A Big Ol' Chunk Of 2011

Has it really been two months? Well, I haven't been slacking. A lot has been going on in the meantime:

I was working on a data analyst project job for a well-known company which was challenging but rewarding too. I've not completed a project and looking for another job. I need to keep working to pay the bills but I'm I'm thinking long and hard about the next steps(s) to take. Should I go in another direction. Should I finally look for a job that combines all the things I like doing rather than a job I'm qualified/experience enough to do. Lots to think about on this one.

I rehearsed and performed a contemporary dancer role in a play with one of my theatre companies. This required long hours but it was worth it do get some contemporary dance experience under my belt. An interesting change to the roles I normally do.

My bootcamp course have started up again and I'm now two weeks into the programme and it is TOUGH! However as as friend has asked me to run the Dublin marathon with her in October, I really need this bootcamp as a kick-start to my training. Somethign has to get me running!

Thanks to Company Magazine I won the chance to see the Water For Elephants premiere last week which was really exciting and a wonderful night out. And I got some free popcorn too. Way-hey!

Plus lots going on with my friends and personal relationships including someone special entering my life and being absolutely lovely and a gay pirate wedding! And what a spectacular day that was!

So going forward I'll continue with the job hunt and bootcamp but I have lots to think about and consider and projects in the pipeline. Taking steps forward into (co-)choreographing, writing and recording music and getting a proper site and blog set up and looking swishy!

Happy Half-Birthday To Me

I realised yesterday as I was completing forms that it was my "half" birthday and it had somehow creeped up on me without realising. I seem to have a knack for remembering key dates and anniversaries of meeting friends and lovers for the first time but I don't keep track of somethign like a half-birthday that much. I'm aware that February is the midpoint of that current year but no more than that.

I'd been in a foul mood all morning - having a dream about your ex which brings all those old feelings and hurt to the surface doesn't set you up well for the day, yet the realisation of the date actually excited me as it gave me a reason to excuse feeling shit. It wasn't because of him, it was just because I'd reached a signifcant date in my 20-somethingth year. That was all!

In typical fashion I dealt with this by doing what I do best. Making lists and setting myself goals. This is the perfect time to reflect just a little on what what I haven't achieved so far and a lot of what I am going to do for the next 6 months. It's what I do. I list many, many goals and truthfully, not a lot of them get ticked off however I don't usually beat myself up too much about it. "Fine, I didn't do all this stuff in 2008, I'll complete it all in 2009.... in 2010" I think I sometimes worry what the hell I would do with my life if I did complete everything I set up do do but knowing me I'd probably draw up another set of tasks and plans. There's always some language out there I haven't mastered, another dance form I haven't studied etc. However I want to do so much that I could probably live three lifetimes and I still wouldn't get it completed.

But back to now. And the next six months. I have about 50 things I want to achieve in this time and I know it's unrealistic and, as I know all too well, life gets in the way and holds you back. However, here a few things I hope are in store for me February to August:

1. Get decent perm job which pays good money (and therefore in turn I can sort out finances, save, budget etc.)
2. Be more creative - I don't want to go anymore details on this one for the time being but it has to be done.
3. GO TO BRAZIL!!! - I need to get back out there as soon as possible. I NEED people who live there.
4. Do the splits with ease. I can do them now but sometimes I require a LOT of warming up and getting in and out of them ain't a pretty site.
5. Improve my Portuguese skills (and prehaps make a start on learning Spanish properly instead of guessing it all the time) - I guess this ties in my the plans to go to Brazil. I've put too much time and energy into studing Portuguese so far to let it go and I'm bored with this plateu I've reached and want to get past it and reach fluency. Maybe come August I'll be good enough to take the CELPE-Bras exam.

So I think that's plenty to be getting on with for the time being and I still have my dance classes, show rehearsals (my first contemporary dance performance - woo!) as well as plans to get fit and healthy to tide me over too. I awaited with hopefuly excitment for a progress report on this come August.

Homeward Bound

I'll be leaving the house in 4 hours to catch a bus to the airport to fly me home. Due to various problems at Christmas time I couldn't make it home then so a short trip home has been on the cards for January. Unfortunately I still feel a bit ripped off my plane ticket prices but there's nothing I can do about that.

On the positive side I get to spend some quality time with the parents (which should ease my guilt a little) and my neice who will most likly be baffling me with how she's turned into a little adult since the last time I saw her. Plus I'm taking a day off work which is always welcome, even if I am using up one of my precious 2.3 days of holiday accrued. I love being a contractor sometimes. :-

In the meantime, drying my hair and finishing my packing sounds like a good idea.

New Year's Day 2011

Creative blog title, eh?

Killing some time before I meet up for dinner with a friend to have a very inspirational conversation about the year ahead. I've been doing a lot of thining recently, philosophical and pratical and working out what needs to change in my life, how I need to change, plans and goals for 2011 etc. It's a long list so I think I need to break it down into more managable chunks.

The only good news I have to share today is the I won £8.70 on the Euromillions lottery. Start as I mean to go on. Tink pawsitive thawts!

And I really need to do some form of detox. Would love to be able to afford a few bikram yoga classses for starters and a late night chat on Twitter has got me thinking about the Master Cleanse. January will be dance classes, yoga classes and fitness bootcamp. I know it's such a cliche to make the "Lose weight, Get Fit and In Shape" New Year's resolution but I do all this stuff anyway, I just need to step it up when all the studios get back to their regular timetables and (literally) get my arse into gear.

Xmas Challenge

It's now 99% likely that I will be spending Christmas in London. I have tried various combinations of buses, trains and ferries and there's either a lack of seats on the services or the prices for tickets has been pushed unrealisticly sky-high.

So if I am to spend the weekend plus the two bank holidays that follow in London then I'm semi-setting myself the challenge to use the time to write an EP of songs so in the future I can market it with the blurb "written while i was stranded in London alone over the Christmas holidays, far away from home and family, nursing a broken heart and an empty bank account blah blah blah.." Or I'll spend the whole time sleeping and watching TV, which sounds very likely.

Watch this space!

Bringing You Up To Date

Looks like I'll be staying in London over Christmas as there doesn't seem to be a way home yet. Flights are extortionate and I just don't have that money for a one-way flight, nevermind a return journey, a lot of flights are being cancelled anyway, coaches are booked up, trains unreliable, I could get part of the way and then stranded... so at the moment I'm staying put but keeping an eye out for possibilities..

I plan to use the time anyway to think long and hard about 2011, resolutions, plans, work goals etc. So many thoughts in my head at the moment, it can be a bit overwhelming but I'll work it all out.

Stay tuned for my 2011 Plans & Resolutions List. It will most likely be EPIC!

Red.

Well, I made it back from Edinburgh and immediately got struck down with various illnesses, probably as a result of not looking after myself. I seem to have recovered just in time for my corneal transplant on Wednesday. Great. So I get a couple of days of feeling okay before I get the eye sliced into and follow that up with God knows how long of feeling dreadful. Perfection!

Due to this upcoming procedure I've not signed up, audition etc. for any shows so life is getting a bit boring. Not much else to report. Although I am back at the bellydance classes (Tribal Fusion, actually), getting to a few yoga and pilates classes and just dyed my hair a lovely bright red-pink colour today. I'm going to be a sexy corneal transplant patient I've decided. Bring it on!

Oh look, it's me:

AND I've made a blog to document my procedure and recovery. The link is in my profile. Ch-check it out.

PS: I am LOVING "The Flood" by Take That. MARRY ME TAKE THAT!!!

The Last Day Of This Year

My birthday is tomorrow so I guess that means it's time to get reflective and think about my goals for the next year ahead. I don't have to but it's something I obviously like to do. Although I seems to always be setting myself goals and targets that I never reach. Life always gets in the way. A change of circumstances or some drama will pop up that throws everything off course. I should be used to it by now. I should have learned by not to stop setting myself lists of targets to reach and just go with the flow. But I like lists so will so it anyway.

Post-Hair

What a trying few weeks it's been. Coping with the come-down from 'Hair' being over, losing a job contract, gaining a new job contract, being ill and not eating much, finding a new place to live and moving in and some other rubbishy personal stuff (blah!) which didn't help matters.

Thankfully things are settling down and I'm getting settled into new home and job and what's evening more exciting is that I'm going up to Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival to support these guys: http://www.bubonicproductions.com and their hilarious comedy musicals. I spent Sunday getting myself nice and messy for them by doing some painting for their set/props and have been totally swept away by the EdFringe bug. It'll be good to out on another adventure and if anyone stumbles across this blog (maybe by googling edfringe, edinburgh fringe festival, plague the musical, piramania, august 2010) and is heading up there then please say Hi and I'll maybe see you there.

Progress At Last

Well a lot has happened since my last few posts and I'm not sure what to start off with. I interviewed for a 5 month job on Monday, got offered the job on Monday afternoon and started working on Wednesday. I'm back in full time employment and now I can sort myself out and make plans and it's all a big relief! Can't wait for payday... although I still have to be sensible and save my money for a deposit on a new plce to live (the contract on our current flat is up at the end of April so me & my flatmate are going our seperate ways and looking for flat/houseshares so we can save some money).

On the same day I got offered the job I also got offered at part in the ensemble of the sedos production of Hair which made a good day even better. I thought I had sucked at the audition. The first song I sang so badly but the second song was not so bad. Still, I thought I had totally messed up and didn't expect it at all. We had a workshop today which was more or less the first rehearsal where we worked on some movement and one of the songs. I am going to enjoy doing this show so much. And I find it interesting/a challenge that we'll be up against the West End version which will be showing at the same time.

Last but not least, in fact probably the biggest that that will happen to me: I got a date to have my cornea transplant surgery! And it's happening a lot sooner than I expected. It's currently scheduled for May 19th however I need to take into consideration my job and rehearsals. I can to commit to both properly and not sure if taking 1-2 weeks out for recovery from the operation is a good plan. Not to mention that it will probably take another month before my eye gets over the "trauma" of what it has gone through so I might have to take the possibility of manky bloodshot-nessa and light sensitivity into consideration. Blah blah blah. And if I'm being honest I am also shit scared about having to have this operation and was shocked that I was offered a date 2 months away. So there's lots to take into consideration and I need to think about it all but they're happy to operate and that's what I wanted to hear.

Overall, quite a progressive week. There's still lots in my life to sort out (debts, finding a place to live etc.) but I'm getting there bit by bit. I'm trying to stay positive and hopefully more good things will come.

I Match The Weather

I'm not in a great mood today. I feel tired and slow. I'm feeling the effects of my broken eye more today which just make my good eye tired. My job interview was cancelled and I don't know if it will even be rescheduled and I didn't get an audition recall for a show I really wanted to perform in. And I'm still broke and frustrated because I want to so so much (classes, theatre, concerts) and I want to do it in nice clothes but I can.

it's dull, cloudy and raining outside and I'm sure I was woken from my nap earlier today by an almight clap of thunder. It only happened once though so now I doubt if it was thunder after all. Maybe a neighbour's house collapsed.

So now I've ranted all my despair I'm going to make a cup a tea and try to remind myself of all the good things I have to be happy for. Gahhhh, posi-fookin-tivity!

Managing Stages And Stuff...

Getting stuck into 2010 and I started the year ASMing in the production of Mojo which was last-minute but fun to do despite having to sit in a cold, draughty theatre in the middle of freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall. All good though as it helped me prepae for taking on full stage manager duties for Blackbird which will run next month. I've attended rehearsals, made lists and have now acquired a habit of collecting litter... purely for artistic purposes you understand! We need an overflowing rubbish bin for the actors to use onstage. I think providing a good-looking rubbish bin will be one of my greatest achievements!

The other areas of my life are all a bt shambolic. Still no full time job. Sending out CVs into the wilderness and hearing nothing back. I suppose January is the time to deal with all this crap, get it out of the way so I can charge forward with all my plans for the rest of the year. Positivity!

The End of 2009

There's 1.5 days left of 2009 and I'm back at square one. The job I started came to an end a week later thanks to senior managers who have their heads in the clouds and no idea how the little people below them work. I'm greatly pissed off at that. I'm still ill and tired. Panto is over and I'm showless again. I know I need to take a break and rest but it would be nice to have something definite to work on again.

Speaking of panto, it was an amazing experience and I met and worked with so many lovely people that I hope to see again and again in the future. I definitely don't regret doing and am quite chuffed with myself that I managed to get up in front of all those people and sing solo. Go me. Onwards and upwards now.

Just one more evening here with the family then I fly back to London in the morning to get my NYE on and to get on with having a fruitful and fun 2010.

Panto/Weekend Stuff

Just a short email as I need to go to bed soon and be up bright and early in the morning to start work. Exciting, scary etc.

Have had a very busy weekend. I got a call on Friday evening with a filming job offer for the following morning. So after a night of panto -ness and a couple of drinks at the bar, I was dragging myself out of bed on Saturday morning for a spot of filming. I should have details and a link to the finished product soon. Afterwars it was straight to the theatre for the matinee and evening panto performance. Inbetween the shows I stuffed myself with a whole pizza. That was fun. We're having a great run of shows. Some good audiences especially today's matinee crowd - a bunch of very noisy children indeed! Got tomorrow night off before we're back to do it all again on tuesday and that'll take us right up to Saturday. Don't know how I'm going to do it all AND train in the new job. Pass me the Berocca!

Next On The List

So the month is almost over and I've taken part in new play, The Showgirl, and did some cabaret in Network Theatre's 70th Anniversary celebrations. Now it's time to focus on the panto rehearsals so we can pull off a great show in December which will be fun fun fun! I'm very excited about doing it. Especially as I'll be running around on stage in either a fancy frock or pirate gear. Maybe it's a side-effect from my eye problem but I like all things piratey. Fun!

At time of writing I may also have a possible short term "normal" job in the pipeline and if I wasn't going to be busy enough I shall also be stage managing a play at the beginning of December called "Dogging". Just got the script through, it's rude, cheeky and fun. Sounds like I'm summing myself up there!

Both shows will take me up to Christmas and I'm already comtemplating what to do with my life come January. Fresh new evenings and weekends to fill up with fun, creative projects. Bring it on.

Time Out

I'm currently taking some time out and have gone home to do some family stuff (as well as doing some pondering about my life and all that sails in her). I've been fitted for my bridesmaid dress, tomorrow I get to meet my "all grown up" 13-month old neice again followed by helping my Dad celebrate another milestone birthday on Saturday. Then back to London on Sunday where I will be thrust back into the thick of it. Next week is looking pretty busy already. Ooh-err!