Things I did on my vacation (last week):

Played frisbee in Ojai on Easter Sunday with various excellent friends (one of whom did not show up like a complete douchebag even though we never see him and he had 2 weeks notice). Then went and got homemade ice cream before going back home for Easter dinner.

Cleaned out my gradparents storage shed. Ended up with some of my grandma's china and silver, an awesome pendulum clock, and a pencil drawing of my mom when she was 10.

Hung out with various members of the extended family, some of whom I hadn't seen for six or so years.

Hung out a lot with Cj's family, lovely as always.

Went to Disneyland and got silhouette portraits done, pictures will come when I am not insane, whenever that might be. Forgot how "without resolution" end of the Snow White's Adventure ride is.

Went out with both current and future sisters and got bridesmaid dresses. Also bought possibly the shortest skirt I have ever owned. (picstocome)

Worked on the quilt a bit before I remembered everything I had to do.

Hung out on a boat with the parents of the Lovely Miss Allison Whom I Hung Out With Much In High School, and ate a ton of her Mom's scrumptious apple crisp.

Finished my grant application. Oh yeah, I'm doing one of those. Won't know whether or not I get it until July 21st. I'm applying for it in the event that I don't get in to CalArts (see below), as it will allow me to work at a company without them having to pay me out of their own pocket.

Drove back to Ojai to visit with Cj's grandpa.

Drove home, then checked the mail.

Got waitlisted at CalArts.

They'll let me know somewhere around June 1st if a spot opens up. Yyyeeearrrrgh.

SO,

Drove over the hill to drop off my portion of the grant application, then drove back and got a sad, sick little Cj some dinner, nyquil, and orange juice.

By the way, Cj got a tattoo. And it's really cool.



p.s. I've retired my old icon of cate for one much more suitable.

I sent UCSD the following email last night after completing my Brown Application, and got the following one in return.

( Emails I sent to clarify )

I'm sending the rest of my app in anyway. Apparently they fudge the deadlines a lot of the time for qualified applicants. It doesn't do anything good for my chances, though. Thank god I got started early, or I would be so screwed right now.

8 AM

Got up for a production meeting 1 1/2 hours away but which was scheduled for 11:00 (because it was raining and we all know how people drive in the rain). I also was able to get gas and Starbucks.

10:45 AM

Met Stage Manager in rehearsal room so she could show me the way to the main offices.

10:50 AM

Stood outside looking silly for a few moments while Stage Manager ran back inside to get something. A schoolmate (who now works at the same company I do) kindly offered me a ride over to the offices after they dropped something off. I accepted, then called out "Nevermind!" and ditched ride because Stage Manager came back outside.

11:00 AM

Got to offices and realized Ride might not have heard "Nevermind." Called them on the phone and apologized.

11:05 AM - 1:00 PM

Production meeting.

1:00 - 2:00 PM

Lunch break. Ate sandwich from Starbucks.

2:00 - 6:00 PM

Rehearsal (Table Reading)

6:00 - 6:45 PM

Frantically drove to a 6:30 call at show I'm running projections for, a half hour away. Notice I was late. I'm also missing the evening rehearsal.

6:45 - 7:00 PM

Did half hour's worth of prep in 15 minutes. Luckily my awesome ASM booted up all the computers for me, or I never would have made it.

Curtain up at 7:30.



X_X

This is my dead face. See? I still have to drive home after the show, but at least it's a slightly earlier curtain.

God, I can't wait for this week to be over.

It's so nice having my days free now that the show's opened. I get to take a long bath, read a magazine, take care of bills and errands, eat two-three meals with my honey... even go to the salon. Yes, that's right folks, I'm pampering myself. Got my eyebrows done today and I'm going to get my first haircut since this summer on Friday. Any suggestions? I don't know what to do with myself now that my hair's longer than my shoulders.

Oh, I forgot that I get to SEE THE SUN. Important after being in a dark theater for 10 hours a day for the past two weeks. Yes.

Cj's been throwing up all night. I wonder if what I had a couple weeks ago wasn't food poisoning, but some sort of 24 hour flu bug, because he's following the exact same pattern that I did. :( Poor baby.

Today I'm going to go in early to the theater with my carpool and work on the quilt I started forever ago before I have to start prepping for the show. I really want to finish piecing it so I can get to the quilting part already, which I know is going to take forever on it's own.

Before I leave for work I might run to the store and get some 7 up for my baby. I feel terrible not being able to do anything for him.

This is what I still need to do:

read the play for Uwash,(DUE TOMORROW!!!)
write the directorial analysis,(DUE TOMORROW!!!)
print out another damn portfolio for Uwash (DUE TOMORROW!!!)
fill out Uwash online app
fill out Uwash directing supplement
Fill out 4 other applications (Yale, Brown, SL, UCSD)
Write supplemental essay for Brown
Print out portfolios/Make 4 more DVDs
Print out 4 Below/The Mole scenario
Pay 4 application fees
Check on which transcripts still need to go out


All of this while working 7 days a week.

I'm wasting time!!!! I SHOULD BE WORKING

Oh my god.



I never told ANYONE about this idea, but someone totally stole it.

*edit* Also:



Wooooo!

Mine? No, sadly not. But still an amazing spectacle, the Plaza Hotel in New York celebrating it's 100th birthday.

I stayed up far too late last night working on my statement of purpose for grad school - I have the middle and the end done, which is a typical problem for me. I always start it off with some wacky statement, then come back later and have to delete it and rewrite the opening. The beginning is always the hardest part.

My first graduate school due date is on November 30th - my birthday. Here's to moving forward.

Dad's home now, and besides looking a bit worn and tired he's doing fine. They put a stint in one of his bile ducts to keep it open, which they're going to have to take out later (but it's not a big procedure). I'm just glad he's back and doing okay.

I spent yesterday filing scripts and doing some data entry, and I got a call today from a cute little bookstore in my area that might want me as a part-time worker, so that's good. Today I'm going to try to clean up and get organized, then work on some of the sewing projects I've been putting off. <3

So Kacey came and went, and we did fun things like going to a winery, playing miniature golf, and seeing Flogging Molly (which rocked). I might go down and visit her in a while to get a look at CalArts and see the show she's working on, but that's a ways off yet.

I had a meeting today with Anais Mitchell to chat about theater (specifically the musical kind). I saw her open for Ani Difranco a little ways back and she had mentioned she's working on a folk opera called "Hadestown". I really liked the song she played so I contacted her manager to see if she was looking for somebody to write the book. She said she had already gotten to the point that it'd be odd to have someone new come in, but that we should get together anyway and see what's what.It was a nice meeting - it's always fun to talk about theater with people - and even though there's nothing immediate coming out of it you never know what'll happen in the future.

She's great, by the way. You should buy her album.

I really need to start working on MFA apps, though. Time keeps ticking by.

Awkward, awkward, awkward. I am an awkward turtle.

Sigh. I didn't do anything in particular, I just felt strange all day long.

Imogen (other directing intern) bought a tanning package so that when she goes back to England people won't make fun of her for not getting tan in California, and I gave her a ride down there today during one of our breaks so she let me have one of her 'stars' to use a bed. So I was in my first tanning bed ever today for 8 minutes and afterwards I felt AMAZING. I dunno, maybe I just needed some UV rays, or to sweat something out. Hm.

When I came home Cj said I smelled different. Like victory? [Quagmire-esque OH!]

I'm tired.

Oh, and my favorite 'Fight Club' quote: "WHOA! WHOA! You are shooting a gun, at your imaginary friend, near 400 GALLONS OF NITRO GLYCERINE!!!

<--- This is my mysterious icon.

I feel so french. I had cheese and bread for lunch, and now I'm sitting after a long artsy day with a glass of wine.

You know, I'm not doing much in rehearsal, but for some reason it's extremely draining to sit in one place for 8 hours. Eh.

Today Cj dropped me off downtown at the beach to meet some of the other interns on our day off, but when I got there they told me we were going to another beach about 40 minutes north. We got there and it was gorgeous - all craggy rocks and sea and sky, down from the road in this little cove. Only one odd thing - turns out it was one of the "clothing optional" beaches in the area. Hmm. Ever noticed that nudists, for the most part, tend to be a supremely unnatractive bunch? Ah well. When we walked (aka tumbled) down the path from the road, we saw that half the company was sitting out there chillin in the sun. I jumped in the water, laid out on the beach, and climbed up on this little rock promontory right in the front center of the beach with one of the directors, who was playing the mandolin. Supremely relaxing. Only downside - too windy for frisbee.

The plan was to hang out at the beach for a while, head back into town, and see a movie (oh yeah, did I mention that? The free movie passes? :). But when we got back up to campus, everyone was pretty wiped. I considered going to see a movie by myself (or with other friends that wanted to) but then Cj called and told me he was done with his training thing and was going to be back in an hour. So we scrapped that. I ended up just hanging out with the adorable British directing intern at her apartment until Cj showed up. Then we got home and Cj bleached and dyed my hair (cause he loves me).

Also my dog stole a watermelon rind off Cj's plate about 5 minutes ago, and then wouldn't give it back. XD

Soooo yeah. Great start to my internship.

The meeting that I wrote down in my planner for 3:00 (which was what it said on the calendar) apparently started at 1 instead. I'm not the only one that did this, though, so that's a bit of a relief, and the woman in the office said that since I went to school here I really didn't miss all that much.

I did want to meet the other interns, though. :( Sadness.

This is the lovely fruit tart that theoni brought over for me last night to celebrate my successful driving test. I had a piece but gave Cj the kiwi that was on top, then said goodnight to Joe and Leah. About 5 minutes later the roof of my mouth went numb and bumpy, and I started to break out in hives. FUN! Another fruit off the list.

Anyway, in (almost) reverse chronological order, the rest of my weekend -

Earlier on Saturday I hung out at the pool with Cj and maetenshi for about 3 hours, at one point drawing a fake tattoo of Isis onto my friend Christie's back with a sharpie. It turned out really nice, but as I still don't know how to get pictures off of my phone you'll have to wait until I see her again for a picture.

Then I went and saw a show on campus that was using one of my short plays (The Hammer Man or Hammerman, I posted it earlier) as its closing piece, and I have to tell you it was so well directed I got shivers. The whole concept was like a traveling gypsy circus type thing, with a whole lot of fake blood and severed arms and such. And despite being super low-budget, all the elements worked together really well. But honestly the best part [for me] was watching my piece and having the random dog that one of the audience members brought growl at the villain in it, who was carrying a giant red hammer. That dog is genius. Now I have to write a dog into my piece - or at least some growling noises.

On Friday I met with my director for the Tempest, then went and saw a production of the Tempest that was happening at my school (which was excellent - they used acapella in lieu of live music). Afterwards one of the other fifth years (with a big entourage of people following him) grabbed me and said, "Hey, you're coming with us." I just kind of went, "Uhh... Okay!" We went to his car and he explained that we were going to a spa to sit in a jacuzzi and sauna room. So for about an hour on friday I randomly ended up wrapped in a towel sipping tea in a jacuzzi tub.

Then I taught my last two sections (in a row) and showed up at the review section the other TAs and I were supposed to teach, and I was pretty much on my own. One of the other TAs came a bit late, and the other one didn't show up at all (his parents were in town). It was one of the more terrifying experiences in my life, facing a whole room full of students expecting me to tell them everything that was on the test, and having to tell them that they needed to help each other study while I mediated, and not get all the answers from me.

Then I had my final rehearsal/showing for the ballet piece I worked on this quarter. It turned out spectacular, and the professor had almost only good things to say which is always fantastic. One of the dancers from Delizie is a photo student, so he came and took movement and portrait-style shots of the piece. Hopefully by next week I'll have those photos, ones of Hammerman, video of the show I directed in Fall, video of the ballet piece in Ballet Rep, video of Delizie, and a shirt with the logo I designed for the student plays festival. Whew.

Today I have to finish grading, then tomorrow at 8 am I proctor a final, rehearse all day, then have the final showing for my Directing Studio scene at 7 at night. NUTS! But that's just about it for this year.

Did laundry for most of today, then drove over the hill for frisbee, which was fun. Lots of people didn't show up (the Memorial Day), but it actually made the teams more even. Also, after I played a couple of not so great points, one of the professionals was nice enough to point out a couple of flaws in my game, and it totally helped. I played much better for the rest of the evening. Then we got jamba juice went over to ninjafuzz's house and played guitar hero until 11 at night.

Ah, frisbee - my escape from everything else.

On another note, my hair's getting long again, which leads to the inevitable dark roots phenomenon. I'm thinkin it's time to get a haircut, if only to work the pink dye into my hair a little bit better.

Got to go to bed. Rehearsal tomorrow.

Ahhhh the show is over!!!! Thank god! Turned out nice.

Now I'm gonna go take a bath and relaxxxx.

Why did I wake up so early this morning?????!????? I don't have to be anywhere until 2:30pm!

Yesterday I had to stage this Italian Futurist play in Directing Studio:



( This is how it turned out. )

They all breathed out in unison at the end for the "mouths of fire" part. Not quite as interesting as the picture, but gimme a break, I had a half hour's rehearsal and a bunch of crap from my closet (including a tablecloth, a camping lantern, and some old fabric from the Cabaret set).

Everyone in my scene decided it would be easier if we were all in eachother's scenes, so there ended up being a lot of 3 and 4-girl scenes, one of which ended with me walking counterclockwise in a circle, looking at my hands and screaming, then whispering "oily palms" to myself in a really freaked out way. Hooray for theater! >_