Tuesday, December 30, 2008

the end of an error...

That was one my favorite 1/20/09 bumper stickers. After eight years of wondering if we were in some horrid parallel universe, and the economic nightmare of this year, one can't help but hope that '09 really will be the gateway out of the darkness and into the light.
Over the last six month in particular, I've, admittedly, allowed myself to fall more into the dark than to see the light, but, as I sit here in the house of one of my closest friends, my husband looking out the window at the blowing snow, with the knowledge that a small group of us will be bringing in the new year together tonight at a good concert, I am reminded that, despite the many annoying things that happened this year, I have also had many blessings.
*I got to celebrate my first wedding anniversary - happily!- with my husband.
*I got to be part of and witness to three fab weddings: our friends Lil and Steve, Rooney (excuse me, Christine...one of these days I will call her that), and Steve (different Steve from Lil's Steve) and Samantha and Henry.
*Got to go to California for the first time (only took me over 30 years).
*Careerwise, I got to be part of a fab show called Museum Pieces at Prospect Theatre, working with amazing composers and writers - I frickin had a song written for me by Carol Hall(!)
*I was part of the New York debut of Oscar: The Musical performed at the York Theatre. *I did an amazing classical recital with my friend Teresa (the cat duet will never be the same)
*I started working - and have managed to keep the gig thus far - at Madison Avenue Baptist Church as part of their quartet.
*And biggest coup of all: I got to do my trip (see the archives of April and May 2008) and met my "mystery aunt" at last. I also got to meet new cousin Margaret in Jersey and am hoping to meet many more. I am still transcribing...job hunting and all sadly became a BIG disctraction from creative work...but I definitely hope to have a decent first draft soon! Seriously!
I can't thank the friends, family and all the people I talked to enough for that 29 days of joy which I get to relive every time I pull out out the tape recorder to transcribe another interview.

I've officially been unemployed for ten months. I have nodes on my vocal chords. I have had ridiculously bad cell phone karma since May.

But I have had great people like Doug Shapiro (surely you've heard of Doug Shapiro!) helping me out with gigs, his fab husband as a part time boss, Sam the Ring Man as another part time boss, great opportunities with The Network, and then just amazing times with all my and my husband's people. So I say thank you to you all for an excellent 2008.

I plan on writing more in 2009, so don't forget to check us out in the new year!

I do hope you all have an amazing New Year and I hum good job/career/gig/love/bing (Chinese for Double Happiness) karma in your direction! *hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......*

Peace --Alex

And yes, you all still have to KEEP PAYING ATTENTION! even with Obama :)

Monday, December 08, 2008

Shameless advertising....


for my friend Sam the Ring Man...

Looking to get some bling for that special someone, but a) your budget (who's not hurting right now?) or b) you, or that special someone, might be averse to such jewelry due to the environmental and political impact of mining?

Look no further!

Sam Abbay, jewelry maker and facilitator of New York Wedding Ring has the answer!

Check out his Eco Studs! They are stud earrings made of cultured (lab-grown) stones and recycled gold or palladium (a type of platinum). They really are lovely and are available in red ruby, pink ruby, blue sapphire, padparadscha sapphire (orange) and alexandrite. They are real stones, they just happened to be lab-grown rather than mined thus not harmful to the environment...and less expensive. Yes, here comes the budget part. Rather than you paying hundreds of dollars for mined sapphires and rubies, these studs are $150 a pair.

Stocking stuffer or the "big gift", first gems for a daughter, special earrings for mom, or the get-in-good-with-the-environmentally-conscious-girlfriend gift, or heck a HAPPY NEW YEAR WITH A NEW PRESIDENT gift, talk to Sam about picking up a pair of Eco Studs.

...and if things go well with that environmentally conscious girlfriend, you could also talk to him about making your engagement ring (also with recycled gold and cultured diamonds. (Yes, he has those, too! just not for earrings as yet)

In the meantime, I hope you all are having a lovely holiday season and aren't going too crazy just yet. :)

All right, back to making my Christmas playlist for my iPod...

Peace --Alex