News from the Hobbit Hole!

So I have come to really love my studio apartment. It is a nice change in a lovely location and I smile every time I walk out and see the lake close by. Today was such a glorious day and to see the sunshine on the lake as I went to teach yoga this morning just creates a lovely start to the day.

I am fitting the puzzle pieces together for the next few months and hope to share those soon. More teaching, more managing of people and I believe there will in fact be some performing.

Studio living while a little sad at first is forcing me to be super organized. I have certainly not tackled it fully yet, but I am certainly on my way. As Emily will be kitty sitting while I'm in NY I need to leave it in a presentable state. I hope to do that on Saturday. But needless to say, I have started calling my apartment by the loving name of "The Hobbit Hole." One of these days I may open it up for a little entertaining.

In the meantime, I am grateful for:
1. people who appreciate my time and expertise
2. work that I enjoy and that pays
3. fresh food
4. sunny days
5. ways to watch my TV shows online

As I have a full day tomorrow of yoga, a cabaret rehearsal, an audition and dinner with a friend I need to get my beauty sleep. Or at least a shower and chance to read more Wicked. I'm enjoying it more than the musical.

I know, shoot me. Or cast a spell on me. Either way, you know what I mean.

Rainy Friday!

It's amazing how a rainy, gray day will just stomp all over your level of productivity. I woke up at 8AM from a phone call from my mother and got up, cooked breakfast and set up shop at the little table in my kitchen. Just about 90 minutes it started pouring and I have just been a lazy bum ever since.

Boo.

It's not like I have nothing to do, or can afford to waste a little time. Nope. Mama's got a full list of tasks for just about every client. Updating travel for one, starting thank you notes for another, prepping my expenses for my taxes once and for all, And not to mention I really need to clean my kitchen...again.

I just had a lunch of leftover mushroom risotto and steamed broccoli. And rather than getting me going, I just want to take a nap. I am in the process of downloading some Top Chef episodes, so I may need to satisfy my inner slug and watch one episode and then get moving.

Or I could treat it as a treat and bust out some work until I hear the downloader *ding.* ooh, there was the first ding and there's about 4 minutes until the second one.

I am going with option 2. Let me find some good tunes and see how much I can get done.

Go!

It's a Mental Thing

So I have made personal strides this week about just feeling better. I think it has lots to do with my surroundings, as well as the Daily Challenge. But I have been out of it lately and just feel like I'm coming back to myself. The residual pity party is coming to a close and I'm finding my stride. Best yet, my apartment is just about settled. I have had a good bit of help, but I am purging papers and organizing everything. I want to make sure that EVERYTHING has a place. There are still a few pieces of furniture that I am trying to sell, but other than that I should be able to have all papers filed or recycled within the week.

It's amazing what living in a small apartment forces you to do. One in such a lovely area, so close to Lake Merritt. Now I just need to figure out who the heck is making all of the music noise that's rattling the walls. I feel like I'm back in my Berkeley apartment. Sheesh. Before I get the earplugs and jump into bed - oooh, and set my clock ahead - here are some gratitudes:

1. Christine for inviting me to the Daily Challenge
2. Tony for hanging my shelves and folding kitchen table
3. good parking karma
4. sunny days
5. fresh food

Productivity!

So today's daily challenge was to come up with one word that expresses how you'd like your day to go. I immediately selected "productive" and made it my cell phone greeting. So every time I open the phone I see that little reminder staring me in the face. And I have to say it worked. Here's the breakdown:

10AM yoga teaching
(a bit of Wolfe/Gunderson work)
12PM MTC faculty meeting
1:15PM lunch with Christine
(a bit of ABD work)
3PM MTC Story to Stage class
5:30PM phone meeting with Anne
2.5 hours of ABD work
1 hour break to watch Grey's Anatomy on Hulu & heat/eat leftovers
2.5 hours paper clean up (including recycling 2 moving boxes and storing 1 archival file box)

Whew I am beat just reviewing. So it's now 11:26PM and I am wiped. It feels good to get things done. And even nicer to begin to see the floor of my apartment. I have a feeling that my cats will be glad to see the stacks of papers and files currently on the floor go away. But that will just have to happen tomorrow.

Another day, another challenge!

Daily Challenges

Yesterday my buddy from grad school, Christine, invited me to join her and her kids in the Daily Challenge. It's a website that supports health and well being and sends a daily task. So, the first one is:

Write down 5 activities that make you happy.

Um, okay.

1. seeing a movie in the theatre
2. walking in the sunshine
3. dipping my feet in the ocean (or other water source)
4. eating with friends
5. rolling around on one of those exercise balls

Now the challenge is to actually do one of these this week. As an overachiever I am going to all of them. I mean, one can never have too much happiness.

52 Card Pick-up!

Remember that card game 52 Card Pick Up? Yeah, the one where your annoying brother pulled status and after asking if you want to play a game proceeded to throw all of the cards in the air?

Perhaps you didn't have an annoying brother, or perhaps he wasn't all that annoying or maybe that was me.

Anyhoo, I moved to Oakland on Sunday and I feel like all of the pieces of my apartment were thrown in the air and now that they've landed I have to pick them all up.

Did I ever say that I DO NOT LIKE THIS GAME??!

As we all know moving sucks. As a Taurean, I am not a fan of change. I really like my routine and ritual. I like to know where I'm going and how to get there. Sure I can be spontaneous at times. But like to know where I stand. Or sleep or put my shit.

I have too much furniture for my little studio, so I put a few things on craigslist and a few things on freecycle. The free stuff all went - my old area rug, my moving boxes. However the stuff that involves people giving me money, well, that's another story. The cat tree was supposed to be picked up on Tuesday and the guy did not confirm and failed to show up. The dining set and 4 chairs were supposed to be picked up today and also the girl who has been flaky has not shown up. So, as my friend Amy freaks out as she plans to travel to Africa for 2 weeks, I will let go of my anxiety and join Amy for a Friday cocktail – or two.

I am not super familiar with my new 'hood yet, so I don’t have lots to add in terms of suggestions of places to go. I’m hoping Amy has some thoughts or I guess we can head up to Broadway. With a partner in crime I am certainly up for an adventure.

I am excited about exploring my new environs, but it has been cold and rainy and I would rather hole myself up in my cramped apartment where at least it's warm.

I mean just as we do when we toss the cards in the air – I will certainly pick up the pieces, organize them and build a new routine.

Let’s drink to that!

Speed of Light

So things are moving very fast. I have been busy with projects since the year began and I have another 2 weeks to go. Unfortunately there's a move stuck right in the middle and looking at my week, I am really not sure when I will be able to pack.

It's great that I am so busy and I am able to bill hours, but the dance card is rather empty as of March. I have some things pending but the pickins are slim.

I am trying not to freak out. In the meantime, I am grateful:

1. sunny days
2. generous hosts
3. being close to the water
4.leftovers
5. snuggly kitties