[primal scream] This afternoon I learned from an e-mail that I suspect was meant for someone else that an app I've been fighting with since last June has a known problem! I didn't think it was operator error; now I've had that suspicion confirmed. But oh, how aggravating to learn I've been banging my head against a brick wall for 10 months, wasting untold taxpayer-funded hours, because of this. [scream]
Last night I went to a music rehearsal - another waste of time for me, as they never touched any of my music. So I have to go tonight because they didn't manage last night's rehearsal time well. Which is bad enough, but I have only cut out the apron I need to make; haven't even marked the pattern pieces yet. I sure coulda used the time last night to sew, instead of sitting around waiting for a turn that never came. Bleah.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Latest audition results
I got a call the other night from the Music Hall producer: they didn't cast me because "we got too many women" auditioning. Which is much nicer than telling me they didn't need a bellydancer and weren't interested in what flabby singing voice I had to show them.
However, they'll be happy to have me as a barmaid (the ticket price includes beer/wine and snacks). It seems the barmaids also encourage the audience to sing along at appropriate places, though as I've never even attended a music hall, I don't know where that audience participation might come in. But singing? Sure, I'll be happy to!
The producer also promised to pass my name along to the costumer as someone willing to help. We'll see how much time and work that ends up being.
However, they'll be happy to have me as a barmaid (the ticket price includes beer/wine and snacks). It seems the barmaids also encourage the audience to sing along at appropriate places, though as I've never even attended a music hall, I don't know where that audience participation might come in. But singing? Sure, I'll be happy to!
The producer also promised to pass my name along to the costumer as someone willing to help. We'll see how much time and work that ends up being.
Red flowers for Mom
I finally got to the nursery yesterday to get impatiens for the front flower bed. I also bought two 6-packs of ground cover for the driveway, some geraniums and million bells for the flower boxes on the deck railing, 3 phlox plants to fill some holes, and one itty bitty tomato plant that I hope to persuade to grow in a pot on the deck. (And hope the squirrels don't do all the harvesting!)
This year I bought impatiens in red (for Mom, who has had red impatiens for years), a dark coral, and a couple of pinks (with one little purple one that snuck into the nursery pack).
For the 3 flower boxes, I bought one geranium and one million bells for each - a purple million bells with a 2-toned pink geranium, a red million bells with a white geranium, and a peachy-orange million bells with a red geranium. Like the red impatiens, the red geranium is a flower I'll always associate with Mom - Dad gave her red geraniums for Mother's Day for years, until the trees in the yard got big enough to make it too shady for geraniums. That's when her red flower of choice became impatiens.
I wonder how my flowerbox choices will look with the purple-and-yellow violas that not only came back from last year but seem to have propagated just a bit. Maybe I'll try to divide them so I have at least one in each flowerbox.
This year I bought impatiens in red (for Mom, who has had red impatiens for years), a dark coral, and a couple of pinks (with one little purple one that snuck into the nursery pack).
For the 3 flower boxes, I bought one geranium and one million bells for each - a purple million bells with a 2-toned pink geranium, a red million bells with a white geranium, and a peachy-orange million bells with a red geranium. Like the red impatiens, the red geranium is a flower I'll always associate with Mom - Dad gave her red geraniums for Mother's Day for years, until the trees in the yard got big enough to make it too shady for geraniums. That's when her red flower of choice became impatiens.
I wonder how my flowerbox choices will look with the purple-and-yellow violas that not only came back from last year but seem to have propagated just a bit. Maybe I'll try to divide them so I have at least one in each flowerbox.
Theatrical weekend
Having a theater weekend:
- Friday: attended a local production of The Producers (and see several theater friends in the audience).
- Yesterday: helped paint the Birdie set. Outdoors, with pollen blowing everywhere, so I didn't last very long, but I did get a first coat in Kim's bedroom window and a lot of molding for the Macafee house.
- Today: tickets for a production of The Mikado with a couple of people from my recent Grand Duke in the cast.
With luck, I may even manage to cut out my Mrs. Macafee apron. That was supposed to happen yesterday, but what with set painting, gardening, then spending the evening with the Chief at a friend's new house, sewing never happened.
- Friday: attended a local production of The Producers (and see several theater friends in the audience).
- Yesterday: helped paint the Birdie set. Outdoors, with pollen blowing everywhere, so I didn't last very long, but I did get a first coat in Kim's bedroom window and a lot of molding for the Macafee house.
- Today: tickets for a production of The Mikado with a couple of people from my recent Grand Duke in the cast.
With luck, I may even manage to cut out my Mrs. Macafee apron. That was supposed to happen yesterday, but what with set painting, gardening, then spending the evening with the Chief at a friend's new house, sewing never happened.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
That's not how it's supposed to work.
Had an audition this afternoon for a musical review, warmed up in the car on the way over. I was nervous about the singing only because it's tree season, my worst for allergies. My voice was actually cooperating as I started to warm up, but by the time I got there, my throat was starting to feel tired and the voice was feeling clogged. Warming up isn't supposed to make my voice worse! Sure enough, when I went to sing, my voice just didn't want to cooperate. The directors didn't cringe or run screaming from the room, but I'm sure they've had a lot of practice at smiling politely while thinking "Get the hook!" No, I don't really think I was that bad, but I certainly wasn't singing anywhere near my best.
On the plus side, they did seem quite impressed with the "party trick" I also brought along, since the audition notice said they were looking for specialty acts. I dug out my old dance "sword" and balanced it on my head for them, doing a few belly dance moves and even turning w/ it on my head. When I added that I could also dance with other props (finger cymbals, cane, veil), the director scribbled it all down.
I don't expect to get anything but chorus based on how I sang today, but if they can work it in, I wouldn't be surprised if they ask for a sword dance.
On the plus side, they did seem quite impressed with the "party trick" I also brought along, since the audition notice said they were looking for specialty acts. I dug out my old dance "sword" and balanced it on my head for them, doing a few belly dance moves and even turning w/ it on my head. When I added that I could also dance with other props (finger cymbals, cane, veil), the director scribbled it all down.
I don't expect to get anything but chorus based on how I sang today, but if they can work it in, I wouldn't be surprised if they ask for a sword dance.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Going for the respiratory dysfunction trifecta
1) Tuesday the cold moved from my head into my chest and the cough had me barking like a seal. You know, the kind that scratches all the way down. After-hours clinic doc said it wasn't bronchitis or an infection (a relief), gave me a breathing treatment, put me on prednisone.
2) The tree pollen musta spiked yesterday, because the cough, which had been getting better, started getting worse. Presumably tree pollen-induced asthma on top of the cold; oh goody. Oh, I started Mucinex DM for the cough too (I love the 12-hr pill instead of every-4-hours cough syrup - so much easier!)
3) This morning I was coughing much more often, despite the prednisone, my peak flow readings were down 100 points from healthy, so it was back to the doctor. She told me that I now do have bronchitis, so she added an antibiotic to my Rx load. My ears are still blocked from this cold, so she also put me on afrin so I can fly tomorrow without bursting an eardrum. She also sent me home with my very own nebulizer, an acquisition I'd successfully managed to avoid for lo, these many years.
So there you have it - cold-induced cough, asthma, and bronchitis for the hat trick. With oral inhalers, the nasal meds and all these pills, it's a wonder I don't rattle!
Spring's always been my toughest allergy season, but this year takes the cake. And it's only gonna get worse, as the pollen counts have yet to hit 4 figures.
2) The tree pollen musta spiked yesterday, because the cough, which had been getting better, started getting worse. Presumably tree pollen-induced asthma on top of the cold; oh goody. Oh, I started Mucinex DM for the cough too (I love the 12-hr pill instead of every-4-hours cough syrup - so much easier!)
3) This morning I was coughing much more often, despite the prednisone, my peak flow readings were down 100 points from healthy, so it was back to the doctor. She told me that I now do have bronchitis, so she added an antibiotic to my Rx load. My ears are still blocked from this cold, so she also put me on afrin so I can fly tomorrow without bursting an eardrum. She also sent me home with my very own nebulizer, an acquisition I'd successfully managed to avoid for lo, these many years.
So there you have it - cold-induced cough, asthma, and bronchitis for the hat trick. With oral inhalers, the nasal meds and all these pills, it's a wonder I don't rattle!
Spring's always been my toughest allergy season, but this year takes the cake. And it's only gonna get worse, as the pollen counts have yet to hit 4 figures.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Successful culinary experiment
I wanted to dress up some frozen tilapia, so I brushed the thawed fillets with a little bit of olive oil, sprinkled w/ cumin & tarragon, and baked for about 10 minutes (less would have been better). I picked the spices by opening bottles and sniffing to see what might go well together - the Chief & I both like this combination. Definitely a keeper! (Wish I could share it with Mom.)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Vintage costume!
The costumers were at Birdie rehearsal last night with lots of stuff for us to try on for size. I was delighted to learn that my "Ed Sullivan dress" (when the Macafees appear on the Sullivan show w/ teen idol Conrad Birdie) is an actual vintage dress! Not colors I'd've chosen, but an elegant print. Even better, it was made for someone essentially my size and shape; all I need to do is restitch a couple of seams. The fun part is that it's got a semi-dirndl skirt (with pleats rather than gathers), so I've got a crinoline, which may well be of the same vintage, to wear under it.
My housedress is nothing special, but I'll have fun making the apron to wear over it. The costumers want me to make it plain white, so I'm hoping they'll let me put a retro applique on one or both pockets to make it more 50s-looking.
My housedress is nothing special, but I'll have fun making the apron to wear over it. The costumers want me to make it plain white, so I'm hoping they'll let me put a retro applique on one or both pockets to make it more 50s-looking.
Mom moments
The cough with this cold was particularly rough - one of those that scratches all the way down. Triggered the asthma too, enough that the doc ended up giving me a nebulizer treatment and putting me on a short course of (shudder) prednisone. Which made me remember how Mom could always hear in my voice when I was on the stuff. Once I'd been off it for at least a week, but sure enough, when I called, Mom asked if I'd had to take it.
This afternoon I was putting some things away in the kitchen and spotted Mom's big old turkey roaster up on top of the kitchen cabinets. (It's too tall to fit into any of them.) All those years she pulled that thing out for one of the Christmas turkeys, the other being sent off to my uncle for smoking on his grill. When she eventually went to a different pan, I got the old veteran. I haven't used it much, but every time I see it, I think of her. When the Chief & I were there for Christmas the last two years, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her, prepping dinner, serving it, cleaning up after. When the Chief and I went to leave, Mom said she'd miss her "kitchen buddy". Me too, Mom.
This afternoon I was putting some things away in the kitchen and spotted Mom's big old turkey roaster up on top of the kitchen cabinets. (It's too tall to fit into any of them.) All those years she pulled that thing out for one of the Christmas turkeys, the other being sent off to my uncle for smoking on his grill. When she eventually went to a different pan, I got the old veteran. I haven't used it much, but every time I see it, I think of her. When the Chief & I were there for Christmas the last two years, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her, prepping dinner, serving it, cleaning up after. When the Chief and I went to leave, Mom said she'd miss her "kitchen buddy". Me too, Mom.
NB: Don't nuke the bear.
Got another cold, which moved from head to chest the other day, so I've been drinking copious quantities of hot tea with honey. (Temporary relief, but that hot honey feels so good going down a raw throat.) When I first pulled the honey down from the cabinet, it had crystalized a bit so I popped the bear-shaped bottle into the microwave for what I thought would be a safe 15 seconds. Poor bear emerged ever so slightly lopsided, and subsequent reheatings only worsened his posture.
When I pointed this out to the Chief, he said "Wouldn't it work just as well to set the bottle in some hot water?" Of course it would, but this was faster. Maybe next time I'll nuke the water, then put the bear into it.
When I pointed this out to the Chief, he said "Wouldn't it work just as well to set the bottle in some hot water?" Of course it would, but this was faster. Maybe next time I'll nuke the water, then put the bear into it.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
"Mom moments"
The first of what I'm sure will be many little moments when I find myself wishing I could call Mom and say "guess what?"
Making gravy at the cabin yesterday, I was putting away the baggie of corn starch and realized it was not corn starch at all, but powdered sugar! Didn't ruin the gravy, though of course it didn't thicken as one might have wished. Mom once reached for vanilla while baking and got the liquid smoke instead! She said Dad ate the banana bread (or whatever it was) anyway and said it tasted just fine.
We've got some mystery bulbs coming up in force in the hellebore bed on the north side of the house, the crocuses are coming into their own, and today I noticed one little snowdrop in the front yard, next to a yellow crocus. The daffodils are shooting up and could be blooming in as little as a week if the weather is warm. In a few more weeks I should be able to find impatiens for my annual bed. I wish I could share this with Mom, who loved gardening and gardens, even if she had little time or opportunity for them.
Making gravy at the cabin yesterday, I was putting away the baggie of corn starch and realized it was not corn starch at all, but powdered sugar! Didn't ruin the gravy, though of course it didn't thicken as one might have wished. Mom once reached for vanilla while baking and got the liquid smoke instead! She said Dad ate the banana bread (or whatever it was) anyway and said it tasted just fine.
We've got some mystery bulbs coming up in force in the hellebore bed on the north side of the house, the crocuses are coming into their own, and today I noticed one little snowdrop in the front yard, next to a yellow crocus. The daffodils are shooting up and could be blooming in as little as a week if the weather is warm. In a few more weeks I should be able to find impatiens for my annual bed. I wish I could share this with Mom, who loved gardening and gardens, even if she had little time or opportunity for them.
At least it's March, not February
We got a new water heater installed Thursday as part of the bathroom remodel (the old one was at least a coupla years passed its expected lifespan). Unfortunately, the new tank had a defective gas valve, which the plumber said was quite common. We won't have a replacement until tomorrow, so no hot water at the house since Thursday. The Chief & I had been debating whether to go to the cabin this weekend; that settled the question, as we knew we'd have hot water out there.
When we got home this afternoon and went to set the thermostat back up, nothing happened. The blower runs, but heat? None. The Chief tried several things but no luck, so we're having someone come look at it tomorrow. Unfortunately, the anticipated lifespan of a furnace is 15-20 years and ours is nearing 16 years old. I'm crossing my fingers that this will be a repair, not a replace.
If we have to be without heat or hot water, at least it's now, when the low temps are in the 30s and 40s, not a month ago, when the highs were only in the 20s. And we're both grateful that our bedroom has a baseboard heater, so at least one room in the house is warm.
When we got home this afternoon and went to set the thermostat back up, nothing happened. The blower runs, but heat? None. The Chief tried several things but no luck, so we're having someone come look at it tomorrow. Unfortunately, the anticipated lifespan of a furnace is 15-20 years and ours is nearing 16 years old. I'm crossing my fingers that this will be a repair, not a replace.
If we have to be without heat or hot water, at least it's now, when the low temps are in the 30s and 40s, not a month ago, when the highs were only in the 20s. And we're both grateful that our bedroom has a baseboard heater, so at least one room in the house is warm.
Monday, March 08, 2010
A first I hope will also be a last!
I had a cold all last week. A bit annoying, especially the few days the head congestion was giving me some ear pain, but nothing too worrying. Until Friday, when the cold started to move from my head into my chest. I could still sing Friday night, so I wasn't too worried. Then I woke up Saturday with bad laryngitis; so bad that, despite all the orange juice & hot tea w/ honey, I had to farm out my sung & spoken lines to other people. I still went on, but mouthed all the "singing". This was particularly annoying because my good friend KL had decided, after learning of Mom's death, to come into town on a flying visit and that was the only performance she could get to. So she got to see me on stage, just didn't get to hear me.
Ah well, at least it wasn't yesterday's matinee that she attended. By then I'd developed a fever; only a low-grade one, but enough to give me chills & body aches and, worse, make my knees rubbery enough that I didn't even "suit up" to go on. Fortunately, castmate AG had stood in for me while I was out of town for Mom's funeral, so she changed her costume and took my sung & spoken lines and my place in the quartet choreographies. It was weird to see someone else doing "my" bits, but I thought she did an admirable job, especially with almost no rehearsal. As our Baroness noted, I was the only person in the whole show with an understudy. And how often does that happen, for a comprimario role!
Unfortunately, it was that last performance that the Chief attended, as he'd planned to stay for strike. Instead of watching me on stage, we watched together from the back of the house, and he ended up taking me to the after-hours clinic as soon as I'd collected the various costume bits & pieces I'd loaned out.
This is the first time I've ever missed going on - I earnestly hope it never happens again!
Ah well, at least it wasn't yesterday's matinee that she attended. By then I'd developed a fever; only a low-grade one, but enough to give me chills & body aches and, worse, make my knees rubbery enough that I didn't even "suit up" to go on. Fortunately, castmate AG had stood in for me while I was out of town for Mom's funeral, so she changed her costume and took my sung & spoken lines and my place in the quartet choreographies. It was weird to see someone else doing "my" bits, but I thought she did an admirable job, especially with almost no rehearsal. As our Baroness noted, I was the only person in the whole show with an understudy. And how often does that happen, for a comprimario role!
Unfortunately, it was that last performance that the Chief attended, as he'd planned to stay for strike. Instead of watching me on stage, we watched together from the back of the house, and he ended up taking me to the after-hours clinic as soon as I'd collected the various costume bits & pieces I'd loaned out.
This is the first time I've ever missed going on - I earnestly hope it never happens again!
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Is it the cancer? Alzheimer's? something else?
The Chief called his mother this afternoon. She's been spending more & more time "living in the past" - last week, she had just learned her mother had died (nearly 30 years after the fact), and told me she couldn't talk long as she had to get ready for school (she retired from teaching 7 or 8 years ago). Today was worse - she asked her own son how his mother was and how the kids were.
We know the cancer is spreading quickly; maybe it's reached something in the brain? Maybe it's Alzheimer's? In any event, it was pretty disconcerting. She'll turn 90 in another couple of weeks and all of us will be in town for the occasion, even her 2 great-grands and the grandchild who lives in California. The Chief and I are hoping she makes it that long. Though she could fool us and the docs and live for quite a while yet.
We know the cancer is spreading quickly; maybe it's reached something in the brain? Maybe it's Alzheimer's? In any event, it was pretty disconcerting. She'll turn 90 in another couple of weeks and all of us will be in town for the occasion, even her 2 great-grands and the grandchild who lives in California. The Chief and I are hoping she makes it that long. Though she could fool us and the docs and live for quite a while yet.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Doing "Birdie" after all
The director of the Bye Bye Birdie I auditioned for a couple of weeks ago called me earlier this week to ask if I'd like to play Doris Macafee. Since that was one of the 2 roles I'd specifically requested, I said yes. Went to my first rehearsal last night. We have plenty of teen girls, no boys (at least none there last night), and very few adults. Needless to say, the company is advertising for additional chorus members, especially teen boys. I sure hope they get 'em; gotta have at least 3 or 4 boys for "Telephone Hour" and the dance numbers.
Tech week? What tech week?
The Chief and I got home from Mom's funeral Thursday afternoon, giving me all of about 2 1/2 hours to pull together all my theater stuff (make-up, hair curling supplies, shoes, tights, jewelry...) and get to the theater for the preview performance. It was very nerve-wracking: a quick drill for the 4 "garland girls" of the processional bit at the top of Act II, so I missed vocal warm-ups, and of course one of my 2 tiny solo lines is the first solo line in the show. I hadn't laid eyes on the set until about 1/2 hour before downbeat, hadn't tried on my costumes or done my hair & make-up or worked with the props. It didn't help that I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I don't usually get nervous before that first downbeat, but having missed essentially all of tech week, I was a nervous wreck as we waited to go on.
I felt like a flake all weekend, had to really work to concentrate on what I was doing, but at least 2 or 3 people who knew my situation said they never would've guessed there was anything wrong. In fact, at Saturday's cast party the MD thanked me, said "we could use more like you." He noted that I was "up there singing your heart out, smiling, really getting into it." I guess I'm getting good at this acting thing if I can fool people into thinking I knew what I was doing. ;)
I felt like a flake all weekend, had to really work to concentrate on what I was doing, but at least 2 or 3 people who knew my situation said they never would've guessed there was anything wrong. In fact, at Saturday's cast party the MD thanked me, said "we could use more like you." He noted that I was "up there singing your heart out, smiling, really getting into it." I guess I'm getting good at this acting thing if I can fool people into thinking I knew what I was doing. ;)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
RIP, Mom
Wow, that was fast. Mom went in for a biopsy Wednesday morning, was admitted that night because she was having breathing problems. By Friday night they were talking metastasized cancer and hospice care. My brother called at noon on Saturday to say "Get on a plane!" and not 3 hours later, as the Chief was driving me to the airport, my sister called to say Mom had "let go of her body".
I was at the Grand Duke Sitz when my brother called, so as soon as I called the Chief and asked him to find me a flight, I told a few key people I was leaving immediately to pack and would let them know when I'd be back. The trip was surreal - mostly consisted of repeating "I can't believe she's gone."
We're all still in shock, trying to digest the fact that she isn't there any more. We just settled that the wake will be Tuesday night and the funeral Wednesday morning. The Chief is flying in tomorrow (he had stayed home, in case he got the same kind of call about his mom that I'd gotten about mine) and he & I will go home Thursday.
Did someone get the license numbers of that fleet of semis that just hit our family?
I was at the Grand Duke Sitz when my brother called, so as soon as I called the Chief and asked him to find me a flight, I told a few key people I was leaving immediately to pack and would let them know when I'd be back. The trip was surreal - mostly consisted of repeating "I can't believe she's gone."
We're all still in shock, trying to digest the fact that she isn't there any more. We just settled that the wake will be Tuesday night and the funeral Wednesday morning. The Chief is flying in tomorrow (he had stayed home, in case he got the same kind of call about his mom that I'd gotten about mine) and he & I will go home Thursday.
Did someone get the license numbers of that fleet of semis that just hit our family?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Fun audition but not what I'd hoped for
Auditioned for Bye Bye Birdie last night. I thought the singing and reading went well, and the dance combo was fun. The director called a little bit ago and offered me the mayor's wife, essentially a named chorus role. Not a big enough role to make me want to do the show again, so I declined. There's only one more spring show out there that I want to audition for; at this rate, I may not be doing a spring show. Ah well, the Chief won't mind not being a Theater Widower.
Keep the prayers coming
It was bad enough knowing that the Chief's mom won't be with us much longer. We learned this afternoon that my mom went in for a liver biopsy yesterday morning, then started hyperventilating and had low oxygen levels. They ended up admitting her and will keep her until at least Monday for tests and to get her "vitals" back up to par. When I talked to Mom ever so briefly this afternoon, she sounded out of breath the whole time "because I'm so weak". Too weak to breathe easily?!? Not good! The docs still don't know why she's been so uncomfortable and fatigued, and has also lost her appetite. Please add my mom to your prayer list.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Time for a new vacuum...
Last night the Chief and I moved the dining room table so the electrician could check the wiring for the fan (the power on one circuit shorted out last week). I wanted to vacuum the rug before we rolled it up out of the way - the deep-red carpet was almost pink in places, there was so much dust! - only to find that our vacuum doesn't suck. Even after we checked the bag and cleaned the beater brush, it still just moved the dirt around instead of picking it up. The Chief has been talking for a while about getting a new vacuum; looks like that's gonna hafta happen sooner than we thought.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Funny birds
Yesterday en route to rehearsal, I passed the huge swath of open space in front of the nearby university. As I approached, it looked like there were the usual flocks of Canada geese, but in "serried ranks assembled". As I went past, I could see a long, wide swath of green, presumably over a steam tunnel. That green swath was packed with geese over most or all of its considerable length. Those birds are no dummies - why freeze their tailfeathers sitting on snow when there was a warmer, green place to sit!
The other day I looked out onto the back deck to see at least 5 or 6 robins out there, sipping at the water dripping off the back gutters. Their feathers were all puffed up against the cold, making them look at least half again as large, and you could almost see the poor things shivering. I wanted to get a picture but something scared them off before I got to my camera. Or maybe they were camera-shy.
The other day I looked out onto the back deck to see at least 5 or 6 robins out there, sipping at the water dripping off the back gutters. Their feathers were all puffed up against the cold, making them look at least half again as large, and you could almost see the poor things shivering. I wanted to get a picture but something scared them off before I got to my camera. Or maybe they were camera-shy.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
We're rehearsing again - hallelujah!
Last night we had our first rehearsal in two weeks, and it was SUCH a good feeling! We were all a bit disoriented, I think, and had forgotten a lot, of course, but it was lovely to get to run the music and blocking, review stage business, talk props & costumes, and generally try to get this show on its feet again.
Today we had a marathon 7-hour rehearsal in an attempt to regain lost ground. We worked through the entire show, fixing and tweaking here, reviewing and woodshedding there. Near the end, the director announced that we were in good shape, considering the unplanned hiatus, and that she felt confident we'll be just fine come opening night.
Tomorrow we work the Act I and II finales and one or two other numbers with more complicated movement. Then we have just 3 more rehearsals before the Sitzprobe next Saturday, load-in and cue-to-cue Sunday, then the marathon rehearsals.
Our costumer just learned she has to be out of town for work for part of Tech Week and asked me to help organize the costume situation in her absence. I said yes because I like that sorta thing, I've worked with her on several shows and know how she works, and - this is the most important factor - she assured me she'd get all the major pieces done beforehand and would send me a detailed costume plot. Wish us luck!
Today we had a marathon 7-hour rehearsal in an attempt to regain lost ground. We worked through the entire show, fixing and tweaking here, reviewing and woodshedding there. Near the end, the director announced that we were in good shape, considering the unplanned hiatus, and that she felt confident we'll be just fine come opening night.
Tomorrow we work the Act I and II finales and one or two other numbers with more complicated movement. Then we have just 3 more rehearsals before the Sitzprobe next Saturday, load-in and cue-to-cue Sunday, then the marathon rehearsals.
Our costumer just learned she has to be out of town for work for part of Tech Week and asked me to help organize the costume situation in her absence. I said yes because I like that sorta thing, I've worked with her on several shows and know how she works, and - this is the most important factor - she assured me she'd get all the major pieces done beforehand and would send me a detailed costume plot. Wish us luck!
update on the once-and-future bathroom
The ridiculously heavy snowfalls slowed the work on the bathroom but didn't stop it entirely. The Chief and BT, our contractor, have now got all the "mud" on the walls, picked up all the moldings and trim, and have the picture rail and crown molding up on all but one corner, that being the corner that needs a bit more detailed cutting to turn the corners. BT apparently teased the Chief that once this bathroom is finally finished, we'll use it more than the back bathroom (the one right across from our bedroom) because it'll be so much nicer. The Chief was commenting that it's already warmer than the back bathroom because they packed the walls with so much insulation before they put up the new drywall.
The nice thing is that work is resuming in earnest. The electrician comes Monday to install the light over the shower, the heat lamp and the fixture over the medicine cabinet, and the painting can start as soon as the last of the molding goes up. I'm not sure at what stage BT will install the new framing around the window; hope it's soon, as that will go a long way toward making this look more finished and less like a construction zone.
Even though it'll be at least another couple of weeks before it's all done (the tiling alone will need at least 3 days, and the sink & toilet can't go in until after the tile is finished), I can finally see light at the end of that particular tunnel. In a burst of optimism, I even ordered color swatches for the new towels the Chief wants for the "new" bathroom.
And once the front bathroom is done, we start tearing apart the library so BT can replace the current closet with a properly built one and do that wall of built-in bookshelves. I'm hoping that phase won't take as long. Having to box up all my books and music for the duration will mean having to reorganize the books, which have gotten rather jumbled. I'll also want to figure out how best to organize my music, which currently is just grouped together in the same general area, with most of the church music together, possible audition or repertory pieces in the same stack, and so on. Ideally, once all is said and done, I might actually be able to find things without having to dig through a stack or shelf of random, loose sheet music. (I can dream...!)
The nice thing is that work is resuming in earnest. The electrician comes Monday to install the light over the shower, the heat lamp and the fixture over the medicine cabinet, and the painting can start as soon as the last of the molding goes up. I'm not sure at what stage BT will install the new framing around the window; hope it's soon, as that will go a long way toward making this look more finished and less like a construction zone.
Even though it'll be at least another couple of weeks before it's all done (the tiling alone will need at least 3 days, and the sink & toilet can't go in until after the tile is finished), I can finally see light at the end of that particular tunnel. In a burst of optimism, I even ordered color swatches for the new towels the Chief wants for the "new" bathroom.
And once the front bathroom is done, we start tearing apart the library so BT can replace the current closet with a properly built one and do that wall of built-in bookshelves. I'm hoping that phase won't take as long. Having to box up all my books and music for the duration will mean having to reorganize the books, which have gotten rather jumbled. I'll also want to figure out how best to organize my music, which currently is just grouped together in the same general area, with most of the church music together, possible audition or repertory pieces in the same stack, and so on. Ideally, once all is said and done, I might actually be able to find things without having to dig through a stack or shelf of random, loose sheet music. (I can dream...!)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Snowverkill
Since Friday we've gotten over 3 feet of snow. Feet. In an area where snowfall is measured in inches, usually 4 or less. Work is closed again today, which means I've missed the first 4 days of my 2-week class, and no telling whether they'll be dug out enough to open tomorrow. After all, even if you've got the equipment to get all this stuff out of the way, where on earth are ya gonna put it all? Even if you could get it to a nearby stream or other waterway, those waterways are already full to overflowing. At this rate, it'll take until at least April to get rid of all this mess, even if we don't get another flake, and Monday's forecast is for a 50% chance of additional snow.
I've done enough baking that I'm hitting bottom on both the flour and sugar canisters. We'll run out of milk tomorrow or Saturday, although we have enough of everything else that we're in no danger of starving. Good thing we have all these leftovers, as I'm actually getting tired of cooking and starting to look forward to a meal I don't have to cook or clean up after. (I hadn't realized how much eating out we do until we couldn't do any at all.)
Today will probably be a heavy-duty Grand Duke day - listening to all the choruses repeatedly, reviewing blocking notes, etc. Can't practice the choreo, as there's no room, between the construction equipment and snow removal gear, but I can mark it.
I've done enough baking that I'm hitting bottom on both the flour and sugar canisters. We'll run out of milk tomorrow or Saturday, although we have enough of everything else that we're in no danger of starving. Good thing we have all these leftovers, as I'm actually getting tired of cooking and starting to look forward to a meal I don't have to cook or clean up after. (I hadn't realized how much eating out we do until we couldn't do any at all.)
Today will probably be a heavy-duty Grand Duke day - listening to all the choruses repeatedly, reviewing blocking notes, etc. Can't practice the choreo, as there's no room, between the construction equipment and snow removal gear, but I can mark it.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Uh oh...
In baking the apple cake, I realized I'm down to the bottom of our flour supply, and very close to the bottom of the sugar. No more baking from scratch until we can get out to make another grocery run. Yes, we could do mixes if we were truly desperate, at least until the eggs run out, and maybe I will pull out that box of gingerbread mix (lovely warm, with applesauce on top) but suddenly we feel like we're living close to the (baking) edge.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Shifting "domestic goddess" gears
In a slight shift of domestic gears, I only fixed a batch of Moroccan carrot salad (with this morning's infusion of carrots; the ones bought last week were long since gone into soup) and a batch of brownie mix. We're down to a single slice of mince pie, so I'll probably make an apple cake tomorrow with the apples we bought this morning.
In a switch from cooking to sewing, I made a petticoat to go under the dirndl-style dress I may be contributing to the Grand Duke costume mix. (The couple of pettis I already have are too long.)
Which has me wondering just how many pettis I've made over the years? I made at least two sets of tiered petticoats* when I was in the Hungarian folk dance troupe, and this is at least the 2nd petti I've made on my own initiative for a stage costume. If you add in pettis made to go under ballgowns for Merry Widow or Die Fledermaus, the number goes up considerably, as I've made at least 3 or 4 "bustle pettis".
Lest you think I'm still strictly housebound, my asthma is back under control at last, so I grabbed a shovel and excavated a path to the recycling and trash bins. Took a bit of doing, as I had to work past my car, which is still only partially cleared, and I discovered several bags of construction debris which were in the way, but now we can take the trash (and its smell) outside. While I was at it, I also liberated the lower branches of the dogwood tree on that side of the house. Poor tree was quite badly weighed down. Fortunately, it only lost a few small branches.
* These were some pretty substantial pettis. These had an upper & lower tier; the bottom one, worn closest to the body, had 4 yards of fabric in the upper tier and 8 yards in the lower tier. The next petti had 5 and 10 yards, and the top petti had 6 and 12 yards. And they only came to just above the knee. Check out that silhouette! (These are from Voivodina, now part of Serbia.)
In a switch from cooking to sewing, I made a petticoat to go under the dirndl-style dress I may be contributing to the Grand Duke costume mix. (The couple of pettis I already have are too long.)
Which has me wondering just how many pettis I've made over the years? I made at least two sets of tiered petticoats* when I was in the Hungarian folk dance troupe, and this is at least the 2nd petti I've made on my own initiative for a stage costume. If you add in pettis made to go under ballgowns for Merry Widow or Die Fledermaus, the number goes up considerably, as I've made at least 3 or 4 "bustle pettis".
Lest you think I'm still strictly housebound, my asthma is back under control at last, so I grabbed a shovel and excavated a path to the recycling and trash bins. Took a bit of doing, as I had to work past my car, which is still only partially cleared, and I discovered several bags of construction debris which were in the way, but now we can take the trash (and its smell) outside. While I was at it, I also liberated the lower branches of the dogwood tree on that side of the house. Poor tree was quite badly weighed down. Fortunately, it only lost a few small branches.
* These were some pretty substantial pettis. These had an upper & lower tier; the bottom one, worn closest to the body, had 4 yards of fabric in the upper tier and 8 yards in the lower tier. The next petti had 5 and 10 yards, and the top petti had 6 and 12 yards. And they only came to just above the knee. Check out that silhouette! (These are from Voivodina, now part of Serbia.)
Small victories
The Chief and I drove to the commissary this morning to restock a few things They opened almost an hour late because they had to wait for employees to get there to stock shelves and such, but they were open and they had milk, some fresh produce, and all but one other item on our list.
We also topped up the gas tank, bought gas for the snowblower, mailed off a coupla catalog returns, and found out just how poorly some of the roads had been cleared. Some major, 3-lane roads had only 2 or even a single clear lane, and one main artery was so patchily "cleared" that it was worse than some muddy dirt roads I've traveled.
We also topped up the gas tank, bought gas for the snowblower, mailed off a coupla catalog returns, and found out just how poorly some of the roads had been cleared. Some major, 3-lane roads had only 2 or even a single clear lane, and one main artery was so patchily "cleared" that it was worse than some muddy dirt roads I've traveled.
Such a deal!
Finally got around to logging on to the Metropolitan Museum's catalog to buy some half-price Christmas cards, only to find that they've been further reduced - some of the cards that retail for $17.95 a box are now going for only $4.49. The 5 boxes I just bought cost only $30 shipped - gotta love it.
Monday, February 08, 2010
This kind of gray hair washes away.
The Chief was priming the walls of the once-and-future bathroom and managed to paint himself a little white stripe along the top of his head. He was busy in there today - did a bit of sanding, then the priming.
No, no more snow!
Oh just lovely. The National Weather Service warns that we've got yet another winter storm headed our way. They're claiming this one is likely to dump at least another 7" of snow, possibly as much as 10" or more, between Tuesday and Wednesday. Rehearsals for those nights have already been cancelled; this is getting ridiculous! We may have to lay on 8-hour rehearsals this coming weekend in hopes of making up some of the time we've lost. Pray for our director's sanity - she's probably bald from pulling her hair out!
The Chief is planning a grocery run tomorrow to restock the things we're running low on. I'm crossing my fingers that they'll have gotten deliveries of milk and such so that the shelves won't be bare when he gets there.
OK, Mother Nature, what on earth did we do to get you so pissed off and how can we make amends?
The Chief is planning a grocery run tomorrow to restock the things we're running low on. I'm crossing my fingers that they'll have gotten deliveries of milk and such so that the shelves won't be bare when he gets there.
OK, Mother Nature, what on earth did we do to get you so pissed off and how can we make amends?
"Blue skies, smiling at me"
The sun is shining from a nearly cloud-free, blue sky and its light is just about blinding off all this snow. It'll probably melt at least a little - thank goodness the neighborhood shovelers got down to bare pavement, or nearly, yesterday - but I can't help but wonder how the roads are. Work is closed today and tonight's rehearsal is principals-only, so no need for me to venture out just yet. I would like to, if only to get some pictures - the icicles hanging off our gutters look like huge fangs. My asthma numbers are better, so I might bundle up and go out, if only to ease the cabin fever a little.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
No surprise
No surprise that today's make-up rehearsal is canceled, given that we've all gotten over 2 feet of snow. Some of us live in areas with official totals over 30 inches, and none of us got less than 2 feet. I just hope things get dug out enough that we can get to a rehearsal tomorrow night. At least we'll have plenty of time to go over music and review blocking & choreography notes, since none of us can go anywhere yet. Well, assuming people aren't too worn out from shoveling...
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood
Actually, it's a gorgeous day in the neighborhood! Bitter cold (up to the mid-20s as of 11 this morning) but the sun is shining and sparkling off all the 2+ feet of snow the "blizzard of 2010" dropped on us.
The Chief is outside, renewing the attack with shovel and snowblower, along with a couple of neighbors, as they try to dig out cars, widen sidewalks, and make sure both ailing, elderly neighbors are dug out. We've been very lucky with our neighbors - most of 'em are conscientious and able-bodied and were out at least a couple of times yesterday to make sure the snowfall didn't get too far ahead of the digging out. And everyone who went out did at least at least their adjacent neighbors, which means our block isn't too bad.
The biggest problem with this kind of snowfall is a logistical one - when you dig out, where the heck do you put all that snow?!? Our yards aren't all that big so they're gonna fill up fast. The mounds along the driveways and sidewalks are already at least waist-high, and they're still digging out. Worse, the forecast for Tuesday night still includes snow, as if we haven't had enough, and more than enough, already.
The Chief was able to determine that our dryer vent is clear, so it's safe to throw his wet things in the dryer. Yesterday we didn't know that, so he had his many layers hung up in the bathroom and shut in with the space heater. My, that bathroom was warm & toasty! I just worry about all the snowblower fumes he's been inhaling; wonder if drinking lots and lots of water will help, or should he be doing something else...?
My asthma's still being uncooperative. I resent the way it's making me feel like an invalid, so I'm trying to make up for it by cooking like crazy - gotta keep my Knight in Snowy Armor well fed - and today will probably try to get some laundry done, now that I know it's safe to run the dryer.
The Chief is outside, renewing the attack with shovel and snowblower, along with a couple of neighbors, as they try to dig out cars, widen sidewalks, and make sure both ailing, elderly neighbors are dug out. We've been very lucky with our neighbors - most of 'em are conscientious and able-bodied and were out at least a couple of times yesterday to make sure the snowfall didn't get too far ahead of the digging out. And everyone who went out did at least at least their adjacent neighbors, which means our block isn't too bad.
The biggest problem with this kind of snowfall is a logistical one - when you dig out, where the heck do you put all that snow?!? Our yards aren't all that big so they're gonna fill up fast. The mounds along the driveways and sidewalks are already at least waist-high, and they're still digging out. Worse, the forecast for Tuesday night still includes snow, as if we haven't had enough, and more than enough, already.
The Chief was able to determine that our dryer vent is clear, so it's safe to throw his wet things in the dryer. Yesterday we didn't know that, so he had his many layers hung up in the bathroom and shut in with the space heater. My, that bathroom was warm & toasty! I just worry about all the snowblower fumes he's been inhaling; wonder if drinking lots and lots of water will help, or should he be doing something else...?
My asthma's still being uncooperative. I resent the way it's making me feel like an invalid, so I'm trying to make up for it by cooking like crazy - gotta keep my Knight in Snowy Armor well fed - and today will probably try to get some laundry done, now that I know it's safe to run the dryer.
In case anyone was wondering
Yesterday's cooking bout produced the following:
Hungry and don't feel like cooking? If you can get to our house, we've got plenty of food! :-)
- a BIG pot of vegetable-beef soup with lotsa great oxtail stock from simmering on the stove for 6+ hours;
- a huge vat o' salad, so all we have to do is throw it in a bowl;
- rinsed grapes, picked from the stems and added to the collection of tupperware in the fridge;
- a single batch of hummus; and
- a double batch of salmon spread.
Hungry and don't feel like cooking? If you can get to our house, we've got plenty of food! :-)
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Just keep praying...
We finally got a chance to talk to the Chief's brother today; the docs give their mom 3-6 months. They're arranging for in-home hospice care, but my BIL was waiting for a call back from the social worker so we kept it short. The Chief & I still need to learn whether there's anything we can do to help, what they can do for her, etc.
As if that weren't enough, I learned yesterday that my mom had a CAT scan yesterday in hopes of learning why the serious back pain she had in September is not going away, and why she's had such lingering fatigue since before Christmas. No telling how long it will take to get the results read, but we can't help but remember that this is how they found mom's lymphoma a few years back (long-term, unexplained pain and fatigue). As a result, my sister the occupational therapist (OT), who's working on her PhD in a gerontology specialty, is trying to make sure all 5 of us siblings have all the same information about our parents' health, their decisions about extreme medical care, burial arrangements, whether and where they'd want to move if they find themselves widowed... Not fun, but if we think about it now, when we have time to get details from Mom & Dad and make sure everything is written down and shared among all of us, that'll be so much better than having to make those decisions while trying to accept their serious illness or death.
With that news, and 2 feet of snow and counting, and my asthma trying to get worse instead of better, well, I could sure do with some spring right now! I had Beethoven's 6th on while assembling veggie-beef soup, but the Pastoral wasn't quite enough, when I can still see way too much snow out the windows.
As if that weren't enough, I learned yesterday that my mom had a CAT scan yesterday in hopes of learning why the serious back pain she had in September is not going away, and why she's had such lingering fatigue since before Christmas. No telling how long it will take to get the results read, but we can't help but remember that this is how they found mom's lymphoma a few years back (long-term, unexplained pain and fatigue). As a result, my sister the occupational therapist (OT), who's working on her PhD in a gerontology specialty, is trying to make sure all 5 of us siblings have all the same information about our parents' health, their decisions about extreme medical care, burial arrangements, whether and where they'd want to move if they find themselves widowed... Not fun, but if we think about it now, when we have time to get details from Mom & Dad and make sure everything is written down and shared among all of us, that'll be so much better than having to make those decisions while trying to accept their serious illness or death.
With that news, and 2 feet of snow and counting, and my asthma trying to get worse instead of better, well, I could sure do with some spring right now! I had Beethoven's 6th on while assembling veggie-beef soup, but the Pastoral wasn't quite enough, when I can still see way too much snow out the windows.
This bathroom will be done eventually...
But it'll be at least another coupla weeks. The tiler won't be coming until the 22nd, and the tile laying is apparently a 3-day process - wall prepped day one, tile up and grouted day two, then finish work on day 3. And only once the tile is finished can the toilet & sink go in.
At least the Chief & our contractor can do other things. The electrician is coming this week to install the lights: one over the shower, a heat lamp, and the fixture going in over the medicine cabinet. Which will also go in sometime this week. Not sure when the new shower curtain rod (which we still have to order) will go in, but it hangs from the ceiling, so it can go in anytime after the ceiling paint dries.
The Chief plans to pick up the paint this week for the walls and moldings, of which we'll have 4 rows - baseboard, "chair rail", "picture rail" (don't ask!) and a little bit of crown molding. The baseboard will probably be a medium/dark blue with a lighter-blue accent, while the rest of the molding will be white. The walls will be shades of yellow: palest between the crown molding & picture rail, somewhat yellower between the picture & chair rails, and the yellowest paint below the chair rail.
At least the Chief & our contractor can do other things. The electrician is coming this week to install the lights: one over the shower, a heat lamp, and the fixture going in over the medicine cabinet. Which will also go in sometime this week. Not sure when the new shower curtain rod (which we still have to order) will go in, but it hangs from the ceiling, so it can go in anytime after the ceiling paint dries.
The Chief plans to pick up the paint this week for the walls and moldings, of which we'll have 4 rows - baseboard, "chair rail", "picture rail" (don't ask!) and a little bit of crown molding. The baseboard will probably be a medium/dark blue with a lighter-blue accent, while the rest of the molding will be white. The walls will be shades of yellow: palest between the crown molding & picture rail, somewhat yellower between the picture & chair rails, and the yellowest paint below the chair rail.
Time to start that soup...
The oxtail package is no longer a brick. Now to start that pot of soup going and let it simmer for hours, until not only is the meat falling off the bone, but the bones themselves are falling apart. Just in time, too, as we're down to the last tub from last weekend's batch.
However, if this winter keeps dumping snow on us, I'm going to need to broaden my "storm soup" repertoire. This veggie-beef stuff is yummy, warming and a complete meal (protein, veggies, carbs from the barley), but a bit of variety wouldn't be a bad thing.
However, if this winter keeps dumping snow on us, I'm going to need to broaden my "storm soup" repertoire. This veggie-beef stuff is yummy, warming and a complete meal (protein, veggies, carbs from the barley), but a bit of variety wouldn't be a bad thing.
If I have to be snowed in while having an asthma flare...
... thank goodness the Chief is snowed in with me this time! The mega-meds are doing their work, but I can still feel the tightness and don't want to risk making things worse by trying to help get rid of all this snow. Per one of the local forecasts, we had 19" as of 7 a.m. and it's supposed to keep snowing for at least another 10 hours!
The Chief did roust me outta bed at 6:45 to help him bring the snow blower through the house - the snow was MUCH too deep for him to take it around the side of the house from the back patio. He did a bit of snow removal, came in to get some breakfast, and is back out again now. Took a few more passes along the sidewalks, though he couldn't get as far as he managed last night, and dug a path from his car to the street. He hasn't cleared anything off the car, but once he does, he'll be able to get it out.
We still have power so far, thank God! I guess that's one advantage to the winds - it blows the snow off the power lines and tree limbs so they don't get quite so overloaded. One of our neighbors said they had a holly tree come down. While they were sorry to lose a big, beautiful tree, he said he was grateful it fell into the backyard, not onto the house.
The plows have been through, but only making a single lane. They've been moving at a pretty good clip, too, for the conditions. I imagine they're probably all to painfully aware of just how much of this white stuff they have to move and from how many streets, many of them quite hilly.
At this point I'm assuming I won't be getting to church in the morning and am wondering whether tomorrow's rehearsal will go ahead as scheduled. Sure hope so!!!
The Chief did roust me outta bed at 6:45 to help him bring the snow blower through the house - the snow was MUCH too deep for him to take it around the side of the house from the back patio. He did a bit of snow removal, came in to get some breakfast, and is back out again now. Took a few more passes along the sidewalks, though he couldn't get as far as he managed last night, and dug a path from his car to the street. He hasn't cleared anything off the car, but once he does, he'll be able to get it out.
We still have power so far, thank God! I guess that's one advantage to the winds - it blows the snow off the power lines and tree limbs so they don't get quite so overloaded. One of our neighbors said they had a holly tree come down. While they were sorry to lose a big, beautiful tree, he said he was grateful it fell into the backyard, not onto the house.
The plows have been through, but only making a single lane. They've been moving at a pretty good clip, too, for the conditions. I imagine they're probably all to painfully aware of just how much of this white stuff they have to move and from how many streets, many of them quite hilly.
At this point I'm assuming I won't be getting to church in the morning and am wondering whether tomorrow's rehearsal will go ahead as scheduled. Sure hope so!!!
Friday, February 05, 2010
I think I married a snowman
As planned, the Chief went out with the snowblower around 7:30 to do the sidewalks. He ended up making 2 passes on both sides of the block, and also did aprons (the bit of driveway between sidewalk and street) for our house and that of those neighbors with driveways. He also did our front walk. He did get some beer for his troubles from one neighbor; he was delighted, as he hadn't stocked up before the snow started and was down to one bottle.
By then the snow was coming down pretty fast & heavy. When he came back in an hour later, the top of his hat was completely white with snow, he had at least half an inch of snow on his collar and shoulders, the wrists of his gloves were full of snow, and he was very grateful for the wellies he bought in England, which kept his feet and legs nice & dry.
They're saying we could have 15-20 inches by morning, with the snow expected to continue into tomorrow night. Several area counties, including ours, are officially under a blizzard warning until at least mid-day tomorrow, as the winds started picking up around 7 or 8 o'clock. Several areas have lost power; I'm praying we don't join them! We'll be able to eat (thank heaven for a gas stove!), but oh, it'll get cold!
By then the snow was coming down pretty fast & heavy. When he came back in an hour later, the top of his hat was completely white with snow, he had at least half an inch of snow on his collar and shoulders, the wrists of his gloves were full of snow, and he was very grateful for the wellies he bought in England, which kept his feet and legs nice & dry.
They're saying we could have 15-20 inches by morning, with the snow expected to continue into tomorrow night. Several area counties, including ours, are officially under a blizzard warning until at least mid-day tomorrow, as the winds started picking up around 7 or 8 o'clock. Several areas have lost power; I'm praying we don't join them! We'll be able to eat (thank heaven for a gas stove!), but oh, it'll get cold!
Cooking up a storm
Work let out early today so people had a chance to get home before the snow got too bad. I was shocked to stop by the cheaper gas station to find that they had NO 87 octane left! 6 pumps and no regular gas left. Long as the grocery lines were yesterday, I was glad we did our grocery shopping then, as the parking lots of the 2 grocery stores I passed on the way home were utterly packed. There was even a line to get into the lot of the store with the smaller parking lot!
Once home and lunch eaten, the cooking frenzy began. I started w/ pea soup, which the Chief loves. At his request, a mince pie was next (another item he loves and I don't touch), followed by a small apple pie. After all, I wanted to use up the pie crust left over from last week's pumpkin pie - couldn't bear the thought of letting it go bad! ;) Meanwhile, the Chief was making cranberry sauce, with two of the oldest apples thrown in for variety. Hey, if Ocean Spray can sell people on cran-apple juice, why not throw an apple or two into the cranberry sauce, right? I also plan to make another vat of vegetable beef soup, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow, as the oxtails are still frozen solid.
We still have enough tetrazzini left over for 2 more meals, a little bit of last week's veggie beef soup on hand, and even one last portion of pot roast. We've got plenty of our usual staples, so what with that, leftovers and soup, we're in no danger of starving, even if we don't dig out until Monday.
And it will be interesting to see how much snow we end up getting. The more conservative forecast of the two radio stations we had on in the kitchen was predicting 16"-24". The other station was predicting 20"-30"! Every forecast seems to agree that this storm will outsnow the one we had the week before Christmas, which was more than enough snow to suit me, thankyewverrymuch!
We're now missing 4 rehearsals in 8 days to all this snow - Saturday, Tuesday, tonight and tomorrow. They've added rehearsals the next 2 Sundays and this Wednesday in hopes of catching up. Given that we open 3 weeks from tonight, I earnestly hope we don't have any more snow, or at least nothing significant, until after we close the first weekend of March. Actually, if this were the last snow we get all winter, I'd be quite happy, although there are rumors of yet another snowfall Tuesday or Wednesday. No, please, no more snow!!! We can't afford to lose any more rehearsal time!
Once home and lunch eaten, the cooking frenzy began. I started w/ pea soup, which the Chief loves. At his request, a mince pie was next (another item he loves and I don't touch), followed by a small apple pie. After all, I wanted to use up the pie crust left over from last week's pumpkin pie - couldn't bear the thought of letting it go bad! ;) Meanwhile, the Chief was making cranberry sauce, with two of the oldest apples thrown in for variety. Hey, if Ocean Spray can sell people on cran-apple juice, why not throw an apple or two into the cranberry sauce, right? I also plan to make another vat of vegetable beef soup, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow, as the oxtails are still frozen solid.
We still have enough tetrazzini left over for 2 more meals, a little bit of last week's veggie beef soup on hand, and even one last portion of pot roast. We've got plenty of our usual staples, so what with that, leftovers and soup, we're in no danger of starving, even if we don't dig out until Monday.
And it will be interesting to see how much snow we end up getting. The more conservative forecast of the two radio stations we had on in the kitchen was predicting 16"-24". The other station was predicting 20"-30"! Every forecast seems to agree that this storm will outsnow the one we had the week before Christmas, which was more than enough snow to suit me, thankyewverrymuch!
We're now missing 4 rehearsals in 8 days to all this snow - Saturday, Tuesday, tonight and tomorrow. They've added rehearsals the next 2 Sundays and this Wednesday in hopes of catching up. Given that we open 3 weeks from tonight, I earnestly hope we don't have any more snow, or at least nothing significant, until after we close the first weekend of March. Actually, if this were the last snow we get all winter, I'd be quite happy, although there are rumors of yet another snowfall Tuesday or Wednesday. No, please, no more snow!!! We can't afford to lose any more rehearsal time!
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Update
Tonight we finished off the pumpkin pie. That's the last of the "real" pumpkin; if we want any more pumpkin anything I'll have to [shudder] open a can. Oh, the horror! ;)
We ended up getting 4 or 5 more inches of snow overnight; wetter than the stuff we got on Saturday, so I ended up starting my day by shoveling a path from the front door to the car at 0545. Bleah. Worse, they're warning us we've got another snowstorm headed our way that should start mid-day Friday, bringing 12-20 inches by the time it's all over, and someone at work today was saying he'd heard there's yet another storm behind that one, which could mean we'd get more snow around Tuesday. I guess we're paying for the past several winters during which we got maybe 6-12 inches all winter long. But ya know, I'd be just as happy to forgive that "debt"...
Because of the snow, we lost another rehearsal last night, and it's not looking at all good for rehearsals on Friday & Saturday. We've already scheduled make-up rehearsals for this Sunday & next Sunday, and if we actually get to rehearse next Saturday, I won't be at all surprised if we run long in an attempt to get caught up. Given that we open 3 weeks from Friday, I imagine our poor director is probably tearing her hair out over all these cancellations - we've got a lot of work still to do!
Asthma's no better, so my allergist has me maxing out on albuterol and taking prednisone. Poor Chief - I warned him he might want to find some friends to go stay with for a few days.
Heard from my sister that she's "safe - for now", but there will be more lay-offs later this year. Now we just have to pray that her husband's PSA test next week shows that they got all the cancer when they operated in November.
Had the tetrazzini for dinner tonight. The sauce was a bit runny; not sure if that's my technique or the recipe, but it's tasty enough that I'll keep making it, maybe play with it a bit the next time. We can probably get 2 more dinners out of it; not enough to get us through the snow we're supposed to get this weekend, so the Chief is off to the grocery store tomorrow to restock the larder with provisions to get us thru the duration.
The bathroom is making progress slowly but surely. The plumber has repiped the sink area and reconnected the tub, so the only plumbing left is the installation of the new sink and toilet (which still needs to be ordered). The drywall is just about done, including the braced hole where the medicine cabinet will go. Even the ceiling is just about done. The electrician comes back next week to install the light over the shower, the heat lamp and the light fixture over the medicine cabinet, and the tiler is due either late next week or early the week thereafter.
We ended up getting 4 or 5 more inches of snow overnight; wetter than the stuff we got on Saturday, so I ended up starting my day by shoveling a path from the front door to the car at 0545. Bleah. Worse, they're warning us we've got another snowstorm headed our way that should start mid-day Friday, bringing 12-20 inches by the time it's all over, and someone at work today was saying he'd heard there's yet another storm behind that one, which could mean we'd get more snow around Tuesday. I guess we're paying for the past several winters during which we got maybe 6-12 inches all winter long. But ya know, I'd be just as happy to forgive that "debt"...
Because of the snow, we lost another rehearsal last night, and it's not looking at all good for rehearsals on Friday & Saturday. We've already scheduled make-up rehearsals for this Sunday & next Sunday, and if we actually get to rehearse next Saturday, I won't be at all surprised if we run long in an attempt to get caught up. Given that we open 3 weeks from Friday, I imagine our poor director is probably tearing her hair out over all these cancellations - we've got a lot of work still to do!
Asthma's no better, so my allergist has me maxing out on albuterol and taking prednisone. Poor Chief - I warned him he might want to find some friends to go stay with for a few days.
Heard from my sister that she's "safe - for now", but there will be more lay-offs later this year. Now we just have to pray that her husband's PSA test next week shows that they got all the cancer when they operated in November.
Had the tetrazzini for dinner tonight. The sauce was a bit runny; not sure if that's my technique or the recipe, but it's tasty enough that I'll keep making it, maybe play with it a bit the next time. We can probably get 2 more dinners out of it; not enough to get us through the snow we're supposed to get this weekend, so the Chief is off to the grocery store tomorrow to restock the larder with provisions to get us thru the duration.
The bathroom is making progress slowly but surely. The plumber has repiped the sink area and reconnected the tub, so the only plumbing left is the installation of the new sink and toilet (which still needs to be ordered). The drywall is just about done, including the braced hole where the medicine cabinet will go. Even the ceiling is just about done. The electrician comes back next week to install the light over the shower, the heat lamp and the light fixture over the medicine cabinet, and the tiler is due either late next week or early the week thereafter.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
"Snow" is a 4-letter word
More snow. Yeah, it's pretty, but I really got it out of my system after shoveling 18" of the stuff back in December. Then we got 6" Saturday, and now it's snowing again, with 3-6 inches predicted (Will I get a snow day out of it? I'm not counting on it), so tonight's rehearsal was cancelled. And they're calling for more of the white stuff Friday and Saturday. Enough already!
And what's #3?
Tonight's been rather a night for bad news. The Chief's brother had to take their mother to the hospital last night for bleeding. He called tonight to tell us that she's got massive tumors on both lungs and at least one kidney. They can't really operate because she's nearly 90 and in fragile health; they're afraid she wouldn't survive the surgery. The Chief & his brother weren't on the phone very long, but it sounds like all they can really do is send her home & make her comfortable.
Then I saw my sister post on her FB status that her company is laying people off and rumor has it that those in her building may find out tomorrow whether they still have jobs. To add to the fun, her husband works for the state, which is also considering layoffs. He's the newest member of his department, so he's understandably nervous about where he stands.
Standing in the need of prayer!
Then I saw my sister post on her FB status that her company is laying people off and rumor has it that those in her building may find out tomorrow whether they still have jobs. To add to the fun, her husband works for the state, which is also considering layoffs. He's the newest member of his department, so he's understandably nervous about where he stands.
Standing in the need of prayer!
Monday, February 01, 2010
What to say to someone we'll never meet?
The Chief wants to leave a letter in the bathroom wall before the medicine cabinet goes in, intended for some later owner of the house. I've got a line or two so far, just saying why we're remodeling. If you were opening a wall and found a letter, what would you want the previous owner to tell you? Price of gas or groceries? Who won the Super Bowl or World Series? Comments on politics, weather, the neighborhood? Ideas, please.
Feeding frenzy
You can bet the rent - if we get a snow day and there's any food in the house, I'll start cooking. Not only did I make that huge pot of soup Saturday (now decanted into several containers), but yesterday I did make that pumpkin pie, and a huge vat o' salad for the week's lunches. While I was slicing & dicing, I cut up some green peppers for the Chief to snack on. Oh, and I still gotta do something with the turkey breast I took out of the freezer the other day while it's still good.
The Chief split one of the containers of soup w/ the contractor today. This after sending over pot roast, mashed potatoes & salad when he was in the hospital, so his wife would have at least one meal she didn't have to do anything but heat. The Chief had also fed him some of the salsa I made a week or so ago so there'd be something easy & reasonably healthy for him. The contractor reportedly asked if I liked cooking. Um, ya think? :D
The Chief split one of the containers of soup w/ the contractor today. This after sending over pot roast, mashed potatoes & salad when he was in the hospital, so his wife would have at least one meal she didn't have to do anything but heat. The Chief had also fed him some of the salsa I made a week or so ago so there'd be something easy & reasonably healthy for him. The contractor reportedly asked if I liked cooking. Um, ya think? :D
Sunday, January 31, 2010
NaBloPoMo
Sorry, you won't find me signing up for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) in February. C'mon, are you kidding? I have a Tech Week and opening weekend in February; I'll be lucky to see my Theater Widower much. Blogging will just have to wait until after opening weekend, and maybe even after the show closes, since I have two 2-week classes at work that run nearly back to back. (Watch out for flying brain matter, as mine may well explode before all is said and done.)
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Snow day
Director decided last night to cancel today's rehearsal. Good call - we probably got 6" or so, and some of the cast would be traveling from parts of town where they tend to get ice rather than snow, or have to cross a lot of bridges and overpasses, where icing is also a probability.
While the snow meant our contractor didn't come by to cut more drywall for the bathroom (he does that outside in consideration of my asthma), it didn't stop the Chief & me from heading out to a matinee of The Young Victoria (GORGEOUS movie! loved the costumes!) followed by dinner at an "Irish pub". Before we left, I got another pot of soup started; after spending the afternoon in the fridge while we were gone, it's now back on the stove, simmering away. And if I don't get to pumpkin pie tonight, I'll definitely be making one tomorrow.
We came home to find that someone, perhaps a neighbor with a new snowblower?, had cleared the sidewalk the full length of our side of the street. That left the Chief with only the front steps and walk to do.
While the snow meant our contractor didn't come by to cut more drywall for the bathroom (he does that outside in consideration of my asthma), it didn't stop the Chief & me from heading out to a matinee of The Young Victoria (GORGEOUS movie! loved the costumes!) followed by dinner at an "Irish pub". Before we left, I got another pot of soup started; after spending the afternoon in the fridge while we were gone, it's now back on the stove, simmering away. And if I don't get to pumpkin pie tonight, I'll definitely be making one tomorrow.
We came home to find that someone, perhaps a neighbor with a new snowblower?, had cleared the sidewalk the full length of our side of the street. That left the Chief with only the front steps and walk to do.
Friday, January 29, 2010
No spring show yet
Just heard back about Taming of the Shrew. I'm now 0 for 3 with my auditions for spring shows. Good thing there are still 3 more auditions on my calendar. The Chief keeps telling me to audition for straight plays, not just musicals. All well and good, but the problem is that straight plays have no chorus and thus a smaller cast. At least with musicals, you can take a place in the ensemble and let them see what you can do.
However. Three more spring shows to audition for - 2 plays and a musical. The musical is Bye Bye Birdie. Yes, I know I've already done it. The difference is that in this production, Mae Peterson gets to sing "A Mother Doesn't Matter", which was written for the TV special. That sits pretty low, though, and I don't have much of a belt yet. Maybe I could play Mrs. Macafee?
However. Three more spring shows to audition for - 2 plays and a musical. The musical is Bye Bye Birdie. Yes, I know I've already done it. The difference is that in this production, Mae Peterson gets to sing "A Mother Doesn't Matter", which was written for the TV special. That sits pretty low, though, and I don't have much of a belt yet. Maybe I could play Mrs. Macafee?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
My husband the contractor?
Got home today to have the Chief tell me that "we" (he & the contractor) had finished putting up the moisture barrier and cement backer board in the front bathroom today. He's really enjoying this, learning all he can from the contractor, to the point that he's now ready to do much of the back bathroom himself. Not the tiling, electrical or piping, but the ceiling & walls and painting, and we already know he can replace a toilet. We may end up doing both bathrooms before summer after all. (Monday he was ready to postpone the back bathroom until fall, to give the bank balance a chance to recover.)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
One down, one to go
I've already heard back from the Moon Over Buffalo director - I'm not cast. Not a huge surprise, as it's a very small cast, with only 4 roles for women and only 2 for women over 30. The surprise is that she got back to me so very quickly - the last night of auditions was only last night. I let her know that I do appreciate her responding so soon, and asked to be kept in mind for costumes, hair or make-up. Now that I've got this fantabulous Vintage Hairstyling book, I'd kinda like to do the hair.
I'm not too optimistic about my chances with Taming of the Shrew, if only because they got such a large turn-out, including a significant number of very talented folks who've worked with that company and director before. But as I said, if I don't get either of these, there are 3 more to try out for. No summer shows, though; I promised TW I'd take the summer off - from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends, no rehearsals or performances. (Though I might try to get to the US leg of the international G&S festival - first US leg in a decade or more, to be held in Gettysburg, PA. Much cheaper and easier to get to than the UK festival!)
I'm not too optimistic about my chances with Taming of the Shrew, if only because they got such a large turn-out, including a significant number of very talented folks who've worked with that company and director before. But as I said, if I don't get either of these, there are 3 more to try out for. No summer shows, though; I promised TW I'd take the summer off - from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends, no rehearsals or performances. (Though I might try to get to the US leg of the international G&S festival - first US leg in a decade or more, to be held in Gettysburg, PA. Much cheaper and easier to get to than the UK festival!)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
We have a sink
The new sink for the front bathroom arrived yesterday. We had spent literally hours searching on line for a sink small enough (the bathroom is only 37" from wall to wall, not including the shower). The one we settled on was nearly 3" deeper front to back than the old one, but when it came in, the Chief held it up to the wall and we were reassured that our guests will still be able to get past it to get to the toilet or shower. It also looks nicer than the old one, which looked like it belonged in an industrial park, and is wider, with a little room to set things down.
Our contractor was taking his turn with a stomach virus his family was passing around, but he plans to take the Chief to get drywall tomorrow.
This process is long and dusty, but I'm resigned to the mess, given how much nicer the "patients" will be once this is all finished. And when it is, we're planning to have an open house to celebrate, and to show off the spiffy new bathrooms and built-in bookshelves.
Our contractor was taking his turn with a stomach virus his family was passing around, but he plans to take the Chief to get drywall tomorrow.
This process is long and dusty, but I'm resigned to the mess, given how much nicer the "patients" will be once this is all finished. And when it is, we're planning to have an open house to celebrate, and to show off the spiffy new bathrooms and built-in bookshelves.
Fun with actors
Back-to-back auditions - last night was for Moon Over Buffalo, tonight was Taming of the Shrew. Both were fun, in different ways. MOB is a door-slamming farce, and I got to read both the deaf older woman and Charlotte, the theater veteran. I got to be all histrionic and over the top - quite fun.
In that setting, all of us auditioning were in the room together. Tonight, each pair or group reading a scene went into a small room to read for the director and her assistant, while the rest of us waited outside, perhaps rehearsing the scene we'd been given with our scene partners. I ended up reading 3 different parts (Baptista, parent to Katherina & Bianca; Hortensio, one of Bianca's suitors; and Kate, the shrew). With Shakespeare, you do need a couple of runs through the text before you read it for the directors so you can catch the wordplay, figure out the syntax, and pick up some of the subtleties. The linguist in me loves the language challenge, and it was fun playing such different characters.
Last night's director didn't expect to need callbacks and promised to let us all know "one way or the other" by the end of the week. Tonight's director said she expected to be telling people tomorrow whether to come to callbacks on Thursday. I find myself hoping I only get cast in one show; I'd hate to have to decide between them. And if I'm not cast in either one, there are 3 more shows to audition for over the next month.
In that setting, all of us auditioning were in the room together. Tonight, each pair or group reading a scene went into a small room to read for the director and her assistant, while the rest of us waited outside, perhaps rehearsing the scene we'd been given with our scene partners. I ended up reading 3 different parts (Baptista, parent to Katherina & Bianca; Hortensio, one of Bianca's suitors; and Kate, the shrew). With Shakespeare, you do need a couple of runs through the text before you read it for the directors so you can catch the wordplay, figure out the syntax, and pick up some of the subtleties. The linguist in me loves the language challenge, and it was fun playing such different characters.
Last night's director didn't expect to need callbacks and promised to let us all know "one way or the other" by the end of the week. Tonight's director said she expected to be telling people tomorrow whether to come to callbacks on Thursday. I find myself hoping I only get cast in one show; I'd hate to have to decide between them. And if I'm not cast in either one, there are 3 more shows to audition for over the next month.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Prayers, please
As the Chief & I were on our way to the tile place this morning, I answered his cellphone. It was our contractor's wife - seems he'd passed out that morning and she was getting ready to call an ambulance for him. "He says he's fine and that he's still coming over but I told him no", with which I heartily agreed. The Chief called back this afternoon and learned that B had been admitted, that the docs had done 2 tests so far which had both been normal. So we pray for B's quick return to health.
We have tile
The Chief and I were at the tile store at 9 this morning, where we bought all the tile for the front bathroom. We ended up settling on the same glazed ceramic dots for the pinwheels in both bathrooms because the iridescent stuff costs almost six times as much! Which is OK - I think the navy will look quite nice. The pinwheels are kinda funny - you buy a "blank" which means a 12" x 12" sheet of pinwheels (4 rows of 4), with the middle bit missing. The missing, square tile is referred to as a "dot"; that's what we're getting in navy. If you've ever been in the bathroom of an old house, you've seen this tile with a black dot; we're just getting a slightly fancier version.
The shower will get plain ol' white tiles, spiffed up with an accent row at the top that will consist of 2"x2" squares of glass tiles bordered above & below by long, narrow (7 3/4" x 5/8") tiles. We got 4 colors of glass tiles, and the way it's sold, what we ordered should be enough for both bathrooms.
We ended up taking everything but the tile for the accent row. For some reason I thought we'd be schlepping great big, very heavy boxes - not so. It took a while to figure out how much we needed of each tile, and then to write up all the paperwork (separate forms for the special-order and stock tiles), but we were still home shortly after 10 - quite the productive morning.
The shower will get plain ol' white tiles, spiffed up with an accent row at the top that will consist of 2"x2" squares of glass tiles bordered above & below by long, narrow (7 3/4" x 5/8") tiles. We got 4 colors of glass tiles, and the way it's sold, what we ordered should be enough for both bathrooms.
We ended up taking everything but the tile for the accent row. For some reason I thought we'd be schlepping great big, very heavy boxes - not so. It took a while to figure out how much we needed of each tile, and then to write up all the paperwork (separate forms for the special-order and stock tiles), but we were still home shortly after 10 - quite the productive morning.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Full day tomorrow, and it just gets more so...
We've known for a few days that we'd have the plumber & electrician as well as our contractor tomorrow. Among other things, the plumber will take a look at the pipes under the wall-mounted sink to see whether he can rerun them so they're close enough together to accommodate a pedestal sink. The electrician will be putting in the electrical box for the new lights (we're adding an overhead light in the shower and a heat lamp in the ceiling), moving the box for the lights over the medicine cabinet, running additional wiring for the new lights, and repositioning the switches for it all. The contractor will be taking the Chief along to get drywall and cement backer board for the new tile to go into the shower.
My contribution to all this will be to go back to the tile place to get dimensions on the one tile for which we don't have any (Johnson Tile, why don't you have that info on your website? tsk tsk tsk), and see about getting samples of everything so the tiler will understand what we want. Yes, I could sketch it out on a piece of paper, but the Chief wants samples, so samples I'll get.
I also need to take my digital camera in to the camera doc. It's definitely not a battery problem - no matter what I do, I get nothing but a black screen and a few of the function icons when I turn it on. In the meantime, I have way too many pictures trapped in there. At least I got the Williamsburg and Yorkshire pictures transferred to the computer before my camera quit, but the Locks of Love Before & After pics? Trapped in the camera.
Going shopping with my "design consultant" sometime tomorrow. We had a good session today, as she went through my closet to see what we could use, what wardrobe gaps most need filling, and on and on.
I would like to swing by and help paint the Grand Duke set, but the scene bay is nowhere near any of these other errands (in fact, none of them are close to any of the others), so I might not manage that one.
I also need to sit down and total my mileage for rehearsals, performances and other deductible driving, as the Chief has already started to work on our tax return. The energy credit on the new windows will help our refund more than I'd expected, and we had rather more deductions than usual in 2009, so the Chief wants to get that return in asap. Every penny of that refund is going toward the remodeling, so the sooner we get it, the better.
Oh, and I have rehearsal tomorrow night. Neither of us remembered until this evening to pull something out of the freezer for tomorrow, so it'll be a diner night. At least the diner is en route to rehearsal.
My contribution to all this will be to go back to the tile place to get dimensions on the one tile for which we don't have any (Johnson Tile, why don't you have that info on your website? tsk tsk tsk), and see about getting samples of everything so the tiler will understand what we want. Yes, I could sketch it out on a piece of paper, but the Chief wants samples, so samples I'll get.
I also need to take my digital camera in to the camera doc. It's definitely not a battery problem - no matter what I do, I get nothing but a black screen and a few of the function icons when I turn it on. In the meantime, I have way too many pictures trapped in there. At least I got the Williamsburg and Yorkshire pictures transferred to the computer before my camera quit, but the Locks of Love Before & After pics? Trapped in the camera.
Going shopping with my "design consultant" sometime tomorrow. We had a good session today, as she went through my closet to see what we could use, what wardrobe gaps most need filling, and on and on.
I would like to swing by and help paint the Grand Duke set, but the scene bay is nowhere near any of these other errands (in fact, none of them are close to any of the others), so I might not manage that one.
I also need to sit down and total my mileage for rehearsals, performances and other deductible driving, as the Chief has already started to work on our tax return. The energy credit on the new windows will help our refund more than I'd expected, and we had rather more deductions than usual in 2009, so the Chief wants to get that return in asap. Every penny of that refund is going toward the remodeling, so the sooner we get it, the better.
Oh, and I have rehearsal tomorrow night. Neither of us remembered until this evening to pull something out of the freezer for tomorrow, so it'll be a diner night. At least the diner is en route to rehearsal.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
"Stupid welcome dance" *
The Grand Duke includes a wild & crazy welcome dance about halfway thru Act II. We set it last night, tweaked it a little this afternoon, will probably continue to tweak it once we have everyone present. It includes a little "walk like an Egyptian", a bit of cancan, a little "Grecian urn"... Pretty energetic, and will probably leave the audience, especially the patrons in the first rows, stunned into silence. "What on earth was that?" "I don't know, but let's hope that was all of it!" It's fun!
* "Stupid welcome dance" is how the director described it. The stage directions call for it to be "wild" and "reckless", leaving all the dancers exhausted at the end. "Stupid" because our characters are a bunch of actors who fancy ourselves to be dancers, not real dancers, so what "we" come up with ends up looking kinda dumb.
* "Stupid welcome dance" is how the director described it. The stage directions call for it to be "wild" and "reckless", leaving all the dancers exhausted at the end. "Stupid" because our characters are a bunch of actors who fancy ourselves to be dancers, not real dancers, so what "we" come up with ends up looking kinda dumb.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
On to the next
Got a call this evening from the artistic director of the company holding Mikado auditions. They'd had a mezzo drop out of their February show and would I be willing to fill in? "No is an OK answer." Well, since Grand Duke runs in February, "no" is exactly the answer I gave. "Oh, and by the way, we cast another Katisha." Someone with a "huge" voice, I was told.
Which is OK. There'll be other Mikados, and not getting this one means I'm free to take a work-related seminar being held in my hometown. I'd be able to tack on a few extra days and spend some time with family practically for free. I think it's probably a safe bet that my folks would be willing to let me use their spare bedroom, and maybe even feed me a stray crust of bread or so. I'd be paying only for the extra days on the rental car and the meals while I'm on my own time, not for the airfare.
Not getting Katisha also means that I'm free to audition for several other shows this spring - I've got 6 on my list, in fact, so if I'm not cast in the first one, there are several more auditions just waiting for me to show up.
Which is OK. There'll be other Mikados, and not getting this one means I'm free to take a work-related seminar being held in my hometown. I'd be able to tack on a few extra days and spend some time with family practically for free. I think it's probably a safe bet that my folks would be willing to let me use their spare bedroom, and maybe even feed me a stray crust of bread or so. I'd be paying only for the extra days on the rental car and the meals while I'm on my own time, not for the airfare.
Not getting Katisha also means that I'm free to audition for several other shows this spring - I've got 6 on my list, in fact, so if I'm not cast in the first one, there are several more auditions just waiting for me to show up.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Six Ways to Help Haiti
Dooce posted this link to a post by Chris Sacca on Six Ways You Can Help in Haiti. God knows they need all the help we can send them!
Update: Several commenters on Mr. Sacca's post have provided links to other charities working on Haiti relief, and Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org) is also gearing up to provide housing there.
Update: Several commenters on Mr. Sacca's post have provided links to other charities working on Haiti relief, and Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org) is also gearing up to provide housing there.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Another audition behind me
Auditioned for a production of The Mikado tonight. I wasn't too sure of myself going in, both because today was my first voice lesson in nearly 2 months and because I'd battled another migraine earlier in the day, which rather wore me out and it never helps to audition tired. Oh well, no choice in the matter, since this was the last night of auditions.
In the little space on the audition form where you tell them what role(s) you'd like, I entered both Katisha ("an elderly lady" of the Mikado's court) and Pitti-Sing, one of the Three Little Maids from School. Given that I was the only auditioner in the room tonight who was obviously out of college, I hope the directors have a good chuckle over my requesting Pitti.
My singing didn't start out as well as I would have liked, but I think I finished pretty well, and they didn't ask me to do any vocalises, as they did some of the others auditioning. When it was my turn to read, I got to do the scene where Ko-Ko tries to persuade Katisha that he's in love with her. Great fun - the company's artistic director read Ko-Ko with great relish and I had a blast reading a thoroughly histrionic Katisha.
I don't know who auditioned last night, and I only heard two other women sing, but I think I held my own. No dance audition, but I had fun reading, so not a bad night. Now the waiting - I do hope they contact me even if I'm not cast.
In the little space on the audition form where you tell them what role(s) you'd like, I entered both Katisha ("an elderly lady" of the Mikado's court) and Pitti-Sing, one of the Three Little Maids from School. Given that I was the only auditioner in the room tonight who was obviously out of college, I hope the directors have a good chuckle over my requesting Pitti.
My singing didn't start out as well as I would have liked, but I think I finished pretty well, and they didn't ask me to do any vocalises, as they did some of the others auditioning. When it was my turn to read, I got to do the scene where Ko-Ko tries to persuade Katisha that he's in love with her. Great fun - the company's artistic director read Ko-Ko with great relish and I had a blast reading a thoroughly histrionic Katisha.
I don't know who auditioned last night, and I only heard two other women sing, but I think I held my own. No dance audition, but I had fun reading, so not a bad night. Now the waiting - I do hope they contact me even if I'm not cast.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Pinwheels
Looks like we'll be going with pinwheels for the tile on the bathroom floor. The Chief hates, loathes and despises the traditional version of this pattern, with the black center squares, but when he realized we could get other colors instead of black, well, that made a difference. Current plan is for a blue "dot" (though I don't remember at the moment which blue we decided on).
We also plan an "accent row" of pinwheels in the back bathroom's shower, with all 3 blues (blue topaz, sapphire and navy) in turn. Should be pretty.
We also plan an "accent row" of pinwheels in the back bathroom's shower, with all 3 blues (blue topaz, sapphire and navy) in turn. Should be pretty.
The discombobulation continues
Today we finally got around to dismantling the bed in the guest room and draping it and the wardrobe with plastic in a probably too-optimistic attempt to reduce the dust accumulation. The little rug in there will desperately need cleaning once this is all done, and the Chief has already vowed to give the room a meticulous scrub from top to bottom to get rid of the dust. It'll need it - we already have extra dust accumulating in every room in the house (and yesterday I found small chunks of drywall in the dryer, which is directly below the bathroom currently being overhauled).
Oddly enough, we also seem to be getting more dustbunnies than usual. The Chief claims they come from God, just like regular bunnies.
Oddly enough, we also seem to be getting more dustbunnies than usual. The Chief claims they come from God, just like regular bunnies.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
This could be a brutal winter.
First snowfall in early December, 18-24 inches a coupla weeks later, temps that barely get above the freezing mark - we don't get hit like this until January or February! In 30 years in this area, I think this is the first time we've ever had this much snow or bitter cold in December, yet we've already had another light snowfall (inch or two), and we'll probably get more before April. We've got 2 shovels at the house & 2 at the cabin, but I want to get 2 more, for each of the cars, as well as a bit more ice melt, just in case. I think I need to pack the freezer with provisions too, against another snowed-in day or few.
We've been running the space heater in the kitchen pretty much all our waking hours and have the thermostat bumped up a little, yet the house is still cold. Makes us wonder if there's much insulation in the exterior walls. (That's one of the reasons the Chief wanted to open up the bathroom walls - to pack 'em with insulation.)
I just hope the temperatures moderate a little between now and Tuesday; I've got an audition that night and sub-zero temperatures make singing a lot more work.
We've been running the space heater in the kitchen pretty much all our waking hours and have the thermostat bumped up a little, yet the house is still cold. Makes us wonder if there's much insulation in the exterior walls. (That's one of the reasons the Chief wanted to open up the bathroom walls - to pack 'em with insulation.)
I just hope the temperatures moderate a little between now and Tuesday; I've got an audition that night and sub-zero temperatures make singing a lot more work.
Call him Demo Daddy
The Chief has been doing the demolition in the front bathroom to save on labor costs for the remodeling (and he'll do the same in the back bathroom once we get to that stage). I've been coming home to find him in raggedy clothes, unshaven, dusted with plaster and other debris and generally pretty pleased with that day's progress. His hands are pretty battle-scarred by now and look pretty painful, but he claims he can't get the same control of the crowbar and other demolition tools with gloves.
He's enjoying this process: discombobulating the adjacent rooms to reduce their exposure to all the plaster dust, pushing me to gut the contents of the bathrooms and closet to be remodeled (last night we threw out an amazing amount of expired meds; some expired in the 90s!), discussing the hows and whys with the contractor - heck, he's ready to sign on as the guy's assistant!
He's enjoying this process: discombobulating the adjacent rooms to reduce their exposure to all the plaster dust, pushing me to gut the contents of the bathrooms and closet to be remodeled (last night we threw out an amazing amount of expired meds; some expired in the 90s!), discussing the hows and whys with the contractor - heck, he's ready to sign on as the guy's assistant!
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
"And the walls came a-tumblin' down"
Our latest project for the house involves remodeling both bathrooms (in sequence, not at the same time - we're not that crazy!) and overhauling the library closet and installing built-in bookshelves along one wall. In order to get the front bath ready for its make-over, the Chief has ripped out the (old, yellowed) plastic shower surround and is in the process of tearing out all the drywall, getting down to the original lath and plaster. After only 2 or 3 days of that, we already have dust everywhere, assorted hunks of demolition debris piled up in places, and a need for more dropcloths.
Oh, and to make room for the contractor's equipment, the Chief has taken most of the stuff outta the guest room (to be the temporary equipment room), with the bed to be dismantled in the next day or two. Which means everything we had stored under that bed is now in the basement, dining room and living room, and we aren't even finished yet.
This is easily the worst part of any remodeling project - the huge disruption of the house. "Where is X?" "Um... Did you try looking ____?" And the dust, and looking at ripped-open walls, the drafts from said walls, and the toilet on the back deck, and plans and fixture catalogs all over the kitchen and...
I just keep a white-knuckle grip on how much nicer everything will be once this is all over.
Oh, and to make room for the contractor's equipment, the Chief has taken most of the stuff outta the guest room (to be the temporary equipment room), with the bed to be dismantled in the next day or two. Which means everything we had stored under that bed is now in the basement, dining room and living room, and we aren't even finished yet.
This is easily the worst part of any remodeling project - the huge disruption of the house. "Where is X?" "Um... Did you try looking ____?" And the dust, and looking at ripped-open walls, the drafts from said walls, and the toilet on the back deck, and plans and fixture catalogs all over the kitchen and...
I just keep a white-knuckle grip on how much nicer everything will be once this is all over.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Didn't do too well
A year ago I ginned up a list of "maybe possibly kinda sorta" goals for the end of 2009:
New crockpot recipe this year? Maybe - I'll hafta ask the Chief to go thru my crockpot cookbook and pick something he'd like to try.
Maybe I'll try yoga - I know a fair number of people who love it, and the neurologist even suggested it for migraine relief (although simply cutting out caffeine has already done wonders).
- hang some pictures at the cabin - the Chief & I got several hung over the summer
- hang some pictures in the living room at the house - nope, not a one
- expand my crockpot repertoire - oops, forgot about this one
- start dancing again, at least a little bit - too much theater to squeeze this one in
- maybe start using the gym at my new building - did start out with this one, though it only lasted until April
- expand my musical/theatrical horizons - nailed this one - learned that "woodgrain" technique, learned age make-up, performed in a new musical for the Fringe Festival
New crockpot recipe this year? Maybe - I'll hafta ask the Chief to go thru my crockpot cookbook and pick something he'd like to try.
Maybe I'll try yoga - I know a fair number of people who love it, and the neurologist even suggested it for migraine relief (although simply cutting out caffeine has already done wonders).
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Just when you start to get really cynical about people...
Was out & about yesterday making some food deliveries to seniors and while I was reminded about the challenges the city faces in clearing away so very much snow (my little Civic handled it like a champ!), I also saw:
- a gentleman in a city-issued dayglo-yellow vest very carefully helping a woman who was struggling through the plow drifts with a cane and 2 laden shopping bags. She was floundering with every step, yet he didn't seem to be rushing her at all.
- a bus driver who tried to signal traffic to stop so a walker-using passenger could get safely across the street after getting off the bus.
- the lady who had a Christmas card for me when I brought her delivery by.
And I got to be a little bit of a hero because I was able to "fix" one woman's electric can opener. I've never owned an electric one myself - a regular one is cheaper and takes up much less space - but I finally managed to get it to work after wiping every surface I could manage with a paper towel. I was a little surprised by the fuss the organization folks made over my success, but of course a working can opener was a big deal for this woman. After all, what good is canned food if you can't get the cans open?
- a gentleman in a city-issued dayglo-yellow vest very carefully helping a woman who was struggling through the plow drifts with a cane and 2 laden shopping bags. She was floundering with every step, yet he didn't seem to be rushing her at all.
- a bus driver who tried to signal traffic to stop so a walker-using passenger could get safely across the street after getting off the bus.
- the lady who had a Christmas card for me when I brought her delivery by.
And I got to be a little bit of a hero because I was able to "fix" one woman's electric can opener. I've never owned an electric one myself - a regular one is cheaper and takes up much less space - but I finally managed to get it to work after wiping every surface I could manage with a paper towel. I was a little surprised by the fuss the organization folks made over my success, but of course a working can opener was a big deal for this woman. After all, what good is canned food if you can't get the cans open?
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Blizzard!
It started snowing Friday night and didn't stop until late Saturday night. This morning I measured 18" in the front yard, and that wasn't even a drift! Things I'm grateful for, given the way we got clobbered by this storm:
- that the Chief had made a grocery run early in the week;
- that he managed to get out of the area before things got too bad;
- that we didn't lose power (and heat!);
- neighbors who helped me dig my car out (the snowplow ridge came to within 6" of the door handles); and
- the friend who called to see if I needed anything, knowing the Chief was out of town and assuming my asthma was a concern since I didn't make it to church; and
- a day off work tomorrow so my "shoveling muscles" can recover a little.
Would be nicer if I were snowed in with someone, but the phone works just fine, everybody and their brothers seem to be spending a lot of time on Facebook updating their status and such, which gets pretty entertaining, and I've got 4 new movies that just arrived a week or so ago.
I spent too much time doing what I always do when "the weather outside is frightful" - I cooked! Lemme tell you, simmer oxtails on the stove for 7 hours and you barely have to look at 'em to get the meat off those bones! The recipe calls for frozen mixed vegetables, of which we had none, so I added frozen peas, green beans, and sliced up some carrots instead. I took some of that soup over to the neighbor who made chicken noodle soup for the Chief when he was so sick with the flu.
I also pulled some pumpkin out of the freezer and made 2 loaves of pumpkin bread, one of which I took, still warm, to the shovel-wielding neighbors. Still some thawed pumpkin left, so I went online and found a recipe for pumpkin pancakes. Three guesses what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow, now that I get to sleep in and can have a nice, leisurely breakfast.
I also cooked some turkey for dinner last night, and have pre-snow leftovers. Add that to the cooking-frenzy output and I now have way too much food for one person to eat before it starts to spoil. I'm hoping to get a friend or few to come by for a meal, will take the rest of the pumpkin bread to work on Tuesday, already gave half the grapes to the shoveling neighbors, froze half the soup I didn't give away, but I'll have to do more if I don't want all this food to go to waste.
- that the Chief had made a grocery run early in the week;
- that he managed to get out of the area before things got too bad;
- that we didn't lose power (and heat!);
- neighbors who helped me dig my car out (the snowplow ridge came to within 6" of the door handles); and
- the friend who called to see if I needed anything, knowing the Chief was out of town and assuming my asthma was a concern since I didn't make it to church; and
- a day off work tomorrow so my "shoveling muscles" can recover a little.
Would be nicer if I were snowed in with someone, but the phone works just fine, everybody and their brothers seem to be spending a lot of time on Facebook updating their status and such, which gets pretty entertaining, and I've got 4 new movies that just arrived a week or so ago.
I spent too much time doing what I always do when "the weather outside is frightful" - I cooked! Lemme tell you, simmer oxtails on the stove for 7 hours and you barely have to look at 'em to get the meat off those bones! The recipe calls for frozen mixed vegetables, of which we had none, so I added frozen peas, green beans, and sliced up some carrots instead. I took some of that soup over to the neighbor who made chicken noodle soup for the Chief when he was so sick with the flu.
I also pulled some pumpkin out of the freezer and made 2 loaves of pumpkin bread, one of which I took, still warm, to the shovel-wielding neighbors. Still some thawed pumpkin left, so I went online and found a recipe for pumpkin pancakes. Three guesses what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow, now that I get to sleep in and can have a nice, leisurely breakfast.
I also cooked some turkey for dinner last night, and have pre-snow leftovers. Add that to the cooking-frenzy output and I now have way too much food for one person to eat before it starts to spoil. I'm hoping to get a friend or few to come by for a meal, will take the rest of the pumpkin bread to work on Tuesday, already gave half the grapes to the shoveling neighbors, froze half the soup I didn't give away, but I'll have to do more if I don't want all this food to go to waste.
If you suffer from holiday stress...
Saw this strip cited in someone else's blog: if you hate the holidays, or even if you just find them stressful, check it out.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Surfacing briefly
Taking one night off in the middle of over 2 weeks of rehearsals & shows. Mother Goose opened Thursday. Not a perfect show, but none of the glitches was serious and the audience didn't seem to care. It's been an education (and fun!) doing panto, in which the audience is almost another character among the dramatis personae. They boo & hiss the bad guys, cheer the good guys, warn them not to listen to the evil queen or that there's a ghost behind them - kinda weird to be booed, not applauded, when you finish a number, but when you've just finished being all creepy and spooky, that's a good thing, at least in panto.
Got to my first blocking rehearsal for Grand Duke and was reminded why I enjoy working with this director. She got a lot of movement and business roughed in very quickly, ran it a few times. This is gonna be fun.
Thinking about what to audition for next. One local company is doing Mikado; I'd only do that show again if a miracle happens and they offer me Katisha (I anticipate some stiff competition). I wouldn't expect them to consider me for Pitti-Sing - they'd have no trouble finding young mezzos. Moon Over Buffalo also sounds like fun; three roles I'd go for, though I have no idea how stiff the competition would be.
TW came down w/ the flu Wednesday. Because we've both had our seasonal flu shots, we're assuming this was swine flu. He wasn't too miserable at first, but by the time I got home Friday (after getting a swine flu shot & a Tamiflu Rx), his fever was up to 103.6! This was at 5 p.m.; I ended up missing the first half of Act I because I wasn't about to leave until TW's doctor's office called back. Fortunately, he didn't need to be seen, so I changed the sheets, made him put on clean pj's and set him up with plenty of fluids and such before I left. By yesterday, thank God, his temp was down to 99.x, and when I got home from work today, it was finally, blessedly normal! Tonight he even ate a full meal, after having little or no appetite even yesterday.
A friend is having a reading of her one-act tonight but I opted to stay home. Nice to have a night at home for a change, instead of racing home, inhaling dinner, and flying off to the theater an hour later, or even having a more leisurely dinner before heading to rehearsal. And given that I have choir practice tomorrow and then Mother Goose performances thru Sunday and another Duke rehearsal Monday, if I didn't stay home tonight, that would be 17 days without a break! I really need one night when I get to bed before 11 p.m.
Got to my first blocking rehearsal for Grand Duke and was reminded why I enjoy working with this director. She got a lot of movement and business roughed in very quickly, ran it a few times. This is gonna be fun.
Thinking about what to audition for next. One local company is doing Mikado; I'd only do that show again if a miracle happens and they offer me Katisha (I anticipate some stiff competition). I wouldn't expect them to consider me for Pitti-Sing - they'd have no trouble finding young mezzos. Moon Over Buffalo also sounds like fun; three roles I'd go for, though I have no idea how stiff the competition would be.
TW came down w/ the flu Wednesday. Because we've both had our seasonal flu shots, we're assuming this was swine flu. He wasn't too miserable at first, but by the time I got home Friday (after getting a swine flu shot & a Tamiflu Rx), his fever was up to 103.6! This was at 5 p.m.; I ended up missing the first half of Act I because I wasn't about to leave until TW's doctor's office called back. Fortunately, he didn't need to be seen, so I changed the sheets, made him put on clean pj's and set him up with plenty of fluids and such before I left. By yesterday, thank God, his temp was down to 99.x, and when I got home from work today, it was finally, blessedly normal! Tonight he even ate a full meal, after having little or no appetite even yesterday.
A friend is having a reading of her one-act tonight but I opted to stay home. Nice to have a night at home for a change, instead of racing home, inhaling dinner, and flying off to the theater an hour later, or even having a more leisurely dinner before heading to rehearsal. And given that I have choir practice tomorrow and then Mother Goose performances thru Sunday and another Duke rehearsal Monday, if I didn't stay home tonight, that would be 17 days without a break! I really need one night when I get to bed before 11 p.m.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Goin' decaf
I've now been caffeine-free since Tuesday. After being awakened around 4 a.m. 5 days running with nasty headaches, my doc referred me to a neurologist, who told me that pattern was classic for "rebound headaches", when the body finishes metabolizing caffeine. Four in the morning?!? When I hadn't had much caffeine, and none of it after 10 am? Apparently so. This is particularly weird because mine isn't a big caffeine habit - I fill the cup halfway with milk, then top up w/ coffee, so I'm getting no more than the equivalent 12 oz. a day of straight coffee; less caffeine than in a 12-oz can of Mountain Dew.
Since Tuesday morning I've had no caffeine that I know of - only herb teas or decaf coffee, haven't had any chocolate. The "withdrawal" headaches have only been an occasional nuisance, not the constant I'd feared from seeing others go cold turkey from caffeine, though yesterday's did segue into a migraine.
The doc recommended a couple of books, one of which outlines a "migraine diet", which I'll definitely try. He also said yoga has been shown to help, and there's a yoga studio near our house; guess I'll check out their class schedule. It's much too soon to tell how all this will affect my migraines, but I've got my fingers crossed.
Since Tuesday morning I've had no caffeine that I know of - only herb teas or decaf coffee, haven't had any chocolate. The "withdrawal" headaches have only been an occasional nuisance, not the constant I'd feared from seeing others go cold turkey from caffeine, though yesterday's did segue into a migraine.
The doc recommended a couple of books, one of which outlines a "migraine diet", which I'll definitely try. He also said yoga has been shown to help, and there's a yoga studio near our house; guess I'll check out their class schedule. It's much too soon to tell how all this will affect my migraines, but I've got my fingers crossed.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Why is this so complicated?
I've wasted a bit of time this weekend trying to find someone who'll cut my hair for my Locks of Love donation. The first two times I donated, I just went in, got my hair cut, and done. This time? Not so easy, for some unknown reason or reasons.
Attempt #1: Called the salon around the corner, which I haven't patronized in lots & lots of years. I thought I had made a 4pm appointment w/ Matilda, but when I got there, I was told Matilda had already gone home for the day. I took in the spanish-language program on the tv, looked around & realized I was probably the only person there not a native speaker of Spanish, saw how many people were waiting (for their turn? for the person they'd brought there?) and realized that perhaps the person who took my name didn't understand "appointment", only the time I was asking about.
Attempt #2: Called the salon I used last time, where the woman had done a particularly good job (20 miles away, which is why I didn't call them first). I was told that donation cuts are done on a walk-in basis only; probably because they do it for free, so paying customers get first dibs. Fair enough. So I drove over there after church this morning only to find a different salon there! I tried to reach TW to have him check the address (which of course I'd left at home, along w/ the phone number), but no luck, so I went into the salon anyway. The gentleman working alone had obviously never heard of Locks of Love and couldn't take me anyway, so I drove back home, having wasted nearly 2 hours in the process. Once he realized what I was trying to accomplish, he did say that what I was trying to do was nice. I wish now that I'd had the presence of mind to give him the donation instructions I'd printed out.
Plan C: Call the place again, find out exactly where they are, landmarks and all, and try again next weekend.
Attempt #1: Called the salon around the corner, which I haven't patronized in lots & lots of years. I thought I had made a 4pm appointment w/ Matilda, but when I got there, I was told Matilda had already gone home for the day. I took in the spanish-language program on the tv, looked around & realized I was probably the only person there not a native speaker of Spanish, saw how many people were waiting (for their turn? for the person they'd brought there?) and realized that perhaps the person who took my name didn't understand "appointment", only the time I was asking about.
Attempt #2: Called the salon I used last time, where the woman had done a particularly good job (20 miles away, which is why I didn't call them first). I was told that donation cuts are done on a walk-in basis only; probably because they do it for free, so paying customers get first dibs. Fair enough. So I drove over there after church this morning only to find a different salon there! I tried to reach TW to have him check the address (which of course I'd left at home, along w/ the phone number), but no luck, so I went into the salon anyway. The gentleman working alone had obviously never heard of Locks of Love and couldn't take me anyway, so I drove back home, having wasted nearly 2 hours in the process. Once he realized what I was trying to accomplish, he did say that what I was trying to do was nice. I wish now that I'd had the presence of mind to give him the donation instructions I'd printed out.
Plan C: Call the place again, find out exactly where they are, landmarks and all, and try again next weekend.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Still alive
I've just been grossly overscheduled - Mother Goose rehearsals Monday thru Thursday, then my February show had its first read-through last Friday and a chorus rehearsal Sunday. Tonight I have the night off, then Grand Duke rehearsals tomorrow & Sunday, Mother Goose Monday and so on. Load-in is the day after Thanksgiving, set build that Saturday, then it's Tech Week. My poor husband really will be a theater widower for a while there, as Mother Goose has a pretty heavy performance schedule - Thursday thru Sunday for 2 weekends, with 2 performances on Saturdays. And since I put in for my end-of-year time off before I even auditioned for Mother Goose, I can't really take any time off to recover.
As if my Tech Week schedule weren't full enough, I have a class at work that Wednesday and am called for jury duty on Thursday.
So if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm probably at work, in a theater, asleep or perhaps in a padded cell...
As if my Tech Week schedule weren't full enough, I have a class at work that Wednesday and am called for jury duty on Thursday.
So if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm probably at work, in a theater, asleep or perhaps in a padded cell...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Enough comfort food for several people
Spent a good chunk of yesterday in the kitchen - made a big pot of veggie-beef soup, this time w/ some oxtails. The oxtails were disappointing: 1) They were supposed to thicken the stock but that didn't happen; 2) I had to trim a LOT of fat off the pieces; and 3) the meat was very tough and difficult to get off the bone. The soup's still good, mind you; it's only that the oxtails were not a particularly successful experiment. The only problem is that TW bought 3 1/2 lbs of the stuff, which I had divided into 4 smaller portions; 3 of those are still waiting in the freezer. Maybe I need to look through our cookbooks for an oxtail soup recipe so I can use that stuff up.
The pea soup I made for TW turned out every bit as thick as he wanted. He was insistent that it be "thick!" so I made it w/ 8 cups of water instead of the 12 cups the package instructions called for. This stuff was so thick, it would make traditional oatmeal seem runny; I dubbed it "pea sludge". TW was delighted with the results, though I did have to add back quite a bit of water when I heated it up for dinner tonight.
The pea soup I made for TW turned out every bit as thick as he wanted. He was insistent that it be "thick!" so I made it w/ 8 cups of water instead of the 12 cups the package instructions called for. This stuff was so thick, it would make traditional oatmeal seem runny; I dubbed it "pea sludge". TW was delighted with the results, though I did have to add back quite a bit of water when I heated it up for dinner tonight.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Let's say "Thanks!"
In honor of Veterans Day, go to http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1024.html and pick a card design to send to some servicemember stationed overseas. You don't get to pick who gets it or even which theater it gets sent to, but someone somewhere will get mail out of the blue letting them know their service is appreciated.
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