Time Management

I need need need to practice my time management skills.

I have to do a good blog everyday. Fail.

I have to get on the move for New York and bang out some details. Fail.

I have to finish a website that I've been dragging my heels on. FAIL!!!!!! - This one is causing me the largest amount of stress right now, but I'll manage. I am resolving this moment to stop being lazy and get on it.

Another Fantastic Weekend...

...is coming to an end this wonderful Sunday evening.

The weekend of shows was great and spending time with my loved ones was even better. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get to spend some more time with a friend of mine who was having a birthday this weekend, but that is ok because I will make up to him next week as soon as my dog duty days are over!

I had friends come see the show tonight and yesterday night! That was great! I loved being able to finally talk about and process the show! It was just an all around good weekend.

This week is going to be extremely busy. I have to start working on creating a website, and I am determined to get it done before Thanksgiving. i truly should have had it done much sooner, but one gets lazy. I am getting lazy. I need to get on it.

Now that I have a lot more free time, I can get it done.

Do I Hear a Waltz?

As I’ve stated before, I’ve started rehearsal for “Do I Hear a Waltz” playing at Masquers Playhouse in Pt. Richmond. The musical is written by Arthur Lawrence, composed by Richard Rogers with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.. On Oscar Hammerstein’s death bed, he said to Sondheim, “Please write with Rogers.” So, Mary Rogers (composer of Once Upon A Mattress) called Sondheim, and said please do this musical with my dad. Although Sondheim’s first composed musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum., was a huge success. He kept his promise to Hammerstein. Then this amazing little gem of a musical came despite the struggle between the lyricist and the composer, and played on Broadway for a shortish amount of time.

The lead character, Leona, comes to Venice, Italy. She stays with Fioria, along with Jennifer and Eddie Yaeger, and Mr. and Mrs. McIlhenny. The bitter sweet musical will take you on a journey into the insight of relationships.

I get to play the trophy wife, Jennifer Yaeger. I’m really drawn to this musical because it’s very “ironic.” I laugh inside because Brecht was the semester that I had the most trouble, and now I’m working on a musical that’s all about it! This up-tempo catchy really happy tune, but the lyrics are so horrible. - about a girl who is getting beaten by her husband, drinking in bed, a husband who acts homosexual, but “we’re gonna be ok.” It’s a great number. I also get to sing one of the most beautiful ballads in the whole show, “Moon in my Window.” The rest of the cast is extremely talented, and I am looking forward to working with this incredible talented cast. I hope that my website is done by the time the show goes up.

It’s going to be a good show, but the drive might kill me.

Chapter 2: Pre Movin

Today marks the first day at the new job location. I suppose that as I grow comfortable with becoming an independent contractor, the idea of starting a new onsite job won't be as terrifying. Yet, Im nervous.

Wish me luck!

Back to the Salt Mines

Positive things happening in this wonderful time of unemployment:

I went to a job interview landed a contracting gig until December 31st, and I am extremely happy! Extremely. Only con is that it's in the east bay which is close to my rehearsal, all great, except working in my voice lesson located in San Francisco. That is a little tricky, but it's ok. We can get the ball rolling. I'm happy to be moving forward with plans to move to New York, but I'm dealing with the headache of income tax and being an independent contractor. Luckily, I've got my awesome awesome family to support and help me. Thank you really truly a million!

I also land a job and then head to wine country. I'm happy to be getting to all the places that I love and should spend some serious time because I'm moving.

Anyway, I'm also getting to see some really great musical theatre in the bay area! Yesterday, I saw the preview for Broadway by the Bay's rendition of Into the Woods, and their run started off with a bang! I've been reluctant to talk about/review shows that I have recently seen because it is artistic creativity that everyone seems to have different opinions about. I realize that what I am about to tell you is my sole opinion, and that's it: nothing more and nothing less.

The absolute highlight was the witch. She has an amazing amazing voice which I have remembered since I heard her at callbacks for everything I was called back for this summer. She is truly an exceptional talent with an incredible belt and soprano that she easily shifted styles with gracefulness and elegance. Cinderella was cute and bubbely, and nailed those difficult Sondheim pieces that give the misconception of being easy. The music is by no means easy! Very talented cast. It was great to see an old teacher and director perform in a role that was obviously written for him. Marc Jacobs did an excellent job as the narrator.

The sets were beautiful. The bean stalk is a tricky tricky set piece, and it was the only moment that I thought -ek, that looks a little just not right, but what else could they do? It's tricky, but it looked a little odd compared to the set pieces that were amazing.

Of course there were a few technical errors that are to be expected in every performance especially at a preview. There were a few moments that actors were not in the light or they were not lit. You could only see shadows on their faces. The mics weren't on when the actor had already started talking. The mic for the wolf/prince was scratchy and ruined a few great moments in the wolf song... sadly.

Broadway by the Bay produces an excellent calibar of shows for theatre lovers in the bay area. I highly recommend this production. It's great.

I also got a chance to see the Tony Award winning production of Spring Awakening, which was amazing in it's own ways with lots of amazing amazing music. Plus, I got to see ACLO's Grease that is showcasing a lot my friend's incredible talents and gifts. On the whole, the past two weeks have been stressful, whirl-windy and good.

I'm eager to enjoy the last weekend of freedom, and then get back to work on Tuesday.

Week 2 Day 2

I thought that today was going to be lucky because I thought had a temp job lined up, but alas, I did not. I have been spending most my of my days designing and developing my acting portfolio, which yes hopefully there will some media there. If I find the time in my "busy" schedule to actually record.

It's amazing to me really truly how quickly it is to fill time. Searching for a temporary position is a full time job, and my no means do I mess around. I wake up at 7am drink a cup of coffee and apply to jobs until at least 11:00am. Then things start to slow down. I can work on my portofolio, or work on some of the freelancing gigs that have come up. Then all of a sudden it's 2pm, and I start to feel a little bored, and so I put some laundry away or try and cancel tivo, and then it's 4:30pm. Yesterday at 4:30pm I went to a voice lesson and now today I am here with you - hoping that I won't be doing the same thing tomorrow, but full well knowing that it's exactly what I'm going to be doing.

It's ok because I am not wasting my time. I do not wake up and watch tv all day. I'm working on my website re-design and I want it to look awesome. So, that's what I'm doing - making it look awesome. I got the frame work of the simple design laid out, and now I want to build some of the more complex items of the website. I want the gallery to look pretty amazing, and I am going to make myself learn some PHP code so that I can make the website be more dynamic than just informational.

In between working on the websites and looking for work - I am keeping pretty busy. At least, I'm trying to.

Dino Age

"How come you don't get any bills in the mail?"

"Why, do you?"

"Shiya"

"I pay all my bills electronically."

"WHA??!? You mean - you pay all your bills over the internet, and you don't get any of the mail? How do you file your bills?"

"Electronically."

"Oh."

"I can't believe that you are studying Web Design and working for a digital media company, but you are mailing in your bills. Stamps are getting expensive ya know..."

"Well, it made SENSE when I had a roommate!"

"Ha ha."

"This coming from the man that doesn't have a cell phone, and checks his email once a week."

Ready... Get Set... GO

Lost of work to do this week including:
1) Prepare for audition on Sunday
2) Get car fixed
3) Figure out Why Sonoma State is holding my transcripts
4) Design a website
5) Make the website work.
6) Clean my house
7) Figure out how to afford all the stuff I want.
8) Pray that my car isn't going to clean up shop
9) Clean my house
10) Do my laundry
11) Do my web design homework
12) Go to rehearsal
13) Go to the grocery store.
14) Learn songs for wedding
15) Go to the library to return books

I could have accomplished the majority of this on the weekend, but I decided that laying around all weekend with Pasha was much more important.

Can it be Sunday again?

Back to School

Yesterday was the start of the wonderful fall semester! I am thrilled to be taking another class towards my career certificate in web design. For my first assignment, I had to create a "painting" with my name and a logo with vector graphics. This is what I came up with...


As you can see, I am very artistically challenged. This is very unfortunate because I wish with all my heart that I could draw. Instead I just laugh at myself, and hope that I will wake up one day with an amazing and trained ablity to draw.