All the buttons and threads that make up my life to date.

Once again, another fail at trying to be good about keep you all up to date.  I have been plenty busy though and have lots to talk about.  January was rounded off well and February came and went with in a flash.  It is amazing to think this week will mark 6 months of living and working here in Florida.  Yep, you better believe that I will be in the office bright and early asking for my 6 month raise come Tuesday. 

Toward the end of January I was finally able to cash in my first ever NHL game experience and watched the Tampa Bay Lighting beat the Washington capitals in over time.  It was great to finally be back ice side since Brett Sports and Spokane Chiefs hockey was such a large part of my life these past 4 winters.  The game was a much faster game and the skating was much cleaner but I will say I still love the rawness of Jr. Hockey.  My first NHL game was a success and hopefully someday I will be able to make another game.  Maybe a trip and a Devils game with my Big Brother…Beers, Bros, and Ice!

 
 

 

In February some of us interns decided that we were tired of going to the same bars time after time and created “Adventure Fridays”.  I will report my favorite thus far was finally going “Joyland Country Club”.  Not quite a “Big Al’s Country Club” like at home but all in all a good time.  Joyland is much more of a line dancing hall as apposed to a country swing hall like Big Al’s.  Since that first visit I have been back for line dance classes.  Talk about a good time. Old people getting down right next to hot girls in short shorts….oh and cheap beer too ($1.00 Red Solo Cup Night anyone)!

I also found the Florida State Fair this past February….yes it was weird to be at the fair in February.  It was not only my first Florida fair but also my first ever state fair.  I didn’t find any Fair Scones like I know from the Washington State Fair but I did find anything and everything possible fried.  Pickles (SO GOOD), every candy bar you could imagine, sticks of butter, and even Kool-Aid (don’t ask me how).  I saw an alligator show and met Landon (small boy that got to go up on stage and play with the gators, watched a lumberjack competition with floating log running, watched the National Elvis Impersonator Competition semifinals,  saw and fed a huge giraffe, saw the bears sponsered by the owner of the Yankees, visited an old fashion town called “Cracker County”, and ate so many fair foods.  It was s full day of people watching and good laughs.  I even got a little sun burnt too.  Talks about “Pauly D. Problems” when I used my apricot face scrub the next morning and my face peeled like crazy (yes that was a season 5 Jersey Shore reference). 

 
 
 
 

  

 

  

 

 

Valentines Day also came and went and I really felt the love this year.  I usually am against forced actions of love on this day each year because I feel like love and special actions should be shown all the time and year round, but this year I gave in.  I sent out a couple small care packages and I was sent special gifts each day of the week until Valentines Day.  Thank you all for your special gifts! 

Weeks ago I went over to

Saint Amends Circle

and visited the 2012 Ferrari Car Show. 

 

Talk about a ton of money parked in one area!  There I even found a car that I wanted to get my nephew Cannon.  I also wanted to share this fun picture set.  This is a car that I really liked and wanted to drive off in.

This was the owner of that car (yes I creepered this picture from a distance).  One, how does she own this car, and can I also own it?

 

At work I have been extremely busy.  In the past month I have helped in the organization and move of FST’s entire costume storage in preparation for our 6.4 million dollar renovation and expansion of the Gompertz’s theatre on campus, I over saw the pull and remount of Sophie Tucker – The Last of the Red Hot Mammas, prepped the next three shows that will be starting/opening in the next 6 weeks, and I have been spending lots of time do my own pattern making with a new system.  I have been working tons of hours and sadly been missing my time spent on the beach, but I really feel like the higher ups here are seeing my work and successes.  Even just this week I was invited to take part in a director/designer concept meeting.  I feel like I was able to give some good ideas and thoughts on the upcoming show.  After the conference call the director asked me if I had any questions or thoughts and I did.  She kept using the word “Iconic” and I brought up that that really stuck with me.  After a good talk about how that could help in the build of this show, and some looking at some of Hoppers paintings the director was really seeing some good things for the show that she didn’t even think of when just on the phone.  I HELPED!!!!!  She was very pleased with me and even asked me to come up with some more ideas and research on iconic looks and we would meet again soon.  HOLY SHIT!!!!

Besides work I have been busy in my personal life too.  I recently have jumped back on the workout world trying to lose some pounds and shape up for Caitlynn and Ben’s wedding in July.  I hope to be under 200 at that point and super tan come that late July weekend.  I have also continued looking into options I have come September when my internship is over.  I hope to be able to go up to New York City come summer and set up a couple meetings with connections of some friends already working on stages there.  All that off work excitement aside, my biggest news to report is the purchase of my New York Yankees Spring Training game against the Baltimore Oriels here in town. 

Last weekend I spent all morning at the Oriels Training Practice and felt right at home like working my last 5 summers at the Avista Stadium with Indians Baseball.  My game is on the 18^th this month and you can bet there will be a post show review. 

Things have been warming up here which is great form my soon to be tan skin.  It has been getting a bit muggy which I am daily assured that will be the usual…in all honestly, I know it will be humid.  I will get use to it already!


What I come home to everyday after work. View from my front yard



My life the next three weeks will consist of work in the shop in the mornings and dressing Miss Kathy Halenda (plays Sophie Tucker) each evening.  The show opened Monday and was paired with FST’s annual fundraising event.  This year the theme was “Hard Hats and Tails” in collaboration with the New Gompertz Theatre construction (one of our two Main Stage theatres).  The donors paid $150.00 a ticket for dinner and the show and then FST hoped to get more out of them.  The night was full of formals and tuxes and was a good time.  

Taken by Sarasota Magazine at Hard Hat and Tails - FST

Everyday here is different in ways and I miss my family at home and on stage but I am doing well.  No worries for this small town kid with big city dreams.  I was even able to watch the DVD of Next to Normal last week and also watched the behind the scenes DVD that was made by Ashley Picciallo (played Natalie).  It was rough and makes me miss them even more but I am glad to here they are all doing well back at home.  Hopefully I can meet up with a couple of them if I make it up to the city this summer.  You have to love how money will be the factor in that.  I am doing well but things are always on the watch you know.  Just days ago I was able to pay off my Whitworth due student loans in full leaving only my one set of federal loans.  It feels so freeing to be finished with one set of loans.  I am grateful for my education and where it is taking me these days.  Today I formally asked for a small stipend raise and was quickly reassured that it was being taken care of and I should soon see my negotiated amount.  Every little bit extra helps.

This all seems a bit of a hog-pog of thoughts but I wanted to catch you all up.  I miss you all!  From the stage left wing of Sophie Tucker, as Paul Harvey would say, “Until next time.”

My life is something "Next to Normal".

Once again I fail at the weekly updates...I am truly sorry for those of you that check this on a regular basis.  A lot has happened in the last month of my life.  I honestly don't know how I am going to dictate it all out on blog so you can understand the happenings of my life, but I am sure going to try.

Shortly after Christmas my mom came down to Florida for the first time ever and visited her baby boy hard at work.  She was here for almost a full week and I tried to cram in everything Floridian possible so she could really get a taste of what I am doing and where I am calling home for the next months.  She saw all three shows that were playing in the theatres here, seeing my show Next to Normal twice, and even sitting in on a studio invited run of the next Cabaret show that opened the week after she left.  Tours of all the stage and studio spaces were taken and my favorite restaurants and hang outs were also visited.  Mom and I even enjoyed a beautiful candle lit sidewalk side dinner outside my favorite simple restaurant...that wouldn’t have happened at home for her in late December due to the cold factor.  The Saturday she was here we visited the weekly street market and bought some fresh produce for the dinner she made for my roomies later that evening.  The guys were stoked to have some good 'ol Mom cooking.  Mom and I shared New Years 2012 together sitting barefoot on the couch drinking a bottle of wine while flipping back and forth between the TV specials.  I couldn’t have asked for anything different in the moment.  Some times simple is best.  On my Monday off Mom and I had a busy day full of the Ringling Museum of Art on the Ringling estate, picking up shells together on both Lido beach and Siesta Key Beach, Lunch at Taiwan Flats (amazing taco place), Saint Armin’s Circle (shopping/craft store central...high scale and low scale), and a sun set dinner at the Salty Dog Restaurant (featured on the Food Network).

 
 
















 














 






















Mom's trip made me once again so grateful for the love that she and I share and I was so glad that she was able to meet the important people in my life in Florida.  While the trip was short, the memories that we had will never be forgotten.  Seeing her face light up with every adventure was my favorite part!

With the beginning of January came the prep and hype of getting ready to close Next to Normal that I and many others had been working on for over 3 months.  Where this time was full of amazing memories and gags causing much laughter, the time was also filled with knowing it was all coming to the end and our lives were about to be anything but normal again.  Trust me when I say I spent many nights the last weeks tearing up for no apparent reason.  The people in the cast had touched my life without me even knowing I am grateful for that. 

With all the packing and "last time" events that the cast and crew shared there was also some networking happening.  YAY!  The most impressive part of all this was that they were asking me for my information to share with others.  Stacia Fernandez (lady in the red dress I have talked about so much), took my resume home to Mama Mia and told me it would be on their wardrobe supervisors desk first thing when she got back to the office.  She also talked to be about how she would be going home and working but also looking for another big gig as a principle.  I was told to be ready because if she got a gig she would be negotiating in her contract that I would be her personal dresser and that I would be getting a call to move to the city and I would stay with her until we found me something.  YIKES!  Leo, the father in the show that I also dressed, also took my resume home and has already passed it on to two people.  Strangely enough, he is best friends with Bobby Pearce (Tony Award Nom. for his 2003 costume design on the Broadway musical Taboo).  Bobby came to see Leo the week before closing and I was told that they talked quite a bit about me and my dressing after the show.  Bobby asked for my information and also told Leo that he would be sending off my resume to the wardrobe supervisor in charge of the revival of Death of a Salesman (previews open in Feb.).  As I was stocked, I knew I wasn’t ready for that so soon and that I wanted to finish some things here in Florida.  Good to know my info is getting out there though and people are talking.  I also have made some great contacts that share my same business and stage morals and I am honored to have people like Scott Guthrie as a reference on my resume.  It was reassuring that I could actually do all this when EACH cast member told me to stay and touch and they would be listening for jobs for me.  It’s not everyday that you are offered a couch to sleep on until you find a place to live in NYC if that’s where you end up.

Good byes were rough and I think I spent closing weekend mostly in tears/a funk.  I was again reminded that theatre is amazing and brings people together unlike anything else can.  A friend mentioned to me at one point that in this profession we will have to say goodbye to more people in our lives/careers than any other profession, but we are also lucky because we will meet so many more amazing people too.  Wow, how true is that!?  Not only did I have to say goodbye to the cast recently, but I had to say goodbye two days later to one of my housemates/a best friends here.  Matt decided to go home as the internship had given him what he wanted and didn’t see much more coming from it.  I support his decision but let me tell you, it sucks on my end.  Life is not the same and the apartment just doesn't feel the same.  I am not good at byes to begin with so these last weeks have been extra rough.  In fact, I went to see a show the other night (since I now have my nights back again) and I should have been sad and crying during most of it.  I had nothing else to give and sat there stone faced but moved. 


Matt and I at the Sports Page Bar.

I have since gotten back to my 9am-6pm schedule in the Costume shop and am working on a couple cool projects.  I have started to learn the Russian dress making system that my boss learned at a NYC dress making school in the 70's.  I have drafted a body block for a size 6 model and will use that along with some learned draping to make three different dresses.  One, a 30's evening dress, another, a 40's cocktail dress, and lastly, a period corset dress.  Pictures of designs soon and pictures of the process as it continues.  I was also recently given my own show to work on.  I was given a long time revival for FST, Sophie Tucker – The Last of the Red Hot Mamas.  It is an inventory pull show for me but I am getting to do all the prep, paperwork, and work on the show.  Learning lots with it and finding that I am pretty good at it (small shoulder brush).

The best part of the show closing is that I get to come home and be a real person cooking dinner, I am getting to go see things at other theatres, and even catching some sporting events.  Tomorrow I will be going to get some $10.00 student rush tickets for Made in America at the Sarasota Ballet (performing at the Asolo Theatre).  ALSO THIS WEEK!!!!!!....I am going to my first NHL game!!!!!  I will be seeing the Tampa Bay Lighting vs. the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night in Tampa.  A friend got me tickets because she knew how much I missed going to hockey every week like I did all through college with the Spokane Chiefs.  SO STOKED!!!!

Life is anything but normal for me but I am learning slowly and in hard ways sometimes that that is okay.  I have learned through working on N2N that there is never a “normal” and something “next to normal” is okay.  It's about the process and living!  I have lunch with a woman that dressed in Broadway for over 10 years next week and I am trying to figure out life after FST.  At this point, I struggle with it all everyday but I try to remember to trust and know there is plan for me...if I could get a copy of that plan though I would be okay with that :)


Next to Normal Cast and Crew - Florida Studio Theatre 2011

I miss home still but am excited about the idea of getting to come home for a short period of time in July for the wedding of two amazing friends....and heck yes I will be sporting the Maid of Honor title (well not really but doing the duties that come with it).

Off to go play in the sun on this day off! :)

Grateful for Gaters, Garland, and Good Actors, Great Friends.

First off, today I am celebrating Boxing Day in honor of all my fellow Canadians (everyone here is sure I am actually from Canada because of all the weird things I say, and do).  One of our Lit. Interns actually tells Canadian partons that we have an Intern from Canada haha.  Happy Boxing Day...and it is only fitting that today is my actual day off this week...it was meant to be!

Happy Holidays from warm and sunny Florida!  This Christmas was great, but I will admit, when it all comes down to it, I would take cold weather and family over tanning and green palm trees any day.  I have been blessed with some amazing people in my life that love and support my every move.  I couldn't ask for anything more....the care packages, shipped presents, and stockings were only bonuses to my blessings.

I recently have been out and about trying to see more of the area around Sarasota.  Boy has it been fun!  One Monday off, my friend Kayliane and I packed up the car and headed over to Myakka River State Park to pushed off on an air boat and find gators on and around the water. SO COOL!  I even talked a bit like the swamp loggers when I was out....she thought I was nuts haha.  There were points that the floating gators were only 5 feet from me.  Talk about a rush seeing an animal that powerful so close.  The temp on the water that day was perfect and there was even a light breeze.

  

While at the park ,we also took in the one of the Worlds few Canopy Walks.  It is unlike anything I have ever seen.  You walk up these stairs to a free moving bridge and then up and up again.  Once at the top, you are far above all the tree tops and can see forever.  I felt like I was in the Lion King or something (yes, I sang the opening song from the movie up there)!  The tower is only held up by ground enforced cables so when at the top you can feel the wind and the other people on the tower moving the structure. AMAZING!

 
 
 
 

































The trip was a success and I learned a lot about the area too.

Another amazing happening to report is the Birth of my Nephew Cannon Joshua.  Here is a little candid shot of the Big Guy.  I can't wait to finally see and meet him in person.  Skype and pictures will have to do for now...

Josh sent this one morning with the caption, "I think I pooped!"

The Christmas season in Florida was interesting.  People spray snow-in-a-can on their windows and "White Christmas" plays in all the stores, yet its 83 degrees out side and everything is green.  While this will be a year to always remember and I spent my day off on Christmas eve tanning and burning on Lido Beach, I missed home.  Christmas morning I woke and stuffed my roomies homemade stockings (made by a costuming elf), made my homemade biscuits and gravy, and we opened presents from each other as well as family and friends back home.

 
 

















We were lucky enough to borrow a tree from someone in the office and spent about $30.00 in decor to at least make the inside of our apartment feel like Christmas at home.  All in all, it was a wonderful day.  After the morning fun we all lugged ourselves to the theatre and worked two great shows.  Working seemed a little strange but we had full houses for all three theatres that housed two shows each.  Who would have thought that theatre could be so big on Christmas day?!

Being away made me so grateful for the little ways to show your love.  A smile to someone on the street corner that could also be missing someone special or a held door for a mom struggling to get her bag out of a mall door when you can clearly tell she is stressed over the money that was just spent to try and make her two adorable boys day complete.  As much as I have hated Christmas in the years past, this one made my heart beat.  Christmas morning Tom, one of my roomies who is at times a bit much, woke and screamed "Merry Christmas!"  I honestly thought Matt would soon after be coming out of his room to murder him.....didn't happen though.  He then proceeded to hook up his Skype and sit in front of the tree opening presents with his family at home...mind you screaming and laughing loudly the whole time.  Where I was nervous for his safety and where I would usually be a bit aggravated with him, I saw an inner child excited for the holiday and I smiled while cooking my breakfast.  I realized I don't ever want to not be happy and never want my inner child to go away.  I guess you could say Laura Clausen had rubbed off on me! ;)

I was blessed to get a little Spokane love this holiday with some very special gifts from Laura, Chad and Sophie, Dave and Crystal, Jenn and Kerry, and a very special old school advent calender from my Aunt Sheri and Uncle Mike.  Words can't express my happiness with each box!  I was also blessed with the love of my N2N cast.  They all got me things...some far to expensive.  I also got a new bar tee shirt from my office Secret Santa.  Now there should be no confusion from here on out haha.  As much as I always say I hate that the holiday has become about gifts and not Christ, it was nice to get a couple simple things.  One of my favorite gifts to report this season was being asked to be the "Maid of Honor" (I am to come up with a new name for it) for Ben and Caitlynn's Wedding.  I can't wait!  Congrats again guys!

 






















My mom is coming to stay in just a couple days and I am excited to show her around the city and area that I am for now calling home.  She will be sing all the shows that FST is offering and I plan on taking her to the beach and the Ritz.  Fun filled pics soon.

For now, know that I miss you all very much, expecially this holiday season.  I hope that yours was and will be filled with love, joy, happyiness and family and friends.  I know that mine has been, even from far away!


For the record, it took more than 20 minutes to try and get this finished and a picture taken before the tide washed it away.  I was that child building to close to the water front.



Different threads, same machine.

Life has been interesting lately, but nothing big to report.  I have spent the last week or so catching up on the Amex bill for Next to Normal and trying to collect tax from the online places that we bought clothes.  Pain in the ass if you ask me, but since we are tax exempt it has to be done, and let’s be honest, I do love saving a buck when ever I can.  I have also been prepping the next two shows that will be loaded in.  I have been emailing, faxing, and calling theatres all over country collecting measurement sheets and body blocks.  Kind of cool if you think about how the theatre world is all connected.  I spoke with a costume shop manager in Portland the other day and we spent 5 minutes just talking about the Inland Northwest, the weather, and Christmas.  Weird but fun.

Paper work has been my game and I have been trying to stay in the game for as many minutes as possible.  The second Main stage show, The Last Romance by Joe Dipietro, opened last night at FST and a party followed.  This show was much simpler and to be honest I really did little after the measurements were taken.  A couple hems and quick rigging here and there but that's it.  A big change from tech weeks with N2N.  Highlight of this show would for sure have to be the making of the opening night dress for the star of the show.  And!  My boss and I only had one day to do it!  Mind you we cranked it out and even had time to make her matching earrings and a bracelet.  The little puppy looked as cute as a button.  Yes, a Shih Tzu dress will be going in my professional portfolio.  She was pretty in pink and had more rhinestones than any dog should ever have.  Pictures soon.

This is where a new chapter in a book would happen and this one would be where things get heavy until the next chapter when everything is fixed and you go get ice cream like after parents fight (long story that only a few will understand, sorry for those that don't, we can talk).  Long story short, without boring you all to death, I have recently been missing a friend here and the other party seems to think it is due to me not sharing and "not living my own life".  Do I have all the answers and live without safety as a big part of any of my thoughts? Not at all.  I guess I see myself as one that it pretty good about always trying to see both sides of a issue or even creating more than you sides.  When I am told that this problem is my fault, that they haven't changed one bit and that they are the same person I met on day one, and that I'm the one that has distanced myself, created walls, and am crippling my career, I hurt.  Am I wrong for asking to talk...AND NOT thru texting?  I am talker with my problems and issues.  Does it suck sometimes and take time?  Yeah.  Am I willing to do anything for however long needed to fix a squall?  You bet.  I see that every person is made of different life thread and are sewn together differently with the lives they have lived, but I also see that we all run on the same machine of life.  I am fully willing to do things someone else’s way but isn’t it a two way deal?  Talking isn’t easy for all I get it!  But don't expect a 5 minute car ride, high top bar table chat in a busy bar, or a counter lean while my pasta is boiling to be enough time to cover an issue that is far bigger than missing you.

I don’t have the answers and I don’t know what I want in life.  I believe we never will and that is why we live and try and figure it out along the way.  These last couple of days has been rough and the holidays are right around the corner.  I miss my family and friends and would give anything to be with them during this time when I often find it hard to always be happy.  And I get that happy is supposed to be the way we all should be.  Maybe putting a Christmas tree with Blake on Sunday will help a bit. 

When I say I miss you I mean it.  And trust that I think about home everyday.  I am blessed with people that love me and support me.  I guess that’s why I hurt so much when one of those people is off in the distance and I guess it’s my fault.

Now, haha aren’t you glad you logged on today to read this happy little rant without out even one fun picture?