LABOR DAY

It’s Labor Day, and I’m doing what I think people are supposed to do on this holiday: relaxing. My computer, which was sort of broken for a while, is usable again, so I’ve been doing a lot of web surfing. I’m taking time, too, to watch New York 1, our local news channel, to catch up on all the latest news. Unfortunately, most of it is terribly sad news about the many victims of Hurricane Katrina. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like for those people whose lives have been affected by the tragedy. It’s an important time to pray, and to give to charities like the Red Cross.

What seems crazy to me is that, while New Orleans sits under water, destroyed by the storm, New York is experiencing the most beautiful weather you could ever hope for. This weekend has seen sunny skies, low humidity, and temperatures in the low 80s. Luckily, I’ve been able to take advantage of this weather, getting out and about in the city. On Saturday, my dad and his girlfriend came to visit me and Jason. We walked through a street fair that spanned ten blocks near my apartment. From there, we walked to Central Park and had lunch at The Boathouse, a beautiful restaurant that sits next to a big lake where people paddle around in row boats and take casual rides on gondolas. We ate outside, overlooking the lake, which was absolutely perfect.

On Saturday night, after my dad had left, we had some friends from Philadelphia drive up to spend the night. The four of us went to a late dinner at Boxers in the West Village. Our friends felt like walking around the city for a while, and since it was such a nice night, we ended up walking the 50+ blocks back to our apartment! On Sunday, after breakfast at a diner near Central Park, we headed back to the lake, where we rented one of the rowboats we’d seen the day before. There were a lot of rowboats out, and everyone was having a great time. The lake is huge, and it’s surrounded by pretty trees (including my favorite, weeping willows), cliffs, and lawns filled with picnickers and sunbathers. It was truly a perfect day in Central Park.

Tomorrow is my nine-year anniversary with Jason. (Wow!) I start school tomorrow night, so we’re going to celebrate tonight by having a picnic dinner in Fort Tryon Park. This particular park is a gem located above Manhattan along the Hudson River. There are gorgeous views of the George Washington Bridge and undeveloped land across the river in New Jersey. The park itself, which has paths leading to The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Cloisters” (an old stone building/museum), is filled with gardens and stone bridges and all kinds of pretty things.

I’ve got this week off from work. We all do. Guiding Light is moving into a new studio this week. Last Friday was our last day in the studio that’s been home to Guiding Light for seventeen years. It was a tearful day. Not only are we leaving a building that’s cozy and comfortable and like a home to us, but we’re leaving behind many of our crew members. Last Wednesday night, Kim Zimmer (Reva) threw a party for the whole cast and crew, which was so much fun. The move to the new studio has caused a lot of stress for a lot of people lately (many people are taking pay cuts along with the move, etc.), but on Wednesday night, all that stress was forgotten, and everyone was able to hang out as one big, fun-loving family. I will never forget one moment, when I looked around and we were all dancing together on the bar’s roof terrace in the rain, and I could really see what a tight-knit group we have all become. Actors and crew members and producers and everyone were all dancing and singing and having a good time together. It was a really great thing to do during our last week, before all the new changes brought on by the move set in.

My prayers remain with the hurricane victims. It is really important for us to band together as a country to support them in any way we can. May God bless the victims and bring relief to them and their families.