Hello there, xanga.  Let's hang out again, ok?

I guess it's been awhile.  As usual, I am busy busy busy.  Finding time and motivation for blogging hasn't been very easy.  Phew.

Gypsy is going damn well.  This is the best show I've worked on at Iowa State and rehearsals have been a ball.  I'm so glad that there are two more months of enjoying this one.  I have so many piles of things going on I don't know how to summarize them all.  I guess that's why blogging is a struggle for me.  I'll try the list method:

-I was cast as Cleopatra in Mariana's senior honors project of staging Antony & Cleopatra.  I am super flattered and even more excited.

-I haven't had groceries in two weeks and it has caused me to forget to eat a lot of meals.

-Kim came to visit for a spectacular weekend that left me very happy but missing her a whole lot.

-I bought a $25 giant trampoline off Craigslist tonight for our backyard next year.  It will be amazing.

-I still don't know what I'm doing for the summer, but won't get any answers for at least another two weeks or so.

-I did apply to a flying effects rigging company.  That is the most random of my applications and not necesarily my first choice, but pretty sweet nonetheless.

-I bought two more plants and now have ten total plants.

-We're struggling to pick rooms in our house for next year.  No one wants the smallest room and there isn't really a fair way to determine any of it.

-I picked a one act for directing II.  It's called The Drunken Sisters by Thorton Wilder and it's a satyr play about the three fates.  I like it a lot and cannot wait to cast it at auditions next week.

-At work I made a fake pile of dirt to put in a wheelbarrow for The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail.  I carved it out of sheets of foan glued together, painted and decorated it and it's probably my favorite thing I've gotten to do so far.  Whether or not it's really that great, I'm actually feeling very proud of myself and my crafting abilities.

-I've been doing very poorly at a lot of things lately as a result of my severe lack of motivation.  I don't really know what to do about that.

-This year is the first time since elementary school where I don't live near a close, good friend who I can talk to about whatever.  It's been hard and I haven't liked admitting that.

-I really want to see Revoluntionary Road, The Wrestler and The Reader.  Not easy tasks in Ames, Iowa.

....there's more but I am sleepy.  Bed for now, we'll see if I get better about blogging.  Oh, and here is a picture of my pile of crap in a wheelbarrow:

I'm making a strong effort here.  The only problem with this is that the times when it occurs to me that I should blog are usually the times when nothing interesting is happening.  Still, effort.

Tami and I had a photo shoot with Wednesday yesterday.  It was Tami's present to Kelly for christmas, so now Kelly owns a framed 8 1/2 x 11 of Wednesday in her baptism gown.  I thought it was pretty genius, and she turned out to be a very tolerant model while we put on all her different outfits.  What a trooper.  I would like a cat very similar to Wednesday at some point in my life.

Tonight Jeff and Heidi are having a classy party to ring in the new year.  I'm actually fairly excited, some people who I haven't seen in awhile will be there.  Scotty Mettile and Mariana will both be wonderful to see again, and while I'm not super energetic at the moment, it will be fun to go out.  Tami and I went to karaoke at Paddy's last night and I met the father of Gina's baby.  He used to work at the bar with Tami and lives with our friend Alex.  I (obviously) did not bring up the fact that I had spent many, many hours with his child (heck, I went to the hospital the day Gavin was born), but it was all I could think about.  Pink elephant in the room for the night.

So for now, Tami and I have watched three episodes of Buffy, eaten dinner and gotten all dressed up... nothing to do but kill time for another hour or so.  Hooray!

This is my fourth annual New Years entry! 

The year isn't over yet, but I have time to kill so here we go:

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Worked at a professional theatre company!  Stage Managed my own show in college.  Lived in an all-female apartment (MUCH more of an adjustment than I would have ever thought), De-iced a car without any help.  Had my first real, unfortunate and messy breakup. Voted!  Performed in the type of theatre that aims to change the world (though I don't know how successful we were).  Carved a prop turkey out of blocks of pink foam.  Had a non-family Thanksgiving!  Fell out of love.  Dealt with death.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? No and no!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope

4. Did anyone close to you die? My grandpa died in January.

5. What countries did you visit? I miss traveling.  Just the USA. (unless the boundary waters count as Canada)

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? (note: for the second year in a row, all my desires from the previous entry came true!)  I would love to spend the summer doing something I love.  I would like a solid yet exciting relationship.  I would like to live somewhere new, even if it's only for a little while.  I want to work on a Shakespeare production again (though I know that one is coming true!).  I want to strengthen my friendships here in Ames and hopefully make some new ones.  I want to have a challenging, passionate year.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Waking up in the new year with KTag and Ace, standing on the corner waiting for the bus and explaining the plot of LWW to our costume designer over the phone, coming back to Ames and the whole LWW mess, drinking and painting with Nick, Kim and Josh.  The birth of Petunia and the blossoming of the rollerblades friendship.  Caucusing for Obama!  Meeting Scalett Johanssen at the MU (who was supporting Obama!).  The exciting night at Brad's, waiting up and all the excitement with Obama's victory.  Going to get fog liquid at the theatrical shop and ending up with a $10 cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton.  Crying during Buffy episodes with Kim.  ACTF and the Rent party.  Interviewing at different companies and crossing my fingers.  Boys Next Door dressing room with Kelly.  Forum auditions.   Crying on Valentines Day.  The hoodie pants night:)  Classy party.  St. Patrick's Day with Beats!  Wishing we had the guts to sneak in the stage door for Wicked.  Kim and I first realizing that we NEEDED to see Step Up 2: The Streets!  Going to the airport for the first time since Germany and flying to New York.  Getting that amazing dessert the first night there.  Going out with Dani Jo in SoHo.  Doing all the touristy kind of things that you do on spring break in NYC.  Waiting in line very, very early in the morning for Spring Awakening tickets.  Twice.  Seeing August: Osage County, which was absolutely incredible!  "I want to experience you".  VEISHEA!  Forum publicity stunts!  The crawfish boil.  Kim's Willow haircut.  BOOTS WITH THE FUR!!  More Buffy than I can explain:)  Bacce ball in Bill's backyard.  Sitting in Fisher with Boots during Forum.   The butterfly trip to Reiman Gardens.  The cast party where the decision was made to end it then.  Fighting and crying and fighting and yelling.  The One Act night with the tornado siren in the middle and running out in the rain.  Red haired Jesus lighting a blunt off burning Hillary.  Packing up Kim's car and leaving for Winona.  The Merchant of Venice read thru.  Hobo shack on the railroad tracks.  Drinking gin and smoking in front of East Lake with Sophie, Leah and Bridget.  Coming back to Ames and fighting, crying and yelling some more.  Kim coming for opening night and the crazy stuffed animals at the bank!  Driving all night and Roger's wedding the next morning in Chicago.  Doug's ridiculous running costume change every night.  Pericles tech and our midnight run to HyVee.  Bowleoke, Champagne and Chocolate, Little Shop of Horrors.  The final performance and packing for home.  Minneapolis with Logan and Ian.  Moving back down to Ames and cleaning out Hillcrest.  Making the move into my current place.  Smoking and drinking gin in a new parking lot.  Painting that damn chest of drawers while listening to the soundtrack to The Wackness.  The first day of directing class.  The welcome back perf picnic with frisbee and grilling.  Slumber parties.  Lying out on our backs in a canoe looking at the stars and freezing our asses off in the boundary waters.  My first (and awful) portage!  Me and rollerblades chilling out on the random seagull rock.  The crazy pouring rain on the last day.  Spending a luxurious day/night in Duluth.  Doing my Emilia monologue for Taryn.  The World Food Prize and all the great Bob Dole jokes that followed:)  Tartuffe auditions.  3am music jam sessions in Caleb's car.  Wednesday's baptism.  Playing with the sqaush ball on central campus with Nick and Kelly.  Our 'fertile' performance of the 12th Night scene.  Going to Des Moines for Amanda's bachelorette party.  Running to Brad's immediately after rehearsal to watch election coverage and being absolutley ecstatic!  Fakesgiving.  Amanda's wedding.  Christmas Carol tech.  The perf slumber party in pearson.  Getting to see my 10 Minute Play come to life!  And leading up to last night, Tami's birthday celebration with flaming lap dances!!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? On a less personal scale, Obama's election.  Being a part of that.

9. What was your biggest failure? Self-doubting and being indecisive.  I learned a LOT about relationships and knowing that keeping something just so you might not regret something later isn't a reason to stay with someone.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nope.

11. What was the best thing you bought? That Hillary Clinton cardboard cutout.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Kimberly Chelf.  She has been an incredible friend and I miss her to pieces.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Sometimes my own.  Sometimes friends.  This question always makes me uneasy because it always seems so awful at the time but if they weren't worth it, they wouldn't be friends.

14. Where did most of your money go? Random stuff-- school supplies, books, gas money, etc.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Working on the shows that I did.  Also, Step Up 2: The Streets.

16. What song will always remind you of 2005? "Just a Friend" by Biz Markie, "Lollipop" by MIKA, "Low" by T-Pain ft. Flo Rida, the "Vista" warmup.

17. Compared to this time last year, you are: more aware of the fact that I do have something to lose.  A little less ballsy and certainly more grounded.  I'm also much MUCH more secure in my abilities and limitations.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? This one's the same as last year: I wish I had traveled more.  I've had so many responsibilities that I've had a hard time finding a second to escape for a few days and see somewhere new.  I think I've spent the entire year in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois which is a bit disappointing.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? procrastinating and moping.

20. How will you be spending Christmas? At home.  Nothing special, but it should be nice.

22. Did you fall in love in 2006? Nope.

23. How many one-night stands? Four.

24. What was your favorite TV program? Buffy the Vampire Slayer

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Yes, actually.  Just one though.

26. What was the best book you read? Not a book, but Richard III (Shakespeare)

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Across the Universe or Kate Nash.

28. What did you want and get? An amazing internship!

29. What did you want and not get? A happy ending.

30. What was your favorite film of this year? umm, duh. Step Up 2: The Streets.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 21 and I walked to the bar at midnight, had one beer then went home and slept so I could get up early and take a Shakespeare test.  Not so exciting.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Not dragging out the end of my relationship.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005? A combination of comfy and interesting.  A lot more skirts but also a lot mroe tshirts.

34. What kept you sane? Friends, music, reading, any scrap of free time I could find.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Ryan Gosling or Paul Rudd.

36. What political issue stirred you the most? The election.

37. Who did you miss? Friends from Germany mostly, then when Chelfie left I missed her hardcore.  Also, when I got back to school I definitely missed GRSF friends.

38. Who was the best new person you met? Leah Pelz or Caleb Woodley.  They're surprisingly similar, now that I think about it.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008? I am incredibley capable of achieving what I put my mind to.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

A repeat of the last two years, but:

they say goldfish have no memory
i guess their lives are much like mine
the little plastic castle
is a surprise every time
it's hard to say if they are happy
but they don't seem much to mind