Swooooosh!

These past few weeks have been insane. We did a week long residency in York then went straight into tech week. Richard is opened with rave reviews. I really love this show and am so proud of it. I of course got the sickness so tech was extra fun for me! Mike now has it. Baaaad girlfriend. So in my free time... Which is little to none I have started a jewelry business... Sorta. It is called Buttercup Beads I am focusing on bracelets right now. O have a lot of fun making my little creations and I love making things for people. I am a newbie to this but all great etsy sellers started somewhere... Etsy is what I am working up to. Sooo life is full and happy and thanksgiving is right around the corner! So excited to see family.

Love to all!
Xo E

paths

Right now I am deep in thought about my future. I feel like there are so many possibilities out there and I don't want to miss any of them. Ok so I have always kind of had grad school in the back of my head. I feel that when it comes to theatre there is so much more I can learn. And I really want to learn how to TEACH theatre.

Ok so this weekend I had another idea put into my head. What if I get my teaching certificate ASAP? It typically takes 2 years... but there is a fast track program in PA.

So now I feel like my head is in a pickle. I want to teach high school. I don't NEED a masters. BUT if I have a masters I would be more qualified and get paid more. Should I get the teaching certificate NOW... or after my masters?

SO MANY DECISIONS!!!!

AND I never want to stop acting. I want the freedom to act at night or in the summers or on weekends.

it's really very simple.... I want the world I want the WHOLE world!

thoughts in fall

I really do adore fall. I think it reminds me of all the falls my family spent at Garity's Prairie Gardens, the football games, the leaf jumping, the walks down at the lake when it was a little to cold to wear a fall coat yet you wore one anyways, the pumpkins on the front steps, the crunchy leaves walking to school, and the bike rides. Fall makes me miss my family, and always makes me long to be outside.

This week I have been thinking a lot about kids. Kids I know, my future kids. Just kids in general. I watch the news almost everyday here and I am shocked by how run of the mill a murder story is. When Tammy Haas was killed in Yankton it was never NOT in conversation, it was never NOT in the news it was never forgotten or blown over. It was a huge deal. My town had never seen murder, and has seen it maybe 3 times since then, which was the mid 90's. I was raised in a town where if someone was diagnosed with cancer the whole town... all 13,000 came out in MASS to make dinners, bake cookies, pray. Anything and everything. The reason I am thinking about kids is because I don't want to raise kids here. I don't want them to hear that 2 teens were shot in the early morning and that's it..... like this happens all the time so NO BIGGIE. I can't handle that. I can't. I can live here and thrive here, but I am not bringing children into this world. It is so hard to think about. I know that me having kids is DOOOOOWN the road... but I figure the more thought and loving energy I put into it now... the better it will be when the time comes.

Just to once again remind you all of what I dork I am... I am in love with the RealSimple Magazine... dear lord. So good. I mean like did you know that there are like 20 different uses for CD's... put in under a candle to catch the wax, scrape a window... I mean... come on!!! So anyways... there was an article that a woman wrote and at the end she said to put her to sleep at night she goes over things she is thankful for. It puts you to sleep in a good mood and it is a good thing to remember. I have always been a fan of the thankful list. Mike and I used to email each other 5 things we were thankful for everyday. So I will adopt that for here... I will end with 5 things I am thankful for.

1. The mere idea of pumpkin pie, and apple pie make me thankful

2. kitty claw trimmers... her little claws are like razor blades if we let them grow to long

3. stocking hats... homemade

4. a solid 86% in math

5. love. love that calms you down with a simple touch.

xo E

Help!

In the process of moving I have misplaced 3 necklaces that mean a lot to me. Grrrrr I hate this feeling. I am sending good vibes into the universe and praying to the saint of lost things... although I do not know who that is. So please, good vibes and positive karma for Ellie finding her treasures.

Cat Mom

I am a kitty mom, and I am having some problems. I know she is a kitten but I can only take so much hand attacking. And I heard her sneeze twice today.... ug. I really hope she is not sick... I switched her litter to Feline Pine (great btw). I just don't want her sick, and I want Kory to be able to come live here ASAP... I feel bad for the little guy all by himself.

I wish there was a what to expect when you are expecting book for cats.

Everything is painted... the apartment looks awesome. Just get the rest of Mike in here and we can have a get together.

And if ANYONE knows of creative organization techniques let me know... little space, lots of stuff... gotta get creative!

It's all love all love my stupid love

It has been soooo freaking long since I got to update....mostly because of the move. I am 99% moved in and let's just say Mike is working on it. Moving is hard! So much to think about... So much to do... So many people to talk to. Wow. I really have no clue how I am doing it all.... Wait I do... A great support system. I feel like I am drowning sometimes.... No air no help... It gets too much at times no joke. But I have Mike who I have lovingly dubbed my zen master... He talks me off of ledges. I have my mom who is always the voice of reason... And now I have a kitten who is so damn adorable I can't even handle it. I learned a valuable lesson junior year of college... Sleep. The closer to 8 hours you can get the healthier you will be.... Sleep is a biiiiig friend. I guess I am also trying to look forward to small things like couches wireless Internet cookies it's the small things really. But I can tell you this our walls are amazing! Seriously white walls suuuuuck! Mike and I have gotten to be a pretty good painting team. I looooooove the
Living room... Lucky bamboo.... Awwwwwesome!

Ok some random tidbits:
I am always craving sushi
I am having serious haloween costume issues
I want to drink wine on a daily basis
Lady Macbeth gives me a headache
I have rediscovered the slow cooker


It's all love my friends. God provides.... Keep swimming!

2 rooms done!

So I basically moved in last night... I have most of my stuff in and then I went to target to get essentials. So the bathroom is done and I spent a long time painting the dining room... it looks great. Painting is hard. I wish I had some help.... but I have faith it will all get done. So I now think the paint fumes went to my head.... wowza.

AAAAAAND we have a table... no chairs. Just a table! wooooo!

Dakota is fitting in. Although she gets bored at night and starts to meow by the bed so I will lift her up where she then proceeds to attack my face... so she then gets tossed off the bed. Also the TV is on the floor and she likes attacking the screen... AND I found her in my socks and underwear basket... she is insane.

she is attacking my hand as we speak.... ooooooooow

brain is full leave a message

Oh my goodness. So much has happened in the last few days. For starters my room is almost empty, and second Mike and I have a new kitten. No joke. Mike is on this freecycle website and he got a notice on Monday night about a kitten found along the side of a very busy road. It is a little girl and the nice people who found her took her to the vet where we found out she has little worms in her tummy and she has a fungus on her skin, but they got her meds for all of it so she has more meds to get her through it. She is far too young to be away from her mom and now she is very small and very much in need of love. So we feel that we are the right people to give her that love.... so we got her. We are debating a name right now... I like the name Dakota. Since Mike has a cat named Kory who is named after Korea where Mike is from I feel I need to pay respect to my homeland... I think we should call her Koty. Mike thinks this will diminish her femininity...I think she is a cat and will not care. So we have a sick kitty to worry about....

On top if that... this moving thing is tricky. There is so much to set up and do. And GET. We need cable and internet but the twats who had the apartment before us did not pay the bill thus our apartment is red flagged. WHAT?!?! That means we have to drive a copy of the lease and our ID's to the internet cable people's office then it will take 48 hours to "process" and another couple days to get a man out there..... grrrrrrrr. I feel that if you paint the walls for a new tenant you should wipe the slate clean for that as well....grrrr. then set up electric and gas..... sheesh! so much to do!!!!

But I am so excited to finally get settled and have that first evening in our apartment together and finally have our own little space... I cannot WAIT!!!!

ok so back to math homework for me, and memorizing Macbeth, and looking over Richard III, and trying to maintain sanity.... sheesh.

WE GOT IT!

We got the apartment!!! WOOOO! I posted an album on facebook with all the pics we have taken. We are thinking Mike will come to HBG on Thursday to sign his side of the lease and to give them the money and then we get the keys! I already have boxes packed =) Then maybe on Thursday we can buy a bed.... we need one.

YEAH!!!!!!

we gots ourselves a place!

Apartment warming party in the near future =)

a weekend for the books...

This is the kind of weekend I live for! Friday Mike came into town, we got yummy Mexican food, and just enjoyed the company.

Saturday I taught class then sweated my ass off in Little Red Riding Hood, which was so much fun because so many people whom I love were there, and it was fun to perform. Then Mike and I went to Color Me Mine. I LOVE this place. I painted a cookie jar and Mike painted a sugar bowl. Now painting and creativity makes me calm down, and be zen. But Mike on the other hand, plans out every single brush stroke. He ponders over his colors, and he stresses about stencils. It was very funny.... he is SOOOOOOO left brained. We then went to build a bear because Mike's niece Cadence is turning one, so we decided to make her a special bunny, which once again turned into an over thinking fest for Mike.... but we walked away with a cute gift. Then we got all of the makings for some AMAZING homemade pizza's. I recreated the James Dean pizza from Charlie's in Yankton, although we put so much garlic on it I had garlic monsters in my stomach all night.

Then as Mike and I were wonderin around craigslist we came across a listing for a place in Colonial Park.... it looked awesome...with a GREAT deal. So we made an appointment to see it today at noon. We looked at a couple apartments in the complex then we looked at one that was GREAT! Great rent, first month free, they allow cats, a swimming pool, AC, washer/dryer in the apartment, first floor... so we filled out the paperwork. AAAAAAHHHH!!! We might have an apartment by the end of the week! SHUT UP! I am so excited. I know it will be harder for Mike to get to work, and I know he now has a commute and I could not love him more for being willing to drive, and I could not feel more blessed.

I am now planning where all of our stuff will go, and I am planning the first party. It is amazing how life and God works. I was just thinking on Thursday.... what IF the budget gets passed in PA and Gamut CAN hire another actress before I move in November, what then? Then on Friday a budget was passed... the arts council is included.... and we might be rallying.... GO ARTS.... and I am getting this huge dream given to me. I get to live with the guy I love and I get to see his face every single morning... if that isn't a blessing in SPADES... I do not know what is. So now we wait to make sure we pass all the checks the complex runs.

ooooo I am so elated!

Miss Missing

Not a day goes by where I do not miss someone.

I know that the deal with theatre is you love your art, your art gets you up every morning, your art let's you travel and see you places and meet new people. But it also takes you away from those places and those people. I feel like theatre makes you an island. a one person island. It makes you fall in love with it, then it makes you follow it to the ends of earth. It makes you open yourself up and connect yourself to other people. Then these people are pulled other places, THEIR art took them away from you. THEIR art is making them sail off on their own island.

My mom taught me to surround myself with good people, people who make ME better who make MY world brighter. Well I feel like I have collected this amazing group of people and most of them are hundreds of miles away. It stinks. It just really stinks. How am I supposed to form friendships that will turn into the friends who host dinner parties with me, the friends who will see my children grow up, and the friends who will be old and senile with me, the friends who will be by my side on my wedding? How am I supposed to form these lifelong friendships that mean something, when my art, my passion is forcing them away from me. If I had a passion for banking, I could be near ANY of them. But I don't. I have a passion for an art that isn't everywhere.... not in the way I want it to be. It's hard. Do I love my job, my profession enough to say, if these friendships are meant to be they will be?

And then please do not even get me started on family. It tugs at my heart every single day. I wish I could hop in the car and see the face of a family member anytime I wanted to. I wish I had my family there to have dinner with. I wish I could just call my mom up and say "meet you at Panera and 8." I can't do that. But I know I can't accomplish the goals I need and want to accomplish in South Dakota. But that is where my family is.... and here I am. Do I love my art enough to say, my family is my family I don't need to be within driving distance from them?

I love my profession. I do. But I am at a point in my life where this constant ache, and this constant longing and need for the people I love to be around me is not longer something I can push to the side.

so now is when I say, I am going through a quarter life crisis..... seriously.

Etsy Love...

I have this new overwhelming love for a little website called Etsy. I can spend hours browsing through all of the amazing little treasures. Now I consider it a personal victory that I have only bought 2 things. Since I want to buy something every single time I am on the site. PERSONAL VICTORY! If you have not discovered Etsy.... do it.... now. NOW!

I thought I would walk you through some of the latest lessons I have learned... since we as humans should learn from each other... and I learn some pretty interesting ones in my dat to day life.

- People who are walking consider bikes monsters... no joke. I am very careful on my bike... but someone today said very loudly as I rode past, "innocent bystander!" I mean....come ON! Harrisburg is not a bike friendly city, for this my lesson today was Screw Harrisburg, I like my bike.

-I am the proud co-owner of a kitty named Kory. He is Mike's but he is staying with me as we speak so I can have kitty company. Ok so I have learned that this cat is a space invader. no matter what I am doing he is literally 3 inches from my mouth.... thus, another lesson learned is cat hair does not taste good.

-As I write this Glee came on.... I must watch. Lesson 3, I ADORE GLEE!!!!!! AAAAAADORE!

xo

-E

www.etsy.com

Po Po Poker face!

OH Tuesdays:
Unlike 99.9% of the world I have Mondays off, so Tuesdays are my Mondays. Which leads me to believe that ANY day after a day off sucks. So I come to accept the fact that my Tuesdays are strange and hectic.
I have a few confessions to make.
FIRST: I love the show Toddlers and Tiaras. I do, seriously. I know when it's on, and I root for the little dolled up diva's to win... I do. I usually wish the mothers would fall into a pit, but I seem to adore the girls. Maybe because I know that as I kid I would have loved being in pageants. No joke. The glitter, the costumes, the stage... I would have LOVED IT! And with my competitiveness it would have been a fatal combination. But never the less, I more than likely would have been an awesome pageant kid. Mom, you dropped the ball on that one =)
SECOND: I just subscribed to the RealSimple magazine. Now, most of the articles are for mom's or people with homes, but this little magazine gives me hope. Hope that someday I will be able to display these beautiful magazines on a beautiful end table, and I will use the recipes for my own little chipmunks (and by chipmunks I mean kids... not real rodents). My confession is I am becoming an old woman. I even said today... "that Lady Gaga person is so strange, I do not get her." yeah. middle age is creepin up!!!

now that I have those things off of my chest I can get on to some great highs in my little life.
Gamut auditioned for our next big production this weekend, and after a fierce callback, and may I tell you even after HOW MANY CALLBACKS.... I still shake when I step on stage... and I have to mentally calm myself down a TON before I try to read again, it is embarrassing to say the least. ANYWHO.... I am so pumped to have gotten the role of Lady Anne! She has some amazing scenes with Richard and she has such a cool character arch. I am just elated. So thanks to Jeremy for trusting me in this role....!!! I am also LOVING LOOOOOOOVING Lady Macbeth, god this character is fierce (yes, I like that word). I am loving just the simple character work. And I am glad this role came along now and not when I was a college senior... I feel that I am now ready and able to fully take this character on. I feel as if I understand her more and I understand Macbeth more... it just makes me giddy.
AND, Mike and I are in the process of apartment hunting. OK this process is HARD. HAAAAARD. We hope to sign a lease in mid November, and I cannot WAIT! UG, I am so sick of seeing him only on Saturdays and Sundays, and I am sick of packin stuff to see him, and packin up when I leave. I am sick of it. I think that this next step in our relationship is going to be amazing. As a "liberal" and "progressive" kind of gal, I think that living together before we think about marriage is so important. Cause if he thinks I look like an ogre when I wake up and if he believes my cooking is worse that dog food, than I will be glad we co-habitated before the NEXT step. It's a great time, exciting, and new, and full of love.... wow... I now have a cavity from all the sweetness.
Ok one thing that is not so hot in my world right now.... ok so SOME of you know that I left USD without my full degree. I was ONE class away. ONE class. and that class is my enemy, MAAAAAATH. Guh. I know one person who knew me back with Math was haunting my life (Zomer this is for you).... well I am taking an online class as we speak. Now Zomer and I had some great study sessions... I made cookies, he dressed up in my hats, I really have no idea why I failed... and I seriously have NOOOO idea why Zomer passed (you are magical my friend!). So here I am taking the class... it sucks. It haunts me... I am doing ok thus far... about a 95% overall, but if I work for too long on it.... I lose the ability to speak...no joke. Math hurts me. So any good vibes and kind thoughts would be appreciated!!!!
SO that was one heck of a post. Hope you enjoyed! Have a great Tuesday evening ya'll!!!!
Off I go to get into my theatre school teacher mode..... and GO!

xo-E

And so it begins...

In the past I have had big plans and grand ideas about journals and blogs. I always think, "I have something to say, I should write about it." then I do.... and it sucks. I end up sounding like a 10 year old girl writing in her Diary. "Dear Diary, today I sat at the cool kids table at lunch... it was cool." you get the gist.

So why now, why is THIS blog different? Well I have been inspired by the LOVELY Alexis Campbell and since I saw Julie and Julia I have fallen in LOVE with the idea.

So I am starting the blog journey as a way to let those I love who are VERY far away from me to keep up with me and as a way to remember this part of my life. I will get into the LIFE part later but now I want to explain why I titled this blog PIGEON IN THE CITY.

Ok so it starts when I was pretty little. I grew up about a block away from Yankton College, now a state prison, but in the 80's it was still Yankton College. Well my dad my sister and I would ride our bikes to the campus and watch the pigeons on the huge brick buildings and I remember asking my dad so many questions about where the birds lived, what they ate, how they flew. I fell in LOVE with the Pigeons. So my dad started calling me Pigeon. Little did he know that I would grow into a woman who was scared to death of birds. So that leads me to the next point. 2 of my favorite songs have birds in the title. Little Bird by the Weepies and The Littlest Birds by The Be Good Tanya's. Both songs talk about opening your wings and being strong, singing your song and not being ashamed. These are things I need to keep in mind on a DAILY basis. So as a way to send a HI to heaven to my amazing Dad and a way to remember to always always always myself and maybe a way for me to over come my bird issues... I name this blog Pigeon in the city.

So I hope you grow to enjoy my poor grammar, misspelled words, lame jokes, and cheesy stories. I will so my best to be myself. If you catch me sounding like a 10 year old girl... hit me.

xo-E