Thursday, May 6, 2010

in the end they'll be the only ones there

"Come on this musical ride with me. It might just change the life you think you're gonna lead."
-Hanson, "Musical Ride"

Those lyrics speak the truth, from my favorite band for 13 years. I'm so glad I've been a fan from the very beginning. They were the first CD I ever purchased, the first band I truly fell in love with. They've been so inspirational and influential over the past 13 years. They've gotten me through some of the toughest times in my life, and have been right there through some of the most amazing points in my life. They are the friends who will always be there in the end, when everyone else has left. Thank you for these spectacular 13 years, guys. You truly mean so much to me.

Happy Hanson Day.


(I was in this crowd. Incredible show.)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

i've been thinking about something

I never know what to put here anymore. I kinda want to start something that I can update more frequently (I hear tumblr is good for that, but I'm not quite sure how that works). I always have something to say, but every time I get here, I don't know what to do/say/put here. In a rut, I guess.

Monday, March 8, 2010

you shook me all night long

Now that I am a working girl with a regular 9-5 job, I rarely swing by the old neighborhood where my former job resides. I have offered my help to them in the past, and occasionally when they need an extra person they ask me, and sometimes I follow through and help them out.

I should've known something was going to be terribly wrong about working the Saturday afternoon/evening shift when Carlo called at 10:57pm on Friday night and said "Hey. You're gonna be in for a long night tomorrow."

"How long?" I asked, hoping he only meant an hour or two after the normal clean up and lock up around 10:30pm.

"Um, let's just say...don't make any plans for 4am," he said.

"Seriously? I hate you," I said.

And it turns out he was right. So instead of showing up at 4pm to start my shift, he asked that I come in at 3pm. He had to head to another show, so I was able to take over right away. Getting back into the old groove was not so bad... I (mostly) knew where everything was, I answered the phone like an old pro, and I passed out lots of hugs to anyone and everyone I saw that I used to work with.

But then 3pm became 5pm, and 5pm became 7pm. And the people renting the theatre for the night came in. And they had demands. It was a rock concert sort of gig that evening... full of beer, drunken groupies, fog machines, and plastic spiders (the first band threw them into the crowd. Guess who had to clean them up...).

The first band started almost an hour later than anticipated. The guy running the operation was all, "You know. The show starts when the crowd gets here." No, no, no, my friend. In THEATRE, the show starts 5-10 minutes after it's supposed to, and we shut down the box office about 20 minutes into the show. We don't start the show 55 minutes after originally scheduled, and then keep the box office open all night.

Which is what I ended up doing. Our 3rd house manager also had a miscommunication with my old boss, and so he was not there to help us out. Luckily Indi took care of selling the beer while I held down the fort in the box office. At one point in the evening, I had to head upstairs to the 10:30pm Improv show and sell tickets at their box office. Thank you sooooo much to the awesome people running their show...they know what they're doing, and opened the box office for me because I was running late dealing with stupid people downstairs.

The best part hasn't even happened yet. And I mean it sarcastically when I say "best part." The show finally ended around 11:30/12, but the drunken idiots just hung around while the band packed up their gear. Or tried to pack up. They had music playing through the speakers to help the process along, but that wasn't doing anything, so I quickly had them turn it off. While they were cleaning up their mess on the stage and loading out their equipment, Indi and I were cleaning up beer cans off the theatre floor and throwing out drunken girls. At one point, I kept flicking the house lights on and off, trying to signal that we were closing (because, of course, a verbal request to "get the fuck out" wasn't working), and this one girl with a british accent yells, and I quote, "Are you fucking kidding me? Are they trying to fucking throw us out? I paid $12 fucking dollars to see this band!" May I remind you that at this point, there was no band playing anymore, and they were cleaning up their stuff. Okay, we have that clear? Good.

Finally they migrated to the lobby, but they were still chilling there, waiting for the band members, so I shut off the lobby lights and locked the door that leads to the bathroom. I opened the front door of the theatre and kindly said, "You can wait outside." We had an argument, and I let a couple curses slip. The british accent chick said she was best friends with the band and that she was going to wait inside for them, and I said "You can wait outside like everyone else that left when we asked them to." She said, "But it's cold out there! I don't have a jacket!" I said it wasn't my fault she forgot to take a jacket with her, opened the door a little wider, and gestured for her to get out. Her friend finally pulled her out and gave me a sympathetic (and mostly drunk) look, and I just shook my head at them, locking the door behind them.

This was about 2:35 in the morning by then, and the two guys left packing up the gear were making progress but not a whole lot. While I vacuumed the entire theatre (I know exactly which row pink-wigged fuzzy boa girl sat/partied in), the guys made significant progress in packing up their stuff. It was about 3:15 when everything was packed up and the paperwork was all straightened out. The theatre paid me from 3pm-10pm, but the renters (according to contract) paid me $25/hr overtime from 10pm-3am. The extra money was worth it, and I definitely earned it (insert me kneeling on the theatre floor in what I realized later was a puddle of beer, picking up half empty beer cans and not realizing they were spilling on me).

Indi and I grabbed a train together, and I finally got home at 4:30 in the morning, finally falling asleep at 5am and not waking up again until noon. Of all the times I've been associated with that theatre, I was appalled to be associated it that night (with that event). There have been many times I was proud to say I worked at an off-broadway theatre, but that night was one of the worst ever. I have never been at the theatre that late for a production, and I have never dealt with more drunken stupid people than I had that night.

Also, I've learned a lesson: next time I'm asked to work at the theatre, I'm going to ask just what the hell is going on that night before I accept the offer.

Goodnight. <3

according to you...

My Oscars 2010 recap. In the form of my live-tweets. Here we go.

"OSCARS! <3"

"I really want to see Invictus."

"I feel like I should go see Crazy Heart, too."

"I love Chris Pine! <3"

"Yo, District 9 looks CREEPY. Not for me. No thank you."

(to Kelly) "The opening number was pretty spectacular! Neil Patrick Harris is awesome. :)"

"I still need to see Cars, too. #putitontheNetflixqueue"

"Must see Logorama! Dad and I enjoyed the clip they just showed :)"

"I also have to see Star Trek, cause I love Chris Pine. He's HOT."

"I've never heard of A Serious Man, but I'm interested."

Also want to see Up in the Air. I didn't see ANY of these films, but I saw a bunch that were nominated in other awards shows..."

"I think I kinda want to see An Education, too. And possible Precious based on the novel Push by Sapphire. What a title."

"Hellooo Tom Ford. ;)"

"The included Twilight in the Horror category. Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

"I enjoy James Taylor. <3"

"Jennifer Lopez's dress looks like bubble wrap."

"I hope Sandra Bullock wins! But it might be Meryl Streep or the chick from Precious..."

"SANDRA! MERYL! Ahhhhh which one?!?!"

"YAY!!!!!! SANDRA BULLOCK!!!! She got a Razzie and an Academy Award in the same weekend!"

"Sandra Bullock's speech was beautiful. <3"

"I still have to take a shower and go to bed and get up at the butt crack of dawn to go to work. Oscars, speed it up."

"Woot Tom Hanks! :)"

"That last award was pretty quick. I guess they heard me... Haha! Congrats, Bigelow! And Congrats, Hurt Locker. I guess I should go see that."

(to Kelly) "It's a fabulous night for women directors. Go Kathryn Bigelow! Now I definitely must see The Hurt Locker."

"And how funny was it that James Cameron was sitting RIGHT behind her? #ouch"

"Tonight I wore jeans to the Oscars. Next year I'm wearing a dress."

"I prefer brown-haired Rachel McAdams to blonde-haired Rachel McAdams."


And that is it for my Oscar coverage. I seem to remember live-tweeting the Oscars last year... hmmm. Could become a trend!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

desperate for changing, starving for truth

The Date: February 12, 2010
The Time: 5pm appointment
The Reason: Donating my hair to Locks of Love
The Outcome: 11 inches donated. One happy Kristin. One lucky recipient. <3

Before and After





Wednesday, March 3, 2010

she said, you know, there's nowhere left to go

Wow, I certainly have not been here in awhile. Almost four months. So much happens in four months...

After the last post where I proclaimed I got a job:

- My brother and his fiance announced to me and my parents they were having a baby. I'm going to be an aunt! My nephew's launch date is in May :)
- I never finished my 50 Books Challenge. I just missed it by about 4 books. I definitely had the time to finish, but I lost the stamina.
- I secured my job at NYCA - I'm a full-time employee with vacation days/sick days/personal days/health insurance. :)
- I just received my very own lab coat with my name on it.
- It snowed like you would not believe for awhile.
- I won a digital camera at our office Holiday party.
- So far I've seen Sherlock Holmes, It's Complicated, and Valentine's Day on the big screen, but have been watching a lot of movies thanks to Netflix.
- I watched all of Grey's Anatomy from the very beginning up to the present in a matter of 3 months.
- I knitted two baby blankets (one in blue and one in yellow) for my neighbor's two kids who had kids...they both had a boy each.
- I'm currently knitting a blue baby blanket for my future nephew.
- My brother and his fiance moved back to my neighborhood, which is awesome, because I'll get to spend lots of time with them and my future nephew, and not have to travel 2 hours on trains and ferries just to see him.
- I went to VA to see my best friend in HS get married. It was kinda weird, since she was the first one close to my age to get married. I represented the 4 HS years of her life successfully at the wedding, and sat with her college friends.
- My best friend of forever called me up the day after Thanksgiving to tell me she got engaged. I'm pretty excited for her wedding! :)
- The Olympics just wrapped up. I love the Olympics!
- I bought tickets to see Hanson in April - my 7th Hanson concert =)
- I also got Vampire Weekend tickets for September and absolutely can not wait! That's gonna be a blast.
- I went to Trader Joe's for the first time and fell in love with the store.
- My acapella group sang at a couple gigs, including an amazing restaurant and a public access television station.
- I cut 11 inches of my hair and donated it to Locks of Love.
- I saw Trans Siberian Orchestra for the first time.
- I spent New Year's Eve home doing nothing for the 3rd year in a row, but this year I actually enjoyed it.
- I went to Lifehouse and had the time of my life with awesome people.
- My acapella group went through some serious changes, but we're working through them.
- My cousin became a Physician's Assistant and accepted a job in Texas. She's so far awayyyy....
- I sang in front of Lydia Bastianich. You know, the cable show cook.
- I gathered all the sheet music I've gotten from choir/acapella group/summer choir with my choir director and put it in one binder that I have named "The Archives."
- My friend hosted a Single Ladies Valentine's Day Brunch - we later named it Meatless Valentines.
- The Winter Olympic Games happened. I freaking love the Winter Olympics.
- Got completely addicted to Twitter.

:)

Saturday, November 7, 2009

workin' 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin'

I got a job!
I am a full-time working girl!

My first day was yesterday. I had paperwork to fill out, training, and I basically jumped right in and started working. The job is easy enough, very busy. My co-workers seem nice. There are some parts of the job that I'll have to remember and get used to (i.e. how certain doctors like things filed in their patients' records, etc.) but it's a job, it's full-time, and it's made mom and dad happy.

I won't get kicked out! WOOT!

I have been watching Dexter season 1, and I've been getting addicted. I'm actually on a crime investigation/cops kick. I've been watching The Mentalist, Dexter, and Castle. Mom refuses to watch Dexter because she's not a fan of the whole serial killer thing, and I don't blame her. There are too many curse words for her ('cause it's a Showtime show). I have to admit, I was originally skeptical, too. I'm not really a fan of blood, and being that he's a blood spatter analyst and he moonlights as a serial killer, I didn't think I'd be able to stomach the show. But my future sister-in-law watched season 1 one day and was totally hooked that I simply had to see what Dexter was about, and I have to say I'm hooked, too.

I got my mom season 1 of The Mentalist for her birthday, since we missed it on TV, and started watching from the beginning of Season 2, and it's kinda nice to share the show with my mom. We sit down and watch the dvds, savoring the moments we spend together. My favorite part is when something happens, and we both look at each other at the same moment, most of the time with the same facial expression. I love little moments like that. :)

Okay, I'm bouncin'. Thanksgiving is coming and I have to clean my room. Ciao for now!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

he did the mash, he did the monster mash

This year for Halloween, I was the popular social networking site....BOOK FACE.

(a la Jim Halpert/The Office) :)


This is my Jim Halpert smirk.

Happy Halloween! I'm going to bed. =)

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

I'm walkin' on sunshine, whoa, and don't it feel good?

So... remember this picture?



My friend Eric saw it, LOVED it, and wanted to create the one where the cool kid is giving the Gleek the "L"oser sign. Eric is the cool kid, I'm the Gleek:



I actually don't like the way I look in it.....but whatever. His face alone is PRICELESS. I love Eric, he is freaking awesome. <3

October 20th marked the 2nd day I measure my hair length. I can't really tell....can you? I think I'm not standing in the exact same spot, so one picture looks closer and the other looks far away. I have no idea....it's not a drastic growth...it's probably maybe a centimeter or an inch or something. ::sigh:: I can't wait to see how long it is December 20th...and then I'm HACKIN' it off!


September 20th '09 // October 20th '09

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

life is a highway, and I want to ride it all night long

Last day of the September Blog Challenge! This challenge = successful!

Who has two thumbs and is on the last disc of season 5 of The Office? THIS GIRL.

Either tonight or tomorrow I'll watch the first two episodes of season 6, so I'll be all up to date for the new episode tomorrow night, and for the JAM wedding on October 8th. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

My interview today went pretty good, despite my little train mishap. I think I have a 2nd interview for an office support or appointment setter position, but I'm not really sure yet. I have another interview for an investment company next Tuesday, which is also pretty exciting... and I have to call another company back tomorrow. This is good news.....good news. Things are looking up.

Alright...I'm gonna go watch some more of The Office. Peace out, kids... It's been a fun September.