Weird Feelings. Included: Autos

I now have a car.

I honestly didn't think this would happen; and really, it DIDN'T happen. The car isn't mine, I'm just borrowing it for a month - it really isn't all that different from me borrowing my mom's car. There is a difference, however: I don't need to check in with anyone, or do anything other than keep it all nice and neat and running until the month is over. It's kind of a strange feeling. But that's not the only strangeness I've been feeling.

Two evenings ago I received a message from Jeffrey Trotter, from North Bay Shakespeare; I was just cast as Bottom in Midsummer. Cool news! And I'd be paid the max $500 bucks from the run. Later than evening I received another call, it was from the Moscow Art Summer Academy; I'm in, and I can go and train with weird russians for six weeks. Cool news! I pretty much HAVE to do that, since it's with Harvard and ART, but all the Good News made my mind all weirdy mcweirderson. I sent out an email to Academy, asking about scholarships and who actually referenced me; I want to make sure it's not some kind of weird scam.

In stupid news, no word from Hawaii or from LA. Seems to me, then, that I need to get off my ass and continue to apply for these other places - as late in the game it might be. I want to see if I can even get SOMETHING else, a third tier, or a double backup, so that I'm not totally screwed at the end of the summer. Besides, if the real schools come through, I can totally just say "oh, I found something better. Thanks."

The really cool thing is that is an amazing excuse when it comes to what I want to do with my summer. The very fact that I HATE turning things down, but have to as an actor, has always given me pause. But now that I'm in something associated with Harvard, and have been (I think...) accepted into an MFA program, that kinda trumps all the shows. "Bottom? Sorry, I have Harvard. Small part in a stupid show for a pittance of Equity points? MFA program over here." It's a neat feeling, sort of like having the upper hand, but not reallly. It's more like that... I don't know really how it makes me feel.

Joan said, last night, that the summer class thing, "Couldn't happen to a better man." That was very flattering. She also said, after a round of jokes by me ("see, watch out, Violet's going to be like me in 24 years"), "That would be perfectly fine by me." I've been getting a lot of praise lately. I am a hard worker, and a good dude, I think... so maybe that's paying off.

Anyway. I want to thank Joan again for the use of her car (and the potential buying of her car for $500 bucks!) It's a 98 Saturn, 167k miles on it. Not terrible, especially since she said, "Just drive it around and see how you like it, and decide later." When we're on the same wavelength, she really is a really cool person. It seems like I'm hitting a bout of luck. Wish some more for me, will you?