Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun duuun!

Friday and Saturday night we went to Lincoln Center. Friday was Jazz at Lincoln Center and out seats were basically on the stage. There is a row of seats that circle the back of the stage and that's where we sat and it was awesome. Last night we saw the New York Philharmonic. Seriously? I could get addicted. They played four pieces, including the overture. The second half was Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 (you know, dun dun dun DUUUUN, dun dun dun DUUUUN...) and it was basically breath taking. One of the pieces they did was about 15 minutes long and there was all kinds of dissonance and unresolve...it was all legato, no punchiness about it at all. It was more modern, written in the 20th century. And to hear all of this amazing music by some of the most amazing musicians in the world made me feel very, very blessed. It took me back to All State Choir. Not only the life changing performances (and I can say that now with the benefit of hindsight), but those darn auditions. Sitting in a chair in the back of an auditorium praying they don't call my name immediately but getting increasingly frightened as the approached the third chair, second chair, first chair...Some of the best moments of my life right there. I miss having a reason to hold someone's hand that tight. I feel a strong need to be in a choir. I think it is definitely something I will seek out after I graduate.

Here is a picture of the fountain that the major theaters of Lincoln Center surround:

Welp, see ya later.

Nice.

Remember the song that said “Live in New York but leave before it makes you hard. Live in LA but leave before it makes you soft.” I think that guy (the same guy that directed Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge, actually) was telling the truth. I’ve realized that I am not always a nice person here. I believed in an assumption that no one was nice and I might as well not angry them by saying “hello” or even “excuse me” with an honest sound of apology in my voice. I saw a woman asking for change last night and I wanted to ignore her like I normally do. Then she saw a girl my age approaching her and she goes “Oh hi!” and the girl said in the most kind voice, “Hello. How was you’re day?” I heard her reply “Oh not so good,” as I was walking past.

A man just walked up to another man in Starbucks and played a few notes on his trumpet. Walking over I saw a man carrying two see-through bags full of human size doll heads. Honestly, where else?

...

I typed that up a few days ago. And I also changed my attitude a few days ago. I started smiling at people more. I have spoken more. I have been nice. I have not assumed that people do not like nice. I said "good morning" to a bored cashier at CVS and she smiled and we talked a little. I talked to people in elevators.

It's pretty simple, isn't it?

When doing nothing achieves everything...mmm.

I'm into day three of my fall break. Let me tell you how wonderfully uneventful it has been. Besides hanging out with friends at night, I've been totally lazy, just reading and writing. I could punch myself for not writing a song in months. I did try, though. I wrote lyrics and attempted to use Garage Band...wasn't the same. I asked the Lord for one song over these four days and He was faithful:

I haven’t really been what I always hoped I would be
I haven’t exactly turned out
With what I’d hoped the world would see
When I really found my voice
Would I really make the choice to speak

I haven’t always tried like I always dreamed that I would
I believed in lies so much more than I should
When I finally found my legs
Would I really have the strength to tread

How many times have they said,
Do you really have to be here?
Do you really want to be here?
Isn’t there somewhere else?

I’m not leaving quiet
I’m not leaving quiet
I’m not leaving quiet

When I walk alone I can feel the wind in my face
When I look into her eyes I can feel the pain she’s embraced
Even when I’ve lost my dreaming
I know I have not lost my feeling yet

How many times have I cried,
Do I really have to be here?
Do I really want to be here?
Isn’t there some place else?

I cannot go quiet
I cannot go quiet
I cannot go quiet

It's not the whole thing, but there's most of it. I like having my guitar back. But I can't wait to play some Christmas music on my piano. I am already in a Christmas mind set and I guess it's because of the cold. It's lingering in the 50's and that's the weather I'm used to around Christmas time, maybe a little colder. So...when it gets even colder I'm afraid my brain will scatter and freak out because I won't be able to associate the cold with anything besides snowboarding and that is clearly not an option in this place.

I can't believe no one else freaked out about David Moscow besides Carly, cause I told her about it personally. Seriously, it's Davey! I need to own that movie and the soundtrack.

Well I have very important things to do. Bye.

"Open the gates and seize the day..."

Remember this guy from "Big"...

and "Newsies (!!!!)...

Well now he looks like this:

David Moscow. My first celebrity sighting. Others may be let down but me, no. Not me. Those are two amazing movies that he was in. Recently he was in "Honey" but does that really matter?

A wonderful thing that happened today is that an assignment originally due tomorrow is now due next week. Yes!

A really wonderful thing that is happening right now is that I am sitting in class...in a cloud. That's right. Class in a cloud. There is nothing to see but fog from the windows in the Empire State Building. Also, we're watching BBC documentaries about really wonderful music, including Rosemary Clooney and Jackson 5. I have recently gone from a fan to a big fan of Rosemary. I bought an album of hers from ebay for $4 and it is so, so good. I'm not even upset that I've been walking in the rain today without an umbrella when I have three at home.

I had the best time when my family was here. Lauren got to turn 18 here. We did so many things and I have not been that tired since the end of the half marathon I think. I love you, family!

It's too bad I have been so busy lately because there are a handful of anecdotes I probably would have shared, but now can't remember.

Basically, I still love it here and...bye!

I am tired.

I am tired. Right now tired in the sense that I want to sleep. I'm not sleeping, though, because I'm doing some homework. Um, way to get us used to no homework or tests or assignments ever, Belmont East. Thanks for that. I am actually tired in a bigger sense, though. I haven't had a slow day in a few weeks and I am very thankful for that because I love the reasons I was busy, but I can't escape the fact that I can't run on fumes. I haven't yet figured out how to focus without having "alone time". That's dumb. I wish I could gather energy from all you people. Now back to work so I can eventually rest and become interesting again.

Snapshots.

Today I got up to go to church but the church had moved. So I just walked around the East Side a little cause I hadn't spent much time there. I got a bran muffin and some "immune builder" orange juice at a cafe, then briefly walked to Tiffany, Bloomingdales, FAO Shwartz, Disney Store (I didn't know it was over there! YES!), Apple Store, Trump Tower, and Serendipity. Just really scoping for when family is here. We will definitely go back over there. Almost every day now I've had some of this:

Yeah! I got blackberries! I have realized that it really is not too hard to eat healthy. This is from a market two minutes away. The reason it was hard to eat tons of fruit and vegetables in Nashville was because I couldn't keep them or I'd run out too soon. Now, I can just walk to the market everyday and get more. Ta da, dinner. And it is all fresh and organic and tastes really good. Not like Wal Mart or (sorry about this) Target produce.

Saturday I went to Brooklyn with Caleb and Samantha. There was a war protest going on. They were also shouting things like, "Black pride!" but none of them were black. I guess that's fine? I found a Rosemary Clooney CD I really wanted at a small record store, but I decided to wait. So much music to buy...

The marvelous Brooklyn Bridge. There is nothing like walking across this thing. I didn't even notice the flag was up there when I took this picture. Can you believe Meg Ryan jumped off this bridge for Hugh Jackman?!

So starts the week. My eyes are droopy. I'm ready for the next days to fly by. I can't wait to see my family see New York!