franken foot!

Alright kids, enough of emo Hannah. I love you and miss you, but I'm getting on with my life. 

Woke up super happy and optimistic today. Number one: I got to see Avery last night, which was basically really great. I really appreciate the times that we get to hang out and have time to talk about more than just what's going on in our lives. Big things, important things. Spending time like that makes me feel so connected, present, and relaxed. That's pretty amazing and I'm unbelievably thankful for it (and him). 

So I woke up happy. Then, driving to work I remembered that I was going to get to see a puppet show today. Score! Being a puppeteer basically rocks because not only do I get to play with puppets, I get to watch my co-workers do the same. So I got to work, Jonathan and I set up our set (a note here on the fact that Jonathan basically rocks, we make a great team (TEAM JO-HA!) and I'm so delighted to be touring with him). Then we walked over to the rehearsal space for the team doing The Reluctant Dragon (about a dragon who loves poetry and sunsets). On the way there, I got a stick caught behind my left heel so when I strode forward with my right it cut me (on the top of my ankle where the curve is). I looked down, and was like, "Man, that hurt" but kept walking. A few steps later I looked down and there was blood everywhere! I started laughing because it was such a ridiculous situation and hobbled the rest of the way. Once I got to the space I wrapped it up with a piece of gauzy fabric and an ace bandage. As long as my foot was flexed it wouldn't bleed, so I wrapped it that way. Anyway, the show was GREAT! They start their tour tomorrow, (two weeks before we leave) so I was super impressed. Then we all went out to this amazing buffet called Horn of Africa and completely gorged ourselves. Since we usually are only working on our individual shows, it was really fun to just hang out with everybody. Then when we got back to the office, we met with head honcho Janet who scolded us for leaving the workshop in shambles. I checked my foot out during the meeting and discovered that it was still bleeding (4 hours later) if I moved it. So I told Nancy, and she sent me to the ER. An hour and a half, a tetnus shot, and 5 stitches later I came back laughing about the whole experience. 

So basically my work day consisted of setting up my set, cutting my foot, watching a great puppet show, eating amazing Ethopian food, and going to the ER. Not too bad. 

pies, puppets, & projects

So, last weekend I had the great fortune of attending the Nomadic Theater Company's Cotillion and Pie fight. Yep, a fancy dance and pie fight (c'mon, they're clowns, remember?). It was a fundraiser to take their show, Running into Walls, to the NYC Clown Festival, and it was a smashing (hehe) success. I baked my first pie (for the eating part of the festivities, not the throwing), and surprisingly it actually turned out really well. It was a fruits of the forest pie (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, rubarb, and apple; my personal favorite), and the top crust had a face cut out of it with bottle caps. (Pictures to come.) It is so rare that I have an undertaking that turns out exactly how I picture it in my head. This one did, and it was super satisfying. I was talking to mom as I baked it and told her that it incorporated all the things she'd ever taught me. How to follow directions. Being patient, and persistent. Being hopeful. Believing in myself. Being creative and silly and sharing with others without reservation. I unfortunately got a little lost on the way there, but ended up there in time to help with some of the last minute set up and be photographer for the event (my camera is broken, so I had to use Sarah's camera. Now I've got to get copies of those pics from her! Ahhhhh, I just need to suck it up and buy a new camera). 

Sunday night, despite a driving and chilly rain, Anna, her man Bryan, Avery and I went to the Avett Brothers concert at the Zoo. Anna had scored free tickets from one of her contacts at Wend (the magazine where she works) and we were the lucky benefactors of her generosity. It was a great show, and I had surprisingly existential reflections on it. You see the Avett Brothers are from North Carolina, and for all of my running to get away from the South, it really is my home. And sometimes I miss it. And I might (probably) move back someday, and that's okay. I think it's a really important difference though that if/when I ever move back it would be a conscious choice, not just the easy choice. Moving away has been really important to know that I could. And I love living in Portland (LOVE), and as much as I feel at home here, I don't know if it will ever be my home. 

This past week was my second as a professional puppeteer. Our schedule is roughly to rehearse from 9-2, hour lunch, then workshop of some sort from 3-5. I was driving for about the first week and a half, and then Tuesday driving home in traffic, I remembered how much I hate driving. So Wednesday I started biking. It took me about three days to find a good route (thanks Amy!), but now that I have it's great! I'm getting exercise, and happy chemicals in my brain, and it's absolutely the best way to wake up in the morning. I keep joking that with 5 hours of puppet rehearsals and an hour of biking everyday, I'm going to start looking like a monkey (strong arms and legs with a little belly). I've actually started having to do some pilates at home because if I don't strengthen my core, I could really hurt my back from the puppetry. Speaking of, Thursday of the first week we actually started working through all the blocking with the puppets, and last Wednesday we actually had a run through! (minus the shadow puppets). Phew! I can't believe we're moving so fast! Since Wednesday we have added in all the shadow puppet scenes, light, and sound cues. This leaves us a good three weeks to just work through every little piece of the show (which we started doing on Friday). I am totally exhausted when I get home from work, but really happy. 

Lastly, Avery and I are finally learning how to balance together time and apart time. This, I think is a super-important part of any relationship, and I'm so glad that we can communicate about what we need so easily. So, this week we didn't see each other until Thursday (and had a lovely date night including him seeing my work, dinner, beer, Last Thursday on Alberta, and bike riding), which has given me time to pursue all the little projects around the house I've been meaning to get to for Forever. For instance, organizing the office nook upstairs. We have this lovely little nook upstairs, and when Sarah was working from home she built a desk in the closet-ish space. I since inherited lots of office stuff from LJ's big move and finally organized it into a workable space. I have decided to no more have my computer in my room and ONLY use it in the office. I think this delegation of space will be good for my time management skills as well as self-control. (i.e. being able to actually turn the computer off). Then, yesterday, I completed project of projects that has been hanging over my head since I moved back to this house in late June: hanging curtains. The best part of my room is the windows. I have three big windows on the front of the house that are just lovely. Unfortunately, they are also situated in such a way that if I have my blinds open, I am right on sight level for the sidewalk or street when I am laying on my bed. Not exactly private. Then, Friday, Anna had the wonderful idea to do half curtains for privacy. I got to work yesterday morning, and the result is amazing! I can have my blinds open, and still have privacy, not to mention they're beautiful and make my entire room feel bigger and just gosh darn prettier. Again, pictures to com when I can get my hands on a camera...

Phew, the downside of me updating this thing irregularly is longer posts, but I figure those who really care can shuffle through. I'm having a fantastic Labor Day weekend at home. I had planned to be away, but since my travels are starting SOON, I could think of no better way to relax than in my own home. Love to all!

alright, alright, I'll update already.

The PlayWrite workshop was a smashing success. I'm still learning how to be a good coach, but it is a life changing experience every time. It is amazing how kids who are systematically marginalized, can be such eager and expressive artists. Also, Avery got to come to the performance, which I was really excited about. 

A couple of weekends ago, I got to go camping with Avery and his tribe of folks he's grown up with (like his allofus on steroids). They've all gone camping in Steamboat (Oregon, not Colorado) for the past 25 years (read: before Avery was even in the picture). It was beautiful, very relaxing, and a good bit of fun. It was very special to be able to share in a place and with people that mean so much to him. 

I started Tears of Joy on Monday and am still having to pinch myself to believe that I'm actually getting paid to do this. We've been rehearsing and getting oriented which entails such hard work as hearing stories about the company sleuthing out stolen puppets and hotwired vans as well as playing theater games and making sure we know how to drive a cargo van. The only thing that feels like actual work at this point is that it is physically demanding. Our show is pretty traditional stick and rod puppetry. The puppets are pretty big (5-10 lbs a piece) and will have to be held over our heads the entire show. I'm starting my conditioning doing what I call puppet reps. I'll hold the puppets up for intervals of 1 minute at a time. Phew. It is HARD. But, if that's the only thing I have to complain about, my life is pretty good.

I threw Laura Jean and Dave a farewell dinner party at my house Tuesday night. It was  one of those days where nothing was really going right (I got out of work late, Avery had a minor bike accident), but with my roommate's help (Anna and Elsie were rock stars!) as well as some sous-chefing from Avery, I pulled it off without a hitch. In attendance were the illustrious LJ and Dave, Laura Jean's rommie Carole, Goose and Amy, and Don Miller even stopped in in time for dessert. All in all it was a lovely evening. 

busy being happy

Yeah. It's that good.

Got my script in the mail for The Shoemaker and The Elves. It's super funny and I can't wait to get my hands on some puppets. Also, found my touring partner online (ah the wonders of facebook), and we met for coffee today. He's been doing this for a year so was able to answer a lot of my logistical questions. I don't think we're going to be the bestest of buds, but I do think that we will work well together. 

In other news, I'm very much enjoying a little mini-vacation before my last two weeks of work at the clinic. My bosses went to visit family in California, so I get 6 days off in a row. I keep being surprised about how when you're on vacation, everyday feels like Friday (my Saturday, since I only work a four day week right now). It's pretty flippin' sweet. 

I celebrated my week anniversary of being back in the cute-ness of my new (old) house again. Love everything about it, but especially my kick-ass roomies and beautiful and super-private patio. Only minor catastrophe in moving was that I dented the (brand-new, seriously less than 400 miles on it ) Uhaul van. Let's just say it was a very expensive mistake and will never again opt out of the $10 insurance. 

Independence day was celebrated with waffles and hiking with Avery, LJ + Dave. Avery had never been to Forrest Park, so it was lots of fun to share one of my favorite Portland places with my new favorite Portland person. (sly how I just slipped that in, eah?) Yes, his name is Avery and over the last four weeks, I've fallen for him in every way possible. The cool thing is that he has too (for me of all people), and we have ridiculous adventures. 

Needless to say, I am all kinds of happy. Happy enough to say things like "shucks" without a trace of irony. 

superawesomeamazingness

I could, quite possibly, be having the best week ever. So good, in fact that I've had no time to write about it. 

First, I got the puppet job. I'll be touring 'The Shoemaker and The Elves" at elementary schools in Washington state from September through May. This means a) I'll be doing my dream job. b) I'll get to spend almost every weekend home. c) I am going to be freaking buff because the entire show will be performed with my hands in the air (over my head, apparently). If you couldn't tell, I'm really really excited about this.

Secondly, PlayWrite has been amazing. The students, the process, the other coaches; what an incredible learning experience. There's something so extremely powerful about listening and giving voice to these kids, who people usually actively ignore. We've all done it right? Just ignore the the bum on the sidewalk, and pretend he's not there so we don't have to deal. PlayWrite does just the opposite. We're actively asking questions, listening, hearing these people. It was transformative. Today professional actors performed the scripts in front of a live audience. To see the look on Charlie's face as the actors realized his characters was nothing short of awesome, in the truest sense of the word. They've invited me to come back for more workshops and I can't wait. 

And, it's just a month until I'm back in SE with the lovely ladies of 44th Ave. Also, terribly exciting. Yay, for being in a whole house that I feel comfortable in, not just my room. Although these hallowed orange walls will be missed, I'm really looking forward to afternoon wine with Anna, eggs and toast with Sarah C., and consuming as much of Elsie's banana bread as possible. Anyone else notice that all of those references were food-related? Anyone surprised? I thought not. 

big wet portland kisses to all!

everywhere at once.

I don't know if it's just the weather, but I've been missing Athens for a couple of weeks. It's not overwhelming and it's not constant, but every couple of days I feel a little longing for the classic city. But the more I think about it, I realize that as much as I miss a Taco Stand burrito (tofu, extra hot, with onions and peppers) or a boot of PBR at 283, or zucchini bread from ERC, (god, all food references, surprised anyone?) what I miss about all those places isn't the places themselves. It's getting Taco Stand as a reprieve from a rainy bike ride with Nina, or sitting outside on the patio of 283 with Matt, Megan Louise, and Lauren,  it's sharing a pot of tea with Helen at ERC and splurging for the zucchini bread. I miss the community I had in Athens, the places are just context. I was talking to Lauren this week and telling her about how much I miss Athens, but admitted that if I were there I'd probably be wondering what life would be like living in a place like Portland. 

And the thing is, my life is pretty great here. I'm building my community and chasing my dreams. Yeah, I'm broke, but how would I appreciate some day making $1,300 a month without making only $784 a month first? I had my audition with Tears of Joy on Wednesday and it went swimmingly. If I get that gig, I'd be touring elementary schools for 9 months from mid-August to mid-May, with periodic stops at home (never more than a month on the road). Which basically means that I'd be doing my dream job. Also, I'm moving back to SE (of Portland, not the country) with the lovely ladies of 1023 SE 44th Ave. Audrey is moving out (no drama, she just wants her own place), and they asked me to move back in. Although my orange room has been quite delightful, the rest of the house and living situation haven't quite lived up to my expectations. (Have I mentioned that my room-mates started dating each other a month after I moved in?) 

And although it's only 60 degrees outside, there's a bit of sunshine falling through my window, and for now, that's enough. 

p.s. be sure to scroll down and check out pictures from Running into Walls!