Days Off Are My Favorite Kind of Days

I have become a Monday kind of person. Definitely a Tuesday kind of person. As I sink deeper and deeper into the world of dining and entertainment, I find my schedule a flip-flop of those around of me. After a long Valentine's Day service and the subsequent after-work drinking, I allowed myself to sleep in late yesterday morning, all the way to noon (Jessica would be so proud). After a little breakfast and my cup of tea (it's become a daily routine for me), I snuck over to the gym for some overdue exercise and stretching. Working up a genuine sweat has become of my favorite simple pleasures, a sign that I'm alive, the warmth flowing through my body, my breathing strong. Everyday I am so thankful for the little pleasures I have the privilege of enjoying: a hot cup of tea, listening to my favorite music on my iPod, a cold martini, a delicious meal, a friend's smile. These are the things that get me through the day; each simple gift a know in the rope that helps me up the mountain. Following the gym, yesterday was mostly spent relaxing at home, doing some cooking and cleaning, catching up on my reading, and meeting a friend for drinks. So far, today has been spent much the same way. I got myself out of bed early, in attempts to go to an audition, only to find no Non-Equity performers would be seen today. Finding myself without a set schedule, I took myself to the giant Times Square AMC to catch a movie. Today's feature was A Single Man, directed by Tom Ford and starring Colin Firth. I just love going to the movies. It's not something that I do often, but I find it such an enjoyable, special experience when I finally make my way into one of those dark rooms. I really enjoyed the movie today. It was well put together, well acted, and all together a very touching story. Watching Mr. Firth struggle through his day in the wake of losing his lover, I both sympathized with his character, understood his pain, and tapped into my own. Death seems such a strange, inevitable but so often unexpected, separating us from loved ones while oftentimes seeing us draw closer to the ones we still have. The movie communicates the characteristics of a single person's life (hence the title), the little routines, the comfort and sting of solitude. Ironically, I found myself in a mostly empty theater this morning (after all, it was a pretty early viewing), and couldn't have been happier. Everyday, I wake up, and I am so thankful for my life, for the good things and the bad, for the chance to experience one more day. Having been here for almost six months, it's hard to believe that this is now the city I call home, the city I have dreamed of so often. How lucky I am that I get to live here, even when it is less than glamorous, that I get the chance to live my dream.

The rest of the day's schedule is mostly To Be Decided, as I will probably venture over to the gym at some point, but then have my evening free. Perhaps another movie or a show, perhaps meeting up with a friend, or staying in and reading. There is another audition I could try to crash. I am sure my kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom would all benefit from some attention. Whatever I do, I am going to choose to enjoy it, embrace it for all that it can be. Today the snow has been falling softly, smoothly, big powdery flakes, and it seems I find myself in a similar mindset, not rushing to be anywhere, but rather floating along in tranquility.