Rehearsals are going great. I am absolutely loving the show, the environment, the people, the whole process. It's all very professional, which is such a nice change of pace - it's what I've been craving, but often don't get as non-eq. Only 5 ppl (including the stage manager) on this production are non-eq. Too bad we can't get EMC points. We've learned choreo for 2 songs, and let me tell you, they're pretty sick! It's going to be awesome. If you haven't been awesome like my parents and donated yet, please feel free to check it out and do so here: madamfury.com. I believe more info will be up on the site soon - performances, cast/creative team bios and pics, etc.
So, today I got up early for work, was blessed that all the dogs were sweet and caused no trouble, went and rehearsed music for the show, deposited last week's paycheck, and then went to TJ Maxx. I don't know why I'm like this, but I have an ENORMOUS guilt complex. I bought a green wrap, a jar of blackberry/raspberry jam, cajun seasoning, and a Kitchen Aid chopper doodad for a total of $35. On the escalator down, I felt an almost crushing sense of guilt. Why?! $35. Big Whoop. I am financially stable, and honestly I can't remember the last time I went shopping - I only ever really grocery shop. I don't have any pants that fit me anymore, and this green wrap is the first piece of clothing I've bought quite possibly in years (thankfully my sister Rebekah keeps me from being completely boring by sending me some terrific shirts every now and again from S. Korea :), and it was on sale. I needed Cajun spices for a recipe. The chopper wasn't a complete necessity, but it'll be much easier to chop up peanuts and other things instead of putting them in a bag and bashing them with the hammer. I was all about doing things cheap and dirty in college, but now I'm slowly growing out of that phase. And the jam was inexpensive and sounded delicious. So, why do I need to rationalize every little thing, and then, for some unknown reason, still feel bad about spending money??! I seem to have this deep-seeded NEED to hoard my money. Not just save - but hoard. Because even in an emergency, I know it will be difficult for me to actually spend what I've worked to save. So, why do we save and save and save but have such a hard time spending? I know there needs to be a healthy balance, and I am thankful I fall on the more cautious side of the spectrum - I'd rather save and be a bit of a miser than to blow all my money. But still, I am not a fan of feeling guilty over buying things. I guess I'll pray about it - I'm not sure what else there is I can do.
Enough grumbling. Want to hear something awesome? I've recently come to realize how fantastic Trader Joe's is! I'd heard of it, and even remember going there once or twice with my mom when we would visit my siblings in Chicago or Michigan, but it wasn't until this past week that I became fully aware of what a gem it is. There's a TJ's up on 72nd that I've gone to occasionally, but I never cared for their split level set-up. However, the other day on my way to rehearsal I saw someone walking with a TJ's bag, so I looked online to see if there was one in the area. And lo! There is one 3 blocks up from where we rehearse. Score! As one of my favorite activities is to browse around grocery stores (is that weird?), I traipsed up the avenue to check it out. And how wonderful it was, dear readers. What makes this location (21st and 6th) so great is that it's laid out like groceries back home - one large floor of goodies, wide aisles, plenty of light. So often groceries in NYC don't have any of those characteristics, let alone all three. They have a wide selection, and while not everything is as dirt cheap as some places where I shop, I know the quality at TJ's is good. I mean, where else can you find a large bag of Honey Wheat Pretzels for $1.99? Pine nuts and dried cranberries for only $7.99 and $1.99, respectively? And, they have one of my favorite drinks, Blood Orange Italian Soda, for only $1.99 - where everywhere else I see it, it is more than $4/bottle. I dearly love to drink it as I'm cooking. Stiles has been letting me down lately with their lack of carrying items they normally stock (spinach, grapefruit juice, asparagus, etc.), which is irritating. And the Amish Market, where I used to buy Cranberries and was one of the few places I could find Pine Nuts, is pretty pricey. They increased dried Cranberries from $4.99 to $6, and Pine Nuts were $10, heretofore the cheapest I could find!!
You know what's also awesome? Buying a weekly metro card. With rehearsals downtown I'm using the subway at least twice a day, so instead of just putting $20 on a card, I bought the unlimited weekly for $29 - it makes me feel like I have so much freedom. Head out to Queens for the evening? No problem - I'm not spending any money for each ride. Pop up to work to pick up a key? Sure - I'm not doing anything and it won't cost me $5. So, yeah. It's nice to just decide I want to go somewhere and be able to hop a train, and not mentally tally my spending in the far recesses of my mind. Because I do that, you know. I keep track and tally and score of pretty much everything. I can't help it. I'm jus' doin' what comes natur'ly!
Well, I just drank the last of my chai. Guess that means I will be hoppin' a train down to Christopher Street to hit up that great little tea shop. Funny - Guatemala had the same Chai brand, the David Rio animal ones - Tiger, Elephant, Flamingo, and Tortoise. I had a canister of the Tiger Spice Chai - absolutely delicious. And as Fall is right around the corner, it's time for me to stock up! Thanks to my unlimited metro card, I can just jaunt on down there, and to Chinatown, since it's been a while since I last visited. I'm cravin' me some real dumplings!