Tell you all my secrets

So. 

I caught a cold. I was really sick Thursday and Hella-sick Friday, but not bad enough to call in.  The reception desk is right next to the Germophobe's desk and he was NOT pleased that I was there.  I know he complained/tattled to the Big Boss because as soon as he walked in, the Big Boss greeted me with "So I hear you're not doing so well!"  Ten minutes later he had the Lead Toy come down to take over the desk and make me go home.

So I went to the post office and then bunkered in for the day.  The Misfit Toy Christmas party was Friday, so I agonized over whether or not I should go.  On one hand, it's a cold.  On the other, I did get sent home and the Great Puritan Work Ethic says too sick to work = too sick to play.

We met

 CrownWench

for a drink at Roadhouse and then stopped by the party for a little bit.  It was nice, though we got there so late we missed the drink tokens and the tickets for fabulous prizes.  Invisiboss won a new tv.

Saturday I House Managed for one of the ATY Christmas shows during the day and we had the Brr-lesque Christmas party that night.  I was feeling shittier, but rallied, and even played some of the games.  I was first out at musical chairs and got a cash payoff for complaining that I deserved a consolation prize.  (turns out they did that for the Boy Who Kisses  JDawgsPI last year, so I won't feel bad.)  I creamed everybody at a memory game and won a Look gift certificate and was still asleep on the couch by 10:30 while LonelyDumptruck watched 
Boardwalk Empire.

Sunday Geolinguist and I went shopping for his sister and then we met LonelyDumptruck at Beartooth for White Christmas.  I'd never seen it before.  Next week they are showing Santa Conquers the Martians and we're all hoping to meet up for that.

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Long day. Lonelydumptruck was home sick so I snuck home for a map before my dentist appointment and dinner after. My teeth were so great the dentist thought my x-rays were old instead of ones taken today.

I will pay for today's slack tomorrow. School show, then I need to stop by Mr. and Mrs. Real Estate before they leave on vacation and the Big Boss asked me to ma'am the front desk at the Warehouse of Misfit Toys for a few hours. Then I have to drive across town to get the photos for the lobby for opening night. Oh, and feed the cats on the other side of town. @whee!

Still sound like hell. I called in sick to Mr. and Mrs. Real Estate's office today but I had a mandatory stagecraft class at the Center. They figured out that since they make theatre, all the staff should have a basic @clue about how to tell a cyclorama from a scrim, what the procenium arch is and so on. It was dead easy. After that we had fire extinguisher training. Now THAT was fun! He set gasoline on fire inside a contained metal dish and we all took turns putting it out and then we got to go home.

1. How was your weekend?

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I am officially sick. I lost my voice while I was House Managing last night. Such a treat. I have rehearsal tonight too. Last time I lost my voice I was directing A Christmas Story. My stage manager made a show of duct taping my mouth closed so I wouldn't try to talk too much, but we had to cut a hole in it so I could drink my Diet Coke. I keep threatening that I'm just going to text the actors notes while they go through the scene tonight. Can't you see it? *Beepbeep* "Stop sucking!" :)

The nephew turns 4 tomorrow so LonelyDumptruck went to breakfast and then I completely wore myself out shopping for toys. We only went to one store, but there was way too much cool stuff to look at, way too much! It reminded me of when my mom told me that, when I was a baby, she and dad would have a couple drinks and play with my toys after I went to sleep.

I bought another box of Christmas cards. Since I've been collecting addresses I suppose it's time to avoid doing real work by watching something on TV and actually writing a few cards.

I've been covering the desk full-time since our attendance-optional receptionist left. Office Friend was supposed to be pulled off driving to take the desk, but this seems to be working out better for now. We're hiring, though, so Zod only knows what will happen next.

lonelydumptruck went home sick today. I wanted to join him more than anything in the world, but I'm completely shackled to the desk. Little Boss is out with kidney stones and the accompanying surgeries until at least Friday so they only way I'll get to leave work is if I barf on the Germ-o-Phobe's shoes.

After work I went to the play selection committee for ACT. Only 5 of us made it. Most of the plays on the short list to consider for the next meetings are ones I suggested or spoke out in favor of doing. I feel really good about that.

After the meeting was Afterlife rehearsal. We're finally getting some momentum, which feels really good. Plus I actually *acted* in a couple of the scenes. Who knew?

In back news, the hokey-pokey rib is becoming a fairly good barometer. It's hurt like hell right before the last 3 snowfalls. @whee.

I think I finally have the crud on the ropes, as opposed to the last week in which it has been the other way around. I called in sick on Wednesday, made it until 2 Thursday (which wasn't that impressive since I had doc visits from 9:30 until Noon) and didn't go in until Noon on Friday. I was feeling so bad I even canceled rehearsal on Thursday night and we broke out the new mandolin and fryer to make sweet potato fries instead.

Friday night we went to Bradley House where the $9 spinach salad just barely filled a small plate. I was pissed enough that I asked the waitress if she's accidentally brought me the side salad instead. She had the gall to try to sell me a SECOND $9 salad and, when I said 'Oh Zod no.' she 'got confused' and brought one anyway. I sent it back.

Saturday I slept in nice and late and then we went to an anniversary BBQ for our friends Carl and Michelle. Mike bought a table to the TBA fundraiser and invited us to come along. My shoulder has been bugging me a lot, so we left early and played some Left 4 Dead before going to drink with scooterpbakes and the actors he dresses in Lion King.

Today all I have accomplished is picking up some sheet music for Harvey and killing some zombies. I should be picking out shots for the publicity photos this week and writing my bio and director's notes, but I think I am going to put that off until after rehearsal. It should be a short one today since we're just blocking Veta into Act 3 and running it a few times. Wednesday we blocked Wilson into Act 3 and ran it a few times, so it should go smooth like butter. Veta has been sick with the crud too and I don't want to wear her out tonight since we running Acts all week.

Really, I am.

We saw Lion King last night and, lo, it did not suck. There was still plenty of snarking to be had, don't worry.

Right now we have Arrested Development paused while lonelydumptruck makes gin fizzes. I still have the goat flu from the fair (damn goat!).

We finally got an Xbox 360 and many zombies have been slain. We can also watch Netflix with it, so that is like having cable again.

Week 1 of blocking is done for Harvey. Both the sound designer and the person doing the paintings are AWOL, but that is the only stress so far. That might be because I haven't taken a really good look at the prop list yet, though.

More to come!

I've got my first directing gig for 2010 - This is Where We Came In by Alan Ayckbourne at Cyrano's!! There was mention of doing it earlier but that didn't work out. I'm a little sad about that but so, so pleased overall.

Spamalot was great - we sat in house seats in row H so we could actually SEE some of the bits like one of the plague corpses wearing 2 hooks for hands and Patsy re-enacting Arthur's stories.

There is more, but I have to go to the dentist. I scheduled it for 7am back when I was doing Velveteen Rabbit and would have to be downtown by 8 anyway.

We survived the opening of the show. Thursday and Friday were both sold out and got standing ovations. Yesterday's crowd was pretty small, but that was to be expected. We did get a very thoughtful review which should help.

Easter was laid-back overall. We went to Mommie and Eddie's for dinner. An old friend of theirs was in town and he made a special dinner for all of us - 2 kinds of pork loin. Mommie has been really sweet about remembering I can't have potatoes. Last family dinner she made a bowl of rice for me and she let their friend know for yesterday's dinner and he made a parsnip dish with bacon on top.

I had my six month checkup on the brace last week. On paper, it still looks like my curves are getting worse, but that is only because we have managed to beat back the swelling between the vertebrae so much you can actually measure from the places you are supposed use when calculating the curve. Dr. Buddy and I practically did a jig when we saw that. In all my x-rays until now it looked like some of the discs were just sitting one on top of the other. I barely have the words to share how much of an improvement this is.

I'm still having bad days, but I'm feeling like I string more good days together. My lower back has been getting twingy, but not too bad. The lump has yet to leave my shoulder, but the last two Saturday mornings I've been wiggling around trying to get comfortable in bed and I've heard a huge, clean 'SNAP' of a pop somewhere in my left shoulder/back. The lump generally smaller for the rest of the weekend but a little more swollen in front after those. No idea what is moving in there, but any movement is good.

Tonight is my night off for the week, I start training to House Manage the big theatre with Spamalot tomorrow night.

Yeah, life's pretty full.

I'm on sick day #4 with this crud. I tried to go in for a few hours yesterday but I wore out quickly. I also forgot one of my co-workers is completely germ-phobic. He works in the downstairs office, so Little Boss had to cover the receptionist's breaks and lunch. I was going to try to make it until 1:00, since I usually cover lunch, but as soon as the Big Boss realized the desk was covered without me because they didn't want me touching anything downstairs, he decided he didn't want me touching anything upstairs and sent me home.

I did need it, though. I went in for a nap and I was SOUND asleep when lonelydumptruck came in to tell me one of the actors was here to pick me up. He asked if I was going, and I took one look at him in his coat and said "Noooo."

My smart little brain told me that if lonelydumptruck was wearing his coat, that meant he was going to work and I already knew I wasn't going in Friday morning since the big Boss sent me home. Luckily I woke up enough to realize when the hell I was and ran out in time to catch my ride to rehearsal.

The show is going well. The director is out of town for a few days, so the goal for the week is to get the actors off-book. I'm really enjoying stage managing again, it's kind of like slipping into a pair of comfy slippers. One of the actors sent the script to Valdez to be considered for one of the evening performances so - fingers crossed.