New Years Eve *Just* To The Side Of Times Square – Part 1

December 31, 2016

This was such an interesting experience to me – to be so close and yet so far.

I don’t want to give my exact address (’cause you know, safety and stuff), but as I’ve mentioned, I live here in the Theater District proper (in the 40s between 6th and 8th avenues) – and I live closer in to the center than I do to 6th.

In the 3 o’clock (pm) hour – so like almost 9 hours before the ball drops, we already were not allowed to walk into a ball-viewing area of Times Square. As far as I could tell, there were at least 3 stops of barricades on my street – the two others coming from 6th were behind me… But I was stopped at the last one of getting into ball-drop view. I was like literally a 20 – 30-second walk to the corner, but alas, was not allowed to walk there…

The police officer was asking people where they were going, and if they had room keys to a hotel past him, they could go. Otherwise, no.

To anyone who didn’t have a room key, he said we could walk up to 59th. And then, I guess they were gonna let people file on down into Times Square from there…

I didn’t do that. I went back to my apartment.

Then a friend of mine called, and as we talked about this, she said to go check it out from my roof – which I did. Again, so very close and yet so far.

I could *almost* see the ball.

I found a ladder, set it up and walked on it. Nothing.

So, I went back to my apartment.

I could hear the festivities throughout the day. There were things I didn’t know about Times Square before – so many things, really.

And that’s what I’ll tell you all about tomorrow!

Bob’s Burger’s Table Read

December 26, 2016

I’m I’m totally going to compare this to a Simpsons table read, because I have no other frame of reference for animation table table reads. (Sorry.)

When you go a Simpsons read, you go on to a big lot and walk by stages and such for other shows. When you go to the Bob’s Burger’s read, it’s just at a building that’s all completely for Bob’s Burgers. Their animators, sound people, everybody – the whole shebang – seems to be hanging out in that building.

Also, at The Simpsons, they totally have an assortment of bagels and fruit and donuts. And I was really impressed by it. But at Bob’s Burgers, they have breakfast burritos! Hot food, what?!
(And they have the other stuff too.)

At The Simpsons, the cast and writers all sit around a gigantic oval table in the middle of the room, surrounded by the crowd.

At the Bob’s Burger’s read, everyone sits facing the same way at a large rectangular table – out toward the audience. And they all have name cards in front of them.

The Simpsons read just starts. If I remember correctly, I think it’s usually Al Jean who just starts with the title or stage directions or something.

In the Bob’s Burgers read, the EP gets the energy going! He introduces the whole cast like they’re a basketball team. “And playing such and such, we’ve got [name putting in extra syllables because of all the emphasis]”

Random note I wouldn’t have known/though of otherwise: The person who’s Tina has to use a microphone because of all that super quiet ambivalent-sounding voice stuff they do.

The read was so fun. Lots of energy and laughter in the room. It was a great time. And then the sound supervisor took me and my friend around to see the edit suites and a room where stuff could be recorded and all of that jazz.

It looks like a really fun place to work, and I was so happy to get to hang out there for a day!

Another… ANOTHER Simpsons Table Read? You Betcha! (November 3, 2016)

December 25, 2016

I mean, goodness. At this point. Shouldn’t they just hire me? 😉

On this trip to California, I was lucky enough to get to go yet again!

I won’t re-trace all the things I’ve said before. So, I’ll try to only say things specific to this day.

For one, this episode is SO good. I know that applies to all days. But specifically this episode is not only good, but so timely with all things Donald Trump. I can’t give anything away. I’ll just say Yay, ladies! (Granted, The Simpsons always respects the ladies. After all, Lisa Simpson is my role model.)

Anyway, the episode was great. And at the end, Nancy Cartwright hung around and signed scripts! That was super nice of her.

After the read, I went to the commissary area. I always say I’m gonna go in the commissary and I never do. But today I did.

First, I met two people int he gift shop next door. As I was talking, I said I’d been to a read before. And when I talked, the woman said, “Oh, funny. I read a similar story in a blog.” And I was like… “Aurora’s Blog?”

She’d read my blog! Which I thought was so funny and serendipitous.

Then onto the food. I met this woman working in the commissary who was super nice and told me about history on the lot and the fancy restaurant just to the other side that anybody can go to. Apparently a bunch of execs eat there. Sounds cool. But alas, I did not sit alone in the fancy place on the lot where I didn’t work. I’ll try to fit in and make new friends and all, but that seemed a bit on another level for the day.

Soon enough, I went back home and took a nap. I needed to be up early again for the next day – to go to a Bob’s Burgers table read!

Texas State Capitol (In Austin) (October 20, 2016)

December 22, 2016

screen-shot-2017-01-01-at-7-08-08-amWhen I went to the State Capitol, it was because it was one of the top things to do in Austin. I don’t know how in the world I forgot that THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE WENDY FREAKING DAVIS DID HER FILIBUSTER!

She’s the one who inspired my whole dressing like a different inspiring woman every year for the Rock ‘n’ Roll LA Marathon! She was the first inspiring woman I ran as (and I ran in those pink running shoes she wore).

Funnily enough, when the tour guide took us to the room, and I asked if that was indeed the room, she said that they weren’t allowed to use the word filibuster or tell us which desk was Wendy Davis’ (even though thankfully, a nice person working there did indeed tell me).

Aaaaaanyway, so I took the little tour and felt inspired in the room of Wendy Davis.

The tour is very short. So, then I walked around the rest by myself…

I saw a secret tour group get to go up to the dome (which was roped off to the rest of us). I don’t know how they got that honor. But now I want to too – haha!

I actually tried to sneak up with them, but the person at the rear of the tour group was not having it.

One thing I thought was interesting about the Capitol was that every time there’s a new governor, they rotate all the pictures (even with ones up to the top floor), so everybody can stay in order and the newest governor can be downstairs at the end… This makes total sense. I mean, how else would they do it? But it was just interesting to me.

Then, I went to the cafeteria place downstairs. (It kind of reminded me of the one by the Senate.) It felt like there was a lot of Texas-y Texas food – meat, fat, cheese. It felt a lil’ “‘Merica” up in there.

But I had a delicious meat-free taco salad. Mmmmmm.

I also met a nice man who regaled me with stories of working for the government down there.

Goodness, I love meeting strangers (and eating in cafeterias).

The Austin Duck Tour! (October 21, 2016)

December 18, 2016

When I asked around what were the most fun things to do in Austin, practically everybody said I should take a duck tour. So, I made my way over on my last day there, and got to it!

Dell had given a bunch of employees a half day so they could all do this fun work thing together. So, I was one of the only few non-Dell people there.

Our tour guide was really fun! We all got these duck quacker things to wear that made noise. And our driver would have us quack at various people on the street.

I learned all this fun stuff about Austin and Texas, but now that I’ve waited months to tell you about it, I’ve kiiiinda forgotten a lot. (I’m so sorry.)

But it was a fun ride around the city!

On the water, our guide asked if it was anyone’s birthday. And no one piped up… Any anniversaries? Nothing. Any celebrations? He started looking for any reason that made that day special. Everyone was still quiet… So, I said, “Well, I lost my job!”

And he let me captain the boat. I drove it in the water. And everyone sang, “Happy unemployment to you” (to the tune of Happy Birthday).

So, I guess this is what I’m doing now – my unemployment tour, or steering boats, or something… who knows!

What’s The Move-In Process Like In Times Square? – Part 2

December 16, 2016

Picking up from yesterday –

So, basically, it has been interesting to say the least. And wonderful to say a bit more.

I love it there…

Yet again (just like last year), a slow move-in is happening… Not one as slow as moving from California without a place for live for the first 3 weeks. But slow, still…

The way the storage unit worked was that I needed to commit to three months, so I have it ’til the end of December no matter what. And with starting a new job (and trying to cram all my stuff into a tinier apartment than I had before), I’m taking my time… Doing a little more each weekend (and on the days when I have time to do things after work).

So, yeah. There you have it.

Where do I get groceries and stuff? (And any other questions you may have?)

That’ll be its own post in itself. [Edited to add: I made that post here!] Also, please ask any questions you have that I’m not thinking of. xoxox.

What’s The Move-In Process Like In Times Square? – Part 1

December 15, 2016

Funnier than I imagined it to be. That’s for sure!

I was very lucky to have some friends reeeeeally help with my move-in. (And it’s awesome that the storage place I used let’s you use a free storage taxi, which has been wildly helpful.)

But once we got a huge van of stuff to my apartment, it became almost like playing frogger. There were so many people walking down the street that it became this game of dodging and weaving. And what was really funny was people’s looks as we moved furniture into this non-descript door tucked away like, “Wait! Somebody lives there?! There are apartments there?!”

I found that to be so funny.

Also, my goodness, the traffic (obviously) is terrible.

And there are all these rules about not being able to turn left in certain places (even if you’re turning from a one-way street to another one-way street).

Things seem to settle down a little in the middle of the night… I think the traffic would be easier to maneuver around 3 in the morning… Traipsing stuff upstairs and into your apartment at 3am though… I’m not 100% sure how that would go over with your neighbors.

Granted, it’s Times Square. It’s basically never quiet. So, it actually might not go all that poorly. Even still, I try to abide at least somewhat by normal neighbor rules.

Thankfully on the nights I’ve had big furniture moves, the streets have been open. But there was one night where I came back with 3 semi-heavy boxes… They were just big enough and just heavy enough that it was the most I could’ve carried down the street alone… I didn’t think I would have to – that’s why I paid for an uber to drive me some tiny distance like a mile… But with some street closures, I had to make it down the street carrying the boxes at once.

(And I couldn’t maneuver anything else. So, some stranger in Times Square closed the car trunk for me. Thank you!)

And this is where I’ll finish up tomorrow!

So, What’s It Like To Live In Times Square?

December 14, 2016

Besides being the greatest thing ever?

It is, I think, exactly what you think it’d be like.

The number one most important thing when I moved there was to get curtains – I’d say that’s even more important than a bed (though I did get a mattress very quickly, and the bed itself is on the way)… Obviously, there are lights. So many lights.

It’s cute because even when I put my quilts up as curtains, you can still see light that escapes through the top of them and dances colorfully on the ceiling. It’s gorgeous, especially since (because of the quilts), it’s barely there… It’s not enough to be distracting. But it’s just enough to remind you, “There are neon signs outside… I live in the greatest place on Earth. Cool.”

Also, of course, there is sound all the time always.

I actually live above a bar (which is partially why I feel like I’m in my own sitcom… It’s funny. We pay rent to the bartenders… Already there’s been a night where I’m on my way upstairs and there are tables and chairs in the stairwell you have to squeeze by… Just all these cute little things that make me think, “Look at all this fun quirkiness! I am living in my own little sitcom!”

So anyway, the bar itself is kind of loud. But sometimes, random music will be coming from somewhere and you won’t even know where! It’s like, “Hmmm, that’s not coming from the bar… Where is it coming from?” And the answer is “who knows?!” Neighbors? Another bar? A store? I don’t know, because there’s stuff everywhere and I love that.

I also have been home while a protest marched through the streets. There’s always something happening in Times Square.

I truly love the walk home because I get to pass all these tourists in Times Square. Sometimes I see people struggling to get a great selfie, so I offer to take the picture for them. (That’s gonna be in the opening sequence of my sitcom…. It’s really fun in real life though.)

It’s also fun because once I came home at just the right time to maneuver around this crowd of people. When I asked what they were waiting for, it was to get their playbills signed! I figured. But it was just so funny to be like, “Oh yeah. I’m here right by a stage door. This is too cool.”

The crowds. The lights. The noise. The tourists. I live for all of this! I have dreamed of all this for so so long. And now I get to live it everyday.

It. is. too. cool!

I Found A Place In…(Drumroll, Please) …Times Square!(!!!!!!!)

December 13, 2016

I’m doing it – checking off another one of my childhood dreams!

I have always, always said I wanted to live as close to Times Square as humanly possible… And now I am doing it!

It’s funny, I think somewhere on this blog, I talked about how bummed I was when I was moving here last year that I didn’t pick the apartment that was on restaurant row…. “Just think of how close I could’ve been to Times Square!” I moaned…

Even this time around, I found a beautiful apartment (a one bedroom!). It seemed SO spacious. …Like… New York spacious. Still so tiny.

But the way the layout was – because there were two small closets and a bathroom between the bedroom and the “living room” (that was like maybe 7 feet wide) – there was a hallway. This gorgeous hallway. So, having to walk down a hallway to your bedroom just seemed regal to me.

And I ended up not getting it. (Someone else narrowly beat me to it – getting the mounds of paperwork in before I did.)

But thank goodness that happened…

That apartment was between 8th and 9th. (Still totally close to Times Square, right?) But in my dreams, I wouldn’t go past 8th – in my dreams, I would live in theater district proper (between 40th & 49th and 6th & 8th Avenues). And that’s when I found it.

I walked from my new super Times Square apartment to my storage unit the other day, and I passed the regal place. And while it’s definitely closer to Times Square than my Columbus Circle-ish apartment, it feels SO far from my place so close to the heart of it all…

I’m a little unsure if you can live any closer to the Times Square steps than I do.

I didn’t realize (’til I was searching for an apartment in Times Square) that there are actually apartments above the M&M’s store… That’s pretty darn Times Square like, right? And I think technically, measurement-wise, even those are farther from the Times Square steps than I am.

I am living the dream! In a tiny walkup.

(To answer the question that always comes… No, I don’t have a view of the ball-drop. I’m sorry. There are all these other things I have – the biggest subway stop in the city being my stop, being walking distance to Times Square (and all surrounding things) and Rockefeller Center – all that beautiful jazz… Getting to see the excitable tourists day in and day out. It’s magical. And I see the ball everytime I’m walking home from anywhere uptown… But no, I don’t have a view of it from my apartment. Wah wah.)

But anyway, forget anything that even sounds like a bummer at all.

I feel like I’m living in my own little beautiful sitcom premise. And I’m sure I will mention that again soon. (Yay!)

What Happened To Your Old (Nightly Show/Columbus Circle-Ish) Apartment? – Part 2

December 12, 2016

Picking up from yesterday –

This was somewhere around just a couple of weeks before September was over. But I agreed to get back to New York (I was off in the midst of going off somewhere, I think LA), and get out of the place.

(I think I could’ve conceivably fought this, but being that I was already looking to leave and wanting to leave, and with TNS cancelled (the whole reason I lived there), it wasn’t worth fighting.)

And he wouldn’t give me a letter, even just stating I paid my rent on time. And my realtor wouldn’t give me any other way around getting in that one last thing – the last thing I was missing (I think, especially, because some other tenant turned all their stuff in). I would’ve potentially tried to fight to get it from someone in the office or see what my legal rights were to what he could or couldn’t say if someone called and asked.

But I never got to that point since someone else got their paperwork in…

So, I put all my stuff in storage and had no idea what to do next.

I didn’t even know if I could another get a job in New York. Maybe I’d go back to LA and get a little break… As we’ve all read, New York felt a little suffocating (even though I used to love it so much)…

So, I just still half-looked for apartments… At this point, I only wanted to move again if I moved to a place I planned on staying in for a whiiiile. (I’m so over broker’s fees and all that jazz. Oh, New York.)

And I mainly looked for a job – in either New York or LA. And I landed a job in New York.

And I landed my dream apartment – which we will talk about tomorrow!

What Happened To Your Old (Nightly Show/Columbus Circle-Ish) Apartment? – Part 1

December 11, 2016

I’ve mentioned moving so much in previous posts, but I never really told the story of what happened…

So, as well all know (because I won’t shut up about it – sorry), I was sexually assaulted in my bed/apartment earlier this year. That was the main reason I wanted t get out of that place.

Also, I did not really like my landlord (and really didn’t want to pay him money anymore).

So, I started hardcore looking for apartments.

We all thought we were going to have jobs through September. (Our season was ordered ’til then.) So, while I was indeed looking for a place, I was very chill about looking – no fire under my butt…

And then we got cancelled. And the race to find a place happened quickly because soon enough I was going to stop having incoming paychecks… And you need so much paperwork to secure a place out here.

I found what I thought was a pretty perfect apartment – a one-bedroom (not just a studio!), and a closer to Times Square… It was between 8th & 9th, a little closer to 9th than I wanted… But as long as I didn’t live past 9th, I didn’t care…

But before I asked my current landlord for a letter (one of the many required documents), he contacted me to say he knew I was airBnBing out my place. Now, was I? I would be remiss to admit that here in writing on the blog, if I was airBnBing after the last day to try to make extra money since I had no idea what was coming next (and since I had no reason to be in New York right then)…

Anyway, I asked what kind of proof he had. And he said he wasn’t going to play this game with me. I either got out at the end of September (a month early), or he was going to take me to court and perhaps I’d get an eviction on my record. He also told me if I was out by the end of September, I’d get my security deposit back, otherwise not.

And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn (October 8, 2016)

December 10, 2016

aurora-singing-the-national-anthem-at-rock-n-roll-brooklynGoodness gracious there is so much to catch up on from the past couple of months. So, here we go. Let’s start with Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn. I got to sing the National Anthem for approximately 12,000 people. (Woot woot!)

I rolled outta bed soooo early to make sure I had plenty of time to get to Brooklyn (especially because I was all the way out in Jersey, baby, staying with a family from The Nightly Show)… Aaaaaaand, I had to stop by my storage unit in midtown to grab my VIP bracelet for the race and my Who’s Bad?” hat.

So, I left super early, stopped by the storage unit, and made it down to Brooklyn.

And even though I gave myself sooooo much time, between the car traffic and foot traffic, I still made it to the stage with only minutes to spare. (So, thank goodness for building in extra extra extra time for myself).

I sang the National Anthem. (I forgot I have to take my hat off, so I felt so naked without it, like “Uh oh! It is early in the morning and my hair is not cute.) Oh well!

After singing, I ran the race… Quite honestly, I mainly was all over twitter during the race. I was not wildly present. It was a big twitter weekend. Oh, Donald Trump not respecting women. Eesh.

The race ended in Prospect Park. This whole time I’ve lived in New York, people have told me I should go, and I didn’t. So, it was nice to be in Prospect Park.

The medal was cool and beautiful.

And then I headed over to the VIP tent!

(I got a VIP entry for singing the national anthem.) And oh my goodness was it amazing.

Free massages, hot foot, all the Gatorade you could want. And cell phone charging stations (thank goodness, as mine was on it’s last leg!).

I am so spoiled now. VIP all the way, baby!

In conclusion, Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn was a good way to start the morning!

Presidential Debate Party (October 19, 2016)

December 9, 2016

aurora-at-the-hillary-watch-partyI know it’s a little moot to talk about this now, right?

Election’s over. We didn’t get lovely Hillary. That unfortunately did not happen… Sigh.

And I didn’t talk about this in real-time, because I was going through posts I felt were important, and wasn’t ready to take a break in them yet…

And while there is more sexual assault stuff that I do think is important, and that I do want to talk about… I think I’d like to spend at least a couple of weeks catching us up on all the super fun stuff that’s been happening, and then we’ll get back to sexual assault soon enough. (Sorry… At some point, hopefully I’ll be in a place where I barely want to talk about it…

Anyway!

So, during the 3rd Presidential Debate, I was in Texas – that’s right. Red state Texas…. But, Austin. Blue city in the red state.

I was on an email list to tell me Hillary events all around the state. (Her official list seemed to only give me stuff close to my zip code. But come on. I travel a lot and I LOVE her…) So, I found a list that would tell me about everything. And I saw this watch party in Austin (while I was in Austin). So, why not?

Here was the best part.

I feel like plenty of watch parties are done at bars (which are totally fine – why not, right?). But this one was done at a craft place!

So, I wanted to go so badly to see what in the world that even entailed.

And they had the debate streaming onto a big wall, so we all could easily see – and they had plenty of Hillary-themed crafts. We could make bags, or decorate cut outs of women with pantsuits. It was pretty darn dope.

And Hillary, of course, did a spectacular job in the debate! (When did she not? … how did she not win, again?)

And it was so fun to hear the whole room full of gasps and laughter during certain moments…

#HillYes

So, I know the point is moot now, and the night has passed. But it was such a fun, cool, beautiful night/experience, I just wanted to share it. 🙂

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon! – Part 3

December 7, 2016

Picking up from yesterday –

And he said, “Okay, then you better start running. You’re about 5 minutes behind pace.” He pointed to a stoplight not terribly far in the distance (but far enough). He said, “Just make it to that stoplight. Not that first one, but the one after. We need to close this street. You turn at that stoplight and if you can make it there and turn, I won’t pick you up.”

So I run as though I’m trying to get on the Olympic team… Having the sag wagon behind me feels the same as having a terrifying villain behind me in a horror movie. I go for it.

And [eeeeeeeew, gross alert]. As, I run faster, all my blisters start popping. I can feel them in my shoes. Ow, my feet.

Thankfully, I made it to the stop light and turn. The sag wagon drives ahead of me and lets off the people it’s picked up. But I eventually catch up to most of them.

Once I get see mile marker 25, I know it’s all celebration mile from here. I love the final mile.

The sag wagon cheerleader guy even passes alongside of me and looks back, kind of winking/waving and says something like, “Great job,” in a really fun/inside joke kind of way.

I feel so bad that I came off so mean. But he seemed to agree that it made us best friends. So, yay!

At the end of the race, of course my phone was dead all over again. (Hence, why the finisher pic I had of myself is me in the hotel jacuzzi.)

I got my remix medal (for doing the 10k and marathon in the same weekend). And I got my sweet finisher jacket they were giving out. This is the first marathon I’ve done that gives out free finisher jackets – and I. am. into. them!

Then I went by the medic tent to ask if they weren’t too super busy if they wouldn’t mind helping out with my feet…

[Ew alert again.] We all were pretty surprised at the amount of blisters on my feet. And apparently something about all the wetness everywhere in the world from all the rain made them even worse. But they very nicely bandaged my feet up.

Then I headed back to my hotel. As I waited for a cab (at a hotel by the finish), I asked the taxi stand guy (I’m sorry I don’t know the name of that position, really) what I should do if I’m from out of town. And he was like, “it’s so rainy. Just go enjoy your hotel.”

It was rainy. Even Sea World closed. (Not that I was going to go to Sea World – especially for a half day or less, and especially after I’d already gone in San Diego…)

Either way, San Antonio was tired. i was tired. I went back to my hotel, hung out in the hot tub, pigged out on some food, and went to bed. then I flew into New York and went straight into work the next day.

Another race complete! Woot!

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon! – Part 2

December 6, 2016

Picking up from yesterday –

I was slightly scared about this race, because I’ve heard many times if you can’t keep up in Rock ‘n’ Roll races that they rope off parts of the course and divert you. So, you’re cutting off miles before you even know it.

And being that I’ve promised myself I’d run a marathon every calendar year for the rest of my life – and that I couldn’t, in good conscience, count a marathon toward that goal if I knew it wasn’t truly 26.2… and being that it was December(!)… I was gonna be in trouble if I didn’t make it to cutoffs in time!

My phone is on its very last leg, and had totally died during the race (even with putting it on airplane mode and being fully charged in the morning). Thankfully when I made it to mile 19, that was the beginning of a loop that came back around. And the person manning the 21 mile timing mat had a van with him and charged my phone while I looped around.

I was so happy to have music back once I got to the 21-mile mark. Yee haw!

I was doing pretty okay-ish for most of the race, but I took what felt like forever to get through that loop.

The miles felt longer (even though almost certainly they weren’t). It just felt like that loop was never ending.

And – yet again – as though I didn’t learn my lesson in SF to not use the bathroom, I stopped to use the bathroom! (This time there was no line, though.)

I don’t remember usually stopping during marathons to use the bathroom. I gotta start eating differently, I guess… Anyway.

At least what felt like my two longest miles were the ones in which my phone was charging. Let’s just say my lack of energy was all on purpose so I could let my phone charge as long as possible. Why not?

I got my phone back and started blasting my jams (Carly Rae Jepsen a lot) as I went the rest of the way.

And then, I saw the sag wagon behind me.

It was scary how it just came up behind us all.

I always thought I’d have more of a warning if that happened… I mean, I did see it in the distance. So, I tried to run away from it. And yet, one minute it seemed pretty far away. The next it seemed within striking distance of me. dum dum duuuuuuum [scary chords]

In between mile twenty-four and twenty-five (so we are seriously nearing the home stretch here). This man comes out of the sag wagon to collect us.

He runs up behind me with a really cheery peppy attitude and nicely says, “Hey, I’m gonna give you a.. [oh, I forget what word he used… boost? nudge? – something positive-ish sounding, but we all know it’s not…]. And even though he was being the nicest, I whipped around and turned my head to him as though I was in that movie The Exorcist. I yelled at him, “I’ll die first!”

And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow!

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon! – Part 1

December 5, 2016

aurora-with-medal-in-the-hot-tubI did it! Oh my goodness, I did it.

5 years strong and going of 26.2’s in different states!

Usually before a marathon, I make sure to have my pre-marathon meal of chips and salsa.

This year, I just needed to sleep.

I’d been going seemingly non-stop with lots of work hours and moving into my new apartment and just all this stuff.

So, I needed sleeeeep.

After the 10k, I grabbed some nearby food, picked up my marathon bib for the next day, and headed back to the hotel.

There was a pantry place where you could buy snacks. So, I bought a few packs of Doritos and went back to my room and slept. I slept practically the whole day and night away, just getting up every once in a while and eating Doritos.

(I didn’t want to overeat… But I knew I would need fuel for the race… And I didn’t have that many packs of Doritos.)

Finally, the morning came and I was a little unsure what to wear.

It had been so wet outside the day before, and the forecast called for even more rain.

I have Under Armour gear that I love. Heck, I did a 50k in it in the rain and hail.

But it was so cold in San Antonio! And so consistently rainy. I was worried that wouldn’t be enough.

So, I put on multiple layers – and wore my coat.

Thank goodness I had a coat!

Had this been a year where I was living (full-time) in Los Angeles, I wouldn’t have even thought to bring one. After all, I didn’t own one at the time. And I was going to Texas. Who would’ve though it would be cold?

Well, it was. So, thank goodness for my coat.

The one thing I wasn’t wearing, that I felt a bit of sad nostalgia for not wearing, was my friend’s bandana from the time he was fighting in Afghanistan. I’ve worn it in every marathon since my first one. And in the midst of moving and having some stuff everywhere (in a storage unit, some stuff in my new apartment, some stuff with friends, even in other states, and on and on, I just wasn’t able to get it before I went to Texas.

Alas.

But also, everything’s a mess and it happens. I mean, I barely was able to find my “Who’s Bad” hat in the midst of everything in storage. (And Ty wasn’t mad in the least about his bandana not getting one marathon.)

Singing the National Anthem before the race started was really fun. I met the City Manager who’d come out to support everyone. And she was very nice.

And before you knew it, it was time to start the race.

And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow!

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio 10k

December 4, 2016

screen-shot-2016-12-27-at-4-44-20-amThank goodness for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series.

Every year, I do a marathon in a different state. And this year, I chose to do the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon, because they let me race for free since I was singing the National Anthem.

The 10k wasn’t even on my radar until they asked me to sing for it. And I thought, “if I’m getting up early and going to the start line, I’m sure to goodness gonna just do the 10k. Let’s get real here.”

I got there with plenty of time to spare. I felt that the last few times I sang the national anthem, I got there with not much time beforehand. And I don’t ever want to stress anybody out. I want them to see me there and have no worries.

I also underestimated how small this 10k would be. I have no idea how many people did it – I’m sure still kind of a lot ish. But not as many as do a half marathon or marathon.

There wasn’t a stage set up for the announcer. He was off to the side with a mic. It was smaller in every way – from number of racers to personnel… to number of miles we run, I suppose haha.

So, there wasn’t as much traffic (both foot traffic and traffic, traffic (as in cars)) to worry about. Meaning I got there way early – like close to an hour early, I think. Which was fine.

I got my bib. I told the announcer I was there, then walked around…

It was pretty cold that morning, so that part was a bit of a bummer. The sweet Rock ‘n’ Roll series even gave me VIP status. So, the next morning, I could’ve gone inside somewhere. But VIP status worked for the marathon, not the 10k. So, this morning, there weren’t any indoor places in the vicinity to be found.

So, I huddled around shivering with other runners until it was about my time to sing.

Then, as I waited, Olympians Jared Ward and Meb Keflezighi came over to kick off the festivities. And I got to get a selfie with them! What?! So cool.

As far as the 10k itself, I just slowly walked the whole thing.

It was surprisingly a struggle to make sure I kept such a slow pace for the whole thing. But I knew with a full 26.2 the next day, I just wanted to be as nice to my legs as possible. I’m not in peak training shape or anything. So, even just another 6 miles was still something I thought I should at least be semi-careful about.

It rained.

A lot.

It got even worse after the race when I went to pick up my packet at the expo…

Oooooh goodness, what’s gonna happen in that marathon tomorrow? If it’s anything like today, I need to prepare to be soaked.

 

We Got Bumped From The Dr Oz Show (in Favor of Megyn Kelly)!

November 22, 2016

AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY A SUPER OLD POST, AS THIS SHOW DOES NOT EXIST ANYMORE haha But I realized I never posted about it.

We got an email that they are bumping us for Megyn Kelly. Her segment went long and they want that to be the whole show. They said they are still planning on airing our segment. So, we’ll see! But… maybe don’t check your local listings after all… Or if you did, sorry. We weren’t there. (Eep!)

We’re Talking Aaaaaall About Sexual Assault On The Dr Oz Show

November 21, 2016

Aurora De Lucia at her dressing room at Dr. OzI’m appearing on Dr. Oz tomorrow (or I guess today when you’re reading this) – Tuesday, November 22nd.

It’s a show about sexual assault (which, obviously, is a very important issue, and something I’ve been talking about a lot lately).

If you came to my blog looking for posts on sexual assault, this page has my posts on it.

If you got here looking for other stuff (such as the 52 half marathons in 52 weeks, or the volunteer projects, etc.), then this page will help you find all that.

Check your local listings for the Dr. Oz airing. I will give you full deets of the whole day and everything soon!

But Really… What Happened With That Election?

November 15, 2016

I’ve now been talking about the election for a full week. So I’m ready to stop (ish), I do have one more related (ish) post coming out this week about hanging out with Cory Booker…

But, as for my last thought for now…

Really.

What happened?

I know lots of places have tried to break it down. But none of it makes sense to me. People say she’s unlikable. I don’t understand why.

I don’t understand why the James Comey letter happened. I don’t understand anything.

Don’t we remember the debates? Don’t we remember the Al Smith dinner? The conventions? Hillary has been killing it! She’s performed at the top of her game.

What happened?

We may never know…

On the one hand, I want answers. On the other, I feel like I’m living inside of a Saturday Night Live sketch. So, how can I get answers to something when it can’t possibly be real?

(Speaking of Saturday Night Live, how wonderful was that cold open with Kate McKinnon?)

I just… I wish I had something wise to say here, but I do not…

I’m just so confused!

… What happened?

The Outpouring Of Love After Hillary’s Loss Has Been Beautiful

November 14, 2016

Well, at this point, we all know Hillary Clinton (the love of my life) lost…

And I’ve had people reaching out to me with the same sincere love and worry as if someone died… I really appreciate the way people care. And it’s been great to receive the love. I’ve been trying to give it as well.

Some of my friends are practically inconsolable… And as devastatingly sad as it all is, it’s almost nice to share the sadness together. I hope Hillary is getting this amount of love a million times over.

So, thanks for everyone who recognized my love for her. It’s nice to be remembered and cared about and I’ve really, really appreciated the love. I will do my best to pass it forward. xoxo

This Election Taught Me Women Don’t Matter

November 12, 2016

…And obviously many (most) other groups too. (And it’s devastating.) But today, I’m going to talk just from my perspective (as a woman)…

As you almost certainly know if you’ve been following this blog –

This year, I was sexually assaulted by someone I knew and cared about… After it happened, I spent *months* wondering “was I loud enough/clear enough?”

I kept trying to bring it up to him. He kept either giving me the silent treatment, or gaslighting me, pushing me aside, etc…

Until finally, I got to have a straightforward conversation with him about it about 6 months later (that’s months of nightmares, problems, therapy, etc.).

I asked him, “Was I not clear enough? Did you really not know?” And he said (verbatim), “I knew you didn’t want to, but you needed to.”

He was “helping me.”

Once I got that admission, I tried to report, but to no avail.

So, for a quick recap: we have the man, the police and the legal system who are either apathetic or just can’t help me… (It’s been exhausting)

And NOW the man who holds the HIGHEST OFFICE in our land not only doesn’t think sexual assault isn’t a big deal – he brags about it.

I don’t know what to say after that… America has now told me LOOOOOOOOUD and clear “women don’t matter.”

(The millions of people who voted for him told me through their votes, ‘It doesn’t matter if he views women as objects. We can sweep his views on women under the rug because they just aren’t that important.’)

So that is *one* reason *one* woman is more than just disappointed her candidate didn’t win. She now fears for her safety even more.

Roller Coaster Election Day (From My View) – Part 3

November 11, 2016

Picking up from yesterday –

It was reported that they stopped showing the results at the Javits Center – which actually made me happy not to be there.

I just kept thinking, “There’s no possible way. There’s no way it’s gonna be Trump. There’s no way.”

“There. is. no. way…… …… RIGHT?”

In the wee hours of the night/morning, once it looked like she was going to concede (ugh, so sad), and the Javits Center had started to clear out (because everyone was so disappointed), I thought about going down there to at least see her concession speech live. It would be heart-wrenching. But, at least I’d see her speak in person. And we’d all be there for each other.

My friend didn’t want to go, but of course he was all, “Please don’t let me stop you!”

So, as I was just starting to get ready to go, John Podesta came onstage (on the live coverage we were watching). And he told everyone to go home…

Well, all right then.

Cory Lewndowski started angrily taking about how, ‘If that had been Trump, it would be unacceptable!’ …

But the results hadn’t been officially called yet! She wasn’t going to concede before it was over, and he wouldn’t have either.

I thought it was totally a fair thing to do.

I stayed up to watch Trump speak…

I had friends who refused and I think that’s smart. But I just wanted to see how it went down…

It was physically painful to watch a man who has tried to totally decimate women’s rights stand up there and talk about how he looked forward to being Vice President to (sigh) Donald Trump.

And then Trump gave his speech. It wasn’t really presidential. But at least it also wasn’t offensive (which I guess is saying something for him?)

I sobbed…

I remember feeling just gutted when OBAMA (who’s pretty awesome, ultimately) won the freaking primary against Hillary. So, this was just… It was beyond words.

I sobbed until I went to sleep.

A day from the highest highs to the lowest lows…

As I quipped that night… It just shows, truly anyone* can be President.

*as long as she isn’t a woman.

(Sobs some more.)

Roller Coaster Election Day (From My View) – Part 2

November 10, 2016

Picking up from yesterday –

Even at the airport, I sat down, opened my laptop, and made calls until we boarded.

I flew to New York because at the end of the day, I wanted to go to the Javits Center and see her victory speech.

Just as I wanted to be in Philadelphia for her convention, I wanted to be in New York for her presidential nomination.

I had a layover in North Carolina. (I actually got to choose from two flights that were about the same price and time. But I specifically chose the one with the swing state layover, to see if being there would give me any kind of feeling at all…)

And the group I met at the airport bar where I got my vegetable tacos loved Hillary. I know that’s a ridiculously small sample size of 3 people. But those three people were so excited!

We’ve got this. We’ve obviously got this, right? We have to have this…

When I got on the plane, I had a really hard time connection to the wifi (Oh no!) As soon as I landed I tweeted that I’d been on a plane and asked for an update… And someone told me Florida was way too close. And I started catching up. And I started getting ever so slightly nervous. But, come on. We know she’s got this…

I jumped in a cab and went to my friend’s place in Harlem (as that’s pretty close to LGA) so I could put my stuff down and such…

I texted my friend who was at Javits, and not surprisingly it was packed. It didn’t seem like they were letting anybody else in. So, I decided I’d watch a few more returns in Harlem – wait until it gets close enough to her speech and see if we can sneak in…

And then it started to look more and more like a President Trump was possible…

(OH NO!)

And this is where I’ll sadly pick up tomorrow!

Roller Coaster Election Day (From My View) – Part 1

November 9, 2016

knocking-doorsI woke up with those big wide musical theater eyes. This is it. THIS IS IT! I’ve been waiting for Hillary Clinton to be president for at least 8 years  – probably more (with primaries, and the lead up to the primary and all of that).

I LOVE Hillary. (I’m sure we’ll get into that so much more soon enough…)

I thought to myself, “This is going to crack the list of the top 10 days of my life.”

I put on my white dress (as an homage to the suffragette movement) and I headed to the polls. Shockingly, there was almost no line for anyone whose last name started with D. (There were lines set up based on the alphabet.) And I got to go right up and vote.

I was so nervous in that voting booth. I knew every single vote mattered so much! What if I accidentally pressed the wrong candidate? (Of course, I can change it ’til the confirm page, but still!)

I read her name. I read it again. I took a deep breath and smiled so big and I pressed that button for Hillary. Then I voted Dems down ballot. On the confirm page, I read her name one more time with the big check mark beside it. (I even took a picture just to make sure it was real.) Our moment was finally here!

After I left, I changed out of my big white dress into something more walking-around-the-neighborhood-suitable. And I went to a campaign house.

Great news! Once I got to the campaign house, they had finished their packets! That’s how many volunteers Hillary had had. They were able to completely finish canvassing by election day.

So, they sent me to another campaign house, and I got a packet. (My high school theater teacher went with me, which was so lovely (and got a separate packet so we could cover more ground).)

As I went around knocking on doors, basically nobody was home. The few people who were, were either proud to have voted or on their way out to vote. (And everyone was so nice and enthusiastic.)

I even saw another canvasser (for a state-level politician). So, that was kinda fun, seeing other people out there who really cared.

Soon enough, I had to drive back and turn in my finished packet, because I had to get to the airport!

And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow!

Election Night

November 8, 2016

Aurora De Lucia in her homage to suffragettes dress
After voting for Hillary Clinton! (In my white dress as an homage to the suffragettes)

Welp, it’s 11:33 California time – the time this blog posts daily [hahaha, yes, I know it’s been super sporadic lately, but that’s the time it’s supposed to be posting….]

Anyway…

I was so excited to post all these fun stories from election day (and the day surrounding it)… Fun people I met canvassing, doing a crossword puzzle with a Trump supporter on a plane… All of that. (And maybe tomorrow I will.)

But I thought the day was gonna have a super happy ending…

And now, Trump is *almost* President-Elect… It hasn’t officially been called at this time, but it seems it’s about to be…

And it’s surreal.

The day took *SUCH* a weird turn – from waking up, SO excited to vote in my white (homage to suffragettes) dress to meeting people at my polling place complimenting my hat and saying they were with her too, to flying to New York with the hope of being in the place where it happened…

And then…

This.

Sigh. I guess… more tomorrow.

I cannot even wait to vote for Hillary Clinton!

November 7, 2016

aurora-on-her-flight-with-her-hillary-hat
(On my flight, after the safety announcements, the flight attendants asked that we don’t discuss politics ;))

We made it to election day!

(Or technically, just barely election day eve as this is posting.)

I am so in love with Hillary Clinton, it practically hurts. I think I basically know what being in love is because of her. Haha!

When I listen to her speak, I am mesmerized. When I see her moving campaign ads, I cry. When I look at her face on twitter, etc. I am filled with basically the emotional embodiment of the heart eyes emoji.

I wanted her to win against Obama in the primary 8 years ago… She didn’t (as we all know). I was devastated. (I can only imagine how she felt!)

And I waited so excitedly for her to return.

And then she did.

(If you don’t totally remember, watch this gorgeous, perfect video.)

Every small win she’s had to me has been amplified, knowing what a tough road it’s been – and remembering the heartbreak of 2008.

I feel as though this is almost the ultimate comeback story (or at least, hopefully it will be after tomorrow).

The words “lesser of two evils” echo all over the internet, but when I go into that voting booth tomorrow, I will not be voting for the lesser of two evils. I will be enthusiastically voting for the best presidential candidate I could hope for!

As has been said many times, she is the most qualified person to ever run. She’s brilliant. She’s a great listener/compromiser. She has done oh so much good for the world.

She is my role model. And it will be my honor to vote for Hillary tomorrow.

4 years ago, I wrote a post encouraging us all to stand behind whomever is elected. I stand by that old post… As much as it physically pains me to imagine a Donald Trump Presidency, I think I will stand by my words of respecting transition of power… (After all, it was a question posed in the debates and we all said we’d respect the outcome…)

But

Last time, I respected Romney. I didn’t agree with him on issues, but I still think he probably would’ve been a generally fine President.

Trump is dangerous. I truly believe (without hyperbole or exaggeration) that he is dangerous.

Please don’t elect that dangerous man.

I gave money to Hillary. I made some calls. I dressed as her for my inspiring woman costume that I do every Halloween. I talked to family and friends in swing states (sometimes at length) about why Hil’s the one for whom you should vote. I am voting in the morning, then I plan on knocking on doors (or at least making more calls if anything should keep me from knocking on doors).

I tried.

I could’ve tried harder, and sometimes I feel bad about that… But I put work in… And I’ll put work in tomorrow.

After 8 long years (or more, even), I cannot wait to see Madame President Hillary Rodham Clinton announced tomorrow night. (Eeeeeeeee!)

Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles 2016 (Hillary Clinton!) – Part 4

November 2, 2016

Picking up from yesterday –

So, I got down there before the race (as a normal person normally does). It still took me longer to walk through the crowd than I thought it would… So, I only got to the front with 3 minutes to spare.

(I know this because when I apologized for cutting it so close, the guy laughed and said “Eh, you’ve got 3 whole minutes to spare! Relax! Take a load off!” haha)

I sang the national anthem, watched some corrals past, and eventually made it on my merry way.

Along the way, I had random people run up to me and ask for a selfie. I felt a little famous. It was pretty fun!

I also had people yelling from the sidelines things like, “Go Hillary!” or “I’m with her!”

Usually, I just yelled back, “Don’t forget to vote!” There was a point on the course where this group with signs kept talking about repenting and fire and brimstone and all of that. When I passed them, someone yelled out, “You’re in a man’s suit! A man’s suit!” (Which, I don’t even know what that means… Technically I wasn’t in a suit at all. Ailys just made it look like one.)

Then they said, “You must be Killary Clinton!” And they just kept yelling. Some women then basically surrounded me. “We got you… Do you need help?” And we just jogged out of there as a pack strong together. (Just like Hillary always says, “stronger together,” right? :-))

I also met Katie along the way – she was dressed as a “personal email server.” She was happy to find her Hillary. We laughed, stuck together, and did the rest of the race together.

This was a really fun morning.

Another one in the books. Can’t wait to go as inauguration Hillary next year. I’m sure she’s gonna be gooooorgeous!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles 2016 (Hillary Clinton!) – Part 3

November 1, 2016

Picking up from yesterday –

As I walked around the expo, I called Super Cuts and they wouldn’t cut synthetic hair. Thankfully, one of my roommates is a hairdresser. She was booked all night for some event, but she was able to help me out at 4:30 in the morning before the race!

After I picked up my packet, Ailys came by in the late afternoon (with the original non-closeable costume) for fittings and such. She went home and altered everything, and then she came back around 1:30 or so in the morning.

…Thankfully I had amazing people around me doing work. I can only imagine how exhausted they were, because I was exhausted just getting up at all these weird early hours.

So, once it was around 6:15am and the costume and wig and everything was done, I threw on some mascara and lipstick, and headed down to the race.

Quick note about the costume: I will say, the only thing I felt a little weird about this year is that, you know, I’m a little bit fat (and I’m pretty darn curvy). And if I wear the right thing, I can look not quite so fat and try to just accentuate curves… But if I wear something a little more boxy, then I start to look a lot more fat…

I’m NOT saying Queen Hillary (;)) is fat, btw. I’m just saying I can’t pull off her red suit. So, that was a little… um, not like disconcerting, but.. it was just a little uncomfortable… a little weird… a Little something.

Also, Kate MicKinnon always looks amazing in Hillary garb. So, maybe it’s just me being fat and not the suit’s fault! Could be

Anyway, whatever, man! More important to pick a great inspiring moment and try to get it right than to look super pretty or whatever. (She is gorgeous, btw. Gorgeous… That just doesn’t mean that I will be in her clothes, if that makes sense…) Anyway, race time!

Usually, hearing the national anthem is my cue to get my butt down there if I haven’t already.

(I live so close, I can just run down at the start, because it always takes at least half an hour (usually longer) for all the corrals to go through… LA is a treat that way, in that I can really take all the time I want…)

But this time, I was the one singing the National Anthem!

And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles 2016 (Hillary Clinton!) – Part 2

October 31, 2016

I enlisted the help of Ailys – the woman who helped me find the Caitlyn Jenner outfit last year.

Of course the suit didn’t just exist as is (because as I said yesterday, approximations of Hillary’s clothes at the consumer level are practically impossible to find).

So, Ailys found this coat-ish thing for the top. It was like a… I don’t totally know how to describe it. But originally, it just came to together at the very top (under the neck), and then that big front opening fanned out to the bottom.

So, even if you got a bigger size than you needed (which we did), you couldn’t just pull the sides together. It wasn’t built or designed that way. So, she found similar fabric at a store, cut the sides of the jacket, and added fabric panels in a V-shape to make it so the top would close like Hillary’s.

She also moved the pocket flaps (that had faced sideways) to facing downward (like Hillary’s). And, she found red pantsuit-pants, and even cut off the top and made them of a jersey-type of material so they’d be easier to run in, but look like a pantsuit to anyone who’d see me.

She also found earrings to match Hillary’s. So, thank goodness for Ailys (and TaskRabbit, where I met her).

As far as the wig was concerned, she didn’t have time for that business with all the work she had to do on the costume.

I did a little searching online, but all the wigs I saw labeled “Hillary wigs” looked kinda cheap and not totally like her/her haircut.

I kept kind of putting the wig off because there was other stuff to do (in life in general, not just with this race).

And as I was on the plane to Los Angeles, the day before the race (to pick up my packet), I got wifi and hired a taskrabbit to get the wig. He kept sending me pictures, and the women in the seats on both sides of me helped saying, “Too golden,” “too short,” etc. until we all agreed – that’s generally the color. It’s long, but I’ll just get someone to cut it.

Now, looking back on it, it was perhaps a dumb decision to get someone to cut it because wouldn’t it have been easier to just have a wig that was already the right length and not add an extra step? Yes. Yes it would’ve been.

But it just seemed like a good healthy looking wig and the right color. So, how hard could cutting it be?

And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles 2016 (Hillary Clinton!) – Part 1

October 30, 2016

hillary-side-by-side-with-aurora-laughingIn case you don’t know, every year, I run the Halloween half marathon as a different inspiring woman.

I’ve been wanting to go as Hillary for years. Heck, if it were up to me, I might go as her every year, because Hillary amazes me. To me, she is the ultimate inspiring women. I almost went as her last year after she totally kicked butt in the Benghazi hearings.

Buuuuut, it was kind of last minute. And approximation of her suits are nearly impossible to find. She has these very interesting cuts and colors. For the most part, she doesn’t have anything for which you can just go get an approximation at Macy’s or something… And last year, I felt there was just too much going on to make it happen.

Plus, I figured, “Why not wait until she’s the Presidential nominee officially? That’ll be even more inspiring! (As if somehow she can be even more inspiring… but let’s get real. She will be when she’s Madam President)”

There were people at that point who were like, “Well, don’t wait! What if Bernie Sanders wins?!” (I mean, I know anything is possible, but I was preeeeetty confident in her.)

So, I waited a year.

Then, this year, she has absolutely killed it in so many moments. I could’ve dressed as her from the convention, or from any of her debates. But I just looooved the way she came out in that power red for the first debate. (You are doing this girl! Get it, Hillary!!!)

I started trying to look for suits, and came up against the same problems… They still were hard to replicate. I still was doing this last minute-ish (but not as last-minute as last year!)… I thought about just going as swimmer Katie Ledecky or gymnast Simone Biles (both humongously inspiring). After all, I can’t go as them next year…

And think about Hillary’s inauguration outfit! I’m sure it’s gonna be so gorgeous! Wouldn’t it be fun to go as her when she’s actually President, and not just running?

…But I can’t keep putting it off every year. Even if I go as President Hillary Rodham Clinton next year, I can still go as candidate Clinton this year. And she can be the first person I dress up as two years in a row. I looooove her. (And quite honestly, I should’ve gone as her last year too. So, time to stop waiting!)

Time to get that impossible suit…

And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow!

Missing My Job SO Much (For This First Presidential Debate)

September 25, 2016

So, I’ve had about a month and a half to process The Nightly Show ending. I have blogged about it at length here. I’ve traveled. I already worked a week on another show. I thought I was too the point where it didn’t hurt quite as badly anymore…

And then the Presidential Debates came up. The first one is tomorrow.

How am I supposed to enjoy the debates without my Nightly Show family? I loved going in on days after big events – seeing the script change throughout the day, and generally in the hall hearing everybody’s hot takes and hilarious jokes.

I liked passing the TV in the hall outside of Larry’s office (across from his assistant’s desk) with cable news always going… It just felt like our world was fast-paced, and stuff was happening, and we were paying attention.

It was an absolute dream come true to work there… And now I don’t have that built in group of genius people to bond with after big events like this… (Thank goodness at least we’ll always have twitter, but still…)

I knew I was one of the luckiest people on the planet to have my job… But I knew I was somehow even in the high echelon of lucky compared to that, because not only did I get to work at TNS, I got to work there during an election year.

We had fun while we were there. But I imagined covering the election. There is no where I would’ve been on election night (other than if somehow in some universe I got to hold Hillary Clinton’s hand as the results came in, but other than that, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than at my desk working for a political show I believed in).

And now we miss out on that.

And it’s a bummer.

And I knew the election night part would sting. I’m bracing myself for that day…

But I forgot how much this stuff would come up – how much the Presidential Debate would hurt… Not in an intense way or anything. I get that life moves on and other shows will cover it beautifully and I can talk to my friends (not just on twitter – but in real life too! Imagine that.)

The point is, I wish – I wish – I got to be in the company of the funniest, smartest people I know (some of the funniest, smartest people in the country).

So, I still love you, TNS…. And Hillary Clinton, I looooove you. Go kick some butt!

Nightly Show Giveaway Day!

September 13, 2016

Now that we’ve all been away for a few weeks, we all got to come back for one more day!

Our production staff worked hard sorting things, returning things, all that jazz.

And then we all got to come in and grab props from the set (or even things people didn’t want from their offices).

Since I only live 4 blocks away, I got to take a fair amount of stuff (and some of the big stuff).

It was pretty funny, because when we first walked in, there were these rules – “nothing more than what fits in one tote bag!” And as we reached the final hour, staff members were basically begging us to take things. “Can you take this box of hats?”

Yeah, sure.

A friend of mine is a huge fan of the show, so I got a whole bunch of stuff for her (the Rosa Parks award, some stuff from the set, etc.). Then I also got a few things for myself (a huge teddy bear that was on the set, a giant picture of Larry Wilmore/The Nightly Show logo that I used to pass on my way to my office everyday)… And I got my computer! (Eeeee!)

Then I got a freaking ton of swag – some of which will be sent to people on twitter. Some of which will be given to my family. Some of which I have no idea what to do with… (So, I guess write me if you want some!) I’m gonna end up with a freaking Nightly Show closet. (And I love that! Come on in and grab some swag!)

Most, most importantly, I got to see my TV family again and get some hugs.

As we came up the outside stairs, we saw the set being loaded out of the bottom door. (Awwwww!) It’s sad, but you know… we’re moving on!

Lastly, there was such a wonderful, beautiful, sweet act of kindness given to me on the last day.

There is this incredibly lovely woman who worked there… On my very first day, she saw my trying to take a selfie close to the set and ripped the cover off the desk, turned on the stage lights, then took 1,000 photos for me haha. And on the last day, she heard me say how much I reeeeally wanted one of those dark mugs from the set. And SHE SAVED ONE FOR ME!

She handed it to me at giveaway day like the sweetheart she is.

I know you may know this… but this was the best job I ever had with the best people. Even if I never work another day in my life (though, please don’t let that come true), I am still one of the luckiest people to set foot on this planet.

It All Came Full Circle (At The Nightly Show)

September 12, 2016

Aurora De Lucia in her editing chair, looking behind her shoulder at Nightly Show[This is a backdated post from September 12, just fyi]

Welp, as far as I know this is the last thing I have to say about The Nightly Show for a while… I may mention it here and there if things come up. But, other than giveaway day tomorrow, I think this is the last in my big block of posts about it.

What an incredible, beautiful, sweet, wonderful ride this has been.

It’s crazy to think that the room where I interviewed ending up becoming my office! (I took my boss’ old bay, as she moved out of the edit to do more senior producer-y running around stuff.)

I also wore the same dress to my interview as I did to my first day as an editor, as I did to my second-to-last day of work… Because on my last day of work, I wore the dress I bought at Macy’s when I moved to New York with no clothes on a whim to work on The Nightly Show.

Same dresses. Same chair. Same office. Everything just really worked out beautifully… Except of course the losing my job part.

Other than that, this was an absolute – a really true fairy tale. And I was so very super lucky to experience it.

…Thankfully, They Did Take More Pictures

September 11, 2016

Nightly Show class photo silly optionI said I wish I’d taken more pictures.

Well, thankfully, The Nightly Show did.

I don’t know who decided on the professional photographer. But I’m glad someone did. There are all these lovely wonderful pictures from the last week of work. (Yay! :-))

My Week Working On Dancing With The Stars – Part 2 (Marilu And Derek)

September 10, 2016

marilu-henner-derek-hough-and-aurora-at-rehearsalPicking up from yesterday –

People kept getting to shuffle around between producers and dancers. So, while I love having a rapport with one team, there was something nice about working with multiple people while I was there.

Marilu is incredibly full of energy. And she’s so fit and gorgeous. My goodness. I wish I moved and acted like her. After meeting her, I feel like age is nothing anymore.

And yes, her memory thing is super impressive. And it just comes out at random times if someone mentions something random, or asks her a question, etc.

Derek is also very nice and really down to earth. They both made sure to introduce themselves to everyone in the room – as if we weren’t going to know who they were. It was very kind of them.

They were nice enough to take selfies at the end with me. (Derek took them and led the way for us to make a bunch of different faces, which was fun.)

At one of the breaks, I told Marilu what a big fan my dad is of hers, and after rehearsal, she asked, “Can we call your dad?” What?!

She offered that up. And she talked to my dad like a complete and total sweetheart. It was such a fun day.

Now that I’ve gotten all the celebrity stuff out of the way (since I figured that’s what you’d kind of care about), I also just wanted to remember how fun it is to be an assistant in the field again.

Even on America’s Got Talent, I felt pretty confident the more cities I went to. But here, I felt really pretty confident. One of the producers I worked with seemed surprised (and delighted) when I’d already matched my computer’s time code with his camera before he asked.

I know the job was only for a week, and was really just for fun more than anything else. But I wanted to do the very best job I could. And he seemed to notice that, and I appreciated it.

So, there you have it!

Oh, last thing. I did get to meet Vanilla Ice after all at the end of my last day! He was next up in the room. I said, “Hi, I’m Aurora.” He introduced himself as Rob. We shook hands and then we watched this internet video he’d been showing everybody.

It was a great week. And who knows. Maybe if they’re in New York again next season, I can go hang for a bit again! 🙂

My Week Working On Dancing With The Stars – Part 1 (Sharna and James)

September 9, 2016

screen-shot-2016-11-16-at-7-36-37-pmHey everybody! I know we’ve been talking about such serious subjects lately. So, let me do a fun backpost (though, warning, there is of course more sexual assault to come…but not right now!).

[Here’s a backpost. Pretend you’re reading this in September.]

Once upon a time (a few weeks ago), I worked on The Nightly Show and loved it.

We got cancelled – when we were already supposed to have a two-week hiatus. So, those two weeks felt weird…

And the day before I was supposed to come back (had the show been coming back, that is), I got to start a week-long gig of some New York shoots of Dancing with the Stars.

I guess they were filming out here for the week because of press junkets (including Good Morning America) and stuff.

So, I got to have a week as a story assistant. It was really pretty fun. It’s been a while since I’ve worked in the field on something. And what a blast this was!

The first email I got said I’d be on Vanilla Ice’s team. Ice, ice baby! I was so ready!

But then I got a last minute schedule change that my day started 4 hours earlier and I’d be with a different team. (Aye aye aye. A call time before noon? How shall I ever survive? *she says as dramatically as possible*)

I ended up being with Sharna and James on the first day.

Basically, my job consisted of taking notes on my laptop for the producer with time codes, so if they loved something someone in the couple said, and it’d be good for a package, they could refer to the notes to know where it is.

So, hopefully the notes were helpful.

I haven’t done a ton of work in the story department on the field side of things. (I know editing and story are related in post… I mean, it’s all related everywhere. But… the point is, I haven’t been the one taking notes in the field, I think back since my first job on America’s Got Talent like a million (6) years ago. And it was so fun to do it again for a week!

You know, there’s something about the energy in the room that’s nice.

I talked to Sharna more than James. She is so super smart and really fun to talk to. She also was nice about taking photos for me/with me for social media (’cause she’s so into social media too :-).)

Basically, everyone was nice. I had a lovely time, and tomorrow, I’ll talk about working with Marilu and Derek.

Another Voice On The Nightly Show Ending

September 8, 2016

(Yet another sad selfie we took for my boss off at maternity leave)
(Yet another sad selfie we took for my boss off at maternity leave)

I’m sure there are plenty of places where you could read articles or listen to stories about The Nightly Show ending.

I know I’ve obviously been talking about it a lot. But if you want to hear someone else talk about it, here’s a podcast with one of our senior producers.

I really loved working with him. I always said he was one of the funniest people in the building, and I meant it. So, if you feel like grabbing his take, it’s right there for ya! 🙂

“I Wish I Had Taken More Pictures”

September 1, 2016

duncan-maisha-and-auroraAs I sort through everything I have from The Nightly Show…

I’ve started singing that line from “I Wish I Could Go Back To College” from Avenue Q (in a puppet voice, of course)… “I wish I had taken more pictures.”

It’s funny, because I took a lot of pictures!

I remember even thinking throughout the whole run – not just the last week – to take pictures! Document this beautiful job!

And I did.

I have photos of myself on the set, and from ’70s day, and with Larry. I commemorated special days (such as my first day as an editor, first day on the job, all that jazz…).

But I don’t have a ton of pictures of me and other people on the crew…

Maybe that means I’m selfish? “Sure! Get me in Larry’s chair!” But then I don’t have many pics of me and my friends…

Or maybe it just means that it felt more normal to ask for a picture in Larry’s chair (of course everybody wants that) rather than to ask my co-workers, “Will you take a picture with me?” (which I’m 99% certain almost any of them would have).

alex-and-auroraIn the last week, I was so busy giving thank you cards and hugs and having sweet conversations, I didn’t even think to ask for photos! There was too much happening.

Even the wrap party was fully of the sweetest goodbyes and monologues to each other. And I just didn’t think to take more pictures.

And I’m sort of glad I didn’t. For once I actually just straight up lived in the moment. It wasn’t about social media or documenting things for my blog or myself. I was just taking every single moment. And I loved that.

But I also miss my photos haha

But then! I realized I actually do have photos with a lot of people on staff due to my boss’ maternity leave project. I used to send her a sad photo everyday so she’d know how much we missed her. And I still have all of those.

And they’re actually all very apt now that we lost our jobs – which is a bummer!

Also, someone was going around taking photos on the last day, and I can’t wait to see them all!

There are plenty of pictures… Everything is fine.

“But Aurora, That’s How TV Works”

August 31, 2016

I know!

…I know that when I so publicly cry out my sadness about losing my job that I am inviting people to say things to me. I get that.

I also understand that when people say things along the lines of, “Stuff gets cancelled all the time. That’s TV,” that I really believe they are coming from the best place and trying to be so super helpful. And I love you all for that.

So, I hope I don’t come off as super annoyed or anything…

But.

I am well aware that that’s how TV works. Yes, I’ve worked on tons of shows and bounced around a ton. Totally. I know it’s part of the game.

However…

I had finally made it to a Jon Stewart late night comedy show – a total dream.

The Daily Show has been on for something like 20 years and counting. Colbert was on for something like 9 before he chose to leave (and took a bunch of his staff with him!).

We are in. an. election. year.

I was so sure – so very sure – I had my job through November, if not longer. I was SO excited to help cover the election.

It was the greatest job I’ve ever had on a million levels, and in every way. I realize there’s more great stuff out there, and I’m excited to see what’s next.

But I just want to be granted a bit of grieving time, if that’s okay?

Does this post make sense? 😛

xoxoxoxo

We Were Already Supposed To Be On Vacation…

August 30, 2016

This is probably not even worth a full post. But this is something random that it seems not everybody knows that I just thought should be mentioned.

We already had a scheduled two weeks off. Our final show was supposed to be our final show – before a two-week break.

So, a bunch of people already had vacation plans.

In fact, a bunch of us had vacation plans that we ended up needing to change.

For instance, a producer I worked closely with had gotten permission to leave on Thursday instead of Friday. Of course, once she learned Thursday was everyone’s very last day, she had to change her expensive (international) flight, because who would want to miss her last day at The Nightly Show?

I had a much easier experience. I was supposed to fly to Ohio Friday morning. But I had to now work Friday, because I now had to wrap everything up. There were things due to the network from Thursday’s show (if not previous ones), and there was personal stuff I wanted to export. (I kinda talked about that in a different post.) So, I cancelled my flight. (I gotta try to make sure I use that Southwest money ’cause it expires soon!)

Anyway, I cancelled my flight, stayed all day Friday and tried to wrap things out. Then I ended up taking a bus to Ohio Saturday morning.

Now, obviously, these are some of the most first-world problems ever. I mean, boo hoo. I had to change my travel plans for my 5th(!) (and 6th!) weeks of vacation this year – wwwwaaaaaa.

But that’s not the reason I bring it up. I bring it up because it feels weird to lose your job, and immediately go on vacation… I mean, not super super weird because in the past, in LA, when a job would come to an end, I’d go on vacation sometimes. (Heck, there were about 2 months that I traveled around for my 52 half marathons.)

But the endings of those jobs were always planned (and sometimes the vacations weren’t haha!). So, to switch those – to have a planned vacation and an unplanned job loss… People were confused as to what to do.

I mean, I guess not confused… But people (outside of the show) kept asking what I was gonna do. And it’s like, “I dunno. I guess leave, as I always thought I was gonna do. And then come back.”

It’s counter-intuitive because the thing that potentially would’ve made sense would’ve been to stay in New York and take interviews. But you make plans, you buy plane tickets. (You AirBnB out your place.) So, I left.

(One person, for example, was going on her honeymoon! I’m sure she’s having an amazing time ’cause she has the most positive spirit in the universe… But imagine losing your total dream job and then going on a two-week celebration. It seems weird to me.)

So, I dunno, there your have it. Our weird happy/sad/weird vacations.

Still more Nightly Show wrap up coming at you tomorrow!

That Nightly Show Loss Hit Me Harder Than I Was Expecting…

August 29, 2016

Aurora's sad selfie in her Nightly Show gearNote: Before I even get into this, can I just say… I know that everything seems like life or death to me when I write about it, because I care about stuff oh so much…

However, with this, it seems like people are actually legitimately worried about me. So, let me state unequivocally that I am fine. I am functioning. I am applying for job… I cried about Nightly Show a couple of times (as almost everyone on staff did). But this is not a traumatic incident. I am sad. I am about to express that – and that’s all. Now…

When I first got the news that The Nightly Show was ending, my initial reaction was to immediately text everyone I knew in the industry. “I need a job.”

That’s what happens when you lose a job in TV. You *immediately* look for the next one, ’cause that’s how TV works… It’s just part of it. No big deal. I didn’t take this as the heartbreaking blow it was at first…

I didn’t cry (immediately… I did pretty shortly after haha). I went into “work mode” (“gotta find another job, gotta find another job”)

And then I spent the rest of that week enjoying every moment I had with the people in that building… So many memories…

And now… Now it’s really hitting me. I didn’t just lose a job. I lost a family… I lost a dream… I had my freaking dream – making the kind of TV I wanted to make in the place I wanted to be with the people I wanted to be with… I literally felt I was living in a dream…

And now… Now, I’m sitting at home in LA, surrounded by pizza boxes, listening to Sam Smith on repeat.

I am totally heartbroken… I know I will get over it. But I was in loooove with my job – so head over heels in love. And I was already supposed to have this week off… But I don’t get to go back on Tuesday… I don’t get to go back…

Sigh.

I have always felt more emotional in movies and plays and everything when a dream or a job is lost rather than someone’s breakup… I SOBBED, and I mean freaking uncontrollably sobbed my freaking eyes out at Little Miss Sunshine. I won’t spoil it for you, but my goodness…

So, this is my true heartbreak. Losing my little Jon Stewart dream is slightly devastating (in the take 2 weeks to relax and get over it – you will be fine – but my goodness, go ahead and cry a lot) kinda way.

The end.

It Was SO Nice To Be Able To Say, “I’m An Editor On The Nightly Show”

August 28, 2016

Auroras First Editor Credit
(That’s my name there, in the credits!)

I mean, obviously no one can take that credit away from me. That doesn’t just disappear.

But it was so nice while I was working on a semi-high-profile show, at a pretty high-profile level to be able to say the sentence, “I’m editor on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” when people asked what I did for a living.

There was this kind of built-in level of respect… Industry people who may necessarily give me the time of day otherwise would be more likely to because, “Oh, she’s legitimate.”

Even just, forget the industry! No matter where I went, people would think I was a legitimate TV person… At the mentorship program I participate in (where we mentor high school students)… Even at bars, or anywhere. It doesn’t matter.

I had a legitimate job, and that felt amazing.

And I totally understand that people should judge others based on what they do for a living. That doesn’t necessarily speak to their character. But I also understand that I live in a world where opportunities became more readily available to me once I was editing on a Jon Stewart produced show on Comedy Central.

Also, as has been mentioned a few times (and will be mentioned again a few times in the upcoming weeks, I’m sure…) this year was a pretty tough year for me in a few ways…

But whenever things were tough, I always had this one beautiful, spectacular thing to hold onto… That I was an editor on The Nightly Show. It gave me a sense of power as I walked down the street.

“Okay, I may be struggling with this or that. I may have cried this morning. But as I walk outside now, I get to hold my head high because I am a girl (in her 20s, even! – age doesn’t really matter, but that impresses people nonetheless) editing on The freaking Nightly Show. I’m doing my life pretty correctly. It is going pretty darn well…

And it’s a bummer that that’s gone – a bummer I will expand upon in a post coming up soon wondering, “What the heck happened this year?!”

It’s Really Starting To Sink In… We Don’t Have Jobs Anymore

August 27, 2016

Remember that time I had the most beautiful job of my life? (last week)

This week, I had to buy my own tampons! (Actually, my dad happened to pay for my tampons since I went grocery shopping in Ohio together… But still… I had to buy tampons!)

And I’ve had to buy food.

I was so unbelievably spoiled. So many free tampons. SO much free food.

Heck, someone used to walk into my office (my beautiful office!) around 4:30 every night and ask me what I wanted for dinner. How will I ever learn how to order my own smoothie? 😉

I know. I know. It sounds like I’m so spoiled. (Because I WAS!)

Not only am I gonna miss the lovely perks… I’m gonna miss those freaking lovely sweethearts I worked with day in and day out. Those people were the best.

And the money. The whole being able to live comfortable in New York thing… Really gonna miss that. Really, really, really gonna miss that.

And the whole insanely reasonable hours thing – like more than reasonable, in fact. Just spectacular. On Fridays, I got to come in whenever I wanted as long as my work got done. My hours were stable and I could have the best job in the world that was exceptionally fulfilling, and an incredibly full beautiful life outside of it as well with my wonderful, amazing hours.

And now I’m applying to a bunch of jobs… And that’s hard. It’s hard remember what it’s like to apply, apply, apply for gigs that last a few months at a time, that don’t give me such incredible freedom with my time. (Not that they need to, but goodness, it was nice!)

It’s not like I haven’t done the hustle before… I have plenty of times… I just – I thought this would be my job for the next 3 – 5 years, if not longer… And it’s just crummy that it’s not. And I realize that a little more with every moment of every day…

*Sigh* Also, buckle up. Because this is probably what we’re gonna be talking about the majority of this week. I’m fine. Everything’s fine. I know I’m gonna get more jobs. But I have a feeling this week’s gonna be about grieving. (Yay, grieving!)

Did I – Me – Really… Meeeee… I Got To Work In The Jon Stewart Family? (ME?!)

August 26, 2016

Jon Stewart selfie with Aurora De LuciaIt doesn’t totally seem real that I get to blog about all this…

It is so weird that this was my life.

I dreamed for so long about working in the Jon Stewart family… It always seemed like a small bit of a pipe dream.

I mean, I believe 100% that big dreams are achievable and you can do things you set your mind to. So, it’s not like I thought it couldn’t or wouldn’t happen…

I obviously thought it could, or else I wouldn’t have applied, and kept reaching out, and come into interview and all of that jazz…

But it actually happened.

It actually in real life really happened. Not only did I get to have a job there – I got to have an exceptional, incredible job there.

I got to be an editor and have my own office and get on the Emmy ballot and all that jazz. It was incredible. Everything about it was just… beyond words. I mean, how many times can I say incredible?

So, when I write these posts about Jon Stewart being the greatest human, or Larry telling me how awesome it was to have me around the office, or running on the floor after the final taping… all of that… it seems like stuff I’d love to read, hardly being able to fathom someone’s gorgeous, brilliant, beautiful life…

But this isn’t just something I get to read. This is something I get to live. And it’s just weird and surreal and amazing and beautiful that it happened to me.

I Always Feel Like… Somebody’s Watching Us?! (Nightly Show Closing Party)

August 25, 2016

Our cast/crew closing party made the tabloids! (What?!)

I don’t actually have much to comment on this one… It’s just weird… to work for a real show that people are really interested in – so much so that it’s being covered in the tabloids.

It’s also weird to hear about my own night that I was a part of from a third party… I mean, I did notice the place seemed to be shutting down-ish. But I didn’t realize they were already supposed to be closed.

Can you blame us for not wanting to leave? I didn’t ever wanna leave. (Sigh again. Best job I’ve ever had – as if we could even call it a job…)

 

 

Oh The Sweetness (About Nightly Show Being Over)!

August 24, 2016

Picking up from yesterday –

As I said, I sent those exports out to the staff. And I got a whole bunch of emails back about how much that meant to people and how they loved having them. And it warmed my little heart.

(And made me miss everyone already – even though we weren’t even scheduled to work again until after Labor Day!)

Between the sweet email responses and the monologues we were all giving each other at the party, I feel like I have never received so many compliments.

Not to mention just the staff and crew, but strangers on twitter were saying the absolute nicest things! We were hearing how the show affected people and gave a voice to people who felt they were voiceless…

When I started this post, I thought I had a complete idea – what I wanted to say with an idea and everything… But I might not, ’cause I don’t remember what the point or end to this was. (Whoops!)

The point is, there was sweetness. It was beautiful. And it makes it all the much harder to leave these people/this job… Siiiigh

(But at least we’ll always have precious, sweet, loving emails!)

My Last Day In The Nightly Show Office

August 23, 2016

Aurora giving a sad face in her office
(Giving a sad face in my Nightly Show gear at my Nightly Show desk)

While I was sad on the last taping day, I was happy in knowing I got to come in the last day…

I forgot to mention this in my post about our last taping day. But I thought I’d be pretty okay… And then I literally cried as I walked out my door to go to work.

I remembered when I left my apartment on my first day as an editor – when I turned on my music and got amped up – ready to go.

And when I turned on my music to get amped up for this special day, that editor day just flashbacked to me so hard.

It seemed like yesterday!

And becoming an editor was one of the best things that ever happened to me… So, to know that was the last day was so sad…

So, on Friday, I didn’t amp up. I just quietly went to work. I was one of the first people there (’cause I had a lot to do).

I’d already cleaned out my office. I put up the last video on Facebook (from the previous night’s show), and delivered some paperwork to the network.

In the middle of the day, as things were exporting, I went down to the storage room and stocked up on just a wee lil more swag.

Then, I did some exports for the crew. I figured since they were things I want, other people might want them too.

I sent out Jon Stewart’s speech to all of us during rehearsal, and a bit he did. And after the taping, everybody hugged each other on stage. And I sent all the camera angles of that so everybody could find their hugs. (There were some really cute ones in there.)

I saved a bunch of episodes on my computer for my own reel. Basically, it was my last day to get anything for myself and others, and to turn anything else in to Viacom. It was busy, and thankfully I got everything done that I needed – just barely.

As I left 15 minutes late, one of the lovely security guards lovingly joked, “It wouldn’t be the last day if Aurora wasn’t working late!” – which was so true.

For my first months there, I was just always there and the last one out so often. So, it all really came full circle.

I even got to finally give that security guard a hug (since usually that’s against protocol – but I don’t work there anymore!).

And then I left. I walked down those steps one last time, looked up at the awning, and went home and cried.

I know I mention crying a lot. (We all cried a lot. This wasn’t just me being emotional…) But you know, it was all sad. And great. And weird. And bittersweet. It was just a lot. I dunno… Sigh.

My Final Taping Of The Nightly Show

August 22, 2016

Aurora and crowd from Franchesca's snapchatMy heart is breaking even writing about it.

So, after rehearsal, rewrite happened (as per usual). Also, free margaritas in the alleyway happened (not usual).

There were no changes in my rolls, so I didn’t really have to do anything during rewrite.

Before you knew it, the show started.

I thought I was gonna be a wreck from moment one, but I was surprisingly calm(ish).

But once act 4 started, when Larry was doing his speech about the map being upside down, I cried – totally sobbed standing up (leaning over) in my bay.

Then, at the end of act 4, I saw the contributors run onstage… And then the staff ran on. I didn’t think I was gonna make it down. But I ran down to the studio anyway. I was a little late, of course. But I ran onstage too. It was magical to get to go town there.

I took a little video of the audience and everyone hugging around me. (Even though they cut the take, the cameras rolled to catch us all hugging and I feel silly taping stuff instead of hugging people… But other people were doing it too.)

I just wanted to take in and remember that moment.

Then I put down my phone and looked around with just my eyes, seeing this whole audience there for us for the last time as Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds (“’cause every little thing is gonna be all right”) played in the background. I wanted to live in that moment forever.

I started crying (of course) and I went around hugging people on set (and then backstage once we were all shooed off the set).

Then I went upstairs ’cause I actually had to do some work. And then I came back downstairs to grab my guests who’d come to the taping. (Naturally, they were people I met through twitter – who else would they be?)

I had exports going as I showed them around the building. They left. We all continued to do a little hugging. And people were taking things home from their offices.

And then we all met up at the final party – where there was mainly laughter and only slight bits of crying.

When The Nightly Show came on the televisions, people cheered so loudly.

It was a beautiful night – people walking around giving gorgeous monologues about what it was like to work together.

I left when the party started to seem like it was really dying down. I took one last look around as I walked out the door. And of course I cried a little on the way home – looking around at New York as I passed through it – thinking of all my memories of moving to the city, and the show, and all that jazz.

And I had one more day of work, which I will talk about tomorrow.

My Final Meeting With Larry

August 21, 2016

Aurora and Larry on 70s day
A throwback to ’70s day at work

While we’re talking about my talks with our famous senior staff on my last day of work…

Earlier in the day, when not a ton was going on, Larry had left his door wide open and sat at the big table in there, facing the door, ready to talk to people in and out (without us having to go through his assistant, as we would on a normal day – not ’cause he’s untouchable at all, but because he’s busy).

Anyway…

When it was my turn (I was walking to my office, but he was free, and called me in there as I passed by), I went in there and said I wasn’t sure if he’d gotten my card from Nicole (his assistant) yet. He hadn’t. But either way, I just wanted to reiterate that it was truly the best job I’ve ever worked.

I’d met Larry a few times before this – at the Christmas party, on ’70s day, and he came into my bay sometimes to watch down cuts. So, he knew my name and everything. But we weren’t like super pals – not non-pals or anything, I just hadn’t spent a ton of time with him.

When I told him thanks for everything, he thanked me for everything!

He told me that it was wonderful having me around the building, and that he loved the bright & energetic spirit I brought to the building.

Then he laughed as he reminisced how into ’70s day I was. (What can I say? I love costumes!)

So we had a nice little laugh, a nice moment, and someone I was always slightly intimidated by (not because he’s intimidating in the least – in fact, he’s quite nice, but you know, he is the host/EP/and all that jazz)… anyway, someone I was kind of intimidated by gave me beautiful compliments.

Also, I asked if he was gonna go back to LA. And he said no – that he’d split his time there still, but that New York wasn’t gonna kick a brother out so easily, so fast. And I felt so inspired. I was all, “Yeah! I feel the same!”

Then we talked about LA a little. And then, alas, it was time to do other stuff…

Now, getting back to the rest of the day… this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow.

MY AWESOME JON STEWART STORY – Part 2 (But Like, We’re Kind Of Best Friends)

August 20, 2016

Jon Stewart and his best friend AuroraJon was such a delight – walking around, and giving hugs, remembering people’s names. Just so lovely.

So, we’re in a late rehearsal. And I know the day is gonna be busy.

I thought maybe I’d try to hand him his card after the full staff picture. But figuring I didn’t have any time to lose, as he might get whisked away by a million other people then, I left rehearsal between acts 1 and 2, sprinted upstairs, grabbed my card and came back down.

At that point, I could still get in the back/side stage area that we see whenever we go in the studio, but with cameras and everything now in place for act 2, I couldn’t really go to the seating area – which is actually fantastic, because now I’ve just accidentally trapped myself side-stage with Jon Stewart.

He’s talking to the contributors who are about to go out. Once they all leave, he’s standing there alone. And they’re just showing a clip package in the studio, so I’m not interrupting much to talk to him.

I walk up to him and tell him I’ve written cards for everyone on staff, and here’s his.

He makes this fantastic big facial expression. “I get a card?!” he says enthusiastically. “I didn’t do anything though,” he adds.

“Well, you helped make the show possible!” I tell him.

Then he tells me he’ll humbly accept the card.

And this is the best part!

I tell him, “I say this in the card, but I also want to tell you, I’ve said to many people now, ‘Jon Stewart changed my life,’ and I’m so happy I finally get to say those words to you. So many of my dreams came true here, because of this show, and in large part because of you. You have changed my whole life.”

He told me that was very sweet. “Thank you, Aurora. But no. You changed your own life. You earned your spot here.”

He then went on and told me, “Every person in this building is some of the best at what they do, and that includes you. Your tenacity. Your creativity. Your talent. Your personality. You worked exceptionally hard to get here. You earned your spot here. You got yourself here. It was you. It wasn’t me.”

And I almost cried because it was the most beautiful mini-speech I’ve ever heard.

Then I asked for a picture and we looked around. Everyone was a little busy, so he suggested we selfie it. He thankfully took  beautiful angle so my face didn’t look humongous – because he seems to be one of the sweetest people on the planet.

One of the absolute top days of my life. Best mini-speech ever. Coolest moment. *Contented Sigh*

MY AWESOME JON STEWART STORY – Part 1 (Spoiler: He Shows Up to Our Rehearsal)

August 19, 2016

My letter to Jon Stewart
(My thank you card to Jon Stewart)

My head is exploding. It happened on Thursday, and even still, I still don’t know what to say.

Jon Stewart is my new best friend. (That sentence isn’t really true, but the rest of this post is.)

So, I go down to rehearsal. (After all, that is where we left off yesterday).

Jon is supposed to get there at 5:15. I consider bringing his thank you card down to rehearsal. “You never know. He might be way super early.” Then I was doing some running around the building for various stuff, and trying to get something finished before I ran down. So, I just thought, “Forget the card! Get down there! You don’t want to miss a second of rehearsal! And he won’t be here yet.”

In the script, it says that Jon will come out and the audience will go wild.

This is hilarious to me, because we’re just stating that they are going to go wild – ’cause we good and well know they are. (It’s Jon ‘America’s-sweetheart’ Stewart.)

In the rehearsal, our head writer, Michael, is playing Jon.

I almost never have my phone camera going when rehearsal’s happening because I don’t need to. Sometimes cool, interesting, funny (and of course, never-makes-it-to-air) stuff happens. But what am I gonna do with all that video? I want to just sit and enjoy it, so I do…

Except today.

I honestly do not think Jon Stewart is coming. (No one does.) But one of the crew members informed our EP before rehearsal that they’d set up the dropbox above Larry to have tampons in it and some other old stuff, and they wondered if he wanted them to drop the box for the fun of it.

“Sure, after Michael comes out as Jon, go ahead and drop it. Why not?” he replies.

So, I grab my phone to try to get a fun last day video of Larry being kinda pranked.

And sure enough… Michael comes out as John… but then(!), he gets this look in his eye as it catches something (or someone?) behind a wall. And Jon Stewart himself surprises all of us!

WHAT?!

And of course(!) we go insane (just like it says in the script).

He came in, said hey to Larry, and the first thing he said when he addressed us as a group was, “I hope you guys know, you did a hell of a f*cking show.”

Anyway, he did the bit with Larry and then he gave us a beautiful speech about how wonderful we all were. (Thankfully, I have the whole thing on video! I’m so glad I happened to be recording when he came out!)

And then… This is where I’ll pick up next time.

My Final Morning At The Nightly Show

August 18, 2016

Aurora modeling on the set of The Nightly Show on the last dayThe perfect day.

The day started with a gorgeous staff meeting. Our EP gave us a beautiful speech about how we shouldn’t consider ourselves failures at all… It was kind of along the lines of what aired. He basically felt the same way about Jon Stewart – that cancellation is not failure.

I totally teared up. (But who didn’t?!)

Then people even started making jokes about how when we get to the wrap party, we should try not to cry the whole time… You know, “change it up a little” is what people said… Try to get some laughter in there too. (Which, spoiler alert: we did.)

I didn’t have that much work to do on the final day. (I mean, I did work Friday. So, I suppose I could’ve tried to get that work done early. But that’s not important here… I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to have one last day of talking to people around the building and taking all my last pictures and any last video tours to try to remember the place.

Aurora on a hoverboard on her last dayI even finally rode one of those hoverboards Rory and Ricky are always riding. It’s a little harder than I thought, but I didn’t fall! (Yay!)

Usually, the set is covered during the day. But on this day, it was uncovered… I don’t actually know why, but part of me guesses it was perhaps a nice little kind bonus since the crew maybe figured we’d all want our final pictures on the set. Who knows?

Aaaaanyway, people were milling about the studio during lunch. We soooo don’t usually just walk around set. (They work hard to keep it clean and working and all that jazz.) But today was a bit of a fun free-for-all.

After all the hoverboard riding, hugging, and picture taking, I went upstairs and actually kind of did my job for a little bit. I did the Ellen roll, and the Rick and Mike bumpers (in case you were wondering).

Then, I did a little actual more work. (See, it’s not like I didn’t do aaaany work. I did some stuff so I wouldn’t have to do it Friday.)

And then, alas, it was time for rehearsal.

And this is where I’ll pick up next time.

It’s Coming To A Close…

August 17, 2016

Control room wall
(I don’t know if you can see, but my name is under one of the monitors – they have our names up under the monitors of our Avids!)

[Note: This is a post that was meant for Wednesday… but I was busy doing my job haha. Sorry!]

It’s all so surreal.

I’ve been taking stuff home every night. My office is slowly but surely getting more and more empty – which is weird.

My office feels more like my home than my apartment.

People don’t know what to do with themselves when they walk in and my huge Price is Right poster is not up.

…And I don’t know what to do with myself either!

It’s sad. It’s really sad. But doing it a little at a time is somehow, I think, making it less sad for me… (Of course, I don’t know how sad it would be otherwise. But the point is, this feels good… Well, as good as I can reasonably feel in this week.)

I passed out my thank you cards today. And there was a big sense of finality in that. I thought Wednesday would be better than Thursday because I had no idea if the very last day would be insane or chill or what. Also, it takes a long time to pass out thank you cards. So in case I couldn’t make it to the whole staff and crew in one day, I figured I should do it on Wednesday.

I thought I was just going to be dropping people’s cards at their desks. But no. Oftentimes we’d stop and chat and reminisce. It was lovely… and again, kind of surreal.

It also was hard to catch everybody (though I had a pretty good idea of when each department had the most downtime) and still get my own work done and all that jazz. (Although thankfully, my job is one of the jobs that got easier this week. Some got much harder. Some got easier. Mine was one of those.)

We also all hung out as a staff/crew together even more often than normal this week. Everyone keeps staying in the building basically until it closes. A bunch of us had the most fun at this 4th floor party last night where the EP kindly opened his office to anyone who wanted to join and talked all about his 20 months on the show.

Tonight was the one night people finally went home to rest (for the most part). We have a huge show and party tomorrow – plus, so many people have to pack! We were supposed to have a two week hiatus coming up. (Little did we know that hiatus was gonna be indefinite.) But a bunch of people (including me) had made plans and had plane tickets and all that jazz. People have to pack sometime!

I have moved stuff by a day and will pack Friday. And tonight, I stayed to get a little extra work done. (‘Cause tomorrow, I just wanna hang out. Let’s get real. ;))

It’s Weird To Have Your Job Loss Be National News

August 16, 2016

Almost as soon as the news broke, I started getting messages from people.

Someone in New York merely sent me a heart and I asked why I got a heart, asking if he saw me outside crying – haha! But alas, no. He’d read in the trades somewhere that the show was no more.

I had only just found out myself minutes before. I hadn’t even had a chance to check twitter yet before I started getting messages! (So, it must’ve been pretty fast.)

It’s nice to be able to tell I really was working on a show people were at least somewhat paying attention to – that I was indeed part of a national conversation.

I’ve had jobs start and end many times, but have never really experienced this news getting around thing like this.

(I mean, there was some news with the Shahs of Sunset picket line and pushback and all of that. But why are we even talking about some reality show here? Let’s not. Moving on…)

Anyway, everyone was messaging me – from people I haven’t talked to in a long time, to close friends.

[Edited to add: It almost became as though I didn’t think I had to tell anyone, because so many people were texting/tweeting/etc. I assumed news had gotten around. So, when I’d make a comment to a friend about being unemployed, or having a rough week, and they’d be surprised, I’d think, “Oh right. I can’t expect all of my friends to hear about my life just from the news!” …People were literally still calling me on Friday after the final taping saying, “I just heard!” It was really quite sweet, and it’s been interesting, and really quite lovely, to get messages all week.]

Anyway…

Another thing that’s been super nice is that for the most part, I’ve never interacted with any fans of other shows I worked on. But on this one, I started seeing so many people on twitter truly incredibly bummed that we were leaving. And that totally warmed my heart.

Of course there were some haters. (And I engaged sometimes, even though I know that’s not smart…) But overall, there was all this love and affection. And there were so many kind comments – over and over people saying they felt they had a voice, or thanking us for bringing up important conversations. There were people who said they laughed and learned – laughed and learned! That is *literally* what I said I wanted to do, when I was talking about the great, wonderful, perfect television I wanted to make.

I am the luckiest for having gotten to work here.

This Was The Best Job I’ve Ever Had

August 15, 2016

Aurora at The Nightly ShowAs you probably heard, The Nightly Show was officially cancelled today. This will be our last week of shows.

I know that it is so cliché to talk about how it’s better to have had something and lost it than to never have had anything at all…

But I feel that way.

This was truly amazing – just everything about it.

I talked about how I always felt like I was living in a dream, and I meant that.

I’ve already talked at length about my time on The Nightly Show:

My First Day There

Becoming BFFs With The Daily Show My First Week In Town

The Christmas Party

Editing My First Episode

My Promotion

My Boss Being The Best Ever In The Universe

’70s Day

Really Being a Part Of It

Daily Show vs. Nightly Show Soccer Game

Still Living In A Dream

And those are just some of my posts about it…

One thing I looooove is that… no matter what happens or what I work on, for the rest of my life… my first job as an editor will always be on a Jon Stewart-produced show that made people laugh while starting important conversations.

(In fact, I also talked about how Jon Stewart changed my life.)

For yeeeeeears, I applied to work under the Busboy Productions umbrella. And not only did I finally get to do it, but I got my first job as an editor here.

Yes, there were tears shed today. It’s been an interesting day in the building. Some crying… mainly laughter.

I have had many, many jobs. But this is the first one that really felt like more than a job – this was a lifestyle. This was a family. This was magic.

And I count myself as one of the luckiest people in the world to have been able to experience it.

I look forward to loving our final shows!

The San Francisco Marathon – Part 2

August 1, 2016

Picking up from yesterday –

I whip out a map on my phone to try to stay on course. We do our best – all of us various groups of runners. There are so many right turns! We just keep going farther and farther out. (I never realized how seemingly-late that cool garage comes in this race… Granted, the first two times I saw it, I was only doing the second half. So, of course it felt like it came much sooner, because it did.)

This year, I didn’t see the cupcake people I’d seen in a past year… Maybe they weren’t there, or maybe I was just that far behind!

So, me and these other runners run and run. Thankfully a water stop is still open and the person tells us we’re doing fine and to run straight down from there until we reach the water, then go left to the finish.

And we do just that.

We do kind of reunite with runners, but we’re also reuniting with this huge crowd headed to a baseball game at the stadium. Who even knows who’s who anymore.

Toward the end, I see a sign – not like a sign somebody made, but one of those big lit-up highway signs that you’d think would be there to say something important that said, “Hella yoga butt” instead. And I thought that was hilarious.

Finally, I get to the actual end. They had taken the big finish line down, but thankfully – oh goodness thankfully – moved the timing mat to the sidewalk, those sweet angels.

So, ultimately, I don’t feel great about this race. I know we kept following a map and kept seeing landmarks and water stops and vehicles, but I do not feel 100% confident (or even 50% confident for that matter) that I ran the course actually exactly as it was supposed to be run.

Every year, I do a marathon. That’s a promise I made to myself. This was not my “marathon of the year.” So, thankfully there wasn’t anything “technically” on the line with this one – even though, obviously, I never want to screw up a marathon. (But it could be worse, I suppose, is the point.)

Anyway, I don’t know what to do with my medal – since I most definitely did the “spirit” of a marathon, and my phone says I logged over 26.2 miles… It’s like maybe I could display it. dunno. I’m iffy about it all…

But either way, I had a nice time. And I saw my great friends who live out there and we had pancakes. And all was well in the world. And you can bet I will be back next year with a vengeance!

The San Francisco Marathon – Part 1

July 31, 2016

Aurora standing with her bib in front of a sign at the San Francisco Marathon expoI always love the San Francisco Marathon. I think it’s one of the best-run events in the country, and I come back year after year. So, it was great to be here.

However, goodness was this race a mess for me.

I knew I’d be really slow this year. I hadn’t trained like I wanted. Etc. Etc. Let’s not get mired in excuses. The point is, I knew this would be a tough run…

And it was.

I tried to keep a good-ish eye on how I was doing with the time limit. I did a mix of jogging and walking.

Once I made it to the Golden Gate Bridge, I jogged that whole part, because the bridge is breathtaking and powerful. (Also, it’s crowded. So I get a little nervous about walking any part of it, as I don’t want to be in anyone’s way.)

And once I made it to the other side, I decided to stop to use the restroom.

I really had to pee, and I thought I could hold it, but I knew if I didn’t stop then, it’d probably be a while before the next restroom… I almost never use the bathrooms during races. And I really think I could’ve made it just fine without doing it! But I was lured into the working bathrooms they had by the visitor center. And with the long line of women (that I kind of underestimated time-wise), I think I lost at least over 15 minutes in there.

And 15 minutes isn’t the end of the world, but I wish I would’ve saved them…

I jogged back across the bridge and then got into Golden Gate Park.

Once I make it past the halfway point, I’m feeling pretty good.

I still haven’t seen a sag wagon, or balloon girl, or whatever/whomever is bringing up the rear in this race. So, I’m cool, right?

Nope.

Because I make it out of Golden Gate Park and all of a sudden me and all of the other runners are running onto San Francisco streets re-opening up to the public.

Uh oh.

I was fully prepared to try to pick up the pace if someone came behind me and told me I had to…

I was not prepared for coming out of the park in panic and having no idea how far behind I was from the end. (Gulp!)

For the rest of the race, it was just running with groups of other runners trying desperately to find our way back. I knew I was on track when I saw a timing mat being taken up – but also, darn! That means my chip isn’t getting a time here.

“Oh crap, does that mean I’m gonna miss the finish mat too,” I wonder.

Aye aye aye aye aye.

And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow!

I Got To Go To The DNC Afterparty!?

July 29, 2016

Last night, Hillary Clinton made history and accepted her nomination for becoming the democratic candidate for President of the United States.

I have been waiting for this moment for so long. (Granted, not as long as her, of course.) But my goodness, I have been dreaming of this for years.

The Daily Show is live from Philadelphia this week, but alas, we’re still taping out of New York. Thankfully, Thursday was a good show with a quick edit and I got out early. I thought, “Philly’s only 2 hours away! I need to be in the city where it’s going down. I want to feel that energy!”

So, I got on the bus down there. On the way, I watched the live feed of the National Democratic Convention. Once I got there, Hillary’s speech was happening. So, I jumped in a cab and asked the person to please take me to the Wells Fargo Center!

I didn’t know how close I could get, or what would happen. But I just wanted to try to be around there.

The perimeter of the place was HUGE. We couldn’t get anywhere close to the place. So, I tweeted how far away I was and asked if anyone had any parties to go to.

Lo and behold, someone tweeted me! They asked if I wanted a ticket to the DNC afterparty to see Snoop Dogg. Of course I said yes! (I think I actually said something more along the lines of “is this real?”)

It was real.

I met up with him and grabbed the ticket, then off I went! I mingled with some cool journalists, then stood in the front row for a Snoop Dog concert!

He was great. He did his hits and he did some throwback songs from Biggie and Tupac. He dedicated “Stand By Me” to the former First Lady whom we wanted to be the Boss Lady.

It was lovely. I had an amazing time.

I stayed ’til the place was shutting down. I kind of wanted to stay even later and go get cheesesteaks with people. But alas, there was a bus leaving at 3:50am. And I had to work the next day (and run a marathon on Sunday). I felt I had a lovely, wonderful, full, fantastic night. So I left.

Even the bus back was fun. I sat across the aisle from someone who’d been to the convention!

The energy was great. I twas a truly magical night… Now I just gotta figure out how to make something happen around her inauguration. 😉

Legoland VIP Experience!!! (Part 4 – A Factory Tour?!)

July 27, 2016

Aurora looking back at legos coming out of machineWell, this is the piece de resistance.

There’s a Factory Tour in the park that’s open to everyone… And then there is the special VIP factory tour where you get to go behind-the-scenes to another side of the factory.

First, I got to go to Renate’s secret office. (It’s not really secret so much, as it is just not open to the public.)

She gave me a Happy Birthday button! (Part of the reason I took this humongous, extravagant trip in June is as a big birthday celebration (which was just an excuse , since my birthday’s in June).

She has pictures up everywhere of multiple people who’ve visited her throughout the years. She also has special Lego figurines and such that people have sent her after becoming her friend during the tour.

She starts by letting me feel the original pure Lego material – what will eventually become Legos. Did you imagine that maybe it was a putty of some kind? I did. And I was wrong. It’s a bunch of tiny pellets! But they are really cool and soft in their own kind of weird hard way. (I know it doesn’t make sense. You gotta go play with them. They are rad.

(Actually, Renate let me take a glove-full home. So, you can come over and play with them if you can’t get to Legoland.)

So, she told me a bit about Legos and the history and her friends. And then we got to go to the Factory place. Oooooh! 🙂

She was able to stop certain parts of the machine and slow things down so that I could see how Legos are made (with wildly different temperatures in different compartments on the same machine!).

She sweetly, calmly explained all the little details as I kept trying to figure out various things I saw go by.

Then she even let me take some fresh Lego pieces!

As we stopped back through her office, she gave me all kinds of little goodies! And then, on your way out, you get your name engraved in a Lego! (What?!)

It was preeeetty dope.

10/10 Would hiiiighly recommend! 🙂

Legoland VIP Experience!!! (Part 3 – A Building Class!)

July 26, 2016

Aurora building her Lego personYou can build yourself as a Lego person!

So, I did(!).

First, you get to take a little tour through the office of the builders. They have big projects they’re working on, and I got to see their workstations – and the special computer program they use to plan pieces for Legoland.

Also, the whole place is so beautifully organized.

There are shelves and shelves of pieces organized by colors and types.

And then, I got to work with the person who, I think, is going to become the first female Master Builder at Legoland LA – which is so exciting.

She taught me how to do a minilander from the ground up. There were so many options! Not only could you wear a dress, you could position the parts so that it looked like there was movement and you were walking in your dress.

You can mix and match colors. I loved that Legos could even look like long curly pigtails.

I spent kinda of a long time there, but when I asked if I was spending an inordinate amount of time, she reassured me that everyone is different and some people totally take a long time. (After all, you’ve gotta get your mini-lander right!)

Aurora and her builder mentor(Side note: During this time, Mackenzie (my guide) took all my goodies from my time at the factory (which I can’t wait to tell you about tomorrow) and put them in a safe storage place.

How wonderful and sweet and convenient is it to have such a guide who thinks ahead and is so helpful? It was awesome to get souvenirs throughout the day, and have them magically disappear and reappear at the end of the day!)

As you work on your little minilander, you’re in kind of a fishbowl, so people walk by and look in at you. It’s fun to wave, but then it makes me feel slightly weird when the people look a little bummed like, “How do I get in there?!” But hopefully no one was actually bummed. And maybe they all went and got VIP experiences – so they’re happy, Legoland’s happy, and so am I.

It was a super fun day (and I still have my little minilander)!

And tomorrow, I’ll talk all about the factory tour! (Eeeeeeee!)

Legoland VIP Experience!!! (Part 2 – Wake Up The Fish & Reptile Fun)

July 25, 2016

legos in the aquarium tankDid you know Legoland has a Sea Life Aquarium?

I don’t know how or why it was decided that a theme park and an aquarium go together, but it was…. And it was awesome.

There are legos in the displays. (They look beautiful, and they use special glue, so they stay part of the exhibits and don’t end up breaking off and hurting any animals.)

When you choose the “Wake Up The Fish” experience as one of your special choices, you get to go in the aquarium an hour before it even opens, and see it all by yourself.

The aquarium is nice because it’s educational. There are facts all around – not just about the animals, but also on how to do environmentally friendly stuff.

It’s a beautiful (not huge) aquarium. So, it’s easy to make it through in the hour (or maybe even less, depending on how much you like to stop and look).

Aurora petting a reptileAfter the tour around the aquarium, I got to hang in the reptile room (another available choice of the cool options)!

You get to learn about and pet some reptiles (and even see some of your new friends run around the floor when they’re taken out). I love reptiles. So, this was super fun for me.

Before you knew it, it was time to go over to the theme park itself (which had some amazingly ridiculously cool extra options. And I can’t wait to tell you about them tomorrow!).

LEGOLAND VIP EXPERIENCE!!! (June 6, 2016) (Part 1 – The Overview)

July 24, 2016

Aurora playing with lego makingsSince you probably can’t hear me when you’re reading – just know, I said that title SO excitedly –  Le.Go.Land. V.I.P. Expeeeeeeerience, baby!

Oh, goodness gracious. This was awesome.

Every single thing about this was so awesome.

I had gone to Legoland for a very short amount of time when I was being ridiculous with my Los Angeles Go Card.

And when I was looking to have a really full, fun San Diego vacation, I looked into going back to Legoland (which, obviously, I did).

But this time, I did it VIP style!

When I called, I asked if it was totally weird for an adult to get the VIP experience. And thankfully, they told me it was totally not weird – that many adults have done the VIP experience without children, and often seemed to have even more fun than families with kids. (Although, I’m sure families with kids have amazing times as well.)

When you book the VIP experience, you get to choose from various cool choices… (I chose everything they’d give me haha.) And we will tooootally get to those, of course. But first, let me do an overview of all the other cool stuff you get.

You get unlimited free food all day!

I found these chocolate chip cookies I love, and my tour guide let me get 5(!). (I know I probably shouldn’t have had that much sugar.) But I didn’t eat them all there – I took them home and ate them throughout the week…

Anyway, the point is, if you say, “I’m kinda hungry. Would you mind if we grabbed some pizza?” The answer is yes. You can grab any food at any time, and it’s kind of awesome. (Super, totally awesome.)

You also get to go straight to the front of every line! AND after you ride a ride, if you liked it, you can say, “Could I go again, please?” And sure enough, you get to. You don’t even have to get on the ride. You just stay on an extra time.

Aaaaaaaand you get all the photos from every ride you rode that day! (What?!)

If you love to eat and ride rides, and if you love to have photos from those rides, this VIP experience can super quickly become a really incredible deal – very worth the money.

Not only was my tour guide sweet and kind (and so freaking accommodating – the whole day was about me – eating where and when I wanted, going to the bathroom when I felt like it, ramping up or chilling out – just whatever I wanted to do all day, that’s what we did… Granted, I guess that’s what I was paying for. Still)…

Anyway, she was also so knowledgeable! She made it so we saw the entire park in one day without ever feeling stressed or rushed!

This was a fantastic day.

And I’ll talk more about it tomorrow.

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon (June 5, 2016)

July 20, 2016

Aurora De Lucia posing after Rock n Roll San DiegoI’m not sure how much I said earlier in these series of San Diego posts, but by the time I got to San Diego, I was running on empty.

When I arrived in Los Angeles, I had a bad fever and was pretty sick. I went to the doctor who thought I should rest. And of course I was all, “You don’t understand! I have to swim with the whales and dolphins and run a half marathon and all of this stuff!”

To which he basically said, “Okay, here are some antibiotics so you don’t get anyone else sick, and some cough medicine that will put you to sleep. Good luck!”

I did my best to rest in my LA time before I went down to SD… I kind of barely made it down to SD. I kept sleeping and sleeping – saying I’d take the next train, but never getting up off my couch ’cause that sleepy couch syrup really knocked me out!

Until finally, in the middle of the night, I took an uber to try to get down there in time for the panda breakfast (which I did). I struggled through every day getting sleep when and where I could. But I didn’t want to miss out on any of my plans, and I didn’t want to miss out on this half marathon.

(Come on! I was in San Diego! How could I possibly be right there and not do the race… even though sleeping in sounded kind of amazing…)

So, I got up and made my way to the race. One fun new sign I saw around was, “If Donald Trump can run, so can you.” How true, right?

Basically, I just kind of cried through almost the whole race… I’d just been pushing myself a lot. And I felt that kind of whole body sick – just in pain, hot forehead, wanna sleep, the whole shebang. But at that point, I’d been on my antibiotics long enough that I knew I wasn’t getting anybody else sick. And if no one else was being affected, then everything was all good!

So, another half marathon in the books. 13.1 miles wasn’t so bad, and it at least kind of felt like it went by quicker than you’d expect. Yay!

San Diego Zoo Centennial Celebration (June 4, 2016)

July 19, 2016

Aurora and her new friends at the San Diego Zoo dinnerAs I was planning my San Diego trip, it just so happened that the 100 year anniversary dinner was happening while I was out there.

I will admit, I was still pretty sick. So, I was exhausted. But, by golly, I was gonna do that San Diego vacation for all it was worth! So, I went to the dinner.

I sat with a bunch of lovely people who loved animals and the zoo.

(This is a small observation, and I hope doesn’t come off judge-y in any way, but I was surprised by the incredible lack of vegetarians at this dinner. There was some part of me that thought if we were at a dinner to celebrate animals, that there would be all these animal-loving vegetarians… And of course you can love animals and not be a vegetarian… I just expected more. And it was a wee surprising to me… (Random observation.))

Aaaaanyway… The night started off with an animal presentation. They brought out various animals and told us about them as people milled about and had appetizers and drinks. Then we moved down a level of the restaurant for the main meal.

Around the restaurant, they had maps of the zoo and Balboa Park from across the years as things expanded and changed (and even maps were drawn differently).

We also got this nice presentation about how the zoo started and the good work it’s done. And they encouraged us to use our coasters as a fun addition to our selfies for social media. (I thought that part was kind of brilliant!)

Soon, it was time for sleep – as I had to be up at some super early hour the next morning. And I’ll get to the half marathon tomorrow.

San Diego Zoo VIP Tour (June 4, 2016) – Part 2

July 18, 2016

aurora-feeds-a-laughing-kookaburraPicking up from yesterday –

After lunch, I got to go to a classroom. (As much as I love seeing the animals, I like seeing places you don’t go in the zoo on a normal day.)

And then Matilda, the laughing kookaburra came out with her trainer. And I fed her some tiny worms! (Can you believe it? Me? Holding worms – and allowing a bird to eat right out of my hand?!)

Then I got to meet a ground cuscus – one of very few in North America! So, that was pretty cool.

Then… oh then! I walked up on the gorilla roof! We got to see the gorillas from a whole different angle. None came over to be our friend. But it was still fun to be there. (And by the looks on people’s faces looking up from the normal exhibit, it seemed people had skepticism on their faces… “Are those people supposed to be up there?” I’m so bad! 😉

THEN! This was quite possibly the best part.

Yellow footed rock wallabee at the San Diego zoo
(I’m inside of this exhibit, watching this happen!)

I got to go to some pre-exhibit. They were preparing Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies to have a home in the zoo. And they gently get animals used to interacting with people before just putting them out in an exhibit.

So, we had this little book with bios on the animals. (One thing I thought was funny was the listed “favorite activities” – such as “lurking from behind a bush.”)

We got to take notes on them. And then we jumped back in our vehicle and took a little tour to a restricted area. I got to see the outside of the animal hospital.

After that, we took a little trip on the Skyfari Aerial Tram. The line was SO long… So, having the VIP experience was pretty darn dope!

After that, we stopped by the back of the elephant exhibit and I got to see a trainer feed an elephant… He had to feed him specifically to help the elephant take some medicine (which was put in his food).

By that point, Sara and I were basically just running around the zoo to see if there was anything left to pet. So, we headed to the petting zoo and I got to pet this adorable little rabbit named Leia! Then all the kids pet her too, and I felt slightly like, “Am I being so weird right now as this random adult being the first to pet this rabbit all these kids are into?” And then I also felt a little bad for Sara being swarmed by all the kids. But I was happy everyone got to enjoy their time with Leia!

And THEN, we went to this insect place and Sara grabbed a cockroach for me to pet and I DID! It was crazy, but I thought, “I’m here to pet animals, dude. I’m facing all my fears – down to petting a cockroach! Ba-bam!”

That was the end of my fun zoo tour. And then it was time for the special zoo dinner – which I will get to tomorrow.

San Diego Zoo VIP Tour (June 4, 2016) – Part 1

July 17, 2016

Aurora De Lucia at the San Diego ZooWhen I first got there, there was a protest going on by an anti-zoo organization.

I’d just been at the zoo earlier in the week for the Early Morning with the Pandas. And I’d heard about conservation efforts. Not to mention, I was just at Safari Park… I mean, my understanding is that they’re basically helping to rebuild species that are on the verge of extinction.

After my adventures with the San Diego Zoo family, I’m coming in hot “pro-zoo.”

…But I’m also getting pro-zoo information from the zoo itself. So, you know… Bias and all of that.

I truly don’t know what to believe or fight for when it comes to animals and zoo and all of this, and I hope I’m not on the wrong side of the issue or history here…

But anyway, let’s get into the tour itself.

I felt bad for my awesome guide Sara, because she had a huge job in front of her. I’d already met oh so many animals at Safari Park.

But she showed my a great time!

First up, I got to literally crawl inside of an exhibit with these cool Galapagos Tortoises. They like to be pet under their necks. So, we were buddies. (And one was over 130 years old! Can you imagine?)

Then, I got to go to the reptile place and pet a few snakes and an iguana. Some of the reptiles were names after characters from Frozen (Sven and Olaf), which I thought was cute and funny.

After that, I got to pet an adooooorable little 3-banded armadillo. (Armando Santiago is his name.)

We took a trip around to check out the capuchins. I didn’t get to pet any or anything. But a zookeeper talked to me about the cool animals. There was one in there much older than almost everybody else. And he was an adorable, awesome little fighter.

After that, I sat down to a nice little salad lunch while Sara went off to do change some itinerary – to try to find yet more animals to become friends with!

And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow.

San Diego Safari Park Roar ‘n’ Snore (June 3 – 4, 2016)

July 16, 2016

Aurora touching animal during the presentationI had already spent a full day at the Safari Park by the time I went outside to wait by those same picnic tables where I’d started, something like 7 hours earlier.

This was a very well-run machine. People came and got to check their luggage in (which was waiting for us at our tents once we got to check out).

There were a couple of trainers holding animals we could pet, even out by the picnic tables, before the night “officially” started.

Once we all got inside the park, we got tram-tours on the way to the campground. We even passed a teeny itsy bitty (well, for hippo standards) hippo that had just been born soon before our tram ride. (Nature!)

Once we got to the campground, we had an amazing dinner filled with delicious vegetarian options. (Yum!)

We got split into various groups, and the groups got to do various activities in different orders.

There was a walking tour, an animal presentation, and some smore-making. And we rotated who did what to make the big group more manageable mini-groups.

We went on a walking tour first. Safari Park is so huge. I’d seen so much throughout the day, and yet I still say new stuff on the walking tour.

At the animal presentation, we got to learn some new facts about some lesser-known animals and everybody (who wanted to) got to pet them!

Then we had smores. (I feel like there’s sugar everywhere nowdays… I need to settle it down a notch – but I still had part of one!) I’d never made a smore before (as far as I can remember). So, that was fun!

They are most certainly not lying in the sleepover materials when they say you’ll fall asleep to the sounds of the wilderness. They were sounds of animals in this vast space as we drifted to sleep.

(Note: Even though it was the *summer* in *San Diego*, it was still cold in a tent at night! Bring warm stuff… (If you’re me. Granted, I’m cold all the time.))

In the morning, we had some breakfast, walked around a little, and that was the night…

By the end of the Roar ‘n’ Snore, I’d spent 24 hours in Safari Park… and I’m still not even confident enough to say that I saw 3/4 of it. That place is HUGE! I would highly recommend going back… And I’d love to go back right now!

Once the Roar ‘n’ Snore was over, it was off to the VIP tour of the zoo.

Zipline Safari at San Diego Safari Park (June 3, 2016)

July 12, 2016

bridge to zipliningZiplining!

This was my first time ziplining, and when I’d read about the best places to do it, I heard Safari Park was the way to go.

You start out by getting weighed. (Eep!) Then you watch a video of rules and guidelines and such…

If you have any bags, you put them in a big black suitcase thing that they transport for you (because you never go back to where you started).

Advice: Wear clothes with a zippable pocket for your phone. I kept it with me to take pictures, but they wouldn’t let you hold anything in your hands while ziplining – lest you drop it for an animal to potentially get hurt. I stuck my phone in my bra, but was slightly afraid it was going to fall out… (Spoiler alert: It didn’t.)

(I'm trying to give some kind of face in this selfie in the back of the caravan... But I don't know what that face is :-P)
(I’m trying to give some kind of face in this selfie in the back of the caravan… But I don’t know what that face is :-P)

The first zipline you go to (the practice one) is pretty short and close to the ground. So it feels like you’re going super fast. (Physics? Weird.) The second one you go on is very long and way high above the safari. They told us we’re going way faster on that one. But it *feels* quiet and serene and slow.

It is gorgeous to zipline there.

Just another heads up: They take pictures as you ease in to the end of your ride… So, you know, try to be cute. I didn’t notice the camera ’til it was too late and my face is a little weird. So, just… be cute while taking in your moment, haha.

And that’s it! Boom. Before you know it, the tour is over and you’re on your way to whatever you’re up to next… For me, that was the Roar ‘n’ Snore – which we’ll talk about tomorrow!

The Ultimate Safari at San Diego Zoo Safari Park – Part 5 (Tigers and Snakes and Sheep, Oh My!)

July 11, 2016

Aurora touching the snake who's getting a closeupPicking up from last time –

After the animal care center, I headed to lunch, and Victoria ate with me!

I thought it was a pretty cute exchange we had in the vehicle of me asking something about “we” at lunch. And she was all, “Oh, am I eating with you?” And I said, “Oh! I hoped so. But you don’t have to.” And she was like, “I’d love to! I just didn’t know if I was invited.”

And it was basically two people tripping all over each other with politeness of how much we wanted to hang out, but didn’t know if the other person wanted to hang out. And I thought that was so funny.

We had a table reserved for us. (They are so VIP here.) Not only did they give me my wonderful salad, they also gave me this humongous cupcake for my birthday!

Victoria and I had a lovely lunch together, and then off we went to… I forget what it was called! The initials were WW. I think it stood for Wildlife something. But it was a private little area where animals were brought out and presented to me and I got to learn about them.

My favorite part was being buddies with a snake because I love reptiles. Snakes and whales are my favorite animals – reptiles and marine life, baby!

Tiger in a cageAfter that backstage area, we got to go see some tigers!

Now, we didn’t get to actually touch the tigers, ’cause you know… they’re tigers.

But I got to see them up pretty close – and see their whole area… a big board about how all the different training was going for each tiger. And I got to see all their food in the refrigerator.

I met some of the tiger trainers – who were all cool and nice. (Really, everyone I met at Safari Park was so cool and nice.)

Lastly, we rushed to Big Horned Sheep to feed them through a fence. We didn’t super have time for that, but Victoria awesomely went a bit over my allotted time to make sure she got everything on the schedule in.

After that, she brought me over to the zipline safari (which I had already scheduled). We got there just in time.

She was so sweet, because she let me go ahead and she said she’d take care of my bags – which then were waiting for me in my tent when it was time for the Roar ‘n’ Snore later that night.

Since we didn’t get to officially really say goodbye, she even left a goodbye note in my bag! She was the best. And I had the best time.

The Ultimate Safari at San Diego Zoo Safari Park – Part 4 (Okapi)

July 10, 2016

Aurora smiling petting the rhinos hornPicking up from last time –

After feeding and petting the rhinos and feeding the giraffes… (You’re not supposed to pet them – but one totally did breathe a really big breath on me and I thought, “Dang! Your noses are strong!”)

Anyway, we went along the rest of the safari (with our awesome driver Ward – I don’t think I mentioned) and saw some more animals hanging out, lounging around.

I saw a little baby rhino, which was cool.

I mean, conceivably, we could’ve potentially spent the whole Ultimate Safari just roaming around these different lands.

If I remember correctly, we went through an Asia and Africa area. But I think there was even more. One thing I think exists somewhere out there that we didn’t get to see was ostriches. So, I guess the point is there’s always something to go back for. (And I gotta go back!)

When we left the safari, we went through two different gates (as we did any time we entered or left an animal area). It felt very Jurassic Park-y. In fact, I even learned Steven Spielberg got some of his inspiration for Jurassic Park from Safari Park! Isn’t that cool and crazy?

Aurora feeding the OkapiAfter the safari, we went and hung with the Okapi!

The poor little Okapi I saw had bandaged up legs…

I learned that since it had gotten hurt on one of its front legs, it had to have them both bandaged up because apparently it felt too uneven with only one – scratching it, hobbling, all that jazz. But if they bandaged both (one basically just for show) the animal seemed better and acted happier.

I think because she was hurt, she was a little shy at first. But she came around and I got to feed her too!

I learned that Okapis have this grease or something all along their coat that comes off on your hand if you pet them. (Your hand will be that same dark color they are.) They’re very interesting animals. And I had a great time there with Cindie the zookeeper.

After that, I got to hang out at the animal care center. And this is where I’ll pick up next time!

 

The Ultimate Safari at San Diego Zoo Safari Park – Part 3 (The African Safari Continues)

July 9, 2016

Aurora about to feed the rhinoPicking up from last time –

So, I totally became friends with the rhinos. First, they came up to a place on the truck that made is super easy for Victoria to get great pictures.

Then almost immediately, they went over to a part of the truck that made it harder. They’re smart – those rhinos – keeping away from the paparazzi while still getting fed… I can’t blame ’em. Do your thing, rhinos!

Anyway, I got to feed the rhino. They seemed happy. Victoria told me about the old legend that if you touch a rhinos horn, you get a year of good luck. She also said it totally wouldn’t hurt them or upset them to touch their horn. So, i did that. I guess we’ll see what happens this year!

Aurora feeding two giraffesAfter I met the rhinos, I got to go hang with the giraffes! Two came over – a big one and a small one. And I got to feed them both!

Yet again, the large one kept kind of trying to bogart food from the small one… (Where does that saying come from, by the way? Is it a mean saying about Humphrey Bogart, or what’s the deal with that?)

Anyway, the big one kept trying to take a bunch of food. But I kept doing my best to make sure the little one kept getting food too.

There was a whole special way you were supposed to feed the giraffes – holding the leaves away from them by the side of your body and then presenting them. I forget all of the logic behind it.

Aurora looking like she's hurt but she's not at all
(I’m totally fine… I’m just making a super weird face…)

But there was a specific way, so I tried to hold to that (even though sometimes the giraffes would just come on in for the leaves).

The giraffes had these crazy huge incredibly long tongues… The most interesting part to me was being oh so close up to them, I could see the area on the way back of their tongue that was pink.

Most of their tongue was black (to protect it from the sun), but the part that didn’t see the sun was pink. Crazy, huh?

I also got to see the little back nub horn things that I heard about on a tour, but couldn’t totally see until I got super up close.

It was very cool to feed the giraffes!

And this is where I’ll pick up next time.

The Ultimate Safari at San Diego Zoo Safari Park – Part 2 (Sitatunga and The African Safari Starts)

July 8, 2016

Aurora De Lucia's hand in a rhinos mouth - with hair in Auroras facePicking up from yesterday –

After we were all situated in our tram (and she’d called in my delicious salad), we drove down this path and she asked if I wanted to know my itinerary for the day, or if I wanted to be surprised.

I am such a little planner (and a bit of a control freak, perhaps, just a little, sometimes, I suppose)…

So, part of me thought, “YES! Tell me. Tell me immediately” – as if I’m gonna find areas that can be improved upon or anything… as if I know anything at all about Safari Park, or animals, or how any of that works…

And then I thought, “Nope. I trust you. I’m just along for the ride.”

Aurora grabbing food while the Sitatunga looks at herI started the day off going back to see the Sitatunga with Matt the zookeeper.

I got to feed them a bunch of carrots. There was one big male that was basically trying to take all the food. So, I did my best to spread the wealth around to all the little smaller ones too.

I had a nice time learning about Sitatungas and Matt’s time working at Safari Park. And soon enough, we were on our way to our next thing – the African Safari portion.

Victoria was a wealth of knowledge about everything animals  – every kind… what they ate, drank, loved, how they acted – political ramifications of poachers and various wives tales still making their way around the world (such as rhino horns having medicine in them… they don’t…)

Aurora smiling down at a rhinoVitoria even had “props” in the cart – bones and horns and things I could see and touch.

(They’re kept literally under lock and key because of rhino horns being sought after dangerously for money.) (And it probably goes without saying, but just in case – obviously no animals were harmed for them to be able to show a rhino horn. Any bones or horns or anything came from animals that passed away – without human intervention).

I had SO much fun on my little fake-African Safari.

One of my big hopes was to feed a rhino. I hear it only happens on about 35% of safaris. But two rhino totally came over and were super friendly with me! I got to feed them a whole bunch of apples and feel their big sloppy (in an adorable way) mouths touching my hand.

And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow.

The Ultimate Safari at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (June 3, 2016) – Part 1 (Arrival!)

July 7, 2016

Aurora laughing with her friend the antelopeThis was 100 million billion percent worth the money. I had an incredible time with my amazing tour guide Victoria!

Side note: if anything, I would say it’d probably be worth it to pay the extra money and do the 8-hour, instead of the 5. There is seemingly an almost an unlimited amount of stuff to do at Safari Park!

Here’s what’s up with the Ultimate Safari (for those of you not intimately familiar with the different safaris at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (which was me before I planned this trip – and even still kind of me, now ’cause there are a lot…)).

In the Ultimate Safari, a special day is planned just for you(!) based off of things you tell the planners.

Before showing up for my big surprise day (catered to me :-)), I got an email telling me to wait outside in the log ring for my guide – which I did.

At 9am, Victoria came on over. It was so cute. She said, “Ms. De Lucia?” I always feel so silly, yet still kinda special and cool, when people use my last name to address me, instead of Aurora.

She introduced herself and asked me how I’d like her to refer to me. As much as it would’ve been interesting to have a hoity-toihty day of being called “Ms. De Lucia” all day, of course I said, “Oh please, call me Aurora.”

We totally hit it off and I adore her. She was such a sweetheart.

I had a fair amount of stuff with me because I was doing the Roar ‘n’ Snore sleepover that night… So, since I wasn’t in a hotel that night, I had all my stuff with me for my San Diego trip.

Picture of the lunch menu at Safari Park
(picture of the lunch menu I mention)

And she sweetly carried my duffel bag to the cart. She also gave me some water, and was so cool for the whole rest of the day about reminding me to hydrate and continuing to give me water.

She also gave me a birthday button (as this trip is basically is my early birthday present to myself).

Then, she gave me a menu, and told me she’d call in my order for lunch so it would be ready at noon when we got there. She said, “I heard you’re vegetarian and we have all these great vegetarian options (which they totally did – it was hard to choose which meal I wanted… I went with this incredibly delicious salad, in case you were wondering).

Then we went in through this kinda secret-ish gate. I felt super special, and she said, “Yeah, most visitors don’t even know this gate exists.” Eeee!

Are You Scared to Give a Kidney?

July 1, 2016

Nope.

I’m more scared of doing the Goofy Challenge again! (haha)

I’m just keeping going with some drafts I had. And people ask me this a lot when it comes to kidney donations.

and the thing is, I’m not scared at all. And there’s really no reason I can think of to be scared. Statistically, your chances of having something super serious go wrong are extraordinarily slim.

There are a billion things scarier than that.

Originally, when I made this draft, I thought I was gonna go into some deep thing, but you get the gist. Nothing else even needs to be said.

It’s not scary. In comparison to so many other things in life, it’s no scary at all!

Here’s hoping I get to do it – as I’m not afraid, baby!

A Little More On Why I’m So Gung-Ho About Giving A Kidney To A Stranger

June 30, 2016

THIS IS AN OLD POST I’M JUST MOVING STUFF AROUND THE BLOG. PLEASE DON’T MIND ME

So, I’m in a little spot where I’m not 100% sure what to be talking about right now. This was in my drafts, so I’m just posting it up! 🙂

Months of work and hundreds of thousands of dollars went into me. I owe the world so much. I already owe the world so much just by virtue of being a human who needs to look out for other humans. But golly, as someone who’s gotten so much help, I may owe a little more than some.

It’s not that I feel a “debt” or that I think karma will get me if I don’t do enough good deeds. But, you know the old saying. “To whom much is given, much is expected.” (Or in the words of Kanye West, “to whom much is given, much is tested.”)

I’m not even really supposed to be alive. How weird is that, right? I had a congenital heart defect that usually kills people without warning. And a doctor caught it, but I was told that I was incredibly lucky, and there’s no way I would’ve made it past 30.

Of course, I’m not 30 yet. Perhaps I’d still be kicking it. But that’s not how those things work, like there’s an exact expiration date and on your 30th birthday you’re done. I could’ve dropped dead any day. Could’ve been yesterday, could’ve been two years ago, could’ve been tomorrow. But I’m against all odds still alive because of a series of events that played out in my favor. Now I’m going to live to be 300, I’m sure.

All life is special. All life has purpose. But knowing that I’m not even “supposed” to still be here, I better do something pretty rad to kind of earn my keep here on Earth, huh?

Meeting Jason Ritter! (May 31, 2016) – Part 3 (He’s So Charming We Needed One More Post)

June 29, 2016

Aurora meeting Jason Ritter 1Picking up from last time –

I also got to talk to some of his other cast mates. We talked about names and meaning behind names (and people seemed to love mine, which I thought was very sweet – granted, I love mine too!).

He didn’t know what his meant. Later, I found out (according to the internet) that Jason means healer. I sent him a thank you card later for being so super sweet and nice to me, and in him I told him that and thought it was apt as I’m sure he’s helping heal so many people across the country with his fantastic work – whether he’s making people laugh or cry…

Barf? Was that a totally lame thing to say? A cool thing to say? I dunno. I mean it in a cool, nice way. So, hopefully it was a cool thing to say!

Aaaaaanyway, once the delightful, fabulous conversation was winding down, it was time to get our picture taken.

And I was like, “Oh, should we ask someone, or should we take a selfie?”

We looked around for someone to ask, but the few people who were left around standing looked pretty deep in conversation. And he was like, “I’ve got good selfie arms. I can take it.”

Jason Ritter liked my tweet!And he was right! Some people are not great at the selfie (especially the group selfie – I am, for shiz, not good with that one at all).

But he was great. And it was funny. We looked at the first one and we’re both like, “hmmm, I dunno.” “I look crazy.” “I look tired and drunk for some reason!” “Okay, we’re taking another one.”

And then we took two. And we liked both of those. (I mean, my face looks a little fat… but maybe I just have a bit of a fat face for now…)

Then I went home (super happy), and I tweeted out that Jason Ritter was ridiculously charming (any my new best friend?)… And then he liked my tweet! (Solidifying our best friendship for years to come. ;))

“Aurora, You’re Needed In The Cry Bay” (A Birthday Surprise!)

June 24, 2016

Awwwww, I wanna cry. How appropriate since my bay is nicknamed “the cry bay,” because everyone is free and welcome to come in there and cry, if they want!

So, over the intercom, I was paged to the cry bay. (Haha, I love inside jokes and being known so well.)

When I got back to my office, a group of my coworkers had vegan(!) cupcakes and they all sang happy birthday. And anyway, it just made me wanna cry.

It was interesting coming on to a show where everybody was already so tight knit. But I’m loved! I’m in the quilt(?), scarf(?), whatever things are knit.

I am so grateful for, and touched by, my birthday surprise. That’s all.

Yaaay!

Have I Mentioned I Loooove My Job? Part 2 – (The Pride & Some Other Cool Stuff)

June 17, 2016

Aurora De Lucia in her nightly show hat
(in my Nightly Show hat)

Another thing that makes me feel so proud to work where I do…i

There was an incredibly filibuster done by Chris Murphy the other night. I stayed up ’til 2am, and watched until he finished.

I looove politics. I love watching politics happen. I love connecting with people on twitter while it’s happening. I loved doing it with the amazing Wendy Davis filibuster. I loved doing it when they were discussing #SB1 in Hawaii. Politics is my jam.

And it used to be that I’d be watching stuff in the background at work as I was doing something mindless. Or, maybe I’d be doing it at home, if it wasn’t during my working hours…

But at my job now, when the filibuster was over, I knew that I’d be waking up to edit parts of it, to continue the conversation.

We are continuing conversations! We are pushing important issues in the world.

I mean, I’m not implying I’m anywhere neeeeeearly as important as Chris Murphy, or the people in our legislative bodies doing so much work…

But it is possible that someone will watch our show and call her Senator. When, before this, did I ever work on a show that would make someone want to do that?

I am just proud of the work that we do.

And in a final little story (for now) about how much I just love and adore my job… The other night, we had a going away party for our head writer. I looked behind me as I was walking to apartment, and there was Larry!

We live in the same direction, and we were both walking home at the same time. So, there I was, walking the streets of New York City, just hanging out with Larry Wilmore!

(This is my life now. What?)

When he asked how long it’s been now that I’ve been there, I said I’d been there since September and it still felt like a dream. It still did not really feel like it was my real life. I said I didn’t know when it would. And he said he hopes it always feels that way – and it does for him too. That it’s still a dream for him having is own show that he gets to go to everyday.

I thought that was so cool.

We talked about work and both of us going to Los Angeles all the time. 😛 And then alas, we made it to my place. He continued on his way, and I went home.

Oh, and the party was amazing too. Goodness, I love the people I work with. I love my job. I am so lucky.

Have I Mentioned I Loooove My Job? Part 1 – (Some Cool Stuff That’s Happened)

June 16, 2016

A selfie of Aurora from 3am
(This is a random selfie I took to commemorate still being in the office at 3am back when I was an assistant and we had to turn something around so fast)

I am well aware that the answer is yes. That, in fact, I mention it all the time. I love my job.

I really, really, really, really, really, really love it.

(Really. Haha.)

So, I thought I’d recap a few wonderful things that have happened since becoming an editor.

Exactly one month after officially becoming an editor in the credits (so, April 14th), Larry watched stuff in my office for the first time.

It was kind of nerve-wracking. And it was also silly because I’ve talked to him numerous times at this point. And my name is on the door. And yet, when he said, “Aurora” – telling me what cuts I should make and such – I thought, “Oh my goodness gracious! Larry knows my name.”

So, that was fun.

It’s also slightly more common now that he, or the executive producer, will come check something out in my bay. It’s cool. I’m a real grown-up editor, y’all!

For instance, the other day, a bunch of stuff came in during re-write. We built a whole montage – in rewrite! (And there were a bunch of other changes as well.) My hands were practically on fire with all the changes.

(Hyperbole, obviously, there… But still. A bunch of changes, is the point.)

And Larry and our EP came in to watch with the producer who was working with me. And they laughed. The producer told them other options they could do. But Larry was like, “No, this is funny. This is good.” And we sent it in. I was so proud of us!

We’re really doing it! Working under pressure, working quickly, and putting out good stuff. I’m so happy to be on this team!

One other nice thing that happened was that on April 20th, we built a Hillary montage. And in rehearsal, after Larry saw it, he laughed and said, “Nice job, team.”

I love when people laugh at what we make. I love how much everyone on the staff is so team-focused and thankful for everything. This is truly a magical place to work, and I am so super lucky to be here.

The Seattle Zoo and Aquarium! (May 28, 2016)

June 15, 2016

Aurora at the Seattle zoo with a peacockContinuing on with my great time using my Seattle City Pass –

I took a lap around the Seattle Zoo!

The main thing that I noticed that set the Seattle Zoo (apart from other zoos) was it was very super chill and Northwestern-y.

Sometimes I walk into zoos and they’re really colorful and almost cartoony, like I’m in a little animal theme park.

But the Seattle zoo was just calm and chill.

They also, as far as I could tell, seemed to have a lot of helpful, interesting educational stuff up.

And a fun side note: I saw my first Komodo Dragon there.

And this peacock started wandering around out in the open. I got this picture taken, and one of my friends gave me my favorite little monologue about it.

He said what he found way funny about this photo is that peacocks are pretty much the showiest animal. There I am, sticking my body out in all weird ways… while the showiest animal is chiiiiilling out with feathers down and everything. Even the peacock is like, “Aurora, is that enough, or what?” I am out-peacock-ing the peacock is what my friend said. And that made me laugh.

Aurora under the dome at the Seattle aquarium
(a blurry photo of me under the dome in the aquarium)

It was a nice, big, enjoyable zoo. There wasn’t tooooo much time to stick around and really delve into it. I had to get to the aquarium!

As far as the aquarium was concerned, a fun part was they seemed to try to use to their advantage the fact that they were on water already! They had lots to say about marine life – and the differences between marine life up there and in other places.

You got to walk out on a dock to get to other parts of the aquarium. They had a big dome of water you could go in, as well as a little jellyfish arch you could walk under.

They had stations set up – with real people – to help you learn things. It was again, kind of a chill Northwest feel. And before you knew it, I was off again to EPM!

Pike’s Place/Fish Market/And The First Starbucks!

June 14, 2016

tyler-and-auroraWell, it’s hardly a trip to Seattle without visiting what’s potentially the most tourist-y of all the tourist-y places (except maybe the Space Needle).

When two of my friends from high school wanted to meet up at Pike’s Place, I was oh so down for that.

We saw people throwing a fish. I got a delicious vegetarian ruben sandwich. And it was just so so so so so so so nice to be with people I love.

(Do you remember the dude I gush over sometimes – whose bandana I wear when I run marathons)? That’s him!

It was just brilliant.

sheeva-and-auroraI learned about the “gum wall” at Pike’s Place Market… I didn’t know about that before.

And then, he had to go back to work, but I got to then go to the first Starbucks with another lovely friend. I ordered some crazy concoction we made up on the spot with the Barista.

I just said I wanted something super sweet and listed all the different flavors I liked. And bam. I had a delicious, sweet, special, one-of-a-kind Starbucks drink (which was very fitting for going to the first Starbucks).

Unfortunately, before you knew it, I had to go to the airport. Alas. But it was such a fun jam-packed long weekend to Seattle! I’m sure I will be back at some point. (They have some races I love, and I still have to do a full marathon out there!)

Seattle Argosy Boat Tour (May 29, 2016)

June 13, 2016

view-of-the-space-needle-from-the-argosy-boat-tour-seattleYes, I know. I’m still totally catching up on the blog. Eek! I’m trying here…

Aaaaaanyway –

When I was in Seattle, I got the City Pass, and I saved the boat tour for last because I knew I had really limited time. And it seemed like the “least fun” thing on the list. “Oh, come on, just sitting in a boat… What’s that?”

But maybe I shouldn’t be so judgey about potential experiences, because the boat was actually really cool.

It’s a nice thing to do on a rainy day (which this day ended up being, as I understand many days in Seattle are). The tour guide was so knowledgeable! I feel like this is actually a great thing to do at the beginning of a Seattle trip, instead of the end, so you get an idea of all this other stuff you can do…

(I didn’t know about the famous hotel where the Beatles stayed… Maybe you all did, though, and I was just living under a rock. Who knows… Also, there was some kind of something about some throne where you could sit and it would tell people if they were getting married… or something like that. I’m sorry. I accidentally lost my notes, and have forgotten the details. But if somehow from that vague description you know what I’m talking about, please post it in the comments! xoxo)

Also, randomly, while we’re here (talking about Seattle, but not on the boat), can I also just say that if you’re looking for a fun cute dive/diner place, that 5 Point cafe is super dope. They have amazing vegetarian “bacon.” Yay!

One more Seattle post tomorrow, and then we’ll move on to San Diego!

Chihuly Garden and Glass (May 28, 2016)

June 12, 2016

Chihuly Glass on ceilingThis place is beaaaaaaautiful!

Between Columbia Center and the Space Needle, I hopped over to this gem.

When I first saw it in the City Pass, I didn’t know anything about a glass museum, or how cool it would be…

But it was super cool!

Basically, I went through room after room of different huge glass sculptures, and they all had stories behind them that were displayed.

This was the first night of summer that the museum was open for nighttime hours. And going at night was dooooope.

It wasn’t super crowded, and the glass really shone (shined? shone? Shoot. How do we know this one again? Aye aye aye aye.) Anyway, the glass looked really beautiful with the dark sky in the window behind it.

There was a food place inside that I didn’t go to. (After all, I had that delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the EPM.) But one thing that was interesting about this food place was that there were doll heads piled inside the glass table! It looked a little creepy-ish – especially to be eating off of… It was an interesting little time!

After you got through all the beautiful sculptures and stories, there was also a sculpture garden outside!

I would highly recommend!

The Space Needle! (May 28, 2016)

June 11, 2016

A view of Seattle from the Space NeedleNow, I don’t want to poo-poo the Space Needle… ’cause it’s the Space Needle! And it’s cool!

…But I was totally spoiled by Columbia Tower.

With the Space Needle, you stand in line for a while to get a timed ticket… Then, you wait around for a while – maybe shop or whatever while you wait for your window.

Then you wait in another long line to get to the elevator…

From that line, you can see the gift shop below and do a bit of people watching if you want. And you can see a wall full of facts to your left. It’s decorated like how we’d think of the future from the past… I suppose it kind of reminds me of some vintage Disney stuff – like how they saw the future from the 1960s.

Aurora taking a selfie from the top of the Space NeedleThat wall tells the whole story of the Space Needle and construction and everything.

And then you get to the top.

Once on top, you can walk all around indoors or outdoors. There are a bunch of views, of course. And there’s a little cafe and some tables, in case you get hungry…

And then, once you feel like you’ve seen Seattle, you get to wait in another (super long) line to get down the elevator.

So, while the Space Needle is cool and a touchstone of Seattle, it’s kind of an excuse to wait in line for 2 1/2 hours of your life…

Please, though, if you love the Space Needle, feel free to argue with me in the comments! Thanks!

The SkyView Observatory at Columbia Center (May 28, 2016)

June 10, 2016

Aurora at Columbia Center in SeattleWhen I got into Seattle, my friend who picked me up from the airport asked, “What are some of your plans here?”

When I said the Space Needle, he said, “Skip the Space Needle. Go to Columbia Center.”

He explained that Columbia Center is one of the best kept secrets in Seattle. It’s much higher than the Space Needle. The tourists don’t really know about it. (I’d never heard of it!) So, it’s a million times less crowded. It’s cheaper. And the view is beautiful.

All of that was so true.

It’s only something like 13 dollars to go to the SkyView Observatory at Columbia Tower. There was no line at all when I went. A very nice man was in the lobby and pointed me to a kiosk where I bought my ticket. Then, he let me up the first elevator to the 40th floor.

Note: I’ve heard on the internet that there’s a Starbucks on this floor where you can get a free beautiful view… I’m not sure how you get up the first access-only elevator, unless you jump in with people going to work during business hours… But either way, apparently that’s a possibility, perhaps?

Anyway, I went to the second bank of elevators, and up to the 73rd floor.

There, there was a sweet man working the desk who took my ticket and gave me my handstamp. (Apparently you get in and out privileges all day?!)

I went in and it was beautiful! Not only was the view sprawling and gorgeous, but there were these comfy chairs all around this totally uncrowded room. (I went around 8pm or so on a Saturday. I’m not sure how crowded it is during the day.)

There also were cool facts about Seattle along the walls. There was a wooden shelf all along the window where you could lean, or set up a tripod.

View of the inside of the Skyview ObservatoryUnder the shelf, facing the mountains, was a drawing of the mountains with each mountain labeled and facts about them! That way, if you didn’t know what you were looking at, you could figure it out by looking down (and learn something new).

You also could totally see inside one of their stadiums. (Really, you could kind of see inside both.) So, even though the game would be preeeeetty far away, conceivably you could catch a couple of plays (especially with binoculars).

I loved this place! It was gorgeous and serene. If I lived in Seattle, it would totally be a place I’d want to hang out to write or read a book or whatever…

In my next post, I’ll talk about the Space Needle, but Spoiler Alert: I am Columbia Center all the way! 🙂

EPM (Experience Music Project Museum) in Seattle (May 28, 2016)

June 9, 2016

Aurora in the cool videogame room at EPM
(Hanging in the cool videogame room)

The place starts with a little cafe that’s open to everyone – not just people visiting the museum. They have delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (Yum!)

After you go in the actual place, there’s a big concert stage with performances. (There was one going on while I was there.)

On that floor was also changing exhibits – like this little videogame one where the room itself looked awesome, not just the mini-exhibits within it.

There also was this huge structure, made of guitars, in the middle of the room. Basically, the whole second floor looked really dope.

Up on the 3rd floor, there were all these rooms where you could play various instruments (or sing), and there was an area where you could even practice mixing music.

There were waits for basically all the rooms. All of the rooms have 10-minute limits on them. You start your 10 minutes with a button outside the door, and at the end of the 10 minutes, the electronic instruments stop working…

But if you think you may only have to wait 10 minutes, you may be wrong. I saw a few different people just pop their door open and press the button to renew their time.

Ultimately, I didn’t use any of the rooms. It felt like I was at Berklee all over again. I thought, “eh, I’ve spent a lifetime in these practice rooms. I don’t need to take anyone’s precious 10-minutes in this crowded place.”

There also was a place where you could go onstage and pretend to play instruments as a track played along. A big curtain reveals “screaming fans” (a big picture of people with a bunch of cheering through speakers) at the beginning of your set. And you can get a video of it.

It looks pretty fun!

Overall, this seems like a cool interactive museum – a nice stop in Seattle!

The Pacific Science Center! (May, 2016)

June 8, 2016

Aurora holding a rope at the Pacific Science Center
Lifting 500 pounds with the power of science 🙂

Okay, now that we’ve taken a break to talk about how much I adore my job… Let’s get back to the whole Seattle trip! 🙂

While in Seattle, I totally got the City Pass – and was determined to do everything on it during my weekend. It was hard, but doable.

1st stop – Pacific Science Center.

This was a pretty super interactive museum. There was a place before the Wellness Studio (which delved even more into your body) where you could play with things that tested your eyesight (I scored better than 20/20 – what’s up?), your flexibility, your hand/eye coordination (with both hands separately), and all that jazz.

Then, once in the wellness studio, they had exhibits on everything about you! Your breath, your sleep, your aging, and on and on. It was all covered in there. they had games (such as having this big fake cafeteria, where you could take up different play foods and add up calorie counts and such.

They had a machine that showed you how you aged normally versus how you aged if you smoked, or got too much sun, or were obese.

They basically had all kinds of cool stuff. They had an exhibit with dinosaurs. They had a big outdoor courtyard. They had a thing about the environment.

It’s a worthwhile place to visit. I heard differing stuff about if the laser show was cool/worth it. So, being that I was short on time and that it was basically like any laser thing you’ve seen, I left to go to the zoo! …But if you’ve seen the laser show and wanna tell me about it, write it up in the comments! xo

“The Met” (in Seattle) & The 5 Point Cafe (May 27th Weekend)

June 7, 2016

Aurora standing under the Aurora street sign
(We found my street sign!)

Hiaaaaaaaaaaatus!

Welp, we got another two-week hiatus from work. There are some friends I’ve been trying to see in Seattle for a long time, and just never made the trip up there… Well, I’ve made a trip up there multiple times. But it was before any of them were living there. So, I haven’t re-made the trip… Until now!

I figured since I was already going all the way out west, why not go north first?

I landed on a Friday night, and one of my lovely friends came to pick me up from the airport.

He told me one of his favorite things to do in Seattle was go to “The Met.” I learned that’s the name of a Steakhouse. It’s called The Metropolitan, but a bunch of people call it the met – like our Met… only, it’s a steakhouse, not an art museum, which I found endearing, lovely, and funny.

He was very sweet because he looked at the menu before we went. “I gotta make sure there’s something vegetarian for you.” Awwww!

I would’ve just eaten a side, or whatever. But he was lookin’ out – which I greatly appreciated!

Turns out, there was a delicious vegetarian option with vegetables and mushrooms.

After The Met, we went to sleep. He has a dope apartment. There was a lovely view, and it was within walking distance of The Space Needle! I mean, come on. How could you better do Seattle?

The other restaurant he took me to – so as to show me all the coolest Seattle haunts – was The 5-Point Cafe. It’s open 24-hours and is supposed to be basically a little dive bar place.

They had amazing breakfast! I tried vegetarian bacon for the first time, and it was awesome!

Also, just in general, I had a great time whenever I was just hanging out at this guy’s apartment in between adventures. It’s really nice to have super nice people in your life. Yay!

Hiking the Secret Stairs & Seeing Dinosaurs at the LA Zoo (May 14 & 15, 2016)

June 5, 2016

Aurora De Lucia sitting atop the secret stairsI took a little trip to LA for a weekend, ’cause I felt like getting away…

(Then again, I suppose, when do I not get away for the weekend? :-P)

I took a little trip to the secret stairs in Silverlake. They’re not very secret at all, in that there’s a book about them, an app, and who knows what else.

I found the app very helpful! It says out loud turn-by-turn directions (with helpful little asides and facts!). As I’ve proven time and time again, I’m not great at maps. So, the app was quite enjoyable.

The stairs were pretty. There were some fun places for pictures. (There are still multiple staircases I need to climb in Silverlake and in Pasadena – there’s so much to do in LA!)

Aurora with her leg up at the dinosaur exhibit at the LA zoo
(Trying to look scared, but looking kinda flirty with the dinosaurs)

Also on this weekend, I went to the zoo. (For some reason, I bought a membership during my trip back during the holidays, and it’s nice that I’m getting use out of it!)

The dinosaur exhibit was pretty fun! One even squirted water on you!

And that basically covers the weekend.

I threw in a birthday party, and saw a couple of friends.

It was a grand lil’ whirlwind trip!

Hanging Out Backstage At Aladdin! (May 8, 2016)

June 4, 2016

James Iglehart hanging with Aurora De Lucia onstage at Aladdin
(hanging with my buddy backstage at Aladdin)

Oh! Look at this. Two theater posts back-to-back! Ba-bam! Who am I? And what is happening? *wipes imaginary dirt off shoulders*

So, not to be one of those people who’s all, “You know my awesome friend – oh, you know, the Tony-winning one?”

But seriously, did you know my friend won a Tony? 😉

James is one of the nicest dudes, and he as been for maaaany many years. (And I’m sure for many years even before those many years I’ve known him.)

I had been technically living in NY for about 7 months (and like, pretty for-real-ish doing it for about 3) and I still hadn’t seen this show! That was a ridiculous travesty of this world. So, I finally told him (covered in apologies), “I have to see your show!!! When can I come? Can I come next weekend?” And I did!

Wall of celeb signatures
(Wall backstage of signatures of celebs who’ve come to the show)

He. is. amazing. He eeeeeeeearned that Tony, baby! I cried at the end when *spoiler alert* Aladdin sets the genie free. Gah! I can’t think of the line right now… But it was amazing.

Also, it’s not like I didn’t know it was going to happen.., I’d seen the movie. But it was moving! I think that’s the true love story in Aladdin – the Genie and Al.

(And maybe Jasmine and her awesome power.) But I don’t reeeeeeally thing it’s Aladdin and Jasmine. But hey, that’s just my opinion. To each her own.

After the show, I got to go in through the stage door. (So cool, right?) I got to hang out on the stage. James is so super cool and famous and beloved, he had to go sign a bunch of autographs. So, he left me to wander around the stage! I looked around at all the props and set pieces, and talked to the woodwind player in the pit.

Then James came back and we caught up. And it was just so super fun – brilliant, wonderful times. I loved it.

Some Other Long Island Fun (Museums and Such) (May 1, 2016)

June 2, 2016

Aurora at the Long Island half marathon expo
(I don’t have pictures from the museum… So, here’s one from the expo.)

There was a little museum row pretty close to the marathon. (I passed by it when going to the expo the day before.)

And the shuttle bus driver dropped me right there after the race. (How nice, right?)

I figured, hey, while in Long Island… If you’re ever gonna go to those museums, might as well do it while you’re right there!

So, in I went to the Cradle of Aviation Museum, and the Nassau County Firefighter’s Museum.

And I also stopped in to ride Nunley’s Carousel.

The Firefighter’s Museum was small but mighty. There were some things dedicated to the memory of firefighters who lose their lives on September 11. It was overwhelming how many names there were.

On a less sad, and more silly note, they had all these games that seemed to be geared toward children. But some of the options would be so dark.

Semi dark sign at the firefighter's museumFor instance, there was this little thing about smoke detectors and escape plans. And one of the options was, “If you don’t have a smoke detector, you may never wake up.” And it’s like, “Okay, that’s true. And smoke detectors are important. But, dang, museum!

As far as the aviation museum part, there were all the planes and everything you’d kind of expect at an aviation museum. Then, upstairs, there was kind of a Hall of Fame along the walls.

One of the people showcased was Mary L. Cleave. The funny part about her story was that she originally wanted to be a “stewardess.” (That’s the wording of the plaque – not my sexist language!)

If you don't have a smoke detector you won't wake upHowever, she was too short. So, she became an astronaut instead. Crazy, right?

Once the museums closed, I went back to my hotel. (Yeah, I stayed one more night… ’cause why not?)

Then, I took the LIRR back to New York. (Look at me with those fancy trains, doing New York stuff!) And then I got Planet Smoothie in Penn Station on my way to work… Mmmmm Planet Smoothie – my favorite thing in the world.

I’d say it was a successful weekend!

Let’s Make a Deal Zonk Redemption Episode – Part 11 (Was it Worth It? (Continued))

May 18, 2016

The other thing was that I couldn’t totally picture working at that theater again anyway. The commute is so long. I was hardly making any money. (In fact, I would’ve made more staying home on unemployment than using trains and busses and such to get to a low-paying job.) I was doing it for the love of theater (but getting a little poor in the process).

Never say never. Maybe for a show on a higher-tier contract, or maybe for a show where I got to have a creative job instead of an admin one, sure. I might’ve gone back had they invited me. But this wasn’t a place I envisioned working in anytime in the near future.

I hate cutting off possibilities, or burning bridges – especially in the entertainment industry. But I’ve also learned that everybody gets mad at everybody else at one time or another. After time passes or bosses change, you never know what could possibly be mended.

Had I not gone, I would’ve always wondered what would’ve happened – not to mention, the girl who got to play for the big deal played a game that had to do with Charlotte’s Web! I would’ve totally convinced myself that I would’ve played that had I been there (’cause that’s the show I was working on). And since I got to be there, I don’t have to live with that doubt.

So, was it worth it? I know it sounds like I’m saying yes. But ultimately, I probably shouldn’t have gone. Theater is my love in life (even more so than game shows if you can imagine). And I was working at a great theater with a great reputation. And it really sucks that I put myself in a position not to be hired there again. (Whoops for stubborn ol’ me.) Hindsight’s always 20/20 though! If I’d won $20,000, I might be singing a different tune!

It kinda sucks stuff timing worked out the way it did. But look, we’re all still alive. The show still happened. Everything is fine.

Let’s Make a Deal Zonk Redemption Episode – Part 10 (Was it Worth It?)

May 17, 2016

I know technically this story ended yesterday,

I wanted to address one more question – was it worth it?

I said in the beginning that it was a huge ordeal to take time off of work. And they made it quite clear I will never work at that theater again.

So, whether it was worth it, I don’t know… I have this really stubborn part of me, and I think that a sort of big reason as to why I fought to have the day off was that they didn’t even want to hear me out. I knew that ultimately they’d give me the day off since it was easier to get a sub than a replacement. So, I think more than anything, I wanted to feel heard.

As much as I really wanted to go to Let’s Make a Deal, there’s a part of me that thinks had my bosses been a bit understanding and at least said something like, “Well, let’s see if we can figure this out,” I would’ve been much more open to listening to their concerns, and possibly eventually saying, “Okay, it’s just a game show possibility and this is my job. So I won’t go…”

But when I walk into, “I’m not allowing you to go,” well then I start getting defensive.

That’s not really right of me. (It’s kind of ridiculous and stubborn-sounding when I read it.) It’s just what happened.

Also, I’ve seen multiple times on Let’s Make a Deal people getting to play and saying, “I quit my job for this since my boss wouldn’t let me go!” (My guess is there must’ve been other things people didn’t like about the job, or else they probably would not quit to go to a normal LMAD taping… But still.) I thought, “Well, maybe I’ll be one of those people.”

Also, in my first game, after I lost the trip, I specifically tried to pick the zonk so I could come back! Once I got invited back, I had to see how it was gonna play out, right?!

52 Performances In 52 Weeks Complete… (Conclusion/Thoughts)

May 16, 2016

Aurora looking disappointed in poetryWelp, I kinda hate admitting failure or defeat, or whatever it is I have to admit here…

But this wasn’t necessarily what I’d envisioned or hoped for.

I feel like with both of my other projects, I gained a lot from them – whether it be good habits, or learning new things, etc.

With this one… I feel like there was sooome stuff to be gained (and I will get to that). But I also think there were things that would’ve made more sense/potentially been a better use of my time.

Let’s start on the pretty good note.

Some good:
– I got to meet a bunch of cool and interesting people at various imrov jams and coffee shops and such.
– I had moments of pushing my creativity a little. I wrote a poem (at the pictured performance). I wrote a sketch.
– I think I ultimately got a little better at thinking on my feet with improv and such.
– I had a good excuse to spend time with my friends when it came to karaoke, or even some improv stuff.- I found a nice place to have fun and meet new people in New York – that I can walk to, and that has late stuff that doesn’t interfere with my work.

Some not-as-good stuff:
I think my biggest issue is that nothing really changed.

I sorta kinda ish made a habit to do more performing, but I was so all over the place, taking a big break in the middle (when my life changed like crazy) and fitting a bunch of stuff in, in the last few months, that a habit wasn’t totally born…

Also, nothing I did really seemed to get me anywhere. I don’t super see any of it going on my reel (though I guess perhaps clips of the Flapper’s performances, perhaps)… But there’s nothing documented to show off. There aren’t even many great pictures. It doesn’t seem to have a ton of lasting value outside of the night each thing happened…

Also, I just think ultimately, there were better uses of my time to accomplish the same thing.

I think there was a way to be creative and perform more in a way that might actually help more in trying to truly move forward in a more creative life – maybe goals as far as how many pages I write, or things I submit to… Or goals in how many auditions I go to… Or things of that nature.

…Or, I think there probably were ways to do this exact project in a more interesting and better manner.

I also thought blogging about these things you couldn’t see wasn’t awesome…

Basically, I think there were better ideas, better constraints, and better executions.

And I’d really like to figure out a different/better project to work on creativity. If you have any ideas, please drop ’em in the comments!

(#51) (#52) (#53) The Pit Base Improv Jam

May 15, 2016

We did it! 52 performances… I guess. Depending on how you count them… Anyway…

I went back to The Pit. I gotta say, I think this has the potential to be on of my favorite places in New York! People there are pretty nice and pretty open to meeting people (which is not something I aaaalways find in New York).

As far as how the scenes went… in the first one, I initiated based off the suggestion! I almost never initiate, but I was happy I took the leap.

In the last one, we had these little blackout scenes. And we got on this run of fruit stuff… And someone said he texted his girlfriend in Vegas and he made a joke about “can’t elope” (blackout). Then I let a scene play, and then I jumped up as a crying girlfriend receiving a text. I set it up so everyone knew what was coming and the whole audience said “what did it say?!” And as I went to say it, the blackout happened, and it got a huge laugh! (Or, at least, it felt huge. Maybe my brain amplified it. But I felt good!)

And I thought that was a really fun thing to end on. So, there you have it! 52 performances in 52 weeks! Ba-bam!

Let’s Make a Deal Zonk Redemption Episode – Part 9

May 14, 2016

Anyway, he asked if we had any questions. And no one had any. But that’s a real question! Why wasn’t I thinking of it then? Then again, with the attitude of gratitude, they might not have appreciated the question, thinking, “hey, even if quickie deals do count as your one in three years, be happy you got that.” I have no idea if that would’ve been the answer. But while I still conceivably had a chance to be a contestant, I didn’t want to rock the boat…

(On Price, contestant’s row counts… So, you never know what’s gonna count and what’s not.)

I did meet someone who said she’d heard from someone on the show that if you win your quickie deal, it counts as your one in three years. If you lose, it doesn’t count. I don’t understand why that would be, since either way, you technically play. But if anyone knows definitively, I’d love to know!

One other thing I wonder about the Zonk Redemption episode – since this is the one episode where they know ahead of time which contestants they’re getting, do you think they plan games around people they love? I mean, the first game on this episode was so unbelievably perfect for the people who played it… I wonder. Another Mike Richards question, if I ever meet him!

After the show, we got to grab our speakers on the way out. There wasn’t anything super special about it. You just passed a table, and someone handed one to you.

And that sums up my experience with Zonk Redemption!

If you have answers to any of my questions, or questions of your own, I’d love to hear them in the comments!

Let’s Make a Deal Zonk Redemption Episode – Part 8 (End Of Show & Various Questions)

May 13, 2016

Picking up from last time –

So, fast-forwarding to the end of the show, we get to the big deal.

The woman who gets to play goes down there. And in the commercial break, she turns around toward us, takes it all in, and cries. We learn she’s lost her house in a fire. And then, she lost out on two great deals and it physically hurt.

Me! It made me feel physical pain in my stomach for this poor woman who had so much luck to get to the big deal during zonk redemption, just to get kitchen appliances instead of $20k in cash or a new car. And if it made me feel that way when I didn’t even know the woman, can you imagine how she would’ve felt?

I don’t even really drink, but I think I would’ve gone and gotten so day drunk after that! I mean, that is a blow. Oof.

Once it was time for quickie deals, I just kind of sat back in my seat and tried not to do anything that would get me noticed. (I also did this the one other time I went to the show but didn’t get called.) I don’t know exactly how quickie deals work!

I do know that you’re only allowed to be on Let’s Make a Deal once every 3 years, and that with some game shows, you’re only allowed to be on 3 in a 10-year period. So, if a quickie deal counts as your once-in-three-years, that’s not what you want, right?

Does anyone have a definitive answer on this? If ever I get to go on Mike Richard’s podcast (The Randumb Show), maybe I’ll ask him!

Actually, Chris, the supervising producer had some extra time in his pre-show speech. (I know. It’s kind of funny, right? They’re rushing so much to get us in and once they’re in there, he has time to kill.)

Let’s Make a Deal Zonk Redemption Episode – Part 7 (The Taping)

May 12, 2016

Picking up from last time –

During the waiting section, I’ll admit, I was slightly overwhelmed. Once of the guys who went on to be a contestant on the show walked up to me and said he had to check me for zonks. Then he ran his little zonk think over my like a metal detector, said he found one, and gave me a piece of candy.

It was sort of cute. It was cute that these people had such energy. And I know I’m usually an energetic one. I guess I just didn’t realize until I was in a room full of me(s), how overwhelming I can be. (How do you hang out with me?)

Once everyone was inside, they gave speeches a little quicker than usual as they said, “you’ve heard this all before.”

The people giving speeches asked us not to cheer because they had to go so quickly. Yet, people kept cheering at any normal cheer lines. Sometimes the speakers would smile (or even dance a little), but they’d follow that up with, “but really, we have to move on.”

And it just kept happening! And then I wondered, “Is this some secret test? By being quiet and following your directions, am I actually doing the wrong thing? What’s happening here?”

Eventually, we got inside and got seated. I was way in the back row and figured there’d be no chance I’d get picked. However, one guy came from our row. And it seemed to me a number of people not in the front were getting picked.

The guy who sat next to me was obviously an avid Let’s Make a Deal watcher because he was very in tune with how deals usually go. It was funny to sit next to him, ’cause he was vocalizing everything I was thinking. And then even though we were being kind of smart and able to predict a lot of things, something about it felt like we were the killjoys back there, like “yeah, yeah, yeah. We know what happens next.”

I mean, that wasn’t our attitude, but it still felt weird when my desire to do that was mixed with someone else’s. It felt amplified or different in some way.

As you all know, I didn’t get picked. And this is where we’ll pick up tomorrow.

Let’s Make a Deal Zonk Redemption Episode – Part 6 (The Interview)

May 11, 2016

Picking up from last time –

As soon as I got up there, I started in with “last time I was a kidney patient.” She high-fived me for giving the answer before she even asked, “What were you last time?” since I heard her ask everyone in front of me.

She said, “I remember you! You were so adorable.” Then she asked how I felt being zonked.

I said something along the lines of, “Well, it was nice to have a special memory with my dad.” I don’t know if that was a stupid answer, but I do know that at least saying my dad jogged her memory even more. (That wasn’t part of a strategy or anything, but a nice added side bonus.)

She exclaimed something like, “Oh yeah! Your dad. I loved you guys. You were so cute.”

She asked me how the kidney process worked on. I don’t know why it didn’t dawn on my that they would ask about this. Of course they would ask about this! And I hadn’t at all thought about how I was going to phrase the fact that I was totally rejected.

So, I said something (in the most positive voice I could) along the lines of, “Well, there was a snag in the urine test. But we’re going to try to figure out what’s going on.”

I didn’t know if that was bad, if maybe they felt had since I never became a donor after all… Or if maybe – because no matter how I phrase it or what inflections I use, it still sucks – they just didn’t like any negative energy at LMAD. I don’t know if any of that had anything to do with me not getting picked.

All I do know is that at the time I dressed as a living kidney donor, I thought it was pretty safe to believe it was going to happen. And now it wasn’t. And I couldn’t change any of that.

Anyway, at the end of my interview, I tried to get out something about zonkstacle course medal. I didn’t even get to show my cool medal. There was no time. She had to go on to the next person.

I had no idea how I’d really come across. I basically felt like a mess. And I didn’t think my chances were all that strong.

Once we got inside, it was go, go, go time. The Let’s Make a Deal people were rushing. So we needed to go get our phones turned in as quickly as possible.

And this is where I’ll pick up next time.