#28- ART. IT MAKES YOU DO THINGS

It's been awhile since I've written to you all. The past few months included me moving, adjusting, bringing my dog up, him adjusting, and launching and building my new business. My absence in "the scene" is due to my after show commute almost tripling as well as my dog requiring 6am walks. No excuse for the wicked, I know. But sometimes adjustment is necessary.

So I am back living in Washington Heights after two years of subletting my place so I could complete a feature film I produced AND finally finish healing from a pretty suckey break up. It was an eight years plus relationship. Take a note from my life, no matter how relieved you are, never underestimate the tole a broken relationship can take on your spirit. You must heal. When you seek healing do it with people who genuinely love you. It's sort of like weening of narcotics, not that I'd know. But I imagine weening of a long term relationship is worse that quitting caffeine. Maybe cigarettes. Regardless, do it around people who love you because they will be the only one who will tolerate your mood swings.

So I've been working at my business, teaching, directing, and yes- waiting tables. My weekend waiting gig hasn't been so bad and the food service always makes me feel like I'm really in the trenches- busting butt. If you are reading this and you do not live in NYC, just know that having this many pursuits and jobs is common among many of my peers. This city is expensive and success is all about relationships with other people. I've made incredible connections at VERY fancy parties through my new business as well as when I'm serving eggs. It can happen anywhere in NYC.

Anyway, lucky for me Penny and the gang have held on tight to Samantha Jones. Regular calls and pleading me to come perform help me remember why I am here. To perform and to write. In fact my new business is taking so much of my focus because I know it will succeed and ultimately bring me more time for my art.

At the moment I am on Cape Cod. The twists of my life continued when me retina detached for the second time on the second day I was here. Needless to state, I was panicked. For many reasons. One was I was six hours away from my doctor of choice. Two, my health insurance wasn't completely up and running yet! This is where my family stepped in once again. By day three my insurance was up, my surgery complete, and we were one day away from closing on a vacation home we were purchasing together. Let's just say the stress was at a maximum.

Then John Murdock began calling. Pretty regularly. He said he needed to discuss a few things with me. He doesn't know this, but those calls made me really happy. Like all of the nuttiness of the last week or so suddenly dropped to the floor because one of the soldiers of art from the Lower East Side needed a chat. Knowing him it was a huge project. John loves huge projects, particularly is they involve politics or anti-religious themes. He's the best.

We finally made contact. On a warm summer day my family was off to the beach. I was back at the house doing anything I could think of that would help me keep my heard down (doctor's orders). I was on the deck playing guitar when my phone rang.

I won't tell you what was said because I think it's meant to be a surprise, but I will give you some hints:

Politics
Media
Shock

and after a brief chat with me it also includes a happening involving everyone in "the scene".

These are the kinds of people I like talking to because the have huge ideas and want to make a difference. So do I. I like that I don't have to have all the big ideas. It gets tiring and I'm happy to support other people's big ideas..assuming they're good ;)

I should mention my sister and I won an award for our band, "The Sister's Rock". Best comedic performance from this organization we've done a few fundraisers for. The reason I mention this is because my sister and I did this just for fun. Not really seriously. I should take a note from that and perhaps allow myself a little more fun with my art. Maybe that will be my new goal this fall.


PHOTO ABOVE IS OF MY EYE POST OP WITH A FLOATING GAS BUBBLE INSIDE TO HOLD THE RETINA IN PLACE