weekend trip

So I'm sitting in my hotel in Burlington NC. Where, you say??? IT's where Elon University is located. One of my former students is a senior this year and their senior seminar show goes up this weekend. The Full Monty. Seems everyone is doing that this year;) I was a little hesitant about coming down here to see THe Full Monty, especially as it's a former student, but hey. ... They aren't really naked til the very end and I probably won't see much if anything. Although they are performing in their small black box space. Apparently it's very much a "reach out and touch you" type of space. So this could be more than I bargained for. Oh, well, I get to be out of town for a weekend.

It's raining and dreary today and I'm supposed to drive to Raleigh for an audition. Hurray for a reason to write off the whole trip!! Raleigh is about an hour away so I guess I should get moving. It's for a summer company. They're doing some good shows. I could realistically only do one because of teaching summer camp, but an audition is an audition.

That's about it right now. Working rehearsals are going well and we are also gearingup for our dinner fundraiser on the 10th of March. It's an Italian restaurant theme and then we retire to the theatre for a little music revue. $25 and a ticket could be yours. Let me know if anyone wants to come. The food is catered (so it's not just a spaghetti dinner) and there will be raffles and entertainment etc.

bye for now!

Field trip etc!

So it is once again time for the Theatre Production class to do their major project for the year. They are split into groups, given an building and a budget and must come up with a company and theatre design and fill the building with everything needed to run a theatre. They get the existing theatre building at the Lorton Arts Foundation Workhouse. They also have to work within the same confines that the Foundation does when it comes to the historical aspect of the building and the property.

I love filling out the field trip request form and getting a pricipal to sign it when it says Lorton Prison. This year the principal's secretary asked me if there was room on the bus for some of the staff and could I just leave them there. She didn't care that there's no heat, or running water....... she seemed to think it would only help some of those people that needed to be left out there.

Ok, anyway..........can you tell morale is a little low at my place of employment?.........So we were there for almost an hour. Of course it was cold as Mark's heart there that day, but at least the sun was shining. One of the boys didn't have gloves because he said that the gloves he owns did not match his outfit so he didn't bring them. God save me. They got a lot of pictures and measurements for their projects. It definitely helps them to actually see the space and walk around in it. Even if it is freezing;) This group seems a little more excited than last year. There's the usual fighting about what to put in the space and what type of shows to do, but they seem to be doing well so far. Their projects are judged by Sharon Mason from Lorton, Eric Hoefler one of our Humanities teachers, myself and one other guest judge. That slot is still open so if you want to judge, let me know;) It does not pay. Sorry.

Not much else happening right now. I'm in rehearsal for the musical. We're doing Working. It's going ok so far. The first act will be finished being blocked this week. We also just did the first of our children's shows on Saturday. We did Livin' de Life. It's the Brer Rabbit stories. Small houses, but the kids that did come really seemed to like it. It's very physical, so it appeals to the boys. Next Saturday is Winnie the Pooh. I hope the houses are bigger.

Till next time friends!

Ah the museum! And GREAT friends!

So my best friend MaryEllen, her husband Paul, daughter Amanda came to visit DC for a few days. Paul is an Executive Chef in Connecticut so they don't get much free time to go away. I haven't seen them in 6 years. Amanda is 2 and absolutely adorable. Yes people, I actually said that. We went to the Museum of Natural History and saw the dinosaurs and the rocks. We didnt have a lot of time because the museum closes at 6 and we got there just before 5. It was enough. They stayed at the Sofitel Hotel, so we walked to the museum. It was cold, but not horrible.

It was really good to see them and be able to spend time with them. MaryEllen and I talked non stop;) I know some of you may find that hard to believe.......ahem. It was really great. I miss her tons. I think that Minnick is right about us all getting older and rethinking our lives a bit. I am too busy to go and visit my best friends. And yet, it was not really so difficult for me to take off a day from school to spend time with them when they came here. The world did not stop, my students did not spiral into a decline, I didn't lose my job........ yet;) I had a great time and I realize how important they are to me. More so than my job. MaryEllen is like my family. Hell, I live close to many of you that I call my friends and I can't take time to see you. I AM too busy. Too busy with too many of the wrong things.

Ugh, enough maudlinism. Is that even a word? All I can do is keep moving forward I suppose;)

I do believe that Bud may soon rival Jeffrey for "why the hell are you taking stupid pictures of me". Except I don't take eating pictures........... I just want some sort of silly picture and he's always looking at me saying......."why the hell are you tkaing stupid pictures of me?" But I think he's partially to blame........... He does stand still for them.

And of course, no trip to the museum is complete with a picture of the Hope Diamond. A girl can dream;)