The REAL Villains of Gotham City

My sincere apologies to those who have been anxiously awaiting my updates (AKA, Mom). I've been busy fighting crime of all shapes and styles...
To celebrate the coming of the new Batman movie (because I see billboards and posters of The Dark Knight Rises EVERYWHERE), I have decided to devote this blog to the REAL Villains of Gotham City... (Because, as you know, I now live in Gotham City!) The following are villains that I have been fighting myself as the non-caped crusader... Some of these may be a stretch, but just go with it, and enjoy. (some of them even have pictures)

CAT WOMAN:

Catwoman was drawn on the wall of our kitchen to keep the mice away... She has proven to be a total failure... That's why she's considered a villain. In fact, she may be attracting the mice. For a while, I thought that one of my roommates was moving around in the kitchen, but when I looked, nobody was there. I was later informed that when the mice jump in and out of the garbage can, they can make a lot of noise... Who knew? I've seen these furry little critters scampering quickly down the hallway or behind the stove a few times when I turn a light on in the evening. It's a little terrifying. Not even gonna lie.

KILLER MOTH:
I didn't actually know Killer Moth was a Gotham City villain... I had to look it up... But he is... and it's fitting. We don't have air conditioning in the apartment, as I may have previously mentioned, so we keep windows open to try to circulate some air in the hot summertime. A few of the screens on the windows have holes or openings, and bugs seem to like this apartment as much as we do... My mosquito net has kept me from swallowing many a winged creature in the dark of the night. Gross, I know, but that's life. ;)

THE ORGANIZED CRIME SYNDICATES:
I think I passed a gang fight on the way home from the grocery store last week. There were about twenty guys on the street corner yelling at each other and pushing back and forth. Caring for my safety, I crossed on the other side of the street, and I quickly passed unnoticed, hurrying home. I was the only one who seemed to want to avoid that situation though. The ENTIRE block was watching. There were curious heads poking out of EVERY SINGLE WINDOW lining the street. I mean 7 story buildings had torsos protruding from each opening, trying to get a better look. It was HYSTERICAL... All to watch a bunch of boys circle each other like the Sharks and the Jets. (West Side Story reference, for you comic book folk who don't appreciate Musical Theatre)

MR FREEZE:

5 People sharing one fridge is difficult. 5 people sharing one fridge that breaks down is worse. 5 people sharing one fridge that breaks down, then works TOO well once it gets fixed is just ridiculous.

I grew up in a family of 4. We kept enough food in the refrigerator to feed the four of us over and over again. It doesn't seem like adding one more person to the mix should matter so much. BUT IT DOES... especially when you don't share food like a family does. We each are responsible for providing our own food, which is fair, but then you get a refrigerator packed with 5 versions of the SAME THING! For example, please note the three egg cartons stacked together in the upper left corner on the top shelf. It's a little crazy. When our refrigerator stopped working and things started to go bad, everyone freaked out trying to figure out what was mine and yours and hers, then what was GROSS, what was not exactly fresh but still usable, and what was fine to keep for a while longer. It was insane. Then the repair man came, and the refrigerator was cool... too cool. It froze everything... including the milk... I haven't had icy milk since elementary school, and I DON'T miss it. BUT we defeated that villain, and all is well.

THE PENGUIN

EVERYONE is a villain when it starts to rain... It's can get tricky trying to navigate through millions of people walking up and down narrow streets, but with a little practice, it becomes second nature... That is, until you add umbrellas. I now understand why The Penguin used an umbrella as weapon of choice. It's lethal. Adding the extra four feet of space an umbrella requires to a crowd of people each holding their own expands the traffic immensely. Getting poked in the eye is inevitable, and the chances of getting wet from someone's umbrella run-off are higher than getting dripped on by the actual clouds.

SEWER KING

5 people sharing a fridge is bad. 5 people sharing a bathroom is even worse... Again, Sewer King is a villain I didn't know existed, but it works... Most of the time, our bathroom schedules work out fine because everyone has to go in to work at different times, but on those mornings when we all have to be at the office at 10, it gets pretty vicious. ALSO, because this city sits on an island, and because there are like a bazillion people crammed on to such a tiny land mass, occasionally it can smell like sewage... especially near the river... it's pretty gnarly, but no worse than New Orleans...

Also, a few weeks ago, a pipe exploded in the apartment 2 floors above us and all of their dirty pipe water flooded down through the walls into our apartment. When we heard the sound of rain coming from the front hallway, one of my roommates and I started running around grabbing pots, pans, and tupperware, trying to catch the water before it ruined anything. To fix it, the super had to shut our water off for two days. It warped some of the door frames, so it's still difficult to close the bathroom door... but at least it closes. At first, I had to bring a shoe with me to the shower to wedge under the door to keep it from creaking open. That was an interesting experience, to say the least.

POISON IVY

So this one is a bit of a stretch, but my Poison Ivy here is mold. It's a really old building, and it's just a little moldy, and there's not much we can do about it... Tutwiler was moldy, too...

THE RIDDLER

Riddle Me This - how do you get across a street that has been shut down by a parade? Ok so maybe it's not a riddle, but it's a question I ask myself almost every Sunday on the way to church. Summer is the time for parades. Parades are the way New Yorkers show their pride. New Yorkers take pride in just about everything: nationality, sexuality, personality, YOU NAME IT! If there's a common interest uniting a large enough group of people, there's a parade for it. Don't get me wrong, I love parades, but man are they hard to get around...

I hope this doesn't seem whiney or complaining. This is not me crying over the hardships I've encountered, but celebrating the villains I've defeated (with help of course) to make my own little chunk of Gotham City a safer, happier place. So, that being said, tune in next time. 

Same Bat Time... Same Bat Channel...

Grace be with you,

Lindsey Shea

Closer Than Ever...

Well what do you know? 

In front of me now 

is an open door.

I'm moving ahead.

Not sure of the way.

And yet there's a light that I'm heading for.

It's closer than ever

Closer than ever.

         - Maltby and Shire

It has been a whirlwind of a month, and I'm not even sure how it all happened except that God is good and has plans we cannot even imagine.

My internship at Mungioli Theatricals has been nothing short of insanity. I absolutely love my job. I don't even mind that it doesn't pay a dime. HA! Granted, after this month I will have to fine a rent-paying survival job, but the benefits of the internship so far have been priceless.

When people ask what brought me to the city, I often reply with the simplest answer: I'm an actor, and this is the place to be. OH how true that is! (Many of you know there are a bazillion other reasons I love NYC, but for the purposes of this particular posting, we will focus on the theatre.)

I've seen two shows since I moved up here, plus the Tony Awards, BRAVE, a concert at my church, and a few movie sets. I've also witnessed production meetings of future Broadway productions, sat in on auditions and callbacks for a New York Musical Theatre Festival show, and talked to countless industry professionals via phone and email. I'd say that's pretty decent for 4 weeks.

During my first week at the office, I picked up a brochure that had Jenn Colella's face on it. (If you don't know who that is, open a new tab and Google her...right now... seriously, the blog will still be here when you finish, and you'll appreciate this story even more... She's pretty awesome). Jenn and I have worked together on audition material through the Amy Murphy Broadway Intensives I've been to each January for the past few years. So, I said to Arnold Mungioli (my boss) "Hey! I know her!" And he replied, "Oh Jenn? Yeah, I just cast her in Closer Than Ever. They start previews tonight. Do you want to go see it?"

EXCUSE ME, WHAT!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Fortunately, I was wearing appropriate theatre-going attire, so after we finished with our work for the day, we hopped on a subway and basically ran to the York Theatre to see the opening preview of Maltby and Shire's Closer Than Ever. 

Quick pause:

How many of you know who Maltby and Shire are?

Just a few? Maybe more? It's totally fine. Google them too... Seriously... 

(ok fine, for those of you too engrossed in the writing or too lazy to look them up, they wrote, among other things, the Broadway musicals Big and Baby - Montevallo did a production of Baby in 2011, and I played Arlene McNally)

Maltby and Shire were both in attendance that evening, and Arnold proudly introduced me to them. WOW! That was incredible. For a few minutes, I stood completely entranced as these two talented individuals talked about old memories of shows they wrote, shenanigans in which they participated, and the history behind songs that I have performed. It was beyond incredible.

After the show, I was also introduced to the cast (all of whom are phenomenal performers). When Jenn came out, and Arnold began to introduce me, she exclaimed "LINDSEY! I had no idea you were here until I saw you at the curtain call! How on earth are you?!?"

SHE REMEMBERED ME!!!

We got to chat for a little while, promised to do lunch soon, and that was that. I reconnected with a friend and admired colleague...

But wait, there's more.

Last week, Arnold invited Jimmy (the other intern) and me to the actual Opening Night of Closer Than Ever  with the warning, "Dress nice... You never know who you might meet."

The FIRST person I saw as I entered the theatre was Rebecca Luker. THE Rebecca Luker (do I even need to say it again?... If you don't know the name, look it up... You'll be even more impressed... or at least you should be). She was accompanied by her husband, Danny Bernstein (another BIG Broadway name... like so big he performed at the Tony's this year). I could go on for hours and hours about waiting until the right moment to say hello, but to make this story short

SHE REMEMBERED ME TOO!!!!!

While our time chatting at the theatre was short, we had a nice conversation at the Opening Night After Party (OH MY GOSH I WENT TO AN OPENING NIGHT AFTER PARTY) where she made me promise we would sing together soon - a promise I intend to keep. She also introduced me to Michael Feinstein, and George Dvorsky. There was so much networking going on, my head was spinning. At one point in the evening, I found myself listening to Tony Nominated Christianne Noll (Ragtime) talk about having a bad day and slamming her finger in the door of the set, and I was reminded that all of these incredible people are just that... People... People just like me who moved to New York once upon a time with a dream and a lot of determination. Granted, these are all very talented and incredibly successful people, but still, they are people.

There were actors, agents, casting directors, musicians, and "musical theatre greats" everywhere I looked. Then there were the interns. The young, bright-eyed hopefuls who clustered together after doing their best to make a good impression. I found myself in a circle of 20 somethings who are all somehow connected to this industry whether stage managing, play writing, choreography, acting, or costume design. I couldn't help but thing "This, this right here... THIS is the future of the theatre industry... This is the start of history." It was really incredible.

I'll leave it at that for now, but don't you worry - the rest of the Show Business update is soon to follow... 

A little teaser to keep you interested:

NYC Dance Week

Blair Underwood and Nicole Ari Parker in Streetcar Named Desire

The apartment piano

Celebrities at auditions

...and...

a voicemail from Mrs. Incredible herself.

Grace be with you,

Lindsey Shea

Living in Harlem...

I like to tell people I'm living in Harlem... You people down south believe me... and you will probably continue to believe after reading this blog. People in the city look at me like I'm crazy, then ask, "No really, where do you live?" When I respond, they quickly correct me pointing out that I live in Hamilton Heights - NOT Harlem.

Technically, Hamilton Heights is in Harlem, BUT it's in south west Harlem, and it's considered to be a much nicer area than the Harlem of the stories you have maybe heard. I can attest to that, actually. I have always felt safe in my neighborhood. I've never been bothered. I do, however, stick out like a sore thumb.

Oh the joys of being a blonde white girl...

I'm the only one in the neighborhood as far as I can tell.

I do get catcalled and whistled at occasionally, but I usually don't understand what is being said about me, so it doesn't really bother me. And as I said, I have never felt unsafe. I keep to myself, and so does everyone else.

Apparently there's no such thing as a quiet, lazy Sunday afternoon in my neighborhood, though. After a crazy week, I had full intention of napping and reading all day. As I left for church this morning, there were already snow-cone stands being set up all up and down the street. As soon as I stepped off the train this afternoon on my way home, music flooded down into the station and the neighborhood culture enveloped the entire block. From my room, I could hear bumping salsa music from the apartment next door. I moved to the living room. From our open window, I could hear spanish pop music blasting from a car parked next to people sitting in the park enjoying the sunshine and grilling dinner. When I was making my spaghetti for dinner, music drifted up to our kitchen from the courtyard of our apartment building. While I couldn't locate the source, I could tell that behind one of those windows, there was a family enjoying dinner and company.

I also had to go to the grocery store today. I could practically hear people singing "one of these things is not like the other..." My bright blonde hair is like a siren wailing through a sea of brunettes everywhere I go... Maybe I'm just self conscious, but I don't think so. If you remember, last summer I mentioned grocery stores could be pretty expensive. I decided that to save money, I would go to our local grocery store, Super Compare. I actually really enjoyed it... I couldn't translate most of the signs and labels on the shelves, but I recognized most brands, and fortunately for me, numeric symbols are the same in both English and Spanish. The cashier and I just kind of smiled at each other and pointed to the screen when I was checking out, but overall, it was a successful trip.

The trip to the post office was another adventure! I missed the delivery of a package from home (shout out to my awesome parents for sending me things I forgot to pack), so the pink slip left at my door told me to go pick it up. I took a little morning jog to the post office before work. I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't a huge line waiting to be helped, and the workers moved fairly quickly. I was surprised, however, when I noticed the 1.5 inch thick glass that separated the employees from the customers. Trying to talk to a person behind an inch and a half of glass is difficult no matter how the tiny communication opening is configured. They also send the package through a glass cage that can only be open on one side at a time. I'm not sure what they need to be protected from, but whether it's dangerous weaponry or bubonic plague, they aren't playing around with that glass... It's intense.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this or not, but my apartment is fantastic. Our living room overlooks Riverside Park, we're only one block from the 1 train, and I have my own toilet/sink. (My room used to be the maid's quarters when this was a fancy schmancy place). I've always joked about moving to New York and living in a closet, but it's a real thing. I have a walk-in closet in Biloxi that is about the size of my room here. The room is pretty tiny, but it's cozy, and the rent is super affordable. We also have a really nice sized kitchen and a great living room.

I know many of you have been curious, so I hope that this update gives you at least a glimpse of the living aspect of my life. I hope this doesn't sound cynical or unappreciative. I'm a little exhausted this evening, and I'm not sure that what I'm saying makes sense, so if this is deleted by tomorrow afternoon, you who have read it will know why. :)

Well, it's bed time, and I've got a big day tomorrow in show business ;)

Grace be with you,
Lindsey Shea

Red Carpet Royalty

Before we begin, I should warn you... I just discovered how to post photos with my blog, so it may be a little much, but I thought you might enjoy some visual aid.

New York City...

Wow...

Sorry, sometimes I catch myself thinking "oh man, I live here," and I get a little overwhelmed and have to remind myself to breathe. It's a little bit crazy how much I love this city and how blessed I feel to be facing my dreams head on. I feel even more overwhelmed when I think of the opportunities and the talent that are housed on this rather small island. Last weekend was definitely a reminder of that.

As many of you know, I'm a big fan of themes. I like themed parties. I like planning "themed days" (remember History Day?). I think that themes provide a creative boundary that often enhances a situation and makes it easier to retell... I didn't even realize last weekend was so thoroughly themed until I sat down to write this blog this morning. So, without further ado, I present to you, last weekend's

RED CARPET ROYALTY!

Ok, ok, so maybe it's cheesy, but I'm sitting on my couch reminiscing, and that's the most fitting title I could come up with... maybe I'll change it later...

The weekend started with the 33rd Annual MISSISSIPPI PICNIC in Central Park! If you remember, the MS Picnic was one of the first things I did last summer when I moved to NYC. I went alone last year and bumped into a few people I knew from home, but I didn't stay very long. This year, I brought a crew with me. My roommate Rachel, Katherine (you may be familiar with her from previous posts) and two of my Mississippi comrades, Zach and Chase (Southern Miss alumni), met just below the Bandshell on 72nd street to celebrate the best of Mississippi with catfish, hush puppies, McAlister's sweet tea, caramel cake, shrimp, crab claws, cheese straws, art, music, and free t-shirts. The theme this year was, rather fittingly, "Southern Fried Hollywood"- celebrating the Mississippi stars of 2012.

Please note the red carpet ;)

Good Food... Good Friends

After a delightful afternoon of hobnobbing on a red carpet lined by white tailgate tents, we bid adieu to our friends and headed uptown for more red carpet fun... sort of.

Katherine was throwing a birthday party for her friend Brittanie on Saturday evening. I didn't know Brittanie, but in New York it doesn't really matter, because from what I can tell, New Yorkers love meeting new people. I'm not sure if it's the fact that this is a huge city and nobody wants to feel alone or if it's the acutely developed NY mindset of networking. Either way, I was welcomed to the soiree with open arms. Katherine shares (and often exceeds) my love of themes, so she and Brittanie had planned a rather elegant party centered around classical literature. All guests were encouraged to dress as a famous literary character, and all of the food was connected in some way to popular novels. I was unaware of the costume requirement, but I'm a theatre major, so I quickly scrambled together a few articles of clothing and made a rather adorable Huckleberry Finn, if I do say so myself. It was a perfect red-carpet after-party, complete with pumpkin scones, chocolate dipped strawberries, and fancy cheese. We welcomed an assortment of "celebrity" guests and had a delightful time.

What a fun weekend! BUT WAIT! That was just Saturday!!

Do you know what happened Sunday? Some of you should. On Sunday, all eyes were on the Beacon Theatre for the 2012 TONY AWARDS!!!!!!!

Again, if you remember, last year I watched the Tony Awards alone on my couch with the cats... It sounds kind of pathetic now, but I remember having a good time. This year, I decided to accompany my new friend Brittanie to the red carpet to watch the arrival of the Broadway stars. I think the best way to emphasize the epicness of the evening is to list the actors we saw, then show some pictures, then continue with the story... So here goes:

Rebecca Luker (a Montevallo grad and Broadway legend), Corbin Blue, Harvey Firestien, Cynthia Nixon, Bernadette Peters (who looked GORGEOUS as ever), John Lithgow, Ricky Martin (who's performance in the Evita number was just dreadful), Josh Grobin, Nick Jonas (so...much...screaming... completely unnecessary), Hugh Jackman, Audra McDonald, Nina Arianda, James Marsden (AAAHHH, not enough screaming), Amanda Seyfried, Ben Vereen, John Stamos, James Earl Jones, Matthew Morrison, Jeremy Jordan, Paul Rutt... There were others, but I couldn't text them fast enough, and I'm having to use the list I sent to my mom because I'm having difficulty remembering... there were just so many. :)

So now for the pictures:

We were standing directly across from the first red carpet tent

JAMES EARL JONES!!!!

 Matthew Morrison came across the street to meet fans

UNCLE JESSE up close and personal : John Stamos

After we watched everyone walk in, we rushed uptown to Katherine's to watch the Tony's with some of our theatre friends. And let me tell you, watching a theatre award show with theatre people is hysterical. Everyone had a different opinion. Some of the guests even knew actors in the ensemble performances. It was so great.

The whole weekend was a red carpet extravaganza. I'm sorry it took so long to update you, but once Monday started and show business took over, I didn't have enough time to devote to the recollection of the weekend. So there you have it.

Well, the sun is out, and the city is calling, so until next time...

Grace be with you,

Lindsey Shea

Musicals, Mosquitos, and Merriment

Tomorrow marks the one week anniversary of my return to the city, and good grief it has been a jam packed week! I have successfully settled into my apartment, am starting to get the rhythm of my internship, and am enjoying city life immensely. I have a whole list of things to update, so I think this blog will be done categorically...

My apartment:
After a few days of renters and rentees moving in and out, things have settled into what seems to be the summer crew. One night this week, we piled eight people into the apartment- we had some family visitors, friends who needed a place to crash for a night, and two overlapping rent schedules. It was a little bit crazy, but definitely fun. My room is in the back corner of the apartment. It's about half the size of my college dorm room, but it's clean and organized (we'll see how long that lasts) and I have my own toilet and sink (which is GREAT in the mornings). Our living room overlooks Riverside Park, and it is GORGEOUS! My roommates are fantastic. They are all connected to Juilliard in some way - most are graduates - so there is an endless stream of beautiful music coming from behind the closed doors along the hallway. The neighborhood seems safe. It's an extremely diverse group of age ranges and ethnicities, which is really pretty neat.

The only major issue I've had with the apartment is the mosquito problem. Apparently in old buildings, mosquitos find standing water in drains and pipes and can multiply. Either that's our problem, or the holes in the screens are letting them in. Either way, it's not good. I woke up on Saturday morning and my eye was swollen shut because I had a bite on the side of my nose. I panicked a little bit, then decided that desperate times called for desperate measures. IKEA saves the day!! After a refreshing ride on the water taxi (including a view of the sun setting behind the Statue of Liberty) I found a delightful little mosquito net/ princess canopy that now hangs over my bed, keeping me safe from the monster mosquitos.

My Internship:
As many of you know, I'm working for the casting director Arnold Mungioli this summer. While I would love to name-drop and tell you all about the juicy drama of the theatrical world, I feel that it's my duty to keep a large majority of what I hear in the office to myself. I CAN tell you, however, that we're casting two shows this summer - a New York Musical Theatre Festival show, "Howe and Hummel", and Bill T. Jones' "Super Fly." A ridiculous amount of work happens before an audition is even posted, and I've already learned that I will never take that for granted again! I've learned so much already about the process and am just trying to absorb everything that I see and hear so I can implement that into my own auditions in the future. The other day, my boss handed me a brochure of a show he had recently cast, and on the back was a picture of Jenn Colella - an incredibly talented performer that I've had the pleasure of working with during the January intensives over the past three years. I told him I knew her and he asked if I would like to go see the show with him that evening!!!!! At the show "Closer than Ever" by Maltby and Shire, I was introduced to an assortment of writers, directors, actors, and other industry greats - including the fantastic Richard Maltby Jr and David Shire (Who also wrote "BABY," a musical I was in my junior year). Oh I almost died! It was incredible.

The internship isn't all rainbows and sunshine. Things get a little hectic and stressful in our business, and I've learned that quickly, but it is definitely exciting.

My Friends:
It was so wonderful to be able to just jump right back into life instead of having to get started on my own this time. I've had friends with me every step of the way since I moved back. Even the first night, Katherine and Cara came over to bring me pizza and help me unpack. I'm singing in the choir at Central Presbyterian again, and there are some new faces to add to the familiar ones from last summer. They are a vibrant and wonderful group of people, and I so look forward to hanging out with them all summer.

Saturday is the Mississippi Picnic, and the Tony Awards are Sunday, so I'm looking forward to a pretty epic weekend to top off the week.

Well, it's time for work, so I'll be back soon with more stories and whatnot.

Grace be with you,
Lindsey Shea

Well, here we go again...

My bags are packed, I've said my goodbyes, I even cleaned my room so Mom doesn't have to once I'm gone. I'm officially ready to move to New York City tomorrow...

WAIT...

Tomorrow? But I just got back... I mean I just graduated... I'm not ready... I have to be an adult? I have to be financially responsible. I could fall flat on my face. How did this day get here so quickly?
My first trip to NYC doesn't seem like it was that long ago. I visited the city with the Biloxi High Cabaret show choir six years ago. We sang at Carnegie Hall with John Rutter. I told my mom that I'd be back for good one day. Well, I guess that day is tomorrow.

I bought the book "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" by Brooklyn Tabernacle's Pastor, Jim Cymbala, before helping with a Vacation Bible School on a city mission trip a few summers ago. I realized when I returned home from school this summer that I never finished it. I picked it up and decided to read a few chapters each night before falling asleep. I didn't plan it out. I just thought that if I didn't finish it, I would bring it with me. I finished it tonight - the night before I move back to that city. The final chapter talks about being "brave for God."Pastor Cymbala talks about the Mighty Warriors of 1 Chronicles 11 who went with David to capture Jerusalem. He says "It was not an easy prize... So it is with every attempt to do something for God. Whenever God stirs us to establish His kingdom in a new place, the enemy is sure to taunt us. The devil always tries to convince us that we've tackled too much this time and we'll soon be humiliated..." God has made it clear that it is his plan for me to relocate, and there is a burning passion in my heart for New York, but I have been hit with doubt and fear by the enemy trying to hold me back from God's will. Fortunately, our God is bigger and better than any obstacles we face - seen or unseen. "He is waiting for us to take his promises seriously and go boldly to the throne of grace...When we do so, God will back us up with all the resources of heaven." He promises that He knows the plan. He promises he will never leave us or forsake us! He promises to be found when we seek him.
When I was packing earlier, I noticed that one of the wheels on my suitcase was broken. Mom joked about that being a sign that maybe I shouldn't go. I think this is a much better sign. Even in the little details, God is in control.

So, a quick run down of what's happening this summer and beyond (and what I'll be blogging about and around):
I will be a casting intern at Mungioli Theatricals through the summer
I will be living in Harlem... Yup, you read that correctly - Harlem. But SUPPOSEDLY it's a safe, artsy, young area of Harlem. I'll let you know soon ;)
I will be hopefully working with the same Temp agency from last summer
I will be getting plugged back into Central Presbyterian, and hopefully joining the choir again
Once my internship is over, I'll start auditioning for performances and hopefully land an acting gig eventually
(In case you can't tell, I'm currently feeling very hopeful)

But, enough from Biloxi. I've got a big day tomorrow.

Grace be with you,
Lindsey Shea

History Day!

I love having a plan. I love themes. I love planning themed days. Yesterday was History Day, and History Day is absolutely going down as one of my favorite days of the summer. Granted, I've had a lot of favorite days, but this is definitely on the list.

History Day stemmed from the simple fact that I had a miserable day a few days ago, and I wanted to make up for it... Miserable day= I missed dance class by 2 minutes because the stupid bus was running slow, it started raining and I had no umbrella, none of my friends were around, the line at the Museum of Natural History was way too long to even bother (especially since I was all alone and feeling pitiful), I couldn't find shoes that fit me, blah blah blah... SO, I text my friend Katherine to say we had to go to the Museum of Natural History at some point. I also remembered that "The Help" was coming out this week, so I told Katherine we needed to see that as well. Put the two together, and you have the beginning of History Day!

Katherine was having some work done on her apartment, so we decided to start the day with a historic in-house breakfast = pancakes! Pancakes date back to the times of the cavemen, when they would make flat breads on hot stones, and sometimes add berries and such. (at least that's what Wikipedia says). Katherine is a kitchen master and insisted that our pancakes be from scratch. (Those of you who know me know how terrifying the words "from scratch" are to me.) So, history day began with a delightful spread of banana pancakes and cinnamon pancakes with fresh strawberry sauce, cinnamon sugar, syrup, scrambled eggs, and orange juice.

While we waited for Manuel to finish fixing the lock and replacing some bathroom tiles, Katherine, Meghan (my new roommate) and I all sat around the living room talking about "personal history." With a little help from Myers-Briggs and Disney cartoon characters (all somewhat historic), I think we developed an even better understanding of each other- and that's what history is all about, right? We laughed a lot too.

By the time Manuel FINALLY finished up... and let me tell you, it took a while, Meghan had to leave us, and Katherine and I embarked on History Day Part 2 - the Museum of Natural History (the museum from Night at the Museum). We arrived at the museum at about 4:15, perfectly aware that the museum closed each evening at 5:45. Fortunately admission for the museum is "suggested donation" so we donated what we saw fit and began our quest - we would see the entire musuem in under and hour and a half... and we did... minus a couple of people groups, the planetarium, and the brain exhibit... I don't think I've ever had so much fun in a history museum... Don't take that the wrong way. I've thoroughly enjoyed other history museums I've been to, but this trip was strictly for the FUN of it.

Naturally, our first stop was the dinosaur room! DINOSAURS!!! We took pictures.
We then quickly moved to the African Mammal exhibit. We took pictures.
We passed through the reptile room towards the Brain exhibit, but were informed that it was too late to purchase tickets for said exhibit... So we took more pictures in the Hall of Biodiversity; with the people groups of Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands; and with the whale and other sea creatures underwater. We saw rocks and monkeys and minerals and skeletons and maps and diagrams and pictures... SO MUCH HISTORY! And when we heard the delightful voice on the intercom explain that the museum was closing, we were satisfied with our conquest and exited the museum with our heads held high.

We walked through the Upper West Side towards Lincoln Center, marvelling at how crisp and clean the buildings looked after the previous night's rain and in the cool clean air, and eventually found ourselves at the movie theatre. We had just enough time to buy our tickets, go across the street for snacks, go back, sit down, and momentarily relax before the movie began... Ahh the magic of History Day... We couldn't have timed that more perfectly if we had tried.

For the next two and a half hours we laughed, cried, and sobbed our way through The Help. If you haven't yet seen it, please do. It is absolutely going on my favorite movies list... I thought there was no way they could do justice to the book, but WOW... It was incredible. And it was so neat for me to watch a movie about my mom's home town from New York City. It was very personal for me, and I was deeply moved. There were so many connections for me in the movie that it's nearly impossible to explain them all here, so if you're truly curious, we can chat later. There was a wonderful moment, though, when Celia gets so excited about shaking the bag to make fried chicken, and Katherine leaned over and whispered "that's so you!"... I got really excited about flipping pancakes earlier that morning. I'm kind of learning to cook this summer... But that's another story for another time... Just go see The Help! SO GOOD!

Well, before the movie we realized we were going to be hungry afterwards, and we had planned to go to Coney Island and get a corndog...because that's historic. Well, after the credits we both looked at each other with puffy eyes and runny noses and decided to forego the Coney Island trip, so we headed back uptown to find food. The night was so crisp and clear that for the first time in a very long time, I got to see a couple of stars!! I LOVE stargazing, and that's one of the things I have really missed about Montevallo, especially. So, to see those stars as we were walking was really special. And there was a massive moon, too. It was perfect! We decided to skip the subway and walk all the way from 66th to 110th to get some food. We at at a semi-historic burger place called Mel's, and it was delicious. The perfect end to an incredible day.

AHHH, History Day! So, today I am taking it easy. Writing blogs, running errands, walking the Brooklyn Bridge and eating at Grimaldi's Pizzaria... you know, no big deal. ;)

Grace be with you,
Lindsey Shea