January

Well, they kick off the New Year in style.

Tara and James bring some meat up to Queens, where their good pals, Joe Jung and Jessi Blue host a small but energetic gathering for the evening.  They slap our steaks on the grill and also whip up some CRAB LEGS which are out of this world.  Games are played, drinks are sloshed around, people dance and fall over.  A night to remember indeed.

The decision to take the subway back to Bay Ridge was not the most intelligent decision Tara and James had ever made, but they end up busting out a board game and asking trivia questions to some random passengers. It passes the time and provides them with entertainment for the long ride home.

During this month, Tara starts a new temp job at Global Infrastructure Partners, which she affectionately (or not so) calls Globex. (Simpsons fans - Hank Scorpio does not work here, but Tara desperately wishes someone would carry around loose sugar in their pockets.)

After selling their specialty chocolate during the craziness of the Union Square Holiday Market in December, James begins work for his new pals, Andy and Justine at the Nunu flagship store in Brooklyn, chatting up amazing treats to anyone and everyone who comes in.

Meanwhile, Dinah the Wonderdog, refreshed from an African Safari, returns to celebrate her fourth birthday in style, renting out the penthouse suite at the Plaza Hotel. She manages to smuggle out three plush bathrobes for herself and her parents so they can all stay warm in their freezing apartment.

February

Oh February. What would everyone do without you? Let's count the ways...

1. They'd be warmer.
2. They'd be less cold.
Yup. That about sums it up. Aside from a few family birthdays, Groundhog Day (which has a 50/50 shot of being a happy holiday)and the long President's Day Weekend, February can dry up for all anybody cares. And all those New Year's resolutions to be more positive about February fly out the window.
Some highlights from this short yet endless month...

1. Waking up at the crack of dawn one morning to sign up for a tax appointment with Actor's Equity. (Times Square is actually halfway pleasant at 6am.)

2. Lots of auditioning for shows, seeing shows, watching shows on Netflix because it's too cold to go outside.

3. Cousin Rachel and Aunt Cheryl are in town over the long weekend and James and Tara join them at a favorite Italian restaurant for an evening of fine food, wine and making spectacles of themselves.

 4. Tara, James and a reluctant Dinah travel to the Berkshires one weekend to pump out their Valentine's Day-inspired Save the Date Cards for the wedding. Tara's brother Dave proves to have the patience of a saint as they try to get Dinah to pose as a priest. Here are some of the favorite outtakes...

 

But they finally get a great shot.  James lets Dinah eat the ring pop afterwards. She promptly barfs.

March...

Seems to come in like a lamb and out like a lion, oddly enough.

James continues to work at Nunu Chocolates, though the holiday rushes are at bay, and Tara plugs away at Globex during the lengthening days. During the course of the month, there are Project Theater Monday night readings, voice over auditions, drug testing appointments (thank you, Corporate America), and lest they forget, the ever-present wedding planning.

James performs with good friend Randy Harrison at Joe's Pub's monthly show, Our Hit Parade. They receive rave reviews for their original and controversial rendition of Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You," with James strumming chords on his accoustic guitar and Randy banging out notes on the glockenspiel.

At the end of the month, Project Theatre holds auditions for their upcoming show, "The Secretaries," written by the Five Lesbian Brothers,  and the casting process begins.

Dinah signs up for breakdancing lessons in hopes of a shot on "So You Think You Can Dance," but injures her left front paw while attempting a particularly difficult backspin move.

Once her cast is removed, Dinah and James have a sit-down to discuss a few less dangerous activities that she can participate in.

April, come she will...

April treats the Franklin Barry duo well. They travel to their respective hometowns during the first weekend to catch performances at their alumni schools. Tara flies to Boston over Easter weekend to visit cousins and James is still knee deep in chocolate. He manages to climb out to start rehearsals for the Public's Lab production of "Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson" Yes, indeed. A rock musical based on a very unsavory, yet misunderstood ex-president.

Tara begins rehearsals for "The Secretaries" and again they enter that special phase when she and James only see each other awake in photographs.  Dinah quickly recognizes the tension (and lack of any type of schedule) that these times create, so she follows suit and begins moonlighting for a rooftop beekeeper in Park Slope.  However, after discovering that keeping bees in NYC is illegal, and then considering the fact that she's been in trouble with the law before, she drops the gig.






At the end of the month, Tara's brother, Jordan, plays a show at the Alphabet Lounge on the Lower East Side and then manages to squeeze in some more music at Failte, an Irish Bar in Kip's Bay during a Project Theatre fundraising event. Good times are had by all.



Wedding Planning Update:

Tara begins work on the design of her wedding dress with her wonderful and talented friend, Olivera.

James plays phone tag with the caterers, the bar guys and other important wedding contacts.

Tara unsubscribes from the website "The Knot" because she can't keep up with their proposed schedule. There is no reason to start off every day with an email from an invisible e-wedding planner, yelling at you because you haven't picked out your towels yet. Sheesh.

May I?

Yes, you May.

James opens "Bloody Bloody..." and runs the show for three weeks to completely sold out audiences. He falls in love with the tight jeans that serve as his costume, and, well...Tara does too.

Dinah begins her summer early in the Berkshires as she is employed by the Red Lion Inn to run their boutique, the Pink Kitty. She confides in Tara and James that she is slowly and methodically convincing the management to change the atmosphere of the store to something a little more...canine.  She brings this design concept to a board meeting:

They are unimpressed.  She is demoted to the laundry room.

When she is not dealing with the trials and tribulations of working in the Stockbridge service industry, Dinah manages to spend some time with her Aunt Pepper and together they begin brainstorming for their next project.

Tara continues to rehearse "The Secretaries" until its opening over Memorial Day weekend at the 78th Street Theatre Lab. It's a raucous show full of lumberjack murdering, toner slugging, slimfast slurping, lingerie-clad secretaries in Big Bone, Oregon.

Needless to say, it's not everyone's cup of tea. Lots of family members visit and apparently still want to associate with Tara and James despite the violent nature of both productions. Huh.

Hey June

The first week of this month sees the final performances of "The Secretaries," and three members of the Five Lesbian Brothers catch a show.

Very intimidating because they wrote it.
Very exciting because they laugh at all the jokes the rest of the audiences never get.

Tara books and records a demo commercial for the skincare brand, St. Ives, which is cool because she actually uses a St. Ives product at home. Imagine that. But guess what? They actually don't care.

James leaves at the end of the first week for the Berkshires, where he begins rehearsals for BTF's revival production of "The Einstein Project."

Dinah and Pepper rent out a studio space in New York's Garment District and commence work on their new line of sexy stilettos called Heel.

Tara continues work at Globex, participating in many a happy hour now that James and Dinah are busy. She takes the train to the Berkshires every Friday after work to spend the weekend with James, since he has taken the Chevy Prizm (Curses) with him. Speaking of which, have you heard the good news? Their little star car is finally paid off, and the very month after the last check was sent, she decides to pass inspection for the FIRST TIME in the FIVE years they have owned her. No lie. Oh, sweet irony.

In case any of you Franklin Barry followers have wondered what this little gem looks like, here's a picture of a 2000 Chevy Prison.  Ahem.  Prism. The color is dead on, but imagine this puppy with no hubcaps, less shine, lots of rust, and the check engine light randomly flashing on and off.   And don't be surprised if there is some sort of law enforcement officer not too far behind her.

The weekends are full, hanging out with BTF friends, seeing shows, doing loads of wedding-planning-related activities, and making the most of their short spans of time together. 

Tara, The Countess and James at Moe's Tavern in Lee