persephone33

Tomorrow's the last show of the run! The 39 Steps has been a great experience.

And here's Chriselda's slideshow of the production. The photographs are, as ever, phenomenal.

I have not personally had a perfect show, yet. Maybe tomorrow. Last chance!

★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.

So remember this post where I did an interview for a hometown magazine?

It came out today.

You can find it if you click here.

In the article, I'm nebulous and chatty, and it may seem like I didn't hold back at all. However, I didn't go into the saga of Frank, my complete digust when it comes to woodland creatures, my fear of a piano, the fact I'm certain that there's a conspiracy involving the bunnies of the world, or all of the weird things my kids say.

I save that for you nice people.

You're welcome.

♛I've been working at theatre camp all week. These are some of the most talented students I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Also, they're some of the most uninhibited; I think that's part of what makes an actor great, letting go of what everyone else thinks and just being. Yesterday I got to coach scenes and monologues, one of my very favorite things in the world to do. The kiddos did a flash mob (to Fleetwood Mac!) at our largest grocery store in town today to promote their show this week, and it was super cool. So fun.

♛The chubbiness is getting out of control, and I feel there might be a direct correlation between that and the volume of food I'm putting in my mouth. I haven't even stepped on the scale in over a month. I'm afraid the poor thing might die of shock. Or strain. Or both.

♛I lost the Jeep a few days ago. I went to the mall to use my card for a free Victoria's Secret panty (like you do) and when I got back out to the parking lot, NO JEEP. The Jeep is no frills - no panic button, no remote entry, no power windows or anything else. I was upset - not because we don't have insurance, but because I was going to have to tell Mr. H. that the car was stolen on MY watch. I walked around in the boiling Texas heat for twenty minutes before I remembered I entered through a different door than I normally do. WHAT. AN. IDIOT.

♛My back has been killing me for months. Since March? I've been going to the chiropractor, and I thought it was getting better, but I woke up this morning to the same level of pain I started with. It's just frustrating. Annoying. Getting old is roughly on par with chewing up broken glass. It, simply put, sucks out loud.

♛The week without kiddos was relaxing, I'm not going to lie. It's fun to not have to be responsible for anyone else but me. Oh, and Nolan a little. But he's fairly self-sufficient. However, I'm glad to have those little goobers back in the nest. We were incomplete while they were away.

♛I'm gearing up to work another week of camp - I get to direct 'Baby it's Cold Outside' and 'Sing' from A Chorus Line, comedies both. :D Very fun. And I'm making a costume plot for La Cage... anyone want to place a bet that there's over a hundred separate costumes? Eeeek. :)

My day in a nutshell:( Help! I'm in a nutshell! How did I get into this bloody great big nutshell? What kind of shell has a nut like this? )

♥ So many things to pontificate about, so little drive to type it all out...

First and most importantly, for those of you who don't already have an action plan in place, May is evidently Zombie awareness month. The linked article is disturbingly sincere, with suggestions about showing awareness by wearing a grey ribbon and buying a book with clever verse entitled "That's not your mommy anymore." Weird. Even so, I'd like to point out that I'm ready, should the zombie apocalypse ever happen. *cough*


♥ The show is going really well, thought it's hard to tell because I'm working too hard in the scenes I'm in to be sure.

( Pictures of the Scoundrels... )

I'm still the chubby girl, but at least I'm owning it.

♥ I've been mainlining Modern Family episodes. This is the funniest show on television. It's hysterical. All of the characters are believable and well written, even the kids! And I'll be honest, I sort of want to be Sofia Vergara.

♥ Many of you know I'm a bit prone to fits of literary hyperbolic violence. For instance, today I actually said out loud, "If I miss one more important text I'm going to shiv someone with an icepick," which led to the question, 'Can you use shiv as a verb?' and if you can, can you also exchange the word for a makeshift prison weapon instead of a kitchen tool to break up ice ... All that to say, I need a text plan. I'm not going to use it obsessively, dear husband, but I will USE IT. Aaaaand I think I just found the first topic of our new marriage blog. Which can be found at nolanandcarrie, if you're interested. When we're in the same room for more than half an hour at a time, we'll bang one out. We've got all the material in the world, but agreeing on a topic has been, oddly enough, a challenge. Marriage. Go figure, right?

♥ Also, on a completely unrelated subject, it's sometimes hard for me to be a recovering bitch instead of a very current and clearly present one. By being manipulatively bossy, I could totally get pretty much anyone to do whatever I wanted or make them cry, whichever comes first. I've been trying, for the last few years to be a nicer person. Unfortunately, 'nice' it not my fallback emotion. Or even an easily accessible one. Still, I try. (Sometimes I try harder than others, but I digress.)

♥ I'm off for a weekend of baby showers and musical performances and a visit from my mom and Tom, so I'm off to scour the house and myself in preparation. Have a great weekend, everyone!

You know, I'm such a mom sometimes that I get sort of wrapped up in Teacher Appreciation Week for my own children, and I honestly forget what it means to me. I've had some amazing teachers in my life, men and women who quite literally shaped the way I think, behave and exist in society and in my field of study.

( My teachers were and ARE awesome.... )
To all of these educators, directors and teachers, I extend my very sincere thanks. You've all made a difference in me, and to me, and in turn to the students that I now have the honor of teaching.

You're all loved immeasurably.

The last post was a bit dramatic. It's an occupational hazard. Apologies all around.

Nolan teases me that I'm annoyingly even tempered, but only because I store up all of my upset for six months at a time, until I explode and have an "I Feel" day, spewing hot, molten crazy on everyone in my immediate vicinity. Those days are rare, but they do happen. They hurt a little, too. I need to work on letting it out little by little. A crazy release valve, if you will.

Anyway. Moving forward. Onwards and upwards. Adapt and overcome.

The show is contained, for the time being. The next two weeks will undoubtedly be grueling, but I can actually see fun from where I am. It's promising. The thing that's motivating? The principles are having such a good time; they're funny, talented and well rehearsed, so the ensemble will just be a lovely icing on an already wonderful and yummy cake.

Forgive the food metaphors. I've got cinnamon bun bread in the oven for our breakfast, and the smell is driving me a little nutty.

I tried on the cute cowgirl costume from the last post, and... I could look worse. Talk about barely contained. I'm going to have to do some strategic work with duct tape and bailing wire so that all my business stays where it belongs. A friend of mine says that it's all about the base coat of paint. SO true.

So anyway. Things are looking up. It's Easter, and I do love this particular holiday. His sacrifice puts my problems in perspective as trivial and petty, comparatively. Plus, I made myself a new Easter dress, and always enjoy the coloring and hunting eggs aspect of the weekend.

So have a happy Easter, and may the Easter bunny bring you all the Cadbury creme eggs your heart desires.

★ I have a day ahead of doctor visits. I like these particular doctors as people, but still. I'd rather be tied up, gagged and dragged behind a truck on a gravel road than go.

★ Oh, barista at the coffee shop, do not pretend you don't know what "medium" means. Every one of those shops calls it something different, and I'm not bending to their collective wills. MEDIUM. Do not look at me with a confused puppy face. You can figure this out on your own. Try harder.

★ It's Thursday, and really my favorite day of the week. Even after 8 years of teaching for the ALT Academy and fifteen years (WOAH. I've been teaching for fifteen years? When did that happen?) of teaching adolescents, I still really, really love it. It's the highlight of the week, most times. They're talented and funny and WANT to be there, which is indeed the most important thing. And they're not worried about making utter fools of themselves, which is KEY for theatre. Thursday also means Bones, and thus David Boreanaz. Yet another perk. :D

★ I locked myself out of the house before eight o'clock this morning. I got back in because I am a ninja. That's a picture for you, right? Me scaling the back porch ceiling and dropping through a window? We'll just say that's what I did to get back in.

★ Rehearsals are better. Still not fantastic, but better. I left smiling instead of crying last night, so I'm hopeful for the rest of the week.

★ I made these for home group last night. They were a hit! And cute, which is really why I wanted to make them in the first place.

( Easy cookie recipe... )

★ There's a quote (a Chinese proverb, maybe?) that I've had on my theatre folder for years. "Tell me what you love, and I'll tell you who you are." What do you love? Think about it. It's all deep and stuff.