Secrets, secrets everywhere

I'm feeling full of secrets today. Granted, several of the things I know are known to others, but they're only known to select others, and not all of these others know all of the things that I know. Of course, if you ask, I don't know anything. Confused? Try being in my head!

That being said, I had dinner tonight with a friend who promised to sue if I ever use any of the things he told me in any of my novels... which is too bad, because there were some cool nuggets of story in there. But I won't.

That, however, got me thinking back to the first novel I wrote. Wow. Talk about self-insertion! I didn't even TRY to disguise it! I went back a few months ago, thinking I could edit it into something more presentable. I can't. The whole thing will have to just be thrown away. I could probably keep one of the characters' names. That's about it. The idea wasn't bad, but the execution... ugh.

Live and learn, I suppose. We'll see how the critique of my latest piece turns out. I may just stop writing. Well, no, I wouldn't do that. But I might stop showing it to anyone.

I made this!

I've made a bunch of stuff this week, and I want to show it off! Check it out:

Socks for my sister

Cards!

And just so you know, I am still writing. I've actually put together another blog for all of my "Take Five" stuff, because I was getting tired of having to fish it out of everything here. I'll still be putting up stories, but I think "Take Five" will just have its own place. Of course, that means that some days, when I don't feel like doing a whole lot, you may just get shuffled over there... But that's okay. The point is for me to write every day. It just might be in another place.

Bats?

I think I saw bats outside. It certainly didn't look like a bird... it was just after dusk, and the thing kept flying in circles. It was moving really quickly, but not very high up. It wasn't chirping or anything, although I suppose birds don't always chirp as they fly around.

It didn't fly like a bird, though. It seemed less graceful, more frenetic. I tried to strain and see if the wings looked like they were covered in feathers, or if they had that more transparent quality, but, well, it was after dusk and the thing wouldn't stay still!

I googled Georgia bats, and it seems that there are a lot of species that can be found here, so it's entirely possible. Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) are common, and according to the stats that I found, they're about the right size for the critters I saw.

So I may have seen a real, live bat. Another first! Did I mention that I saw my first real, live lightning bug here? And unintentionally killed one on my bathroom door? (Loved the glowy guts!)

Take Five (Part 21)

"Are you Laura?"

Laura turned around as she heard her name, and found herself face-to-chest with a young man who towered over her.

"I am," she replied, looking up to see a pair of big brown eyes. "And you are?"

"Miles. Miles McCallum. Mr. Jarvis told me that I should come and find you. He said that you'd be the best one to help me out today." The young man smiled down at her, and Laura couldn't help but smile back.

"Did he happen to mention how I can help you out today, Miles?" she asked, wondering why her brother had sent this man her way.

"I've been hired as Mr. Herrington's assistant, and Mr. Jarvis said that, since you've been working with Ms. Cornish so well, you'd be the best one to tell me what to do." Miles smiled again, and Laura felt herself blush slightly.

"Well, I can tell you what works for Sophia, but Blake's another animal entirely... Oh, but don't ever call them by their first names unless they ask you to," she added.

"No first names," Miles repeated, pulling a small notepad from his pocket and making a note. "Got it."

Laura grinned. He was cute, although he was probably at an age where 'cute' didn't seem like a compliment. "Did Mr. Jarvis say anything else?"

"He told me to shadow you today, and then report to him tomorrow morning so he can decide what to do next. He seems to have a lot of faith in you."

"Like he said, I've been working with Sophia for a while... longer than any of her other assistants. She's not here yet, but you'll see why that's a big deal, trust me." Laura sighed, trying not to picture Sophia's face when she saw that there was another person following her around. For such a diva, Sophia didn't like the whole entourage thing. "Anyways, I've got to get started, so you might as well come along and start learning."

Laura started by heading over to Sophia's trailer and unlocking it. "She likes it unlocked while she's on set, but we have to keep it locked overnight," she explained, crossing the room to the air conditioning panel. "She likes the temperature at 76 degrees, so I get it turned on before she gets here. I did most of the clean-up last night before I went home, so there's not too much to do right now, but I try to get everything set up so that all Sophia - Ms. Cornish - has to do is come in and sit down. The guys out at the gate usually call me when she shows up, so I've got time to call Anna, the make-up artist. She'll be here when Sophia shows up."

"Is it okay for you to call her Sophia?" Miles asked, watching as Laura moved around the small space, setting out various brushes and bottles, checking the fridge and smoothing the tableclothes.

"Never," Laura said with a laugh. "Not to her face. But I figure if the tabloids can call her Sophia when she's not around, so can I. She's one of the more... distant artists on this project. Mr. Jarvis is busy, but friendly, and Mr. Herrington... well... you'll get to know him."

"I'm starting to wonder if I want to," Miles said, a frown creasing his brow. "Between the way Mr. Jarvis was talking and the way you're talking... is he really horrible to work for?"

"I don't think so," Laura said, pausing. "I mean, I don't work for him directly. He's just... well, I'm a woman, so I've got an extra set of problems where he's involved."

"Ahhh..." Miles nodded. "So that's why the ad asked for a man."

"Exactly," Laura grinned. A sharp beep from her cell phone interrupted, and she answered before it could beep a second time. "Yes? Okay, thanks." She hit a button to dial another number, then looked up at Miles. "Here we go. Follow me... Anna? She's here."

Laura led Miles over to the coffee bar and cleared her throat to get the girl to pay attention. "Yes, I know he's new, but I need Ms. Cornish's coffee," Laura said, her tone a little too sweet.

"Yes, ma'am," the coffee girl said, smiling widely at Miles. As she turned to make the drink, Laura looked over at Miles.

"You probably don't want to get involved with her - she's one of the ones sleeping with your new boss."

"Oh." Miles glanced over at the coffee girl again, unsure of what to say.

"Here you are," the girl said, passing the cup to Laura but smiling up at Miles. "Have a wonderful day."

"You, too," Miles replied before hurrying to catch up with Laura. "That was awkward."

"That's showbusiness," Laura said, shaking her head. As they reached Sophia's trailer, Laura motioned for Miles to wait outside. She stepped in and sighed with relief to see that Anna was already there, waiting. Setting the coffee down on a coaster, Laura hugged her cousin briefly. "It's going to be an interesting day," she said.

Anna laughed. "I heard - Ricky told me about the new boy. Have fun with that."

Laura shook her head. "We know how much Sophia loves change... keep your fingers crossed that she doesn't tell them to cut off my head today!" Flashing one last, almost desperate smile, Laura hurried back outside, ready to open the door for the actress.

Sophia arrived moments later, and Laura opened the trailer door as the actress stepped out of her car. "Good morning, Ms. Cornish."

"Mm. Who's that?"

"Miles, Ms. Cornish. He'll be Mr. Herrington's assistant, but he'll be learning from me today," Laura explained.

"Hm. Don't let him get in our way," Sophia said as she stepped inside. Laura closed the door behind her and turned to Miles, giving him a small smile.

"Well, that wasn't too bad."

Miles just looked at her, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.

I need a name!

If you've read the Take Five series, you've probably figured out that I'll be bringing in a new character. Problem is, he won't take a name!

You can't write about a character without a name. People end up calling him "Hey, you!" for pages at a time, and it just gets messy.

So I need suggestions. He's going to be a fairly attractive young man in his very early 20's (21, maybe 22 at the oldest). He'll be smart, and funny. He'll be a little on the innocent side, but not so innocent that he can't figure out what Blake's up to.

Help!

Take Five (Part 20)

"Tell me about Blake Herrington," Laura said into the phone, relaxing back against the pillows behind her. She was propped up in bed, trying to wind down after a rather long day.

"Stay away from him," Ricardo replied on the other end of the line, his concern evident in his voice. "He's trouble, Laura."

"Well, yeah, I figured that part out," she replied with a sigh. "He's just been everywhere, Ricky. It seems like, no matter what I'm doing, he's constantly stepping out from behind a building, or through a doorway. I feel like, I don't know... like he's watching me or something."

Ricardo frowned, wishing that he were talking to his sister in person. "I don't like the sounds of that. He acts like that around the coffee girl, too, and it's no secret what he's been doing with her. I don't like this, Laura."

"You think I do?" she asked. "Look, there's got to be something I can do about this. I mean, there's got to be a way that I can ACTUALLY avoid him. I've been trying, but it's not working at all."

Both siblings were silent for a few moments, each pondering the situation.

"What if he had an assistant?" Ricardo asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What if I hired an assistant for him? Someone to do the same sorts of things that you do for Sophia?"

Laura sat up a bit straighter. "But does he need that?"

"Probably not," Ricardo admitted. "But if the assistant is a pretty young thing, he'd be less inclined to spend his time following you around."

"But the pretty young thing would end up the same way as the coffee girl," Laura countered. "Do you know how quickly he'd go through assistants? Faster than Sophia!"

"You're right," Ricardo said with a sigh.

The silence stretched out again, until Laura gasped. "I've got it!"

"What?"

"Give him a handsome young thing!"

"What?" Ricardo's confusion was clear in his voice.

"Give him a male assistant," Laura clarified. "He'll at least slow down Blake's movements... and if I get along with him, he could probably even actively help me!"

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Ricardo admitted. "If nothing else, Sophia might start hitting on the boy, and give Blake a taste of his own medicine. All right, I'll put out an ad in the morning, and we'll get Mr. Herrington an assistant."

"Great!" Laura replied, grinning. She suddenly felt much more relaxed. "Thanks, Ricky. I feel better now."

"Good. Now go to sleep - we've got another big day in the morning."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you, too, kiddo. Good night."

Laura hung up the phone and settled back against her pillows. She closed her eyes, and a few moments later, she was fast asleep, more relaxed than she had felt in days.

Bad idea...

There has been much Dawson's Creek, much Catchphrase, and much alcohol. THat is all. I will post better tomorrow, I promise. A real story.

Tonight, I am no so coherent.

Sorry.

Legal!

Just a quick note to all those who were wondering and waiting along with me - MY VISA GOT APPROVED! The official notice arrived in the mail today, so I don't have to sit around and worry that I might get deported! At least not until this one expires. So, YAY!

I'm off to celebrate now ;)

I feel pretty

And so I'll post a photo!

After weeks upon weeks of dressing all skanky (hey, it was a costume!), I got dressed up to go to the theatre tonight, and it was a lot of fun!

I just don't know what to do with myself!

The first day after a show ends is wonderful! I get to sit at home and do nothing! It's blissful to be able to simply relax after work, instead of hurrying to eat and take the dog out and get to the theatre.

The second day after a show ends is more work. I do the laundry and dishes that have been neglected for the last month. I still enjoy being able to relax, but the novelty has worn off.

The third day after a show ends kinda sucks. I did more laundry, more dishes, cleaned the toilets, reorganized my cd collection, packed two boxes, critiqued a novel, and uploaded photos. And I'm bored. I miss my show buddies. I miss my carpool buddy. I'm lonely. I want to be on the go again!

On the bright side, if this energy level keeps up, I'll have my apartment spotless in no time! And I'll actually finish some projects!

Little things

... can make me very happy.

I spent tonight baking and watching chick flicks. It was awesome. I used to bake a lot - it was a very good form of stress relief. Unfortunately, while I was doing "Chicago," I didn't have time to bake, despite having plenty of stress in need of relief! I can't believe how much better I feel now. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I also have a big ol' pile of cookies (five dozen minus one, to be exact). Even better, though, is that almost all of the cookies (except for the last eleven) are going to be given away, so that I don't backtrack on any of my resolutions for the year!

Speaking of, this seems like a good time to revisit them:

- Blog every day. Check!

- Finish at least two craft projects before I start another one. Umm... almost. But I'm finishing more things, or at least giving up and ripping them out! So the spirit is there, if not the actual exact action.

- Lose 20 lb. Down by 9 so far, which is not bad. Now that the show is done, I can start getting up and exercising again. It was REALLY hard to do when I was out at the theatre until 11 every night.

- Get in better shape. Yup! Not where I want to be yet, but better than I was. It's amazing what a skimpy costume will do to your will power...

- Read more. I've been reading at least a book a month, though I do want to read more. Again, with the show over, I'll have more time to do it.

So I'm not doing too badly! It helps to have achievable goals, too ;)

Over 200!

I have posted 201 consecutive days this year! How awesome is that?

And also - how scary is it that we're already 201 days into this year?? Where did the time go? I remember being a kid, and wondering why it was taking 36 years for it to be summer vacation, and why I was going to be in school for another 417 years before I graduated. And suddenly, I don't have that problem anymore.

I swear, it feels like Christmas vacation was just a few weeks ago, not six months or more. And while that time between 8:20 and 11:40 seems to take forever, as soon as that bit of the day is past, it feels like it's suddenly 5:00 and time to go home, then before I can blink, it's 10:00 and time for bed!

Yeesh. I'm sure it's all a relativity thing - time feels longer when you're younger because you've experienced much less of it - but that doesn't really make me feel better. Can we just slow things down a teensy bit?

The curtain has closed

And I miss the show already.

We had our last performance of "Chicago" today, and it was wonderful. This cast took a long time to gel, but once we did, it was amazing. I've made some good friends, and I've had a great time.

And now it's done, and I'm sad.

Of course, there's always a part of me that's relieved after a show, because it means I can do laundry and wash dishes and... wait... why do I want to do laundry and wash dishes? Can I be in another show now, please?

So cold!

I have been absolutely freezing all day! It's been hot out - 66 degrees in the middle of the night here - but I've been freezing.

I think it's because everyone in the south assumes that you need to run the AC all the time when it gets vaguely warm outside. So I freeze. I wear sweaters and long-sleeved shirts outside in 102 degree weather because it's more comfortable to melt for a few minutes between car/work/mall etc than to freeze all day.

*Sigh*

The most irritating part? Everyone looks at me and says, "But you're from Canada! You're supposed to like the cold."

False eyelashes...

... are the bane of my existence.

And yet, once I've taken them off at the end of a show, I feel naked. What's up with that??

I don't do mornings

And yet, here I am, again. Huh?

This morning-posting thing has really caused all sorts of confusion for my poor brain! First of all, the poor brain isn't entirely functional before 8 or 9 a.m. at the best of times, and definitely not without at least a little bit of caffeine. Second, because my poor brain isn't entirely functional, I have a hard time remembering each night whether or not I actually posted that morning, so I have to come back and check.

So why am I doing it?

Because I'm not a morning person at all, and if I let myself crawl back into bed after letting the dog out, I'll go back to sleep and I'll miss my ride to work. And that would be a bad thing.

But I still want to go back to sleep.

So THAT'S what "HBP" stands for...

I got up this morning (as I tend to do), and decided that, since I was a bit earlier than usual, I would pop onto the computer and check out my Facebook friends and see how everyone's doing.

Apparently, I am one of the only people on the face of the earth who did NOT go see "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" last night. Yikes.

And, although admitting it may get me booed at, I haven't even watched the last one yet. I own it. The DVD is sitting with the other four HP movies on my shelf, waiting to be picked up. It just hasn't called to me yet. I do, however, plan to watch #5 before #6 is available on DVD, so I can buy #6 without feeling guilty.

So if you were one of the millions who saw the movie last night, feel free to rave or rant about it, but don't be surprised when I don't get what you're talking about. It's been years since I read that book. I remember the gist of it, but the details escape me. And just FYI, I don't mind spoilers. (I may be one of the only people around who likes to know how a movie is going to end before I watch it!)

MLT Fun!

Check it out! We're the third clip ("Chicago"), and you can see me briefly! I'm the one behind the bars on the far left in the first shot of "Cell Block Tango"! I can find me a couple other times, but they're not easy to point out. Anyways, yay! It looks cool - this was the first time I'd seen any of the lighting from the front!

Unraveled

Anna slid the knitting needle out of the stitches, watching as the yarn spread out, no longer constrained by her hands. Setting the needle aside, Anna took a deep breath, then pulled on the free end of her yarn. One stitch popped away, then another, and another. Gently, she wrapped the yarn around her fingers and began winding it into a ball.

As she tugged on the yarn, slowly ripping out the stitches, Anna thought about all of the time she had spent - and perhaps wasted - on this failed blanket. Row after row disappeared as the ball grew larger. Anna thought of the first day she had bought the yarn. Her best friend had just announced her pregnancy, and it seemed like a lovely idea to knit her a baby blanket. Somewhere along the way, though, her friend commented on the colours of the nursery, and Anna realized that the blanket wouldn't look right, so she put it away in favour of a new ball of yarn. Months later, a co-worker was pregnant, and Anna picked up the blanket again. The woman quit, though, so there was no baby shower, and Anna put it away once more.

Years later, Anna's life was more than complicated, and she pulled out the knitting, hoping that it might calm her nerves, but she found even knitting couldn't soothe her soul, so she put it away again, hoping that she hadn't left any bad karma attached to a baby item.

Finally, she had decided to clear out all of her old projects, and came across the blanket. Anna really did make an effort to finish it - she found a second ball of yarn, and even started to use it, but she simply had no attachment to the project. It was boring. It was time-consuming. It wasn't anything special. So, in an effort to clear up her clutter, Anna decided to rip it out. Perhaps she'd start again... perhaps she'd use the yarn in another project.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she tucked in the end of the yarn, the ball in her lap and the blanket only a memory. For something she didn't really like, it was awfully sad to give it up.

Smooth move

So I broke myself today.

I twisted my knee during a dance number halfway through the first act. But I still hauled my butt up the stairs at the end of the number, and apparently I faked my way through the second act well enough that almost no one noticed! Hooray for years of dancing through the pain!

But I'll be okay. I've got painkillers, Tensor bandages, ice, and (if necessary) crutches, plus a day to relax before I have to go back to work (and it's the kind of week that I can hobble around on crutches if need be).

So I'll be fine. Don't panic about Facebook statuses and comments. Really!

P.S. Thanks to those of you who've helped me out with the cushy chairs and footrests!

Rule number one

From here til the end
Is I am my own
Best friend!

Okay, enough Chicago quotes... for now...

I feel like my life is revolving around this show, and in some ways, it is. My evenings have been taken up by rehearsals and performances all summer, and I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with myself on Sunday night when I don't have to be at the theater. I've made some new friends, and I've met the girlfriends of some of my new friends' friends (yes, I know that's a complicated connection!), and I like them, so it looks like my network is expanding, which I love. That's really the worst part about a show wrapping up, actually - figuring out who you're still friends with after the show.

In any case, "Chicago" has been a blast for me, and if you haven't seen it yet, you still have a chance! Come on out and support us!

Do I really have to say more?

"I gotta say, you looked so sexy up there!"

Totally made my night! A little creepy, maybe, but still! A girl likes to hear that sort of thing.

Fix anything!

My experience in the theatre has taught me that there is very little backstage that can't be fixed with some combination of the following items:

1. A black Sharpie
2. Medical tape
3. Safety pins
4. Black gaffer tape

If only it was so simple to fix everything in the rest of life!

I don't wanna.

I'm having a hissy-fit feeling day. There are just a lot of things that I don't wanna do today.

I don't wanna go to work.
I don't wanna cake on stage makeup.
I don't wanna buy new tights.
I don't wanna wear fake eyelashes.
I don't wanna listen to a grown man whine.
I don't wanna explain to said grown man that he chose the damn program and should suck it up.
I don't wanna be awake.
I don't wanna go to bed yet.

How's that for whiny?

I'll be better tomorrow, I hope. At the very least, I won't make you wanna scream "I don't wanna read this crap!"

Thanks, Ray!

The rain poured down outside, streaming down the windows, obscuring the view. The old barn almost looked good through the distortion, Carolyn thought, rather than looking like an eyesore. She sat in her window seat, a half-finished afghan in her hands, half knitting, but her attention was not on her project for once. Carolyn was lonely. She had been lonely for quite some time now, but she definitely noticed it recently. There was something about the rain that made it worse. With a sigh, Carolyn forced herself to pay attention to her knitting. For a few minutes, it worked.

Suddenly, a movement outside caught Carolyn's attention. She looked up, but didn't see anything. She shuddered involuntarily as she reclled the last time she had gone out to investigate a mysterious movement in the barn. Carolyn had been less than thrilled to find a very large snake who had made himself at home there. That was the last time she had been in the barn.

Carolyn watched the barn for a moment longer, but saw nothing. She shook her head, deciding that it must have just been a piece of dirt trapped in the water running down the window. She turned her attention back to her knitting, pointedly ignoring any further motion.

A moment later, the doorbell rang and Carolyn started. She wasn't expecting anyone today... quickly, she finished her row. The doorbell rang again, this time accompanied by a knock. Carolyn set down the afghan but kept the now-empty knitting needle in her hand - she did not own a gun, but suddenly wished she did. A knitting needle did little to comfort her when she wasn't expecting anyone to just pop in...

She approached the door cautiously and leaned forward to look through the peephole. Standing in the small pool of light was a man, drenched with rain. Carolyn stared, trying to recognize him. The man turned, and Carolyn gasped, the needle falling from her hand. She fumbled with the lock, finally opening the door wide.

"Jack..."

Jack looked at the woman before him. "I love you, Carolyn," he whispered, stepping inside. He only had to open his arms and Carolyn was there, tears streaming down her face as she melted into his wet embrace.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

**Inspired by a photo by Ray Veen

The More You Know....

Just FYI...

Applying a fresh coat of liquid eyeliner immediately after removing a pair of false eyelashes may seem like a good way to disguise the place where the lashes were, but in actuality, it is a Bad Plan.

Learn from my mistake, friends.

Baxter's crotch is not that funny...

And it sounds so dirty to say... But I keep repeating this to myself, over and over, in the hopes that I will not laugh at his groin...

And because my mother reads my blog, I will explain those comments. I've been in rehearsals for a production of "Chicago." Billy Flynn, the lawyer, is being played by Baxter. In one of the numbers, "All I Care About Is Love," Billy Flynn does a strip-tease style dance. He removes his pants while the girls are in a circle around him. My face is mere inches from Baxter's crotch at this point. And he wears kiss-covered boxers.

The first time he rehearsed in costume, the rest of the song was one hot mess, because all of the girls were laughing too hard to actually sing. I'm hoping that, by repeating the mantra "Baxter's crotch is not that funny," I'll be able to stop laughing at it by the time we open with an audience. Cross your fingers for me.

In vaguely related news, we had two roach assassins attack us during rehearsal tonight. They have been disposed of. Take that, Mordthor!

Celebrate!

Happy 4th of July!

(I don't have a photo album for this one, but I'll bet most of you can just go outside and be entertained by some fireworks tonight!)

Sometimes I don't get it.

I started watching "The DaVinci Code" today. I didn't actually get through the whole thing (I had to leave for rehearsal before it ended). It wasn't a bad movie, but I don't really get all the hype that it had.

I read the book first, and maybe that was the problem. I may not have believed a word of the content (which, in a work of fiction, is not relevant - I did, however, manage to suspend my disbelief), but I enjoyed it. I though it was well-written, and I liked most of the stylistic choices that Dan Brown made. They're not choices I would use, but that's not the style of fiction that I write, so again, it's not really relevant.

I'm feeling iffy about the use of flashbacks in the movie. That's one of the things that I don't like about books that turn into movies - you can use narrative easily to fill in a backstory, but flashbacks (to me, at least) feel like interruptions, and I don't really dig them. However, these were all little snippets, and done with a completely different look, hence the iffiness.

There were some pieces of the book that I enjoyed which didn't make it to the film, which is an inevitable disappointment with the book-to-movie scenario, but I still plan to finish watching the movie tomorrow.

I think this just proved (again) that if I want to watch a movie based on a book, I should watch the movie BEFORE I read the book. Maybe I'll try that with "Angels and Demons" and see how that works out.

Long weekend? I wish!

*Pouts* It's not fair!

((Warning: A hissy fit is coming. Feel free to ignore me.))

Everyone in Canada got Wednesday off for Canada Day, but I had to work because I'm not in Canada right now. Most of the US has Friday off because the 4th is on Saturday, but I have to go to work AND to rehearsal! I want a day off, too!

/end hissy fit

After work tomorrow, but before rehearsal, I think I'll do something about my poor tomato plants. They're all wilty, and I don't know why. I keep them watered... maybe I need to stake them. That's tomorrow's plan - research tomato wiltiness and possible solutions. But if anyone out there knows the solution to tomato wiltiness and wants to save me the time, I've got a TON of other things to do, too!

eh!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Go look at some photos!