Living Off-Broadway

It's a rainy Saturday morning, and this is the most inviting place in my apartment right now--->

This is Tommy's gorgeous new mini mid-century desk from a company I shouldn't name (since they are not paying me to advertise), but they are not called East Oak.
I love it. Who doesn't love some nice wood in their home?
I am still reeling from the wonderful show I saw last night. I have been kind of spoiled this week (different from most weeks?) because we saw You Can't Take It With You on Broadway Wednesday night with two very fun friends, and then last night and Thursday night I took advantage of the current Off-Broadway Week ticket prices, half their usual.
Last night, I went to the Laura Pels Theatre on W. 46th St at 6th Ave and saw Roundabout's production of Indian Ink.
The reviews I had read were not very complimentary so I did not have high expectations. I just knew I wanted to see Rosemary Harris perform. For those who don't know, Rosemary Harris was invited by none other than Moss Hart to leave England and do a Broadway show for him in 1952. Since then, she has appeared in many shows on this side of the pond and has also portrayed some great characters in film and TV, including Aunt May in the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man franchise.
Years ago, my friend Greg and I were fortunate to see Marian Seldes in The Royal Family in Los Angeles, and I am so glad we did. Seeing Ms Harris is another highlight for me.
Actors like these do something not all actors can do. They seem to fully immerse themselves in their roles in such a natural and compelling way that we are completely transported out of our real lives and into their story. I have such admiration for this skill, and it is something I hope to achieve in my lifetime. Ms Harris did not disappoint, nor did anyone else in the show.
But the actor who drew me in the most and, for my money, gave the most enthralling performance, was Romola Garai. Not only is she stunningly gorgeous, but her portrayal of Flora Crewe is one of the best performances I have seen this year. She actually plays the older sister of Rosemary Harris's character. Rosemary is in the now, and Romola is in the past. It's a Tom Stoppard piece and similar in style to Arcadia which was critically acclaimed. Some critics feel that Indian Ink is the less-gifted little sister to Arcadia. I disagree. I found Arcadia to be mentally exhausting when it first debuted. I understand it has been revised since then. But this show kept me engaged and I had no trouble following the plot as it bandies back and forth between now and then. Also, I find the themes fascinating-Indian attitudes toward the British during their subjugation, both good and bad; the importance placed on art, including poetry, literature and painting; relationships between people of very different backgrounds and moral values; and the way people perceive the past.
At intermission, I had a G & T at the theatre bar, and I'm glad I did because the second act starts with Rosemary's character having one, and I would have been jealous.
Thursday night, I saw Terence McNally's Lips Together, Teeth Apart, or, as the Floridian I met at the bar before hand called it, Lips Open, Mouth Closed, at Second Stage. I did not find this play quite as affecting, and that could be for a number of reasons. It was only their third preview so I imagine the cast is still finding their way together. And the script feels a little dated to me because it takes place in 1990 and there is still a lot of fear about AIDS and how it can be contracted. And the characters were pretty ignorant. And, while I know this sort of ignorance does exist, and certainly existed even more in 1990, I feel quite distanced from it. And it's always hard for me to believe that people can be that stupid. Even though they often prove me wrong.
Having said that though, the cast is strong, especially Tracee Chimo (from Orange Is the New Black and The Good Wife) and Michael Chernus as her brother. I really bought their characters and even felt a little wounded when they displayed their own homophobia. There were some really funny moments, and the production values were good.
Wednesday night, we saw the Broadway production of You Can't Take It With You starring James Earl Jones, Rose Byrne, Mark-Paul Gosselaar---wait, scratch that, Mark Linn-Baker, and a host of very funny actors. It's a true throwback to a classic era of brilliant comedy. Kaufman and Hart were at their peak and, of course, Frank Capra turned it into an Oscar-winning film. It's even more delightful seeing it acted out on the stage by really talented people.
So, as you can see, life in NYC has been all right. While I cannot say I have been cast in a Broadway show, or a TV show, or an independent film, or even in the subway, I CAN say that I have attended countless auditions, have formed a relationship with an agent and am on my way. I should be accepting my Tony and having my NY apartment decorated by summer of 2016.
In the meantime, we are enjoying all of the arts available to us, the parks, and, of course, the charming public transportation.
I continue to brag about our covered terrace, and New Yorkers I meet always stop to say "You have a terrace in the Upper West Side?" which makes me feel rich. I am eating too many bagels. I am taking full advantage of union-sponsored events like free screenings of new movies and conversation sessions with actors and casting directors. I treated myself to a membership at the Metropolitan Museum which has already paid off in spades. Tommy won the lottery for tickets to The Met and let me and my mom use them to see Le Nozze di Figaro which was amazing!
All in all, it's a pretty sweet life. To my family and friends on the West Coast, I miss you so much. Please visit. There are lovely hotels very close by.
With that, I bid you adieu and will probably feel another overwhelming urge to blog in December.
Love from Manhattan!

New York, New York! It's a wonderful town!

WE DID IT! We are Upper West Siders! When we started talking about moving to New York, Tommy said he always wanted to live on the Upper West Side, but we thought it would not be in the budget so we were looking elsewhere like Hell's Kitchen, Harlem and parts of Brooklyn and Queens. There was a building we liked in Hells' Kitchen that offered "affordable housing" if you met a certain income requirement. We applied for that one, and we really thought we had it, but they ended up declining us based on my "income potential". Even though I am unemployed, they said "based on our earnings from last year", there was no reason to expect we would earn the same or more. I vowed that I had no intention of resuming work in the banking industry, and that I have very little potential, and they should consider me a deadbeat, but they demurred.
Saddened AND forlorn, we resumed looking around, and that day there just happened to be an open house for this one property on West 79th St that was just above our budget. We made an appointment to look at it with the broker and immediately felt a connection to it upon arriving. The neighborhood, the funkiness of the unit, the covered terrace which is totally random and does not exist in any other apartment on our block. We said we'd think about it but were feeling pretty positive. The next day, we met a couple other brokers and looked at some different places. None of them spoke to us. Wait. I take that back. One of them spoke to us; it said "I am disgusting. You should run like hell." That was the one still occupied by the pig owner and his cat, and it had so much stuff piled up everywhere we couldn't see the floor or much of the furniture, or the stove under the caked unidentifiable substance.
We quickly contacted the broker and said "We want it! Is it still available?" There was one other tentative offer, but she relayed our interest to the management and they accepted us.
Now, one thing we have quickly learned as new New Yorkers is that NOTHING is ever easy. NOTHING! If you want anything done, you better pull up your big boy pants and steamroll whoever is in your way to get it done. No one has any interest in making anything easy for you. This would seem to include little things we take for granted on the west coast like cleaning an apartment before turning it over to new tenants, changing the locks, checking the water pressure, etc. We got to our new apartment and it had been painted. That's it. So the dirt and dust and grime was just mixed in with paint chips. The kitchen cupboards were thick with grease residue from, I'm guessing, 1995. The oven had clearly never been cleaned. And the refrigerator may have been used for science projects involving the growth of alien flora. Some of it remained.
Our movers arrived with all 100 boxes of furniture and items from our previous apartment that was double the size of our new one. We scrambled to arrange boxes in a way that would allow some bodily movement. We managed to fit our king size bed in our queen size bedroom. And we commenced cleaning. I think I speak for both of us when I say we have never worked so hard to make a place nice, but the payoff has been great. After about three days of scrubbing, scouring, dusting, vacuuming, swiffering, unboxing, organizing and making umpteen trips across the street to the Goodwill store, we had a little apartment to enjoy. It is a small one-bedroom. In fact, it's not even a true one-bedroom. It is actually a large studio that has been separated with a fake wall. But it works for us. And the terrace is the best part! I am sitting on it currently! We have our coffee, breakfast, happy hour, recreational drugs (just kidding, Ma!) all out here as we peek over the side and people-watch. I am so tempted to yell out "YOU! The cute one. You come up. The rest of you keep walking!"
If we walk two blocks west, we are at Riverside Park which is my favorite. Not only is it a huge beautiful green space, but there are multiple dog runs AND before 9:00 am, the whole 79th to 86th St portion is off-leash. This makes Godzilla very happy. Two blocks to the east is the Museum of Natural History where there is also a lovely surrounding park including a dog run. Just on the other side of the museum is Central Park West. Directly below us is an incredible coffee shop called Irving Farm which has quickly replaced Lovejoy Bakers as our favorite go-to for coffee, goodies and lunch. We have three-yes, three-laundry/dry cleaners right out our front door. We have an animal hospital, the aforementioned Goodwill and a historic Irish pub across the street. And we have myriad restaurants and markets mere steps away. The subway is ON OUR STREET which is going to be very nice come winter. It's literally less than 100 feet away. When I told Mom about our new apartment her first concern was "Is there a grocery store nearby?" I think at some point somebody (it might have been me) told my mom there are no supermarkets in New York City because this is always her first question. Well, Mom, hold your hats and hallelujah-YES! Fairway Market is the world's greatest grocery store, and it is four blocks away! And if I ever don't want to go that far, there's a Westside Market two blocks away.
While we don't have the amazing luxury building we had in Portland, we have managed to replicate a lot of what we loved about being there, such as the restaurants, the walkability, the park space and, most importantly, the proximity to everything. We are kind of smack dab in the heart of the city, BUT not mid-town which would probably be much noisier and busier. But from where we sit, it is so easy to get anywhere, and we have a nice central home that I hope will also be home (until 11:00 pm, of course) to our friends because it's easy to get to from anywhere else.
All of this to say, we are doing very well and happily settling in to our new digs. We can't wait to show it off so please make a visit to see us here!*
Oh, also, any and all invitations for complimentary seating at Broadway shows will be entertained.

*"seeing us" does not mean "staying with us." We love you, but we have less than 500 sq ft. Get a freakin' hotel.** Come over for happy hour.

**Unless your name is Mom. You gave us life. The couch is always here for you.

I'm Transitioning

HA! I knew that would get your attention!
I guess I'm going to have to change the name of this blog now that I am Normino in New York City. Or Normino in Brooklyn. Or, more specifically, Normino in BedStuy, if you want to be specific. Although we don't intend to be in BedStuy very long, so no use changing the name just yet.
I arrived at 5:58 am yesterday morning to our sublet after having instructed my cabbie how to get here (to a place I had never been). There are some things about getting older that I do appreciate. The fact that I take charge more than I used to and don't always just allow others to take the reins. My cabbie seemed to have no idea how to get to my sublet. I had to GPS it for him on my phone; and, even then, he almost exited the expressway too early and I had to tell him "Next one!" before he did. I was vigilant, and, consequently, had a very cheap ride from JFK. He also drove like a Buenos Aires cab driver so I saw my life flash a few times.
In a very short time, I arrived here-->

The one on the left.

I have never lived in a brownstone, so it's pretty cool. We are renting the garden apartment which is the one on the street level. The first floor would be up the steps. Oftentimes, the steps (or "the stoop" for us locals) are used for sitting, visiting with friends or, on occasion, asking passersby to zip you up, as one lady did to Tommy when he was walking Godzilla).
We enter using the iron gate here under the stoop-->

Then we walk through a hallway and enter our private apartment. We have a pretty bomb kitchen-->

And, the piece de resistance-->

Our own private patio and garden. Godzilla is finally using the garden to poop. It took him a while because I think he thought the garden was still part of the house and he had to wait for a walk to go potty. He's so sophisticated. He also likes to go insane whenever squirrels are running across the telephone wires from tree to tree.
So we are pretty fortunate to have a nice place to call home until we find a more permanent place to call home. Tommy found this pad. Nice work, babe!
Backing up a bit, prior to arriving in NY yesterday, I was in Portland, staying in a borrowed condo, performing in The Music Man at the Broadway Rose. It was a great show, and I am glad I got to be a part of it. During that time, I occupied my days eating and drinking my way through Portland and seeing friends before the big move. By my last day there, I felt ready. I had said my goodbyes, consumed entirely more calories than was healthy, and I had even sold my little Ford Escort that has been with me for NINE years!
The flight to NY was a bit bumpy, thanks to some storms happening in the northern states. Every time the plane hit a pocket, my heart would race and I'd stop breathing. This happened quite a bit so it wasn't a very restful flight. But the pilots were sober ( I assume), and we landed safely in NY where I got in the cab and told the guy where to go.
Yesterday, Tommy went into the city (that means Manhattan for you Westerners!) to see some clients, and I explored a little locally. We are four blocks from the C line of the subway which goes all the way from Washington Heights, down through Manhattan, into Brooklyn and almost to JFK. That's a long way. I took it just a few stops to go to Office Max which I discovered is right across the street from Barclays Center, a huge venue that hosts the New York Nets along with various other events. I thought, since it's so close, I would get us tickets for an upcoming event. The two things happening this month are Katy Perry and Cirque du Soleil with minimum ticket prices of $179.50 and $200 respectively, so that's not happening. I never thought I'd say this, but it's cheaper to see a Broadway show!
For dinner, Tommy took us to a FABULOUS place around the corner called Saraghina which made me feel right at home as it is fancy pizza and other delicious dishes, along with creative cocktails, all served up by handsome men. It reminded me of our first night in Portland at Caffe Mingo. We also paid a visit to our local pet food store which is also right around the corner, called "Who's Your Doggie?". The woman running it was very nice, and we were able to stock up on food and treats for G. I have to say that all of the people with whom our paths have crossed have been very pleasant. This is a nice neighborhood. While it isn't quite as walkable as The Pearl, it also is not full of tweakers and crazy homeless people. And when the people you meet on the street talk to you, they actually seem civil and intelligent as opposed to, say, high on meth. So there's that.
Today, Tommy has several appointments in Manhattan, so it's just me and G hanging out. Of course I want to get out and explore, but I am lying low because I somehow injured my left foot last weekend (I'm sure it was the Shipoopi which should really only be performed by excellent trained dancers), and yesterday it kept flaring up while I was gallivanting. So, today, I am keeping it elevated and occasionally iced while drinking coffee and reading Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You. I like his writing. It reminds me of how I think I would write if I wrote and could get it published. Just like Colin Firth reminds me of how I think I could act if I could act and be in the movies. And was British. And stunningly handsome.
Speaking of acting--Yes, I still plan on doing so, to the extent I can in this city of a billion actors. There are scads of auditions happening every day it seems. I would love to be attending some today, but I think it best to take care of my body first. It is, after all, a temple. So that's my boring story today. But I figure I will not be bored for long in this incredible city. I do miss Portland already. We have an amazing network of friends there, and it's an incredible place; but we always wanted to have the NY adventure, and I am excited that we have the chance to do it.
I will try to be more diligent about blogging than I was in Portland. But we'll see. You know how it goes. Life, stuff, I lack self-discipline.
Oh, I almost forgot-the weather here. It was quite warm yesterday. I think it topped out at 89 degrees and probably 89% humidity. As the local weatherman stated, it was a "high discomfort day." But then we got some rain last night into this morning, and today it is just lovely. A little cloud cover and a cool breeze. I am sure it will remain just like this until fall.

Goodbye to Pdx

Five years ago, I started this blog to keep track of my Portland adventures for myself and for those interested in following along. I failed. Staying busy and a lack of discipline thwarted my goal.

Now, here I am, five years later, in a bit of an emotional stupor about saying goodbye. Pardon me while I cry into my beer (a local IPA, of course!). 

Tommy and I have gone back and forth for years about moving to New York. He has lived there twice, but years ago when he was a much younger and different person. I have been there many times but have never lived there. We have always wanted to have the experience together, whether for one year or five years or twenty years. We always said we'd do it if one of us had an opportunity to take a job out there that would facilitate us moving. Well, that happened. Tommy has been hired as a client relations manager for Urban Electric Company. He will basically be the front man to their New York area clients, calling on them, making sure they are happy with the products and services they are receiving, probably referring new customers to the company. He will be doing a lot of chatting and schmoozing and entertaining. So, basically, being Tommy. Many people have asked what I will be doing. Well, as little as possible. I plan to be a man of leisure, lunch a lot, and by "lunch" I mean liquid lunch. No, actually, I will be pursuing the dream so many of us have pursued in NY. I will be auditioning, trying to market myself, network, taking classes, the whole New York thing. Is it a little weird and scary to be doing this at my age? HELL, YES! But that fear and that absurdity is kind of what is motivating me to do it. I'm not collecting social security just yet. I'm not infirm. I don't have any overwhelming desire to settle down and buy a home and nest. So why not now? Five years from now, I might feel differently; but right now I'm game. So my hope is that everyone who knows and loves us will just send us all the positive energy they can, as they always have. It's an interesting situation because there is absolutely no reason to leave this beautiful city; but there is absolutely no reason to not take advantage of this opportunity and have this new adventure either. When people ask me what MY plan is, I sense (and this is probably my own insecurity) that they wonder if I have doubts or fears. Do I have a backup plan? What are my expectations? Well, I haven't got any, other than my expectation of myself to support my partner in his new role, to make a home for us and to channel my own talent and ambition into navigating this new world. No one ever knows how NY is going to treat them until they get there. I plan to go in with an open mind (and probably get the proverbial shit kicked out of me) and just enjoy the ride, rough though it may be.

I am very glad to state that we already have an incredible support network in NY, so we will never feel alone. I'm thankful to be moving to a city where I already know so many amazing people. Of course, what hurts right now is what we are leaving behind.

I knew when we visited this amazing city in March 2009, there was something very special about it. And that truth was emphasized time and time again, as we settled into our new apartment and got to know our neighborhood, as we became employed, as we started scoping out the theater scene and as we started making new friends.

It's funny-and I don't mean to minimize the friendships I have back home in So Cal-but when we left Long Beach for Portland, I was ready! I was ready to leave our little 575 sq ft apartment in which I'd resided for twelve years. I was ready to donate all of our furniture. I even gladly said goodbye to 24 cabinets of VHS movies! While I knew I would miss my friends and family, I was ready for a change and eager to live somewhere new. How ironic that we'll be lucky to get 575 sq ft in NY.

Five years later, it's harder. And when I look around at our Portland family and our apartment (huge by NY standards), I have to fight this little depression that's trying to get me. I went to Powell's today to sell a ton of books. When the employee asked if I wanted cash or store credit, I felt a lump in my throat, knowing there was no reason for store credit.

When a friend came over to take our media storage unit off our hands, the one I never thought was anything special, I felt a little melancholy saying goodbye to the little pieces of our home that made it home. This evening, I walked down to Laughing Planet for a bite to eat, most of which is locally sourced food, and I read the Portland Mercury and laughed and thought about how I will miss this ease of life, the quirky Portland sense of humor, the pride we all have in our food and beer and wine and coffee, the wonderful walkability of this city, the many pockets we have explored and have yet to explore.

Last night, we went to a small theater just a few blocks away and saw some friends in a truly impressive show and then met some other friends around the corner for cocktails. How special that we can do that without leaving our own neighborhood!

I know we are moving to what some would call the best city in the world. We will have no shortage of fine cuisine, fun nights out, theater, culture; but I will miss what we have in Portland. I will miss the parties with our amazing circle of friends. I will miss having these people close and being able to see them frequently. I will miss the kooky sensibilities of Portlanders and their pride and wacky humor. I will miss the Living Room Theater where I can see an indie or a documentary or foreign film for $5 on a Monday or Tuesday and have a cocktail and dinner brought to my reserved seat in the screening room. I will miss going to virtually any movie theater and being able to get an IPA or a glass of wine and something to eat besides popcorn and milk duds.

I will miss Live Wire Radio which I only just discovered! I will certainly miss having 850 sq ft for less than $3000 a month.

Of course, there are a few things I will not miss. Cyclists who seemingly own the road, yet are not subject to its rules. Meth heads and transients who troll our local parks at night and harass people who are JUST TRYING TO WALK THEIR DAMN DOG! Oregon drivers.

But the few things that annoy me from time to time pale next to the myriad things I will miss.

I never blogged about all of the incredible things we did here. The hikes along the Gorge, sailing in the Columbia with friends, visiting the San Juan Islands, attending the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, our trips to the breathtaking Oregon coast, Sunriver with my team from work, wine tasting through the local valley with good friends. But we barely scratched the surface of all the amazing things there are to do and see here. I can't believe five years has come and gone. Five years! Wasn't it yesterday that we met our little Godzilla at the Oregon Humane Society and kept him in a crate down in the men's dressing room while performing Sweet Charity with a group of new awesome friends?

My time can't be up here because there are still a slew of restaurants I haven't tried! There's beaches I haven't checked out yet. Crater Lake! We never got there. I could live here the rest of my life and never be bored and never run out of new adventures.

I will miss it so much. And I will miss our Portland friends too much for words. I am so thankful for the last five years and how fortunate we have been. This is really going to hurt. I miss you already, Portland!