Happy Fall
Hi, all. I haven't written for a while because, well, there hasn't been that much to write about, but I wanted to check in on the first day of fall (which is sort of hard to believe, but here it is). Work was insane for a while, b/c classes started, so we had a great deal of add/drop activity (along with quite a few new registrants) and busy drop-in advising nights. Thankfully, that's ended and things have slowed down quite a bit. (The students were fine, for the most part, but it's just so hectic.) The weather got cool, then warm, then cool, then warmer, and today is rainy and raw. Unfortunately (just because of the weather), tonight is also the night I go to Providence, RI to see StudioRep's production of my play, PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES, and 13 (!) other works. Shannon, the producer of the festival and director of my play, assured me that all of the pieces are not 10 minutes (some are shorter), but it still seems like a long night. A fun one, though, I hope! I am going to drive there, but one of my friends will drive us back (8 of us going! Road trip!), b/c my vision is bad at night (clouding--I am going to see another eye doctor in about a week) and I also hate to drive in the rain (but glare is the primary concern). We'll all meet up beforehand at a highly recommended vegetarian restaurant, and I'll let you know how it goes. This is the first production of mine I've seen since June--June seems so far away now, but I am not complaining--and I'm looking forward to it. It could be a while till I see anything else of mine produced (not whining, just being realistic), so I want to really enjoy this.
Alas, I have an infected toe (possible two, baby toes). My stupid fault: I got blisters from walking to work in sandals (wonderful walk, 30 minutes or so on sunny, warmish days), and I popped the blisters (I learned to NEVER do that!), and now they are in rather bad shape. I never go to the doctor, but I went yesterday morning, and I'm now on antibiotics for seven days and am using Neosporin and keeping them bandaged. The left toe still hurts, and they both itch like crazy, but I guess that's the beginning of the healing process, and I think I caught this just in time, so I'm relieved. I couldn't walk or work out yesterday and it's too nasty out today to do it, anyway, but I still plan to go to yoga tomorrow, since it's barefoot and I'll have my toes bandaged. Then I'm going to usher for I AM MY OWN WIFE by Boston Theatre Works, with a cast/director talkback (well, one cast member and the director), and those are always very interesting.
I started out the month with possibly my first migrane headache ever, ruining the Labor Day weekend (I saw live music, but it wasn't much fun with a poundiing headache). It's hard enough for me to get through the seasonal changes as it is (summer is typically my favorite season, then spring, but not this past summer, given its tumultuous nature), and the headache didn't help, though the weather was pretty decent, 60s and mostly sunny. This past week, my left wrist ached, and i worried about carpel tunnel syndrome, but the achiness has disappeared for the most part, so I must have just strained it while I entered in a lot of student transfer credits on Friday. I am relieved, b/c it really hurt and it really worried me. (I can be a bit of a hypochondriac, though I definitely wasn't in regards to the toe.) No, I'm not fond of medical ailments--they make me feel so old (the blisters were just stupidity, however)--but I guess they are inevitable. On the creative front, I sent out several plays over the past two weeks to many different festivals; fall is a big time for that, since they happen in the winter and spring. Now I just have to forget about them and move on (and I am).
I was pretty sad this past week when I found out that two close friends had one-page plays selected by Harvest Theatre (Debbie might get hers taped!) and I did not have any of my five plays chosen. I was frustrated b/c I thought a couple of the plays were REALLY good (others who read them agreed) and couldn't understand why I had been rejected. Of course, no one ever wants to be rejected, but it's harder when you know writers who got in, and in this case 40 (!) plays were accepted (of course, 200 or so were rejected, so I'm firmly in that category but not alone). I am over it, but it took a few days, and sapped some energy it really shouldn't have. I got so sad and depressed about such things, but it is a bloody ONE PAGE festival, and there was no royalty money attached, so it's just silly to get upset at all about it. I know the festival producer liked my work (he read all of my plays and was very encouraging, and a bit surprised that I'd been rejected), and really, that's all the matters, b/c he'd like to see me submit in the future. I know, I know, if you can't handle rejection, don't submit. You don't know how many times I've said that to myself, believe me. I also saw Edd's play at the Devanaughn Theatre twice, and found it very moving. He and Braden at AYTB (where Edd's play was produced) keep encouraging me to write a full-length, or at least a long one-act, and that's what I plan to do in October, when I have my week off (no moving to worry about this time, I hope!!!). I can spend 3-4 hours working a day, and then can spend the rest of the time walking, working out, reading, and watching movies and TV.
I got a DVR (like TiVO) from Comcast, b/c my VCR finally died, and it's very cool. I love taping shows like Grey's Anatomy, even while they're on, and pausing, rewinding, fast forwarding, and even switching back to live TV after I've caught up. I don't have to worry about what channel I have the TV on (since DVR chooses it for you), and now I can watch The Daily Show and Colbert report the next night, instead of staying up till 11pm (and thereby going to bed at midnight), or rushing home at 8pm to see them both. It's just a nice thing to have for $9.95/month. I also subscribed to NetFlix, which many of my friends have, and it's extremely cool. I have watched a lot of movies and TV shows since the subscription started, including CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, L'Auberge Espangnole (not great, IMHO, but quirky, very 20-something'esh), FREAKS AND GEEKS (which just stirred up too many unhappy memories), and a couple of documentaries, and today ENTOURAGE is due, which I'm looking forward to seeing. I'm trying to figure out the configuration of the DVD and DVR players--not so easy, as I found out after a half hour on the phone to Comcast (fortunately, the technician was VERY patient)--but I think I have it straight, and since I love the still-new apartment, I do not mind staying home and reading or watching movies, etc. I used to dread being home all day, but no longer (not that I've become a wallflower, I just don't feel as anxious when I'm home, since I can find things to do, and the apartment is so comfortable to be in). My parents came by yesterday (THIRD time in two months--incredible :-)) to try to put up curtains (wrong size), and they are really helping me decorate the place. It's going to be pretty cozy in the winter, and it's nice and bright during the day, b/c of all the windows.
And this weekend, since I have time and haven't really written much since June, I have started work on a new 10-minute play based on the theme "One Shoe" for the Heartland Theatre festival (Debbie got in last year with a great play based on their 20-year theme, and it inspired my play NOT A COMPETITION, so though I didn't win, I did write a new play as a result). It's turning out to be a bit too realistic about my family, so I'm not sure where to go with it, but I have time--no deadlines for this one, since I've sent out my other plays to all the festivals I've known about--and so can relax and just work on it. I'll send it to Edd at some point for his comments, which are always astute, but for now I'll just do more rewriting. And that's about it for me. I need to stop eating so much (it's really out of control), and I need my toes to get better (which I'm sure they will, though I can't work out except for yoga until they're healed, which bothers me), but otherwise I have some downtime (aside from Providence) to chill this weekend, and that's just fine with me. Should I get any acceptances anytime soon, I'll be sure to check in, along with a report from the StudioRep festival. Let's hope it doesn't get too cold too fast. Winter is such an unpleasant season for me, though I won't have to worry about digging about my car every few days this year! Thank goodness for seemingly small but relevant things.
Alas, I have an infected toe (possible two, baby toes). My stupid fault: I got blisters from walking to work in sandals (wonderful walk, 30 minutes or so on sunny, warmish days), and I popped the blisters (I learned to NEVER do that!), and now they are in rather bad shape. I never go to the doctor, but I went yesterday morning, and I'm now on antibiotics for seven days and am using Neosporin and keeping them bandaged. The left toe still hurts, and they both itch like crazy, but I guess that's the beginning of the healing process, and I think I caught this just in time, so I'm relieved. I couldn't walk or work out yesterday and it's too nasty out today to do it, anyway, but I still plan to go to yoga tomorrow, since it's barefoot and I'll have my toes bandaged. Then I'm going to usher for I AM MY OWN WIFE by Boston Theatre Works, with a cast/director talkback (well, one cast member and the director), and those are always very interesting.
I started out the month with possibly my first migrane headache ever, ruining the Labor Day weekend (I saw live music, but it wasn't much fun with a poundiing headache). It's hard enough for me to get through the seasonal changes as it is (summer is typically my favorite season, then spring, but not this past summer, given its tumultuous nature), and the headache didn't help, though the weather was pretty decent, 60s and mostly sunny. This past week, my left wrist ached, and i worried about carpel tunnel syndrome, but the achiness has disappeared for the most part, so I must have just strained it while I entered in a lot of student transfer credits on Friday. I am relieved, b/c it really hurt and it really worried me. (I can be a bit of a hypochondriac, though I definitely wasn't in regards to the toe.) No, I'm not fond of medical ailments--they make me feel so old (the blisters were just stupidity, however)--but I guess they are inevitable. On the creative front, I sent out several plays over the past two weeks to many different festivals; fall is a big time for that, since they happen in the winter and spring. Now I just have to forget about them and move on (and I am).
I was pretty sad this past week when I found out that two close friends had one-page plays selected by Harvest Theatre (Debbie might get hers taped!) and I did not have any of my five plays chosen. I was frustrated b/c I thought a couple of the plays were REALLY good (others who read them agreed) and couldn't understand why I had been rejected. Of course, no one ever wants to be rejected, but it's harder when you know writers who got in, and in this case 40 (!) plays were accepted (of course, 200 or so were rejected, so I'm firmly in that category but not alone). I am over it, but it took a few days, and sapped some energy it really shouldn't have. I got so sad and depressed about such things, but it is a bloody ONE PAGE festival, and there was no royalty money attached, so it's just silly to get upset at all about it. I know the festival producer liked my work (he read all of my plays and was very encouraging, and a bit surprised that I'd been rejected), and really, that's all the matters, b/c he'd like to see me submit in the future. I know, I know, if you can't handle rejection, don't submit. You don't know how many times I've said that to myself, believe me. I also saw Edd's play at the Devanaughn Theatre twice, and found it very moving. He and Braden at AYTB (where Edd's play was produced) keep encouraging me to write a full-length, or at least a long one-act, and that's what I plan to do in October, when I have my week off (no moving to worry about this time, I hope!!!). I can spend 3-4 hours working a day, and then can spend the rest of the time walking, working out, reading, and watching movies and TV.
I got a DVR (like TiVO) from Comcast, b/c my VCR finally died, and it's very cool. I love taping shows like Grey's Anatomy, even while they're on, and pausing, rewinding, fast forwarding, and even switching back to live TV after I've caught up. I don't have to worry about what channel I have the TV on (since DVR chooses it for you), and now I can watch The Daily Show and Colbert report the next night, instead of staying up till 11pm (and thereby going to bed at midnight), or rushing home at 8pm to see them both. It's just a nice thing to have for $9.95/month. I also subscribed to NetFlix, which many of my friends have, and it's extremely cool. I have watched a lot of movies and TV shows since the subscription started, including CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, L'Auberge Espangnole (not great, IMHO, but quirky, very 20-something'esh), FREAKS AND GEEKS (which just stirred up too many unhappy memories), and a couple of documentaries, and today ENTOURAGE is due, which I'm looking forward to seeing. I'm trying to figure out the configuration of the DVD and DVR players--not so easy, as I found out after a half hour on the phone to Comcast (fortunately, the technician was VERY patient)--but I think I have it straight, and since I love the still-new apartment, I do not mind staying home and reading or watching movies, etc. I used to dread being home all day, but no longer (not that I've become a wallflower, I just don't feel as anxious when I'm home, since I can find things to do, and the apartment is so comfortable to be in). My parents came by yesterday (THIRD time in two months--incredible :-)) to try to put up curtains (wrong size), and they are really helping me decorate the place. It's going to be pretty cozy in the winter, and it's nice and bright during the day, b/c of all the windows.
And this weekend, since I have time and haven't really written much since June, I have started work on a new 10-minute play based on the theme "One Shoe" for the Heartland Theatre festival (Debbie got in last year with a great play based on their 20-year theme, and it inspired my play NOT A COMPETITION, so though I didn't win, I did write a new play as a result). It's turning out to be a bit too realistic about my family, so I'm not sure where to go with it, but I have time--no deadlines for this one, since I've sent out my other plays to all the festivals I've known about--and so can relax and just work on it. I'll send it to Edd at some point for his comments, which are always astute, but for now I'll just do more rewriting. And that's about it for me. I need to stop eating so much (it's really out of control), and I need my toes to get better (which I'm sure they will, though I can't work out except for yoga until they're healed, which bothers me), but otherwise I have some downtime (aside from Providence) to chill this weekend, and that's just fine with me. Should I get any acceptances anytime soon, I'll be sure to check in, along with a report from the StudioRep festival. Let's hope it doesn't get too cold too fast. Winter is such an unpleasant season for me, though I won't have to worry about digging about my car every few days this year! Thank goodness for seemingly small but relevant things.
posted by Sue B at 3:09 AM
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