that accidents happen and kids do stuff like that but please...be a responsible parent. I felt bad for the two other children. They were left there at the table without their dad, with a mess all around them, and eveybody starring. I went and talked to them to let them know that everything would be okay and not to worry. Poor things. Whatever, I made it through, and I hope it never happens again.

Hurly Burly and Ethan Hawke's Ass

Last night I went to see the play Hurly Burly staring Ethan Hawke and Parker Posey. Yep, just thirty feet away from him and he was just as glorious in real life as he was in Reality Bites. He begins the play crashed out on a sofa with his shorts half way down, yep, his bum exposed. Don't worry, there were boobies for the guys too. The play was very intense, quite a bit of dialogue and I'm still trying to take it all in. Oh yeah, Wallace Shawn was in it as well...aka...the "inconceivable" guy from Princess Bride. He was ablsolutely brilliant. We won't talk about the little bitch who played Donna who was completely dead pan...nothing behind her...just reading lines like she was in an elementary school play...who the hell is she sleeping her way to the top with. Whewwww.... Other than the little blond bimbo (who I'm feeling strangely violent towards) the show was a great experience. Now, the subway ride home was another story. How can it be that I live in one of most technologically advanced cities in the world but I can't even manage to get a train home. This is when I reach my breaking point. And oh boy did I ever. Yep, I was the CRAAAAZY bitch in the subway who started ranting after having transfered twice due to service changes and then watched two of the trains I was waiting for speed through the station. FINAL STRAW. "Oh that's just f'n great. Just speed past. NOOOBODY here is trying to get anywhere. We're all just standing down here in this godforsaken disgusting HELL HOLE for FUN! (that was the first train and here's when the second one passed) F*CK ME!!! THAT'S RIGHT...JUST BEND ME OVER AND I'LL TAKE IT UP THE ASS. OH...OH...AND WHILE YOU'RE AT IT WHY DON'T YOU CUT ME WITH CARDBOARD AND POUR LEMON JUICE IN IT." (keep in mind these are just highlights, I don't remember the the innate things that were streaming from my mouth, not that I would want to share them) All this while ranting, yep, ranting. That included jumping up and down, shaking arms wildly, then throwing them behind me as I chased after the train. Not one of my finest moments since I was yelling at a speeding train in an endless tunnel where noone could here me but the rats and a few bums hangin' around...who consequently moved away from me because I was actually acting crazier than they usually do. Yeah. I must admit though, it was liberating. Of course it didn't change the situation, but it did make me feel a lot better to get that all out. I did finally make it home, exhausted, and not really ready to start the whole process over again in a few hours. Wow. Gotta love those steaming piles of dog shit on the streets and sirens every five minutes. What a delightful and peaceful little city. Now that I've got that off my chest I'm off to bed. I have to serve a breakfast at Hard Rock tomorrow morning at 6am. Don't worry, I'll have sweet dreams of driving my Jeep Grand Cherokee through the canyons and being able to get anywhere in the city within 15 minutes. I miss Salt Lake, my family, my Jeep, and conveniences. Maybe someday I'll find a happy medium.

Torigasm

Yep, that's right. I went to see Tori. Here's how it went down. The show in New York was sold out so I bought tickets in Philly. I just had a feeling everything would work out, and it did. Gordon bought my extra ticket for his sister, April, and life it good. I took the Chinatown bus to Philly...a little smelly...but I endured. I was dropped off on 11th Street and April came to pick me up there. I had never met her but she turned the corner on her bike and I knew it was her. She was so sweet and welcoming. We walked back to her apartment on South Street to drop off her bike and my stuff, then I took off with her to experience a piece of the city. I instantly fell in love with Philly. I had so many experiences in those two days and I may have to write again about it later, but here's a quick rundown of highlights. - Shopped around on South Street, saw Tiny in Guacamole's - Ate Chinese food with April - General Tso's Chicken and delicious hot 'n sour soup - Bought hair dye to color April's hair while we watched Closer - Took a cab to the Kimmel Center because we thought we might be late, then when we realized she had an opening act, ran back to South Street to pick up our binoculars that we forgot - TORI TORI TORI - she was fabulous, one of the best shows I've seen her do...no band just her and the Bose - Ran past a security guard at a college next to the Kimmel Center to try and see Tori as she got into her bus - Got chased by a security guard with a broken toe, tried to climb on the roof...failed...tried to hide behind kilns...not smart or stealth...failed and ran back off campus - Had to go back to the campus to sweet talk our way back in to find binoculars that had been dropped during our escape - Stood under a light in front of some red cathedral doors where we did see Tori, we waved and she waved back...that was pretty cool - Took a cab to Dirty Frank's where we were going to do karaoke...30 second cab ride...we were indecisive...don't yell at us Gordon - Dodged Dirty Frank's and opted for Little Pete's Diner instead...tuna melts, egg white omelet with cottage cheese, hot chocolate and tea...yum - Talked and laughed all night (Cooper the Pooper, "Gimme a P. You got'cho P, you got'cho P") - Stopped by the Bean and met Blake the Bloke or Vampire...or whatever - Breakfast at Morning Glory's...pecan waffle, french toast with fresh strawberries - Listened to April's amazing journal entries and basked in the glow she radiates while we walked back to my Chinatown bus And that's how it ended. Overall it was two of the most incredible days I have ever spent. Thank you April, my new friend, for your spirit and your kindness, for showing me around Philly, for coming with me to the concert, for giving me a place to stay, for sharing. You are truly an angel on Earth. I hope our creative forces can oneday merge to construct something astonishing and fierce (in a good way). I have my mustard seed and I'm ready to make it work for me. Thank you Gordon for helping me out with the ticket. Thank you Tyler for giving me up for a night to feed my soul. I'm still on a high and I'm sure it will last for a while. Even work couldn't get me down. I'm ready for the next adventure. ~RochieB aka Silver Star

Picking up the pieces

Life is looking up. Although I returned to the hell that is Hard Rock, I have friends there and they are the only redeeming quality. Schleping burgers to hungry foreigners who speak little to no English and haven't quite figured out the tipping process is not my idea of a great time. Nor is keeping adolescents with bad manners and sticky hands calm while they wait the fifteen minutes it takes for their burger to arrive. It's critical at these times to never turn your back for more than 10 seconds or you will have a sculpture made from a mixture of ketchup, mustard, salt and Sweet 'n Low. This is usually topped of one of those little flags they stick in the burgers. Nice touch...how creative. Their mothers must be so proud. So, moving on. Tomorrow I am hair colorist extraodinaire. I will be coloring two of my new friends hair from HRC. I'm very excited and I'll post a picture of my work when complete. I'm doing highlights for one and blue/black with burgundy chunks for the other. Very exciting. I'm also hanging out with my friend Cami tomorrow. I haven't seen her for a few months and her husband is out of town so we get to play. I started auditioning after my humiliating experience and I feel like I'm back on track. Live and learn. "Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards." I read that somewhere as I was walking through the city and it struck me. Okay, I've learned. Now the second test is to not make the same mistakes. Great...a retake. So, I don't screw up anymore. That means, I triple check and prepare well in advance. Onto the best news. I'M GOING TO SEE TORI ON MONDAY IN PHILLY!!! Very good. Gordon bought my other ticket for his sister which is perfect. I haven't met April yet, but I'm not worried. I'm sure she's fabulous. I'm going to call my friend Scott because he knows the bass player for Tori, Jon Evans. You never know, maybe he can hook us up...better seats...back stage passes. It's all about the connections baby! Maybe I can go check out the Walnut Street Theatre while I'm there. I'm going to audition for them next Tuesday right after I get back to NY. Now, I must try and sleep, which has been an impossible task lately. I can't get my mind to slow down. This sucks because my body is exhausted and my mind could run a marathon. I've always had this problem. I hadn't really thought about it until lately, but I was always high strung at night. My mom used to have to sing to me or rub my head until I could sleep. I'm sure this got old for her because she was replaced by a tape of ocean sounds. I just stress myself out too much about succeeding. It used to be about school. Get one "A" and you're expected to get them forever (or so I thought). Now, it's auditioning, work, marriage, family, bills, housework. I only wish it was as easy as a test or a paper I have due and a tape with ocean sounds would make it all go away. But it's life and I take it one day at a time. If I have time tomorrow and it's not raining I'm going to take some pictures around my neighborhood so I can do some pen and ink drawings. Maybe if I take some time to escape life for a while I will be able to deal, prioritize and finally get some restful sleep. Goodnight.