My heel just split open from walking too much and lotioning not enough. It's ugly and it hurts. I really wish whoever's been in the only bathroom on this floor for the past 22 minutes would hurry their stilettos up so I can wash my heel in the sink and go about my business. There's really no point in washing, though. I guarantee you this baby will split open again when I go back outside to fetch another Starbucks in the next half hour. Just in case you're wondering, this is my second trip to Starbucks today and it won't be my last. Just in case you're curious, the Grande Nonfat Unsweetened Decaf Iced Coffee with Extra Ice and an Extra Splash of Skim Milk is not for me. It's for my BossLady.
My name is Andi. Some of you know me (hi there!), and maybe some of you don't. I'm an actress and a writer in New York City trying to make it here so I can make it anywhere. Life is fast-paced and brimming with fancy parties, late nights in paid-for cabs, hair tossing, and skipping down West Village streets in my new Marc Jacobs mini-dress and ironic jelly flats. Just kidding. Kind of. The jelly flats are real.
My life is the subway from Brooklyn, dodging pedestrians in midtown, and meeting my cohorts for free drinks at the bar that sometimes employs us when the magazine operating out of the office above it doesn't. My wardrobe is H&M, second-hand, ebay-won, or just a simple Japanese t-shirt and jeans sprinkled with a rotating array of plastic, animal-themed accessories. Yes, it's precious. I run to auditions during lunch and dinner hours trying to be an actor. I sneak into fashion shows and press events pretending to be a writer. In other news, I like shrimp.
And right now, I need to recap my life thus far to figure out where the heck I'm going...
For the past few months, I've been working a temp job that puts zee cash in le pocket. My office is white, my chair is black. The lobby is monochromatic. Whenever I walk down the hall The Boss stares at me from a sleek perch in a 5 foot high, glossy-black frame. It's a classy photo. I might go so far as to say it's "classic". When I turn the corner, there's The Boss again, this time grinning at me inquisitively, one hand posed underneath a taut chin. Once I finally make it to the bathroom and close the door, The Boss watches me make a TP nest. The Boss is everywhere and nowhere, and the whole place smells of navy.
Did I mention that I'm still waiting to use the bathroom?
So, here I am. Still in New York. I spend my best hours with Cohort for Life, Hamish, shooting off ideas, planning madcap adventures around the globe, and conspiring to paint this world in colors only we see. There aren't enough words for Hamish, so check out his photo of a beluga whale we met this weekend!
We run with a motley cast of characters. Among them is, of course, My Other Man, a.k.a. Jeff, a.k.a. my blood brother, a.k.a. the other man standing next to me at my wedding. All I can say about The Andi and Jeff Combo is watch out and hold on to your Tina. Jeff may seduce you with his southern charm, but his wit will knock you on your bumpkiss.
All of my free drinking is typically done in the company of the lovely Deirdre. We like to spin ideas, crash events for the free corn dogs, and pretend not to care about indie rock and the boys who play it. Who said that? Just kidding, Hamish! Deirdre not only lets me go to her awesome film festivals for free, she is always game for a pinata party. Together with "real Brit" Hamish, we sometimes translate our ennui and love of Brit-pop into this.
We also hang out with Joy. I'd link to Joy right now on her MySpace page, but you'll want to stalk her and she'll be really mad at me. Joy has boundless style, exquisite taste in books, and can write dirty limericks. When Deirdre and Joy and I are motivated, we write the most exciting parts of this magazine. Shut up, Gabe, you're with us! Gabe drinks beer on rooftops while singing M.I.A. songs in his head. We don't see him too much anymore because he's a serious journalist.
Josh is whimsical and funny. I still don't know if Josh likes me for me or just for my party snacks. Either way, he and Barbaro made me a sweet birthday card.
Bathroom break (insert Thanking Goodness).
I love the wonderful people I've met and continue to meet here in New York. I love that I've reconnected with old high school friends like Rosey and old college friends like Laura, Chris, and Travis who are also working in and around the theatre realm (sometimes I wish we can go back and tell our 16 year-old and 20 year-old selves that we will eventually end up here so not to worry). Having good people around makes living in this sometimes draining city bearable, especially when you miss your friends from back home or the ones who live on the other coast.
We all seem to have gathered here for the same reasons. Whether our ideas were weird growing up, we didn't feel like we fit in somewhere in Middle America, or we were simply captivated by the possibility of living out our dreams (yes, more than one!) here in real time. New York is still enchanting and challenging, but, most importantly it is now, most definitely home.
So, for those of you who were wondering where the heck I've been lately, that's about it. I'm doing a play (and getting used to reviews again...sigh), writing about stores I like, trying to go on as many auditions as possible, and getting copious amounts of coffee not necessarily intended for me. For those of you I haven't spoken to in awhile, I miss you. For those I've never met, I hope you're enjoying your day and have cracked a smile at least once already.
I've gotta go do some work now.
