A Sunday Evening Hello ~6

November 9, 2014

Sunday Evening Hello…from New York City,

Life is not all La Di Da, but I have to say my life lately is the most la di da-ish it has ever been. In a good way. It is like trying on a new pair of comfy shoes for the first time, being eager to wear them out, and they end up being the pair you grab for time and time again. That is how New York is feeling to me.

I found myself grinning on the inside and telling myself, “This is the BEST day” while sitting amidst the greenery of Central Park, in the middle of Manhattan, where the sun was seeping through the brightly colored leaves in the trees. Penelope and I took one of our many rests from shuffling all our paws through the pile of leaves that lay scattered up against the edges of the paths, with one of the many statues nearby when this feeling came rushing in. 

You may think I’m crazy on this one, but I found a dog themed, dog-friendly adventure tour of Central Park, called Bark Post(a Stray Boots tour). To find our way around on the tour, I had to complete challenge questions on a scavenger hunt from an app on my phone, in order to progress to the next destination. We started at the Guggenheim Museum off of 5th Ave. and made our way around, behind the Met, and through the East side of the park. Sometimes we both were easily distracted, often going in circles, but learning historical tidbits and doggy facts, while seeing Central Park in a completely different fun way. Did you know that dog walkers here can earn easily up to $4,000/month if they had up to 300 dogs to walk? That was one of our fun tidbits on the tour.

Ahh, there is something about looking through the trees and seeing the beautiful skyscrapers of Manhattan with the legendary Plaza Hotel unfolding into view as we headed around The Pond, on our way out of the Park. Let’s just say that after several miles, motorized boats, a few turtles, statues of Balto, Alice in Wonderland and Hans Christian Anderson, going under bridges with trumpets playing, ice skaters on the rink, that Penelope was most fascinated with the horses. She stood dead in her tracks, almost trembling with tourrets sounding barks when the horse and buggies went by. In the end, she eagerly crawled into her carrier, laid out flat like a pancake, as I zipped her up before we headed down the subway stairs.

The freedom I feel come Friday afternoons, is like the feeling of being a kid, waiting in line for the Magic Mountain ride at Disney Land. I have the whole weekend off to create with however I want! That was the thought in my head in-between the urges of sleep, fighting to keep my eyelids open, on the train ride home this past Friday. Sometimes I get mesmerized watching the motions of the train car in front of me rocking back and forth, up and down, that it begins to lull me to sleep. I was easily jolted awake this time as I zipped up, stepping out into the cold air, getting off the train, when my phone awoke with a signal and started to make it’s musical tones. In my inbox was a message from HR at Sesame Street wanting to meet with me in person ASAP next week for an interview. Getting that message is like being at the tipsy top of the roller coaster ride right before you plunge straight down, kind of feeling, to start my weekend off with. Whoo Hooo! Not soon after that, the familiar tightening of the tummy began.

I remember going to Kindergarten and dreading every step of the way except for the step towards my mom as she waited for me on the corner when the day was all over. 

I was anxious about leaving what was familiar to me(home) and often made up stories on the playground of when I fell or tripped or did something utterly embarrassing, that it was somebody’s fault other than my own. My stomach hurt all the time and I had these terrible stomach tightening when ever I got called on especially for show-n-tell! I hated show-n-tell. I would often fantasize about what I could bring that would be the coolest thing in the world and make me instantly liked by everyone. I don’t remember having many friends, but I do remember sitting around that circle in a horrible angst dreading every minute as my turn crept closer. That phase didn’t last long, but even to this day the familiar stomach tightening still happens. Well let's hope I don’t get too anxious and just cruise through this interview with lots of confidence.

Right now I am listening to my iTunes song, “Star” by Break of Reality, as I write. Just last night, I was at an underground venue in the East Village, bathed in dim lights and old fashioned movie seats, was a classical-rock quartet playing(3 Cello’s, and a percussionist), called Break of Reality. I truly enjoyed the sounds as the music rose into heightened crescendo’s from a wonderful unison of musical play amongst them. I loved the joy, passion, emotion, life, playing hard, as they became one with their instruments, with such power. The acoustics reverberated all around me with moments that easily became a transcendent experience with my eyes closed.
C'est vraiment superbe!

After the concert and a short train ride later, I ended up at St. Marks Place to Pomme Frites, for a taste of some Belgium fries with many different dipping sauces to choose from like roasted garlic mayo, black truffle mayo, and the mango chutney mayo. I kept a little trinket of ketchup nearby to go with my parmesan and herb sauce just in case. OH, My tummy felt so pudgy when I was done! 

I guess getting ready for an interview this week after having one of the best days ever, isn’t such a bad thing? Everything is happening at once this coming week. Oi, makes me exhausted thinking about it all; agents panel, interview, Open House at Random House, Children’s Book Fair, and Symphony Space for E.B.White Celebration. Taking one wee step and one thing at a time works very well for me even though this NYC adventure has been anything but WEE.

Writing to all of you is like re-living the best parts of my week and I'm loving that! I hope you are enjoying it too.

Hugs and doggy kisses,

Jane and Penelope