1. My running partner(s) - Sammy the quadruped and the husby
2. The person who invented the reflective stripes that let me safely run at night
3. The kindness of a very sweet lady who lets me stay at her apartment on the upper east side when I'm in NYC
4. The flexibility of the door monitor at the Glimmerglass audition, who worked me in early so I could make my train
5. The good humor and creativity of my acting coach, who made my kickass audition even more kickass
Despite the insane winds and impending rain, ran 2.25 miles with husband and dog to ward off the crazy. Also went to see the new Bond movie. I enjoyed it, but (to the chagrin of my husby) I would have appreciated more shirtless Daniel Craig. But really, who wouldn't appreciate more shirtless Daniel Craig?
One more day at home, then back to NYC for the big audition. You know which one I'm talking about.
*ohm....I am an ebullient soubrette and a scary-as-shit Queen and a brilliant actress and can sing stratospheric notes please hire me.....ohm*
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Gratitude, Day 2
1. I live on a hill. This means that half of my run is uphill and horrible. But this also means that the second half of my run is downhill and wonderful.
2. Youtube. I get to watch and listen to amazing artists singing the arias I'm singing from the comfort of my sweaty running clothes.
3. The smell of burning leaves.
4. 99-cent lattes between 2 and 4pm at Dunkin Donuts.
5. Sweating releases the crazy.
Shiksa has three auditions in two days in two different cities. Pray for the continued release of the crazy and the inspiration of the ebullient soubrette hidden beneath the academic exterior.
2. Youtube. I get to watch and listen to amazing artists singing the arias I'm singing from the comfort of my sweaty running clothes.
3. The smell of burning leaves.
4. 99-cent lattes between 2 and 4pm at Dunkin Donuts.
5. Sweating releases the crazy.
Shiksa has three auditions in two days in two different cities. Pray for the continued release of the crazy and the inspiration of the ebullient soubrette hidden beneath the academic exterior.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Lost in translation
I don't always like to acknowledge when I'm blue. I sweep up all of the dog hair in the house, work on the dog's toenails, make the bed, do the laundry, and then obsess about whether or not my home computer has a virus. I update and run all the virus software. I watch yet another episode of a mindless TV show on surfthechannel. And only after my husband asks me what's going on, what's REALLY going on, do I stop to ask myself the same question.
What the shiksa says: I'm worried our computer has a virus.
What the shiksa means: My agent wants me to sing bel canto and I'm scared of bel canto.
What the shiksa says: Did you install that anti-virus software?
What the shiksa means: Oh sweet JesusMaryandJoseph, please let my dissertation be done. If it's done and there's a virus on it, then at least it's done. What if I just didn't finish? That would be ridiculous, of course I'll finish. What if the committee doesn't like it? What are you talking about, of course they'll like it, they thought your topic was brilliant.
What the shiksa says: It's chilly in the house.
What the shiksa means: I'm still in my pyjamas and have been glued to the chair in front of the computer since I made my breakfast four hours ago. My will to be active is directly proportional to the shades of gray that the clouds are exhibiting.
Oy. As a person who tries really hard to be straightforward with her husband and her friends, it's easy to obfuscate oneself.
So AFTER my sweet husband gently prodded me to maybe put on my running shoes and go running, and AFTER I combed all of my normal website haunts, I decided to go back to an old friend: runnersworld.com
What do I love about runnersworld.com? So many things - the reviews of the newest shoes, the tool that lets you put in the temperature and the cloud cover and tells you what to wear, the entire section for beginners (am I still a beginner? I think so....) and women and more conversations about seams and sports bras than anyone could ever hope for. But more than the articles about socks and gloves, I love the section called 'Motivation.'
Within this section, there's an article called "101 kicks in the butt.' Now that's my kinda talk. There are these great playlist suggestions for your running mix, ideas about how to push and reward yourself, but the carrot and stick technique works a little differently for yours truly. I have to feel that it's a matter of character for me to get my ass out there and run, especially when it's daylight savings time in November in Boston and I'm losing daylight FAST. Fortunately, the author of tip #3 spoke directly to my heart:
3. RUNNING COMMENTARY "Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp, or are you going to be strong today?'" --Peter Maher, two-time Olympic marathoner from Canada
I gotta tell you. When I saw that, it was like I was back in sixth grade and some snot-nosed boy was telling me that I wasn't as smart because I'm a girl. Them's fighting words. My momma didn't raise a wimp and I am not doing her credit by sitting at home, feeling my ass mold to the shape of the chair in front of the computer. So I used the handy-dandy tool to tell me what to wear when it's 41 and overcast (note to self: the gloves were a GOOD idea) and threw on my running shoes and put the leash on the dog and off we went. I couldn't find my Polar heart monitor so I have no idea how hard I was running, but the first eight minutes were pure hell for me and I suspect for Sammy too. Running in the cold is about the worst feeling in the universe (did the weather channel really say it's 41? because I'd swear it's colder!) until you get past the burning in your chest and the desperate wish to turn around and pack yourself back into those pyjamas. But run we did, Sammy and I. And about 25 minutes later, back from our just under two miles, I was so freakin happy to see the sight of my front porch.
So this is the challenge I issue to myself. Five out of every seven days, I will make myself get out there in the yuck and I will run. I will bring the clothes with me to New York and I will go run in the park because that's what it's there for. I will buy batteries for my mp3 player and I will load up fun music for the journey. And I will STOP making excuses for all the reasons I can't run because there are so many better reasons to do it in the first place.
And, taking a cue from some fellow bloggers, I'm adding these five little points of gratitude.
Gratitude, Day 1
1. my dog, who is happy to keep pace with me when I'm running
2. my dog, who has to take pee breaks and therefore gives me a little break when I'm running
3. my brother, who talks to his technology-illiterate sister in small words, lest her brain overflow
4. my husband, who only lets me halfway off the hook
5. the sun, who came out from behind the cloud for twenty minutes of my run
What the shiksa says: I'm worried our computer has a virus.
What the shiksa means: My agent wants me to sing bel canto and I'm scared of bel canto.
What the shiksa says: Did you install that anti-virus software?
What the shiksa means: Oh sweet JesusMaryandJoseph, please let my dissertation be done. If it's done and there's a virus on it, then at least it's done. What if I just didn't finish? That would be ridiculous, of course I'll finish. What if the committee doesn't like it? What are you talking about, of course they'll like it, they thought your topic was brilliant.
What the shiksa says: It's chilly in the house.
What the shiksa means: I'm still in my pyjamas and have been glued to the chair in front of the computer since I made my breakfast four hours ago. My will to be active is directly proportional to the shades of gray that the clouds are exhibiting.
Oy. As a person who tries really hard to be straightforward with her husband and her friends, it's easy to obfuscate oneself.
So AFTER my sweet husband gently prodded me to maybe put on my running shoes and go running, and AFTER I combed all of my normal website haunts, I decided to go back to an old friend: runnersworld.com
What do I love about runnersworld.com? So many things - the reviews of the newest shoes, the tool that lets you put in the temperature and the cloud cover and tells you what to wear, the entire section for beginners (am I still a beginner? I think so....) and women and more conversations about seams and sports bras than anyone could ever hope for. But more than the articles about socks and gloves, I love the section called 'Motivation.'
Within this section, there's an article called "101 kicks in the butt.' Now that's my kinda talk. There are these great playlist suggestions for your running mix, ideas about how to push and reward yourself, but the carrot and stick technique works a little differently for yours truly. I have to feel that it's a matter of character for me to get my ass out there and run, especially when it's daylight savings time in November in Boston and I'm losing daylight FAST. Fortunately, the author of tip #3 spoke directly to my heart:
3. RUNNING COMMENTARY "Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp, or are you going to be strong today?'" --Peter Maher, two-time Olympic marathoner from Canada
I gotta tell you. When I saw that, it was like I was back in sixth grade and some snot-nosed boy was telling me that I wasn't as smart because I'm a girl. Them's fighting words. My momma didn't raise a wimp and I am not doing her credit by sitting at home, feeling my ass mold to the shape of the chair in front of the computer. So I used the handy-dandy tool to tell me what to wear when it's 41 and overcast (note to self: the gloves were a GOOD idea) and threw on my running shoes and put the leash on the dog and off we went. I couldn't find my Polar heart monitor so I have no idea how hard I was running, but the first eight minutes were pure hell for me and I suspect for Sammy too. Running in the cold is about the worst feeling in the universe (did the weather channel really say it's 41? because I'd swear it's colder!) until you get past the burning in your chest and the desperate wish to turn around and pack yourself back into those pyjamas. But run we did, Sammy and I. And about 25 minutes later, back from our just under two miles, I was so freakin happy to see the sight of my front porch.
So this is the challenge I issue to myself. Five out of every seven days, I will make myself get out there in the yuck and I will run. I will bring the clothes with me to New York and I will go run in the park because that's what it's there for. I will buy batteries for my mp3 player and I will load up fun music for the journey. And I will STOP making excuses for all the reasons I can't run because there are so many better reasons to do it in the first place.
And, taking a cue from some fellow bloggers, I'm adding these five little points of gratitude.
Gratitude, Day 1
1. my dog, who is happy to keep pace with me when I'm running
2. my dog, who has to take pee breaks and therefore gives me a little break when I'm running
3. my brother, who talks to his technology-illiterate sister in small words, lest her brain overflow
4. my husband, who only lets me halfway off the hook
5. the sun, who came out from behind the cloud for twenty minutes of my run
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