From This Moment On- Tracking down my shots in the light and the dark

“So what do you really do?” Kat asked me as we were waiting to sing carols for the firefighters and their families in the Lower East Side. (Lower East Side, Red Hook, and Sunset Park this year, respectively) “..when you’re not here, what do you do in the real world?" Kat pressed. "Because today we’re basically elves” she joked. I never thought of it like that but I guess in a way we do take on this elf-y role as we go to the firefighters’ parties, cheerfully sing a few songs, have some of their food, coffee, and tea and get to thank them for all that they do. Except for manufacturing toys, we're very elf-like for them, free of charge. I've been volunteering as an FDNY caroler for about 5 years now, ever since I found out about them through the playwright group I was a part of, as a reading actor, not a writer. Most of us are in show biz one way or another. Kat does voice-over work and is a stunt woman but is about to retire f

In recent years I've become such a sucker for Holiday prep. R ight away the Christmas songs are clicked on my Pandora Radio or a YouTube playlist, the tree goes up, some decorations, and I opt for red nail polish- a bright, December red as opposed to a deep, November red or as Amanda in "The Holiday" says when putting together the new Christmas movie trailer, "A happy red not a Scorsese red!" One of my happy December reds last year I didnt always do that and can absolutely understand as well as experience the opposite feelings, an aversion to the holidays and its cheer. How it can feel fake and forced and then downright tragic when you reflect on the year, time, life- with no hope of world peace- The corniness, commercialization, the overspending, overeating. The slush on the streets. The heightened emotions that come with all the celebrations. The bad Christmas shows and songs that come out and you're just like and when