NYC and Me

I have not done an entry for a while.  I have been quite busy….I wanted to let people know about 99blocks upcoming Downtown Pets Issue which will come out on October 18th.  The issue will focus on local pets and their owners and the services that are offered for pets both downtown and in greater Greensboro.  This promises to be a very cute and cuddly issue, so don’t miss it!  If you are not in our distribution area, you can pick up a copy of 99blocks at The Green Bean and at Postal Heaven.

This weekend I went to NYC, via Philly and NJ.  My trip had a dual purpose. One was to visit my inlaws who live in Princeton NJ and to assist my mother-in-law with her packing for her move to Greensboro.  And to see my father-in-law who recently got himself a “tune-up”.  He actually had 3 stents placed in his heart arteries.   He is doing great and working as hard as ever with his real-estate business.

The other reason I went on the trip was to attend an open call casting for a reality show which will be on the TV Land network.  The auditions were held near the West Village on 9th and 19th at a place called City Stage.  They have 3 very nice sound stages and they are a venue that is used a lot for auditions, etc.

I arrived at City Stage at 7am after taking about an hour long NJ transit train ride from Hamilton station.  It turns out I was number 27 in line.  I stood next to a striking light-skinned African American lady from Detroit.  It was quite ironic…as it turned during our conversation I found out she had attended Bennett College, right here in good old Greensboro. Small world, huh?  She was there with her husband and I have a feeling she had the look they wanted.  Perhaps I will see her on the show. The whole casting call thing was an interesting experience.  Not a fun experience really, but interesting.  There were all types of people there and I enjoyed talking with the ladies on line.

The producers arrived around 7:30am to set up and I saw them going inside.  At the time when they arrived the line of people was not very long, so apparently they were trying to wait for the line to get longer so the turn-out would look more impressive for the cameras.  By the time they camera men came out to film the line the line was around the block.  They had us all sign waivers in order to be filmed. Then they came around to take polaroids of each person, which they attached to our waivers.  Before the filming of the line or the audition I needed to use the restroom, which for those who know me is a common and often-repeated practice.  So, I asked one of the guys with the headphones; “Sir, excuse me, but I have been waiting in line for a long while and I really need the restroom, can you assist me.”  He was quite gentlemanly and he said yes.  His name was Andrew, so Andrew escorted me past the line, as I walked teeteringly on my high heels (which I never ususally wear and which were falling off of my feet) and into the facility and asked one of his assistants to escort me to the restroom. I went inside, changed back into my sandals used the potty,  then I came back out and took my place in line.

They finally began taking us inside in groups of ten.  I got my chance to go in.  We entered City Stage, took an elevator ride upstairs into an all black-painted sound stage and who was there but Andrew?  So, you can imagine how funny it was for me.  But at least I thought he may remember me as the lady who needed the restroom.  As it turned out Andrew was the producer of the show!  So they had us stand on a taped out line on the floor and state our name, our age, and our height.  Next they had us walk forward from the first tape line to another tape line, to see how we walked.  I walked just fine, since I had put back on my flat sandals.  I was one of the tallest women there,however, even without my heels on. So anyhow, that was it, that was the whole “audition”.  It took less than 5 minutes. Then were piled into the elevator and I was out of there. I don’t think I made the cut, because I have not received a phone call and the deadline for call backs is up.  C’est La Vie.  My heart was not set on it anyhow.  It would have probably driven me crazy having every word and action taped 24-hours a day for three weeks.  I think I’m too old for that and plus I enjoy my privacy and dignity.  My main reason for attending the tryout for getting onto a reality show is that I felt perhaps it could be a springboard for doing more important things, such as helping me to be a person who is known so that I might speak about issues that are close to my heart.  But, I know if this isn’t the spingboard, God has another one for me.

So, after I left the audition. I went on a walking tour of Manhattan.  I have been to Manhattan many times and I usually have the most fun just walking around and seeing what I can see. I walked uptown.  I stopped at various shops and places along my journey and I took photos of the buildings I liked. I though of going to the MOMA, but I got too tired at that point.  I decided to go to Times Square because I wanted to visit Times Square Church (it’s David Wilkerson’s church, the guy who wrote The Cross and the Switchblade).  I got there around 2 or 3 in the afternoon.  Upon my arrival, I tried to open the doors, but they were locked. A man was outside the building and was obviously doing some painting touch-ups of the facade. But at the moment he was on the sidewalk with another man and the two were praying together.  So I waited patiently whiled they finished.  Then I met Calvin, the painter and inquired about going inside.  Calvin informed me that I had missed the 12 noon service and that the next service was at 5pm.   I said to Calvin ” I am too tired and will probably be back in Jersey before 5pm.”  So, Calvin, being a very kind Christian man and seeing that I really wanted to go inside, let me in.  He said for me to look around all I wanted.  So I did look around, and it was quite beautiful.  The choir was practicing and it was wonderful and very touching. While I was there I asked Calvin to pray with me, which he did and I felt very blessed. I was so happy I got a chance to go there, meet Calvin, and pray.

Next I continued my walk up to about 52nd St. at which point I realized my feet were not going to take much more and that I was exhausted after the process I went through along with a lack of sleep the night preceeding.  I decided I would take a cab back to Penn Station.  I saw a valet for a hotel with a whistle trying to hail a cab for another lady who was there.  I asked the valet if he would please hail me a cab next. He looked at me like “Ok, I will, but I’d rather not…”  So then the lady asked my where I was going, I said Penn Station and she said that was where she was going and asked if I’d like to share a cab.  So we did.  I met Jo.  She was from Johannesburg South Africa.  It turns out she is a costume designer for big Hollywood productions, for instance she did all the costumes for Cold Mountain.  She was in New York just finishing up work on a film produced my Anthony Minghella.  She was actually on her way to take an Amtrak to upstate for a wedding.  She was being met on the other side by Pete Townsend’s daughter.  She knows lots of Hollywood people and famous folks, but she, herself, is quite down to earth. She said a lot of interesting and profound things on our cab ride.  I really enjoyed meeting her.

I took my trip home on Sunday and used NJ Transit and SEPTA trains to get to the airport in Philly, for my flight on Southwest Airlines.  While I was at 30th St. Station I met this dude named Cohutta.  Cohutta is a reality personality himself. He appears on MTV’s- The Real World Australia.  He is from North Georgia and is a good ol’ country boy.  He and I chatted as we were wating for our train to the airport.  I asked him about how he felt the reality show impacted his life. For the most part he felt positive about it, although he admitted he did do a few things on the show which he regretted.  But he was making good money now, doing appearances and such.  It was ironic meeting him and interesting.  The poor guy was running late for his flight, I honestly doubt he made it since the security check-in lines at Philly were miles long.  Oh, well….

Over all I had a very interesting trip, which made me think about a lot of things. I enjoy traveling, meeting people, but for me, there’s no place like home.

I’m glad to be back in the 99……