Writing Closet: That Time I Re-Lived a Tiny Bit of my Childhood, Confronted(but Didn't Defeat) a Childhood Fear, and Spent Way To Much Money on Scripts. Because It's ME.

As I've been pelting y'all with script tidbits(because November and NaNo), I've decided it's story-time.

My sister lives in Brooklyn(like, her subway stop is on the same street that the protagonist from the film/novel "Brooklyn" lives-- yes, I fangirled when I heard that!), and I'd never been(and I'm a thespian so what's up with that?!), so for my birthday last year I got to go to New York.

When my parents called me at work and told me the news I literally almost dropped my phone in the trash(yes, my trash can is right next to my desk)

and squealed like a two-year-old(but I couldn't because my day job is at a library and you can't screech for no apparent reason at a library unless you are an excited two-year-old; which, I'm not).

And because I was tourist I took waaaaaay too many pictures and had awesome adventures.

Neither my mom nor my sister had any idea why I took this photo, but Gossip Girl fans will get it😜

Like the One in Central Park.

I grew up watching You've Got Mail, and Gossip Girl and all those other films/tv shows that feature Central Park somewhere in their story line, so the fangirl in me was really excited!!!!

And it was gorgeous!

Like, all the trees, and the sailboat pond that is mentioned in Stuart Little,  and the Alice In Wonderland statues and all of that stuff.

One thing I told my sister--insisted on--was to see the Balto statue.

You know, the sled dog who saved all those people in Alaska in like 1912 during the influenza epidemic and then they made a cartoon about him starring Kevin Bacon?

Yeah, that Balto.

I wanted to see that statue.

And my sweet sister found it for me.

So naturally when we did, we had to take a picture.

Because childhood.

And naturally when you're re-living childhood, you have to make a face like this one:

I'm internally(and probably externally) squealing--because CHILDHOOD!!!!

And yes, it's just a statue but I'm allowed to fangirl over one of the heroes of my childhood.

One thing my sister didn't tell me though.

Remember that time I told y'all that I'm petrified of one stupid thing?

Well...that one stupid thing was all over Central Park.

And not just one.

Herds of them.

Squirrels.

Everywhere.

And they didn't run away from you. They run toward you.

They

Run 

Toward 

You

(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Needless to say, I kept both my sister and my mom entertained by my efforts to avoid the little...things.


The first time a squirrel ran toward me, I couldn't freak out in public(hello, I'm an adult and I'm in public), so...

I sidestepped and put my mom between me and the furry demon from You-Know-Where.

I know.

And because they are everywhere, there were several times where I'd nearly jump out of my skin because they'd dash out in front of me,

or be behind me,

or you know, it would be pointed out to me that they were there("oh look, Chelsea, it's another squirrel!")

and my heart rate would double for a second because I'm irrational😛

I. Know.

It's funny.

You can laugh.

Both my mom and my sister got a kick out of it.

I even got really brave and snapped a picture of one of them.

Because, yes, even if they give me the jitters squirrels can still be...cute.

I guess.

Yes.

I said it.

Shut up.

There was also Theatre Day!!!!!

Don't know if I've said this before, but I'm the only Thespian/Theatre Artist in my family.

We've got people interested in finances, and politics, and numbers doing weird stuff and banging metal into interesting and useful shapes

But only one person who loves the stage and film scene---probably a bit too much?

Me.

Also, as previously mentioned(or not), I'm the type of person in my family who will participate in whatever activities are planned(and bite the bullet on some of them if I have to) because I am well aware that my interests are not the interests of---anyone in my family.

And I'm ok with that.

So when my sister said "we need to go see a Broadway show"...

Cue more internal(and external) squealing.

Because

Broadway

!!!!

That's why.

The show we went to see--"The Play That Goes Wrong"(which is brilliant btw)--didn't start until the afternoon so we had time to kill.

And Alisse took me to one of the most amazing places I have ever been in my life.

The Drama Bookshop.

People in the Know are aware of how cool this place is. 

Because it is full of all things theatre:

Scripts

Librettos

Books on Design, and Directing, and You Name It.

My eyes popped out of my head and my jaw dropped and I almost started jumping up and down again. And Alisse said: "Should we just leave you here?"

Ummmmmmm

YES!?!?!?!?!?!

An hour and a half, guys. That's at least how long I was in that shop. With a Big Stupid Grin on my face. I went in with just my happy little wallet. I walked out--with a slightly sadder wallet--and a giant bag stuffed with scripts.

(that I had to drag with me to the theatre and everywhere else for the rest of the day but I did not care)

And after that, we went to "The Play that Goes Wrong."

Which is now on my list of Shows I Will Do (Provided I Have The Guts) Before I Die.

If you've never heard of it

A)Shame On You😝

B) Go Google It NOW!!!!!!

I'll wait....

My thoughts during the performance?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because it's me, and it's theatre, and I squeal.

A lot.

And if I can't squeal aloud then I do it inside my head.

Which I did.

For 2.5 hours.

It's fine.

I'm weird.

Thank you for indulging me. Carry on...