Category: Beginnings

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Awesome Beginnings Being a girl Dreams Drew Endings Family Memoir Nonfiction Self improvement Sentiment Writing

2011 New Year’s Resolutions: Finis

Now is the time to look back on 2011 and see which of my New Year’s resolutions I accomplished. I’m happy to report that this year went pretty well!

1. Get off of unemployment

In June of 2010 I finished up a contract job at Marin Theatre Company, and I spent the remainder of the year patching together work from MTC, the San Francisco Opera, and reading for Samuel French, as well as supplementing with unemployment. While it wasn’t the tightest things have ever been around here, it was frustrating to be constantly thinking about trying to get enough hours among all the jobs. My number one priority as the year turned from 2010 to 2011 was to get off of unemployment. Which I did, basically right away, when I started subbing in January.

2. Get a career type job

Subbing was very interesting and I learned something, I’m sure. But it was obviously not for me. And like I said before, I was tired of cobbling together a living. My number two priority was to get a freaking real job, with stability and health benefits. Which I did in February! So far, 2011 resolutions are going great!

3. Lose 30 pounds

Oops.

4. Pay off at least one credit card

Oops again. Well, that was a tall order and I might have guessed that it wouldn’t happen.

5. Help Megan to have the best wedding ever

Done and done. I might add, I also helped Liz have the best wedding ever. A good year for weddings!

6. Change everything to my new(ish) last name.

The things I hadn’t yet changed over to my new last name (from my 2009 wedding) were my Mastercard, my gym membership, and three store credit cards. As of this morning I had changed my Mastercard and my gym membership. I planned on just moving this resolution to my “2012 resolutions” list, but then I had this big burst of inspiration, and so I spent some time on the phone this morning calling around and changing the rest of it. 2011 ftw!

I want to mention that every customer service representative I talked to said, “Congratulations on your recent wedding!” when I told them why I needed to change my name. I was too embarrassed to say, “Thanks, it was over 2 years ago.” How time flies.

7. Remember birthday cards for important family members this year

Well, unfortunately I had a couple lapses this year, and for that I am sincerely sorry. I have changed my system because having them in my planner is not working out as well as it used to – I’m just not in the planner often enough. I put the birthdays that keep slipping past me into my gmail calendar so that I’ll get a reminder 2 weeks out, so I can actually get something in the mail in time. 2012 will my card-sending, offending-no-one year.

8. Get a passport!

Thanks to Drew and the scavenger hunt he arranged for my birthday, I am now the proud owner of a passport. And I used it to fly to New York in October, so I know it works.

9. Write!

This was broken down into 5 categories to make it more quantifiable:

  • Script Frenzy in April
  • Submit to Samuel French Off-off-Bway Festival in July
  • Nanowrimo in November (I made the conscious decision to stay sane this November)
  • Blog 100 times over 2011 (the actual number is 168 public posts, counting this one)
  • Look into a Record-Bee column (I actually submitted about four of these)

I’m feeling pretty good about this year! So it’s time to start making me some 2012 resolutions. While I ponder over those and try to make them as specific and achievable as possible…let me know what your biggest resolution is!

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Beginnings Endings Home improvements

The end of an era

Packing sucks.

Two years and five months ago, Drew and I packed up all out stuff in New York and moved back to California. Since then we have apparently fooled ourselves that we’re minimalist – we are finding that we have A. LOT. OF. STUFF.

Part of that is getting married and getting lots of wonderful wedding gifts. Part of it is trying to get all of our childhood stuffs out of our parents’ houses. And part of it is just the fact that we both like to collect things.

I feel like we’ve been packing and packing and yet it looks like NOTHING has happened in here. I finally just finished packing books. At some point in the last couple years, I have acquired a bookstore. I knew it was getting bad because of the way books were piling up on the shelves on top of and in front of each other. But I didn’t realize it was like, pack for days and have boxes filled with books but still be finding them in random places, bad.

The reason for the packing is that we’re getting out of this apartment – nothing against the apartment itself but it feels like it’s time to move on. It’s starting to feel cramped (see? too much stuff) and there are small annoying things about the complex.

So, we picked out a place in St. Francis Wood, four stories, with a massive driveway and an indoor pool. We move in in two weeks.

Just kidding. (St. Francis Wood is a GORGEOUS neighborhood in San Francisco.)

This place can be yours for $12,000,000!

We’re actually moving a little further down the peninsula, closer to my work. I believe it will be temporary, as we’re both partial to the fog and being closer to the ocean, and this place is on the bay side, where they actually have seasons! I am looking forward to that.

We’re out of here at the end of the month. Two weeks to go! Merry Christmas! Back to packing now.

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Beginnings Being a girl Books Friends Self improvement

Book Club

I have this kind of bossy friend. And she has taken it upon herself to organize a book club among several people in the Bay Area, who haven’t managed to get it together amongst ourselves. There are five of us – four girls and one guy.

 (I was going to write “women and man,” but that felt really weird, so I changed it back. “Girls and guy” feels okay – although it’s more awkward written out than it would be if I just said it. I always wonder what to say. “Chicks and dude.” “Ladies and gent.” I don’t know.)

Four of us are XX and one is XY. We live all up and down the peninsula. We are all busy enough that we needed this one kind of bossy friend to make us all commit to doing this thing.

The rules are: we trade off choosing books, and you have to choose something that no one has read yet.

Our first book is Divergent by Veronica Roth – a young adult book along the same dystopian themes as Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. (Speaking of The Hunger Games, have you seen the trailer yet?? The movie comes out in March and my coworkers and I can’t wait!) Divergent is about a society in which everyone is divided into factions: Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Erudite (the intelligent), and Dauntless (the brave). You choose your faction when you’re 16 and factions are stronger than blood. If you fall out of a faction (the factionless), you’re essentially homeless and you have very little food and clothing and you have a sucky job.

I do think she is sort of jumping on the Hunger Games bandwagon – but better that than the Twilight bandwagon, amirite?

I haven’t had much time to read yet – but so far I really, really like it. I think it’s going to make for some very interesting conversation when we finally get it together and all five of us sit down and talk about our feelings. I’ve been trying to figure out what faction I would choose, and I currently have no idea. I mean, I’m only 125 pages in (out of almost 500). It makes the main character very sympathetic.

I’m pretty stoked about having a book club. I have been wanting to have one – but not wanting necessarily to join someone else’s and abide by their rules and choices. The kind of bossy leader of our club says that it’s my turn to choose next. I’m debating between Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer and Augusten Burroughs’ Possible Side Effects or something completely different.

I’m open to suggestions – although I think Augusten Burroughs would be really fun for everyone. Book club ftw!

(Sorry, you-know-who, I kid. Your bossyness is great! Love you!)

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Awesome Beginnings Friends Love Nonfiction Sentiment

This Perfect Day

Before Liz’s wedding, as before Megan’s wedding, we got ready in a Hampton Inn. Apparently all Hampton Inns are created equal, meaning that yesterday I had a lot of deja vu of running around getting ready, on the same pattern of carpet, in a bridesmaid dress and flip flops, with my hair all did and my eyelashes all fake.

Mrs. James, with her complimentary wedding day Starbucks

Liz and Molly and I had a kickass time this weekend, getting to hang out and drink wine and eat brie and watch Buffy – also, sharing irrational fears, turning off the lights to go to sleep and then continuing to talk, and all having the exact same (occasionally judgy) thought about the exact same thing at the exact same time.

Liz looked amazing. (Molly and I did too, but obviously slightly less amazing.) She was also over the moon, which is a good thing to see from a bride on her wedding day. I don’t know Bill super well, but I like what I do know, and he seemed quietly thrilled in the whole day. Also a little stunned. I get it.

I have that song “More I Cannot Wish You” from Guys and Dolls stuck in my head. It’s not totally applicable, since they have already found their true loves, but I still like the sentiment.

Velvet I can wish you
For the collar of your coat
And fortune smiling all along your way
But more I cannot wish you
Than to wish you find your love
Your own true love this day

Mansions I can wish you
Seven footmen all in red
And calling cards upon a silver tray.
But more I cannot wish you
Than to wish you find your love
Your own true love this day

Standing there
Gazing at you
Full of the bloom of youth

Standing there
Gazing at you
With a sheep’s eye
And a lickerish tooth.

Music I can wish you
Merry music while you’re young
And wisdom when your hair has turned to gray.
But more I cannot wish you
Than to wish you find your love
Your own true love this day
With a sheep’s eye
And a lickerish tooth
And strong arms
To carry you away.

Happy first day of married life, Liz and Bill! Congratulations, and I love you, and I’m so happy you two found each other, since you’re obviously two halves of one whole.

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Awesome Beauty Beginnings Being a girl Endings Fashion Food Friends Love Memoir Self improvement Sentiment Work

Megan’s Bachelorette!

Megan wanted to go into New York City for her bachelorette party. So 2 days before the wedding, 9 girls piled into a limo and prepared to take the Big Apple.

2 Ms of Honor, 5 bridesmaids, 1 friend, and 1 bride!

It was about a two hour drive into the city, with one stop for orange juice (to mix with the champagne we’d brought) and another bathroom/snack stop (the first of many of the day).

The limo dropped us at Astor Place, where everyone grabbed some pizza to get us through until dinnertime. Then we walked down to our East Village nail salon, called Blush – a place I would highly recommend (I really need to write them a Yelp review).

I love this picture!

I originally wanted a French manicure, but ended up just getting a regular one with a super pearly pale white color. I really liked it – and the whole thing was worth it for the cuticle cleaning up and the hangnail clipping. Man, I love that.

A success!

After our salon time, we walked back to Astor Place to catch an N train to Times Square. A couple of the girls had never seen New York City, so we checked out Times Square, including the M&M store and the Hershey store.

Then we walked over a block to Megan’s favorite New York restaurant, La Masseria.

After that we wandered through Times Square, and down to 42nd Street. We went into Dave & Busters to find a bathroom, then we heard from the limo driver that he was trying to get back into the city but was stuck in traffic. So we decided to walk back up to Toys ‘R’ Us to ride on the ferris wheel. But we all got separated, so 6 of them went on the ferris wheel and 3 of us ended up watching.

Then, Megan realized she was missing her phone, so her cousin Emily called it about 20 times until someone answered. Turned out it was back at Dave & Busters. Then the limo driver called and was going to meet us at 42nd and Broadway. So I grabbed Megan and said, Let’s run back to Dave & Busters, the two of us can go really quickly. So we dashed back and got her phone, then back to the limo.

He drove us downtown past the Freedom Tower (I’m still not totally sure why) and then back to Connecticut. We got back to Mindi’s house and drank and talked and ate Cheez-its and played with her kitten. Then around 1:30 we divvied up the sleeping places (I got the couch!) and passed out.

The next morning it was back to the hotel via Dunkin Donuts breakfast, and then lots more to do before the rehearsal dinner Friday night!

A muy successful bachelorette party: a great salon, a great dinner, NYC fun, and Megan even got her lost phone back!

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Beginnings Being a girl Dreams Drew Friends Love Memoir Writing

To Megan and Dennis and Their Nuptials

Think of this as the toast I meant to write for Megan’s wedding, but then I double-checked the division of labor between me (the matron) and the maid of honor, and saw that she was meant to give a speech about Megan, and I was meant to give a speech about marriage.

I debated just writing a speech about whatever I wanted – after all, what bride even remembers anything from her own wedding? – but Drew was adament that I shouldn’t talk about myself AT ALL. No one wanted to listen to me ramble on about in-jokes and cliche platitudes.

So I listened to him, because he’s always right (right?), and I’m very happy with the way my 45-second toast ended up.

But think of this as the toast I would have written, if I didn’t have someone around to direct me straight (and tell me I wasn’t allowed to talk for 10 minutes).

Hi, I’m Syche, Megan’s matron of honor, and I want to talk about Facebook.

Megan and I were college roommates in our freshman year at UC Davis. This was actually before Facebook. We did have AIM though. I have a million great memories from the dorms: Riding our bikes to the Great Wall of China with our 2 guy friends for every single birthday or “special” dinner (we always got the same family meal). Hanging out with just the Christmas lights on. Trying to make cookies in the sparse dorm kitchen. A road trip to San Francisco. Megan’s taping up vocab words all over the walls (this was back when she was still an English major, before she abandoned me for a real career). The Merry Wives of Windsor. Biking to Baskin-Robbins to buy ice cream cakes for people’s birthdays. Megan’s weird butterfly chair, and the blanket with the stars all over it. How annoying it must have been for her when I insisted on completely changing the layout of my half of the room for every quarter.

We accomplished a lot without Facebook to distract us.

We sort of drifted apart for the next three years, and would only run into each other sometimes on campus and say hi. Then we graduated and I moved to New York and she started law school, and we really lost touch. At some point, we became Facebook friends though. And this is where it gets really romantic.

In late fall/early winter of 2008, I was moonlighting as a “room monitor” at an NYC theatre company near Union Square. “Room monitoring” basically meant unlocking the room, turning on the lights, and then reading or messing around on the internet while whatever outside group used the awesome rehearsal space, then turning off the lights and locking the room. I’m pretty sure one time, I actually took a nap. (Shh)

It was during one such shift that I was Facebook stalking Megan, and saw that she had written this huge FB note called “Musings of a Christian “No on 8″ Voter.” It was (is) super long, and I read the entire thing. She talked about people calling themselves Christians but doing un-Christian things, and how difficult it was for her that the people who raised her and with whom she had already aligned herself – were on the other side of the “Prop 8” debate. And she talked about how it was breaking her heart.

I couldn’t believe the things she was saying – they were so much like the things I thought, and so different from what I would have expected from my old roomie. I emailed her immediately telling her that I agreed, and talking some more about some different interpretations of those good old Bible passages.

She didn’t get back to me right away, but a few weeks later she emailed me a massive email (I have since gotten used to Megan’s massive emails!). From then on it was a downhill slide into one of the best friendships that I’ve ever had. She moved to New York that spring and we spent a glorious few months together until I moved back to California – walking and shopping and eating and talking and commiserating and drinking and cementing our friendship. And that brings me back to my main point, which is that we have Facebook (and, I suppose, Prop 8, in a weird way) to thank for all this.

It’s funny, because I believe – unless I am remembering this wrong – Facebook is the way Megan got in touch with Dennis in 2009, years after they interned together in DC, to ask if she could crash on his couch for a couple days – and then she just never left. So they also have Facebook to thank for this entire thing. And we all have Facebook to thank for the incredible wedding and party that they threw.

Megan, I adore you, and I hope you know that. Remember when we met Julia across the hall from us, and we both thought, “Um, it’s not fair that she’s super pretty AND super smart”?  Well, that’s you too – you’re brilliant and beautiful, and I am so happy that we’re friends. I was completely honored to stand next to you at your wedding. Love you!!

Ooh! This happens to be my 250th post ever! A very special post indeed!

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Awesome Beginnings Being a girl Dreams Drew Exercise Food Friends Love Memoir Nonfiction Sentiment Theatre

Connecticut & New York City, October 2011

So, Drew and I are back from our East Coast extravaganza. We had a great time, and I’m so happy we went, but I was also totally ready to come home. Which is just about the perfect balance, I guess.

I’m going to start with a Dear Diary overview of the whole thing, then fill in specifics after. I just can’t bring myself to start one, long, DD post of the entire week.

So: last Tuesday night I flew out of SFO on the red-eye to JFK. I got in Wednesday morning, and dropped by my old work to say hi to the people I know who are still working there (there aren’t many left!).

Wednesday afternoon I took a Metro North train to Waterbury, CT, where Megan (the bride), Dawn (the maid of honor) and Toni (the mother of the groom) picked me (the matron of honor) up. We did wedding party things, checked into our hotel, and then Toni and Ken (the father of the groom) took us girls out for dinner.

On Thursday, we had Megan’s bachelorette party in NYC. That deserves, and will get, an entire post.

On Friday, Drew drove up from NYC, where he had arrived late the night before. That afternoon, I had to call in to work for 90 minutes for an interview that I was missing, being out of the office. Friday night – rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

Saturday was the wedding! Yay for the happy couple!

On Sunday, Drew and I drove back to NYC. We saw an off-Broadway show at Roundabout called Sons of the Prophet, and hung out with Joe and his bf. We had dinner at 5 Napkin Burger, which is always good. We stayed at their Hell’s Kitchen apartment, a luxury and VERY convenient!, and watched Bridesmaids.

On Monday we did some touristy stuff – Wall Street and the protestors, walked along the Hudson, saw the bull at Bowling Green, etc. Then we took our luggage and checked into our Queens hotel, which was in the same neighborhood where we used to live. We had lunch with Jared, our old roommate, and saw our old apartment. That might have been the weirdest part of the whole trip for me. Then in the evening we went to see Sleep No More in the meatpacking district (?).

On Tuesday, we went into Chelsea and I had lunch with Sara, an old coworker who promises me she’s going to come visit San Francisco next summer. I saw the people I didn’t see in the office on my first pass. Then Drew and I did Union Square, The Strand (18 miles of books!), etc, and walked up 5th Avenue. We intended to walk all the way to Central Park (40ish blocks) but couldn’t handle it, so we took the train. We did more 5th Ave, then Rockefeller Center, back through Times Square to the Marquis Theatre to see Follies. Then a late dinner with Kaitlin and Joe on 9th Avenue (at Whym).

Today we checked out of the hotel and took the train to Penn Station, where we got chopped salads for lunch (I miss them so!) and then took the train to JFK, where we were hideously early for our flight. Drew read The Hunger Games, and I called in for a second interview at work. Then a 6 1/2 hour flight and we’re home!

Our apartment is bigger than I remember. And I missed it. It’s really nice to be back.

Okay. I promise to be more interesting in the details. A whirlwind week! But everything went as well as can be hoped, thank God.

I miss things about new York. Other things I don’t miss at all. Bad smells, crazy crowds, the humidity. I definitely am happy that my home is in California. But I hope we can visit NYC again soon!

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Beginnings Dreams Drew Memoir Sentiment

First of many (?) vacation posts

So I’ve basically been stressing for the last two days over this trip, which has been in the planning for really over a year. Mostly I’ve been worried about getting through security with my very large carry-on and tons of travel-sized bottles of liquids. (I can hear Drew telling me NOT to WORRY. You were right! I know, you’re always right.)

Speaking of Drew, he dropped me off at the terminal at about 9:35. We embraced tearfully, being that we’re never apart for more than a day. (I’m totally kidding. But I do miss him already.)

I walk up to security and there are 5 people in line. So I demand that they open a new line just for me, which they do, because that’s how I roll.

After some tense changes (lol), and about 8 minutes later, I found myself through security, with 45 minutes till boarding began. So I got me a pomegranate pinkberry, and found a place to plug in my phone because it’s gonna have to make it through tomorrow.

This is my first blog post from my phone. My first plane trip by myself in about 20 years, my first trip without Drew forever, and my first trip back to New York since moving back to California. I expect this to be emotional.

Oh, also, I deliberately left my childhood security blanket behind (because, really…) so that’s kind of weird.

Onward! I know to take advantage of some prime reading time when I’ve got it.

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Beauty Beginnings Dreams Memoir Nature Religion Sentiment

“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face” – John Donne

I woke up this morning with my socked foot sticking out from under the covers. I felt very warm under the covers, and outside (while still the inside of my apartment) felt very brisk. This is the point at which I gave up and welcomed in fall.

It’s been feeling more and more autumny for days now – I can’t put my finger on what it is exactly. A smell? A certain snap to the air? Maybe the trees are changing colors and I just haven’t really been paying attention? Suddenly all I want to do is shop for new boots and sweaters. Not to mention school supplies…oh, the school supplies…

I can’t stop reminiscing, as of late. Mostly I’ve been thinking about being in high school. Which isn’t to say that I want to go back to high school. I mean, even the memories I’m getting trapped in are of being in bed when the alarm goes off, and it’s so early and dark out. It’s not particularly welcoming.

I will try to steer my thoughts toward fall in college – with its classes that start later. (Remember when we were all in high school and we would get up at like 6:00 to go to zero period? And it’s just what you did? That ish is crazy.) College is good fall memories. I’ll have to buy some strawberry conditioner (works every time) and a pumpkin pie spice candle.

Or I can think about being in New York – working at the haunted house in October (October is even the coolest word!), and everything gets windy, but not cold yet, and leaves are everywhere, and you’re just so freaking happy that it’s not summer anymore. The landlord turns your heat on for the first time in 6 months… Everything is burgundy and burnt orange and brown. I mean the clothes, of course.

I’m really looking forward to the fact that this show and the next show we’re doing are in Mountain View. Downtown Mountain View in the fall is pretty darn perfect. Again with the leaves and the wind. And soon it’ll be Halloween. I don’t like dressing up for Halloween, but I love every other single thing about it.

I will bemoan one more time the fact that, living where we do, we don’t really get seasons. This just means I’ll have to be sure to go to Lake County this fall to enjoy it. And take advantage of every second I’m down at work.

I love spring and I love summer and I even love winter, but above all else, man I love the fall.

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Beginnings Nonfiction Self improvement Work

Just Me & My Fear Of Heights

Yesterday afternoon I went with a couple co-workers to hang twinkle lights in the trees outside the theatre we perform in. Our New Works Festival is coming up in a week or so (eek) and twinkle lights are kind of a tradition. Anyway, hanging lights in the trees required ladders.

I kind of have a ladder phobia. These were relatively small ladders, and I was going up only a couple steps, so it was okay. But in general, I do not like ladders.

Ladders can fall over. Ladders could slip on the ground and slide out from under you. Ladders can be placed unsteadily on grass and tip you off.

Being a stage manager, I’ve been in contact with a lot of ladders. Usually I don’t have to be the one climbing them though – luckily that is normally someone else’s job – like the lighting people. God bless you, lighting people, and your CRAZY LONG ladders that you balance on unsteady rails in the air, and then scale like you have no fear. God bless you also with your scaffolding that you build as you climb it (I’m looking at you, Marin), and your genies. Ugh.

In New York I worked on a show where, to get to the booth, I had to climb a ladder affixed to the wall. I spent the entire 4-week run convinced I was going to slip one day and fall and die. Then someone told me that it wasn’t that high, and I probably wouldn’t die, which alleviated some of my stress. But I’m still grateful that I will never, ever have to set foot in that theatre again – it was one of the three worst spaces I’ve ever worked in.

I don’t mind being up in the air – as long as I’m on something sturdy, permanent, and preferably not see-through. I would definitely like to try out that glass walkway thing that goes out over the Grand Canyon, but I’m pretty sure it would scare the bejeezus out of me. But you know, in a fun way.

Maybe this fear came from my family’s infamous tree house story – my dad is probably rolling his eyes at the fact that I am bringing this up – but when my brother and I were kids, we were building this AWESOME tree house out in our back-backyard. For a little while, it was just a platform in the tree, and Robb and I used to climb up the ladder (see? no fear then) and spy on the neighbors while they lounged in their random hot tub. One day, as my dad, Robb and I were up there working on adding walls or something, the whole thing collapsed and dumped us out of the tree. We were all totally fine, and although we talked about rebuilding it, we never actually got around to it.

Possibly that’s when I started being wary of heights and ladders and genies and other things like that.

Anyway, I made it through yesterday afternoon: 
working with the scary, scary 6′-ladder and the towering, monstrous pretty purple trees, and the muy peligroso twinkle lights. I stayed off the ladder as much as possible and just climbed around on the benches under the trees. No biggie.

And hopefully now the courtyard will be gorgeous and lure in many, many ticket buyers. I guess it’s all in a day’s work.

If you feel like commenting, tell me the ridiculous thing you’re afraid of! Backstory speculation is welcome, but not necessary.