Week 10

One of the major events this week was me sitting in front of the TV on Thursday, bawling my eyes out while watching the breaking news coverage of the Fort Hood shootings. Even though Mr. T isn't in the Army, his base is connected to an Army post, and either way, it breaks my heart to see such an act of violence carried out against our servicemembers. On their own post. By one of their own officers. Unbelievable, and yet we have no choice but to believe it. I hope that everyone who prays will pray for everyone impacted by this tragedy.

On a more selfish note, I seriously cannot wait till this musical is OVER! Well, mostly anyways. Our director is back from her brief hiatus (during tech week) in Kentucky assistant directing an opera. None of the cast members would have been able to just take off so close to the show's opening, but I guess she is allowed too. I suppose she also feels entitled to be pissed when the show isn't where she wants it to be when she returns, as well as put us down for being exhausted and threaten to replace one of the principles who is sick two rehearsal before the show. Phew.... needless to say, I am not impressed. I loved this director my freshman and sophomore years when I was in shows at MU, but now it is really obvious to me that her heart isn't in MU theatre, but rather with opera elsewhere, and its bring everyone down.  In my opinion, she's just been here too long and needs to move on, since the thing she loves is obviously not dealing with college students anymore. Its her own fault really, when you cast a bunch of inexperienced freshmen in most of the key roles during their first semester away at college, you can't expect perfection. I love most of the people in the cast, freshman or not, but this show is a huge undertaking for someone who is trying to adjust to life away from home and college level classes.

That being said, my whole week was consumed with rehearsals. Several nights, I got only 3 or 4 hours of sleep because of having to work or go to class in the morning.  So yes, I am run down. I came home from work a little after noon today and just slept for what seemed like forever. Unfortunately, it was not. Ha. Last night was one of those 3-hours-of-sleep nights, since some of the cast members and I decided to go out for food after rehearsal for a little bonding time. Not that we haven't bonded through this whole process, but the director also accused us of not supporting each other. I'm sorry, but that is just bullshit.  If you read my last post, you know how close I am to several of the cast members.

I don't even want to think about it. Although, there is one issue stemming from the show that I can't help but think about. Its strange, something I haven't experienced in quite a long time, if ever, and can't stand myself for thinking. I don't want to talk about it openly here, but I kind of do. Its so frustrating.

I have a ton of homework that I want to get finished tonight so that I don't have to worry about it during the next two weeks.  Mr. T will be here on Monday! He's coming out for a few days after his TDY to see the show.  Later on this week, my parents are coming. I won't have much time for homework during either visit, since I didn't get off of work during the weekend, nor will I feel like doing it in the midst of a two-week performance schedule.


I really hope my mood improves and I get things straightened out in my head. Its going to be better for everyone if I can just do that.

Hope you all had great weeks. I'm sorry for being a bad commenter/blog-friend lately...I promise once the show is over I will be back in full force.

Take a Deep Breath

Tomorrow's going to be another 20+ hour day, meaning that I should really get to sleep.  Tonight's rehearsal go out really early, considering the times we've been getting out at lately. I was on the road by 10:45, which is amazing. Truly.

I have late homework, professors breathing down my neck, and sleep begging to be had, but I just want to fast forward through it all. Well, not all of it, but just till Monday when Mr. T gets here. I'm going to be much more busy during this visit, because I can't just move rehearsals and showtimes, but knowing that I'll come home after it all to have his arms around me.

"Into the Woods" opens next Tuesday at MU. Mr. T, MB, and Mr. T's mom will be there for the opening performance. Eeek! No pressure right? But I am excited for one thing. I am playing the part of Cinderella's Stepmother (I have no real name, just "Stepmother") and there are two girls who play the Stepsisters (Florinda & Lucinda) and a guy who plays Cinderella's father.  Since we spend so much time together every night, we've turned into an actual family of sorts.

{Stepmother(Me) & Husband}

{Flo & Luc}

Throughout the rehearsal process, you create a backstory for your character, and let me tell you, we've all created quite a story. Its just something that happens pretty naturally. Anyhow, we're a pretty dysfunctional family, what with that stepdaughter and whatnot, but Husband and I have created on hell of a curtain call. That's the bows at the end of the show, for all you non-thespians. I'm hoping to capture it on video for you guys at some point, because it is so funny. We think so anyways.

My parents are driving out to see the show next weekend. I haven't seen them since I left in August, and honestly, I'm ok with that. I don't know if its just that I'm getting older, or that I'm living with another family that, dare I say, fits me a little better, but I just feel more distant from them.  I don't know if distant is the right word, but it's something. Have you guys ever felt anything like that? I mean, they're my parents and I love them, but I just don't feel close to them right now. I'm glad they have some friends in the area that they can stay with and who can keep them company while I'm at work or at performances.  Maybe I'm dreading their arrival because it means that Mr. T will have left. I just wish we could always be together. Obviously that's just not possible right now, since I'm in Ohio and he's TDY, but a girl can dream right?

This Past Month...

I saw this idea over at _eQ's blog, Misguided Me. I really liked it, so I decided to do one as an overview of October (since I can't believe it's November already!).

This month:

I like: my new job as a barista

I don't like: the sun setting sooner and the gloomy Midwest skies

I want you to know: I'm busier than I thought humanly possible, but somehow surviving

I've planned: to keep putting one foot in front of another until I graduate in 44 days. Eeek!


I want to say to someone special: Mr. T, I thought I loved you for the last year and half, little did I know that I can and do love you even more than I did before. xoxo

I guess this is kind of about October and November, but hey, its my blog, I'll do it however I want. Right? Ha.

Week 9

By this time next week, I will be less than 24 hours out from seeing Mr. T! Again! Hahaha, I'm so excited. He's coming out after his TDY for the opening night of my show, which I'm hoping won't suck. Its such a huge project for our little theatre department, I'm just a little worried that it won't be as crisp and clean as I'd like it to be by next Tuesday.

Anyhow, Week 9...what happened? Well, for starts, I got my second ticket on Monday while coming home from visiting Mr. T. I might've been going around 90mph  in a 65mph zone in an attempt to be back by a certain time so I could go to a play with my playwriting class. The state trooper let me off easy (he says) by citing me for "failing to obey posted signs" rather than for speeding. Merciful, I guess, but with all the fees that Pennsylvania tacks onto their citiations (honestly, why am I paying for EMS service when none were even called?) its still over $100. I got back in time for the play, which ended up being pretty funny, although highly political. It ended up being a really late night. We stopped for fast food on the way home, which ended up leading to several days of indigestion. Thanks Mickey D.

The next night started "director's discretion" rehearsals. This means that the director of the musical is allowed to keep us working at rehearsal until whenever she likes. It's usually around 1am for us supporting characters, 2am for the principles. Not fun. These rehearsals pretty much summed up most of this week.

Last night, I went out with MissE and Tess to a Halloween party. I picked up a costume at the last minute, choosing a cop costume because it left the most opportunity of keeping my ass covered than most of the other adult Halloween costumes. I gained at least 5lbs. last weekend (bringing my semester weight gain to a total of 10lbs. ugh.) so I was not too eager to let it all hang out. I should have some pictures for you guys eventually. Tess brought a friend of hers whose son was born only 9 days apart from Tess's daughter. Ana's only 18, a new mom to a 3 month old whose daddy is in Afghanistan.  I could tell she was glad to be able to talk about being a military girlfriend. Its different than a regular long-distance relationship, the missing is a different kind of missing, and I don't think people who aren't in it can truly understand what it's like, although they try (bless their hearts). Ana is such a sweet girl, and MissE and I definitely agreed that she needs to hang out with our group more often.

I have all day off today. I'm not scheduled to work at either job! This is a first. Of course, I haven't completed any homework today, but the night is still young and I don't have anything huge to do for the next few days. This week is going to be another busy one, since I've been coerced into altering any and all costumes in the show. Yay for me. Not. Good thing it pays, otherwise I'd have said no.  Rehearsals will still be going until whenever the director wants, still, but hopefully the show will really start to come together so that we can get some sleep this week.

I can't wait to see Mr. T! (but that goes without saying at this point, no?) Hahaha. He's in Florida sleeping in tents as part of his TDY and not happy about it at all. We will both be so happy to be able to fall asleep cuddling for more than one reason.

Mental Health Day

My, oh, my! Yesterday was so busy! I started out my day at 5:15 in the morning because I had to work at the coffee shop. I'm really loving working there. Its such a laid back, relaxed, and friendly environment. Plus, I love coffee, so it's perfect. My job at the mall, however, continues to be a pain. I took off last weekend for obvious reasons, then I had off for the next month, literally, because of the show schedule and Thanksgiving.  So this Friday (tomorrow) was going to be the only day that I could possible work over the course of a month and a half. This did not make them happy, but they gave in finally. Except I made a mistake. I have rehearsal this Friday too, so I can't work and no one wants to take my shift. I don't know why I'm so irritated by this job, but I really am.

Anyways, back to yesterday. After work I went to classes, then to the library to procrastinate and pretend to do a huge assignment that I had due today. Then rehearsal rolled around. Now that we're so close to the opening of the show, the director is allowed to keep us there and working until whenever she likes. Its brutal, but necessary in most cases. This show is one of those cases. The thing that irritates me is that everybody has to stay. I am not a major character, so I'm not in a lot of scenes. I have to stay, regardless of whether I have anything to do. Last night, I was finished working my scenes by ten o'clock, but ended up staying until midnight. Not happy.

By the time I got myself home, I still had to type up most of the assignment because I'd forgotten my laptop, but had written it out by hand. I'd started typing in on the library computer and saved it to a flash drive, but the library computers have a different version of Windows software than my ancient laptop, so I couldn't open the file. I found it online and spent another hour trying to download it, only to have my efforts fail in the end. So I tried typing, but by that time it was 3 am and I had been awake for 22 hours! I was so sure I was going to hit the 24 hour marker.

I took today off to finish typing the paper and mentally recoup. I had a great idea for a blog post yesterday, but have since forgotten it. Sorry, guys!