The Beginning is The End is The Beginning...

It's been a month...

Well, more than a month now, but still... I made it.

And boy, have things shaped up this past week.

Where did we leave off? ::flipping pages::

Ah, here we are. 

My work week finished out well. I have found an extended family at my office and enjoy their company immensely. I am not just a receptionist either, folks. I am an assistant to the associates of my office, fulfilling their office requests with efficiency and professionalism. But enough about work for the moment. Something was set into motion this past week that has become the forefront of my efforts.

Last week, my good friend, Tony, was hired to work at the Apple store in SoHo. Public congratulations to you, buddy. :) And with his hiring, he had mentioned to me that I should apply and see what happens. I was hesitant at first because I knew every other person my age in this city was looking to work for Apple as well. Regardless, I submitted my application/resume/soul to Apple and waited to see what would happen...

Saturday morning. I check my e-mail and I have a message from the recruiter at Apple:

Congratulations!

You have been selected from the many hopefuls that have applied to work at our Apple Retail Store. You possess something that we are looking for and we want to meet you!

You're invited!

Wow... that was fast. Not even twenty-four hours and I got a response. I RSVP'd for a slot in the Tuesday evening group and headed over to The Ladies of Steinway apartment to watch the Gators stick it to the Vols.

And they did. Way to go, Gators. But the twist in the plot this week was the company I shared on that afternoon and evening. I was reunited with Matt C, Salome, and Joe. Also along for the Gator mania were the usual suspects (Lauren, Brittany, Becky), Amy, and Jared, a friend of Salome and Matt. This evening would be historic as well for the long-awaited game of Four Square would be played out to decide who truly was king of the squares.

An interesting occurence in our game came near the darkening hours of the afternoon. Some players complained that they were losing sight of the ball and depth perception wasn't even possible. We were laughing, taunting, mocking, insulting, and all in all having a blast when suddenly from next door, George, the landlord of the building begins to ask in a loud voice:

"What are you doing here? Who let you in?"

Silently, I am nominated spokesman for the group: 

"... Uhhhhhhhh, we're friends with your tenants from upstairs... and we were just..."

"This is not a playground! You cannot come out here and play! There are other people around trying to relax. Stop playing out here and leave!"

"... ::looking around:: Sorry, sir, I wasn't aware that we weren't allowed to use this barren piece of concrete in the backyard to play. We'll go upstairs and cause no more trouble. All you had to do was ask. My apologies."

Shocked, we all climbed the stairs back to the apartment. What was even more confusing was that it was 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday... Don't really think anyone was bothered by us playing Four Square. Eh, but there was nothing we could do. The fact we had played for so long and not lost interest was enough to be proud of... and deserving of another drink. :)

We reveled in glory for a bit but noticed that our afternoon drinking habits had led to early evening munchies. Off down Ditmars to find sustinence... 

And we found it at Alba's Pizzeria. I wasn't too hungry myself so I enjoyed some free garlic knots our waiter brought to our table... Dinner was great with memorable conversation, candid photos, and good friends.

On Sunday, I had nothing planned until I got a phone call from George to invite me out to Chat-n-Chew to meet up with he and Glen for some catching up. It was great to see Glen and know that another UF alumnus was around. After a little while, we left Chat-n-Chew with Danny and headed back downtown while Glen caught a cab home. 

I killed some time at the boys' apartment before heading home for the night. As usual, the subway provided me with ample entertainment while I waited for the N...

Please note the Bloc Party sticker:

The alarm went off as it does every morning on Monday and christened a new week with its infernal ringing. But today was going to be exciting come evening time. My landlord, Brian, had been kind enough to offer me a ticket to the opening night gala of the Metropolitan Opera (which henceforth shall be called The Met). I was excited... My first performance viewing in New York and it was going to be at The Met? Yeah, try calming yourself down.

On the program for this evening was the following:

- The main performer of the evening was to be Ms. Renee Fleming, the top soprano in the U.S.

Performing scenes from three operas, including;

~ Act II of Verdi's La Traviata 

~ Act III of Massenet's Manon

~ The Final scene of Strauss' Capriccio

- Also in attendance was Mr. Thomas Hampson, top baritone of the U.S.

- Did I forget to mention celebrities? 

Because I saw quite a few while waiting on the Red Carpet before the doors opened. 

Here are a few I caught photos of before my camera started acting up:

Barbara Walters

James Taylor :)

Faye Dunaway (center) with her biddies

Rufus Wainwright (left) and his partner [Rufus looks happy to be there, doesn't he?]

One of my favorite shots, though I have no clue who this model is...

A star-filled evening, wouldn't you say? Though I was unable to photograph it, I was fortunate enough to shake hands with John Tuturro and comment on my admiration of his work, which was met with a grin, a firm shake, and a sincere "Thank you." Martha Stewart asked me if I thought her dress looked nice and I responded that no one could wear it better than she did. (To which the old women around me quipped, "Looks better than an orange jumpsuit, eh, Martha?") 

These women provided me with an hour of comic relief, pointing out fake breasts, hideous outfits, and mocking non-celebrities that were walking on the Red Carpet simply because of their pocketbooks. It was time to head inside for the start of the show...

If you have never been to The Met, I highly recommend seeing a performance in your lifetime. the scale of this place was mind-boggling. I sat on the very top of the auditorium and could see EVERYTHING. 

Look at this:

Gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. And the show was not only outstanding but pleasing on all the senses. Fleming's voice caressed the space like rising incense and her characterizations pulled you into the brief snapshots of each opera. I found myself tearing up during Manon while she pleaded with her lover to remember her, asking: "N'est-ce plus ma main?" Truly touching stuff... or maybe I'm just a huge sap. Probably a bit of both.

Monday ended and Tuesday strolled in. I spent most of my work day reading up on Apple.com sharpening my knowledge of software, Macs, iPods, Apple TV, etc ad infinitum to prepare for my interview that evening. Work flew past and soon, I was in the Apple lobby on the 29th Floor of the Citigroup Centre on 53rd St and Lex Ave filling out Availability sheets and a brief test to determine where we were with out knowledge of Apple products and such.

I arrived an hour early (hooray only working about 6 blocks away!) and got to work on the paperwork. I walked to a counter where several Macbooks lay open and on, just begging to be used. Pulling up a stoll to the ONLY Macbook Pro on the counter, I salivated as I filled in my information. This computer simply impressed me, most especially when I was watching movie trailers in 1080p from Apple. I have set a goal to have a Macbook Pro or the next evolution of it by next summer. It's everything I want in a laptop and more (though I cannot complain about my Dell. It serves me well, even now I am writing this from my Dell. PC isn't all that bad...). 

But I digress... Soon, Joe, a recruiter, came out and escorted us to a conference room with 30 or so seats. And the group I was with was counted at 32, one of the largest groups they had brought in EVER. Suddenly my chances of being recognized in a sea of faces were dwindling, but I knew that if I just asserted myself, I would be noticed. And you'll never guess... it worked.

We discussed the Retail Stores nation- and worldwide, touching on the impressive track record Apple has made over the past 7 years. Mary, the presentor and recruiter, engaged us with questions about our own experiences at the Apple Store and the view that this wasn't just a job, rather it was a culture thatintegrated technology and human relationship to create a hybrid that was the beginning of a new age in technology. I was inclined to agree. Technology isn't an objective entity, but an extension of humanity and is best utilized when built to bring any user to a state of evolution and growth. Open-floor discussions revealed the personalities of other candidates in the room (which, I am sad to say, also exposed those that probably shouldn't have been there to begin with). Then came introductions... Yes, they made all 32 of us introduce ourselves and tell them, "Why Apple?"

People plugged their lifelong Mac use, the "addiction" or "obsession" they had with Apple products, and one gentleman even told a story of falling in love with the Mac while trying to appear busy and get an Apple employee's number at an Orlando location. Inevitably, it came around to be my turn. And I am not one to disappoint... espcially being the only actor in the room.

"Hello, my name is Ryan Ruby. I'm an actor. And... ::dramatic pause, hangs head::

...I've been a PC user my whole life." 

::laughter::

"I know you're all surprised... but I've been talking with my doctor and I think I'm going to make it. But seriously, guys, I want to be a part of a company that stands at the top of a field they invented themselves and that grows organically to fulfill the needs of its new and repeat customers."

There was more to it but I can't recall it. (Sue me.) At the end of it all, I shook my recruiters hands with the hopes that by the end of the evening I would have an e-mail sending me to a second interview. I was not to be disappointed.

Just barely over three hours later I received an e-mail message with the following subject line:

"Apple Fifth Avenue - Second Interview"

After I managed to stop myself from giggling like a little girl in a doll shop, I opened it and read:

"Dear Ryan,

Congratulations on proceeding to the next steps. Your second interview will be held Thursday, Sept. 25th at 9:30 a.m. at

Apple Fifth Avenue

blah blah blah blah address

so on and so forth..." 

SWEET! Totally stoked, I went to sleep and felt that I might actually stand a chance...

Wednesday. Just a regular ol' weekday. 

That is, until I returned to my second home on Steinway and Ditmars.

Last Minute-B.Y.O.B.-Project Runway-Apples to Apples-Event!!!

In attendance, we had:

- Recent Astoria residents Ricky (So glad you're here, buddy. Not goin'.) and Ben "Flaming Bag O' Douche" Whitmore ( You knew it was coming)

- The Usual Suspects (aka the ladies that live there)

- Joe, RJ, myself, Joey, Danny, and George

I have somehow managed to bring myself to a new level of tolerance for Project Runway (and I realize writing that on my blog may very well throw my sexual orientation into question... but fret you not. The right people know the truth.) 

After watching a rather pathetic episode, Brittany brought out a game called "Apples to Apples." The way the game is played goes like this:

Two kinds of cards: Green and Red. 

Each player gets seven (7) Red cards which are nouns (You remember what nouns are, right? People, places, and things? Remember that?)

Sitting in a circle, each player has a turn at being "Judge," whose responsibilities are to draw a Green card (on which an adjective is written), announce it to the other players, and based on the cards that the others lay down, decide which best fits the given adjective.

To win, you must have the most Green cards in the circle. 

 This is where you start wondering where this story is going... but one of the funniest moments occured when Ricky drew a Green Card that read "Melodramatic."

Strange answers sometimes come up... like Picking Your Nose or Bonbons or something. Ricky was almost in tears as he listed the nouns we had given him. And then he came to mine (but no one knew but me), which read, "Schindler's List." He couldn't even speak for a minute or two (and neither could any of us) because we were laughing so hard. Classic...

However, despite my attempt to collect the most Green cards, Brittany mopped the floor with us. Seriously... it was embarassing.

The color dynamic was too good to pass up.

The Cards

After I collected my remaining self-respect and dignity off the floor, I headed home for an early bedtime. Thursday was going to be a big day... starting with my second interview for Apple.

I was able to sleep in an extra ten minutes this morning because the Apple Store Fifth Avenue is about a BLOCK from the Fifth Ave stop on the N train (which will be CLUTCH in winter time). I arrived thirty minutes early and got a good snapshot of the famous glass "cube" above the store. And I bet that if you've never seen that before, it's messing with your mind a bit. Seeing it in person is a whole experience in itself.

I went inside and stood at the designated area in line with other interviewees, some of which I recognized from my Tuesday group. Happy to see them, I immediately relaxed and prepared to show these people all that I had to offer. In line I also met Gloria So, who interviewed with my friend Tony a few weeks back. We hit it off and chatted briefly about our mutual friend. Jamie came out and brought us to what I later referred to as the "Inner Sanctum" of Apple Fifth Ave.

A conference room with eight armchairs around a pure white table with a projector and screen on the wall by the door. We all sat and settled in. We shared a round of introductions in which we introduced ourselves by name, the position(s) we had interest in, full- or part-time, a Customer Service experience that was memorable and why (didn't have to be in an Apple store, though most referenced Apple), and why we had chosen to apply at Apple.

My introduction... didn't live up to the last one but certainly got my point across. I even went so far as to quote Howard Hughes, "It's the way of the future," which brought nods and knowing smiles. Following this, we held group discussions over quotations from people within the Apple Corporation. It was very enjoyable to have a chance to just talk amongst ourselves about certain aspects of the company and its application on a retail level, just hearing how my peers viewed the work we were going to be doing. I think that just stems from me enjoying dialogue with intelligent people... which this group was without a doubt.

Our benefits were mentioned again and only brought hopes of another interview or a job. Afterwards as I left, I shook hands with all my recruiters again and headed back to the street level. Gloria and I exchanged contact information so we could all get together sometime in the near future and I headed to work.

Work was fun today. It was Amanda's birthday and I was put in charge of finding her a cake. My buddy, John, mentioned that we should try and find an ice cream cake. I immediately hopped on my computer at my desk and put Google to work. Alas, I found a Baskin-Robbins on 31st St. and Fifth Ave. I was handed the appropriate funds and headed to Grand Central. One stop towards downtown brought me to 33rd St. And I didn't mind hoofing it a block or two... not in this gorgeous weather.

I arrived at the combination Dunkin Donuts-Baskin Robbins-Subway and approached the cake fridge. A Baskin Robbins employee stood beside me and spoke so rapidly while naming the flavors of each cake that I was almost certain it wasn't English. I made an executive decision for the Mint Chocolate Chip cake because something told me it was the right choice. She took the cake, wrote the appropriate message, and wrapped it up nice and tight. After paying for it, I noticed a new flavor of ice cream I had never tried... Swirl of Change, which was apparently the Democratic flavor from Baskin Robbins. And let me tell you something... if the taste of that ice cream reflects the tone of the years to come after Obama is elected President (yeah, you see I didn't say "IF"), then I think I'm going to be in Heaven. :) 

I returned to work and my efforts were rewarded with smiling faces and full stomachs. Everyone loved it. John even said, "I think that's the best cake we've had in here... ever." I was just pleased with making Amanda happy on her birthday. We all enjoyed the cake as the afternoon flew past. My afternoon was looking good with the hope of getting home and enjoying a roast beef sandwich with some good music and relaxation. But my day wasn't over...

Walking to the elevator on my floor, I felt my phone vibrate. It showed that I had a new voicemail message but no missed call. Giving my inbox a listen, I heard the voice of an Apple associate calling me with a "follow-up" call and requesting me to call her back as soon as I could. However, my phone made it difficult to hear certain digits of the number she left and I ended up being one digit off. 

I didn't stop there though. Since I figured something might be wrong with the number, I called the Apple Store and asked to speak with the associate who called me. Unfortunately, she had stepped out for the day when I called. I left a message with the gentleman on the line and crossed my fingers.

Later this evening, I listened to the message again and got the correct digits only by playing the message through speakerphone. I called and left another message for this associate, requesting a call at her earliest convenience, and thanking her for the quick reply this afternoon.

Now, I wait. Another interview? Possibly. Only time will tell.

This weekend should prove to be exciting though as I am visiting my sister and her husband at their beautiful home in Elverson, PA. A couple days to enjoy nature and family... I can't complain.

This was a long post but too much happened in eight days. I think you're all caught up now...

I miss you. I love you.

Good night and good luck.

Pioneering the Falls...

It's amazing what listening to fantastic music can do to a person...

I downloaded Interpol's most recent release "Our Love to Admire" back onto my computer today. iTunes 8 has been very kind and quite fun to use (please, check it out. It's an experience if you really love your music). Anyhow, I reacquired my iPod from Ms. Nordvig yesterevening whilest enjoying some fine company over at the Beer Garden. The group consisted of, according to Shaun, "a whole lot of Florida people."

In attendance were: Myself, Chris, Katy, Shaun, Meg, Justin, Lauren, Becky, Brittany, and RJ. Quite a bit, wouldn't you say? But I'm getting ahead of myself... Let's start at the beginning.

INTERPOL = on my ipod and back in my life and rocking (seriously, give them a listen.)

Got that? Now the story...

Sunday night, I had told Tony, Joey and Danny's roommate, that I would help him construct his bed. Thus, Monday afternoon, I borrowed my roommate's screwdrivers and pair of pliers and headed to the Financial District. After having the trains screw me over THREE different times while heading there (each train I boarded would take me two stops down and call "Last Stop," the order to leave the train because service for that train was ending), it was good to be above ground and enjoying the weather. It has been exceptionally beautiful out for the past few days, though the chill's coming out now. :) I love it. So, I got to Tony's and we got to work.

Prelim to final pics: (Oh and P.S. we did this with NO instructions)

Well, we were proud of it. So there.

We hung out a bit afterwards, watching "What the (bleep) Do We (k)now?" and discussing the power of positive thinking, as ridiculous as that sounds. I left with a strong sense of accomplishment and self-awareness. I strolled to the train with a feeling that something was going to happen... Tomorrow morning would bring exciting things.

And did it. At 9:02 a.m., I hear "Baby gurl, wat's your name? (name?) Let me talk to ya,(ya) Lemme buy you a drank.(drank) I'm T-Pain,(Pain) you know me (me)..." I answer.

"Hello?" ::cough::

"Hey Ryan, it's Karen."

"Kaaaaaaaaaaaaarrreeeeeennn... I knew my morning was going to start off right."

::laughter:: "Well, I was calling to see what you were doing today. And if you were interested in taking something last minute for work..."

"Karen, I'm down. Let me grab some paper and a pen and lay the info on me."

BANG. I have work today. Up and out of bed. Karen told them I'd be there at 10:45 at the latest. It was 9:15 now. I had to get to Broad St. (Which, if you don't know, is DOWNTOWN Manhattan) from my place in Astoria. Time would be tight but if I moved just fast enough, I'd be EARLY. Fast forward to 10:30 as I am walking down Wall Street... where The Lehman Bros. have just filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the largest in U.S. history. (If you aren't aware of your surroundings and haven't been researching the recent panic on Wall Street as banks collapse, get on that. Seriously.) I'm arriving a couple hours after opening bell so the street is just vibing with its usual hustle-and-bustle. I got inside and met Angie, my first "supervisor." She escorted me from the lobby to the 30th floor, chatting with me about how easy the day would be and my responsibilities.

::DING::

Doors open. And we were there...

Small office... yet classy at the same time. Anyway, I sat in aforepictured chair at the computer and watched Wall Street unravel before my eyes on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and... Fark.com. The day was rather laid back with the most fun of the day came while packaging computers for international shipping via FedEx. I discovered great joy and pride in preparing these packages for shipping. I contacted FedEx, inquired the necessary forms for shipping and got to work. I prepared a Commercial Invoice, describing the contents of the packages for Customs Officers to read before it leaves. I finished all that before lunch at 2 p.m. when I walked out into one of the saddest things I'd seen in a while.

Not to be overdramatic or overly emotional, the sight evoked a stirring for change and the need to fix this country as soon as possible. Businessmen in suits carrying boxes, people on their cell phones, news cameras, reporters, photographers, police, bystanders (including me) were all concentrated onto one street. As I walked across the street immediately regretting not bringing my camera, I saw one gentleman in a fine suit on the curb with his head in his hands, his belongings in a box next to him, weeping. I slowly walked away from him into Starbucks, searching for something to make the day a little more tolerable. I found a Double Chocolate Chip Frappe with Old Fashioned Crumb Cake as a treat. After consuming my indulgence, I walked back across the street in a hardened New York manner up to the office. I finished the day and walked out with Angie and down Broad St towards the NYSE.

Less press, less people, more space.

It was a desolate besides the few pedestrians still herding around the remaining press of the day.

I got to talking to Eddie, which was really great. We both had alot to catch up on and we did. It was the right way to end my day on the phone with one of my dearest friends. (That read really lame, didn't it? Eh, whatever.) I was feeling good, heading back to my place for some roommate bonding with J-wizzle. Good times, as usual, with some electric guitar playing and some serious rocking.

TUESDAY: Surprisingly, no call today from Karen. That's alright. Work will come.

I spend my day organizing my life finally. Sorting clothes, properly hanging things, making my bed (for the first time all week, ugh) were on the agenda and got done, I'm proud to say. Soon, day became early evening and Chris and I were going to hang out over on 30th Ave. WHEN I received a phone call from a goddess... a Norwegian goddess, if you're craving details. ;) Lauren informs me of a gatherig of EPIC proportions over at the Beer Garden on 24th Ave and 31st St. Chris and I gather ourselves up and headed down the road to meet Katy. It was great seeing Katy for the first time since the move and she's been up to some really awesome stuff. Awfully proud of you, Katy.

Beer Garden.

Beer, Broads, Benches, Beer, and (did we mention?) Beer?

Grab your pitcher in the lobby, some plastic cups, and haul outside to choose from the expanse of picnic benches. What a place... So now, we're at the point where we are caught up to the early exposition.

In attendance were: Myself, Chris, Katy, Shaun, Meg, Justin, Lauren, Becky, Brittany, and RJ. Quite a bit, wouldn't you say? <-----remember that?

So that was fun... a couple beers and lots of good conversation. I adore these people.

Home early though, I had to be at 250 Park Avenue by 9 a.m.

TODAY: Alarm goes off at 7:05 a.m. ::click:: ZZZZzzzzzzzzz

7:10 a.m. Out of bed and into the shower

Dressed to the 9s, I head to the train station. The trip into Manhattan in morning is quite gorgeous on the N train.

Fast forward~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Grand Central Station

Walking out on the Lexington Ave side into the flow of people already pulsing on the sidewalk veins of this beating city was invigorating. the brisk morning air tossing people's clothing about and scooping the dry heat from the subway away...

The Helmsley Building

Yeah, this just happens to be down the block from my office.

I make my way into the lobby and the chain of events went something... like this...

- Photographed by webcam for "Visitors Pass" issued to me which was valid until tomorrow

- Through a scanning turnstill which recognized my barcode identity and allowed me access.

- Elevator to second floor and into my new office

Across from me sits Cindy-Sue, who is the brains of the operation. LoL, I am simply in charge of any overflow calls from the office. Which means if the phone doesn't ring, I just have to make sure I am ready to answer it if it should ring.

So I browsed the Internets... always fun.

Solitaire rounded my day out and I realized that I had been able to kill that much time just by reading articles online and researching random topics that caught my fancy. I might just bring a good novel in and put my feet up...

And here I sit, your humble narrator, listening to the hum of my roommate's computer in the other room and tapping keys of my keyboard as the night truly begins. Whatever I'm doing... I won't be out late. Just because I sit around all day doesn't mean I shouldn't show up on time.

"You don't hold...

A candle

You don't hold...

A candle."

- "Pace Is The Trick"

I miss you all. I kept the fortune I got in a fortune cookie the first time I ate Chinese food in the city... You'll never guess what it said...

"Do not forget you are always on our minds."

:) Well, you're on my mind, too.

Good night.

When It's Nine in the Afternoon...

So my apologies to you all for not being more frequent in my updates over the past two weeks. My camera devours batteries and money being what it is, I chose sustinence over blogging...

Though I must admit in making this choice, I felt alot less happy. Thus have I returned, to tell of the happenings of the past two weeks through photos and written word. Let's start when we last spoke...

Wing Night with Josh, Sarah, Angel, Joey, and Amy

Good fun, good food, good drinks... and a tingling sensation that lasted all the way home. After destroying five or so large platters of hot wings and rib tips, five pitchers of Bud Light (Joey drinking an entire pitcher of Bud by himself), we were presented with "Swamp Water," which you see above this paragraph. Let me just say this... if you weren't drunk after all those pitchers of draft beer, "Swamp Water" is the nail in the coffin. Did we sip from these fish bowls filled with liquor-goodness? Of course not. We drank them down to the bottom as quickly as possible (mostly to relive all those nights in Gainesville when you'd challenge your friend to finish their beer in the next 10 seconds to see who stumbled over to get the next one). All in all, I think Wing Night at Brother Jimmy's may be a regular thing for me.

The rest of the week was a blur of interviews, handing out resumes, and shaking hands. I met so many different restaurant managers and business owners that I began to lose track of who was who, which in the end simply made the disappointment of not hearing from them less impactful. I ended nearly losing hope until I interviewed with a temporary staffing agency that my good friend, Monique, works for (or worked for, as of this past Friday. She was hired by the company that she had been temping for on 42nd St & 5th Ave.) I was nervous all weekend in preparation for the 12:00 noon interview with Karen... so nervous in fact, I was without my resume until I walked into the office Monday morning to fill out my paperwork.

When I arrived, I was greeted by Kerry, who was one of the sweetest women I've ever met. She welcomed me into the conference room and laid out the necessary paperwork for me to fill out. I openly admitted to feeling like I was back in school about to take a final exam with the amount of paper I had to fill out. She smiled sweetly and assured me that it wouldn't be too difficult. She was right... it wasn't difficult, it was just alot of information that was needed from me to ensure my employment. Needless to say, 45 minutes later, I called Kerry via the conference phone to inform her I was done and she promptly returned to inform me that my interviewer would be right in. And that's when I met Karen.

Karen was amazing. Not only were we able to discuss certain aspects of the jobs I would be going out for, we discussed EVERYTHING; music, life in NYC, theatre, my family, ad infinitum. Not only did I get a fantastic conversation from the interview, I believe I made a friend, too. :) After about two hours, our dialogue fell to politics... and I learned that she is voting for Obama come Novemeber as well. I replied, "Karen, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." To which she laughed and retorted, "Ryan, before we send you out, we'll need you to stop being so shy... could you do that?" ;)

I left the building elated and met with Monique downstairs to grab some lunch. We strolled up the block from Suzanne's and went into this nice eatery where I ordered a HUGE cheeseburger and snagged some pita chips with an A&W Cream Soda. Monique and I ate together and caught up and went our separate ways, assured that we would see each other again soon. 

Skip Tuesday and jump to Wednesday. My first NY audition for a production of an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" called "What You Will." Believe it or not, this theatre wanted to perform it in a hip-hop style. Being excited for this would have been an understatement. I walked into the audition with extreme confidence, mostly because I was there to have fun. being cast was the last thing on my mind, especially after I was informed they were looking primarily for Equity actors, which I am not... yet. However, upon reading my resume, they were impressed with my extensive background in hip-hop (being a founding member of the famous Signs of Life back at UF [SHOUT OUT TO MY PEOPLE!!!] and being a "beat-box enthusiast and practicioner") so they gave me a shot. I had them bouncing to the beat and laughing in their seats. After all was said and done... they said they'dbe in touch. That's all I could have asked for.

Fast forward to Thursday night. I get a fb (that's "facebook," for those of you playing the home game) post from RJ Panda, who is dating my good friend, Lauren. He is part of a catering business that is rented out to high-end parties and events literally ALL THE TIME. RJ mentions an opportunity to work and make some money while waiting to hear from the Temp Agency. I accept and decide to join up for an event on Friday out in Long Island. 

Ready for the kicker? I had to be downtown at 36th St and 3rd Ave by 7 a.m.

Damn... I forgot that 5 a.m. existed... except when my head was hitting the pillow.

Anyway, I take the job. Dressed to the 9s, I make it downtown by 6:30 a.m. I'm the first person at the bus... I don't know anyone I'm working with or even what they look like. This should be interesting. Time passes and I meet Michael, who is apparently "boss-man," as he calls himself, for this event. In addition to Michael, I also meet Drew, who is also an actor but one that has been in the city for nearly 7 years. We hit it off and hold a political discussion of epic magnitudes outside the bus as we wait for the late-arrivals to stroll up. Again, I'll mention we were supposed to leave downtown at 7 a.m.

We left at 9... to quote one of the other waiters on the bus, "I could have stayed in bed another hour..." So true, random server. So very true.

The event is being held on this enormous estate in a large white tent which has nearly 65 tables (11 seats per table) and a runway for the fashion show. The Long Island Jewish Health Network was having their annual luncheon and fashion show for all their employees. On the menu that afternoon;

- Steamed Asparagus

- Chicken and Arugula

- Steamed Lobster Tails and Shrimp

- Grilled Salmon

- Thinly Sliced Salmon on top of Potato Pancakes with Cream Cheese

- Baked bread and chips

For dessert, individual cakes encased in glass served "Round-Robin" style by each waiter. (Which was absurd considering there were 500 women present) It was good fun to pamper these women in a way they weren't used to and to make them terribly happy. And for $17/hour... I would have done most anything to ensure their good time.

The job finally wrapped up around 3 p.m. and we were back on the bus to the East Side. I fell asleep on the ride home while listening to some classic John Mayer...

So that brings me to last night... After a morning of organizing my room and basking in the bliss that is "This American Life," I headed to Lauren, Brittany, and Becky's apartment on Steinway for an evening of Italian food and friends.

The Italian Feast (Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Salad, Sliced Bread, and awesome)

Becky sipping her Merlot and Lauren looking suspicious...

I got a little artsy and camera-happy in their backyard. But these days, I find that photographing my surroundings brings great joy to me.

In attendance at the apartment (in order of appearance):

- Lauren, Becky, and Brittany (they live there)

- Amy

- Myself

- RJ (with two bottles of Kosher Shiraz, which we bonded over)

- Danny and Marty

Around 8 p.m., everyone had arrived and Becky and I were waist-deep in being tipsy winos. :) After not eating much that day, drinking two glasses of Shiraz as quickly as I did was probably not in my best interest. Looking back on it though, Becky and I were having a blast watching "Entourage" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." 

The meal was delicious (Thank you again, Lauren. Great job!) and we decided to head out to the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy for some more good times. We lost Becky from our group but resolved ourselves to making it back in one piece. So we boarded the N train bound for Manhattan and the rest of our evening...

Transferring to the 6 Downtown Local 

In the process of tranferring trains, Marty split off from the group to return to Danny's place, where he is staying. It was so good to see him and can't wait for the next big outting we all get together for. Jump to us making it to Little Italy and hoofing it to the Festival which was only a few blocks from the station. Once we got there, Lauren had wanted us to meet up with her preschool friend, Katie. We met up with her and arranged to reconvene at Vincent's, her family's restuarant for dessert.

Then to Vincent's we went, where we met Katie, Jamie, and Abby, who were all super-sweet and quite hilarious.

It goes without saying that the desserts were UNBELIEVABLE. The chocolate mousse you see in the foreground was my choice. It was heavy, yet not overly sweet. It was simply... perfect. :)

After enjoying the company of our new friends, Danny, myself, Brittany, and Amy headed back to the train station. Brittany and Amy headed Uptown while I decided to go back with Danny to his place to spend some time with Tony, his roommate, and to find where Marty ended up.

We got to Danny's place and found Tony gushing over the new version of iTunes (which, if you haven't downloaded it already, do so. It's awesome). Tony put "Baby Mama" on and we laughed until our sides hurt. 

After the movie, I decided to head home. Into the night I went...

Cortland St. is the station right beneath WTC

Striking differences... at the far end of the platform

The N arriving right on schedule

Today is Sunday, September 14th... I can't wait to see what this week brings.

All the best from NYC. 

Good night and good luck.