April is HERE.

So I wrote this [totally awesome] blog post a couple of days ago while playing on my iPad in New York, and it got erased.  Not so easy to proof read a post on an iPad, I'm just saying.  Anyway, I threw down my toy in frustration, and here I am...going to try to blog yet again!

Ironically, I mentioned in said blog how much I love my iPad.  It was pretty much a shameless plug for Apple, and then it goes and treats me like that.  Sometimes life is funny.

Anyway, the point of that is, if I am attempting to blog on my iPad, it can only mean one thing:

I.AM.TRAVELING.

Yes, yes, I've been in New York for a couple of weeks now making my New York City Opera debut as Rooster Wild Thing in the opera "Where the Wild Things Are."  Haha, I know what you are thinking...just stop being jealous that I am making my debut in New York as a bumbling Wild Thing, okay?  It's my job :)

So a brief update on this stingy traveler.  In the past two weeks, I've been living in New York, made two trips to Philadelphia, and I have had to return to Boston twice now for rehearsals there (which is where I am this morning typing this blog on my dearly beloved Mac desktop).  Life is good.  I must admit, however, that all of this traveling has really put my frugality to the test, and here is why:

I know quite a lot of [wonderful] people in New York City.  So coming to town for a longer period of time, I am constantly plagued with the same idea:

"WE SHOULD DO DINNER!"

Plagued. Ha, I'm such a jerk.  OF COURSE, I want to see these people, and frankly, I am not in New York City to make mac and cheese in my apartment.  So from my Frugal Rock standpoint, I have to face a very important fact here: it's time to live a little.  But have you ever stopped to think about how often we make excuses on why it's okay to spend a little extra dough?

"Well so-and-so's in town..."

"I really do neeeed a new one!"

"You know, I really do need to completely re-do my wardrobe..."

"It's Tuesday."

So where do we draw the line?  I'm not saying people shouldn't have a little fun...in fact, I'm saying that we only live once, so at times it is important to LIVE A LITTLE!  BUT I think we can also be smart about it.  For example, because I don't go out to eat on a regular basis when I am home in Boston, I think it is more than acceptable to meet some friends for dinner while I'm in New York.  I definitely want to see them all, and it's NEW YORK for goodness sake!  You can close your eyes, throw a rock, and you'll probably hit a restaurant.  [Or a homeless person].  I'm only here for 3 weeks, and if I were going to be here any longer, I certainly wouldn't make a habit of going out all the time.

In fact, twice in the last week, I've had the pleasure of hanging out with some people at their apartments, and we made dinner for ourselves.  And we had a good time!  Made me feel a little better about the restaurant receipts that have been accumulating up until now...Also, I have to consider that the opera company is giving me a pretty generous per diem to sustain me while I'm in New York.  And since I got a smacking good deal on my sublet, I can feel safe that a few extra [and abnormal] trips out to dinner won't break this stingy traveler's bank, not even for a second.


So here I am, enjoying my last day in Boston until the week is over, and I am genuinely excited to get back to New York.  This week, I have 3 performances, and my family comes in to town on Thursday.  Very excited to see everyone, and now that rehearsals have died down, I should have a little free time this week to enjoy my last bit of time in New York (until, of course, I come back next month for auditions).

And, as always, I can't help but smile at the life I lead.  It's no better than anyone else's, but it's mine, and I'm doing what I love.  Even though I keep a close eye on my bank account, I can still shake it off and have a good time.  I can't help the fact that I possess small symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but at the end of the day, I can sit back and smile knowing my life could be worse off.

Way worse off.  


And I'm thankful it's not :)

See you at dinner!