Finster Finds

Well, the week was a whirlwind as I knew it would be. It would have been nice to have had that last day before Christmas Eve to do any last minute shopping and make sure I had everything I needed, but I didn't have it, so I dealt with my missing items by phoning Mom to bring them. It all worked out, but I knew it could've been better. The trip itself wasn't so bad, but there was little in it that enriched my life. No one asked about me, despite my asking about them. It was good for the boys, but a little too good in the presents department and I worry about that. As it is, only one of Gibson's 3 big trucks has been opened and played with and I don't think Oliver has picked up the Spiderman helicopter since being home. The kids get so much stuff. We may hide some of it away for a while and bring it out later when a "new" thing is needed. Christmas Eve was less chaotic than usual. The kids are a little older and better able to negotiate with each o

Well someone must have said "no" to one of the 6 ladies in The Ladies Singing Their Song because I was just offered it. I lost the Real Estate Agent part, but that's okay, I'd rather have a chance to sing. Should be cool. Magnolia is also singing in that number so we shall have to kick it !

I decided to do the show. I am still feeling a little low about it because I really wanted Arlene and I know I would have rocked the part. I am also worried about how much singing I will get to do but I have been reassured by Marie that I will be doing a lot of singing. I am not so sure because it doesn't seem like that kind of a show, but it may be that there is more chorus stuff that just isn't on the soundtrack. The way my musical theatre experience has played out in Edmonton so far has really messed with my self-image. In Fort McMurray I was what Judy is here. I haven't been able to show that and I thought this would be the role. There is something liberating about being able to recreate yourself, but I hate that I feel like that in doing so I have lost a big part of my self-identity. El Muchacho was something, but it wasn't the kind of stuff I do best, this show would have been. There is also something exhausting about having to pay my dues again when I have been d

Well, I didn't get it... and now I have to decide if I want to do what I was offered. I knew the odds were there, but I had hoped high. I don't know if I can go and do the show and hear the other people singing the songs I want to be singing and be "happy" with the part I am left with. I have until Boxing Day to let Clyde know. I have just done my "ensemble" time and if I do decide to do the show, the person who has my part had better be FLAWLESS.

Okay, the title says it all. I had a good callback but so did a lot of other people and there are only 3 roles. I figure it is down to me and one other person for Arlene . I can't fault that since we were both strong, but I will be disappointed if I don't get it. This is only because I really want it and I would kick major a$$ in the role. I also want to be in it with my friends and I am not sure if the combination will be what they are looking for. It is all about waiting now and I don't wait well.

Tonight I auditioned for Baby with ELOPE. I have worked with Marie Nychka, one of the directors, 3 times before but had never met the other director Randy Mueller. I was a little nervous because since moving to Edmonton I have not had the best auditions for musicals. This is because in McMurray I was severely spoiled by having either Mike Eddy or Carol Anderson play for me and they are both geniuses on the piano. Tonight I had the magic - Randy is a genius too! Yay! Anyhow, both songs went beautifully, my monologue rocked and I am called back for Tuesday night. The songs they want me to look at are for the character I am interested in and Randy even said " she has the perfect kind of voice for this show " (yippee!). Even if I don't get it, I will feel good about what I have done. I could not have done better.

I periodically surf the yahoo news articles and saw the above headline (or something like that). The article didn't give many details other than a male parent entered the school, was arguing with the female principal and then began hitting her in the face. He is now being charged with assault. This story bothers me because something like this can happen, and what bothered me even more was the "comments" afterwards. Many commenters were appalled but many were applauding the hitter and asking "what did the Principal do to create the situation?" as though that mattered. Sad sad sad.... Many people ask me if I intend to go back to teaching. I don't know. I have had 'scary' parent-teacher interviews where I signalled to the teacher at the next table over to 'rescue' me from an aggressive parent. I have had parent meetings that have caused me to cry later on. I didn't just stop teaching because I wanted to be home with my kids (altho

I just got back from seeing Losing Will at Zeidler Hall (Metro Cinema) at the Citadel Theatre. Two of my former students (Arlen Konopaki and Mike Robertson) directed it and were also 2 of the 4 co-writers. There are sections of the scripts that were improvised around a suggested concept so the 3 main actors were technically all writers. Other former students were also involved in the film (from sound design to medical research). They also filmed part of the movie in Fort McMurray though it is not credited as the Fort. I was very impressed with the work done. Some of the acting seems rough and there were some strange bits that got a lot of laughs but could easily leave someone with a "what the?" feeling, however they really tried to tell the story. I loved the soundtrack and the flashbacks that were used. It was hard to believe that they made the film for $3000 (no grants). These young guys took a concept, took their own money, begged many favours from friends and family

I took Oliver to see Sinbad the Sailor at Walterdale last night. It was a very committed show and there were many fine performances, particularly from the leads. Oliver had a lot of fun until about 10:15 when he just started to feel too tired (I kept him home today because who knows what he would be like at school after last night). The show didn't end until 11:00 p.m. The funniest part for me (and the best for Oliver) was when Oliver got to go onstage to guess the camel's name. He was by far the "best" for audience particiaption in the first act and apparently the cast LOVED him (we were told this by Wayne Arthurson who went backstage at intermission), so when volunteers were asked for to name the camel Ollie's hand shot up and they literally were already looking right at him to bring him down. He was so excited. They obviously had a plan, the third person to guess would obviously be the "correct" guesser, so Oliver was asked last and he "wo

I am still tired from the weekend. I did Midsummer in Spruce Grove on Friday and on Saturday Mark and I went out with friends for his birthday (dinner and karaoke). On Sunday I had rehearsal in the afternoon, dinner at the Next Act and Walterdale Board Meeting in the evening. Then I stopped at the folks house to feed Harriet and check the house and shovel the walk (cooooooold). I am over 40 now. The three late nights in a row are hard to handle.

Whew! The things I have to do to go out to see a friend in a play... Last night I went to A Midsummer Night's Dream in Spruce Grove put on by Horizon Players . The show started at 7:30 p.m. (What the? What ever happened to 8:00 starts?) but I had to start driving at 5:00 p.m. to get there on time. My sitter lives by Clareview so I left at 5 p.m. to get her, it was 6 p.m. by the time I got back to my house with the sitter and the kids. Then I headed off to pick up my friend Julie in Beaumaris. A couple of wrong turns meant that took me 20 minutes which was a bout 10 minutes longer than it should have (It was the one place I didn't mapquest! Doh!). Then we were off to get Wanda at the River Cree Casino in Enoch. Whoosh! Down 137th Avenue. Whoosh! Down Anthony Henday. Whoosh! Down the Whitemud? (I'm not sure I just went where Julie told me) Then we headed back up to the Yellowhead and off to the theatre. We rolled into the parking lot at about 7:20 p.m. We needn't have be

So tomorrow is December 1. That means that the tree will soon come out of the closet and I have to find the Advent calendar. I only have one. I know that some people get one for each of their kids, but I think it is important for them to learn to take turns. On the 25th, the pocket in the calendar is big enough for 2 candies so they each get one on that day. Once again I face this season with mixed feelings. The gift giving thing is fraught with peril. With some people I feel like I never get the right thing and that it one of my major issues. I am trying to "give it away", but I want to feel like the thought was appreciated. The other major gift issue I have is because I find the season so excessive especially with the kids stuff. I don't want my kids to feel deprived because they didn't get as much stuff as others, but they don't really need anything and some people give way too much to their kids. I shouldn't worry. My kids are pretty good about appreciatin

On Tuesday (Nov 27, 2007) I was pleased to see my letter to the editor was printed in the Journal. It was in response to the previous day's piece calling for publicly funded day-care. I bristled at the original article for two reasons. 1. The writer sounded so incredibly spoiled and she lamented that her father had promised her the she could "have it all" and she was terribly disappointed to discover as an adult that she couldn't, or else that she could but it would cost her a lot and be ( gasp ) hard work. I had a great deal of difficulty feeling any empathy for her since, for a lawyer with multiple degrees, she sure sounded like a spoiled little 8 year old who didn't get the pony she wanted. She took exactly the tone that I hate. I find so many people totally oblivious to what is involved with parenting a child. Her father obviously was, but he probably had no idea. She should have taken his promises with a grain of salt and then gone and spoken to her mot

Today I felt so much better. I think the marathon sleep on Saturday night and the really good sleep last night helped. So I cleaned my kitchen. That felt good. And I made a big casserole type meal that can be frozen for future days when I don't feel like making anything. That felt good. I also went to Safeway, in the snow - brrr, and stocked up on things but avoided impulse 'bad food'. That felt good. Oliver got 10 stickers in school today (the max is 4 - so it must have been an awesome day). That felt really good. Especially to see his face when he counted them. He was just delighted. I worked a little on my novel, which is over the 50,000 word hurdle but now needs to be finished. That felt good. I will do more on that later tonight. I also wrote and sent in a letter to the Journal in response to the editorial on daycare. That felt good. I know not everyone may share my opinions on this, but it rubs me the wrong way for someone to say they are arguing for

This week I stopped eating meals and it worked. Don't be alarmed. I am still eating, but I have always had trouble controlling my snacking. That is my major problem with eating. So I would snack and then have my breakfast, lunch and dinner and when you combined all the food it was way too much. In the past I would try to stop the snacking and I would invariably fail to do that well. So, this week I did my snacking (trying to keep it fairly nutritious) and just didn't have the meals. I stayed within my points for the day and I am optimistic about tomorrow's weigh-in. Cross your fingers.

I went to see/hear/participate in Fulcrum of Evil at Walterdale Theatre tonight. Usually Walterdale does not rent to anyone other than the ADFA and Fringe, but CBC Radio was looking for a place to tape a Radio Play written by Marty Chan and they wanted an audience for reaction, etc... So anyhow, Walterdale made a special arrangement. It was a lot of fun. My mom looked after the boys, so Mark and I both got to go and I was quite glad that I bought tickets today during the afternoon, because there was a waiting list to get in. Jam packed it was! The highlight was definitely Jeff Haslam as Faz Rool (sic). He was tres hilaire! I have read a lot about him in the Journal but this was the first time I had actually seen (and heard) him on stage. He was channelling Jack Benny and I quite enjoyed it. I also got to see Davina Stewart and Mark Meer and I had never seen them before. They are worth the hype they get. Script, hmmm? It was good, but the actors made it better than it was

There's still never enough time. Sometimes I leave extra space in the day and then things happen that suck up that time. Sometimes those things are controlled by me (Scrabulous, games, writing) and sometimes they are dictated by others (errands, Gibson, store related things). Just cross your fingers that tonight I will be able to cross some things off my list. I think I can, I think I can...

I had a lovely weekend in Calgary. The conference was great and I so enjoyed the hotel life. I pampered myself a bit, but for me the sleep in itself was pampering. Room service breakfast and movie rentals and slowing down. It was lovely. Just the little things like putting moisturizer on my legs without the cat pestering me (she like the taste of moisturizer and will lick my ankles with her annoying sandpaper tongue - HATE it!). I also got to see Wanda's house and we had a great evening venting (we shared many vent-topics). It was all good!

I am down a total of 24 lbs on the WW scale. I know, I know, I was down 25 before but that was before the summer and we are now back on track. I am down 30 on the home scale and occasionally I drop down to 32 lbs lost on a good morning. The good thing is that the weigh-ins are back to moving in the right direction. This week I pledge to get back to the YMCA for workouts. Feeling sick all last week kind of derailed me. I will also get on the treadmill. My goal is at least 3 workouts between now and Friday. I am away on the weekend so I will have to figure out something else for that.

This Saturday I had a wonderful time celebrating turning 40! Special thanks go out to the Annemarie and Anne Marie who helped with the pre-party warm-up and a variety of other prep activities. Also, props to Mark for his karaoke skills and the flowers and all that. It was great. It was so much fun to see those who came out and sing, and dance and eat together. I wish that I had stepped in a little earlier so that the invites would've gotten out in time for some people to "save the date" but as it was I was not disappointed. I had a nice mix of "long time Fort McMurray friends" and "new Edmonton Friends" and of course, since I know so many musical theatre folks there was a lot of good singing and lots of people willing to take risks just to have fun!

I had a relatively busy week. I have done some work on Crimes of the Heart. I met with my Assistant Director and more audition requests have trickled in. I hope I don't have too many "drop ins" because most of the early slots have 5 people in them already and it screws with your time to accommodate an extra person. That's not fair to those who did it the right way. Challenges for Oliver in school again. All three incidents have been with the same boy. From the descriptions of the events I think the other kid verbally instigates the fight and then because Oliver has trouble managing his anger he hits when he can't solve it with words. Oliver is quite honest in his re-telling and he doesn't come out looking like an angel so I have a little bit of faith in this. The problem is, because Oliver hits first he gets the more severe punishment. It doesn't seem like anything is being done with the other kid and I can't really ask because I should just wo

Today I am forty. I like it. I have been thinking about this birthday for most of the year and since I've had slightly over 9 months to think it has more weight than any of the birthdays I have had in recent years. I think it is exciting for me to be 40 because I don't look 40 (I don't think everyone is lying) and because I can say that I have done significant things in my life so that I feel this "milestone" has merit beyond just the counting of days and years. Over the years I have set goals for myself and reached them, or not, but I still reached for them. Things like having children (a challenging goal for me to achieve), getting lead roles on stage (so much fun and therapy all rolled up together), writing a play and having it produced (butterflies!), and many other things are the accomplishments I cherish. My major goal this year was about weight loss. On January 1, 2007 I weighed myself and made a goal. My vow was to lose 40 lbs by my birthday (today)

In less than a week I will be 40. I am not weirded out by the milestone but I do want it to be celebrated. I want a party. Not necessarily a blow-out drunken bash. That would be strange for me. But I want to celebrate and I don't want some half-ass thing. I heard there's an 80s Retro club called Vinyl downtown. Maybe they have a private room where we could have finger foods and stuff like that? Maybe a private room in a fancy-schmancy restaurant and all my friends could come? I don't know. I can tell you it won't be on the date since that's Thanksgiving weekend, but something MUST happen. I will plan it myself if I must! Stay Tuned...

I have added a Blog for Crimes of the Heart . I want to keep everything in it's place. It should be interesting to look back afterwards.

On Saturday night, my friend AM and I went to see The Busy World is Hushed at Northern Lights Theatre. Last year I bid on seasons' tickets at Walterdale's Silent Auction and I got them. It is part of my mission to check out different theatre companies in Edmonton since I have been less than thrilled with the quality per dollar value at the Citadel. I figured that if I had season's tickets I would be "forced" to go and that would also get me to the some of the shows I read about in the paper. About the show... I found the script very interesting and really enjoyed the discussions about religion. I was less interested in the relationship between the Minister's son and the young writer but I am not sure if that was a fault of the script or the fact that I thought the actor who played the son was miscast and out of his depth in the role. He was unconvincing and I couldn't see the attraction for him. Trevor Schmidt, who played the writer, did all the e

1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it? When I was little (less than 5) a neighborhood cat did not take kindly to the affection I was trying to show it. She scratched me right above my upper lip. I have an inch long scar under my nose there. 2. What does your phone look like? I just got a new red LG cell phone. It takes pictures. My home phones are varied - 3 cordless black ones, 1 silver "officey" looking phone, and a cordless white phone. We have kids and we need phones all over the house because Mark set it on 3 rings before the answering machine picks up. 3. What is on the walls of your bedroom? The walls are blue. There are 2 prints of flowers in bright colours, a collage of Monet postcards, and a print of the Split Rock Lighthouse from Minnesota near where I was born and the family homestead is. 4. What is your current desktop picture? My screen picture is my two boys in bed with big smiles. They have obviously just had a bath because they ha

So, this Fall I committed to working out. Oliver is in school full days and it is much easier to leave one child in babysitting plus Gibson is usually pretty easy going about those things. As well, with Oliver in full days I didn't have to worry about being home for the bus and all that. No excuses. So I have been booking Gibson in for babysitting 3X a week and I go to a drop in class at the YMCA. I also try to use the Treadmill at home on my "days off". I feel stronger, however, I am gaining weight! I don't think I am eating more. I have also started a "don't eat after 8:15 p.m." rule which has cut out a lot of extra calories. I have to believe it is muscle because it is annoying! The other annoying thing is that Gibson has started being really fussy about going to babysitting. I know he is doing it to see what he can control, but my "easy" kid is starting to get challenging and I don't need that! Arghhhh!

Last night, despite having a really good day, Oliver had a MAJOR MELTDOWN at bedtime. I have no idea why. He was refusing to go to bed, and he wanted a bath, but it was too late, so that was an issue and then when we decided to help him get into his PJs he freaked out more... We tried the cajoling to diffuse the situation, to no avail. Anyhow, after 45 minutes of struggling with him he decided that he was going to have to "run away from home" so he could find some "new owners to look after him". When asked what was wrong with his current Mommy and Daddy he replied that "we didn't do everything he told us to do". Anyhow, I tried for another 15 minutes to get him to bed and finally he said he was leaving. So we let him "run away". Bear in mind he was wearing only pj bottoms and shoes. We asked if he would like a coat or anything and he said he was fine. He left out the front door and 30 seconds later he knocked on the door and asked t

Gibson is sick, again. I am hoping that as he gets older, his immune system will toughen up a bit. Went to the Medi-centre, one hour+ wait, prescription for Ventolin, but no anti-biotic this time. We were told to come back if he doesn't' get better but that it was most likely a virus. Knowing Gibson's "history", I am putting 3-1 odds on us going back by the end of the week. I hope I am wrong. Last night I did the "Test the Nation - Language" test that was on CBC. I got 58/70 which wasn't too bad. There were a few of the ones that I could narrow down to 2 and then I picked the wrong choice and there was 1 answer I continue to disagree with. I also got some word origin and regional answers wrong. Most of the ones I got wrong were ones I was unsure of. It was fun to do and I know I beat the average! Mark and I did the IQ test when that was on. Is there anyone else out there who likes to sit and watch TV and take silly tests? Maybe we'r

...when I stand up from sitting. I went to Cardio Kick-Start again today. Different instructor. I don't always like everything in the class, but maybe I'm not supposed to. I'm moving my muscles, that's what counts.

So to speak. I re-committed to working out. I know, I know. I do that a lot, but I think of every week as a new week and since September is traditionally a time for 'starting anew' for me I booked Gibson in to the YMCA babysitting and went to the Cardio Kick Start class this morning. I have also booked him in for Friday, Monday and Wednesday so I am committed. I find I have to do that - book in ahead of time - or I don't go. It is harder to not go when you know you will be charged for the babysitting if you don't cancel soon enough. I am watching my ankle because of the recent sprain. It's a little achy and I avoided the stairs, just in case, but it held up okay. I will see how it feels tomorrow morning. I have a feeling I will feel my butt tomorrow because of all the squats we did.

Today Oliver started grade one. Full days, lunch at school, homework... It all begins today. I am actually a pretty relaxed Mom about this major life step. I think because I was a teacher I don't see school as something scary and I have tried hard to create enthusiasm for school within Oliver (and Gibson too). I think he was more puzzled by the fact that he didn't see all of his classmates from last year since they obviously shuffled the AM and PM Kindergarten classes. There were a few and Caelen was in his class so that was good. He also got the male teacher so I am hoping that helps to curtail his silliness a bit. He's a pretty good kid. Not shy. Not scared to try new things (except Chinese food - or "china food"). Academically I am not concerned and I really like the school. It feels like a good year has started. Gibson will also have a "first" today. He will go to My First Pre-School at the YMCA today. He is pretty excited. He wanted to

About a month ago I started a blog to track my reading. If you like to see what others are reading check it out. It is on my links list as "What I am Reading".

Well, the Fringe is over. It was definitely worth doing but it was a totally different energy from any other shwo I have done. I did close the run out with a sprained ankle (just for fun!) so that affected my last show. I actually think it was one of my best of the run so I am thankful for Ibuprofen and Adrenalin for keeping the pain down while I was onstage. All this talk of juried shows and the "professional" vs. "amateur" debate that I have been reading continues to swirl in my mind. I am concerned for a change that might be made that wouldn't take into account everyone's perspective. It's the Libra in me. If a change is made I want it to be fair. Besides, when I went through the Fringe program I saw plenty of "professional" names. They want it to be more fair --> maybe Trevor Schmidt shouldn't have 3 shows in. Don't bounce someone with one show when there were people with 2 or 3 in there. Why couldn't he step aside

Just thought I'd mention it was #100. Anyhow, I made it through my show last night despite making up a complete verse to a song. Apparently it made sense and rhymed and was in tune. I have no idea what I said, but I am glad I made it through to the next section of the song. I think I was nervous because I had lots of "peeps" in the house. I am always far more nervous in front of friends as opposed to strangers. Strangers - you never see them again, Friends - now they know what you can and cannot do. It all went well and they seemed to enjoy the show. I am not sure if it was our best show - Saturday was MY best so far - I think the Review was hanging over our heads. We worked it though and did the job. That's all you can do.

We got 3* in the Journal today. It is the 'inconsistency' of the show that holds our rating down. I , however, did get a mention: "Kristen Finlay wails out powerful solos as the homely, trashy Katalina,.." Not a bad mention for me. I am hoping some of the people singled out as "weak" don't let it crush them. You do what you can. It is always hard to find enough strong males to round out your cast. The guys certainly got the brunt of that review.

Okay, we got 2 1/2 Suns from Colin McLean. Hmmm. Oh well. So far the audiences have enjoyed themselves. I know the show has weaknesses, and he was at our opening so what can you do? We have enjoyed nice big houses and I have heard lots of positive feedback from complete strangers (and friends too) so I think it's all good. I hope that the rest of the cast is still feeling okay about it. He did say it was still worth going to so hopefully people won't be scared away.

Two shows down and four to go! We are on our way and the audiences seem to be enjoying themselves. No reviews yet, but it's still early. With only 4 musicals in the Fringe I think we will do okay. They seem to like me so I am having fun.

Any of you out there who are parents know this to be true. I think even if you don't have kids you can probably figure out the logical connection. I am a little cranky because Gibson is being a cranky little gus lately. I don't know why, but it is really getting on my nerves. Yesterday and today he freaked out at the park because his stick (an item picked up at random from the ground) was broken. I started calling him ostrich-boy because he literally was sticking his face in the sand having a big ol' tantrum. I don't know. If you are 2 3/4 and you can't have fun at the playground --> there's a problem. I hope the dark cloud passes soon.

This last week I have been very stressed about the show. Tuesday and Thursday were not good runs for me and I was feeling panicky and generally not ready, however, yesterday was FABULOUS! Maybe it was the costumes and makeup. Maybe it was having the set (nice set!). Maybe it was my conscious effort to go to rehearsal with a VERY VERY POSITIVE attitude. Whatever it was, it worked. The afternoon run was so good! We have a show! Then in the evening when we went to the venue (Westbury) for our Tech Rehearsal we did another run and it was great, too! On a mixed note, I did lose a duet and part of a solo. Unfortunately Fringe shows are guided by strict time lines and we had to shave about 5 minutes off the show. The duet I was not so sad about, the recit from my solo was a little harder to take, but I was determined NOT to lose more. If we didn't get the time down I would have lot the whole solo, so I told everyone to pick up their entrances so I wouldn't lose it. We luck

We have come to the point that I really enjoy in rehearsal. We are into runs. We ran Act One on Tuesday and Act Two on Thursday. Finally we get a real sense of the shape of the show. It was great to see all the pieces that were worked on when we weren't there. Now we can review and run and fix and clean and get even better. The show is in good shape. It does need work, but we should have time for at least 5 runs before we open (not counting the Tech rehearsal in the venue). We should also have time for cleaning in addition to the 5 runs. I am happy with the level of challenge that I have experienced in the show. It is definitely out of my comfort zone so it was good to attack it and (hopefully) rise to the challenge. So,.... Come see El Muchacho , at the Fringe, August 2007 . Show dates are posted on this blog. tickets are now available online through Fringe Theatre Adventures.

The other day I had my first "green guilt". I was explaining the wonderfulness of the key less entry on one of our vehicles to another Mom at soccer (she had just received a call from her husband who had locked the keys in their van and she was going to have to rescue him as soon as soccer was done). She asked what kind of vehicle it was and I found I was embarrassed (?) to tell her it was a Ford Expedition. I have never felt that way before. We have perfectly legitimate reasons for owning it, primarily due to Mark's height, but I had this moment of "ohmigod, what if she's against SUVs?" and I was reluctant to admit it. Very strange. Hmmm.... I also felt guilty at the Walterdale Board meeting tonight because I didn't make the clean up this week. I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't my fault that I couldn't make it and that one more thing would have killed me this week, but I still felt the guilt. I actively refrained from apologizi

Thursday night I was fortunate enough to be able to go out with my two best pals. W was up from Calgary and AM came in from Stony and I didn't need to be at rehearsal so we met for a marathon dinner at the Blue Plate Diner (6:00 - 10:00 p.m.). The waiter left before us (ha ha). I have been friends with these 2 for a long time. We met through..... Keyano, of course, but mutual interests, babies, and the freedom to be who we really are with each has strengthened the friendship. I love this friendship, because it is definitely a 3 friend thing, with no one being left out, and yet and I still friends with each of them individually. As Martha would say, "It's a good thing." (yes, girls, those "quotes" are for you). I am also glad because we are all working on keeping the connection despite the fact that all three of us have moved to new places in the last 2 years. Distance and time are hard to overcome, but I thank Facebook and email and the phone and the

Went to see Two Gentlemen of Verona tonight. I enjoyed it, although I was very forgiving due to the fact that there were challenges with the whole thing. The sound was an issue. It was better in Act 2, but never perfect. Basically the balance was totally wrong whenever it was a female solo or an ensemble number. The band was TOO LOUD! Other than that the only other major issue I had was that you could tell the "ensemble" was not usually in musicals. They worked hard, but the sopranos were weak (too much alto) and there was just a gap between their skill in the musical form compared to the leads. The songs were fun and we (my friends Vero, Richie and I) debated the balance between Shakespeare and Musical. We felt there should have been more "Musical" less "Shakespeare" to really make it work. Some outstanding work by Chris Bullough, Kevin Corey, Natasha N., and Sheldon Elter. The other female lead had the skills, but not the subtlety to be as go

Finding it very hard to count points this week and last. Was up this past weigh in and the heat has produced this incredible emotional inertia. I know I need to write it down, but I am tired of it. I need some renewal. I need some reward. It is so exhausting to do the work some days.

I am in a Fringe Show. It is called El Muchacho and it will be playing in the Westbury theatre in the Arts Barns (that's the BIG one - yay!). We have been rehearsing since the beginning of June and it is rolling along. It is fun to be in a show and this is agood time of year for me. I am enjoying the challenge of the music and have been tickled to receive compliments from the cast on what I have done. I do recognize I have a ways to go in the interpretation of the music, but I am on my way. I am excited though, to be in a Fringe show for a number of reasons: 1. I have never done one before. I have volunteered and participated as an audience member at the Fringe and I have always liked the atmosphere there. I have also done Interplay in Fort McMurray and although it is not the long haul of the Fringe, you could easily do 5 shows in 3 days (we will be doing 6 shows in 10 days). In any case, this is something new. I look forward to my "performer" name badge and a

Been going to the playground with the kids for the last little while. Oliver has been in City Playground Camps (Soccer, Super Tots and Short Sports) so Gibson and I have mostly hung out at the nearby playgrounds or investigated air-conditioned malls when necessary. One of the boys from Oliver's Kindergarten class is in his soccer camp so they have been having a great time while I visited with the other mom. Tonight we tired a movie but interruptions including a call for help from my brother regarding baby-sitting, an "accident" a la Gibson and Oliver being "scared" of the movie have precipitated an early retreat. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted?

Today I had a great weigh in. I hit two milestones simultaneously. I got my 25 lb token and my 10% key chain. I lost 5.2 lbs this week - thanks tonsillitis! Now if only we had a good facilitator! I am sick of this leader who obviously has never been "fat" in her life (her lifetime loss was 12 lbs so maybe she wore a size 6 once). She says things that suggest that "fat" people are somehow not as good as "slim" people. I always feel like she is one of those people who judges people based on how they look. She was going on about how in some families everyone is fat and how people blamed genetics but that studies have shown that genetics have nothing to do with it and anyone could be slim if they just worked at it - suggesting that fat people don't do as much work in their life as slim people. It's a lot harder to lose it than it is to gain it and although I do believe that everyone can lose weight if they do certain things, it is also way harde

You gotta hate germs. I do. I know they are a fact of life and all that, but when they crawl into your system for a weekend they can really mess you up. I started feeling a little out of it on Friday night. I thought it might have just been a bit of vocal strain from working on my stuff for El Muchacho, but when I woke up on Saturday I knew I was SICK. Sore throat, headache, achy body, and a general feeling of being "out of it". The worst is not having the opportunity to really get better. WHY? Because it was the long weekend and we were heading off Saturday afternoon to a family reunion for Mark's side of the family. He offered to let me stay home and he would take the boys alone, but I said I would dope myself up and cope. I didn't think it fair to have him set off alone. Anyhow, I endured a regimen of Tylenol and Ibuprofen and I napped when i could and it was all survivable. I felt guilty because I couldn't really mingle much because I wasn't completely pr

...it means I worked hard right? I went back today for Step and Core and the boys had a great time at the babysitting. They had a lot of kids so they moved half up to the racquetball court and when I went to get them about half the kids were doing laps around the track. One of mine was leading the pack and the other was bringing up the rear. Gibson was so proud of himself to be doing "extherthise". I was a bit sore this morning but I pushed through it. I like doing the classes because I can't just quit in the middle like I can do at home with a tape. Too embarrassing! I also like that I feel sore because it tells me I am working different muscles. I am never sore after the Treadmill, even if I go for an hour and a half. My leg muscles are used to that motion. I am planning next week and I will try to go 3X.

Yesterday I finally did what I had intended to do for months. I called the YMCA and booked my kids in for babysitting during a time when a drop-in class was offered ( Circuit Challenge ). So this morning we headed off at 8:45 to drop them off for 9:00 a.m. at babysitting. I was a littler early for the class and went up on the treadmills for 10 minutes before it started. What a class! It was a nice mix of cardio and resistance and she kept us working. I think my knees might hurt a bit tomorrow, but I was so glad I went. I signed the boys up for babysitting again tomorrow and I will go at the same time for Step and Core . THEN, if I am still moving I will sign them up for Friday and do the Circuit Challenge class again. I have to commit to this and the boys had a great time in the babysitting room so that was cool, and it was pretty cheap ($7.50 for the two boys for 1.5 hours - half of what I pay my regular sitter). I know that some weeks it won't work with Oliver's

Last night we had a babysitter booked and we went out to a party at a friend's house. It was so very nice. There were a lot of people from the theatre scene there. I knew about half and was familiar with most of the others. It was nice to feel at home in Edmonton, as it reminded me of the parties we would go to in McMurray. Lots of food, talking, laughing and just feeling comfortable. I didn't feel like the "newcomer" so I figure I am home now.

Oh yeah. Down 0.8 lbs this week for a grand total of 21.2 lbs! Yay! That's with a very food-filled weekend in there. Very happy.

Pencil drawing by Gibson June 22, 2007 "Portrait of Auntie Annie"

Okay, this is a second child I am talking about, so I am not in that happy delirious haze of first time parenthood. Had to get that out of the way first. My child, Gibson, is an artistic genius. Maybe it is too soon to tell, but if you can't brag about your children on your blog, where can you? But get this, he sings, in tune, all the time. Now, his favorite songs are "Stupid Girls" (Pink) and "Upside Down" (Jack Johnson - Curious George Soundtrack), but still, - in tune! Why is that so amazing? Well, for me it is because he is 2 years and 8 months old. The reaction of the teacher at Kindermusik has confirmed for me that Gibson's vocal skills are unusual. Most of the children his age listen to the music and dance a bit, but very rarely do they actually sing along and extremely rarely are they ever in tune. He can also tap out beats correctly and in tempo - most kids his age just bang away randomly. So that's his musical genius - but get this - today he d

Despite my intention to "live purposefully and without regrets" I find myself wondering about my purpose and regretting an attempt to be understood. Today I tried to let someone in on some stuff that had been bothering me for quite awhile (the stuff bothering me was not with that person but with another person we are both close to). Unfortunately for all involved I did it by email (I advise against this) and I ended up not only failing to achieve my purpose, but I also hurt them, which was not my intention. Thus I now have regrets. I have "I feel sick to my stomach" regrets. I am not sure how to deal with this. Do we keep everything to ourselves and create our own personal island? I am not sure. I guess we could talk an objective outsider, but that doesn't offer any solutions other than venting. I have no interest in having an "outsider" understand me better. I do want the people in my life to understand me better and to understand why I act c

Today I have been running around like crazy, but I managed to stop in for weigh in. I am happy to report that I am down another 2 lbs for a grand total of 20.4 lbs! It feels great to crack the 20 lb barrier. I am feeling better and the sunny days are exciting because they are so much easier to face! I do need to get to the grocery store for more fruits and veggies. I will also have to watch it this weekend because it is a big family weekend with a BBQ or two and a couple of birthday celebrations. No backsliding!

Things happen to us. People do things to us. We live it and then it should just be done, but how come it isn't? A few years back I worked with someone who made my work-life very unpleasant. There was a whole job-sharing thing there and perhaps neither of us communicated the best during the transition, but I had thought that the strength of our friendship would make the situation a good thing. I didn't really know who I was dealing with. She was amazing as a friend so long as she was treated as the queen of her world. Once threatened (which was not my intention) she became the Queen of all Queens (think Snow White's Step-Mother). I tried to make it work. I tried to be optimistic. Some months were better than others, but just when I thought things would be alright there would be a little dig, or a big dig, or something to undermine me. Some comments were made in the staffroom (I heard about this from friends on staff), comments were made in staff meetings (once the Admin &quo

I have so many balls in the air right now. It is all planned out and working, but there is little down-time. I wonder how I can do this sometimes. I go from one event or activity to the next with little time to breathe in between. I make it happen. I complain sometimes, but I don't do a lot to change the overall structure of my life. I think, for me, I don't reduce the number of activities because some of them are not my activities by choice. I have to do them. I have to get Oliver off the bus. I have to feed the kids. I have to deposit my cheque in the bank and pay my bills. When you add in laundry and cleaning and all that stuff you could easily fill a day. I need the other things like the writing conference and the rehearsals and choir practice so that I have some things that I am doing just for me.

I was down another 0.2 lbs this week after being really bad with the eating. So my grand total is 19 lbs. Yay! The nice weather is what has saved me I think, because I have been outside and moving and that really helps.

I don't have to go anywhere tonight. I haven't started rehearsing for El Muchacho yet so I have nothing for that to panic me. My play is done at Walterdale Playhouse so I have nothing to worry about for that. I am waiting for Women's Words to start next week so I have nothing to do for that. It is a nice feeling. I might even work on my play tonight. That would be good. We went, as a family, to Shrek the Third yesterday. I love sitting next to Oliver to watch kids movies. He laughs like he wants the whole building to shake. Wonder where he gets that from?

Do not go to After the Fall at the U of A. It is too long, too boring, too pretentious and too much. Just don't go. Unless you want to be schooled in what not to do as a director. Did this guy not have anyone working with him on his MFA in Directing? I felt so bad for the actors to have to be in that play. Arthur Miller, what were you thinking? Had you never thought of cutting a few (20-30) pages of repetitive self-indulgent script? I mean, you write The Crucible and Death of a Salesman , you think you can do anything on a stage? Come on. The girl who played Maggie was very good. Oh, and the girl who played Louise was strong, as well. Am I too harsh?

After what I felt was a very disastrous audition, I am pleased to announce that I will be playing the part of Kalinda in El Muchacho at the Fringe this year. This is the Mexican version of The Mikado and Kalinda is the parallel role to Katisha. Very fun I should think! Thank goodness I got to sing the second song since I forgot the words to the first song I sang. I think I have replayed the audition in my head so many times since and even though I tried to "put it in the bubble and send it away" I was unable to. Now I have no excuse.

What a great Opening! I felt so good about everything. The whole night was great. Despite there being 3 plays it moved along quite quickly (I could have done without the scene changes in the second show - scene changes? In a 30 minute play?!). I was so gratified by the audible sniffling and wiping of the tears in the time between our show and the next. Mark thinks I am mean to want people to cry, but I feel that this is one way for me to tell that it works. I was also so pleased by the partial standing ovation the cast received. It was so spontaneous and I think that if our show had been last in the line up it would have been the whole audience. What a wonderful feeling. Oh yeah, and I loved my RED DRESS!

Last night I saw a dress rehearsal of my play. Definitely a more real world now than it was 2 weeks ago when I last saw it. I am happy with it. Things were not exactly as I saw in my head, but the story is being told and I think it works. Can't wait until Monday night. Too much to do in between now and then. Unfortunately with Monday being a holiday I am not sure what I can do that day. I will figure it out. Besides, anything that can't be done for Opening can be done for Closing.

THEATRE FROM CRADLE TO STAGE ARE ONE ACTS TO FOLLOW DAVID BERRY / david@vueweekly.com Anyone who writes plays in this city will tell you that the hardest part isn’t so much getting the idea, or finding its structure, or even fleshing it out into a workable bit of art—it’s finding a place to put it on. The sad reality is that even in a city with Edmonton’s myriad outlets for new work—everything from the Fringe’s blind lottery draw to the festivals and workshops devoted entirely to new works—establishing yourself on the scene can be something next to impossible without a couple big breaks.So when recent Fort McMurray expat Kristen Finlay found out about From Cradle to Stage, the Walterdale’s initiative to not only produce a new work, but also spend a year developing the play with the help of one of their directors and a dramaturge from the Alberta Playwrights Network, it didn’t take much convincing to get her to pull a play from her catalogue and try to take advantage of a rare opportuni

On Sunday I did an over-the-phone interview with David Berry from the Vue. Today I did an over-the-phone interview with Christine Chomiak from CBC. I hope I sounded okay. I think I said what I wanted to, but it is hard to be clever and brilliant and sparkling on the spot. I did think about my answers before the interviews, but you never know what you will be asked. Still, it is exciting. I will be picking up a copy of the Vue tomorrow (and so should all of you). I also encourage you to listen to CBC Radio at 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning. Or not. I wish I knew how I would sound before I recommended it. Tonight is media call. I am going, but I don't know if I am needed. Then I will scoot over to the CBC monologues dealie across the street. I have an idea for a one person show so it probably isn't bad to get some tips and ideas.

Whew! I have been busy. That's my excuse, anyhow. I did do one post but it was on that day when we got the notice about this blog being "down" so for some reason it did not post. No worries. I also need to blame Facebook a little. Those of you who know Facebook totally understand! On the weekend,. Chanteuses sang at the Columbian Choirs Night on Broadway . It was a very nice couple of evenings at the Royal Glenora Club. Dress rehearsal was one of the worst rehearsals I have ever had. When I left I was deeply worried about the actual performance. Thanks to all those who cheer led me through that dark day and a half. The shows actually went quite well. I think Friday was a tighter show, but Saturday was when my family and friends were there, so it was special too. My sister came to Edmonton this weekend. It was a nice visit and despite having the concert on it was relatively low stress and NOT insane. Sometimes I have so much stuff on, it gets chaotic, bu

I quite enjoyed Hello Dolly yesterday. A strange feeling to see a show I have done before, but I think it was long ago that I was not constantly comparing in my head. I just sat and enjoyed it. It was so nice to hear Erin sing, as I had heard she was good, but never had the privilege before. I am glad to confirm the rumours were true! I also liked seeing and hearing Elizabeth as Dolly. I didn't get to see much of her in Fiddler because she was behind me in the Dream, but this was such a good role for her. I especially liked Act 2, but I think it has more momentum naturally because the first act is so much about "setting things up". I was very impressed with Brian's direction. That space has it's challenges and the set worked really well, but so did the way he used it. It was also nice to visit with Linette and find out about how she is doing. I am glad that I am able to "keep in touch" with some of the Magnolias (if not all). Later I had my

I got to go and see Dreamland Saturday Nights at the Varscona last night (Shadow Theatre). I was so glad. It was wonderful. I was so very impressed. What a lovely script and the actors were well cast. I thought a lot about it on the way home. It was so nice to go to a show where you knew right away that you liked it. I have been to so many that I had to think about it for a while before I could figure out what I relaly thought about it. I think that is a bad sign with regards to the shows in question. I find that there is a lot of theatre trying to be "dark and thought provoking" that it misses out on being well done. There is a real snobbery in the theatre community about "fluffier" stuff, you know, musical theatre and comedies. Often these are poo-pooed by the artsie-fartsies. I have a problem with that. I don't see anything wrong with entertaining people. As long as you do it well. This need to be dark and brooding is serverly over-rated. Besides, it is usua

I am entering a busy time if my wall calendar is any indication. Next week my sister comes to visit and I have Chanteuse's " Night on Broadway ". The following week is dress rehearsal for Pieces . I was going to go to more rehearsals but I am very happy with how it is going and I feel like my presence doesn't add anything so I think I will just go to the dress rehearsal on Friday, May 18th and then go to Opening Night. I am planning on going to Opening and Closing for sure and then maybe the Tuesday and the Friday as well. It may depend on how tired I am. It is just that I do not know if it will ever be produced again so I want to see it while I can! It feels very done to me. But you never know what that last element will do to the work. Audience. They can be very unpredictable and I think the different audiences may tell me something about the script. Had to go to Home Depot this morning and buy a new mini-fridge for the store. The old one died and everyt

I was invited to join FaceBook by my mother. I did and now I have a real problem. I am addicted and I don't get other stuff done! I have found a lot of friends and I am looking for more. CRAZY! For those who say computers are anti-social they do not understand how this works. What a great way to get in touch and find people you haven't seen for a while. I am lucky because I was a teacher and a lot of my students are on because it seems to be a "younger people" kind of thing, but I have found a lot of them and I think it is cool to see what they are up to. Anyhow, i hope I can curb my addiction and get back to work on my writing.

I went to "Footlights on Fashion" at Walterdale Theatre last night. I was solo because we had no baby sitter. I am not sure if we would have spent more or less at the Silent Auction had Mark been there. I came home with $288 worth of items. Actually they were probably worth more than that but that's what I paid. Of course, there were 2 items that I also really wanted that I lost in the final push of bidding. I only bid on things that I wanted and I knew I would use (theatre subscriptions, restaurant gift certificates, a gift for my Mom) and it was for a very good cause (Walterdale Theatre!). I would have loved to have come home with the painting but the minimum bid was $500.00. No one bid on it. I think they are putting it in today as well. I think that if Mark had been there we might have bid on it because we like having "real" art and we especially like Canadian artists. I just couldn't bid $500.00 without a consultation with Mark. Anyhow, the fashion sh

I went to Seacoast Studio's "10 Lost Years" last night with my friend AM. She studied at that studio when she did a year in Vancouver. Years ago I had taken a monologue workshop with Scott Swann at Dramaworks and it was AMAZING (I highly recommend it if he is ever back again - best weekend session ever). I had told her and she did the workshop and then signed on for the week long Shakespeare workshop with him and then a few years later she went and studied with him for a year. The Scott Swann method of learning and doing monologues is a very distinctive one. I really like it as a method of learning the stories and it is great at keeping the actors "present" on stage. There are some draw-backs though. Some of the actors were a little under-prepared. I think they relied on the method and didn't do as much work as they should have. The result was that two or three of the monologues lacked a narrative arc. The story was there and was told, and in char

Whew! Thursdays are busy! I now feel very tired, but it was a good day. Happy about my expected Income Tax Refund - YAY! Last year I had to pay so getting something back is a joyful thing! Happy about WW --> down another pound for a total of 16.4 lbs ! YAY! All those stroller walks this week have paid off. Happy about Chanteueses --> Jam packed rehearsal but my independent practice paid off when it came to Popular . I am good for the Mamma Mia stuff for the most part and most of my issues are with words. Overall I am in good shape and now at least I know where I have to put the work in. Nice dinner with AM at The Blue Plate Diner (Dine out for Life --> 25% of the bill goes to AIDS funding). I love Colonel Mustard's, but this was a nice change for the weekly dinner. Always a good conversation with AM and we talked about those things near and dear to us. Mostly theatre! Ha!

This weekend, Walterdale Theatre is having a Fashion Show/Silent Auction. I have been told that it is more than just a Fashion Show with a melodrama and scripted "bits" and it will be quite the show. It is also a Silent Auction with lots of bid on to help raise funds for the projects we are working on. In two years we will be having out 50th Anniversary Season, so we are hoping to have a few things to commemorate the birthday! Maurice Pharmacy (aka US) have donated 2 lovely baskets for the Silent Auction (one for each show). I love themes so one basket is " Preserve Your Theatre Memories" (a scrap-booking basket with paper and scissors and stickers, etc...) and the other is " For the Beginning Playwright" (full of blank journals, pens, books and writing, etc...). I had fun putting them together and I hope they bring in some cashola for the theatre! Oh yeah, if you want to come, call tix on the square!

I worked a BINGO last night as part of my Chanteuses commitment. I am sore today. Please don't laugh at my wimpiness. It probably didn't help that I had done 4 miles on the treadmill yesterday morning. With the amount of walking around the BINGO parlour I did I probably did another 4 miles. Next time I have to work a BINGO I shall bring a spare pair of shoes to change into since I hear that is what waitresses do. It's the whole "a change is as good as a rest" concept. With about and hour and 1/2 left in my shift I was asked if I could stay for the late shift for which I would receive a $35.00 registration credit (? - why was the initial BINGO worth a $100.00 deposit cheque?) but I kind of knew I would not be able to handle it. Anyhow, I shall do another next year if I am still in the choir. At least I know it will be a good work out.

Had fun tonight at the Century Casino . We went there to celebrate Magnolia's 30th birthday. It was nice to get dressed up and go out like grown-ups. It was also great to see other grown-ups, especially a couple of the Steel Ladies! So how do you lose $55.00 in less than 1/2 an hour? First you waste $15.00 in slot machines --> that will take about 5 minutes. Then lose $30.00 at Caribbean Stud Poker . I don't' even know quite how that game worked. That will take another 5 minutes. Then take the remaining $10.00 to the Blackjack tables and you will likely get about 20 minutes of play. I was "schooled" on how to properly signal for a hit or hold. The dealer didn't like my technique, but he was funny about it. Anyhow, Casinos are sad and surreal. Most of the people didn't look very happy, but we were!

I had missed a week at WW and got there today with Mom. I was happy to be down an additional 0.6 lbs for a total of 15.4 lbs. So I got another 5 lb sticker ('cause I like them!). I have to keep reminding myself that even though I have a long way to go (at least another 50 in my mind) I am doing great. I think because 15 is a small part of the total it doesn't feel as significant as I want it to. For some people 15 would be insurmountable. My new goal is to get my 10% by the end of the month. I think I can, I think I can...

As of last night I am back to brown hair. Okay, I left two blond peek-a-boos, but I am primarily brunette again. I did it myself as I am trying to cut back on the spending and it costs about $150.00 to get my hair coloured in the salon vs. $15.00 for the drugstore stuff. I would have stayed blond had I gone to a salon, but like I said, I am trying to be more restrained about the cash thing, oh, and because time for an appointment is so hard to find.

This is a tough one. It is so awful to hear about things like this. I flit from news report to a game and then back to a news report. So terrible to think that you can go to a "safe place" and not be safe. If I think about it too much I would have to keep the kids in the house all the time and home school them. But you can't live like that. And it was a tragedy, yes, but what percentage of the total murders in America yesterday were those 31 people? Hard to say. People always say things like "I never thought it could happen to me" when they go through tragedy, but you have to think that or else you would be paralyzed by fear.

I had a really nice visit with a good friend of mine who was in town this week. She and I both lived in Fort McMurray for many years and we did a show together ( Oliver ) when she first moved up there. I remember we were all very guarded about her at first because she was new to the theatre and the city and got the lead in the show. That is a tough position to be in for a person new to a theatre community. Anyhow, once we got to know her it was alright - better than that - because she was just as cool as we were (ha ha ha). I remember showing her how to paint on cleavage because she didn't have any and she played a whore. Anyhow, over the years I did a lot more shows and she did a few and started having kids. When I started having kids we were both pregnant at the same time twice, so that's kind of cool. She has 4 boys and I have 2 so they came over yesterday and tore around the house and had a good time. I got to visit with my friend and it was just like old times. L

I went to see Antony and Cleopatra at Walterdale Playhouse last night. I did find a date - two, in fact. My mom filled in for Mark and then at the last minute Mark showed up and bought a ticket. Mom and I went to Packrat Louie's before the show for a little supper and it was very lovely. I had only eaten 12 points earlier in the day so I was free to enjoy my dinner (I would've enjoyed it anyhow, but it was nice to know I was still being good points wise). The show was really well done. I was impressed with it overall. I think, however, because it is a play that I was completely unfamiliar with and a tragedy it was hard to leave it with a excited rush. I find that Shakespeare's language, no matter how much it is raved about, fortifies the fourth wall instead of opening it up. You never lose the sense that a Shakespeare Play is "happening now" because the language adds the the theatricality of the production. That being said, I don't mind that. It just prevents

I had one of those very vivid weird dreams last night. I don't know why. We were doing Steel Magnolias and for some reason the actress who played Truvy was late (a traffic thing) so the director stepped in for her. This was very strange and there were 2 guys in the show whose function I could not quite figure out. Then Truvy showed up and we explained to the audience and started over. There was also this strange sub-plot with treasure being hidden in the audience. I really have no idea what this dream was all about, but it was nice to see the chick from Steel Magnolias again, if only in my dreams. I am off to the Walterdale tonight to see Antony and Cleopatra . My date (read: husband) cancelled on me due to the busy-ness of work so I have to find a date or go solo. Know anyone who would like to see the show tonight for free?