DevinRitchie.com

I write so many blogs. I write so many blogs and delete them. Sometimes I get writers block. Sometimes I sound stupid. Sometimes I pointlessly complain. Sometimes I brag, and I hate that. Sometimes I am too self conscience of whats on here. Sometimes I remember that anyone can read this, and I have no business writing about anyone else but me. I haven’t ever gotten in trouble for this but have just been thinking about the permanence of the internet and how I have a tendency to write about the people in my life, and this shit is PUBLIC and maybe thats not cool. I have been coming up with a privacy policy, I will not be using full names at all, and pictures will all be approved. Now that we have some business out of the way… what the fuck is going on with Devin Ritchie and how is New York City treating him?

It’s been nearly 2 months since I checked in with yall and it has been crazy. Been working a lot, been to some theatre, went to a couple concerts, hurricanes, hung out with friends, earthquakes, created drama, started dated someone, had some extended family visit, continued with my improv classes, drank, made new friends, stopped dating someone, built ikea furniture, watched a lot of breaking bad, and generally have been keeping on keeping on.

Mostly my time is spent working and sleeping. Which is great. I do like my job. Hours are long, but it is worth it, and it keeps me out of trouble and my bank account afloat. I have recently been toying with the idea of taking a sommelier class to actually get some real wine education. I hate not being able to answer questions that I should know. I even started training people at work, crazy right!?

Lately I have been missing people. I have some good friends here but only a couple good ones, not to offend anyone, but it takes time to really build the relationships and the closeness I have with people speckled throughout California. I guess I am bit homesick, natural I suppose, I did spend my whole life there. I gotta find a few days when I can get back to visit, I just dont know if I feel ready. Like I am not established enough here to leave for any time. I have just been having some anxiety set in about everything recently. Even though things are still great in New York; I make good money, have friends, and have a great place to live, but I’m still adjusting. This was the plan, and it was never supposed to be easy, and if this is the hardest part… I suppose I’m fine.

I was dating someone for awhile, a 27 yr old who was a customer. It was going great for a little bit multiple dates, some sleepovers, some meet the friends and family, then as per usual once I finally got invested we ended things. So I’ve already had my first (of many) failed relationships in the city. Only a couple years until I have to leave this town too I chalk this entirely up to New York dating experience.

Fall is beginning and everyone tells me this is the most beautiful time to be in New York, and I love fall anyways so I am excited. But the glean and the newness of this adventure is wearing off and the real life is beginning. I have already done a fucking ton in New York in 4 months and I need to keep at it and do more and more.

And it’s my birthday next Monday october 3rd and I havent planned anything. Its weird having my birthday here. I really just dont know what to do at all.

I’ll give you guys more details soon on everything. I really just needed to post something to break the dam of my writers block. feels good to be back yall.

hey yall. 3 day weekend right now! trying to catch up on my life (clean, do laundry, etc…), get money shit in order, and try to relax.

Everything has been going great, I have been working 5 or 6 days a week at Grape and Grain, aside from a few procedural fuck ups I make (I am terrible at counting apparently.), its going super good. Starting to have regular customers and I am getting more and more familiar with the menu. I even started working some private parties. I had three this weekend. Including a gay wedding rehearsal dinner! Then they invited me to come the reception the next day. Which I did and it was awesome.

Home sickness is setting in. I just want to be at the river at paradise beach in Sacramento with a 4loko right now. I am missing my friends plays. I am missing families birthdays. Perhaps worst of all, I am missing friends weddings. Trina and Victoria got married last week and I wish I cold have been there. My friends were all there and then drunkenly called me from the bar after while I was walking home from an extremely hot and long shift, and I had a moment of “why the fuck am I not there with all my friends in my bar celebrating my friends wedding?” The feeling comes and goes, but generally miss everyone. and this will only get worse. Especially when its snowy in winter. ugh. Not looking forward to that. at all. And I am going to have to miss at least one major holiday. That is going to be terrible.

My life has been so busy lately. Mostly I just work and sleep, which is fine for now, just trying to  work my ass off and get myself comfortable here. Oh speaking of which I just bought a bed! Well just the mattress. My roommate had an old IKEA frame that I seem to be missing a part for. So I’m just put my mattress on the floor now. Makes a big difference in my quality of life. I want to get my room set up. get like a desk and shelves and shit. it kinda just looks a bit like hobo squat right now. The empty coors light tallboys dont help.

I am making a good amount of money, but I have so many bills and much debt. Rent. Electricity. Phone. Paying my mom back. more classes. And I need new head shots. oh yeah, and I eat and drink. its like? where the fuck did all my money go? Welcome to being an adult not living at your moms house Devin.

I finished the 2 week intensive at UCB. I signed up for the next 301 class starting in late August. I’m ready. I think a couple week break will be good. I’m meeting a few of the girls from my 101 class for dinner tonight.

New York has been amazing to me so far. I got a great room right away. A great job. And a great group of friends. its only been a couple months. I dont want this to sound like bragging. I am thankful and amazed and blessed. I am a big advocate of appreciating the good times when they are here. and this is it. I dont know what tragedy or shitstorm will hit me next, and I’m sure I will complain, but for the time being everything is beautiful and I just want to appreciate that. I am a fortunate person I just want to thank the universe for that somehow. I am counting my blessings right now. I am just terrrrrible at counting.

and I’m seeing Sufjan Stevens at Prospect Park on wednesday. oh AND I have a date with a customer on tuesday lol.

Love yall,

peace

Hey guys! I have been super busy lately so I havent had too much bloggy time. Lets catch up.

My mom came and visited for a week which was great. I got to do all the touristy shit in New York. Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Ground Zero, Broadway shows, Top of the Rock, etc etc etc. It was super fun, and it was kinda my last week before I dive into working and a new class. Not to mention we got to see WAR HORSE. Which was epic. I cried. It was so fuckin good, I cant even. Generally it made every other play I have ever seen a piece of shit. Not to over hype it. The puppetry, the acting, the lighting. damn. And it is such a simple script. Boy misses his horse and tries to find it. Thats the plot. But its so good. Then we saw Cirque Du Soleil’s opening night of Zarkana at the Radio City Music Hall. Which was also awesome. Cool stunts, beautiful staging, and great music. But its still like a glorified circus ya know? Basically a series of stunts and tricks that somehow tried to be tied together by a storyline. Which was not needed really. Still super cool.

I also had a figure modeling job for an art class. Sitting still naked for four hours a day. Not a terribleway to make money. And there was some sweet paintings done of me. Not the most flattering

This is one of the less revealing paintings...

position, and its not quite done, but you get the gist. Pretty cool experience. I probably wont have another class until the fall semester.

I finished the improv 101 class at Upright Citizens Brigade, I got to perform on the UCB stage for the graduation show which was RAD. Sure it was at noon and pretty much no one was there, but we still rocked it. I felt like I had a pretty good fucking show too. I started the 201 intensive 2 week class 2 days later. This class definitely  has an overall higher skill level and requires trying harder. I dont feel like the best. At least not right now. The current format is also frustrating and hard for anyone to really shine at. I have one more week of classes and then another show at UCB. and then hopefully I can find a 301 class pretty soon. I also applied for a diversity scholarship through UCB. I’m not all that diverse… but why not apply? I am trying to bang these classes out this year, up my skill level, find some people and get performing. It’s a lot happening pretty fast.

Me and Yecenia about to rock UCB!

I have been working a fuck ton at Grape & Grain. I am making more money than I had anticipated to this early on in my New York life which is so amazing I cant even say. I love the job. This is exactly what I wanted to do in a sweet area, awesome customers, good wine, good food. shit yeah. I have been there about 3 weeks and I am still getting used to the wines, beers, food, prices, procedure, and dont even get me started on the artisanal cheeses. I am not quite the rockstar I wanna be yet. Once I get a little more familiar with everything and a bit more confidence it will be good. I hear a lot of people saying how slow it is because New York is so dead in the summer. I’m like wtf? it gets better than this? sweet. I’m working 5 days next week, but today starts my three day weekend. woot.

I am saving my pennies right now. Trying to recover debt to my mom and maybe put some money away. I need some stuff though. Like a bed. I am comfortable though and can afford food and rent and then some so it is time for celebration yo.

I’m gonna go get a beer with cousin brian and enjoy my weekend.

Peace.

Hey Yall! My Mom is visiting all this week which is so awesome to have a taste of home life. She got here on Sunday, I took her out to coffee, saw a little bit of the pride parade, brunch, and then some city touring.

We have tickets for War Horse on Thursday(!) and we just got tickets for Cirque Du Soliel’s (or circus ole’ as my mom and sister call it) Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall tomorrow!(turrrrible seats though but who cares?) It has been a fun couple of touristy days, which is rad because I haven’t done any of that shit either yet.

Today we got free tickets to the Late Show with David Letterman, they don’t tell you who the guest is until right before the show. My research lead me to believe it was either Tom Hanks or Patrick Dempsey (tough call…) But it turns out it was Julia Roberts! AND Sacramento’s own CAKE. Double win. AND THEN Tom Hanks popped in anyways. It was an awesome show except for one part, Dave does not try anymore. I rarely find him all that funny, but I found is lack of enthusiasm totally off putting, and then he was a terrible interviewer. But those mid-westerners in the audience ate that shit up. this literally happened “did you guys know this? The very first television commercial aired 70 years ago?…..” no response from the audience… “did the audience leave? hello? wake up guys?” Me- “oh I’m sorry, I was waiting for a punchline or even an interesting fact I can clap for.” He also referenced several times that he cant believe people pay him to do this crap, and frankly I don’t believe it either, and found his knowledge of this pretty off putting too. ANYWAYS. Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were funny and awesome and cake rocked with a new song. And the CBS Orchestra aint nothin to fuck with either. After the show we went to the Top of the Rock, the observation deck of the Rockefeller Center. It was pretty breathtaking to have that kind of view of all of Manhattan, Jersey, Brooklyn, and Queens. We timed it so we would be getting there right before sunset when all the city lights start turning on, it was beautiful.

I cant wait to see my first Broadway shows this week! And with my Mom! I have been having a great time hanging out with her and just catching up. Also I have stayed at her hotel a couple nights which is a welcome change to my air mattress and M-train adjacent window. Tomorrow were gonna hit up go see Ground Zero and the Statue of Liberty and then see Zarkana. Pretty cool day.

I am trying to enjoy myself and get some rest because I start real work on Friday. I am so excited. My mom, Maggie and I went to Grape and Grain for dinner last night and I can finally say yes the food is awesome. I have been studying the menu haha.

More good news is that I am registered for the improv 201 2 week intensive program at UCB. Its basically 3 hours 4 days a week for 2 weeks. Sweet. I wanna bang this shit out and be more… well… intense about it. This is great because I wanna keep with the momentum and do as much as I can while the fire in my belly is burning bright. Once I finish 401 I can get placed on a harold team. That is pretty much the year goal. (aside from being independent, keeping a job, and paying my rent).

I will keep you guys updated with how my mom’s visit is going and look for a ridiculous happy Birthday Jenny and kyle post on Friday. oh yeah.

peace

NEW YORK! First of all, gay marriage passed! I just moved here not even 6 weeks ago and marriage equality was just signed into law. On the eve of PRIDE weekend. Like WTF? What an amazing time to live here. Though, I am realistic. I have celebrated this before in California and had it taken away with Prop 8. Which was about the time I actually started dating men. I was there protesting on the capital steps in Sacramento while a dj blared electronica/pop and the whole thing turned into a gay dance party. It was amazing. I’m not counting my chickens, also I’m not getting married to anyone (but I COULD!), but this bodes well for the future

2nd amazing thing is that I just got HIRED at a cute little restaurant and wine/beer bar in the East Village called Grape and Grain. It is so perfect I cant even tell you, I just had my first day of training today. Its mostly being a waiter and bartender (only wine and beer). Small plates. Some sandwiches, salads, cheese plates etc… that sorta thing. My shift started with tasting through the wine list (…careful devin) and some beer. Some pretty high-end stuff, and I didn’t taste any of the food but it smelled awesome! A little rustic, a little exposed brick, T-shirts and jeans people, good music, great location only like 5 stops away on the subway on Avenue B. They are gonna schedule me for like 4-5 shifts a week. I will totally be able to make rent and then some. BIG SIGH OF RELIEF. It is such a huge weight off my shoulders to know I have a paycheck coming. AND I like it. Win.

The icing on the gay marrriage passing- job getting weekend is my Mom is coming in the morning! (shit more like 4 hours away…). She is visiting for a week, were gonna do New York touristy stuff (which is great cause I totally havent yet), Statue of Liberty, 30 rock, Ground Zero, AND see our first Broadway show! Oh no a big deal, just the Tony award winner for Best Play 2011 War Horse! So excited just to catch up with my mom and hang out and show her around and introduce her to my friends.

This weekend will be tough to beat, we had Maggie’s birthday party on Friday at the house and we all surprised her with our own portraits of her and tales of her infamy, I hosted it around the campfire in the backyard. As partys go, I drank wine and we danced until 5am. Great times.

If feel extremely lucky to have landed so great in New York. I haven’t even been here 6 weeks guys! and I was a beer can last week! I really could not have imagined or asked for better first few weeks here. I’m blessed.

Maybe I’m just having a good week, but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Fuck yeah New York, fuck yeah Devin Ritchie.

peace.