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...