Mom's Return for More Fun in the City!
Well after my visit with Lily and Jamie, I quickly had to shift gears and get ready for the arrival of my mother. I must admit that in anticipation for this visit I had assembled a ToDo list of things that I would like to accomplish with her. The two main things on that list were to really spice up the common area and give it the Michelle touch and to see a Broadway show.
It was my ultimate goal to finish editing my 1st book before my mom was to arrive because I knew that in all reality once she was here, I would accomplish very little.
I ended up making my goal, and after having lost three days of solid work was able to see the importance of backing up a person's work. I do have an Icloud account, but in reality I have no idea of what to do when it comes to using it. These companies are very good at instilling this sense of fear in you and then leaving you to be lost in the dark. I guess I am one of the millions of people who (if in a pinch) would pay a lot of money to retrieve lost files. Oh well I guess "the cloud" is just part of life that I should become comfortable with.
One of the great things, other than living in total comfort, about having my mom come and pay me a visit is that she comes fully equipped with items to improve the appearance and operation of my apartment. I asked her to bring this quilt from Alaska so that I could put it on my bed in my new room in the city.
This quilt is indeed an antique and in itself is kind of falling apart, but it was so important that this quilt eventually made it to New York City. I feel like it brightens my room and actually makes it appear to be quite attractive. I can still remember when and where I was when I purchased this quilt. At the time I thought that it was absolutely beautiful, and I still do. I remember I went into the "Ornamentary" a little gift shop that is only open during the Christmas and Easter season. As I was browsing this shop during the Christmas season, I came across a laundry rack that featured a variety of beautiful handmade quilts. They were only $35, and I knew that one day I would bring this quilt to my NYC apartment. I am pleased to announce that day has finally arrived.
As I went to checkout, I remember my dad was with me. I proceeded to tell the lady who owned the shop my plan to bring this gorgeous quilt to my apartment that I would one day rent in New York. She was happy that I would be decorating my room with such style and grace but was ultimately sad that I was not planning to stick around the 'Banks.
Even though I really have no plan to live back in Fairbanks, I'm afraid that my love for Fairbanks is something that will never fade away. It is my ultimate dream to one day be able to originate a Broadway musical (that I will write of course) in Fairbanks to further bring awareness to our state about the importance of arts for personal development.
When my mom first came to my apartment, I helped her up the stairs and then we put away some stuff. Then pretty much immediately we went over to join some friends at "Don't Tell Mama." Of course Shirley was part of the gang that we met at the piano bar and she told us that night that she was going over to "The Birdland." Being a true enthusiast of "The Birdland," it has been my mission for several years to get my mom over to see this landmark and all its glory! Out of the blue she mentioned that on this night she would be up for a late night at "The Birdland." To say that I was shocked would have been an understatement. I couldn't believe that after 5,000 of travel and some definite schlepping, that she was up for a night that might go until 1 AM. But she persevered! The first photo of this blog features the two of us at "The Birdland" with an epic photo bomb by the one and only Billy Stritch! Now, Billy is beyond talented and was actually Liza Minnelli's accompanist and musical arranger. I have been to "The Birdland" a number of times and have never seen him stressed or at all frantic. His repertoire is unreal and his talent is off the charts. I have seen him make arrangements on the spot, offer assistance to singers who didn't know the melody or lyrics, and he also sings in the style of Mel Tormé.
I have to say that my mom is such a mother. Ever since we saw "Beauty and the Beast" in the West End my love for theatre has absolutely captivated her. She knows how much I adore going to the theatre and oftentimes tells me that she doesn't know what to look at, me or the stage.
After that late night out, we managed to catch the subway, and then immediately went to bed.
The next day we went over to Shirley Scott's lovely apartment next to the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridge. The view at this apartment is absolutely unreal and the amenities are outstanding. First we had a beautiful salmon dinner in Shirley's apartment, and then we ventured down to the movie theater to watch the new Mr. Roger's movie starring Tom Hanks. For dinner, dessert, and pre-film merriment, bass player Steve Doyle joined us. It was so special to have him socialize with us and establish himself as one of the crew!
Here's a photo of the "screening room" inside of Shirley's apartment. This is not a photo from the Mr. Roger's film, however, this should give you a general idea. She makes these events so special by packaging up little cookie packets for us to enjoy and also has those cute "Popcorn containers," which are always fun.
Wednesdays I refer to as my therapy day. I see my general therapist at Bellevue in the afternoon and then in the evening I make sure to go to my Bipolar support group uptown on the Westside. I feel so blessed to be part of a community where an entire group can be devoted to one specific mental illness. Whenever my mom pays me a visit she makes sure to visit the friends and family group. I kind of go to this group religiously. I feel quite confident that I am now in a place where I have learned to utilize strong coping skills, am compliant with my medication, and can identify and avoid any triggers that disrupt my way of life. I feel that it's so important to ensure that I stay in check by going to groups like this, and refer to my continued need for therapy as "maintenance."
Ever since the month of August when I started attending this group, I have been an active participant in all meetings that I attend, so much so that I was invited to attend a training to be a group facilitator. What a privilege and honor, to be able to brighten other people's days.
On the subway ride home we had to transfer over to another line. When we got there we were able to see a rat scurrying around on the platform. Many were oblivious to the action, while many including myself were clearly shaken. Here's a photo that was taken by my mother that captures the sheer terror that I experienced while observing this rat who was obviously scrounging for some leftovers.
There's a part of Miss Saigon (one of my all-time favorite musicals) where "the engineer" says "Welcome to... Dreamland." I don't really feel like their version of dreamland is amazing. It just features a Vietnamese gentleman's club, however as I walked into the Al Hirshfield theatre, I felt like I was truly in a dreamland. It was so magical and lively. I had previously learned at my Producers Pro. Convention that this show was so expensive to put on that it would take five years to recoup their initial investment. With that being said this show was absolutely amazing. I think they must have really done their homework and knew exactly what to do in order to please the audience. This show featured a lot of production numbers with amazing choreograph and more glitz and glamour than you could shake a stick at. This show was simply amazing and I would highly recommend it. Several times while watching it and I couldn't imagine that it was even possible for it to get better, that's when the can-can dancers would come on.
The next step was to go spend some time in Connecticut. Part of that five star weekend which featured ... family, food, and fun was a chance to get manicures and pedicures with my cousin Maggie. Well technically she's the daughter of my first cousin J.R., but I just like to call her my cousin, it makes me feel younger, plus it's easier.
Whenever I go through this nail process I can't help but think of the Missy Elliot song "Work It" and put a minor alteration on to the lyrics "Get a pedicure, get your nails did." For this picture it was my idea to showcase our nails in a ridiculous thriller type pose. Maggie, being a good sport, was a bit reluctant, but compliant.
As soon as we got home our minds immediately shifted gears to decorating the common area. Because it is a Risse virtue to conserve money, we managed to find the "duncan phyfe" table out with the trash that was along the sidewalk, schlepped it up the stairs, and proceeded to scour the heck out of it in the bath tub. I must say that it now serves as my writing desk and is readily available for a dinner party because the table can open up and accommodate quite a large crowd.
Many of the photos/prints that I've decided to hang in the living room I either purchased at BroadwayCon or had from my year-long stint up in Barrow. The couch cover was ordered by my Aunt Pat and initially we thought that it would serve as a rug, but when we draped it upon my couch it was just perfection and it will stay there until the day that I move.
The last thing that we did, before my mom was to take off was have lunch with Helen Baldasare. Now, Helen was a Cabaret artist that came up to Fairbanks during the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. When she met me I was absolutely obsessed with Judy Garland and throughout the years we have somehow remained in contact. I'll attribute this ability to remain in touch with friends to my mother, the ultimate queen of corresponding, however I do think that I am a good student who will one day join the ranks of "the best."
Here's a photo of me with Helen backstage looking a little reminiscent of Laura Ingalls and a photo of us today outside of a NYC restaurant. This is a testament that true friendship never grows old.
