Barb Sorensen’s Online Journal

HI so I landed back in Chicago today. En route to the hotel in the shuttle bus there were some other folks who saw my guitar and of course asked me about it and so we started talking and they invited me to perform a mini concert after their business conference this evening.. So I did
We all sat around the fireplace and shared stories and music. I totally enjoyed it.. It reminded me a bit of when I was in Corsica and hung out with a bunch of other musicians one night till 5:30 am. Met some neat folks and loved hearing the stories afterwards of everyone’s travels tonight too.
How fun Thanks for the invite
But now I”m totally tired! It’s almost 1 am and I’m going to sleep. Hope you’re all well
regards
BArb

Hey everybody. Thanks to everyone that came to my impromptu mini concert at the Hostel Sunday evening You helped make it a ton of fun!
I loved meeting eveyone from Argentina and Brazil and Australia and Mexico and the UK…And hearing all the cool accents and languages.
Thanks too for your enthusiasm with making the new podcast. I should have it edited and ready to go in a week… Will let you know when it’s ready for donwloading.
Hope you’re all having a great time wherever you are.

regards
BArb

HI everybody…So I’m in New YOrk - Manhatten this week-and-a-half. Every where I turn are signs from the Green Acres song.. Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, Fifth Avenue..etc…
All kinds of songs from Simon and Garfunkles music to songs about gramercy park etc..
I’m totally in Musical heaven here.
I seem to fit right in with the speedywalkers too LOL!!! Though the speedy New York way of talking is something I keep tripping over.. and then of course… I stumble and it sounds like I don’t know how to phrase a proper sentence. ugh! Totally tongue tied! Something to work on .

I found some cool whole foods stores out here and have been noticing that it seems to me like New Yorkers don’t cook any of their own meals. They just go downstairs to the deli or the nearest restaurant and eat. And there are sooooo many cool places to check out and eat at.
My favorite so far has been the Organic Veggie Candle Cafe.. Yummy!

I’ve done a bit of “work” too while I”m here..
I auditioned with some folks, gave a mini concert in the Youth Hostel, made some new fans, met some folks and talked “shop” and learned to talk like a Staten Islander. heee hee he that’s sooo cool!~ Ok so that last part about talking like a Staten Islander isn’t really work….. but it’s fun to mimic.. and who knows.. maybe it will come in handy in a movie some day.. LOL !

I took the Staten Island Ferry and had dinner over there. It was really cool…. er.. c.c.c.c.c.cccold! and foggy! so the Statue of Liberty’s head disappeared in the clouds. but that’s ok. it came out again later when the fog lifted.. LOL!

Got some awesome pictures of the skyline and the city. I am feeling like such a tourist! Taking zillions of photos! here’ s a few samples..Barb’s Touristy Photos

I also walked by ground zero and felt the impact finally of all that happened here. I did nt’ feel affected by it until I had walked through times square and other tourist places and then saw how big the buildings really were in real life, and felt the vibrancy of the city and it’s people and how many people died. wow… was all I could think.. and the Pictures…it felt soo healing to stand there and see how this open wound is transforming and the positive calm serenity that comes from being there now. I feel like over these past few years my faith in the good and the sanity of humans has diminished tons. BUt then when I saw a picture of an immigrant holding up a sign, as they were looking for survivors, offering his blood type, I cried. wow! faith in the good of people returning yeah! cool! “aaaahhhh.. I’m melting!”
I also like how they have a thing about not selling or buying or giving money to anyone on the grounds or doing any business on the grounds. to respect the sacredness of the site. That felt nice )

SO today is Wednesday and it’s freezing cccooolllld outside Brrrrrrrr…….ouch!
Time to go back to CA!
Anyone need a housesitter out there?

Luckily I packed my hotsocks with me and this youth hostel has a nice microwave. I can keep my ribs warmed up mmmmmmmmm

OBTW>. you can purchase your very own official “Barb Sorensen” Hot Socks at my website….
Orders Page

I”M hoping to check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art and take the subway to New Joysey before I head back!~.. er.. I mean.. New Jersey. he he he he
Hope you’re all doing well

regards
Barb

Hi so I was in CA for three weeks , then hit chicago for 3 days and now I”m totally enjoying New York! Yeah!!!!
here are some cool links of pictures I took tonight
I felt realyl good walking around outside. the weather isn’t too cold and the folks are really nice and friendly and I enjoyed looking at all the lighted signs and billboards and stores in Times Square.
I walked down to grand central station to explore and took a subway out to 77th street. Had dinner at an awesome organic veggie restaruant. then came back to the station Inside there were some artists performing here and there and I just was totally enthralled with this guy
Rap Pantomime…um… you’ll have to tilt your head sideways to watch it cause I tilted my camera that way when I took it and the software I have won’t let me edit it. ugh! whoops

here is link to the pictures I took of times squareTime Square Pics
I”ll be here a few more days.
Giving a skype cast concert tomorrow at noon chicago time and then going to meet up wtih some industry folks and hang a bit.. hope all is well by you
regards
BArb

So I landed here on Wednesday yesterday.
I was tired - overtired and hungry and angry and etc…. The youth hostel I had the shuttle bus driver take me too was awful. It was pretty run down and they charged $35/night for it. ugh I knew rent was high in the city so I figured that was the best I could do on my very limited budget since the accident. The place only had mixed dorms and so when I asked for an all female dorm room the guy gave me a hard time and then said he jjust changed one of his rooms to be all female but that it would now cost me $50/night ugh! I thought I”d try it since I was too tired to go anywhere else and had to get ready for a music conference last night that I was going to attend.

when he showed me the room it reeked of pesticides and bug or rat killer spray, and was cold. the heat wouldn’t come on either. When I went back to tell him, they brought an electric heater for me to use in the room .. so I plugged it in but then the fuse blew on the entire building and so again I had no heat and now no lights either ugh! So I traipsed back up to the front desk and complained once again . THen I found out that one of the kitchen fridges was not working either and the other one reeked as if there was something dead in it. yuck!
So I mentioned it to the clerk who wasn’t too happy to see me by now. But then I wasn’t too happy to see him again either.
I was soo tired by now that I just went to my room and tried to lay down and take a nap.
When I woke up it was time to go to the conference so I got dressed and left.
the conference went well but I was not up to par. By now I was really tired and when I got back I just fell into bed and slept. when I woke up this morning I realized that I could not tolerate this hostel one more night. The thought of paying extra for a place where I was breathing in dangerous chemicals that could affect me years from now was not pleasant. the entire place.. well, it was just too gross…. so I went across the street to the apartment complex and found a yellow pages and sought out a new hostel. I didnt’ make a call to them I just hailed a cab and left. I figured anything would be better than this place… it was a desperate legwork of faith. I had no energy left and was just running away from this place as fast as I could. I was scared because I am on a very limited budget right now and I was still really tired from the night before and the airplane trip still. so the cab driver drove me to the new place and I asked him to wait for me, in case this one was just as bad tooo….I figured if worse came to worse I’d just get a fancy hotel room and chalk it up to experience financially. But at least I would be in a cleaner and safer environment and healthier all around. but when I walked in to this new one it was awesome! (well, as far as youth hostels go) clean, bright and white, with clean sparkly white bathrooms, a nice clean functional elevator with security, well kept up, smelled clean even. friendly front desk staff, clean fridges that worked. power, laundry room, free internet access! so I stayed yeah! and it was tons cheaper than the dive hostel I first landed at..only $35.. not $50 for an all female dorm!
When I first walked into this new one I felt as If I had been rewarded for having blind faith that there was better out there for me and something more conducive to my needs, and having taken the action to get the heck out of the other place.I felt good and relieved

the funny thing is. I have this thing where, when I get overly tired and cranky it’s hard to imagine there is anything better out there. I tend to get all negative and cranky and moany and try to sludge through thinking that is all there is for folks without a ton of money. And I know it’s not the truth but that is just what happens when I get overly tired and mad.
But over the years I have had enough experiences to know that that is NOT all there is and it was good to be reminded again how it’s not always the way I see things in the moment and to take a step back and take a leap of faith in a good direction and as long as I do excellent self care. the universe rewards me tons more .. But first i have to get willing to let go of the bad… and then jump.. just like one would if they were bungee jumping. First let go of the railing. then jump forward into the great positive direction-ed unknown, praying like heck and trusting you will land on your feet.. and voila! Works 99% of the time..
of course I”ve never bungee jumped, but I am a full time singer/songwriter since 1994.. so I think that counts for something, eh?! hee hhehee

so I’m in New York, this week and last, just practicing “bungee jumping” in my career. meeting with folks and testing out the waters to see if I can find what I want and am looking for to work with….

I am getting tons better at bungee jumping and I’m sure that exactly what I want is definitely out there.. just a matter of jumping some more…

hope you’re all well and bungee jumping in your own lives as well.. I mean after all life is waaaaayyyy tooo short! and you never know how long you have.

regards
Barb