After Ashland we headed West, to Coos Bay, OR. (Check out Grilla Bites if you ever are in Ashland, organic and healthy, not too expensive.) It's actually a really quaint place, and we have some very good friends there, so the road trip took a nice early 3 day break of just relaxing and watching youtube with people our age. We also ate at a Thai restaurant and I got to play some FPS that I thought I never would with a pretty reasonable coplayer. He didn't kill me. How nice of him!

The Oregon coast is amazingly beautiful. Reuben took us to see some hidden bays and coves where he used to kayak with his dad. It was magical, wonderful, perfectly clear. There were a lack of dogs (which was nice) and the water was surprisingly warm (which is even nicer). It was a good little fun stay at home thing. Staycation almost, except we drove bunches of miles to get there. I miss it.

Life lately has been lots of ups and downs. I think that's what comes with unemployment. If I was employed, I wouldn't have had such a wonderful summer, but I'd have money. Anyway. Not being in a show has been nice, even after dropping out of Pirates. Yep, dropping out of a show made me feel good. What does that say about me? What does that say about my art? That I want to drop it? It's just so hard. I don't know what to say about that, but I think this really comes from the area I'm in. More and more I feel I'm wasting my time (and my youth) in a horrible area for art. It's an old area, one that sucks your soul. Then you spiral down and think that you're a bad actor. You know, it all just goes downhill. Boo!

I've been on a road trip for the past 16 days. Right now I'm in Missoula, Montana at the Windam (?) hotel. They have waterslides, which I really want to go, but my body says a nap might be a little better. We started in Marin, and left to go to Ashland to the Shakespeare festival. The car we rented is a white beast of a thing. It's pretty magical in bad weather and on bad roads. I now know why people buy those big ass stupid cars. Not that I will ever, but hell, I can be a hypocrite for a month.

Anyway. Ashland was lovely, and the drive up was beautiful. Even though it's in Oregon, it felt more like Northern California, especially places like Carmel. Rich, elite. It was a little different because it was a university town; there were some pretty cool book and game stores in the shittier neighborhoods of town, but downtown near the Shakespeare festival was very much for the rich and the tourists. And "Throne of Blood" was pretty bad, but that seems to be the consensus that comes from everyone when one goes to Ashland to see the shows. Pity. We also saw "The Social Network" at a movie theatre there. Good. Not great, but it made me want to join Diaspora when it comes out.

We camped in Ashland for two nights. It was fun, but there was a Creepo two sites over that looked like he slept in his very dirty car. I'm glad we weren't killed. Mostly because we were able to enjoy the campsite better. Camping's fun, if dirty.

There's a lot in between Ashland and Missoula. 14 days, in fact, but I'm feeling a little homesick, so that'll be saved for later.

Buddha.

Lunch today.

My Summer

My days have been filled with a shit ton of rehearsal for this summer repertory theatre that I'm doing in Santa Rosa. It's incredibly fun to be doing nothing but theatre for the summer, and there's a part of me that wishes I was doing more than one show with them. But then my rational mind remembers that it's not that much money, and I'm not housed full time up there like everyone else, and my part time housing roommate is kind of a flake. So that's fun.

For the most part, it's amazingly fun! Yesterday we learned Michael Jordan's Ball for 3 hours, and while that is a little much for one rehearsal, it was a terrific workout, and I'm sore as hell today. If only something like that could happen every day, I wish I could dance every day and not have to pay for it, that's really the thing, isn't it?

The rest of the process has been great, except for the director and I have a conflict on You Rule My World. I'm right, and that's not just me gloating; I know the song and have been studying it for about 6 years as an audition song. I did eventually convince him partially, but he has an idea, and since I called him on it, he backpedaled and realized I was right, but with his idea wrapped in there, saying that both can work.

I knew it would be like that, I knew that he would take my idea and make it his own. He's not a bad director, but he is definitely the type to rely on the talent of the actors and then take all the credit. Fine with me really, as long as I get to make my art and it's nourished rather than hindered by the director. That and he kind of talked to me like I was an idiot. He did backpedal on that today as well, when I talked to him, he said I was a very talented actor. So that was pleasant.

In any case, I'm just going to do my thing and see what happens. It might just end up being exactly what he had in mind. Wouldn't that be fun?

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Also, I'm currently signing up for Tai Chi classes. We'll see if I like them. I kinda hope that I do. And I also hope it's not full of old hippies. That's my biggest worry, I think. And my goal for after the show is to start eating better and working out. Dammit.

And I'm making a lot of new friends at SRT. So that's neat.

Warning: Includes Boring Theatre Talk

Had a bit of a reimagining of my life this morning, which resulted in me picking out some classes and other stuff to do this summer. I think I just need to stay busy, so through classes and volunteering and starting The Full Monty tomorrow, I think it'll be a good evolution of me into the person I really want to become. It was through a pretty awesome heart to heart with Monica, and although she can be abrupt sometimes with her advice, it's always right, and always sound... it's just me who's the sensitive one.

The classes I've chosen are Beginning Capoera and Tai Chi. And maybe a swimming thing at College of Marin. I haven't decided that yet. But hopefully the two classes will make me more centered, build more stamina, and pull me out of this goddamned funk that I've been in for so long. It's just bettering oneself, and that only happens when one is proactive. Too bad it took me two years to get on board for this. Blah. Also, after Full Monty, I'll take some voice acting classes; that's really the only way to break into that field.

So in other news, I'm doing The Full Monty, and I have to be at the theatre for the first meeting tomorrow at 8:30 AM. Who rehearses that early? I guess it's what pro theatres do, do it like a job job, rehearsing throughout the day, but still, it's... just going to be tough getting there as early as possible, leaving here an hour and a half earlier to get to Santa Rosa on time. If this part wasn't so amazing, I would never have taken it. But, that's how it always goes, doesn't it?

I hope this wasn't a bad idea to accept this... but there's not much to do about it now, and it's only two months out of my life. If it sucks, it'll be done soon, and I can rock the acting out enough that if I'm not quite there with singing, I'm sure it'll end up okay. And hell, I have a Embers of War, a staged reading thing, that I'm doing as well, right at the same time, so that'll be fun to flex a different acting muscle. BORING THEATRE TALK DONE.

Worst Set Design Ever.

Armstrong Tree