persephone33

★I've decided that even though I don't have time to do it myself, I really love National Blog Posting Month, which is, for those of you not all-consumed by the intranets, is this month. I don't do it because I don't enjoy setting myself up for failure. Because honestly, I'm distracted by something shiny every, oh, five seconds or so. I'd never make it. But during NaBloPoMo, all my friends who are usually too busy to blog regularly do so for the whole month! It's like getting a glut of your favorite TV show. It's fun.

★Nolan signed me up to make cornbread dressing (stuffing?) for 40 people to take to our church Thanksgiving dinner. Do I get to go? No. Is Nolan going to go? No. But I'm still making the crap ton of stuffing. I can't even conceive of the amounts of ingredients for that. There's math in my future. Ugh. I'm not upset, though. Not about the signing up, or the making of the dish, or even the fact that I'm not getting to eat it. I'm upset about the math. Math makes me grouchy.

★Ethan just spent ten minutes trying to convince me that those yogurts that have Oreos or M&M's packaged with them to sprinkle on top are low fat and healthy for you. Seriously, kid. This is not my first rodeo. And: Ew, cough, gag and splutter.

★Tomorrow I have too much to do. A jam-packed full day. It's full of all good things, but there's not going to be time to breathe. I've become rather accustomed to breathing, and it bothers me a bit when I'm prohibited.

★Do you know when you do something, and then people really like it? That feeling you get when you get a pat on the back? I've had a dozen of those pats over the past week, for a short story I wrote for an anonymous fest where I still remain anonymous. Every single pat makes me smile. And if I could figure out how to respond anonymously, I would. But I am technologically deficient. It's a good thing I have other talents, for sure. Like making breakfast parfaits. I make a mean parfait.

★Rehearsal. Rehearsal is SO. MUCH. FUN. Rarely have I been with a group of people who are so creative and hard-working and intuitive as these boys. It's a delight and a joy. I've decided I'm going to do a picture a night on instagram. So you can follow the show and my crappy photography skills over there. I'm carriehuckabay on that particular site. Which is my actual name, if you throw in a space, for those of you who don't know.

★Also, and I'm loathe to "announce" it, but here goes: *deep breath* I'm breaking up with Sugar.

*throws self on floor and weeps bitterly*

It isn't Sugar's fault, and it isn't because I don't believe in Sugar's love for me, or even because I'm trying to lose weight (I'm ALWAYS trying to lose weight), or because I read the ebook of Skinny Bitch and secretly liked that the author was cursing at me like some sort of sailor with Tourette's. I'm leaving Sugar because I can trace all of the times I feel like utter and complete crapola to refined Sugar. Quite frankly, I'm sure I'll miss Sugar. I'll have Sugar withdrawals. I'm going to leave 2 a.m. phone calls on Sugar's phone and write Sugar a love Sonnet a day. But Sugar makes me feel like ass, and even if I do love Sugar from the deepest depths of my black little heart and want to have a billion of Sugar's little Sugar Babies, Sugar has to leave.

That metaphor went wrong somewhere. Alas. You have to know when to say when.

★That's all. *points to the icon* Make the right decision.

Cake. No... death. No! Cake.... It really is a difficult choice. As for me, I'm going to go Google 'Crapton of dressing' and see what comes up.

Later.

After a month and a half of rehearsing music, sweaty dance rehearsals, high-heeled foot torture, costume alterations, insane slimming workouts, chiropractic rehabilitation, sleep deprivation and random personal freakouts, we have a full price paying audience tonight, who will have the pleasure of being entertained by a bunch of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I hope. :)

I have ten costume changes, eight different pairs of shoes and twenty pieces of jewelry in the course of the show.

I haven't been in bed before midnight all week.

But there's a party tonight. Performing + audience + party + getting to sleep in tomorrow = Fanfreakingtastic.

And I have a new dress and cute shoes to wear tonight, too.

And Nolan's home early from work, so I get to spend a little time with him.

I guess life can't get much better!

First of all, may I say that there shouldn't be two three o' clocks in a twenty four hour period? Nothing good happens at three a.m. Well, nothing good has ever happened to me at three a.m. Unless you count uninterrupted sleep, which frankly I'm not getting enough of these days.

What I'm saying is that I've been awake now for over two hours - long enough to try to convince myself to go back to sleep, and when it became abundantly apparent that wasn't happening, to have a bath, feed the dogs and have a cup of coffee.

What awoke me at that ungodly (seriously, I refuse to believe MY risen savior has anything to do with 3 a.m.) hour you may ask? I'll tell you, reader. I woke up in a sweat, frowning, with a heck of a backache from a dream about... you guessed it. Choreography.

I'm affectionately calling them 'dancemares.'

Wait, what? Not everyone has nightmares about dance steps? Just me? Alrighty.

Anyway, once I'm awake and thinking about what comes next (step step kick chase turn step ball change) and get stuck, then my mind drifts to other things. Like the fact that one or possibly more of my costumes for the show might be pornographic.

( More about nightmares of all sorts... )
At least I've learned the music. Mostly. But hitting the right notes is not going to stop my rear end from being exposed to all of Amarillo this May. Stay tuned. It's gonna be a hell of a ride.

Two performances down, two more weeks to go.


Three of these guys have taken my class. That makes me smiley.

Honestly, I've had mixed feelings about South Pacific. It's an "old time" musical, one that has a long first act and a long second act, and repetition to ensure that the songs are firmly etched in your grey matter when you leave the theatre. (I can testify, having awoken this morning to my brain singing, "I'm bromidic and bright as a moon-happy night, pourin' light on the dew!" as the soundtrack to some COMPLETELY inappropriate dreams. Stupid subconscious.)

bro·mid·ic – adjective
pertaining or proper to a platitude; being a bromide; trite.

Huh. You learn something new every day.

( Wherein I wax poetic about the theatre... )

I went this afternoon to let Valerie play with my hair. We watched the Live from Lincoln Center version of SP to get us in the mood...

The results were good!


( two more under here... )

Gonna be super easy.

Even though I didn't plan it, I seem to be busy. Really Busy.

I'm pleasantly sore from all the workouts I've been doing to reduce in the name of South Pacific, waist deep in research for costuming Eurydice (now that I understand it, I think I may like it. Still not sure, though),preparing and rehearsing for a women's retreat drama mid-September, dance rehearsals and blocking rehearsals for South Pacific, managing to do the HGC diet without wanting to pull my (or anyone else's) hair out*, writing a little and sewing, painting and keeping the house from exploding with dirt.

I am woman, hear me roar, etc.

We're getting our new bed delivered today. I could NOT be more happy. I still need to document the drama that is The Bed. Gracious. It's an epic freaking saga.

The children have been gone since Sunday, and they return this afternoon. I've missed them! But the house is really clean. And quiet. ;)

---

* Actually, I'd sell my grandmother for some queso. And you know how I love my grandmother.

The last few days have been really relaxing! With the boys gone, Nolan and I have had date night (or date lunch) every day. It's been fantastic, really. We've been to restaurants and so forth, but last night I made homemade white pizzas and he read The Thin Man to me while we shared a bottle of Pinot Noir. It was kinda romantical. :)

September 16 - October 3 will be the production dates for South Pacific. It really has a phenomenally talented cast - when I looked at the list past my own name (selfish, selfish) I was floored by all the talent just in the chorus, not to mention the leads! So if you're going to be in the Amarillo area then, make plans to see it. Rehearsals start Monday, and I'm really excited. It's fun to know I have more to do than just the mundane things that go one here from day to day. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, sewing, painting, writing... Breaks up the monotony, you know?

I'm watching a copy of the movie version of South Pacific that I borrowed from my friend Scott. So far, it only makes me want to go on vacation to somewhere tropical. Like right now. The last time I watched it, I think I lived with deedsk_tx. And that was nearly fifteen years ago. Lord, we're old, D. ;) When did that happen?

And I know it might be silly, but waking up to this made me really, really happy, too.

( Pretty banner! )

And next weeks prompt is the best yet. :D

Life's pretty great.

And by that, I mean that when I awoke this morning, my muscles swore at me with words that would make a merchant seaman blush scarlet. I see Myoflex and ibuprofen in my immediate future.

After working out and going to rehearsals nonstop for the past six weeks, it appears that I'm going to need some down time. To recoup. I have TWO days for this to happen until hell week (The theatrical term for the week of incorporating costumes, lights, sound and orchestra into the production - usually horrifically grueling rehearsals). My sweet husband has planned our company's trip to take all of the employees to the Dallas area to see a Ranger game, so I'll spend some good down time in the bus, napping, hopefully, watching my ipod and MAYBE writing a little.

But today, I'm skipping the workout. I've got to go to the grocery store, and then to Dillards or Kohls or somewhere to get some strapless, suck-me-in, push-me-up foundation garment so I won't have to be naked in front of the people backstage, four of which are former students of mine. So, yeah, that would be weird.

And I probably need to get Nolan a birthday gift. He turns the big 4-0 on Sunday. Wow. He's OLD(er than me)! And mom and Tom are coming in to watch the boys while we're away, so I should probably herd out the dustbunnies from under the guest bed.

Who needs a workout when you've got a to do list like that! Fingers crossed that all the pain is gone by Sunday night! Have a great weekend, all!

Is an award that I will not be receiving anytime soon.

Nolan woke me at 6:00 this morning, informing me that he had to go to Nebraska this week. Today. Til Thursday. Which, ordinarily, would have me doing a little 'alone time' dance.

Not so, this morning.

After trying to find a sitter for most of the day, it became apparent that I would have to take my sons with me to rehearsal for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, wherin (in case you aren't a faithful reader of this journal) I play a whore.

Luckily, they were spared seeing any of the real Graphic numbers. For today, anyway.

Two things, though: 1)Ethan asked, "Mommy? What was going on before Mr. Jason (Melvin P. Thorpe) came onstage?" (Answer I did not give? Sounds of the throes of passion. *facepalm*)
2) He was singing "Texas has a bleephouse in it! Lord have mercy on our souls!" at the top of his lungs on the way home. Please do not call social services. I really do try to be a good mother.

At least he has the good sense not to say the word 'whore.' Let's hope he doesn't let it slip at school.

Aaron? Fell asleep about an hour before we were done. I'm going to be grateful that he didn't see the whorehouse number, instead of taking it as a personal comment on the acting.

Lord have mercy on our souls.

So I didn't get a callback after my audition on Sunday evening, but I guess they saw all they needed to see.  I got cast as one of "Miss Mona's girls," which, roughly translated, means I'll be one of the whores.  To quote a line from the show, "Yee haw."  How on EARTH am I going to explain what a 'whore' is to Ethan and Aaron?  One of my friends suggested letting them watch the movie and figure it out for themselves.

*sigh* 

Anyway, it's a great big YAY.  After I registered the kids for school, dropped them at a friend's house, went to a Dr. appointment, worked with numbers all day at Nolan's business, I needed a little good news.

The music is very fun.  The dancing makes me nail bitey, only because I'm going to be gone all next week when they're teaching all the combinations.  Eeek!  But the beach=fun and I've not been on a proper vacation in a long time.  So no guilt.

My favorite line  so far?  "No whips or rough stuff.  This ain't the Marine Corps!  No three or more to a bed.  This ain't the circus!  And no kissing on the mouth.  This ain't the junior prom!"

MAN, I love the theatre.