I LOVE IT!  This weekend started with good news! I spent the weekend leaving music for this week's auditions. The local play "4 Her " audition was Sunday and I had to learn Kelly Price's part of "Four Women". How is it that I've never heard of this before?  It's so powerful. Four Women - Kelly Price, Marsha Ambrosius, Jill …: http://youtu.be/8Lwik3iDTNY
I had it on repeat even after I learned the part and I'm still in awe of it. Nina Simon did that!
After Sundays audition Gerald sent me on the search for ginger candy. After trying to follow directions from Cory (4 Her writer/director) I finally just started asking every store and deli I passed by. I couldn't find the health food store he sent me too. Corey had a laugh at my expense because I was under the assumption that I had to go to Chinatown to find it. How would I know? LOL It can be found almost anywhere. I got two little bags and another deli sandwich. I swear these turkey sandwiches are so better than even Publix or Subway because you can actually see the meat. I really need to break my habit of cheese on everything. I even got white cheddar popcorn. smh. I need supervision. Or shock therapy. I love cheese. and I'm a cheese head. There!  I said it!
  I haven't had anything to eat as of yet this morning however,  as I await the Book Of Mormon call back. I've already bugged Gerald before his morning coffee about the music I was sent to learn.  One of the accompaniments doesn't have sheet music attached!  After about 2 days of freaking out over it I give up on it. Im just gonna focus on the things I do have and get them right. Since I am super early by 2 hours I guess I'll find a snack or else I'll get nervous poots.

*UPDATE *
I'm sitting here waiting for my call time (11:30) and my phone rings. Its a NY number so of course I'm answering. It's Sugar Bar! He is sending me a contract to perform and and the date is SEPTEMBER 20! OMGS! #WINNING! 

**UPDATE **
I did it! I was so worried about the raspy sound but I pulled it off. I starred off with "Dream Girls, I Love You I Do" the guy on piano looked at me and said "good job". Then the lady auditioning me asked of I was ready to for the songs of the show and Im like. "I hope so ". After I finished she said "see, had nothing to worry about "! Then I proceeded to read lines from the play. I looked at it and immediately thought,  this isn't what I practiced. I was given script 2 but I only had script 1! I panicked a bit and added an African like accent. lol

***UPDATE ***
IM DONE FOR THE DAY! I started a little lower than I   was gonna but it worked out. Time to eat!

*UPDATE *
SUGAR BAR is becoming my favorite place! Omgs! Valery Simpson just played keys behind me on the song "As we lay"! Faint! Swoon!And this lady, Damara Lynn Green! Puts on show! I want to be ad dedicated as she is to what ane does. And Mary J Blige sister Tonya is here! OmGs!

Since I wasn't doing anything fun I waited till I was to blog for today. Guess what I did! I signed up to audition for AMDA, America Music and Drama Academy!  My fall back will always be music. I'm hate that I waited so long but whatever,  I'm doing it now! I set up my audition for the fall. I figured if nothing else I can get better. And I fpund a new place to hustle for tonight!

*Update*
The band is jamming! The kitchen however,  is not. They are burning. Literally. Smoke everywhere. Asthma! Oxygen!

GOOD MORNING!  Why do I feel like someone held me hostage from the back and now I can barely move my neck to the left. Dr! (no one answers)  Ok so why did the fish they were serving in the shelter smell like pee? Who eats pissy fish? I mean, really!  I was wearing a dress when I walked into the cafeteria and I was told I had to cover up more. Cool! I went back, changed and left to the deli for a sandwich I couldnt smell. They would let me back inside with a box of nerds and gummy bears? Preposterous,  I say! humph. I'm glad yesterday is over.
  Today I have only one audition and I have to check in with the a job agency. They insist I get one. I'm off to 8th Ave!

*UPDATE *
I'm here! This is a show about Haitions!  I haven't seen this many black people at an audition since I got here. I'm no less  confident or intimidated,  I just don't feel alone. Granted no one has spoken to me or made eye contact or smiled but everyone is in their zone getting ready to read. Ha! I'm not singing!  There are sides! The show is called "Little Children Dream of God" and I'm reading for Maddison. I'm so glad they aren't asking for accents. Ok I'm up in one person. WISH ME LUCK!

***UPDATE ***
Jee was it quick! I read. My response was "Good change". I'll take it! After I left I had to report to the placement agency for regular work. :-( Turn down. Si I've been sent to Queens! Omgs what a long ride from Penn Station. Over an hour. It's a bit dirtier than Manhattan. But they have houses! Almost reminds me of home. Almost.

When I say I rested, I rested. I only left quarters in search of food. I slept better during the day only because. they moved in a short piece of crazy next to me. 3am Saturday morning and she's playing games on her phone with no headphones on. I asked her to turn it down and she ignores me. all I hear is beep, bleep beep from the game. So I seek out security (weak) and she knocks on the door but the girl ignores her too. She stops playing and starts slamming her locker door and cabinet and pulling and shoving her bed. I even heard her scratch at the wall and door. :-/ slap nuts. I reported the loony only to find that she's an overnight transfer. Sunday she gets up do does the same thing.I just let it go. (I am one with the moon and sky) Monday,  same thing. I pay it no mind because I have an audition!
  In my rest I forgot my Sunday appointment with a counselor so I missed the early call for "A Fireside Christmas " at NOLA  studios, but I am here now waiting for them to come back from lunch. I swear if I didn't know any better I would think that there are no black people in theater. So far all I see is one brown person, me. I may see one or two from time to time. Has the arts died in my community? 

***UPDATE ***
Please forgive the short girl view of the pictures. lol I took these after it was over. Let's go back. While waiting to be called the guy acting as monitor asked me where I was from and we got to talking. Turns out he and 2 other people were from Georgia!  We talked about all the good food we missed like, Chik-Fil-A, Waffle House, The Varsity and The Vortex. Got us good and hungry for nothing!  smh
As I lined up the I talked to the guy in front of me and he offered me his extra sheet music because it wasn't in a key he would use and we were doing the same Christmas song, "Oh Holy Night ". By then my right tonsil was swollen because of the stong air conditioning I could feel my throat closing up a bit. The song was written in E flat. I couldn't do it. So I asked the nice lady at the piano to play it a bit lower and she did. And what did I do? Screwed it up! I sung it in a lower key than C. Honey when I tell you, the conversation going on in my head was crazy!  My brain is yelling at my throat for its treacherous ways and vows revenge! I had to remix some of the high notes by bypassing it and adding a run it two. It was so stange. So strange. When I was done,  the nice lady at the piano mentioned that I started in a lower key but I did a great job. Such a nice lady. I wanted to rip out my tonsils by hand and drop them in the trash on the way out. The only thing that cheered me up were the many headshots I passed coming in. How cool are they? Huh?! Huh?! lol I'm done for the day! Going back to my space and rest.

Good morning. My goal for the weekend is to hydrate, recover and rest. If only the overnight staff will cooperate. At around 2,3,5 &7 I was awakened by loud talking, whistling and banging. I'm jealous of the people I still hear snoring through it all. How do they do it? At one point I got out of my bed and went to the door to cuss out the noise makers but they had bent the corner already. I wasn't fast enough and wasn't dressed to walk. Around 9ish other residents were stirring loudly. I don't want to give up. I'm clinging to this pillow till lunch time.

I got in around 3am this morning and of course is back up around 8ish. My first thought was how can I sleep in? I can't because of their out by 9:30 rule. So after chatting with my friend Nicole on the phone I get started. I l'm supposed to go to a work program after the audition today and I had the crazy thought to just go straight there and bypass the audition. I actually got dressed to do it! As I fixed my hair I thought "what the hell am I thinking "? I didn't come here to skip an audition!  I looked in the mirror and said "get yo tired ass outta here and make yo way to the audition. No slacking".  I mean, really! Who do I think I am?

last update for today
Because of my grogginess when I opened my calendar I didn't notice that it pulled up Mondays audition so I went to the wrong place. No worries because I still had time. I got on the wrong train, again not paying attention and had to backtrack. I ended up near Penn Station and laughed to myself because yesterday's auditions were down the street from there, plus my afternoon government program appointment was in the other direction. As I signed in at sat down, noticing all the neat little blonds and only one me, my name was called. The guy said that the audition list closed at 10 and I couldn't be added. it was 10:50. smh I made no big deal out of it and walked to my appointment early. I'm back at the shelter now,  maybe for the weekend. I need to rest. GOOD NIGHT WORLD!

GOOD MORNING!  If these winches could only let me sleep till my alarm went off this morning. Smh Oh well! At least the lady a few cubes up is playing oldies music like my grandma used to. That brings me some comfort. I'm about to get up and get started. I have an early morning VA appointment but this evening is the big auditions! 
  Legally Blond with Norwegian Cruise Line and with the Harlem Gospel Singers! Harlem is at 1:35 and Blond is at 3:45 but in different cities. Let's keep it all the way positive today! Success is the only option!

*Update *
So, I go to my VA appointment but go to Brooklyn instead of Manhattan. I got turned around looking for the bus. The bus driver makes me get some ticket because it didn't take my card but then she leaves me. I had to take a cab only to find out that I was going to the Hospital I had been to before but from a different direction!  I get there and speak to the rep and we realize that I've already applies for assistance but from another agency and didn't need to see her at all. smh. Now on to the Harlem singers audition!  wheew!

***UPDATE ***
They said I was impressive! The nice lady checking us in told me to show my bottom range so I changed my gospel song to "Calvary ". I don't think that the musical director knew the version we do in Atlanta so I had to remix it. He gave me a nod and said "very nice" then he got up, which confused me because I had one more song left, the r&b song "listen ". He said "I wanna come from behind the piano and see you do this one". Yikes!
He sits at the table with the other two people (director and a lady). I stretch for some reason. smh But I don't feel butterflies. I'm very calm throughout it all. I sing from the chorus to the hook and stop. They nod and say "thank you " but the music director looks at me with interest and says again, "very impressive,  thank you ". I'm on cloud nine!!! I practically skip out of the room!  I get a few "very good girl" from the people waiting outside. Even Natalie, the lady checking me in told me I was amazing!  YIPPPEEEEEEE! Now on to the Legally Blond Audition.

*****UPDATE *****
I walked in to the Ripley Grier studio ready! I walked to the front desk only to find out I was on the wrong floor. They had a smaller studio on the 10th floor and 16th. When I got there I didn't see the the door to it so I'm walking around, looking lost. (as usual)  A nice short chic pointed me in the right direction. Of course it was to the left of the elevator. smh lol. I go on in and I'm told to fill out a sheet and turn in my Headshot and resume. I filled it out, turned it in, ad that's when the nerves set in. :-/  I got the boo boos.  After I came out I was called in two more people. I started the song strong. I was so glad my voice was holding up! (thank you voodoo juice) And that's when my tongue had a stroke. I flubbed the words TWICE!  I kept going like it didn't happen of course but behind my smile I'm screaming in my own head. At the end I felt a bit awkward but I finished strong. The guy at the piano smiled as I passed by and I motioned to stab me on the neck and he laughed. Whew! Next is the Sugar Bar  tonight.

***UPDATE ***
I'm at Sugar Bar now. I didn't get lost! I got a little confused on whether I was going up or downtown but (duh) I used area map to see if the train went up or down. I think I got it! There was a man lying down in the Bank of America Atm room. He made me almost not get my cover charge. :-/

I'm sitting upstairs in the same place as last time, upstairs minding my own business and on Facebook,  when a waitress (same chic who took the cover charge) tells me I have to get up because the table Is reserved. Wth! it's not safe to sit here anywhere but the bar!  I said "I've been here for almost 45 minutes and NOW it's an issue"? Remember yall, last time I was downstairs and got sent up to sit. l Terrell the bar tender said it's because I seated myself. I told him "I seated myself last time and no one escorted me in after I paid so what's with that? It's not  like I work here, how am I supposed to inherently know how this place works"? So next time I'm making a reservation for one seat. :-/

LAST UPDATE FOR THE DAY.
It turned out great! The talent was so on point tonight!  Terrell and his friend Terence invited me to their gig on tomorrow night, Wallace invited me to his gig on Wednesday nights, plus he has connections on possible work for me and I was invited to sing on a jazz night! How cool!
Now I'm sitting at the subway station waiting on the elusive number 2 train to Times Square so I can go.

Sorry for the late post. I've been going from one government building to the next and in one burrow to the next all day. I did manage to take a few shots while traveling. I am now in my "room" about to take a nap. Im going back to Sugar Bar tonight!

*UPDATE *
Nothing to see here folks! Open mic got shut down due to some big party. I sat there for over an hour! smh GOOD NIGHT WORLD

Good morning!  I tried to sleep in but to no avail. Folks are up at butt crack of dawn to get breakfast. I'm so tired I don't even wanna eat so I set my clock till another 2 hours. (8:30). I'm up again at 8 because someone slammed a locker shut. I really wanted to redo the Book of Mormon audition. For some reason I refused to accept that yesterday was Thursday and I couldn't go. Last night I convinced myself that I still had tomorrow (today) to do it. I look at Facebook and people keep saying TGIF. And now I'm confused, looking back at my calendar. Crap it's FRIDAY!  I have an interview at 10 and I'm sitting here on the toilet like I got nothing else to do! smh See ya!

*UPDATE * in my rush I forgot my case with my resumes. smh I took the wrong shuttle van so into a cab and I'm sure this cab driver is taking me for my money. He has no visible meter.

**UPDATE **
So I made it! Only 15 minutes late! smh I hate being late. I'm trying not to freak out because I think I lost my brief case. it had all my music, VA paperwork,  military records and passport in it.  The van I got on to leave the the shelter may have it or its in my room. Please let it be in my room. One the bright side,  I was at Penn Station! How weird is the parking on this place?! These carts have some of the best hotdogs!

***UPDATE ***
It's in my room!! This old lady just it walked up to me to introduce herself. lol She did that when I got here. ha!
*****UPDATE *****
I got up from a good hour nap to go to dinner. I smell fish blocks. I get into the line and a lady asks me for an ID. I don't have one.(shelter ID) I tell her I'm new. A guy in front of me asks If I have regular ID and she should take that. Then the old lady says well "she can't come in in flip flops. Toes must be covered in socks at least ". Then she says I should go to the front and get a pass to eat. What did I do? Changed into my shoes, grabbed my phone and left in search of real food. Screw all that!  I was told there was a deli close by so I walk to the left towards lights. After about 10-15 minutes a guy comes from behind me (men walk faster) and I decide to ask him where the deli is. Wouldn't you know it, he said I went in the wrong direction. smh Since I'm already out I decided to walk around and eat at a local spot. I pass lots of closed places, expensive looking places and gas stations while on the phone with Nicole. I figured I should find my way back since I see familiar stuff in the distance. I end up walking across a bridge on the other side of Amtrak so I know I'm close but on the wrong street so I turn back and go right. After 2 more blocks I see a 24hrs diner and a corner deli! The menu made me miss home. It was no Waffle House! They flattened my scrambled eggs and used square cheese. The waffle was good but the had flattened half mashed potatoes instead of hash browns. Smh But it was better than what was offered! After I left I went to the deli and got candy! (like I needed it) Broke out the GPS and got walking directions. I was only 10 minutes away! Turns out, the bridge I was on intersected with the street I was supposed to take back to the shelter!  My sense of direction IS better than GPS! Ha! I smuggled candy in my boobs! Good night World!