I am.....so-bored-at-work....!!

...though, aside from being bored, work has actually been going really well... I mean, I'm getting along with my boss, I love my co-workers, we have fun things going on, and I don't mind any of the work I have to do - there's just not enough of it!  I like to be really busy.  Like, crazy busy.  Like...on the verge of chaos.  ...but, lately, I get everything done in the first 30 minutes I arrive, and the rest of the time I obsessively check facebook, read RSS feeds, listen to music, email, chat, send links to people I think will appreciate them, take walks, stand in the kitchen, go to auditions... okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little and it's not really that bad -  but it's not really good....  For me, anyway.  Although, every time I feel like this and wish for chaos, it generally happens, and not always in the good way so.... maybe I should stop right here and say that things are good... I just want to be busier, please.  

BAH!

~~~~~~

The list:

Hunger Games w/ Josh
Dinner w/ Gabriella
Happy Hour w/ Star
Trivia!
Dinner w/ Matt and Jessica

Tonight is soccer.  Tomorrow - Tahoe... :) 

Rain

We finished the short film today in the rain. It was an easy end after last week's all day shoot. I'm anxious and a bit nervous to see how it will turn out - it's the first film I've starred in...

After the shoot, I had an audition for a student film and then a couple parties on my calendar. I went to the audition, and then skipped the parties for a much needed night on the couch with the cats. I love it when both cats snuggle up with me, especially on rainy nights. It's like being surrounded by little furry heaters.

Although this week was tiring, it was full of amazing conversations, great art, interesting challenges, and so much fun! The highlights include: A Doctor in Spite of Himself with Lachelle, Playground with Noah, lunch w/ Alex, Skype date with Holly, dinner w/ Brian and Teresa, catching up with Stacey, dinner and half of Titus Andronicus with Alessandra, and out and about with Anna and friends. So many good things... :)

Sara

This is Sara's profile picture from facebook. Even though she's gone, her account is still active.


I have developed an easily argued against theory (yes, you read that correctly) that the preview of your friends on facebook reflects the people who stalk you the most. Most of the time, my theory seems to make sense because the people who show up in my preview seem to be the people I hang out with or are who I would imagine would be the most curious about me - and, it tends to be the same people, or a variation at the same rate that the people I hang out with vary... but, in the last few days, Sara has been showing up in my preview...

I was talking with Stacey tonight and realized that maybe I haven't done a good job in dealing with Sara's death. I haven't really talked to anyone about her because I don't want to bring people down... but, maybe that means I've sort of avoided dealing with the loss. I feel like I tend to deal with death in a very personal way, though, so maybe talking about her isn't necessary. I don't know. ? At the same time, I do publicly blog about her...

*sigh* ...the pain from it seems to creep up on me when I least expect it.

Post show blues...

*this picture is from Eight! - featuring the side of the house where no one was sitting... :P

I had so much anxiety and anticipation leading up to Eight! that I found myself with a big case of the post show blues the next day. The best way to cope with the post show blues is to throw yourself into another show or project so, that weekend, I found myself back on set for a short film. A director friend of mine asked me to play a runaway bride.

Dressing up as a bride and running around the city makes people think you are actually getting married...which, I guess makes sense, and was fascinating.

The rest of the week was weirdly exhausting... and then this weekend was a mess. I completely overbooked myself to the point where I actually forgot about one of the events I said I would go to, filming yesterday took about 7 hours longer than we scheduled, and I've missed multiple other engagements.... it's very unlike me to be flaky, so it's making me feel crazy and awful, but I guess it's the result of really overdoing it.

This next week will be just as bad, if not worse... but THEN... I will... I want to write slow things down, but I have a feeling I will just acclimate instead. ;)

Eight!

Take 2!

I. am. exhausted....but, still awake and blogging. 

Eight! 

8 acts for 8 minutes.  An incredible lineup of performers.  A
good cause.  A Thursday night...

My incredible lineup:

Edwin Li:  stand-up comedy
Jessica Gruner: literary reading
Nikolas Strubbe: storytelling
Texas Holly: burlesque
Kara Penrose/Me: stage combat
Bernard Vash: clowning
Michael Katz: storytelling
Matthew Solberg: music

I also had Brian Koloszyc serving his tasty home-brewed IPA, Aria
Zuloaga displaying her beautiful artwork, Robert Liebsch perfecting
our sound, Tony Walker working/securing the door, Teresa Tamburello
rockin' the bar, and Joan Howard flawlessly running the house.

A big thanks to everyone who made this night possible and successful....

Tonight is a full moon

This photo was taken last night, which feels like days ago...

Eight! goes up tonight. 

I'm second guessing the outfits I've picked out even though last night they seemed perfect, the emcee notes are written, the programs are printed and folded... my head keeps spinning through the possibilities of attendance, how my fight will go, how the night will go...? Did I put the performers in the right order? What if we don't have enough people in the audience? What if we have too many? Was it a mistake to really put myself out there by performing in this show?

Part of the proceeds from tonight will go to Destiny Arts, an inner city youth organization dedicated to violence prevention and using theatre and dance to promote social change. It's a program that I believe in, and that also fits with my goals of pushing and promoting local art. 

Giving back to the community was an important part of this process for me, which gave me a whole new perspective on producing the show. Making money for the kids trumped my insecurity about performing...which means I invited everyone. I know this is good for me, but it's really pushing my limits.

I've dedicated the show to the memory of Sara.... You know, cause adding multiple layers of conflicting emotions seemed like an excellent idea....

*deepbreathandjump*

Totem!

Thanks to Michael and Kevin, I got to take Nchedo and myself to the opening night of Totem in San Jose!

Cirque shows never cease to impress me.

This show had a beautiful rollerskating piece, some really hunky ring guys, and a delightfully unique juggling act. They also had lots of sparkly costumes. :)

They pushed the limits with...head balancing? I don't know what else to call it... Head balancing another human on the end of a pole while walking on elevated bamboo sticks. And, their trampoline stuff was done on skinny, flexy beams that were also held in the air. CRAZY! They had a very charming trapeze act, some great bowl balancing/flipping while riding a unicycle stuff, and a really wonderful Native American dancer/hoop artist? It could've maybe used a stronger storyline, but regardless, it was a fantastic show!