Pith Helmet

Last Saturday, the last day of shooting, the walkie PA and some of the other nice set PAs invited me out for a post-wrap beverage at The Frying Pan. The Frying Pan happens to be my favorite summer spot in New York, so I was hard pressed to say no, but I did. I'd been left in charge of the production office all day - The President and her VP were out because they had prior Saturday engagements - and had a bunch of things to wrap up, and I hadn't made any plans because I was still hoping to hear from the Cheshire Cat.

When I finally got out of the office at 10 pm I was exhausted physically and mentally from the craziness of running the office, still hadn't heard from Chesh, and I just wanted social time. I texted The walkie PA and arranged to meet the group at the gangplank.

This guy is a nice fella of sorts, if a little strange. We got along smashingly right from the beginning. He wore a pith helmet to work that day, he says it's because it was raining and he wanted a good rain hat, but I really think he just wanted to wear a pith helmet. He also said it helped him keep people from walking into the shot, which I can totally understand. I'd be much more inclined to stop in my tracks if the guy who asked me to stop was wearing a pith helmet. He will thusly heretofore be referred to as "Livingstone."

The people we were with were content with milling around by the bar, and Livingstone had never seen the actual Frying Pan before, so he and I separated ourselves from the group and took off on an exploratory mission. We crawled and climbed through every inch of the boat when suddenly we came upon a turn we hadn't seen before and wound up at the helm. Livingstone stuck his head out of one of the portholes and began engaging a group of barflies below in conversation. I think they were rather enchanted that a gentleman with a pith helmet would suddenly stick his head out of a boat and start talking to them. Meanwhile I was bored, so I decided to climb to the topmost part of the ship, which turned out to be directly over Livingstone's head. I reached down and snatched the pith helmet from him and told him to join me up top. Clapping the helmet onto my head and standing tall I felt a mighty tug from the wind. As Livingstone climbed up next to me and I returned his hat I mentioned that he should hang on tightly so that it wouldn't blow off.

After a while I ran to the bar to grab us some drinks, and on my way back I saw something fly off the top of the boat and hit the dock with a loud thunk. I knew it could only be one thing. I heard Livingstone call my name from the top, and I yelled back, "I saw it fall!" "I'll be right there!" he replied. I fought my way through the crowds to the edge of the dock, and just as I reached the edge Livingstone was there at my side. We simultaneously laughed and groaned. The pith helmet was in the Hudson River, stuck in a triangle between the Frying Pan, the pier, and a floating bar umbrella. I handed Livingstone a glass of whiskey.

He drank it, but insisted that all was not lost. He ran onto the boat, returning with a length of rope and a beer bucket. He tried unsuccessfully to scoop up the helmet a few times, but it was too big for the bucket and the ancient twine snapped in two, letting the bucket sink to the brackish deep. Then one of the bar backs came to our aid and fashioned a grappling hook out of the twine and a beer bottle, trying to grab the umbrella and scoop the hat up with it. To no avail. Finally someone came by with a long metal pole, but a pole isn't a very effective scooping tool. Then it dawned on me - the chairs!

We tied two lengths of twine onto the arms of a plastic deck chair and lowered it into the water, then the bar back used the pole to catch the hat and float it into the chair. After a couple of tries we finally managed to scoop up the pith helmet and retrieve it successfully!

By this time a large crowd had amassed, and people were applauding left and right as Livingstone raised the hat to the stars with a cry of victory. The bar back more than earned the cost of the hat in tips. We all signed the interior of the pith helmet (because among PAs there is always a towel and a sharpie) and clapped each other on the shoulders for being a part of this great adventure.

These are the stories that make this life good.

Friday night

Pleasantries exchanged and adorable smiling, little quips within conversations always revolving back around to each other. Did you notice? Did you see me dancing? I had fun with the groups within out group, bringing out my social butterfly, always at ease in a crowd of friends. I can't believe I'll miss you tomorrow. I'll be far away from here and you'll be there without me and then we'll be on other jobs and goodness knows if we'll ever meet again. Anyway, it was fun while it lasted.


kyle the girl
(on iPhone)

New York Dance Parade 2009

Was AWESOME.



There were over 20 of us, between the Squirrel Girls and all of us Acorns (the students). We came out there like warriors with our tribal yells and our brightly colored skirts and all our coinage and had a blast. Mama Squirrel is amassing an army of American Tribal Style Bellydancers!

There were also tons of other cool dancers there! My favorites were NYC Bhangra Club, The Kansas City Marching Falcons Drill Team, and Groove Hoops, but there were so many other amazing things to see, from roller disco to ballet, to circus performers.

There was brief talk of going to one of several after parties at clubs around the City, but after a whole day of hip twists and body waves our bellies were all danced out.

Thanks to those who made it out, especially Heartwarmer, who graciously volunteered to carry the Squirrel Girls' banner. And to the rest of you, hope to shimmy at you next year!

As you may or may not be aware, Central Park is awesome.

I actually haven't been to Central Park much since I moved here but on Veteran's day Roommate #1 and I both had the day off and we decided to take a stroll through the park in search of the Castle, to which neither of us had ever really been. It was so much fun just strolling and chatting and strolling some more. I'm also very happy to report that the carousel is WAY worth it! If only we'd had a better camera... But here are a couple of pics from my iPhone!









PS - Today is my one year anniversary. I made it. I've been here in New York for a whole, real year. I am officially a New Yorker!

The Prospect Park Brunch Club

About a month ago my roommates and the Sound Scientist and I started the Prospect Park Brunch Club. We had our fourth meeting today and it just keeps getting better and better! I'm really glad to be building some community in the neighborhood and it's a great forum to bring friends to meet other friends! Anyone is welcome, even aunties if they'd like. :) We usually post up the next week's location sometime mid-week.

Working out with Arnold on the roo-oo-oof

How weird was my roof party?

Well! Last Thursday the film I'm working on got shut down, so a bunch of people from work went out and drank and I cabbed it home with my boss at 1:30 a.m. Then on Friday we were told there was still hope--to stop packing up and hold on until mid-week--so a bunch of people from work went out and drank and I cabbed it home at 2:45 a.m. I had planned and advertised a party for Saturday and guess what? Nobody from work came! No surprise there--if it hadn't been my party I probably wouldn't have gone either.

Nonetheless it turned out to be a hit. Thinky Face came, and so did a bunch of Roommate #1's friends. Aunt J and Auntie R came out and brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers to congratulate on the new pad. It actually wound up being a very relaxed, laid back evening (but deep down I'm pretty pissed about so many people saying they'd come and then not showing--if you aren't gonna come it's okay, just say so).

Anyway, much of the evening was spent in awareness of another roof party across the back yards. These people were, apparently, insane. They were all dancing...really badly. There appeared to be rhythm, but the moves were all just so strange we weren't sure what to make of it. Aunt J was pretty convinced they were on some kind of upper. Some time around 1:30 someone suggested we ask them. Being "a little tipsy," I shouted across the courtyard at them! "Hey... HEY!!" Finally I got someone's attention. He ran to the edge of the roof and strained to hear as I yelled, "What are y'all DOING?"

"Working out with Arnold!" came the reply. I didn't understand until later what he meant, so my next question was, "What are you guys on!?"

He shrugged his shoulders and lifted his palms in incredulity. "Uh... Beer?"

Someone else in my party shouted, "Do you have any more beer?"

"No! I think we're out!"

"Well come on over!"

A few minutes later Thinky Face and I were teaching Roommate #1's friend to bellydance when someone said, "Uh, [Miss A]? We have a visitor from across the way. This is [the Sound Scientist]!" As hostess I greeted him and his friends, gave him a drink and chatted a bit, when suddenly he asked, "This might sound kind of weird but are you on Twitter?"

As it turns out, I had responded to a tweet of his once--I probably saw it using the "Nearby" feature of the Twinkle iPhone app, which shows me tweets in my local area--and ever since he has followed my updates. Weird! Crazy weird!

We sat up talking like ALL night. As it turns out, we not only tweet at each other, we also have similar tastes and interests. So yay, I have a brand new friend to go with my brand new neighborhood! And it's all thanks to being a nerd. I knew I would find more of my kind eventually.

In other news, subway cars are perpetually too hot, but the one I'm in now is f-f-frrreeeeeeezing! Also I travel to Cleveland tonight for Salty's baby shower! Go Peanut!