Turkey and fermenting sweet potatoes! Mmmmm… my Aunt Dina in Connecticut told me on Thanksgiving that my life is exciting. She’s right I suppose but I doubt if they thought that I’d be eating our Thanksgiving leftovers for about two weeks after the holiday. Never the less, I’m glad to say that even in a world where everyone from the sales clerk at CVS Pharmacy to the CEO of Starbucks is quick to tell you how bad the economy is, it still seems the world has a fascination with those who struggle. Even this week’s Ugly Betty (which I watch on my laptop — one of the few possessions I own) touched on the subject — Betty and Amanda almost lost their apartment when they were robbed by two guys who took them to eat at a fancy restaurant then stuck them with the bill after meeting them at a gallery opening that had free food (the initial attraction). Anyway, people are fascinated by those who struggle. And when we’re single and chasing our dreams in the big city we certainly do encounter lots of exciting things. But lately I’ve really been struggling.

For the past three months I put in 60 hour weeks in real estate, only managing to get to a few auditions. October went really well and at the end of the month I thought I was going to have a nice chunk of money in the bank come December when auditions picked up. But at the end of November, after I paid back the money I’d owed from September, my pockets were bare. I’d not made a single transaction in November. So I set out to find another survival job and landed it. I’m now a personal trainer at Bally Fitness Club. But their hiring process is quite lengthy. I’m still waiting for a background check to be completed so that I can begin to make some money. During my off days, I’ve been raiding the New York City Performance Arts Library — listening to dozens of cast recordings one after the other. In fact I’ve listened to so many that I’ve broken my CD-ROM drive. Unfortunately I’ve got no money to replace it.

There’s a lot of effort that goes into finding the strength to pick yourself up and figure out how to keep going. I’m hoping this new job (mostly at nights) will give me the time and money I need to keep going. I’ve spent lots of time these past few weeks really honing the songs I’m going to use for auditions. Anyway, I have to pack up this extra turkey and start pouring through the mountain of shows I’ve never heard of, including Jerry Herman’s “Parade” and Bill Solly’s “Boy Meets Boy.”