The Ultimate Poutine

This is a poutine for foodies.
I had originally called it the 007:Quantum of Solace Poutine because it's that sexy, but I'm open to name suggestions.
I just tested it, and it's pretty doggone awesome. I can't tell you quantities, because what's the point? I have no idea what they are. Anyway, it's up tp you to decide how much of each flavour you want in there.

Layer the ingredients in this order:

awesome fries (I use oven baked wedges, but whatever floats your boat. If I had the choice, it would be those deep-fried chewy sweet fries, but anyway. It's too messy to make at home)
sauteed chicken breast (I marinated them in olive oil, cayenne pepper, garlic, tamari, and a little worcestershire) with white wine and mushrooms
cheese curds
caramelized onions
peppercorn sauce (I had good results with Knorr green peppercorn sauce)
crumbled bacon

Gentlemen, start your engines.

Back in the saddle again...

Howdy y'all!

Now that the show has been over for awhile I've been able to concentrate on my other jobs, which are essentially only at Black Theatre Workshop. YouthWorks is a good program, but the enrollment is a scandal, and straight up heartbreaking. But we're hustling to get things going. I sometimes worry that I'm going to get fired, but then I think to myself, who else would do this job at my salary? No, I think the greatest concern is hanging on to the funding for the program. And getting more funding to be able to better advertise and afford awesome guest teachers.

And the preparation for the School tour play is underway, which is awesome. I've finished most of the research for the playwright and just have to send him two more things today and then wait for the updated script. I've got my cast, got my team, we're working on the design, and now I'm just trying to find a time that everybody can get together to workshop this thing.

And I've just started working out again. It's been awhile. To tell the truth, once I quit working at the gym, I didn't want to see the inside of another gym for a little while. But what can I say? Besides the shocking arrival of what appears to be cellulite, the gym three minutes away from BTW and 12 minutes away from my house made me a membership offer I couldn't refuse. So now, Mike and I are training most days, and I am sore as heck. And I'm broke again, but at least I'll be pretty!

This no doubt makes me really immature

...but I fully dig that Nicolas Archambault fella from So You Think You Can Dance Canada. Like, fully.

Howdy!

Well, the show is finally over, and it was a success, I think. I'm glad things went well, and the company has garnered some more respect in the community, which is pretty awesome, I think. I'm very proud of Mike. Man, if I had half of this guy's ambition and energy when I was his age...
Anyway, I got some complimentary reviews "beautiful," and "sparkling live-wire". Hilarious.

I think that the thing which is most gratifying to me on a personal level is the sense that finally I am making a place for myself in this theatre community. I mean, three successful shows this year and now this directing gig with an absolute dream team of actors and designers. I've noticed that people are starting to treat me differently, like I actually live here instead of just being a visitor. Which is, when you think about it, a colossal load of bollocks. I mean what is this little theatre community in Montreal anyway? It ain't the West End or Broadway.

It's not so much the notoriety that matters for its own sake, it's the prospect that doors continue to open up for me to keep working and doing projects that I love. And to tell the truth, I'd like my work to be enjoyed and appreciated by discerning folk. More than that just seems risky. I'm aware of my insecurities, and I think that beyond a certain level of success, that it would become almost dangerous for me. How could I not turn into a complete and utter asshat? I don't think anyone's immune to that particular risk.

I remember talking to Mike about ambition. He's aiming for the stratosphere, this one. Success, and glory and all that. I just want to work, make a decent living, make some great art, and make in difference in people's lives with it. You know, to become an incredible acting teacher and to help others be successful. (It's not that noble when you take into account that I'm scared of too much suceess.) But it seems that because I don't reach as far as Mike, I'm not advancing along that path as much as he is. I want the moon, he wants the stars, and so he's already at the moon while I'm on the roof.
That probably made no sense whatsoever. Bof.
Je vous aime, Bebes!

Only three more shows!

Hey hey, Kids!

As of Monday, no more clearing dirt out of my lungs every night! I'll sleep more! The show is going really well, better than I expected. It looks like Mike's big gamble has paid off!

Anyway, I need to go nap, we've got two shows today and I'd like to not suck.
Je vous aime, Bébés!

Why has this only occurred to me now?

So, it's Thanksgiving weekend, and I worked through pretty much all of it. (Except for Saturday, which I apparently slept through.) I haven't yet taken a moment to think of the things for which I'm grateful. Number one are definitely the people I love, who inexplicably love me back. But hey, I'll take it and a side of fries, thank you very much.

And I want to continue on this edifying and healthy train of thought, but at the moment I'm too tired and sick to do it. Darn it, I'm going to the clinic tomorrow. There's a nasty bout of strep throat going around the cast and for the first time today my throat is suspiciously sore. I will also get my wrists checked out and see if I can get anything to help me sleep at nights because I'm having a lot of nightmares.

Uh, grateful, grateful! I still have a job for now! I'm more healthy than unhealthy, my roommate is a good person and good to me, I get to act for a living, I'm going to direct a professional play, and the future is full of possibilities, I have a nephew! I just gotta keep my head above water and not dwell on the bad stuff.

I hope that wherever you are and whatever's going on with you, that you keep your head up.

Question...

(by the way, didn't get the part.)

So my question is this: If my hands are numb or sometimes tingly for hours on end, is that a bad thing?

AIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess who has an audition in Toronto this Monday?
And guess what show it's for?

DREAMGIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh please, oh please, oh PLEASE pray hard for me; send me your good vibes and good wishes, and if they could be timed to kick somewhere between 2:45 pm and 5pm this coming Monday that would be stellar.

Believe it or not...

I've actually got a date this coming Saturday!
Keep an eye out for headlines proclaiming that pigs are now capable of flight.



Oh, also:

I'm allowed to laugh about this because of my Asian heritage! The unfair double standard lives on!

Makes me wanna holler...

I gotta tell you, today I'm not very happy with my city. Don't get me wrong, Montreal is gorgeous, it's a warm, sunny day, I'm off work early and enjoying a lovely chicken salad sandwich that I made. My voice is slowly healing, and I'm pretty darn healthy, if a little overweight. I'm going to direct an amazing play for the School Tour at BTW. Perhaps it's more a question of not being happy with people today. 

I've been reading some local community papers discussing the Fredy Villanueva shooting by police. I've been thinking about accomodements raisonnables, I've been thinking about the funding cuts in the arts sector. And I'm livid. What angers me is a wanton disregard for humanity, for "the other" in our society. Which touches me nearly because that's a cross-section of the population that I identify most with: that which is not the mainstream, the majority. And I gotta tell you, it's hard not to take this mess personally. Because I've been harassed by the police for living, my image is trivialized and caricaturized by colleagues in blackface during work parties at the gym, (although I'm unreasonable for taking offense); the government is slashing funding for arts programs and my kids and I can't catch a break.

So I've decided to practice what a very wise friend and colleague of mine said to me a few years back when I was going through my separation and divorce: put it in the work. Well, I'm going to. And I won't pull any punches.  The kids will love it; the teachers... watch out.

The walking wounded

Dudes, I have made a new discovery: When you are really, really tired, from lack of sleep or training too hard, you tend to get injured a lot, for stupid random stuff. This is the week I'm having right now. I've begun biking to and from work for the past week, and the stupid thing has bitten me countless times. My legs and arms are full of scratches. I bump into doorframes, bang my hip against tables as I walk by, drop stuff on my toes, and burn myself on hot cookware or the oven. The latest? This morning in the shower, as I looked up to rinse my face, the showerhead fell on my nose. I saw stars, yo. And then I panicked. My face is my fortune! (and believe me, I can't afford any drop in revenue.) Thankfully nothing is broken, but now I really feel like I'm back in the schoolyard when I used to scrap all the time.

Enough is enough!

No more hosing around! The whole point of keeping a blog in the first place was so that I would be able to keep in touch with amigos of mine and let them know what's the 411 in my life, since I'm afflicted with a retarded schedule (or tunnel vision, take your pick). So, although I actually have been really busy and have had limited computer access, to be perfectly honest, I haven't been feeling the "sharing vibe". Which, if you know me well, you also know that it happens periodically. I go AWOL. But hopefully, if you're still my friend after all this time, then you understand this about me and we can just pick up where we left off.

Okey dokey, here's what's up:

When I finally got back to Montreal, even though I knew I would be moving out of my apartment five days later, I couldn't actually bring myself to do anything except loaf around on the

SOFA OF DOOM

and watch DVDs. The coolest thing was watching the Bourne Identity trilogy and see all of the places I visited. That was pretty darn cool. I ate a lot of delivery food. A lot. I figured that I had one last chance at a truly slothful, debauched, lazy session without guilt, and so I took it. Since I knew I was going to once again have a roommate, I knew I'd feel really self-conscious about spending hours of time eating junk food and watching movies. Particularly since my roommate is such an industrious, together kind of person. And it was an awesome time (and blah blah, it also gave me some time to cope with jet lag) just being with me. I hadn't gotten to spend that much time on my own while on vacation-besides, it's just rude to abandon one's travel companions just because one happens to be a loner by nature.

The downside to all of that of course, is that I scrambled like a madwoman to get my stuff packed and ready to move. Which resulted in me basically only have the bare minimum of things ready to go. Yes indeed, over the course of the next month, it got really feng shui up in my apartment with some serious clutter clearing. I think I got rid of 1/3 of my belongings and clothing. Since I was moving into a furnished apartment, I had to be ruthless about what I would keep, what I would put in storage, and what I would throw away. But hurray, it finally all got done, and now I live in an awesome apartment ten minutes away from Black Theatre Workshop and Twenty minutes away from the gym. On foot, no less. And my apartment is so pretty!

And so is my roommate for that matter, but she also just happens to be a very cool human being with a great heart. I couldn't have chosen a better roommate for myself. It's funny, I knew her from theatre school, but she was a year ahead of me, so we never really hung out that much before she started living with Quincy last year. Truth be told, I was a bit intimidated by her at the time, and over the years, even though we both have very close friends in common, we never really connected. (Fun fact: Paula Jean happens to be my favourite stage actress! Which, when you think about it, is like living with Cate Blanchett or something.) Yeah, I was a little in awe of her for the first two weeks.

So although I am a selfish girl with strong hermitty tendencies, I've managed to find a happy medium of being social and involved, but also still having time to retreat and be with myself. And now my bedroom has become a sanctuary of awesomeness, for whenever I want to have a perfectly lazy Sunday. I mean, even though they say you should never do anything in your room except sleep, I've got my TV and DVD in there, and I gotta tell you, as much as I love the

SOFA OF DOOM

(now located in my new apartment, utterly devouring all will for independent movement
in a whole new generation of unwary visitors---the carnage continues)

I have found a new love: bigger, better, and sexier:

THE BOTTOMLESS BED!!!!

Oh yes, darlings, I'm taking my sloth to a whole 'nother level. It's so awesome, I can't even talk about it yet. I've just about worked out the perfect setup for this. The only thing that could make it even more perfect would be to get one of those rolling trays like they have in the hospital. Yeah. That would be sweeeeet. Reading, watching movies, sleeping, AND eating, all in one place? Absolute heaven.

As for dating and relationships: don't ask. Nothing, nothing, NOTHING on the horizon, beyond doing the rounds with some newly acquired male friends and making sure that for them, nookie is not the underlying motivation for befriending me. But I gotta tell you, I like my life right now and I really enjoy the freedom of being single, I've always enjoyed my own company immensely. It would take a rather compelling individual to get me to alter my schedule. But I don't ask for much beyond a connection: just be nice to me, don't cheat, and don't hit. Hmm, seems pretty low maintenance of me, and maybe that's not a good thing. It's not like I don't have standards (because I do, believe you me), it's just that I don't think that I require a lot from a potential partner, is all. Or maybe what seems simple to me is actually a difficult thing to do. Anyway, blah blah blah, in the meantime, I'll just be getting on with my life.

I'm taking the year off singing while my nodes heal, because I don't want to have to have surgery. Happily, they've been diagnosed before they've gotten too severe, but I've got some major changes to make in my lifestyle, let me tell you. Anyway, I've got an appointment with the speech therapist in August. And I need to actually go pick up my prescriptions (but I'm broke, and I don't have insurance-crap). But hey, one step at a time. I've already cut out coffee, I've cut back on smoking and will start on the patch at the end of the week, and if all goes well, I won't need to have surgery. Once this summer intensive is over, I can get back into training on a regular basis, and then I'll do a great big detox! It's time to start taking care of me a little better, because I'm willing to give up a lot of things, but singing isn't one of them. If everything goes according to plan, by the end of the fall my voice should be back to normal.

And let me tell you what else is going on with this life of mine! We're in the midst of the summer intensive at BTW, which is going well, although enrollment is still down. I'm hoping that we can get numbers up over the course of the year, by switching up the format of the workshop. Classes are going well, it's a long day for me, starting at the gym at 6 in the morning, and then going straight to BTW to teach.

I just recently got cast in the English premiere of Lion in the Streets by Judith Thompson. The play runs from October 22-November 2. There will be elements of dance involved as well, which I'm looking forward to doing. I need challenges. Apparently, the play has never been done with as large of a cast as we are (generally, the actors play multiple roles) and for the first time, the lead character (a 9 year-old Portuguese girl) will actually be played by a young Portuguese child! Which is pretty intense, if you know anything about the play.

And although I haven't yet signed a contract, I've been asked to direct the School Tour production of Skin for BTW. It's so exciting, because I've only ever directed children up until now and I'm looking forward to directing professionals. I think communication will go a lot more smoothly. And it's my first professional directing gig!

Today, I'm feeling really ill, and have hit the mid-point slump (with regards to my level of fatigue) in the summer workshop. It's a challenge to remain patient and to take my time with the students.

I just saw The Dark Knight. Good flickin' movie! Heath Ledger is where it's at, Baby!
And I finally heard the latest cd by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, and Al Green. Amazing, simply amazing. I love that happy swoon I get when music is really good and speaks to my soul. It's what I had always imagined love at first sight would feel like. (If it ever happens, I'll be sure to compare notes.)

Here's love and a kiss for you: *m'wah!*
Don't be a stranger...

London, London, London!

Oh man, there's so much to tell you all about this trip, but since I'm back at Lianne's with a moment to get online, it would be very rude for me to stay on the computer for much longer. But let me at least tell you about some of the places I've seen!

We started in London, and then flew to Parma where we rented a car and travelled to Milan. Let me tell you, there are some mighty skinny women in that town, I'm talking matchsticks on high heels, but anyway. And it is true, Italians are beautiful, and the men sure do appreciate women. My little ego has been boosted, I can tell you. And the Duomo cathedral is apparently the 3rd largest in the world and took 600 years to build. It's hard to believe people can construct things like that. Absolutely gorgeous.
I'm having a blast with Mom, she's a lot of fun. The best part of this trip is getting to spend time with her, and considering how amazing this trip is, that's saying a lot.

Then after we went to Milan, we went to Venice, which was stunning. I mean, it's like seeing a 1950's starlet, sure she's getting on in years, but boy, she's still got it. You know what I mean? After that, we went to Tuscany and stayed in this village called Tavarnelle, which has records dating its existence back to 780 B.C. It is easily the most beautiful country I have ever seen or imagined, and no pictures can prepare you for it. Afterwards we went on to Pisa, and of course saw the tower, but the real treasure is the Cathedral. I don't even have words for it. I was so overwhelmed, I actually wept. I really get why Italians have so much national pride, and why so many of the greatest artists come from there. The natural beauty of the country offers a lot of inspiration.

Afterwards, we went to Cinque Terre and chilled at the beach for a couple of days (I've got a bit of a tan-hooray!)

And then there was Paris. Whoa. I saw everything you could possibly see on foot in 13 hours, and believe me, it's incredible! I went to the Louvre and saw the permanent collection (Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, etc.) and it's very powerful when you see them for yourself. There was so much to see in town, and I can't wait to come back. I think if anything could motivate me to take saving money seriously, it would be the prospect of returning to Paris to spend a week just walking and exploring. Also, I met Aaron Eckhart-well, bumped into him on the street. He posed for a picture with me and was very sweet about it all.

Now I'm back in London at Lianne's house. Last night, we went down to the pub and enjoyed fish and chips, irish stew, potato & leek soup with soda bread (all homemade). And I had Black Velvets. I met these great people originally from Ireland and we chatted outside, talking about travel, and all kinds of things. They said they liked London because everybody didn't know your business like they do back home.

I'm going to be really sad to leave Lianne and Mom when I go back home, but I'm also looking forward to seeing everybody. Man, it's been awesome being on vacation. Now I get why people have them.

I'll be moving closer downtown next month, which means more sleep! Hooray! Anyway, I gotta go. Bisous to all of you (well, to you if you're the only one reading this, then.)
Ciao 4 now!

Latest updates

Hiya Peeps!

I've got one foot out the door, I mean I'm this close to leaving for a three week vacation to Europe. Man, it's so good to be spoiled. I'm gonna see Brownie in London, because she's got a mini-Kernan growing in her belly. Pretty nifty.

Anyhoo, 7 Stories was a great success, I had loads of fun. I didn't get called back for the Centaur show, but I'm not stressing about it. I had my best audition so far, and I believe that it won't be without effect. It just may have to be later rather than sooner. Oh well.

I got many plans and things coming up, but I guess I won't talk about them until they happen. I don't know why. Oh. Probably because it sucks when plans fall through and then I have to tell everybody all about it. Yeah, that would be the reason why. Anyhow, once I get back in June, I think I may start blogging a little more regularly. I may not, but I'd like to.

I actually have to get a move on, I'm going to see a play at Centaur, and then I have to hustle back to BTW to prepare for the advanced class' outcome performance tonight. Last night, the intermediate students did their thing. And then all I have left to do are some administrative type things before I leave on Saturday.

Hurray for me! I'll miss you, but not enough to stay here!

Also, I thought this picture was funny. The caption was:

Hey, that's not creamer!

Is it immature that I laugh at this?

So on both sides of the globe, marketing departments are wildly hung over. The first sampling comes straight out of Japan:

And why do band-aids need to be mint-flavoured? I don't even want to begin to imagine.

And then right here in our very own country, the box of milk I took out of my friend Peter's fridge to add to my morning coffee on the day of my audition:(I think you can click on it to see a larger image)


Something is very, very wrong with the world. Where's the sensitivity, man? (and why am I still giggling over this?)

A month at a glance:

Hi Y'all!

Sorry that I've been AWOL for the last little while. A lot has been happening and in all conscience I couldn't really take the time out to blog. I'd feel terribly guilty about it in the face of the mountain of work that is always waiting for me here at BTW. Nevertheless, here's what's been up with me:

I went to Toronto for an audition for Driftwood Theatre. Didn't get the part, but hey, audition experience is a good thing.
My best friend Quincy got a callback for Stratford and is going down there this Sunday! I'm very proud of him.
I'm about to submit my name for an audition for a Centaur Theatre show going up next spring. Please send all your good vibes my way!
My voice is completely scrapped and has been for the past two months, so I'm really worried about it. Also afraid to go to a doctor in case it's bad news. Not logical, but I will face the truth in the next six days.
Rehearsals for Seven Stories are going really well, and we got the cover of the QDF booklet this spring, which is amazing.
I saw some really great theatre this month, particularly the BTW mainstage production, blood[claat]. d'bi young anitafrika is one of the most incredible performers I have EVER seen.
Last week I was so sick, I spent almost the entire week in bed.
I turned 33 years old last Sunday.
Vitamin B complex is the secret to happy vibes.

I love y'all and miss you very much. If you get the chance, check out Seven Stories at the Theatre Ste. Catherine. The show runs from April 30-May 10.

And we're off!

So tired. Started rehearsals for Seven Stories last night. Cute cast--I mean truly, it's going to be a challenge to resist the lure of socializing too much with them, because I still have to do things like...well, sleep.

Tonight is my dad's last night in town and then he won't be back until September. I'm trying not to think about it, and that way maybe the time will pass by quicker. Which means I've got to get busy with getting my vaccinations and applying for my traveller's visa, and probably some kind of health insurance wouldn't go amiss.

Bleg. Sorry, there's no way I can bring myself to be anything more than utterly banal today because I'm so bloody tired. I'm sure my YW presentation at the staff meeting later this morning will be a winner.

Poo.

As the heading would no doubt suggest, I didn't get a callback for Stratford. But I'm totally going to audition again next year and every year after until they come to their senses and realize that I am the one they're waiting for.

Dad's back in town! Can't wait to see him on Sunday.

The high school play I directed is finally over. Thank God I don't have to go back all the way out in Pierrefonds again.

My brain is kind of stuck, which doesn't bode well for the class I have to teach tonight. I think I may pick up a coffee on my way to class.

But here's something really amazing: I picked up bell hooks' Teaching to Transgress again, and it's exactly the spark I need to reinvigorate my teaching again, which is beginning to get stale. So that's awesome.

Anyway, I need to stop futzing around, write one more set of emails to close out my Riverdale contract and then I'm off.

Anyhoo, I love you!

EEEE!!!!

I'm waiting to find out whether or not I got a callback for the Stratford audition. I don't think I'll hear anything about it for at least another week. If I get a callback, I'll be going to T.O. on March 3. In any case, I'm hoping to make it out to Toronto in March, because there's a theatre company out there doing a musical tour of Romeo and Juliet. And hey, it's an Equity gig, so the pay shouldn't be too crap (I hope).

I'm here at the office and having a hard time settling down to work. I'm going to try again soonish. It may also interest you to know that now that I have time to work out regularly, my health is doing much better and my weight is getting under control. Now if only I was disciplined about eating healthily...one thing at a time, right?

Also, next Wednesday I'm going to lunch with a casting agent. I know, finally. I refuse to stress about it until after we've met and I find out what she can do.
...
Actually, now I've gotten an inside scoop about her, and so basically, I'm just going over to enjoy a free lunch. She's not in a position to be very helpful to me right now. Quelle drag. But that's okay. This will be a learning experience, because I've never spoken with an agent before.

Okay, now I'm really going back to work.
Loving you!

Sorry...

It would appear that I've gotten jerky and neglectful again. There's just so much going on these days, I don't even know where to start.

Okay, first of all, the Cyclops. It was a fun show, I had a blast, people seemed to really enjoy it, and since then, a lot of really amazing opportunities have begun to open up for me as an actress. I just got cast in the next Tableau D'Hôte show going up in the first two weeks of May at Theatre Ste. Catherine. It's called Seven Stories, a play by Morris Panych, and I'm playing Rachel, a hyper-religious woman. It's a funny play and a funny part. Actually, although I know she's a character that many people would dismiss as foolish or crazy, I actually have a lot of compassion for her.

Next week, I have an audition for the Stratford Conservatory. If that works out, they'll fly me out to Startford for a callback, and if I get accepted into the conservatory, I'll be gone for two years, and then I get a spot in the company the following season. I think I got those details right. Whatever, man. It's Shakespeare! It's Stratford! If I got in, I'd go, no question about it.

Also, a little bird told me that I'm being considered for a part in a big show next season. The director saw the Cyclops and liked me! Yay!

I'm still waiting to find out if the funding came through to mount a production of Harlem Duet in November. I should find out by next month. If so, man, I'm going to work with a terrific cast and director, and I know it'll be the awesomest show playing in Montreal this year. Trust me.

I've been teaching out at John Robert Powers these days as well as the other jobs, and it's going well. Not a demanding gig by any stretch of the imagination, and as a matter of fact, it's putting me in touch with parents who want private voice coaching for their kids! Which pays much better than any other gig I have going on. So thus far, I've got one, possibly two private clients starting in March. I'm so happy to be getting back into voice coaching, because I enjoy it so much.

YouthWorks has been rock and roll this year. Lots of dropouts and maneuvering to keep things running. The play I was going to direct for YouthWorks fell through because one of the students dropped out. Oh yes, I was VEX. But in the end, we've selected another play, and it'll be a better choice for the students, I think. Definitely it's a piece that I feel more confident about being able to direct. The students are fired up about it, and so am I. Yay. Some of the other wrangling we've had to do is to hire apprentice actors to work with the advanced students on their production. But now, after 8 drafts the play is finally in a really good place, and we've got a smart and terrific cast.
I'll keep you posted when the shows go up. But some more wrangling that has happened, is that we're beginning to contract ourselves out to local schools. This month, I've been schlepping out to the back of beyond (Pierrefonds) to direct a student-written play for their Black History Month showcase. If this works out well, I think we'll be able to do this kind of thing for a lot more schools.

And what else? My sister is pregnant! (No, not the youngest one.) I can't wait to go and see her after the play closes in May. I know instinctively that she's one of those utterly stunning pregnant women.

Right. And finally, my schedule at the gym is getting better, and I'm doing more personal training, which is fun. I now have time to work out, and I'm finally getting back in shape and better able to fight off sickness. I'm in the long, slow process of attempting to redo my hair, but when I actually get home, I don't want to do anything except fall into bed. Which I do. Except that there's still not much food in my fridge, and I need to get some laundry and dishes done really soon. Happily, the apartment is still somewhat presentable. I think I need my mom to come visit me again soon to motivate me to clean up my junk.

So now, I have to get back to work translating a play before Quincy arrives and we start rehearsing our monologues for Stratford.

Loving you, Babees!

There IS a heaven on Earth...

And I've found it.

In the balance...

Atlantic City was more awesome than not. Yeah, the working conditions are utter crap, stupidly long drive, utterly appalling food, the accommodations just a few degrees shy of being a biohazard, and the wages are a scandal.

But on the other hand, I had more fun with the other female vocalists than I ever could have anticipated. I feared we'd end up being a really cheesy version of the Pussycat Dolls or something, but we were more like En Vogue. Onstage, we killed that place, and I'm prouder of what we did than I've ever been since I started with that band. And we had a blast offstage too (when we weren't coughing up lungs because of the hotel-I said I wasn't going to complain about that.) I think I keep taking these gigs because I enjoy being with the other musicians so much.
Everybody loved us (with the exception of snotty girls who felt threatened by the fact that we all weighed under 200 pounds. What!? It's true. Women are catty, it's the reason why I don't generally enjoy working with other women.)

I listened to lots of Richard Cheese and François Pérusse, which was pure jokes. Although I didn't eat particularly well, I did manage to get to the gym everyday, so I actually managed to lose some weight. We even got to party with DJ Jazzy Jeff on New Year's in the big indoor pool after we finished our gig.

Yeah, when I weight it all in the balance, it was being with my colleagues that made up for being far away from my family and friends (who I missed terribly, particularly on Christmas and New Year's.) And I think that this coming year, I want to make a point of physically being with the people I love much more than I did last year.