THE PERFECT BIRTHDAY
I like to travel on my birthday. In years past I’ve been to Paris and Venice, London and Montreal, Cuba, and Vietnam. I love the feeling of waking up in a new city on my birthday. Montreal is always an old stand by because I adore taking the train and there is a hostel that I love which make for an inexpensive getaway. This year since Jon and I had plans to see the singer Dana Fuchs (Across the Universe) on Feb 23 in NYC. I planned a mini getaway to Montreal from Feb 24 – 27. On Friday my agent called with an audition for a radio spot for Twizzlers for Monday. They said they knew I was booked out but I was a request from the producer and “was there a chance I could re-arrange my flight?” Well being that 2008 is the year I am committing to my acting career and given the fact that I was “requested” by the producer and the added bonus of REALLY loving this particular casting office I decided to re-arrange my travel plans (not my flight, obviously). NOW the new game plan was Feb 26-28, because for various reasons I thought it would be good to be back in NY on Friday (Critical Mass, pet therapy and a LONG overdue dentist appointment). I liked this game plan because I would be traveling ON my birthday – always fun at the border crossing, like perhaps I’d get a “bon anniversaire” from the immigration folks. The only downside was that with train travel taking a full day, this mini mini version gave me only one day in Montreal, but being that the train ride was part of the fun for me, I was totally cool with that. Okay but then I was told that the record date for Twizzlers was going to be Tuesday 2/26 or Wednesday 2/27, so I was like let me see what happens – I was feeling good about booking this gig. If I book it of course I stay – if someone else gets the gig I’m free to travel. On the other side of the coin I was jumping through hoops for a radio job – I mean it’s not like we were talking National Network or anything. So then I was like, fuck it. I’m not going to re-arrange my life waiting for a booking, I am going to go on with my life. I decided the Friday commitments could be re-arranged, NOW I’m going to Montreal Wednesday through Friday, done deal I’m going. If I get a booking and need to get off the train in Albany then so be that’s what I’ll do. So I made plans for an exciting birthday celebration in the city and then Wednesday I would get my getaway after all (I was SO looking forward to reading all these books on the train). So after another call to Amtrak Guest Rewards and the Auberge Altenative in Montreal I was set.
My birthday was GREAT. The night before I bought a birthday tiara, a “birthday girl” button, a birthday balloon and birthday candles. I planned to go to Wave Hill if the weather was nice (getting the train travel in there after all on Metro North to Riverdale) and then afternoon tea ar the poshy Kings’ Carriage House on the upper east side.
Jon woke me up with birthday wishes and two beautiful cards (one from Olive “to my mommy”), since the game plan had been for me to be away, we had made plans to celebrate my birthday Saturday night, so that is when I would get my present. With my birthday balloon attached to my bike, I rode my bike to the gym. Upon announcing to the front desk gal that it was birthday, she offered me the present of her banana. I accepted it with great joy – my birthday banana! I wore my birthday button and tiara throughout Intensati and accepting all the birthday well wishes. After Intensati I meet Robert at Doma. It was Robert’s birthday too, we are one year a part. I love Robert. Hana, the Czech girl at Doma, wished me a ‘Happy Birthday” in Czech, she even treated me to my chai latte and a beautiful vanilla coconut cupcake (I didn’t have the heart to tell her I preferred the chocolate one but I happily saved it for later). I put a candle on my goat cheese salad and made a wish. I bought 5 “Lucky Birthday” scratch tickets and Robert and I shared them. We won three bucks and decided to by three more tickets (as it turns out one of those three yielded $20). I had received a message in the morning from my casting colleague Kristen, asking if I could run a session for her because she was sick. I told her I was unavailable but that I could maybe arrange something for the afternoon, if they hadn’t found anyone by then. I asked Robert if he thought I should offer to help in the afternoon. Since my major commitments Intensati and meeting Robert at Doma where taken care of, I figured I could forgo Wave Hill and tea to help Kristen out in the afternoon. So I went home and took care of Olive. On Olive’s walk we headed to Fresh on Bleecker Street where I purchased some lovely eau de parfum and lotion, a gift to me from me with love. The grapefruit scent had been tempting me for months and it’s always nice to have lotion when traveling. Remember I was getting on that train the next day (or so I thought).
Well, the casting gig was actually quite pleasant I wore my tiara the whole time and the lovely gals at Strickman-Ripps, MaryAnne, Kathy and Mona even got me a birthday cake, a yummy ice cream cake with candles and everything, so I got to make another wish. They are really good with the birthdays at that office.
I am SO grateful to everyone that wished me a Happy Birthday, the staff at Equinox, the folks from Intensati, the friends who sent emails, my friends who left voice mail messages, my family, the friends that sent cards, Hana at Doma, the actors auditioning for me, my colleagues at Strickman, Jon and Olive. You all brought me such joy!
Even though it was not a part of the game plan Jon made a reservation at AOC on Bedford, so we were set for dinner plans. While working at Strickman, I got a call about and on-camera audition for McDonalds (once again with a casting director I really like). I decided to stay in town. The mini vacation was officially cancelled. I was a little relieved not to have to pack and organize when I got home. When I did get home I opened a bottle of Lambrusco (which I love) and when Jon came home we enjoyed the wine with little goat cheese toasts I made. The weather was cruddy so instead of going out for dinner we ordered in some phenomenal food from Alexandra’s and watched American Idol. For dessert I put a candle in the cupcake Hana had given me and made a final wish. Jon and I shared the cupcake. It was the perfect ending to a perfect birthday.
As crazy as it was to be going back and forth on these birthday plans and the trip to Montreal –the way it ended up was indeed perfect and in some ways really reflective of where I am in my life right now. Instead of “getting away” from my life I hunkered down with the things that are important to me in my life in New York: being with my family, being with friends, my acting career, Intensati, going to Doma, casting work, pet therapy and my dentist appointment AND enjoying it all to the fullest. I think this is telling in a certain way, a strange sort of maturity for this plate licking kid at heart.
PS – and the celebration continues as cards and gifts continue to come in the mail, Zeroboy’s Pisces Party tonight and a dinner out with Jon on Saturday. Life is grand!
My birthday was GREAT. The night before I bought a birthday tiara, a “birthday girl” button, a birthday balloon and birthday candles. I planned to go to Wave Hill if the weather was nice (getting the train travel in there after all on Metro North to Riverdale) and then afternoon tea ar the poshy Kings’ Carriage House on the upper east side.
Jon woke me up with birthday wishes and two beautiful cards (one from Olive “to my mommy”), since the game plan had been for me to be away, we had made plans to celebrate my birthday Saturday night, so that is when I would get my present. With my birthday balloon attached to my bike, I rode my bike to the gym. Upon announcing to the front desk gal that it was birthday, she offered me the present of her banana. I accepted it with great joy – my birthday banana! I wore my birthday button and tiara throughout Intensati and accepting all the birthday well wishes. After Intensati I meet Robert at Doma. It was Robert’s birthday too, we are one year a part. I love Robert. Hana, the Czech girl at Doma, wished me a ‘Happy Birthday” in Czech, she even treated me to my chai latte and a beautiful vanilla coconut cupcake (I didn’t have the heart to tell her I preferred the chocolate one but I happily saved it for later). I put a candle on my goat cheese salad and made a wish. I bought 5 “Lucky Birthday” scratch tickets and Robert and I shared them. We won three bucks and decided to by three more tickets (as it turns out one of those three yielded $20). I had received a message in the morning from my casting colleague Kristen, asking if I could run a session for her because she was sick. I told her I was unavailable but that I could maybe arrange something for the afternoon, if they hadn’t found anyone by then. I asked Robert if he thought I should offer to help in the afternoon. Since my major commitments Intensati and meeting Robert at Doma where taken care of, I figured I could forgo Wave Hill and tea to help Kristen out in the afternoon. So I went home and took care of Olive. On Olive’s walk we headed to Fresh on Bleecker Street where I purchased some lovely eau de parfum and lotion, a gift to me from me with love. The grapefruit scent had been tempting me for months and it’s always nice to have lotion when traveling. Remember I was getting on that train the next day (or so I thought).
Well, the casting gig was actually quite pleasant I wore my tiara the whole time and the lovely gals at Strickman-Ripps, MaryAnne, Kathy and Mona even got me a birthday cake, a yummy ice cream cake with candles and everything, so I got to make another wish. They are really good with the birthdays at that office.
I am SO grateful to everyone that wished me a Happy Birthday, the staff at Equinox, the folks from Intensati, the friends who sent emails, my friends who left voice mail messages, my family, the friends that sent cards, Hana at Doma, the actors auditioning for me, my colleagues at Strickman, Jon and Olive. You all brought me such joy!
Even though it was not a part of the game plan Jon made a reservation at AOC on Bedford, so we were set for dinner plans. While working at Strickman, I got a call about and on-camera audition for McDonalds (once again with a casting director I really like). I decided to stay in town. The mini vacation was officially cancelled. I was a little relieved not to have to pack and organize when I got home. When I did get home I opened a bottle of Lambrusco (which I love) and when Jon came home we enjoyed the wine with little goat cheese toasts I made. The weather was cruddy so instead of going out for dinner we ordered in some phenomenal food from Alexandra’s and watched American Idol. For dessert I put a candle in the cupcake Hana had given me and made a final wish. Jon and I shared the cupcake. It was the perfect ending to a perfect birthday.
As crazy as it was to be going back and forth on these birthday plans and the trip to Montreal –the way it ended up was indeed perfect and in some ways really reflective of where I am in my life right now. Instead of “getting away” from my life I hunkered down with the things that are important to me in my life in New York: being with my family, being with friends, my acting career, Intensati, going to Doma, casting work, pet therapy and my dentist appointment AND enjoying it all to the fullest. I think this is telling in a certain way, a strange sort of maturity for this plate licking kid at heart.
PS – and the celebration continues as cards and gifts continue to come in the mail, Zeroboy’s Pisces Party tonight and a dinner out with Jon on Saturday. Life is grand!
posted by Nadette! @ 12:06 PM
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