Hanging On

My show opens one week from Friday. Eek! This week has been crazy, and today was the perfect example. I started this morning with a meeting from 8:00 to 9:45. I went right to my second meeting during 1st hour, then I taught for the rest of the day. I worked after school until 5:30 or so. I ran home to grab dinner, check the mail, and let the dog out. I was at church for handbell practice at 6:30 and choir at 7:30. After that, I went to rehearsal for my show from 8:30 until about 10:15. I went and saw Andrew for a few minutes, and now I'm home, doing one last e-mail check before I grade some papers. I seriously need more hours in the day. I have a pretty wretched sore throat, so I'm keeping an eye on that. I have a 30 minute window on Friday morning that I could work in a doctor's appointment, if needed. Also, I need SLEEP!

Off the subject, please keep my friend Jeff and his family in your prayers. His dad is in the hospital ICU, and it's been a very bad day. Please send him some positive energy. I know his mom and sister could use some too, and of course, his dad. I'm thinking of you, Jeff. Hang in there! :)

Gray, Cold, Wet

Gray, cold, wet, rainy, gloomy, ugh. That's the weather today. I had to drive to my meeting in Ottumwa in it. I had to drive back home in it. I have to miss the meteor shower tonight because of it. I want to ignore it and snuggle in until it leaves. Boo to you, rain and clouds! :(

It Does the Heart Good

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Josh-Cribbs-walks-with-late-coach-s-son-on-his-s?urn=nfl,202608

In this day and age where celebrities and athletes are idolized, here is one who is worthy. Paying it forward. Class act.

Weekly Update

Weird and wild week. Last weekend was a little depressing with the Hawkeyes' loss, but it was a beautiful day to be out at Kinnick Stadium. At least there's no pressure this Saturday against Ohio State. Andrew & I are having a few people over for the game. We've been planning it for quite awhile. It will be fun, even if it will be a tough one to win.

Monday was the only normal day at school. This is conference week, so we have early dismissals on Tuesday and Thursday, with our normal late start on Wednesday. No school on Friday. I've had rehearsals after conferences and after church choir this week for the new show I'm doing called "A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol." It will be a cute show, but we only have 2 1/2 weeks to rehearse, so it will be crazy! I definitely need to watch Fargo and work on my Minnesota/Norwegian accent. We'll be performing Thanksgiving weekend and then again two weeks later. It's nice to think that, even though it will be a stressful few weeks, that it will all be over in a month!

I'm really looking forward to sleeping late tomorrow, but then I need to get on the stick and work on lines. It's going to be a busy weekend full of rehearsals, so I need to start getting a grasp on the lines I'll be PERFORMING in just 2 weeks and 1 day. EEK! I shouldn't have written that. Now I'm panicking.

This is totally unrelated, but I saw this clip on Facebook and on my cousin Anne's blog in honor of Veteran's Day. Only a heart of stone could not be moved by this reunion. I'd never thought about pets of soldiers before. Maybe you haven't either until now. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Nap Dreams

Today I napped while Andrew went into work. I sometimes have weird dreams when I sleep in the middle of the day, but this one was awesome. I dreamt that the door going into Andrew's formal living room (dubbed the Adult Room when his kids were little) led to a little theater. It was a great space with a rounded stage like at Spayde, but it was much smaller. It had a few rows of seats, no more than 25 or so. It was deep and had 4 doors around the back leading offstage... wish I would have checked those out in my dream! I was painting the stage a dark charcoal gray, but it wasn't level, and the paint wasn't covering like I wanted it to. I started picking away at one of the bumps, and the paint started peeling off. I realized it was going to be much easier to peel away the layers than to add another one on top. As I peeled away big sections of paint, I could tell by what was underneath what shows had been done. There were even (for some weird, odd, dreamy reason) actual production posters in each layer. I remember thinking, "Cool! My Fair Lady!" as I ripped away this poster and a layer of Pepto pink paint. Underneath it all was a beautifully worn wooden floor, rubbed smooth by thousands of feet in thousands of previous shows. I remember thinking that I couldn't wait to have a party there or to make the theater a cool new room of Andrew's house. Wouldn't that be awesome... to have your house attached to a small, old little theater? I love dreams.

Happy Halloween!

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Fall, 2009 pictures

Gay, Heather, Duane, Jeff, Tom, Andrew, & me... Cheesecake Factory, the night before we saw Wicked

Andrew's first Hawkeye game

the gorgeous tree across the street from my house

The same gorgeous tree 3 days later... I hope they never rake... the ground is as pretty as the tree was!

the surprise I had waiting outside Andrew's door when he got home from New Jersey on Sunday night

What's Bugging Andy?

My favorite part of Sunday night is WHO's Soundoff on Channel 13. This was such a great weekend to be a football fan in the state of Iowa. Soundoff was full of football love last night. The highlight for me was "What's Bugging Andy?" Oh man, I was DYING watching it. This is the first Soundoff Andrew has ever seen, and I think he's hooked. Take a look... (Frank, you're going to LOVE this!)



I honestly think I'm as happy about the Cyclone win as the Hawkeye win. If you didn't see the ISU coach's locker room talk to his players, you have to watch it. I tear up every time I see it. This speech alone is enough to make me start rooting for the Clones... until they play my Hawkeyes, of course! ;) Skip right to 1:05 for the good stuff.

8 & 0!!!!!!

I seriously almost threw up during the Hawkeye game last night. The feeling was so similar to when we saw "The Catch" at the Capital One Bowl a few years ago. Last night, it was Marvin McNutt who saved the game for us. The Hawkeyes have an 8 & 0 record for the first time in school history. It was beeeeeeeeeautiful! Go right to 7:43 if you just want to see the last amazing play. GO HAWKS!!!

Go State!

Yes, you heard it correctly. I'm cheering for Iowa State. This weekend, they're up against my most loathed team in college football... the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Come on, Cyclones... pound those Huskers into the mud!!!!!!