Thursday was my second day working last week. It was a terrible cold and windy day. Thank goodness I only had to work 8 hours instead of 12. Had it been any other day but Thursday I would have showered and immediately went to bed. Actually, I did just that! I took an hour long nap After my very warm shower. There was no way I would miss the first Thursday of the year at Sugar Bar! It was closed for the last two Thursdays because of the holidays and I missed it a lot. Thursdays are always special to me because I get to touch a microphone, woo a crowd, feel the lights and revel in applause. I'm starting to think I may have an addiction. It's the only thing my short attention span will allow. Lol my friend Renee from the shelter and our Japanese friends we're coming to support me. I was excited because my new Japanese friends had never seen me on stage before. I really did not want to disappoint them.
  It was far too cold at night for me to wear heels so I wore the boots that Gerald's mother gave me. No they weren't fashionable but they kept me warm. I live too far away to try to be cute in the cold. When I entered the bar one of the first people I saw was Carol who was also a regular patron at Sugar Bar and I finally got to really talk to her at Mr Faisons party. I knew it would be a great night because it was her birthday! She invited me to sit with her party downstairs and she said she would introduce me to the singers she knew who were coming to celebrate with her. Mr Faizan last after I told him that I had company meeting me upstairs. He said "not anymore you don't"! LOL! Is that wasn't a mandate to sit my tail down I don't know what was! Lol. I went upstairs to apologize to my Japanese friends and later to Renee and told them that business awaited me downstairs and that not being there was not an option for me. Thankfully they understood and still stayed to see me sing.
I decided to sing a song by Celine Dion "because you loved me". It was not the best I don't think. I was later informed that I should bring the words two songs people may not know because the wonderful people that's a my background we're a little lost. I think that made me a little nervous as well because I don't think I performed my usual best. Fortunately the singers that I wanted to see me we're not there to witness that, just the kind hearted patrons of the bar. Being there kind of feels like an episode of Cheers "where everybody knows my name" and I like it that way. Its the only time I don't feel invisible in a sea of people. I got to sit it at a table within Carol's party with her husband Peter. I swear he sang every song that came on that stage. There were flute of champagne on every table and balloons around every side. It was so festive and the energy of the place was joyous. I was introduced to quite a few of her friends you she told me would be beneficial for me to know. The people that sing that night were stupendous! Carol said she had fun singing friends and she was not lying! An amazing lady named Kim Lovering tore up the stage! After her came Karen and her husband which rocked the room for at least 15 minutes! There was another lady whose name escapes me but she was phenomenal from the moment she opened her mouth I wanted to faint. Oh my goodness I can't wait to start taking lessons again! I guy named Peter Guns rapped on stage with the band. I am not too familiar with a lot of rap artists names but I did know his work. This was the guy who wrote/produced for Jay Z! I am in the R&B world a lot musically and I don't watch a lot of television, especially not reality TV but I was told he was on Love & Hip Hop. This was the level of showmanship I do not believe I have reached but I aspire to exemplify. After the open my closed we were invited to go up stairs for a night cap with Carol before the bar completely closed.
  Upstairs we drank (water for my light weight ass) danced and talked until the light came on and the place was closing. A lot of Latin music was played and I couldn't help but dance but someone called my bluff and made me dance with him . I do not know how to dance with a partner! That did not stop him between another lady I met named Tara (also on Love & Hip Hop I learned the next day) and this very tall rapper named Cisco I learned a few steps! I haven't been this much since my birthday! I made a new Instagram friends with Tara and a new contact with a wonderful singer named Songbird. Karen gave me a valuable piece of advice when it came to performing. She said "let go, don't worry about what it sounds like or who he is it just do it and enjoy it". I am going to put more of an effort to doing just that, after I take a few vocal lessons. I have got to work out these insecurities. Smh . I did not get home till 530 in the morning! I feel like such a New Yorker ! I spent the rest of the next day in bed until it was time to go to rehearsal in Brooklyn for the reading of the  play, "For Her" on Sunday. I still felt sluggish a bit and fell asleep on the train for a couple of stops but it was worth it. Our rehearsal Friday night was a success! Not bad for the end of the week. Check out the links I attached  to see for yourself

Kim Lovering at Sugar Bar: http://youtu.be/In1sucT2clo

Peter Gun @ Sugar Bar: http://youtu.be/DLX42N2tf5k

So, today I finally get to work. It's been 3 weeks and not one call to come in! The only reason was to fill in for someone because today it snowed. I brought a lot of stuff with me!  I had and extra jacket to go under my coat and over my hoody.  I brought 3 pairs of gloves and two packs of hand warmers. Not to mention one skull cap and a ski mask. I did forget my scarf though. �� In another life I would have enjoyed the fall of flakes on my nose and eyelashes but these is my least favorite thing.
  The good thing is,  I was only out there from 7-12! I  had a follow-up with the ENT Dr. He said my tonsils and throat looked really good and we would follow up in 3 months.I was so scared before that I would lose my voice or needed my tonsils removed but I just had to take meds for acid reflux. Now that I've also changed what and how I eat,  I should be good from now on! I'm ready to sing!
  I finally finished my Fasfa!  The IRS hung up a lot but the counselor accepted my late paperwork because I sent it before the deadline. That saved me because they were closed until the deadline date. Now I'm awaiting to hear the last details before I start school!  To top off that bit of good news, I was invited back to sing at the Apollo Theatre in March! Now, if I can just stop this snow.

Of the four males I live with who would have thought that the old man would be the nightmare? Today he cooks a dinner of ox tails, rice and beans for us to eat with his family and lady friend (at twenty something chic) He invited his daughter and his granddaughter along with his sons son. I added asparagus to the meal for some green stuff.  All is going well! There is a huge bottle of Ciroc and Hennessey on the menu as well.
I stayed in my room for the majority of the evening and only came out to get more food or water. Around 8pm I'm invited to stay in the kitchen to socialize with them. I'm bored so sure.  These guys were obviously drunk and tipsy so there was a lot of laughter until we were gonna all go out. Old man's grandson was too drunk to go anywhere so we put him to bed. Old man's girlfriend was also very drunk but was gonna go with us but couldn't find her purse. (Old man has a small room so I really dont see it being lost). Old man goes into his room and starts yelling with her which woke up drunk grandson.(who was laying in old man's bed next to his girlfriend sitting next to him) The grandson woke up on edge from all the yelling. Old man got paranoid that she was and grandson was trying to hook up. (due to grandson's earlier jokes about sharing her). The yelling matches really kicked off then.
   I went back to my room to change back out of my go out clothes because clearly we weren't going anywhere now. Everyone was trying to calm down the drunk grandson because he felt he was being attacked. Old man then actually tries to attack him while yelling "imma fuck you up! Get out of my house!  Calm down. You're just like your father! I'm your grandfather"! Meanwhile his teenage granddaughter (who is dang near 6ft tall) is crying because of the mayhem and wants to go home. She is asking her mom "please let's go home"?
  His daughter and crew made it to the car after a lot of back and forth from the drunks trying to claw at each other while we all wrestle them back. Smh (I'm tired)  I'm thinking it was about to be over but the grandson won't get into the car! He's yelling "fight me", and claiming all kinds of gang affiliations!  "I ain't afraid to die! Who fight his own family? Leave me alone "! Ahkim (I'm sure I'm spelling it wrong) the muscled roommate is literally holding the skinny, tall grandson in a bear hug to keep him from running back into the house because he refused to get into the car. Skinny dude was screaming loudly and I'm surprised the cops weren't called by the neighbors.  This is such a quiet area.

I had the bright idea to go to Times Square and sing for a couple of hours and stay there until the ball drop. It sounded great in my head but in actuality not so much. It was super cold outside and there were so many people that there was little room to set up. There were so many police officers and blockade around that it made me nervous. Because of so much tension around New York surrounding the police I cannot comfortably be near them. It may sound ridiculous but I can't shake the feeling of unease. I did however love the excitement of all the people around me. I stood in the crowd and listen to all the accents. I have never been around so many people from so many places besides an airport. I totally loved it.
  I even met a guy, but he was from a dating site. His name is Saadia. We met at Times Square and walked to Bryant Park and had hot chocolate and tea. It was nice to just simply meet. After we parted I was going to find a spot to sing but the place was already occupied. The life on my phone was quickly dying. For some reason I started to feel alone in the crowd of hundreds So I decided to go home and change clothes, charge my phone and come back out later. I figured I had time since it was still early. (2pm).
By the time I got home it was after 4 p.m. I change clothes and talk to my roommates for a couple of hours while waiting for my phone to charge. They didn't think I would make it in time to see the ball drop. They kept saying I waited too late to go back out. Mind you, it was only 8 o'clock by then I knew I had more time left before midnight so why rush? I caught the end 9:47 bus to head back to the train station. I made it back to Times Square in good time! It was after 10 p.m. When I got there. Unfortunately the guys were right about me not being able to get to the center of Time Square. Most of the side streets are all blocked off. I could see it but I couldn't reach it. Police had barricades at the ends of all the side streets and only permitting people with hotel cards or passes up the street leading to Times Square. Further streets away from the epicenter were open for line pass holders but they were filling up so fast that it was hard to find a way to 7th Avenue. I finally found the street that was open to motor vehicle traffic! I got the bright idea to take a cab and get out closer to or at 7th Avenue, that way avoiding the police. it worked! I ended up near 7th and 54th Street but I made it to the center aisle. By that time it was almost midnight and everyone was in great spirits. I was surrounded by so many different people celebrating, laughing, smiling, drinking that I was no longer annoyed and having to walk for so long and being turned away. There were guys behind me that kept trying to start a wave of Cheers. The group of us would start cheering and listen to see how far it would travel up or down the street. That seemed to be the game of the night until the ball dropped. It's crazy that I have waited my entire life for this! While I was in my room earlier I contemplated not coming out because I didn't want to go alone then I realized that I have already conquered my fears and that I would no longer hold myself back for any reason and that's why I left Georgia. So leaving my room was much easier. When the ball dropped the confetti and shears from the crowd traveled from 42nd Street all the way back Columbus circle 59th Street and Central Park. There was an amazing show of fireworks coming from Central Park.! The fireworks were in so many shapes and colors that all I could do was stare like a child in all and happiness. Its funny to see so many people taking videos and pictures while I am taking videos and pictures. So many of us unknowingly apart each others experience there caught on film forever. I took the time to video message my family and my friend. I Love New York! Here's to an exciting future! Happy new year!