PHOTOS (From top to bottom)
1. Kim Thomas (Miss Brooklyn Executive Director), Melanie Gowrie (Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen 2009), Leigh Taylor Smith (Miss Brooklyn 2008/ Miss New York 2008) and myself!
2. BROOKLYN, REPRESENT! Miss Brooklyn '08 (and Miss NY '08) with Miss Brooklyn '09!
3.Myself with the lovely Kim Cantoni (Miss Staten Island), my roommate for Miss NY 2009!
4.Being divalicious with my sisters (Courtney- Miss Fulton County, and Kieren-former Miss Mohawk Valley)
5.With my lovely OT Melanie and a MNY board member!
6.With Albany's Mayor Jennings
7.The Miss NY Class of '09 (Minus Inga!)
This blog will be short (school ends this week and I have A LOT of writing to do!), but I wanted to update everyone on our fantastic weekend in Albany.
I rose at 4:30a on Saturday to shower and finish packing, before leaving at 6:30a to meet Kim Thomas (my ED) and Melanie Gowrie (Miss Brooklyn's Outstanding Teen) at Atlantic Terminal at 7:30a. Things got off to a SLOW start (Thanks, BQE) but after a side trip to Queens, we were finally through Jersey and on the thruway, heading up to Albany. We chatted the whole way up, some pageant talk, some not, and listened to Cosmo radio (surprisingly informative!).
We arrived at the Crown Plaza Hotel just in time to check into our rooms, check in with the Miss NY board, and then begin filming our individual video sessions. This was followed by a series of meetings, and then rehearsal with Kent (YAY!), a swimsuit preview (sigh) and then a choreography session. We had just under an hour to return to our rooms and prepare for a reception that evening with Albany's own Mayor Jennings. (Photos above).
The next day, after breakfast and check out, we returned to the Egg for a talent show of sorts, which was a lot of fun! Talent is definitely one of my favorite phases of competition, and it always makes me wish I was out in the audience so I could watch rather than be stuck backstage. We received lots of helpful critiques (special thanks to the reality panel, plus Claire and Stacie!), and our friends and family got to watch too! We learned a little about a new fundraiser for Miss NY (more info coming soon), spoke with Miss America 1998 (Kate Shindle) about interview, rehearsed a bit more before Kent had to leave, and then sat down with Leigh Taylor for a chat.
We also drew our competition order somewhere in that mix. I'm #19, and my sister, Courtney, is #20! What are the odds of us drawing numbers right next to each other? This puts us in Group B, which means we'll be competing in Swimsuit and Evening Gown on Thursday night and Talent and Onstage question Friday night.
I promise to write more as soon as this week is over! For now, I'm off to hit the books!
Best,
Keelie
