So a BIG thumbs up for Best Buy. They have this deal where if you buy a "Rewards" card, you can use it every time you purchase something. Well then they send you "Best Buy Dollars." (BBD's) All I got to say is, I used $25.00 of the BBD's, last week, and yesterday, they sent me $65.00 more BBD's. So today I purchased some Christmas presents on Best Buy. Then, because my bill was like $93.00 they gave me a free $10.00, gift card. I ended up only paying $10.00 total, because you can not use the BBD's for tax. (I had other BBD's that I didn't spend last week.) So YEA Best Buy!
And now for something completely different... I think I have a new feline tenant. Her name is Tamale. (I didn't name her. She actually belongs to my neighbor, Dr. Doolittle, but he won't let her stay inside, so she has made her choice of residence, and that would be at my place a.k.a "The cat shelter.") She may or may not be preg's. Darcy and Ella are trying to adjust. Because she is still a kitten, she loves to play, yet she loves to play rough! They are not quite used to that, and neither am I. Let's just say that in the last few weeks my hands have not looked so "great." She definitely adds spice and scratches to my life.
So what were the requirements of being the "Cat Lady?" (No not cat woman. Cat woman is 5'5, 102 lbs. And has the ability to jump higher than I can. I mean that woman that everyone doesn't want to turn into, because her life is well, not ideal.) I need to make sure I'm not slouching on the job. Pretty sure I am well on my way to being "that" person.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Friday, December 09, 2005
1 Dimensional?
Many times I start writing and I end up erasing the sentence I just wrote, because starting out always seems to be one of the hardest things for me to do. I have so many idea's that I want to share, yet, figuring out how to best bring you into my train of thought, always puzzles me. Maybe I should just start off with exactly what I am thinking at the moment...
I am in a play. For the first time in 5 1/2 years, I am in a play. Just to be clear, I graduated with a degree in Theatre/ performance. Let's just say, I took acting very seriously. It was my entire life. Then 5 years ago I had a huge life change... I fell madly, passionately in love with Jesus Christ. At that moment, I had to give up my old lifestyle. To be honest, my love for theatre went right out the door. In fact, I did a complete 180. It got to where the very idea of "performing on stage" repulsed me.
I lived in Russia as a missionary this past summer. It was an amazing life experience. However, when I returned to the states, I was drained; emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. I knew that I needed to "rest in the Lord," but I was not sure how to do that practically. I also new that I needed to do something that wasn't work. So, I started hanging out where I used to do theatre, because a dear friend of mine is a director there. Before I knew it, the acting bug bit me, again.
So, I auditioned for a role that is, I hope, completely opposite of me, and got it. I play "Boo Levy" in The Last night of Ballyhoo. The last couple of months have been wonderful. And I must say that I have worked diligently to "get" who she is. In fact, she is one of the most exhausting roles I have ever played.
In times past, I never really gave a second thought to what a critic would say, because mainly, I never got a bad review. However, I guess I have lost my tough skin that one must have in order to be an actor, because part of the review, given by the local theatre critic, really got to me.
"Some of the broader comic roles are too one-dimensional, so that one wishes for more subtlety and variety in their presentation. In contrast, Svela, Waits, Haberkorn and Humber appear more grounded in their characters, making audiences listen more attentively to their concerns."
Now you see, there are only 3 other people in the play besides the 4 mentioned. And I happen to be one of them. And by the way, Boo Levy is as about subtle as coarse sandpaper. I didn't write the play, Alfred Urhy did and he won a Tony for it in 1997. Also, I have 2 big ole emotional crying scenes, which in all of my years of theatre, I have never done. So for me, she is probably the most emotionally draining character I have ever played.
Now granted, Mr. Theatre critic is entitled to his opinion, however I know for a fact that he had never read or seen this show before he came to review it. I understand that "Boo" is a loud, overbearing, mean and at times hateful woman. I know this, because for the last 2 months I have gotten to know her really well. And if she were a real person, I would not want to be around her. Yet, I am curious as to how Mr. Theatre critic, would have played "Boo."
I am in a play. For the first time in 5 1/2 years, I am in a play. Just to be clear, I graduated with a degree in Theatre/ performance. Let's just say, I took acting very seriously. It was my entire life. Then 5 years ago I had a huge life change... I fell madly, passionately in love with Jesus Christ. At that moment, I had to give up my old lifestyle. To be honest, my love for theatre went right out the door. In fact, I did a complete 180. It got to where the very idea of "performing on stage" repulsed me.
I lived in Russia as a missionary this past summer. It was an amazing life experience. However, when I returned to the states, I was drained; emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. I knew that I needed to "rest in the Lord," but I was not sure how to do that practically. I also new that I needed to do something that wasn't work. So, I started hanging out where I used to do theatre, because a dear friend of mine is a director there. Before I knew it, the acting bug bit me, again.
So, I auditioned for a role that is, I hope, completely opposite of me, and got it. I play "Boo Levy" in The Last night of Ballyhoo. The last couple of months have been wonderful. And I must say that I have worked diligently to "get" who she is. In fact, she is one of the most exhausting roles I have ever played.
In times past, I never really gave a second thought to what a critic would say, because mainly, I never got a bad review. However, I guess I have lost my tough skin that one must have in order to be an actor, because part of the review, given by the local theatre critic, really got to me.
"Some of the broader comic roles are too one-dimensional, so that one wishes for more subtlety and variety in their presentation. In contrast, Svela, Waits, Haberkorn and Humber appear more grounded in their characters, making audiences listen more attentively to their concerns."
Now you see, there are only 3 other people in the play besides the 4 mentioned. And I happen to be one of them. And by the way, Boo Levy is as about subtle as coarse sandpaper. I didn't write the play, Alfred Urhy did and he won a Tony for it in 1997. Also, I have 2 big ole emotional crying scenes, which in all of my years of theatre, I have never done. So for me, she is probably the most emotionally draining character I have ever played.
Now granted, Mr. Theatre critic is entitled to his opinion, however I know for a fact that he had never read or seen this show before he came to review it. I understand that "Boo" is a loud, overbearing, mean and at times hateful woman. I know this, because for the last 2 months I have gotten to know her really well. And if she were a real person, I would not want to be around her. Yet, I am curious as to how Mr. Theatre critic, would have played "Boo."
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Simple pleasures
For the first time, in my life, I hung laundry out on a line to dry yesterday. Now, that may not seem a huge deal to you, but to me, it was an accomplishment! For years I have poured through design magazines and they have always applauded "line drying." Yet, for me, I never could really understand all the "hype." I mean when you dry laundry in a dryer, you get to use dryer sheets and your clothes smell lavender scented. Towels coming out of the dryer are fluffy and warm, which is always an added bonus to a perfectly wonderful shower. So for years I turned my nose up to the very idea of hanging my clothes out to dry on a line. That was until my dryer decided to go on strike!
We have always had a rather civil relationship. I put clothes in, it dried them. Every now and then, I would clean out the lent tray, just so, it didn't catch on fire. However, one day a couple of years after this dryer came into my life, it suffered a casualty. The mechanism that started it, was having issues. So, off came the outer plastic knob because apparently, the knob and the "pointy thing" that the knob slid over, were no longer compatible. I ditched the knob and just used needle-nosed pliers to turn the "pointy thing" and life settled back to normal. Dryer and I lived peacefully together for 7 1/2 years, without any problems.
Yet one Saturday last October, that peaceful union, came to an abrupt halt. I followed my normal routine of taking clothes out of the washer, throwing them into the dryer and putting dryer sheets in. After I had closed the door, I reached for the pliers, and in a moment of unknown strength, I turned the pliers to the right, but the "pointy thing" broke. I couldn't believe it! After all of these years, it had, in one fleeting moment, been silenced, for who knows how long.
Thus started the time when I became familiar with other peoples dryers. Sadly mine sat unable to do what it was created for, except serve as a good catch-all. I then traveled to Russia with some very dear friends and I witnessed something extraordinary! Staying at a friends flat in the middle of Siberia I noticed that there was only a washer, no dryer. If you wanted to dry your clothes, you hung them on a line or on a wooden contraption that held clothes. On my return to the states I decided to try actually doing laundry at my house again, but this time I would hang everything to dry. Well can you believe this, it actually worked? And to be honest, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Everything came out ok.
So, lately I have been noticing that my neighbors have been line drying their clothes. With all of that in mind, and as yesterday was absolutely beautiful, I knew that it was the perfect time for me to cast off my prior prejudices and hang my clothes on the line to dry. Wow! How freeing it was to see my clothes sway in the wind. I truly felt as though I had accomplished a mile stone. I think I have grown as a person. Who knew that hanging laundry on a line could cause me to swell with a good sense of pride? Even though I didn't actually get done all that I wanted to yesterday, I didn't feel defeated, because, I had done something that I always snubbed, and rather enjoyed it. Life does have simple pleasures, and hopefully, I will continue to discover them as I go.
We have always had a rather civil relationship. I put clothes in, it dried them. Every now and then, I would clean out the lent tray, just so, it didn't catch on fire. However, one day a couple of years after this dryer came into my life, it suffered a casualty. The mechanism that started it, was having issues. So, off came the outer plastic knob because apparently, the knob and the "pointy thing" that the knob slid over, were no longer compatible. I ditched the knob and just used needle-nosed pliers to turn the "pointy thing" and life settled back to normal. Dryer and I lived peacefully together for 7 1/2 years, without any problems.
Yet one Saturday last October, that peaceful union, came to an abrupt halt. I followed my normal routine of taking clothes out of the washer, throwing them into the dryer and putting dryer sheets in. After I had closed the door, I reached for the pliers, and in a moment of unknown strength, I turned the pliers to the right, but the "pointy thing" broke. I couldn't believe it! After all of these years, it had, in one fleeting moment, been silenced, for who knows how long.
Thus started the time when I became familiar with other peoples dryers. Sadly mine sat unable to do what it was created for, except serve as a good catch-all. I then traveled to Russia with some very dear friends and I witnessed something extraordinary! Staying at a friends flat in the middle of Siberia I noticed that there was only a washer, no dryer. If you wanted to dry your clothes, you hung them on a line or on a wooden contraption that held clothes. On my return to the states I decided to try actually doing laundry at my house again, but this time I would hang everything to dry. Well can you believe this, it actually worked? And to be honest, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Everything came out ok.
So, lately I have been noticing that my neighbors have been line drying their clothes. With all of that in mind, and as yesterday was absolutely beautiful, I knew that it was the perfect time for me to cast off my prior prejudices and hang my clothes on the line to dry. Wow! How freeing it was to see my clothes sway in the wind. I truly felt as though I had accomplished a mile stone. I think I have grown as a person. Who knew that hanging laundry on a line could cause me to swell with a good sense of pride? Even though I didn't actually get done all that I wanted to yesterday, I didn't feel defeated, because, I had done something that I always snubbed, and rather enjoyed it. Life does have simple pleasures, and hopefully, I will continue to discover them as I go.
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