Naturally Optimistic

North Head Lighthouse, Washington - just post proposal. 

Happy Couple at the International Rose Test Garden in Portland. 

So last Wednesday (my gosh - a week already!) we drove up the Oregon coast from Cannon Beach (home of the big sea stacks/haystacks as seen in The Goonies ) through Astoria and into the very southwest corner of Washington. There is a park there called Cape Disappointment . (formerly Fort Canby ) Anyway - it's one of the Lewis & Clark historical parks which I think is pretty cool. They had lots of campsites open so we picked one and set up camp. We had lunch - with 3 raccoons (!) and then decided to go on a hike. I will never stop finding it ironic that the park was called Cape Disappointment . We took a 1.8 mile hike to the North Head Lighthouse on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean . Anyway - we were about halfway to the Lighthouse hiking through an incredible temperate rain forest with ridiculously huge trees, ferns, birds of all sorts, etc. It was gorgeous. We also could see the ocean now and then through the trees. We stopped at a bench to have some water. I was flit...

I'm a happy camper. Literally!! Our trip out west was fantastic. Not only did I come back one year older but I also came back with a FIANCE! Details to follow - pictures below. I am a very happy and lucky girl. G'night!

WE'RE ENGAGED!!!! 

A blurry self-ring-portrait shortly after the proposal. (I love it!!! the ring that is....:-)) 

The happy couple - a bit bleary eyed after the proposal. 

Adios....be back next week... I'm enjoying a cat-pee free week. In the mountains. At the ocean. With my honey. Ciao!

Hmph. I am seriously pissed off at myself. I *claim* to be super organized what with the vacation binder and the daily to-do lists and blah blah blah. Grrrr.... Today after work my "to do" was: Wash dishes, bake zucchini bread make dinner pack dry goods for camping & supplies make zucchini loaf #2 eat knit Rehearsal 8pm I did all of those things - several rows (which now I think I have to take out because I'm SO TOTALLY CONFUSED), being very smug and proud of myself all the while and I go to rehearsal. As I walk in the theatre 15 minutes *early* I notice that EVERYONE IS ALREADY ON STAGE....I panic, I throw down my stuff and high-tail it up there. I'm confused. We're doing a new song and dance. The director sees me and says "Oh, you are here. Well, that's too bad because I was going to put you in lots of little dancy bits but now you'll just have to stand there." :-( Apparently I've been living today like it's THURSDAY. Tonight's...

*sigh* So, as you can probably guess, Iko was sprayed by a skunk on Saturday night. Not any Saturday night, but the ONLY night this summer we've planned to have people over. A *party* if you will. It was a bit cool but we were all in the backyard, grill grilling, lights twinkling, beers being drunken...you get the idea....our neighbors and their cat came over and all was fairly well with the world (I was disappointed in the turn out but that is another sob story all together). We're enjoying burgers fresh off the grill when....Iko comes running out of the bushes....and then Sat Nam (neighbor's cat)....and then the smell . Ugh. Like tear gas but worse. I don't really know since I've never been tear gassed. Anyway - Steve was freaking out a bit since Iko had been sprayed right in the face. He was full of snot and mucus with running eyes, drooling mouth - it was very pathetic. He took Iko upstairs to the tub, I rummaged the pantry for tomato items (tomato sauce, pizza...

dammit. Trying to post quickly on lunchbreak and now, no updating. Grrrrr....I will try to re-do what I just did... Rude Cactus tagged me to list 5 of my idiosyncrasies...not easy feat with so many but I have picked out a few to entertain...This exercise is interesting to me, because we're so willing to spill our "crazy" all over the internet while people in the real world (well, some anyway) try so hard to conceal them. Hmmmm If I started trying to conceal all the "weird" stuff I do, people would worry that there was something wrong with me. I'm sure I have more than I can think of but....here are the ones that jump to mind: 1) I do not walk on any grates or metal covers on sidewalks. I also don't step over sewer grates (thanks, Stephen King). This was especially difficult when I lived in LA and sometimes entire sections of the sidewalk were covered with metal doors (going where?!?!?) or grates. I would try to walk in the street, but if that was not ...

What a fun Saturday night! That's me washing Iko is tomato sauce after the great skunk incident.  

I just revealed even more of my inner-dorkiness to Steve (this is a daily occurence it seems) by showing him the vacation binder I've started putting together. I had a *little* time this week at work and so, you know....research & print has been the name of the game. I'm pretty happy with the itinerary but it's going to be a lot of driving with little sleep so that may have to be adjusted. Thank god I started drinking frappucino last week - wowsa. I'm so excited about seeing new places that I've NEVER been and hiking in such incredible forests with trees so big I can hardly imagine. And mountains! Wheeeeeeeeee! See, here it comes again. I cannot seem to supress the dork. Next up: menu planning!

I had such a blast tonight. We learned choreography for Consider Yourself and it was so much fun. It was a bit warm in the rehearsal room but it felt so good to be up and moving about and doing jazz squares and singing and bumping into people and laughing and *sigh* It was so much fun. Steve thinks I'm an even HUGER dork now since I came home and I'm still trying to get this one combination in my brain (or rather in my feet). It's not ballet and it's not rocket science but my god, it's a lot of fun. I could do this all day and night. I guess that's why I went to school for it!! Now if only I could get paid ..... g'night ************ btw - reading The Time Traveler's Wife right now and I'm in love with it! I'm only 60 pages or so in but I find it fascinating. If you haven't, check it out!

A day in July... 

Okay - I'm over myself. I swear. I just had to let that out and now I'm fine. Whew. I was worried that was going to last. hee hee. I was busy today planning my trip out west - it's a hell of a lot of driving and I hope we feel like we have enough time. Plans? Portland & its various gardens and breweries, Lewis & Clark everything, Astoria - home of the Goonies, various state and national parks and forests, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier (?), Mount St. Helens, Washington vineyards and Seattle. Can't wait. My geeky binder which I'm compiling (I dont' have the internet in my car!! What else can I do?!) is nearing completion. Wheeeeeeeeee! Rehearsal tonight....8:30-10 ...I kind of wish it was longer. I want more singing! I gotta join a choir or something. It's like a drug...

Good lord...I've completely forgotten how to be an actress. Sheesh. It's start to slowly rush (can that happen) back to me. IT'S ALL ABOUT ME dammit.... I am happy with my part - my part is not big enough - why did she get that part - I thought I was playing this too - I really like that I get a name - Our set is cool! - I love singing - I could sing for hours - how come my part is not bigger - I'm so happy just to be on stage - WHERE ARE MY GODDAMN LINES - rehearsal skirts, wheeee - the little kids are really cute, for now - I'm going to be singing for days on end - hmmm, shouldn't I have more FACE time - You see how it goes? So, while I'm completely and utterly happy to be stepping back onto my "turf" I'm unsettled by this "actor" feelings that I totally forgot about. It's different when you're on the other side of the casting table, camera, editing bay - whatever....now it's all "bullshit bullshit MY LINE. bullshit...

howdy ho... Weekend was long and very short. Left Duluth about 7pm on Friday night got back last night at 11pm. Ugh. I spent many hours in front of a computer -well, behind the guy that was in front of the computer. We tweaked, listened, nudged, changed, recorded, bounced and all that hoo-ha. We watched the film w/new sound yesterday afternoon and there were multiple technical problems. Things were in sync, I was having a panic attack, it was getting late and SO GODDAMN HOT (I'm still not complaining, I swear). So, it now SOUNDS like a real movie. Yay! I'm so pleased with the results. The mixing went good despite the minor problemos. I'm so. ready. to. be. done. Have I mentioned that?! Y'all better come and see the film or rent or or SOMETHING for cryin' out loud. Don't you know what I do for you people?!?! (hee hee) ************** Right now it's 95 or so, 95 % humidity and windy - like hair dryer blowing on you. Blech. I'm in the "cool" room...

I'm off to St. Cloud to do some sound mixing on the film. This is one of the VERY LAST STEPS or at least it should be because OH MY GOD I need to be done with this film. Coming soon to a theatre near you - I hope...

:-) A small part and I hope a lot of ensemble singing (because really? I want to SING!!)...I get to be slutty. Wheeeee! Hopefully I'll get to wear some lovely cleavage bearing corset & dress. heh heh....

So - chinese food eaten in 10 minutes + slight nervous tummy = BIG MISTAKE. Ugh - note to self - don't ever do that again just before callbacks! I think it was mostly the food's fault. Gah. Callbacks went...good? I think...? I didn't get called back for the lead, but I have to keep reminding myself that I'm NOT an ingenue, I've NEVER been an ingenue and I will NEVER be an ingenue and I'm *mostly* just fine with that. Partly because I'm short, partly because I don't have the *looks.* Ah well, non-leads are fun too and really? I just want to be on stage (with some lines and singing would be nice..)....so yeah, it was quick, painless and I'll find out tomorrow. And if it's a no-go, well, I might have a lead on a really fun sounding children's show (also a musical) happening at the same time. It's great the people you meet while waiting to go in and do your thing. :-) I just gotta get back in the swing of things, that's the biggest part.

Just finished cleaning up CAT PEE!!! When will this madness end?!?! And today - of all days - took Beavis to the vet for exam and shots, got them good pricey Rx food and will get Beavis's Rx filled tomorrow ($147 so far) and this is the thanks?!?! They even got tasty diced chicken in gravy soft food for dinner tonight BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN SO GOOD. *&($@#%! It's sooooo disheartening.....

Tomorrow night. :-)

well, I did it. I just auditioned for the show. Eh...it went okay. I ended up being the first one in. I can't ever decide if that's good or bad. They were taking "groups" downstairs and then we were going in one at a time and somehow they picked me first. Ah well. My song rocked (if I do say so myself), however my reading blew. Ugh. Here do this, and do it cockney. I'm not good at cockney and hadn't heard cockney in a long time so I went totally Irish. Ugh. Ah well. We'll see. Maybe, maybe not. The director seemed pretty cool. There were 5 people auditing. WTF? It feels sort of good to have that adrenaline rush again, I haven't had that in ages .

Well it's Monday and I'm not crabby! Amazing. The weekend went like this: golfing with dad had the folks over for dinner went shopping with mom worked on film (ripped hair out) painted porch (2nd coat - whooo) bike ride dip in (very cold) lake (Superior, that is) bbq with neighbors the coolest clouds EVER obnoxious cats throughout the night meowing away It was good. I think I'm feeling good today because I'm wearing a very lively brand-spanking-new (sale items!) outfit - yellow polo (me? in a polo? this works for some reason) and a lime green & yellow skirt with flowers on it - so girly - I love it!