Friday, August 31, 2007

one week down...

We're back, we're chugging along and all is going well. So far I am loving my students, then again it's only been two days.

My classes are not so big (pretty sad when you consider under 40 not so big). I have a really big Theatre 1 class and 22 in Advanced Theatre. That is the biggest that class has been since I came to this school 4 years ago. I guess the program is growing a bit.

I have picked up a new class with the ROP program. I am teaching Theatre Tech. It is going to be so much fun.

Productions lined up so far include A Midsummer Night's Dream for the school's fall production.
Then in my Advanced class the kids will be directing one-acts while I direct The Suessifcation of Romeo and Juliet with the. That will be my modeling show for how to direct a play. After that there has been a request for a murder mystery play by the advanced students.

And here is the big news...I told the VD that I won't be working on the musical this year. I am done working with him (I didn't tell him that part). I told him it was just too much stress and I want to take care of my health this year. He seemed to understand, didn't seem upset and said he doesn't know if he's going to do one or not. Should be interesting. The Drama kids have started telling me that if I'm not doing it, they aren't doing it. I will be directing a spring play instead.

My new lighting and sound system come in starting next week. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself. Imagine doing a play with real audio, cool lighting and all kinds of fun stuff. The kids are walking on air about this.

This is going to be an awesome year. One full of positive thinking and postive happenings. I REFUSE to let anything get me down this year. I know I said that last year and actually did pretty well until we hit the musical. This year there is nothing standing in my way.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Yosemite

Although I have lived in California my entire life and my family camped for our vacations while growing up I had NEVER been to Yosemite. In fact, I'm note sure I had ever been mountain camping. We usually camped near water, lakes, rivers, beach, that type of stuff.

M on the other hand grew up going to Yosemite. It's his favorite place to go. So, that is where we spent our first vacation as a married couple.

If you have never been, get online and book a trip! It is a most amazing place.











This is the first view you get of Half Dome as you start to enter the valley. You can actually hike to the top of it. We didn't. Niether one of us is in that kind of shape. But I plan on doing it before it die. Apparently it's only 16 miles round trip, the problem comes into the nature of the trip. It's up hill, or mountain I should say, and the last bit, in which you actually climb the dome is done with pull ropes. We talked to people who did it and it sounds SO cool. That is my next big goal.






Bridalvail falls. We actually climbed in to this area. There is a vista point and from there you can climb boulders to get closer to the falls. I am so glad I did that. It was beautiful. I didn't go as far as M and the kids did. I'm a wimp like that. I had never been bouldering before. M was just happy I did it.

I got to see a bear! This was the best! There were only a couple of things I really wanted to do in Yosemite and one of them was to raft the river. Well, the river was down by the time we went so the rafting was closed. Getting to see a bear completely made up for that. She was in an apple tree in the Curry Village parking lot. Apparently she had been hanging out there all day. I watched her for about an hour. And took tons of pictures. I won't bore you will all of them. Just the one. (Unless you want more, I would be more than happy to share) I was probably only 30-40 feet away from her. The rangers did a good job keeping people a safe distance away while letting us get close enough to get some good pictures and really enjoy the actual wildlife in the park.

I also saw lots of deer and tons and tons fo squirels.

Our closest encounter with wildlife happened our second night in the park. M and I were in our cabin, M had been up late reading the final Harry Potter book. It was hot so we had left the door open until about 12:30. After M finally went to bed, door shut and everything, we hear this scratching noise. I sit up bolt straight in bed, he jumps up and turns on the light, the noise stops. Neither one of us has any idea what it might be. We did know that squirels had been trying to enter our cabin during the day when we were in there with the door open. We thought maybe one got stuck, but couldn't find it.

We turn off the light and try to go back to sleep. A few minutes later we hear the scratching again. Same thing, he turns on the light, I sit up and the noise stops. By this point I say "I'm scared" and he replys with "So am I". (that's my big strong man for you)

We turn off the light and I stay sitting up. I'm going to figure out what this monster that is stalking us really is. I listen intently, finally the scratching starts again. He turns on the light, I carefully get out of bed as to not upset the thing that seems to be scratching in the trashcan. I slowly move the can by the door, poke it with my shoe and look around like the thing could have gotten out of the can without me seeing it.

I wander around the room for a few minutes. Then take the bag out of the can, maybe the monster will be traped in the bag. I open the door to put it outside, bears be damned I wasn't walking to a trashcan with a monster in my hand, when I catch a glint in the can itself. I look closer and find a little, bitty field mouse. Some how this little guy had gotten in the trashcan, under the bag and was stuck. I put the can outside the door, tipped it over and the little guy ran for his life.

Man, we felt pretty silly about it the next day. But damn it, It could have been a bear in the cabin! Well, it could have been!




Monday, August 06, 2007

just a vent...

The weekend of my wedding I found out that my dad and his wife are splitting up. Actually I didn't find out the weekend of the wedding, I actually found out a few days after. But it all really came down right before the wedding.

My dad hasn't actually talked to me about it. My sister's husband told me what was going on. Apparently my dad has engaged in a bit of an indiscretion, to put it nicely. Pretty much the same thing he did before he left my mom. C (his wife) has told him he has to be the one to tell me and my sisters and apparently I am the only one he hasn't talked to.

He called me today to try to set up a time to come and talk to me and M about what is going on. He knows that I know bits and pieces, but not the whole story.

I am avoiding the call back for the time being. I just don't know what to say to him. I really like C and plan on keeping her in my life. In fact I like her much more than I like my dad, especially after this stunt. I know that people make mistakes, that they screw up, they make poor choices, I've done it. But to continue down the same path again and again, it just doesn't make sense.

Friday, August 03, 2007

coming to an end...

Summer is quickly coming to an end. I can't believe I go back to school in just a few weeks. I am so not ready (am I ever?).

There is so much I want to get done before that first staff day but don't think it's going to happen. This summer has just been crazy busy. With the wedding, Yosemite (pictures to come later), a trip to Oregon in a couple of weeks and then on to Colorado to see my new niece.

Thank you to those of you who wished me luck on the auditions. I ended up not going. I decided that I was just too busy. Not to metion none of the shows sounded like much fun to me. I will continue to watch the audition notices for something that sounds like fun and tackle that later.