Countdown.

UGH.

I had a visceral reaction to realizing I've neglected my blog since September.

SO, so sorry about that.

What's happened in that time? Well, lots of the usual things...

I worked on one of the last "on-set" days for "666 Park Avenue" as Hurricane Sandy decided to come in a week later and put the entire studio under 7 feet of water.

(7 days before the "Drake" entryway became a fish pond.)

I battened down the hatches and rode out said Hurricane...

....and the resulting 3 weeks of NO garbage pick-up.

(But, in all seriousness, I'd gladly deal with this minuscule inconvenience as opposed to the devastation Sandy caused elsewhere.)

I spent Thanksgiving with this kid, who you'd assume is a ham (or turkey) for the camera....

.... until you want him to take a group picture.

I saw the hands-down most gorgeous sunset of my entire life.

(No filter)

I hosted these two for an awesome cousins' weekend in the City....

...and decided that, in addition to being 'fruit punched,' I'd rather stick a pencil in my eye than be up for work and waiting for the subway at 4AM.

In this time I also dropped my cell phone in a toilet (rice didn't work) and had my mom convinced I was dead. Fun times!

So, you know, same old, same old.

But, in that time, I also began to think. 

New York was never intended to be a permanent move for me. I came out here to kick up some dust and see what I could do. And, I did some things I'm really thrilled about. 

But, after a lot of soul-searching (and tears and conversations w/ good friends and pints of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked), I decided it's time for me to go home. 

And that's what I'm going to do.

It's funny. For the past month I've been trying to figure out how to write about this. How do I write a post about leaving a city I've completely fallen in love with in a blog based on LIVING in a city I've completely fallen in love with? 

It's difficult.

However, as it tends to do, fate sent something my way this afternoon: A blog entitled "35 Things I Wish I Had Done Before Turning 35"

I know I have some time before I turn 35, but it does get you thinking about what you really want out of the crazy, stressful, wonderful, unpredictable life you lead.

I've done roughly 15 of the things on her list, but there are  things I have left to check off on my own list, and deep down I know that I can only really have most of those things in Minnesota, surrounded by the people who know me best.

I got to live my dream, and that dream taught me a lot. 

 I've gotten more out of this city in the last two years than I EVER imagined and I'm beyond grateful for the things I've seen and done and the amazing friendships I've built along the way.  Leaving will break my heart, but it's the right move and I'm excited to head back to Minnesota to start the next chapter.  

Never fear, however, as I'll be here on the island until the end of April, so I'll still be blogging and am sure I'll have some great stories to share. (i.e.: How does one move two years worth of stuff out of a 4th floor walk-up? I have no clue, but I'll let you know when I figure it out.......)

Thanks, as always, for reading. I'll be back next week, and, until then, remember...

~B.

I know it's been awhile, but my little blog will be resurrected this week.... which now seems appropriate since Easter is this weekend....

Stay tuned :) 

Fruit Punched

Hello, Again!

Oh, boy. This week has been a crazy one. 

I was 'fruit punched' on the subway last Tuesday, and am currently quarantined in my apartment (perfect excuse to blog!) battling a nasty chest and head cold. I'm telling myself these two events are not related. The alternative thought will drive me to drink....

So, 'fruit punched,' you ask?

Why, yes.

Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start.

I was required to attend a dance rehearsal last Tuesday for a movie I'd been hired to work on.  I donned my typical dance attire (nothing fancy, mind you), packed up my heeled character shoes and all forms of valid ID and headed to Brooklyn aboard my reliable and dear friend, the C-Train. 

The ride started out like any typical mid-morning train ride would: sweating your face off underground waiting for a train that's late; boarding; picking out a seat you believe least likely to expose you to an uncomfortable situation; scoping out your fellow riders; focusing your attention on your iPod/Kindle/NY Times/'50 Shades of Gray' to help you disappear into the folds of said fellow riders, etc., etc. Non-remarkable. Just the way we New Yorkers like it.

That is, until the regularily-scheduled stop at 50th Street whereupon a disheveled woman boards the far end of my train car. Now, as you all know, this is nothing out of the ordinary. Disheveled people are a dime-a-dozen on New York City public transit. You know going into it that on any given day you WILL encounter a disheveled, likely insane, individual. It's as unavoidable as getting a black jelly bean in your Easter Basket. We pretty much sign up for this.

So, said woman begins the typical panhandling, hacking, cackling, ranting. Again, nothing out of the ordinary.....  melanoma, rats, Jesus, 9/11... all of the usual talking points.

She slowly makes her way towards my end of the train, stopping for an uncomfortably long amount of time to scream at a baby about how much she loved him... much to the horror of the child's parent.

This is when I start to get a bad feeling in my stomach about this one. Call it my "crazy person intuition," if you will. Usually you don't make eye contact, let the crazy walk on by and they go harmlessly on to harass the next train car. 

But this situation just FELT different to me, especially after she haucked a massive phlegm wad onto an empty seat once she was satisfied the baby felt the depths of her love. Every one of us on that train drew in a collective tense breath, just wondering what she would do next.

I decided I needed to move to a different car. I could tell by the darting glances that other riders felt the same way. So, as the train started breaking to stop at 42nd St., I quietly got my stuff together, and prepared to exit the car.

Cue the train coming to a dead stop, me just seconds from standing up and the woman, now surprisingly agile and cat-like, charging straight at me. We made eye contact for a split second before I had the chance to brace myself. I didn't know what to expect, but I sure as HELL didn't expect to open my eyes and find myself DRENCHED in a cold, RED liquid. It was the Fruit Punch she was carrying. The 20 oz. Arizona Fruit Punch, to be exact. Not some dinky Tahitian Treat. Not like, "Ooopps, haha, spilled a little on ya. Sorry." No. She intentionally dumped the entire thing on me in the matter of two seconds. 

And the lady? Long gone.

I sat there stunned, along with the rest of the people on the train who couldn't pick their jaws off the floor fast enough. After the initial shock wore off, the lady sitting right next to me (and who is probably to this day thanking her lucky stars it wasn't her) asked me if I was alright. Being my cool, (almost) un-ruffleable Midwestern self, I gave her the politest smile and "Yeah" I could muster before quickly excusing myself from the train.

Only then could I fully assess the damage. She got me good. Well-played, crazy lady. Fruit punch was all over my sweatshirt, pants, shoes, bag, phone and iPod. I went to the magazine stand to see if the sales guy could help my sorry self out with a napkin or paper towel (anything!) but he only slid a Kleenex travel pack across the counter and told me it was a dollar. 

Ugh.

Sometime between then and now, two Russian girls had come up behind me. They had seen the whole fruit punching go down and felt so bad they got off the train, too, and offered me their entire Kleenex travel pack.... free of charge. God Bless those two. I really would've hugged them had I not been completely f-ing drenched.  

So, now, still stunned, pissed, a bit shaky and trying NOT to think about what else could've been in that can, I realize I'll be late to my MARTIN SCORSESE directed movie rehearsal if I don't get on the next train to Brooklyn. I mop up what I can with my sweatshirt and count the minutes until I get to our location so I can wash my hands. And, upon getting to rehearsal, apologize to my dance partner for smelling like a college luau gone wrong.

For the next few hours I couldn't stop laughing about it. I'm sure people thought I was crazy... like, "What in the hell is that girl across the table who smells like fruit punch laughing about??" 

It could have been worse. A LOT worse. Booze, urine.....just.... worse.

I also received some pretty great 'sympathy' messages from people, ranging from detailing their own run-ins with the more insane members of society, to more motherly ones reminding me that OxyClean is great at removing stains, to the not-so-sympathetic (but still hysterical) ones straight up asking "what in the piss is going on over on that coast???????" and ones demanding photos of the incident and the victimized clothing.

AND, come to find out, this lady is a repeat offender. Glad I'm not the only one.

That was a day I'll remember forever. As a friend coined it, I  got my "Red Badge of Courage" that day. Literally.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to the glamor and fun of last Tuesday, recently I:

Stood in for a human hand-eating cannibal woman in the movie "Noah" which stars Russell Crowe (who is a super cool dude in person);

 Spent 20 hours on set with Scorsese and Leo DiCaprio (among others), NOT smelling like punch for a big wedding scene in "The Wolf of Wall Street;"

  And wrapped up "Royal Pains" Season 4 with a little Christmas in the Hamptons; 

Crazy times in the Big Apple, for sure.

Happy Fall! Until next time.....

xo ~ B.

You win some, you lose some.

Happy, happy Friday everyone!

I've just returned to NYC after my traditional late-August pilgrimage home. I visited both the Northwoods of Wisconsin and the Minnesota State Fair while I there. Both, at times, feel like different countries entirely, so I had a very busy trip.

And how, you may ask, did the Big Apple welcome me back?

With a leaky toilet (which I'm 80% sure I successfully fixed myself), a grocery store that wasn't accepting any form of credit/debit cards, and a what-WebMD-tells-me-is-broken pinky finger. The latter happened when I smashed it in my front door trying to lug my laundry to the cleaners.... No worries, though! I've MacGyver-ed a splint out of a Fudgsicle stick and a Band-Aid. I'm sure that won't save my nail from falling off, but at least I feel I did something proactive.  

But, on the brighter side? My Iranian cab driver told me I looked just like his sister (I've decided to overlook this boldface lie and just take it as a compliment....) and the powers that be introduced me to my new next-door-neighbor Eric, as he was moving his furniture in. And, wouldn't you believe it? He's a young and handsome fella who will henceforth be referred to as "The Boy Next Door."

More stories to come, I'm sure.

xo,

Brooke

Hot Times in the City

Hello, Friends.

I hope this post finds you well, enjoying the dog days of summer and staying as cool as humanly possible during this hottest month on record..... ugh.

 I promised you rundown of what's been up in the Big Old City (besides the mercury in the thermometer).

Here, in no particular order, is a laundry list of the craziness that has been my life for the last month:

• I took the train to Boston to meet up with my friend Jackie for the 4th of July. 

I had never been to Boston and was excited to see the sights.

Of course we made friends ....who had staked out this exact spot on the river for the last 25 years.

So, we had a lovely view for the fireworks.... which proceeded without a hitch, even if the heavens did open and downpour from the moment the first one exploded in the sky. Fun and soggy. No complaints.

Oh! And, did I mention we just happened to be there during Fleet Week? And just happened to be invited to tour and have a beverage upon the Norwegian Navy ship? From where I fired the UNLOADED machine gun on the upper deck (probably not legal)? And from where Jackie came back sporting an official Norwegian Navy seaman's hat (which, come to find out, was DEFINITELY not legal -- who knew)? Yeah. Craziness. 

I can now add "United States Maritime Ambassador" to my resume.....

• I've been cooling it on the background acting as it sometimes can take one out of the running for speaking roles, but did have some shining moments playing a Vampiress at a sacrificial ceremony who throws the kid from "The Good Wife" upon the altar so Stephanie March can decide his fate..... (NOTE: friends & family who don't like horror films, don't worry about not wanting to see this. This one's going STRAIGHT to DVD. Julianne Moore dropped out for a reason.)

I played a party guest at the "Summer Spree of '23" at the Atlantic City American Legion on "Boardwalk Empire" (a party which lasted 17 hours - my longest shoot to date)........ and, among a few other random shoots, half of my face played the prosopagnosia-twisted face of Ashley Williams'.

I was legitimately creeped out when I watched this. They are my eyes and nose, but Ashley's everything else.

• I had my first audition for a SPEAKING ROLE for "Blue Bloods." This gives me hope, people. Hopefully when my demo reel is up and rolling, I'll get many more of these.

... I was also asked to audition for a diaper commercial that filmed in Colombia. Yeah, THAT Colombia.  Had to pass on that one.....

• We welcomed a new little lady into "The Girls" Club. My cousin Ashlan and her husband Matt announced the arrival of little baby Autumn on July 11th. I can NOT wait to meet my new niece. :)

• My mom and cousin visited for about a week, and I took a much needed staycation. We did the typical touristy things: saw a show, ate a ton, saw the sights and got blowouts (which are my new favorite thing!).

• Lately, I've been doing a lot of stand-in work... which is beyond great. I'm working regularly on "Royal Pains," "Blue Bloods" and ABC's new show "666 Park Ave."

My days range from being in the city to on a sound stage in Brooklyn to on-location in some fancy beachside town in Long Island. For example, just last week the character I stood in for lived in this Hamptons mansion:

Broke her foot......

And, ended up in the hospital w/ some other disease.

It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.

Oh, and the "666 Park Ave" shoot? Well, it was a 'bedroom' scene. If you've seen "Love Actually" and remember the 'stand-in' scene, you get the picture......... Awkwardly hysterical.

I'm back on "Royal Pains" tomorrow, and can't wait to find out where/what my character's scene will entail.

Also, after being confused as all hell about when "The Newsroom"/Jane Fonda scene was going to air, I've gotten confirmation that it will be airing this Sunday evening.

I've even been spotted in a preview that is currently running.

So, if you're fancy enough to have HBO, which I definitely am not, let me know what you see... it could be a lot, or as I've learned, it could be very little :)

Until next time! 

-B

MIA

Things have been crazy-busy over here.

I've been a horrible blogger and I promise to get better. 

My mom and cousin arrive today for a week, and I'm taking a much needed "staycation."

But, next week I'll be back with a post about everything that's been going on, including and not limited to vampires, the Summer Spree of '23 at the Atlantic City American Legion and manhandling the son from "The Good Wife."

It'll be good. I promise.

:)

Grocery Envy

 I just returned from a wonderful trip back home.

I visited with friends and family, went sales tax-free (!) clothing shopping, attended a BEAUTIFUL wedding (bride: younger sister of one of my besties; groom: the 'Harold Hill' to my Senior year 'Marian the Librarian'), and was able to unwind in the wide-open spaces of Minnesota.

Don't we clean up nicely?

You'd never even know Rachel and I were climbing over the dessert table on our hands and knees placing flowers only an hour before.

Ahh, the things we do for (other peoples') love :)

More than anything, being back in Minnesota was a bit of a mental vacation. One I needed more than I realized.  

One night I drove up to Bloomington to spend the night at my best friend Maggie's new house. We decided to have a "Patio Party" since they had just gotten deck furniture for their backyard sitting space. 

Maggie and her boyfriend made a wonderful dinner, and halfway through I found myself getting strangely envious(?) of the bowl of bing cherries sitting on the table.

Out of nowhere I started talking about how really the only cherries I get these days are the Maraschinos that come in my Daiquiris.  I'm cheap when it comes to buying groceries here because everything is so bloody expensive, but still. I had never in my life looked at a fruit that necessitates you spit out its pit so longingly.

Maggie diagnosed it. I have severe "Grocery Envy."

It's so true. 

My groceries consist of the same 8-10 items each time I go shopping. Why don't I branch out, you ask?

Well, A) I'm obsessively compulsive about staying within my grocery budget and B) I have to carry these groceries up 3 flights of stairs, so, I've got a pretty good handle on what I can and can't haul up without dropping something or breaking a finger. It's frustrating, not to mention morally difficult deciding between which I need more each week: MILK or WINE?

So, this week, in an attempt to self-medicate, I bought a pack of Fudgesicles. Yep, mindblowingly exciting........

This whole "Grocery Envy" led me to realize I also had "Patio Envy," "Car in the Garage Envy" and "No-Jackhammers-Right-Outside-Your-Window-At-8am Envy."

But, seeing as I was home for a solid 9 days, I made sure to get my fix of all things envy-inducing. 

Yes, it was a mental vacation.... But also a mental kick in the ass.

During the last few months I've found myself becoming more and more homesick. 

Ick. I even hate typing the word "homesick" out. 

I'm on my way to doing what I love here in NYC, but I began asking myself how much could I even love what I'm doing if I'm missing the people back home so much it literally hurts? How many times could I mentally handle getting home from work at 3AM, only to find that I can't unzip my own dress, get really frustrated/stupidly emotional and resigning myself to sleeping it? (True story)

How long can I keep going with 98% of my support system 1,200 miles away?

Well, I still don't have an answer to those questions, but I did have a handful of great conversations with people who understand my big dream, understand where I come from, understand what I'm feeling and understand the mess these things make when combined.

I was telling two of my very favorite people, over a fruit tart w/ NO CHERRIES, that I feel I've reached a glass ceiling in this level of the "Act On TV" game. I can clearly see what's beyond the glass and feel I'm close to breaking through, but I'm pushing and pushing and not getting anywhere. And, like trying in vain to unhinge my shoulders so I could unzip that stupid white dress, that makes me frustrated and overly-emotional and sometimes, really just ready to call it a day.

I received the following no-nonsense directive:

"Stop pushing and start throwing rocks."

I laughed, and then thought for a second. Duh. To Hell with decorum. I'm going to start throwing some  rocks. And then move onto large, early 1990s-model television consoles if I have to.

I was reminded that all things have an "end time," and that it's ok whenever you reach that. Life's about compromise and figuring out what you really want, even if what you really want is something you ran away from at one point in time. 

So, yeah. Minnesota was a good time. Many thanks to all those who I had great chats with, provided meals that didn't take the form of peanut butter and for helping me find the motivation and inspiration for these up-coming months.

XO.

Oh, and in other news, I'm still doing a lot of background work, preventing my "Boardwalk Empire" children (and myself) from being kicked in the face by camels... 

(that's my "They Don't Pay Me Enough For This" face....)

 and waiting for my demo reel to be finished.

Oh, and waiting for this to air! I think my stint as Jane Fonda's assistant appears in the 3rd episode..... Stay  tuned. 

~~~~~~