Audition Day

Even though Daya does not want to go to USC and it is absolutely the wrong school for her, getting a callback there is kind of a big deal.

Only 1/6th of applicants received a callback.

So I'm very proud of her for that alone; it is an accomplishment.

Call time was 7:30am.

The audition was several classes from 8:30am to 1pm.
The rest of the afternoon as 10-minute appointments where students interviewed and did their solos, privately.

Daya's solo/interview appointment was 7:40pm.

During the audition, USC had arranged for parents to go on a tour of the LA Music center, which is like their Lincoln Center.  We toured all the theaters and it was actually a really good time.

The tour started with the Disney Theater designed by Frank Gehry and I forgot the names of the others.

After, I walked around a tiny area of the USC campus.

The Glorya Kaufman dance building is really pretty.

I didn't take this picture... I thought I took a picture of the Glorya Kaufman painting but I guess I didn't.

It really is a gorgeous space.

MORE RAIN

When I took this picture Daya was on the other side of that door doing her solo.

Daya had a very unfortunate time slot... she had been up since 6am and already had been dancing all day.

And I know the jet lag was hitting her hard... it was hitting me... I know her body thought it was 10:30pm.

She said the classes during the day went fine but the solo did not go ok.

They even called her back into the room.

They were really really extremely very nice.

You know what though?

It shouldn't matter.

They already know she can dance, she made their tiny callback cut.

Also, they have been watching her ALL DAY.

I was there when she came out (upset) and I told the admissions lady she's jet lagged.

And I thanked them for being so nice.

I asked if she would have done better if her appointment was earlier, and she said definitely, yes.

Honestly it doesn't matter because she is not going to this school, even if she gets in.

I'll say no.

It is 100% the wrong school for her even though their program is fantastic.

One of the studios.

We left immediately for the airport.

In the rain.

Our Uber was a red Tesla... Slick!

except....

it hit a pothole on the freeway and blew a tire.

The driver said that's the second time in 2 weeks.

So we had to get out and get another Uber.

We were stuck in LA traffic, in the rain.

But we still made it to LAX in time for the red eye to.....

.... ATLANTA.

__PRESENT

Rain in LA

This past week has been a bit insane for Daya, 

Thursday and Friday she had performances that started at 8pm... (I did not go)... and we had to walk out the door at 6am to catch a 9am flight to LA.

Daya got a callback to USC and they are only auditioning in-person at USC.

We took the air train to JFK... I really like the air train.

It's fun.

The flight was actually quite pleasant, and we flew direct which was also nice.

When we got to LA we came into a steady nasty rain that didn't let up all evening.

We didn't take suitcases... just a backpack.  It was nice to travel so lightly.

LAX is under construction so you have to take a shuttle to all ground transportation out.

Daya met up with her friend who landed at the same time, and we all took a car together back to the USC hotel.

This is the pool as shown in the marketing pictures.

This is the actual pool.

There was a meet and greet in the Glorya Kaufman dance building, and I walked over there to know where it was for the net morning. Another parent was there are we stayed downstairs and chatted with some of the students.

I was hitting my exhaustion wall, so I headed back to the hotel.

I got DRENCHED.

Dripping wet drenched.

Why all this rain in LA.

It never rains in LA.

There isn't even any drainage in the streets, so it's all flooded.

Since I only had the clothes I was wearing, this was a problem.

I put them on the heater in the room and turned the heat up and... it worked.

Daya was still gone and i figured I would take a hot bath to warm up before she returned.

But this was not destined to happen, because the chain in the toilet tank broke and I had to call for maintenance.

I didn't want to keep having to go fishing to flush.

Yes I took a picture of inside the toilet tank.

The maintenance guy came and fixed it, but Daya returned before he left.

So much for my hot bath... I was just too tired from waking up at 4:30am and travel, and even though everyone in CA thought it was only 8pm, I knew it was really 11pm.

I needed some tea. I was really trying to stay up a bit later to avoid waking up at 3am.

Thankfully I prepared well and brought not only my own tea, but a spoon.

It's very good advice to never travel without a spoon, and I don't.

Even with the tea, I crashed.

Last Glimpse of the Tree

Even though I got in late last night, I still went out with my friend Sharon... I wanted some fresh air, and I know once the week starts I'll be cooped up at home, except Wednesday I go into the office.

We stopped by Capezio and walked around Rockefeller Center.

The tree is still up, I guess they will take it down son though.

All the tourists have gone home and it is significantly less crowded, which is far more pleasant.

Boathouse Party

I have been going out a LOT lately!!

There was a party tonight in the Village for boathouse volunteers.

It was so nice to see everyone!!

Tues-Weds-Thurs

I'm pretty sure Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were actually not three days but one huge long megaday.

It was our annual sales conference for the Americas.

I'm on the production team and I was pulled in last month to be on-site.

This was a good thing because I had a LOT of last-minute and changes-while the-event-was-happening stuff to do.

The food was terrible.

By terrible, I mean terrible.

Cold.

And i'm not kidding, it was about 75% leaves and bread.

I worked 12-14 hour days.

Here is the World Trade Center at stupid-o'clock am on 2 days.

On the last day, the support staff had champagne in the green room.

I was SO happy to be hiding in the green room instead of being part of the audience.

I like being behind-the-scenes production help.

My team manager took my immediate team out to dinner afterwards at Smyth Tavern, which is very fancy.

It was SO NICE to see my team in-person... pre-covid I saw them every day; now it is a special occasion!

Hisayo was there too but she's not in any pictures.

The Last Vacation Day

My friend won the housing lottery and lives in a luxury building on the Lower East Side.

It's a REALLY nice building.

They have a common area with several rooms, pool table, lounge, rooftop garden... it's nice.

She invited several people for a small informal gathering.

I went.

It was fun.

A couple people brought their dogs.

We played pool, badly.

It was, for the most part, a really lovely evening except... i had an experience which I am not sure how to process, i have just never encountered this before....

There was a lady there with her 4 year old daughter, let's call her A.

She was ..... the most unpleasant person I have ever encountered.  

Since she is a long-time good friend of my friend, I wanted to get along and be friendly.

And if she's been my friend's friend for 10 years....... that counts for something, right?

Everything I said to her was the wrong thing.

Everything I said to her rubbed her the wrong way.

She even got mad when I asked her if she has ever been to the boathouse!

(No she has not and never wants to go.)

She hates dogs.

She hates cats.

Even the picture of Isis sleeping on the toilet hanging off didn't make her laugh, and that one gets everyone- even people who don't like cats!

I told her "Everything I say to you is the wrong thing."

She said 'I told you I don't want to talk about myself or be asked questions.

I said I didn't think 'Have you been to the boathouse" was a personal question or a heavy topic.

I left her alone after that.

I did overhear her complaining to our mutual friend about me... whatever.

In general, I can hold a conversation with strangers from... everywhere.  I don't have trouble connecting with or talking to people, even if we don't necessarily have much in common.

It was just such a surprising experience, and I'm just not used to it.

Later I said to my friend, "A REALLY doesn't like me."

My friend said Yeah she's a really difficult and aggressive person. It took me a long time to be her friend. It's not you.

I said we are the only 2 moms here, I can ALWAYS connect with other moms.

She said A hates other moms.

I told my friend "She got mad at me for asking about the boathouse."

My friend said don't worry about it, that's how A is and she's just a really unpleasant and difficult person and she apologized for me being in that situation... which she didn't have to do.

I told my friend I can pretty much talk to anyone and I just never have this experience.

I asked if A was doing ok... my friend said no and she's all over the place.

The most astounding thing is that A .... IS A THERAPIST.

(and she hates being a therapist.)

It's the weirdest thing and it's just sticking with me and I can't shake how unpleasant this person is.

If she wasn't such a good friend of my friend I wouldn't care.

I do not know why anyone would make an effort to be this woman's friend.

Later she came over and we did manage friendly conversation, mostly about my upcoming LA trip (she is from CA) and she likes to talk about other peoples' careers.

It was just so.... unsettling.

******

I meant to leave by 8.

Daya contacted me after 10pm....

To be honest i was shocked she was concerned.....

 

2023

2023 intentions blah blah blah

When you have a kid those milestone years are listed... 2010 kindergarten, 2023 graduating high school, it all feels so far off and unreal and here we are.

The treadmill of life is old at this point.
I'm over it.

1. Drink a lot of tea
2. Paint some pictures
3. Try and keep my shit together at least most of the time

I feel so tired and worn out and overextended and unappreciated.