Triple Act II runthrough today, after a morning of review rehearsals. The first run was a bit clunky, but the last was great. Tomorrow our first full run.

I'm feeling a bit dry, and hoping I'm not getting the cold that one of our Kurts has brought to rehearsals. I think it's just aclimating to the desert after living on the coast. I can't seem to drink enough water to stay hydrated for longer than a few hours. My huge water bottle sprung a leak at rehearsals the other day, so I'm relying on the fountain.

Personal victory, I have now climbed the hill to my house on my bike twice without getting off and walking the last bit. Next goal is to be able to do it while singing "Doe a Deer" at the top of my lungs. I also got a library card - and checked out the Hitchhiker's Guide to read this weekend.

An endless runthrough with the kids, who are all doing a great job, but with double casting we run and run and run the kids songs. A break, and an hour Laendler review.

It's really starting to look good, and we have our first Act 1 runthrough tonight. It's going to be nice to put everything together finally. I'm going to stop by to see the manager at a job I'm hoping to get lined up so I can stop wondering when that's going to fall into place, and then rest for a few hours until its time for a review before the run.

I got my first full night's sleep last night, and am feeling good, if a little tired of singing the closing number over and over and over and over.

Last night was complete schizophrenia. I had to remember my own blocking, the blocking of the lead I'mm understudying, and then out of the blue, I found out I'mm also in the chorus as a completely different character, and I have to learn more music. Not a huge deal since I already am in the scene, but more to do.

Today we blocked our last kids number. The only dance we have left is the Laendler. That happens...thursday? I've lost track. Today Maria was a little more centered. I'd gone completely overboard trying to get rid of my own rather prim mannerisms, and had to reign in my Maria-on-the-run persona. Putting on my character shoes fixed most of it. I'm also moving slower.

In my bit of spare time I'm going to eat lunch and go to safeway to buy hairspray. Then, rehearsals until 10. The long days have commenced in earnest, and I'm raring to go. First full Act-1 runthrough on Thursday night.

Like Solvang

It's beginning to feel a lot like Solvang...

Well, here I am, writing to you from the Library - slash - Civic Offices Building in downtown. My bike is up and running, and I thought it would be good now to take advantage of a rather long lunch break that will rarely be repeated in the next few weeks.

The weather is sunny and warm. Walking to rehearsal this morning I was able to air my glittery short skirt - the only above-the-knees anything I've worn in ages. Looking down, I could see my legs shining white in the morning sunshine.

Today is a Kiss Me Kate day. We have one vocal rehearsal this afternoon for Marias and Captains, but all the blocking tonight is for the other. I added mayo to my tuna salad a la Becky, and may make it last two or three lunches. I filled my car with all the groceries I had in the house, and stopped at an outlet store to pick up the obligatory Ramen Noodles (3.00 for 12), Macaroni and Cheese (off brand, 3 for 1.00), some produce and a box of dented Cheese-its. The above must last until I can start working in July, so any stretching I can do is necessary. I also brought along some yeast and flour - to bake bread when I run out of my current loaf. Ah the life of a performer.

I didn't want to add extra gas in my car, since the plan is to ride my bike everywhere and not use my car again until its time to go home. So I was gaging my gas usage, furious at anyone who made me brake suddenly, or come off cruise control, and pulled into town just as the gas light came on. Hurrah!

Now I'm on my own power, settled into my little room. The windows must be on the East Side of the house - because I woke at 5:54 with sun in my room. It's a lovely little place. I'm all unpacked and settled in, with my coffee maker in my room as well. This morning I slept in a bit, brewed coffee, did a smattering of yoga to wear off the road-weariness, showered and walked the quarter mile to rehearsal. I love the weather here, and walking down the road with the farms on the ground and mountains on all sides, it's all I can do not to throw out my arms and twirl a-la Julie Andrews.

Now I'm going to bike around and try not to break any laws as I find milk for my coffee. Hopefully someone has a sale.

Ciao all!

Last day of Sanity

Last Day of Sanity

Today is the end of my vacation. Tomorrow I head back down for one more post-op appointment, then board the plane for home.

I've had a great trip. I ate at Manny's twice - and had our chicken avacado burrito, Drea. I had some chocolate at Rocky Mountain, coffee and Wendy's, sang at Fess' Inn on Thursday, sang in church today (after which a lot of people, upon learning that I act - not sing - for a living, expressed incredulity that a person with my voice would do anything but stand up and sing, which I find boring compared to DOING a SHOW), had Thai at Boonie's one town north, ate at the waterfront one town South, and wandered the Paseo eating Ben and Jerry's from a cone.

My vision is 20:20 now, and isn't dry anymore, and in another day or so I'll be able to wear eye makeup again. Very very exciting for me - since I love to dress them up.

I've had lots of chances to nap, sit in the sun, and watch late-night sitcom reruns while resting. I've also practiced some, and ran lines, and feel ready for rehearsals to start. I have some more ideas to try in the kids songs and with the Captain.

I have 48 hours at home, while packing to leave for my summer shows. I've got to meet up with Fred, pack up my room, load my car, make a key, move in my subletter, and have coffee with Bean on the road - where I'll give her the bridal shower present that's been sitting in my car.

Then, 3 weeks of 8am-10pm rehearsals, and my first show opens!

Ta for now - see you when the dust settles.

I CAN SEE! I CAN SEE!!!

I'm also very tired from getting my eyes fried yesterday.

But I can see signs and words and hills and mountains and in the mirror and flowers and my feet and that I need a pedicure and that I left conditioner in my hair trying not to get water in my eyes in the shower and the birds and the television and my hand when I wake up and don't have to look for my glasses after all.

It's really nice.

Going Crazy

Only time for a short one. I'm trying to get out of town shortly. All my bills are paid, the cats fed, my suitcase packed.

I'm trying to make copies of my resume, but this computer won't let me. I'll have to stop by Miles and Becky's before I go.

I'm in rehearsal this weekend, then getting my eyes fixed next week, then moving for the summer. It's all snuck up on me, but I'm prepared already, so I'm not worried.

I've got to go make copies of my work schedule for taxes, and copies of my music for singing next Thursday. I should anticipate that I'll also be asked to sing in church on Sunday, but I think I'll leave that to chance.

I'll talk to you guys probably from California.

In a twist, my new side job has me spending hours typing sentences like this:

Also regionally, vegetation cover is sensitive to the differences between the gravelly fanglomerates of the bajadas and the alluvium of the valley floor.

Western Christianity

I've got a bit of a rant coming, so be warned:

I recently went into a Christian Bookstore. Normally I avoid those places like the plague, as in order to get to anything of value (ie Bibles, good Christian authors, Classics, Reference, perhaps even some music) you have to wade through endless shelves, rows and piles of Christian stuff.

So I went in, looking for an NRSV Bible to pricecheck. My old NIV fell apart in Cambodia (I'm missing all of my reference material, and parts of Revalation - which to me, is not much of loss. I don't like that book much anyway, except in parts. Caused me endless nightmares at a child.) and one of our speakers read from NRSV and I like the translation.

As I walked through trying, first, to located the Bibles (Grievance one: shouldn't that be THE MOST obvious thing in the store? Right up front where one might walk in and steal one because it's so accessible - and more power to them if they did, might be useful to them, in the end) I passed the statues, the plaques, the coffee cups and wall art. The streamers and banners and greeting cards. The glossy self-help books and End times fiction, movies, cds, stickers, pins, pens, bookends, christmas ornaments, placards. And I finally found the Bibles. But not "regular" ones. There were commemorative ones, shortened ones, paraphrased, for Dads, for Grads, for Moms, for Army and Navy men and women.

I'm not a translation snob. There are some I like better than others, and some I don't like at all (The message kills me, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy it for someone who wants a fresh revision or will get lost by all the historical and cultural references). I love that we have some options, and can understand what we're reading better by reading another translation and getting something new out of it. But all of these special editions were superfluous.

I didn't find what I was looking for, and I made a hasty exit before I started to cry - which is my reaction to a lot of Christian crap.

Christian Bookstores are deeply antithetical to the teachings of Christ.

There is nothing wrong with 'Christian Enrichment' per se. We are very very lucky to have such a wealth of Christian authors and the freedom to read them. In Cambodia the only Christian authors that have been translated for them are the ones going through doing crusades and faith healing movements, and some of their books are less than orthodox.

We have no business to be spending our excess in this fashion. We are very wealthy. We have lots of money to spend, but we should be putting it to better use than filling our houses, cars, and bodies will themed decorations. With all of the people lacking in our world; the 30,000 children who die every day from preventable and treatable diseases; the many natural disasters and unnatural ones; the children lacking basic education and sanitation; the girls subjected to slavery and rape by their parents and villages; and the billions who will never know that there is a God who loves them; we have no business to be supporting an industry of producing crap for our own display.

With all the privileges we have - and being wealthy is a great privilege. On a worldwide scale, even those of us who consider ourselves just barely making it are in the top 10% of living. If you own two cars for your family you just jumped to the top 5%. God gives us this incredible opportunity to use our money to do such good in this world, and we squander it. Giving money away isn't a burden, it's a joy to have the excess to spread around and do good. Many Christians in this world would love to have what we have, and would use it far better.

What are we thinking?

Between all the odd jobs, role learning (two days have gone by since my last practice sesson, but the sun has been out for three days - a miraculous thing in Seattle, and it justifies letting everything else go while you move 'round your porch playing lizard.), cleaning, and getting ready to leave town in two weeks, I've found a new hobby.

It came about like this. One morning the girls got up early, so the Younger One started flipping channels and found Bob Ross. She exclaimed that she loves him, and I agreed (I painted a few happy little trees at a summer painting class), and we watched PBS. The next morning, early again, we flipped on PBS and found an art show, and one of the guest artists was into Artist Trading Cards.

What the heck are those, I wondered.

Well, artsy people worldwide create minature art on trading card size pieces of paper (or metal, or whatever) Anything goes, except you have to keep within the required size (2.5" X 3.5"), and you cannot sell them, only trade them for others by mail or at ATC meetings.

Amateurs and professionals do these, and then trade them with people all over the globe. How cool is that!!?

And it's a great way to use up those tiny leftover pieces of scrapbooking paper that's too big to throw away, but too small to use.

I've made ten so far.



...Oh, and check out this site for some really neat ones!!!