Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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A Big City, But Not Really

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In the New York is a big city, but not really category:

Yesterday, I went down to the Village (more on that later) and when I took the subway back to Times Square, I happened to be walking by the rehearsal studios on 42nd Street where I often work and where Don is working now, when I looked up and saw Ramin Karimloo, who, until recently, played Gleb in  Anastasia. We hugged each other and did some catching up and it was a lovely chance meeting – the kind that happens more often than you might imagine.

Then I got a text from Don (it was lunch time) and we arranged to meet in front of the rehearsal studios. As I saw him coming my  way, I also spotted another actor I have worked with, Michael Potts. Michael was in the production of Our Town  that I coached a few years back in Chautauqua. He’s such a gifted actor and one of the funniest people I’ve ever worked with. Anyway, I introduced him to Don and we chatted a bit. Michael is currently rehearsing The Iceman Cometh  with Denzel Washington. (Don shared an elevator with Denzel the other day.)

Then I went upstairs with Don to the break room and we shared his lunch and chatted with some of the cast of Margaritaville. After he headed back to rehearsal, I went downstairs in the elevator and as I got out in the lobby, I heard: “Claudia, I was just thinking about you and there you are!” It was one of my former students from Boston University, Annie Meeks.  Unbelievable! We haven’t seen each other in over 25 years! She told me that she was reading my Instagram feed in a restaurant two doors down and she thought to herself, “Wouldn’t it be neat if I ran into Claudia while she was in NYC?” And then she ran into me about 5 minutes later! And I was only there by chance.

Amazing day. We’re going to have lunch next time I’m in town.

I also worked with Christy and a couple of other actors in Anastasia, which is always delightful.

My reason for going down to the Village was to finally see this bookstore, Three Lives and Co.

I wasn’t disappointed. It’s absolutely charming, a little gem. It’s the kind of place where books are everywhere, with beautiful wood bookcases and counters and worn wood floors, and where there are conversations about books going on all the time.

I was smitten.

I fell in love and I’ll be back. Of course, I bought three books, which I need like a hole in the head, but I couldn’t resist.

Today, I’m headed back home, though I’d love to stay a bit longer. However, the temps and wind chills are going to be low today and tonight and for most of the next week, so I have to be home to do the drips from the faucet and make sure everything is okay.

Happy Friday.

 

 

Anastasia, Neon and Manhattan

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A very cold night in NYC did not stop the crowd that came to see Anastasia. It’s selling well. Lovely to see some of the cast backstage after the show, to meet new cast members, to see it again. Later this afternoon, I will do some individual coaching. Interestingly – in the small world category – I was sitting next to a women who looked familiar to me and when we started chatting, it turns out that I met her years ago at the Old Globe. She had also been thinking that I looked familiar. She’s in town for an audition.

On the way to the theater, I tried to take some photos, but juggling my notepad and my purse and the camera (while wearing gloves) proved problematic. But I did get an interesting shot:

I’m rather liking the blurry and squiggly lights.

And here’s a view of our tiny kitchen. It is impossible for us both to be in there at the same time.

Tin of cookies on the counter.

The apartment has all the trendy things of the moment: a dash of subway tile, stainless steel appliances, open shelving in the living room, polished wood floors, a dash of midcentury modern, great ceiling fixtures and a faux moose head on the wall. Sort of fun!

Don’s doing well, but he’s tired. Long rehearsal days, new dances to be learned, run-throughs for the producers and then a move to the theater on Monday.

Today I think I’ll mosey on down to Greenwich Village before I have to go to the theater. Tonight, I get to spend the evening with my husband.It will be the last one for a while, as he will be moving into afternoon and evening rehearsals. Sigh.

Happy Thursday.

Little Changes

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Some late afternoon sun. It may be cold but I can handle it when we have a sunny day like yesterday. And today.

This will seem like a little thing to you, but to us? Big. When we moved in here there was a black microwave – a big one – from the previous owners. Since it worked perfectly well, we kept it. You might remember that the previous stove was black and the dishwasher is black. The refrigerator is white. Go figure. I never liked the black stove and we all know that Stella has taken its place. The dishwasher has never worked so we use it as storage and one of our goals this year is to buy a new one and have someone hook it up correctly. (The very first time I used it 12 years ago, it leaked onto the wood floor.)

So. We’ve had this microwave for 12 years – it still works – but it takes up so much space and ends up being a big black hole on our counter. And counter space is something we have very little of. Fast forward to Don and me in NYC last week as we realized that there was no microwave in the apartment and Don definitely needed one. We bought a small Sunbeam microwave in white from a local hardware store. Perfect size for that small apartment and, we thought, perfect size for us at home! I tried to buy another one from the hardware store before I left for home, but they weren’t open. So I found one online via Wayfair and it was delivered yesterday. It’s not particularly exciting looking, but I have more counter space!

Once we get a working dishwasher, we can get rid of this black one and the dish drainer that lives on the counter and we’ll have even more counter space! Whoo hoo!

Now I have to lug the heavy black microwave out of here and take it to the recycling center.

Also bought this the other day:

It’s another Rae Dunn piece and I hadn’t planned on buying any more of them, but I saw this crock at Home Goods. I can’t resist fonts and graphics. This one is larger than the previous crock we had been using, which is a good thing. And I’ve repurposed the other crock as a pot for the ZZ plant I have upstairs.

I’m trying to figure out when I’m going to the city. I have to be here if the temperatures dip, which they will be doing on Tuesday. So I could go in for the weekend, right? But I’ve just heard from Anastasia  and they want me to check in on the show next week. So I may hold off and go in Tuesday or Wednesday. Then I have to be back by Friday as it’s due to snow.

I can’t wait for Spring when I won’t be tied here due to weather. We’re both frustrated by it, but it’s the reality that comes with living where we do.

Happy Friday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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