Weekend of Brand New

Okay, I think I am officially a Bay Area babe. Yesterday I went to my first laughter yoga class in the Grand Lake area and the Farmer's Market immediately afterwards. In the evening I met Andrea and some of the MTC ladies at AT&T Park for the Giants v the Arizona Diamondbacks. And yes, there was a protest about the whole immigration issue. And then today I went to a yoga class followed by Ecstatic Dance. Unfortunately I cannot say that I biked to any of this, but like many people in the Bay Area. I drove my car. Well except to the baseball game, I took BART and walked. The weather was super nice today, but when I got home I went inside and completely crashed on the couch.

So my plans of cleaning the apartment and working on funny bone and updating my hours and invoices - well, yeah, that didn't happen. if i head to bed in the next 30 minutes, i should be able to get up early and bust some shit out.

that and i really think i need a life coach.

What I'm Grateful for:
1. two loving lap felines
2. gorgeous weather
3. pluots in season
4. supportive friends
5. possibilities

Notes to the Self

First off, when you are watching a live reality competition result show, don't check twitter. I mean, I know it goes without saying, but I guess I have my stupid hat on. Momentarily forgetting that I am 3 hours behind the original broadcast of the finale of American Idol I decided to check Twitter to see if anyone on this coast was tweeting about Alice Cooper opening the show. Yeah, dumb move. Since on the right bar I see the current top phrases in tweets listed at least 2 mentions to Lee Dewyze winning. I have to admit that I am a little surprised. I was not an avid follower this year or last, but every time I did catch it, Crystal Bowersox seemed to just bring it. As I watch this 2 hour event, it makes me sad. There is so much money, attention and viewership but the contestants are just not that good. As a whole. There are a few people that busted it out, but I think the show has lost it's luster. And that makes me sad.

Fortunately that is not the same with So You Think You Can Dance. Hopefully the DVR setting is still active from the last season. Since the coming months will be a little crazy, I don't think I will have a chance to watch it live. I will be in rehearsals and teaching and doing a few hours here and there with Kim and Jess, and then there is increased catering work with Hugh.

I spoke to yet another non-profit dance company today about doing some administrative work. The artistic director asked me about my teaching and other work and then there was the telling question about also being a performer. And I really had to think about it. I have to be honest and say that I am not sure how much performance will be doing on a regular basis. I did the generals last week at CenterREP and felt good, but when I did them at Berkeley Rep on Tuesday, I just felt okay. I am still doing the show this summer and I am making plans for When You Hit Your Funny Bone, so don't fret. However, perhaps scripted plays are not the best medium for me. Perhaps there is a better performative medium for me. Or not.

I reminds me of this conversation I had with Margaret Baldwin in the germinations of my departure from Synchronicity and Atlanta. I drove over late at night in my pajamas and we sat on her front porch. I knew change was on the horizon and I needed a wise perspective. I mentioned it here two years ago. Either I'm slow on the pick up or I need a little reflection (and a good kick in the pants) every year or so.

Duly noted.

Juggling

I noticed that the Working Actors Workout this Wednesday is all about basic clowning and juggling skills. I really want to go. I have always wanted to add a little juggling into Funny Bone - or at least have the option. I have lots of potential meetings and now that I'm doing catering deliveries for Hugh Groman and there is another potential arts admin job the schedule juggling continues.

I am trying to be good and as opportunities come up I ask myself 'how does this serve me?' i need to remember that I have skillz and I don't have to settle. I need to be paid what I'm worth and the jobs I take need to either serve my bank account, my career or my soul.

In the meantime, I am grateful:
1. Grocery Outlet
2. upcoming rehearsals
3. upcoming arts volunteer ops
4. yummy red wine
5. pandora to work by

Early Start

It's amazing how productive one can be if the day starts early. My lovely cat, Maximillian for the last year has gotten me up around 6:30am each morning. During grad school that was usual for me since 2 days a week I taught at 8am. However, with my schedule a little looser these days, that's a little harder to handle. And better yet, about a week ago, he decided that I need to get up around 5:45. Most days I just go back to bed for a few hours, but since I have an interview down in Cupertino this morning, I thought I should get up and get some things done.

Mostly clean and then prep for the interview.

Tony called me last night and told me that his sister and her two friends would be crashing here the next two nights. So, first up this morning was doing dishes, putting away some clean clothes and making the bed. I then made myself a nice pot of espresso and straightened up the living room and did some computer work.

I wish I did more this week on Funny Bone. Well, I did some reworking, but not very much practical work that I can work on with Colin. Let me put away some dishes and do another round of dishes and see if I can run the definition dances before I hit the road.

Gratitudes:
1. sunny skies
2. work possibilities
3. nice audition auditors (from the one yesterday)
4. inexpensive or free yoga
5. sleeping lap kitties

Building Communities

Still with my jacket on after getting home from Noga's house this evening. She invited a few of us from the yoga training over for Shavuos. That's just how lazy I am. It was really nice to gather with this group of women and I do hope to continue gathering on a regular basis with or without yoga. I was very happy that there was wine on the buffet table because I needed it after an exciting day with my little divas and a faculty meeting to process it. I made a quiche, but in my typical potluck fashion I didn't have any of it since I knew there would be plenty leftover - and I mean there's only so much quiche one can eat.

Not too much else to report. No word on the audition I went to on Monday and my temp job tomorrow and the catering gig on Saturday were cancelled. I will be heading to see BATS on Saturday night with Colin and we rehearse on Friday, so I'd better get my butt in gear and take some time to rehearse tomorrow on my own.

I'm doing the general auditions at Center REP tomorrow, so hopefully that will take me another step closer to my city take-over.

Things that I am grateful for:
1. yummy food
2. supportive colleagues
3. washer and dryer in the apartment
4. an upcoming acting gig
5. no one to judge me for my messiness

There's a New Sheriff in Town

And she's taking over. Well, we all have to have a goal.

I would like to start with the Bay Area. And after today I do think it's possible. But it's gonna take work. Lots of it.

I feel like I spent most of the day on the couch. And yeah, well I did. I did a bit of work for Nathan and Lauren, as well as for Gravity. I did have a good audition at MTC and fingers crossed that Ryan saw something worth seeing again. I was very conscious about keeping things simple. Not overacting and being super truthful. And for the most part it worked. Most of the laughs happened where they should have and it was easy. So, to be honest, I will be disappointed if I don't get a callback, but I was able to be skillful in my practice.

I know, I know, how yogic of me.

Better yet, while reading at audition in their small theatre, I was excited to act. I wanted to be on that stage, speaking those lines. I wanted to tell her story. And it's been a while since I felt that.

So, when I came home I had a nice IM conversation with Christine. We are both in the same boat. Both talented women with degrees who are struggling for work. I passed on what was told to me by that consultant last week at the TBA Annual Conference. This life doesn't get any easier. There are a few lucky ones, but most of us have to keep fighting. Or being proactive. I think I am saying it better than the consultant, but you get my drift. The arts are hard, education is a struggle and with the economy the way it is, it's even tougher. Those with job openings are getting the pick of the litter. They don't have to work so hard to fill them. There are tons of not only qualified, but exemplary people applying. She mentioned that I would be a good life coach, and it's nothing I don't already know. However I have placed a moratorium on formal schooling until I can actually make some money. Not only that but I am busy. I have a plan.

It's only a matter of time - that is, if my goal is to take over.

Which it is.

So as soon as that was decided I got a phone call from Cal Shakes offering me more work over the summer. Then the even better job at UC Berkeley called. He was bummed that I have already accepted other work. The money would have been good, but it would not have allowed me to work at MTC, Cal Shakes and do the show down in Livermore. My soul needs some artistic work right now, so even though my saving accounts needs a serious payback, I think I made the right decision. I also got a call from the catering company I work work offering me more work. And general audition slot at CenterREP for Thursday. I also removed Facebook from my Bookmark Bar. The weening begins now.

I then spent the next few hours signing up to usher at various theatres and venues. If I am going to take over, I need to be known in the community. I need to get out there and see everything and meet the decision-makers. Tonight I had the choice of going to Keith Hennessey's workshop or the Porchlight reading. The first would have given me an opportunity to work on my movement from Funny Bone or create some new stuff and the second would have introduced me to the storytelling world in the Bay Area. I probably made a mistake here, but I decided to blow them both off and make myself a nice dinner with a glass of wine and watch TV. I didn't want to spend any more money today and a gals gotta rest if she's going to continue to...say it with me...

take over the world!

Gratitudes:
1. more leftovers
2. cats who don't judge
3. laughter
4. DVR & the internet
5. my neti pot

Approaching Yoga

I returned to 7th Heaven this afternoon for an Inversion Workshop and Shy's class. It was slightly weird to not be in the studio at noon since it's where I've spent my Sundays for the last 5 months. I first saw Justin who was in my class and he said something about the studio not being our home anymore. And I totally felt that. There is something very homey about that place, but it didn't feel the same today.

The workshop was good. It did not blow me away, but I approached inversions in a new way. Aubrey Hackman and Shy made inversions very accessible. Their teachings gave me a great "in" to be able to lead an inversion based class. Balasana, Uttanasana, Adho mukha svanasana, Prasarita Padottanasana are light inversions. It's an easy way into the power of working with gravity in a new way. It's also easier to approach those poses than the full inversions of headstand and shoulder stand which are more challenging for beginning students.

During Shy's class I found some new things, as well. First, ways to build heat are both keeping the flow and holding difficult poses for longer. I find that the classes I teach lately are more calming. I would love an opportunity this week to teach a power class. The second thing I found was jumping up into ottanasaa from down dog. Keeping forward momentum and not looking back I was able to jump up with ease and grace - feet between the hands, not behind. I wound up surprising myself.

Here's to strong yoga this week, as well as a successful audition tomorrow and a good interview for a writing gig on Friday.

Gratitudes:
1. yoga
2. Word Twist on Facebook
3. a sturdy bike
4. coffee with soy milk
5. a jazz festival on 4th street