A major motivating factor for me was anticipating the arrival of RR, my dear, wonderful and insanely-missed friend from Boston. She arrived Saturday afternoon with karaoke machine in tow and tons of love to give. We caught up, set up the karaoke machine, got ready, and headed out for our evening with the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players!
Since relocating to New York, I have flip flopped my inability to estimate how long things will take. When I lived in Boston I was notoriously early for things. I was always the one waiting. I'd say "Man, I am going to be at work all day - this experiment is going to take 9 hours!" so I'd rush and then be done in 5 hours. Here, I'm like "Oh yeah, I'll be there in 20 minutes" and it will take an hour. I am never on time. I think its because I haven't quite developed the ability to compare how long things should take to how long things actually take. Because I can see Manhattan from my window, it should take me only seconds, in theory, to get there. Tis not the case.
Anyway, RR and I were supposed to meet D at Fez Under Time at 7:00. When we got to the L, I looked at the clock, which said 6:50. I knew it would take us at least half an hour to get there. I said "Is that right?" Sadly it was. The L didn't come for a while, of course, and I was feeling really guilty for keeping D waiting. Again. Like I always do.
When we got off the L at Union Square, we were supposed to switch to the 6. We were in a rush, and RR, who has longer legs than me, got ahead of me and ran to catch a train. She bolted down the stairs. I followed after her, but couldn't keep up. Next thing I knew she was running onto the wrong train. Sloooooooow mooooooootion... "Noooo.... not that one!" I yelled, but it was too late! The doors closed on RR before I could get on the train, and she was gone.
I was frantic. I was like "Somebody tell me where that train goes!" There were these four fabulously New York construction men there, laughing at me. They told me that the train went to Astor. "What's that?!?!?" I was afraid it was Brooklyn. It was, apparently, only one stop away, so I decided to take the next train to Astor, which was hopefully what RR did as well. The four men continued to make fun of me until the next train came. They told me I was a bad host, that it was my duty as a New Yorker to hold my guests' hands. I said "No, not my fault, she got cocky!" and they said "No way, man, you're just becoming a New Yorker" and "What kind of friend are you?" and "How could you?" and "Good luck, she's going to kick your ass." I was crying tears of laughter by the time I got on the next train.
RR was nowhere to be found on the platform at Astor. D called and I was like "I can't talk to you right now I have lost RR and I don't know what to do where she is shit i suck oh my god."
RR had apparently gone to the other side of the platform and saw me looking around, so she called and we were reunited.
We ended up being really really really late.
D had been late as well, but because he was sick. Again. My heart is breaking.
I couldn't decide between being worried to the point of having another meltdown or being giddy about having lost RR and having felt like the subject of a funny play about becoming a New Yorker.
When we got into Fez Under Time, there was a line. Not cool since we had reserved tickets, which means we should have gotten a seat. I was holding onto D because I was afraid he was going to pass out or something, when some dude approached RR. He seemed to know her. She seemed horrified by his very presence. She clenched her teeth and tried desperately to conceal her awkwardness, but needless to say she didn't do a good job. Apparently some dude she knows from Boston heard what she was doing and decided to just turn up unannounced and unplanned, which really wigged out RR.
A-W-K-W-A-R-D.
We couldn't get seats at first, so we stood by the bar and listened to the awful opening band while we jealously watched The Trachtenburg Daughter eat a gigantic plateful of spaghetti.
We eventually spotted three seats - not together - and decided to sit down because we were worried about D and starving.
And then - the show! If you do not know about the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, please consult:
http://www.slideshowplayers.com/
RR and I had seen them over a year ago during a snowstorm in Cambridge at the Middle East. We were simultaneously amused and horrified by them. At one point The Father called attention to us during the show and we were terrified, but not to the point that we weren't thrilled about the possibility of seeing them again.
The show was good. They played "Look At Me," which is our favorite. The Father was his usual punchy self only this time, unlike in Cambridge, he was a slightly more organized and therefore appealing punchy. He was funny, especially when talking about TheGates. If he wasn't so smart the banter might become exhausting, but he's witty and bizarre and lovely. He appeals to a specific sense of humor which I happen to have. Readers, this is not for everyone.
Towards the end of the set, The Father initiated a question-and-answer session, which included questions from the audience such as "Why are there only white people in your slides?" and a question to the daughter asking if she has aspirations involving something other than music. I think everyone worries about her. She answered "I would like to be an actor."
Things are clearly much worse than any of us could have imagined.
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