2/17/2014 Theatre, Olympics, Felines and Progress

Sorry this one didn't get posted on schedule/in order  - my Comcast service is wretched. 

4:00 pm

A nice, relaxed day so far. 

watched a bit of Olympics, fed the kitties (No trauma today).

I celebrated my first show back  in a full role. Cannery Row is my actual first, but it's just singing soem great little standard tunes on a stair landing with a band - and I love it! SImple, perfect re-entry. 

But A New Brain by WIlliam Finn - a great musical, and it is SO FITTING for this time of Second Chances in my life!! 

My FB Status today (Lots of fun responses which I won't share here, but all celebrating with me!) 

"Ok - the cast list is announced, so I can properly express how INCREDIBLY Excited I am for my next theatre project - William Finn's "A New Brain" at Green Valley!! 

I get to be in this awesome cast led by Jerry Kennedy directing, Amanda C. Johnston as AD, and Peter Kagstrom at the musical helm...
I have wanted to play this role for a very long time, and getting to do it with this cast and creative team?!? Oh, my!!!! What a way to get back on my feet!!!!! Cannery Row, first, and then THIS!  I'm feelin' pretty lucky. Why, HELLO second chances! Welcome!!! 

Gordon - Craig Howard
Roger - Nephi Speer
Mimi - Martha Kight
Rhoda - Eimi Taormina
Bungee - Owen Smith
Homeless Woman - Joelle Robertson
Richard - Scott Minor
Doctor - Ryan Allen (aka Patrick Ryan)
Minister - Mike Yee
Waitress/Nancy - Lizzy Poore "

We open April 26 and run for a month, through May 18, right before my birthday. And my big Dance Party, which will be a wek or two after closing, I think. :) I am indeed throwing an Official Welcome Back to the World to me Dance party for my friends! 

I cannot WAIT to dance!!! I am not a "Dancer" per se - but I love to dance, and have danced in musicals many times. Now that my hips are properly positioned, I expect it will be a lot more fun, because I'll be more ABLE ! I am looking forward to finding a dance class to take - for fitness and agility, but also to hone my skills for theatre - thought roles I do are often ""Character" roles which don't involved a lot of dancing, there are roles I'd LOVE to play - like the title role in The Drowsy Chaperone - which involve a lot of physical movement an d many with actual dancing, even if it's in a party scene or such. One can usually (as I have in recent years) get away with the character sitting out the dance and watching and smiling from the side lines, but how WONDERFUL to not only not have to do that, but be able to fully participate! A dance class or two will help hone my speed in learning choreography, too! 

And - I really look forward to going out dancing with Jt! He is a marvelous dancer.

The production I was just cast in has some dance, but they also know full disclosure that I am still in recovery mode, and I am not ready for it yet. 

I spent some time working on one of the ensemble piece from A New Brain - SO exciting to sing dense, resonant jazz chords, and to know that the cast we have has the strength and musicianship to be able to hold all of our sections on out own! I can't want to be given the vocal part I'll be learning, so I can start getting really familiar and learning this music as soon as possible! Of course there are two great solos and at least one really tricky duet I can start with, so I have plenty to do before then. 

5:45 pm 

I've had my friend Andee over to go for a walk with me - she run/walked the 15 blocks here, goes for a walk with me and then headed home again. We went around two full blocks - so, counting the sides of  the blocks, approximately 6 1/2 blocks, and at a good pace! I was not fatigued when I got home, but was feeling it. I could have done longer. Longest formal, measured walk yet (As opposed to walking to and from the car, around work ot the theatre o a store, which is hard to measure without a pedometer., .I got a free one fro DePuy, who made my hip implants, but it was broken. Fortunately, that did not make the pedometer. :) )! I plan to get an app on my phone that works better. The main point is to always go further, so that my 20 minute walks become the wonderful mile or so I used to love to take - seeing everything in the neighborhood, smelling wonderful smells of the seasons - gorgeously scented flowers, barbecue in summer, leaves and fireplaces in fall and rain in the winter... I LOVE to walk, and it is so gloriously good for me.   

My favorite coffee shop is four blocks, and it's now an easy walk! Next weekend I will walk there to meet a friend and decide if I would like a ride home from him, or walk back! Playing it by ear. Especially after a week of having sat on that stool at the theatre for several hours' rehearsal... oy. 

today is my day off, and I still have much to do - I will finish up the cue sheet and email it to the band so we all have a sheet to go off of... 

I need to medicate Lexi and feed her some more... without getting her so upset she refuses to eat, or runs under the bed - still a place from which I cannot easily retrieve her. 

Hoping to take a bubble bath, and watch some more Olympics. 

And for now - Dinner! 

Later, my friends!

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An observation - as I sit watching television, or talking to a friend, I find myself sitting is the funniest positions, one foot up with my knee bent, or one leg thrown over the leg of my easy chair - fortunately, this is with dear friends where ceremony and ladylike sitting doesn't count! In one's own home, letting one's hair down. But it just feels SO GREAT - to sit almost any way I like with no pain at all! My right is still getting more flexible and less painful all the time, so there are still some limits there - for instance, I can cross my right ankle over the left, but not the knee yet - too stiff quite yet. But I can cross my left leg at the knee almost all the way! 

Electra took her medications well tonight and has eaten pretty well. She is still in for subcutaneous fluids. Not much fun for either of us but she sits fairly still - as long as I can catch her, and between my increasing speed and mobility, and her being weak and slow, I usually do now. 

And - the fluids went very well, she was quiet, though clearly not happy... and ate twice more. Good news. 

I did about 20 minutes on the exercycle tonight watching Ice Dancing on the Olympics and I'm very happy about that. 

The next week will leave less time for my PT between morning and bed time, though I have a PT session tomorrow after work. 

Wish me well in rehearsals! My feet had stopped swelling entirely, but perching on the stool for an hour at a time made it start up again. Nothing dire, but not great. Once we're open in two weeks, it'll only be three shows a week, much easier to tolerate. I am working on places in the show when it would be appropriate for me to stand up for a moment - I have a few, and that should help. 

Walking around the house is much easier. Still stiffest/sorest when I first stand up, but ever better.