Good evening, peeps! I've missed posting regularly here and on Facebook - but circumstances this past month have dictated where I've been allocating my time.
I spent 12 days on a cruise with a dear friend this past month. It was a pretty awesome experience. We went to six different Caribbean islands and met a number of pretty great people along the way.
Unfortunately upon my return, the father of my partner passed away. He had been sick for some time and so it wasn't a huge shock. But just before the cruise he told me that he considered me to be a part of the family. So his passing hit me hard. I spent a few days in Connecticut with the family. I was asked to be a pallbearer and I sat in the front row. It was my mom all over again - but the nicer version where I got to experience what a normal family's mourning is like.
During this time, one of the wedding clients I was working for had become troublesome. As it was a teeny tiny wedding (7 people), it should have been a snap. But they kept layering on more and more things until the wedding seemed to take a back seat to the singer, the band and getting St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University (btw in case you and 500 of your closest friends want to rent it, it's a mere $1500 for two hours).
I got the gig through a wedding planner I've worked for for a year.. and even though I am a consultant and work very part time, I think taking so much time off pissed her off. Back in October, she said she wouldn't renew the year long contract we'd had because (she said) "I need someone who can read my mind". (Yeah, seriously). With a crazy and lame reason like that, I wasn't too broken up not to work for her anymore. I was starting to work with others anyway so it didn't really upset me. But then she reversed herself around Christmas and sent me a new contract. Then, a month later, she let me go.
She should come with a beeping sound like trucks have when they are backing up. At least then I'd have an idea when a reversal was about to happen! :)
If all this wasn't enough to make me contemplate spending the rest of the month in bed under the covers, I got the news from the Ritz over the weekend that February 7th would be our last show. It just wasn't working out for them and although it's been great to be back in mid-town, Thursdays at 7 has been a huge challenge for us too.
I originally moved the show because I felt the event needed a little challenge.. and a little goosing. And we got that. Maybe a little more than any of us anticipated, LOL but on the bright side, we have had some really terrific times - singing with Kylie Edmond during our 400th show, the electricity of Ron B's 'lip sync off' with Vanessa Valtre, to the Night of a Thousand Santas amazing fundraising for the Ali Forney Center, etc.. some really good times. :)
I look back at the past 10 days and shudder at all of the loss... I'm pretty spent, exhausted and ready for.. well, a vacation. LOL That won't happen anytime soon of course. But I am looking forward to starting Bingo at Uncle Charlies starting Wednesday February 6th, emceeing an event at Stonewall on the 14th and officiating at a wedding for two awesome guys in Brooklyn on the 16th. I am talking to a couple wedding planners about working with them (one, a start up, has already given me a project) and things are moving along slowly.
So if it's true that what doesn't kill me, makes me stronger, I must be Ahnold by now. I am relieved that there has been a lot of support from friends and grateful that despite all of this, I am holding up pretty well. You can listen to Kelly, she'll make it all better. I promise.
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