How do I entertain you at 7:16am?

So, for the last 3 days, I've been waking up every morning at 6am. I've done my morning yoga/pilates routine (which pretty much consists of 2 Tori Amos songs worth of sun salutations and Eminem's "Lose Yourself"'s worth of pilates exercises), hopped in the shower, dressed quickly and then parked myself at my computer. By 8 or 9 am T.E.S. is usually up and we have a "morning meeting". Then I either get back on my computer, or we head out into the work of NYC...

On Monday we went out to pick up posters from the printer, buy some other random supplies from Staples (ooh, this was an exciting stop because TES and I swear we saw stuff at that Staples that you can't find at Staples in Canada, as we walked out of the store I whispered in her ear, "I can't believe I'm saying this but I kind of love America!") and buy a stand-alone, three-paneled screen that is an integral set piece for The Burning Bush show. On Tuesday morning, post-morning meeting, we schlepped ourselves to the upper west side (I think) to drop off some posters and flyers to the Manhattan JCC, and then back down again to the east village for a FRIGID Festival Orientation meeting. Throughout this time I was text messaging with my friend Brad in Halifax, whom I had just learned that morning via email is producing Halifax's first ever Chutzpah! Jewish Cultural Festival! (He hadn't been reading my blog so he had no idea that I was currently the World Tour Manager - oh yes, I've been promoted! - of the hottest jewish-canadian show about a stripping Rabbi EVER!) In any case, throughout the course of a day that had me on the subway, in several FRIGID Festival meetings and walking around the east village postering for The Burning Bush, I also somehow managed (mostly via text messaging) to work out a deal with my friend Brad, on Tracey's behalf, to bring The Burning Bush to Chutzpah! Halifax at the end of this month! (I think that may be the reason my 'production manager' title got promoted to World Tour Manager!)

Alright, so yesterday, Wednesday, I forced myself to spend the first few hours of the day (you know, 7-9am) dealing with some of my own pressing issues, like emails to schools and work on my applications to York's Concurrent B.Ed. program and my applications to theatre school (at York and Studio 58). This, of course, was followed by a morning meeting with TES, followed by some more work from our "home office", then another field-trip out into the (cold and snowy) NYC world, to pick up some more postcards from the printer this time. We interrupted our hectic day with a lovely DUNCH (see definition in last post) at the most incredible place in SoHO... It's a completely Parisien cafe called Balthazar, and it was really and truly like a little trip to Paris just being in there! As we walked out, I said to Tracey: "Wow. That was lovely. Who knew you needed a vacation when you were already on one!?"

Speaking of which. I'm tired. I mean, I don't know if what I'm doing sounds like much to you, my dear readers, but this isn't even the half of it. We literally do not stop - ever. We pack every "spare moment" with talk about the show, calls and emails to promote the show, plans for how we will promote the show, etc. TES had a realisation two nights ago that we are not even taking 5 minute breaks, so we are trying to self-impose them every now and then. When we do this, I get to pick a song from Tracey's ipod (she has those portable speaker-thingys) and then we put it on and dance a little. Some recent picks include: Grandmaster Flash's "White Lines", Great Big Sea's "When I'm Up (I can't get down)" and Shakira & Wyclef's "My hips don't lie".

So this morning, instead of waking of half and hour earlier than usual at 5:30am, like I had planned, I ended up sleeping in an hour until 7am. But trust me, I needed it. I also decided to allow myself the luxury of writing on this 'ere blog before I even checked my emails. And you know, it's felt good. I've managed to wake up a little, and now TES is up too (she seems to still be feeling pretty sick - yikes!) and I should probably re-focus and get on with our work day...

So, sorry if this blog entry has been a little dry, it is still before 8am! (And I didn't even tell you about how I went last night, by myself, to the opening night performances of the festival, and saw my friend Emily Morwen perform her very good show, Spotless, and gave out Burning Bush flyers to everyone and anyone, and brought flowers to the FRIGID Fest organisers on behalf of Tracey and I, and... and... and... okay, I'll stop now)

Headin' back to work now (with lots o'gratitude, excitement, and energy for the day!)

xoxo, Triple M in NYC