You Can't Get Your Heart Broken if You're Not in a Relationship! (and other goodies...)

Lovelies,  I just spend a fantastic 5 days at home in Minnesota.  The birds were chirping, the sun was shining and I had a grand time overall.  (I will re-cap further on in future blogs my purchases & events I attended...)  

But for now, I just want to say a word about singleness.  Ah, yes, I'm bringing it up lovelies... The ever-constant single state of my life.  And I didn't think so much about it until I started reading this book.  

(Damn you, literature! -- shaking angry fists!) 

Now this is not one of my normal Shopaholic or Twilight Chick-Lit Books where the characters are so far away from my real life that I can laugh at their problems whilst thinking "Gee - I feel bad for them!" or " Look at all their relationship issues/ flaws/ problems!" and finally the ever calming  "Glad I'm not like that!"

But lovelies this book is smacking me across the face again & again.  It's called Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single and it's by a Minnesota native named Heather McElhatton.  I swear, this book hits so close to home it hurts!  (In fact sometimes I end up crying I'm laughing so hard & then I realize I'm laughing because I relate so well... Le Sigh.)

This gal in the book is a normal gal who doesn't always say the right thing, dates online and usually ends up going home alone to her cat & a bottle of wine.  And she's funny!  A funny, normal sized gal who has trouble with men... Frighteningly familiar.  

The book is a great read for summer & I highly recommend it! 

But it got me thinking how much I crave a relationship and also how scared I am to actually be in one and be open to having someone be such a big part of my life!  Uugh, love.  

Why can't I just have a matchmaker say "Miss Musical, in 2 years time you will marry Motel the Tailor and live in a 2 bedroom co-op on the Upper West Side."  Oh, Fiddler on the Roof, if only life were as easy as your witty lyrics.... 

Favorite Painting

Lovelies. Something I enjoy doing year round is visiting museums. I love the rush I get when I walk through the doors - eager with the anticipation that my brain will be a little more expanded and the hope that my world view will broaden.

So, I was recalling today my all time Favorite Painting. It's probably not one that many people would call their all time favorite, but also you have to take into account how I happened upon this painting...

I was 20 years old, a junior in college and studying for the semester in London. We were so lucky to have an art history class right at Tate Britain. (That's not Tate Modern people, it's the old school museum.) So we had this lovely old man who was a professor that toddled all around the museum and showed us various works of art. But my favorite part was the fantastic stories he told us! Just amazing stuff!

Sometimes they were stories about the artist's tragic life. Sometimes they were about the subjects in the painting. But my all time favorite was when he brought us around a corner and there was a big (10 x 10) beautiful oil painting. It was John Singer Sargent's "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" and it was magnificent.

And then my teacher told us how Sargent tried to capture the twilight everyday and how he spent the two whole summers at his friend's home and waited everyday to paint by that light.

Also, the children who were his subjects were his host's children.

It's not much of a grand story, but it intrigues me.

That part of day is so beautiful and as I sat & stared at the expansive painting way back when in Tate Britain, a nostalgic feel washed over me. I was brought back to my memories of my own summer evenings when I was a child.

I could remember and recall wonderful detail of running with sparklers (like the young girls here are playing with lanterns) and how cool it got as the sun went down and the sounds of the birds settling and the toads croaking.... Guess that's why it's my favorite. I have a little print hanging in my room, but someday I hope to have a big beautiful replica!

I'm almost two years away from 30.

Lovelies, Happy almost 28th birthday to me. It's a mere 4 days away and I'm getting anxious and also kinda nervous. Not only because I'm doing a folk concert on my birthday, but also for the main question I have:

Shouldn't I be getting more done in my life now that I'm nearly a 30-something?

I don't mean like having a relationship or kids - that may or may not happen. (it's up to the fates to decided that.) I'm talking about the things that are a sure bet, like 401K and owning a home.

Perhaps my worries (which only started today) are totally unnecessary. While I do feel great about moving to NYC at the age of 25... and all that came along with that. Like learning that I am the only one that I can rely on. It's also exciting that I've made so many great friends and contacts along the way. Now if only I can screw my head on straight and start concentrating on getting an agent I'll be set!

I've also become more comfortable with being lonely or alone. And I'm actually (gasp) starting to enjoy my singleness. Something I thought I would NEVER EVER say.

BUT having said all that I look at my boss who was married & preggers at 28 with a stable job and think to myself "CRAPSACK! She was on the boat to Stability long before I was, but even so... I feel like I just need to start holding myself accountable.

Nobody else will hold my hand and do this for me. (although, it's a shame that they don't make jobs like that -- you know -- an accountability angel or some nonsense like that.)

Sigh...

How do I Seal the Deal?

Lovelies, I have a question:  How am I smooth enough to get a fellas card, but not smooth enough to have him call & ask me out on a date??  

I don't stalk.  I don't pry or call them too much.  I just let them be the man and make the first move.  I hate hate HATE it when business cards are exchanged and then nothing happens... Here's some cases in my life:

Remember Opera Hottie?  Or O'Hottie as I called him....  Yeah, so nice with loads of potential - and after 2 e-mails back & forth of very non-evasive brief stuff he never calls?!

AND remember the cute guy I ran into at the airport on my way back from Christmas Vacay this year?  The handsome british one who gave me his card after much flirting ensued in the taxi line.  Same thing.  3 or 4 e-mails back & forth and then nada.  Nothing.  Zip.  Zilch.  

So the latest was on Saturday night there was a terribly attractive man at the piano bar I was at!  He was there with a gal, but then my friend Z. went and asked if he was single, what he did, etc. on my behalf (yes, a little jr. high, but sweet of her, nonetheless..)  So turns out he's single, straight, and works at a respectable job.  I did some follow up questions:

Miss M: Where are you from?

Straight Dude: Texas.  You're from Minnesota right Miss M?

Miss M: Yes I am!  Do you enjoy piano bars?

Straight Dude: Yup! 

Miss M: Me too!  I wish I could play the piano.  Do you play any instruments?

Straight Dude: Yes - I play the violin & mandolin.

(Side note: Miss Musical is insane about the mandolin - HELLO???  Nickel Creek anyone??  Mandolin's are HOT!)

Straight Dude: Here's my card!

Miss M: Thanks!  Hey, I'm doing a show next Sunday night!  You should come!  (I produce a postcard for my show).

Straight Dude: Don't think I've got anything planned for next Sunday- I'll try to be there!

And then lovelies, I did something stupid.  I facebook friended him.  D'oh!  Facebooking someone you fancy is the dating kiss of death.  Seriously.  I know.  I've been facebooked which is another way for a dude to say "Yeah, you're pretty to look at, but I just don't really want to get to know you in that way.  Let's be facebook friends instead!"  

Le Sigh.

A Message to Men everywhere: Do not give a lady your card or ask for her number unless you intend to follow up.  This is not a game of "How many cards can I get in a night?" or "Who will call first?"  

I've decided to start handing out lists to random fellas on the subway & preach about dating etiquette on the N train.  That should reach a lot of people right?  I mean if the homeless people can collect money on there, I must be able to help the men of NYC become a little more aware!  Here's the easy 5-step lingo: 

1. You like a chick.

2. You ask for her number

3. You call and ask her out.

4. You take the time to figure out what you'll be doing on the date 

5. Date happens. You show up on time.

Too much to ask??  I think not. 

Folk Concert!

Lovelies, I'm doing my own folk/country concert! I'm going to sing songs by the Dixie Chicks, James Taylor, John Denver, David Wilcox and all my other favorite folk artists!

Think it will be a BLAST! It's going to be on June 21st at 9:30pm at the Laurie Beechman theatre (which is located in the basement of the West Bank Cafe) on 42nd Street and 9th Avenue!

I'm so pumped! Here's the picture I'm using on the postcards & posters! Taken by the Brillian Lindsay Mae of Lindsay Mae Photography! (kinda fancy, right?!)

Being a Grown Up Sucks Sometimes....

Lovelies,  there are some parts of adulthood that I really enjoy.   Like not having a curfew, being able to move where ever I want in the world, and -of course- being able to partake in alcoholic beverage consumption. 

 

HOWEVER, there are some parts of Grow-up-dom that SUCK.  (warning - this is not a happy typical "Miss Musical" blog - I'm venting a little bit)

Let me list them in order:

1. Bill Pay.  (I hate bills & paying them.  I like having an apartment, cell phone, In Style Magazine every month - but I HATE having to pay for them.  Uugh.)

2. Ownership of your mistakes.  (Do you remember when you effed up when you were young and were able to say "Oh, I'm so young & I haven't learned that yet, so you can't get mad at me for messing up!" and then you're supposed to learn from your mistake, as to avoid it in the future??  Yeah, I have a hard time learning from the past, I guess...)

3. Societal Pressures.  (Ie.  You MUST - according to society- have a job that you're "successful" at, get married, have babies and be exceedingly happy with your lot in life.  Oh, and you have to do this all by the time you're 35 or you're a failure.  Got that??  ... God, I hate the "normal" people -- and I hate myself even more for wanting to be one of them...)

4. Never Having Enough.  (This is kind of a spin on social pressure, but I feel as an adult that I never have enough.  Enough money, enough living space, enough food, enough clothing, enough furniture.... When does it end?  When will I be able to step back and say "Yeah, my little apartment in Queens rocks and I love all my clothes!"  I kinda do say this stuff already, but I secretly would love to come into loads of money -- but even then, would that be "enough"?  Or would I still crave more??  Bigger Money = bigger toys)

5. Religious questing.  (Lovelies, believe you me - I love me some Jesus, but I also don't believe in dismissing all other religions quite so quickly.  This bugs me about being an adult, too - as a teen I was spoon fed Christianity and while I love the teachings of the bible, I still think that there are loads of other good things you can take away from other religions, too!  Like the calm of Buddhists, or the devotion of Jews, or other such things...  And most adults think "I believe (fill in the blank) and that's the ONLY way to go!"which makes it hard when you can appreciate other aspects of various religions... Very frustrating part of being an adult.)

Well, lovelies, I think that's enough seriousness for now!  Onto nicer things - I gave an AWESOME audition for "A little Night Music" for my FAVORITE casting director E. Woods on Friday!  (and MatE. was playing at the piano!  Love that!)  I felt so calm & at ease in the introduction & end of the audition -- and I ROCKED it out on the song.  

Was so into the song that I was close to crying but never lost it totally until the last verse & then I had to "Pull it together" during the very last lyric in the song!!!  I got a "Excellent audition, Miss Musical" from E. Woods.  (and I kinda look a little like Kelly Price in the face - who's playing the role I want to play in London... Planting little seeds of hope, my lovelies... We'll see if I even get a callback...)

I AM AN ACTRESS - HEAR ME ROAR!!!  And it feels so great when you really feel like you've done justice to the song!  Now if I can just get one person to believe in me and think I've got the stuff to do a show here in NYC, we'll be set! 

Girl Scout Cookies = Slow Death of Miss Musical

Lovelies, I'm sitting here at my desk. I have no Weight Watchers Points left for the day and there's a delicious box of Girl Scout Cookies sitting in my freezer calling my name...

"Miss Musical!!! Pssst! We're right here!!! Come & eat us!!!"

"We taste soooo good!"

"We love you, and want you to make you feel better for having no boyfriend/ Broadway show/ size 2 body! Come & enjoy our tasty toxins!"

Well to that I say - NO MORE G.S. Cookies! NO MORE!!!! You can take your false promises of happiness, sunshine and all that crap and shove it up your pie hole!

(hopefully I'll be able to resist until I go to sleep -- the calling to eat ceases when my head hits the pillow...)