Little Dragon Fruit

P.S. From Previous Post

2012-01-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I forgot Tuesday. There I was reading an e-mail from the school that said "As you know, tonight is the K-2 Talent Show..." Huh? As I know? Start time: 6:00. Current time: 5:55. I mentioned this to Jarrah. She didn't hesitate: "Let's go. I don't need dinner." We jumped in the car, leaving the broccoli in the lurch. For two years, I've been hoping Jarrah would enter the

V. Busy And Important

2012-01-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

Nothing harshes a post-massage buzz like turning on your phone and discovering you've just flaked on meeting a friend at the gym. Maybe there's something to all this "I'll check my calendar" business everyone's always going on about. I feel so guilty. And wanna know just how much of a space-case I am? I actually worked out before my massage. Totally oblivious. Ugh.But in my defense (just a

Blame It On The Rain

2012-01-23T09:19:00.001-08:00

Rainy morning as I staze into the wet street. (That's a combination of "stare," "gaze" and "daze.") Soooo tempted to get back in bed. No one here to stop me.Cold is almost better. I was pretty tired there for a few days but at least I didn't have to go to rehearsal at night. Another reason I'm glad about that is my car stopped working on Thursday morning. I was getting off the freeway about

A Person Can Develop A Cold

2012-01-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a good run, but it's over.I'm sick. Waaah. And being a big baby about it. Oh, it's just a little cold. Feels like a fast-moving one, too--I didn't even get that tell-tale preview sore throat. I just started feeling really weird yesterday afternoon after my productive morning of preparing a Crock Pot dinner and sweating out two hours at the gym.What is this feeling? So thirsty.

"It Was The Present Of A Friend."

2012-01-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

When I was a child, there was no internet. We weren't allowed to watch TV during the day. Phone calls were strictly limited because we had to keep the line free in case my dad was needed to deliver a baby. And yes, I also walked to school three miles in the snow and uphill both ways, but that's a story for another time, Dear Ones.Readers, I was a reader. That's what I did. If you asked me to

Fine, Upstanding, Healthy, Normal

2012-01-12T17:57:00.001-08:00

So I got cast after all. I know! As "Adult Chorus." As far as I can tell, it means we have half as many songs as the "Teen Chorus." But it's Bye Bye Birdie, so I guess it makes sense for the teens to sing a lot. I'm just all about the gratitude.When the director called, I was so busy going Squeeeee! over him that I had to stop at one point and go "Wait. You were actually saying something.

Perchance To Dream

2012-01-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, I'm a weepy mess. Maybe because I haven't slept this week. Well, I finally slept last night because I knocked myself out with an Ambien, but for the four (!) nights previous I averaged about two hours. Why? Hmm. Maybe because we're back on this inhumane school schedule of waking in the dark. Maybe because I had a big audition this week.Oh yeah, the audition. I had high

The Jarrah Alphabet (Version 7.0)

2012-01-02T11:18:00.000-08:00

A is for Amanda. Jarrah's 18-year-old pretend alter-ego, and apparently a friend of mine who likes to stop by for coffee to chat about her kid, Xavier, and movies we've both seen.B is for Bossy. On playgrounds across the world, the sound you hear is my daughter telling strangers what to do and how to do it. Wonder where she gets that?C is for Chess. New favorite game to play with Daddy.

Winter Wonderland

2011-12-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

If it's December, it must be time for holiday parties. Today I did a presentation on Hanukkah (I really prefer the spelling "Chanukah," but it's slightly less used) in Jarrah's classroom. Tomorrow, I'll be the dealer in a cutthroat game of dreidel, but today...today was all about the food.The second I arrived, they were like "I smell fried chicken." I was like "That's 'cause you smell oil.

And How Ironic Is It That I Sang "Nothing?"

2011-12-06T03:23:00.000-08:00

I don't like bad feelings. Nope, never have. And will go to any lengths to avoid them. Just not a fan.I'm having a bad feeling right now that I'd like to get over. It's disturbing my sleep, in fact. Bolted awake just now, at 3 a.m., with the bad feeling taking center stage. What is it? Embarrassment? Sort of. Regret? Disbelief? Sadness? It seems to keep morphing into something slightly

What I Couldn't Do Was...I Could Never Really...

2011-12-01T18:45:00.000-08:00

David is without an office for the foreseeable future (don't worry, he's not fired) so we've had the weird yet pleasant experience of having him around during the day. I'm trying to be respectful of his work time, but I will confess I'm already taking advantage of occasions when I want to dash somewhere for a v. important appointment without Jarrah in tow. Right now my v. important appointments

Worth Two In The Bush

2011-11-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had a brush with some "enthusiasts." I'd always been curious about the Tijuana Estuary Nature Preserve in Imperial Beach, and since we'd been gifted with an 80 degree day in November, I pushed a visit onto the weekend agenda. Since I control the weekend agenda (David and Jarrah's would read "tinker with electronic things" and "watch Phinneus and Ferb" respectively) it was sort of a

Big Thanks

2011-11-26T10:47:00.001-08:00

My niece Lilah, at nearly nine months, is the chillest baby I've ever met. She's the kind of baby where you'd think, "Well, we might as well have 17 more of these, because it's a piece o' cake." I mean no disrespect to my own child. She was a mighty cute baby, too, but man, she wasn't easy. Lilah is the kind of baby who not only never cries, she never even looks perturbed. If you meet her

And...Strike!

2011-11-21T19:42:00.000-08:00

A sort of melancholy day, as the first day following the strike of a show always is. I had coffee with my friend Lisa, visiting from San Francisco, and asked her "You know that feeling after a show, where you might be sad, you might be relieved, you might be nostalgic, you might be in limbo, and you're not sure, but you know you're feeling SOMETHING kind of a lot?" Yeah, she knew.To cheer

The Things She Carried

2011-11-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

"I'm sorry, Mommy.""Well, I'm still a little mad! I told you I really had to do one thing this afternoon and I needed some quiet time to do it! [I'm Alumnae Secretary for my class at Smith College and the column was due today.] I made you a nice lunch. Even dessert. I let you watch "Fishhooks." But I still had you pounding on the door and screaming?!?"Her eyes filled with tears. I thought

"Oh? Who Did That?"

2011-11-13T17:28:00.000-08:00

Just got home from the theater after our first weekend of shows. Have a somewhat pea soup head. Not surprising after seven straight days and nights at the theater, plus two full-length rehearsals before that. Today the kids backstage had out their textbooks and their belabored notebook sheets covered with algebra equations, preparing to re-enter their real world on the morrow.Opening weekend

iBliss

2011-11-08T10:32:00.001-08:00

I have a friend who for some time has referred to her iPhone as her boyfriend. I had no idea what this meant. Isn't it just a phone? I mean, a cute phone, that has the internet, but even so?Readers, I just got my first iPhone. And not only my first iPhone, my first ever smartphone. And, wow. Just wow. I get it.I want to carry its small but substantial and smooth weight wherever I go--can

Roar and Glare

2011-11-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

We are in the theater. After rehearsing in a junior high common room for six weeks, we're finally on the real stage, with the real sets, and I'm doing some painfully real stumbling over chairs and beds that I didn't know were going to be there.But would I trade it for all the Gucci shoes in the world? Not a chance. Hell Week is the best. The excitement of being in the theater for the first

Culture and Stuff

2011-11-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

Sam: I noticed that one of your friends had a scythe at the Halloween parade this morning. I thought weapons weren't allowed. (mumbles) Maybe that's not really a weapon. But it's pointy.Jarrah: What's a scythe?Sam: I guess he was the Grim Reaper.Jarrah: Grim Reaper? What does that mean?Sam: Well, it's...another name for Death.Jarrah: WHAT?Sam: (giggles)Jarrah: WHAT'S SO FUNNY?Sam:

Wet and Dirty Fun

2011-10-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Had a great birthday yesterday at Glen Ivy. Really, I'm not sure why everyone doesn't celebrate their birthday there, especially since the birthday child gets in free.It's difficult to get people to road trip on a weekday, but since I'm in rehearsals most weekends I wanted to keep to the day. Celebrants were dropping out at an alarming rate, but then Karina came through, and her friend Jackie (

PSA Gone Wrong

2011-10-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

Leaving the supermarket yesterday afternoon, we passed two @16-year-olds walking in, a boy and a girl.Jarrah: Mommy! Were they teenagers?Sam: I think so.Jarrah: What? What are they doing shopping without their mommy and daddy?Sam: Well, teenagers do a lot of things without their mommies and daddies. They're almost grown, so even though they live with their mommies and daddies, they do most

Everything The Traffic Will Allow

2011-10-18T20:43:00.001-07:00

I heart North Park Vaudeville. Why, Dear Readers? Let me count the ways.1. Summer and Jeff (the owners) gave us roses on opening night and thank you cards (thank you cards! with a personal message!) after the last show.2. The backstage is small, but there is a party in the alley behind the theater that goes on for three hours. I had heard about the popcorn, chips and soda--what I didn't

Drama Mama

2011-10-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

My little show at the North Park Playwrights Festival opens tonight. Last night we had a really fun tech dress. Turns out my play is on the program last, which is kind of cool. Last night we got all the details and ran the seven plays for each other and our directors. It was a lively group. It was fun to see the theater with stage light and the red velvet curtain in operation--it's very cozy

Ahoy, Me Halloween Hearties

2011-10-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

Last night marked the debut of this year's Halloween ensemble: Introducing PIRATE GIRL!And in the Uncanny Coincidence of 2011, Joy ended up getting the same costume! So cute, though that ramped up the number of "Are they twins?" comments for the evening considerably (probably understandable.)Their October coming-out party was Legoland's "Brick or Treat," a nighttime spectacular of candy, magic,

Trust In The Process

2011-10-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

Rainy afternoon. It's been coming all day, wind whipping around the courtyard at school, steely skies where it's normally like being on the face of the sun. I've been looking forward to it, and how wonderful to be snug at home when it started, listening to Jarrah speak softly to her pile of naked Barbies (did they ever have clothes?)Just had an indoor playdate with my friend Amy, whom I haven't

"I Can No Other Answer Make"

2011-09-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today I taught my last Friday Nia class at the YMCA. I've been teaching this particular class for eight years. Eight years! But I didn't have the numbers anymore, and it didn't make good business sense for them to keep it going. I get that. When I was younger, I got a bit more freaked out about things ending. Now, I just try to be impressed that whatever it is lasted as long as it did.

Days of Wine and Poses

2011-09-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

We had an impromptu get-away to Temecula this weekend for the Temecula Valley Film Festival. Our film Sublime Intervention was screening there as part of the 48 Hour Film Project showcase, and we had All-Access Filmmaker passes.Mary and Paul generously agreed to host Jarrah for a sleepover, so David and I decided to maximize the experience by staying in a hotel near the festival (it's about an

Fun With History And Literature

2011-09-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

In Starbucks, waiting for my car. I'm ostensibly having an oil change, but that's usually just an excuse for them to call me with all kinds of fun ideas for what else to fix. Which is okay, because I'd rather pay a couple hundred now than eight hundred when the thing starts smoking on the freeway. (Not that I'd know anything about that, you understand.)I've blogged in this Starbucks before,

And The Land Was Dark

2011-09-09T03:33:00.001-07:00

3:30 and not a creature is stirring after the Great San Diego Blackout of 2011. Of course, there are sounds, all the important ones: the fan over my head, the HEPA filter, and the oh-so-reassuring hum of my computer. Not sure why I'm up.It was a weird evening, but ultimately, a nice one. It started around 3:45 p.m. while I was puzzling over Pinterest (why do I not understand the internet?)

First

2011-09-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

Today was Jarrah's first day of first grade. I'd like to give you details, but a certain someone is so jaded now that all I heard about was the chocolate chip cookies the teacher NEXT DOOR gave her kids. Though apparently chip-withholding, New Teacher is nice, classmates are nice (she made friends with a Jessica and a Hope) room is nice, and really, everything is nice. Next!San Diego is

Sublime Intervention

2011-09-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

A few readers have reminded me that I've been remiss in not posting a link to this summer's 48 Hour Film Project movie, so here it is! For those who aren't already sick of hearing it, our film won the Audience Choice Award at our premiere, and went on to win Best Sound Design and Runner-Up Best Film of 2011 at the Best of San Diego screening. We had so much fun this year, and I'm really proud

September Morn

2011-09-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Melancholy morning. It's September, and though it doesn't really happen around here, I always start hearing "But I miss you most, my darling/When autumn leaves start to fall" in my head. This afternoon, I believe we can go see who Jarrah's new teacher will be, and I feel weird about that. I'm also feeling a bit blue that I had two really long auditions this week (one regular, one callback) but

"And, In The End..."

2011-08-26T12:07:00.001-07:00

Today is Jarrah's last day of camp, and they're off to the bowling alley. We were instructed to send her with "$5.00 for the snack bar and vending machines." Good to know she'll be having a nutritious lunch. Today is also the last day--possibly ever--that I'll teach my Nia class in Studio 2, the "big" studio--declining numbers have finally forced the hand of the very sweet fitness director,

Twice Is Nice

2011-08-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Squeeeeee! Cane Toad Productions and Sublime Intervention won the Audience Choice Award last night at our world premiere! What a night. I was so nervous all day; it was ridiculous. Butterflies crashing around my entire body. I think I was extra-nervous because the film seemed actually good. I managed the nerves by shopping for black eyeliner and new lipstick (shimmery mauve, oooo!) and

Eight Is Never Enough: Filming In 48 Hours

2011-08-08T10:07:00.000-07:00