IT WAS MY JERRY SPRINGER MOMENT

  

Well, after using today as a day of recovery, I'm here to post about the show I just wrapped up this weekend.  We had our final performances of Jerry Springer: The Opera this past weekend, Thursday through Sunday.  It was one hell of a weekend, I'll say that much!  We would do a performance, then go out and celebrate with a drink and maybe a bite to eat at The Whiskey Bar, which was kind of our show's default post-show location for going out - excellent whiskey choices and a great burger!  Honestly, one of the reasons I love working in theatre is socializing with all the company after a rehearsal or performance.  I got to know some people a lot better, and had some really good times.  Going out after an evening performance did mean that I got home and to bed at ridiculous hours, but to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way.  It's all about the experiences, ya know?  And there's plenty of time for sleep this week.

GLASGOW

So just about three months ago now, I was in Glasgow - my final destination whilst still in the UK.  I had found a ridiculously good deal on a flight direct out of Glasgow, and having only ever been to Edinburgh, I decided to go up a day early and spend some time in the city.  I have to say, Glasgow felt much more quintessentially Scottish than Edinburgh.  I think that Edinburgh, like London, is such a culturally diverse city that while of course there are those great bits of Scotland that you would expect, there are also a lot of aspects that make it seem just like another UK city, not particularly feeling like a different country.  Glasgow was less like that.  The Scottish accents were much more common within Glasgow, and the city itself definitely had a different sort of vibe.  It was a bit more natural and relaxed in the sense that it wasn't as touristy as Edinburgh.  Don't get me wrong, I loved Edinburgh as well, but the two had very different feels.

TARTAN AND EMBELLISHMENT (or for a less descriptive and formal title, OMG AN OUTFIT POST)

This post could also be titled "LIVING UP TO MY BLOG'S NAME FINALLY BECAUSE WHERE THE HELL IS THE WHOLE STYLE ASPECT, MELANIE???"  Basically I got dressed today and then decided to put on lipstick, and immediately felt super fancy, so I was like "Hey Suze (sister), let's take a couple outfit pictures before we head out because I feel like I look as though I actually made some effort!"  In reality, I don't know if you could call it effort because all I did was add red lipstick, and I mean, that's a surefire way to make anything somewhat posh.  Oh god, I actually just used the word posh.  Even when I was in England, I didn't really use that word at all.

GOAL LIST (or any other way of saying bucket list without actually saying bucket list)

I've been thinking a lot about the things I want to accomplish this year.  I don't really like the term "bucket list" because it seems so restrictive to "before I die" lists, when there are so many kinds out there - yearly, five year, ten year, "by the time I'm x years old" ones, 101 things in 1001 days, etc... and I've always wanted to put one together, but never officially have.  Every time I've tried, it gets lost, I forget about it, or, most likely, my goals change or are unrealistic (What can I say? I'm ambitious!).  There are certain things that I want to do this year, and in the next five, ten, etc, but I'm going to keep it short and sweet for now.  At some point I'll probably make this post it's own page and extend/elaborate on it for my own reference.  For now, this is a subject-to-grow list of my goals for 2014.

A REBUTTAL

I read this article (11 Reasons Why the Seattle Seahawks are the Absolute Worst) earlier and it is so completely ridiculous that I felt the need to post a point by point rebuttal to it.

1. No shit, Sherlock.  Also, you've clearly never been to Seattle.  I mean, I hate the Niners, but don't have anything against the city of SF.
2. So two different sports teams share a stadium during two different seasons... I fail to see how this is pertinent.

JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA

A week and a half later and I'm back!  Dude, this past 10 days had been so full of activity, I don't even know where to start. That's a lie.  I'll start with the thing that's been 98% of that activity - Jerry Springer: The Opera for Balagan Theatre.  I've been Assistant Stage Managing this show for the past month or so and immediately after the 1st of the year (literally, the next day), we began our tech week.  The hours, the load of work that everyone involved has done, and the amount we've accomplished in such a short time has been absolutely insane.

THE NEXT BIG STEP

This year is going to be a huge variable in the sense of taking it one step at a time.  I honestly can't say where I'll be in six months, or at the end of the year.  I have ideas of what I'd like to do and where I'd like to be, but right now, it's all about the now, and what is happening immediately after.  Currently, I'm in Seattle, and I'm working as Assistant Stage Manager on Jerry Springer: The Opera for a local theatre company downtown.  And recently, I finalized my plans for what will happen after Jerry finishes at the end of January.

A STORY, A REVIEW, AND A HOPE

2013 was a truly incredible year.  It has been, without a doubt, the best year of my life.  When 2012 ended, I had just come home from my first time in London, and I couldn't see how 2013 could measure up to 2012.  I resolved to just try my best to be happy.  And you know what?  It sucked.  At first.  For the first few months of 2013, I was fairly miserable.  I was in Boston, and I didn't want to be.  I was busy (like insanely busy) with theatre stuff all semester, which, along with my amazing friend, Nicole, was my saving grace from going absolutely mad.  I was trying to find every and any possible way to get back to London after graduation, and nothing was working.  Every time I had an idea or lead and got really excited about it, it would tank, and I would fall into a mini depression.  Spring was incredibly turbulent - an emotional roller coaster, and my resolution to find ways to be happy was struggling.