Gratitude on the go! 8-31-13

Today I am grateful for:
-these quotes:
"Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life."

"There are two things over which you have complete dominion, authority and control - your mind and your mouth."
-spending the whole day with Roomie. I helped her move out of her apartment and into her new place. It was a lot of work, but the benefits of hang out time outweighed the work.
-my first time at Culvers. The people there were soooo nice and because it was my first time gave us a free coupon for a scoop of ice cream! Woot woot!
-being able to have time to shower and nap before work.
-dinner with padre
-a super silly set.
-Heather doing a great job as an understudy. She really nailed it. It's a incredibly hard job to understudy at the workshop. It was also really nice to chat with her. I learned a lot about her and she shared a lot about herself. I really am honored to have gotten to work with her and get to know her better.
-making it in time for Madde's Minneapples send away show.
-laughter. Particularly the horror on Hannah's face when she realized she said Egypt was in Asia.
 -My friend getting home safely. But frankly, I'm not happy about it. I don't care how close your place is, if you're drunk, don't drive.
-the basics
-as always, my friends. 

Gratitude on the go! 8-30-13

Today I am grateful for:
-breaking ice.
-having lunch with Anna after rehearsal.
-talking with Nora on the phone. It's her birthday today! 25. We laughed and caught up. I'm grateful that we can literally pick right up where we left off no matter how long it's been since we've chatted.
-being able to take a nap for an hour
-Tom. He's a really good guy. It's always nice to chat with him.
-laughter. Period.
-the basics
-my bed
-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-29-13

Today I am grateful for:
-these quotes:
"There's no secret to balance. You just have to feel the waves."
"Until you get comfortable with being alone, you'll never know if you're choosing someone out of love or loneliness."

-breaking ice. We had a preview today. The orientation leaders gave some really great feedback particularly with tags. 

-rehearsal ending early and having a bit of extra time on my hands. 

-my therapist. I went in today feeling good. I guess I feel bad when that happens? I don't, because feeling good is the best, but I guess I feel like I'm wasting her time. She could be helping people in serious need. I'm trying to let those thoughts come and go as opposed to lingering on them.

-a super weird silly set. Our characters were very passionate and our relationships were super strong. It was wonderful to watch and be a part of. 

-ice cream. It was Pete's birthday today and there was an ice cream bar. Enough said. 

-A friend talking about her relationship with her mom with me today. We have a lot of commonality that I didn't know about before.

-laughter. Particularly re-watching/discovering some drunk history. 

-discovering a new Sara Bareilles song from her new CD. Parking Lot

-getting to hang out with BFFL at Chino! It was so good to catch up with her. She's so awesome and always makes me smile. We laughed and laughed and had some moments that got quite serious (in a good way). It's nice that we're able to have layers to our conversation/friendship. At one point she said that she would be a surrogate for me. Lets see if she hold up that end of the deal when the time comes.  We've been friends now for 12 years! I love that.

-the basics

-being back in my own bed

-as always my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-28-13

Today I am grateful for:
-These quotes:
"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are."
"There is no challenge more challenging than the challenge to improve yourself."
"Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so we can see life with a clearer view again."
-breaking ice
-my amazing improv class. The students really rock. They always come ready to challenge themselves. Today we had a more in depth check in, which I think was needed. People had a rough week and improv seems to usually be a highlight.
-taking more time to play. (even if it means less sleep. Although, I'd probably just be up dickin around...so might as well fill that time with people I like.) Tonight involved seeing The Butler. It was good for sure. The film tried to pack in so much stuff. It was pretty successful in doing so. I liked the lighting in the film and how it would shift depending on the characters point of view at that moment.
-the basics
-laughter. Particularly my students in class tonight. They really cracked me up
-remembering to breath. Breath in love, exhale peace.
-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-27-13

Today I am grateful for:
-Breaking Ice. Productive day. We had an extended check in, which was kind of nice. It was great to see where everyone was/is coming from. I think that really helps with our group dynamic and working as an ensemble.
-being able to redo my VO demo with mostly new material from actual voice overs. Beth was there helping me out, which was so wonderful. It was pretty much an hour on the dot and bing, bang, boom, new demo coming out soon!
-laughter. Particularly this 11 year old's epic tale of love and getting to second base. Romance is not dead ladies and gents. Romance is not dead.
-the MN State Fair. This year might have been one of my favorite trips there ever? It was not busy at all, it was no where near as hot as everyone said it was going to be, and there were no lines for anything! Plus I ran into some people I knew which was a sweet bonus. I did a bunch of new stuff this year as well as the classics. Padre and I had a really good time. Here was my fair experience in pictures:

Obviously food was a priority.
For savory we got corn on the cob, fried pickles, and a slice of pizza.
It was everything I could have asked for and more!

For sweets we got classic Sweet Martha's Cookies and unlimited milk.
A Minneapple Pie a la mode. (Something new!)
And just a spoon full of sweet corn ice cream. It was shockingly good! 

Another new stop this year was to the Luminarium.
There's no good way to describe it,
but believe me when I say it was worth the $4 admission fee.

Would not recommend going while on drugs...
Or maybe that's actually the best time to go.
(These pictures don't do it justice)

Sober or not, it's a blast and a half and completely
unlike anything you can image.
So glad we stumbled upon it! 

The baby barn was of course on our route.
Oh just some new born baby ducks, sheep, and pigs.
nbd. 

This girl is watching a cow be born.
#ScarredForLife #Priceless #WhereAreHerParents
This may also be my new favorite picture.

And of course my favorite part of the fair,
(besides the food)
Crop Art! 

These were some of my favorite pieces.
They're always so creative.
I love crop art!!!

Oh and did I forget to mention that Hanson was playing there tonight for free?!
Because Hanson was playing at the State Fair tonight for free!
It was fantastic! They're so great! I have no shame in saying that. 

And a somewhat blurry shot of the fair at night
taken on top of the space tower
a perfect way to end the night. 

-the basics

-a much needed shower

-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-26-13

Today I am grateful for:

-this quote:

"Share your cherished ideas with those who will also cherish them."

-Breaking Ice. It's so great and so challenging. I updated my I Am From poem. It's okay. I'm nervous about it. I think it's because I go a little deeper with it. It's a little bit more vulnerable.
-having lunch with Megan and Jen and of course their kiddos. We ate all the food and talked all the talks and I held all the babies. It was wonderful. They are wonderful!
-Brene Brown. There was a live stream video of  her today with Oprah. I didn't get to watch the whole thing unfortunately, but I did get to hear this amazing quote that really resonated with me:

"This is my Litmus test: When I share something big or vulnerable with someone, the response I get back is not dependent on my healing." -Brene Brown
-group. I was able to process having a good week and feeling content and happy. I started by saying I'm not sure what has changed, but I think a big part of what's been different is that I've been allowing myself to play. Go out to chill parties, hang out with lots of friends, and basically connecting with people on a meaningful level.
-Roomie texting me to come hang out with her tonight for a bit.
-laughter. Particularly most conversation I have with Roomie.
-the basics
-feeling happy
-compassion of all kinds
-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-25-13

Today I am grateful for:
-these quotes:
"If you want to be great, make others feel great."
"Reserve judgement about whether a situation is good or bad, you don't know what the next moment will bring."
-being able to pick Brittany up at the airport! I'm so happy she's back in town.
-being able to go back to sleep for a little while after picking Brittany up.
-kevin calling me to go get fro-yo. We gorged ourselves. Then we went back to my place and chilled on my bed for awhile. It was pretty awesome. Lots of laughter was had.
-the youth auditions being very quick and easy.
-a surprise ladies evening! Amanda, Brittany, Roomie, and I spent the evening together. Amanda made us some amazing baked mac and cheese with a side of cooked carrots and salad. It was outstanding. It was about 1000 degrees out though so we ended up eating in the bedroom with air conditioning. The table was set up beautifully before that decision was made. Picture evidence:

We were trying to be super classy.
It was just too damn hot to actually succeed
It's the thought that counts! 

We then ended up going over to the house I'm house sitting at to A) embrace there sweet central air and B) watch the VMA. We arrived literally right when JT started performing with N'SYNC. Could not have planned better timing. It was such an incredible evening! Oh and not to mention it looked like Ruth was one of JT's back up dancers:

Girl on the far left.
I mean, am I right?
Ruth, when were you gonna tell us?!

And also Robin Thicke looked like he was dressed up as Beetlejuice. Case in point:

Ridiculous.
Also do you see Lydia in the left hand corner?
Who ever photoshopped this picture is a GD genius. 

-laughter. Particularly these quotes that occurred tonight:

"My god... It's like eating out an angel."- Lydia in regards to Amanda's Mac and Cheese

"But...everyone else gets pants.."- me in reference to that one JT backup dancer.
"This years been a big year for me. I got my period this year..."- Lydia in reference to Demi Lovato winning an award.
"Flesh belt"- Amanda referencing 90's attire.
"god I bet her boots cost more than my rent." 
"well, to be fair, your rent is pretty cheap..."- an exchange between Amanda and Lydia.
"It's a candy launcher, not a thong, okay!? Use your fucking eyes!"- Amanda in reference to Miley Cyrus' outfit.
-the basics
-feeling happy
-as always, my friends. For real.

Gratitude on the go! 8-24-13

Today I am grateful for:

-this quote:

"Through meditation and by giving full attention to one thing at a time, we can learn to direct attention where we choose."
-a solid night of sleep.
-seeing a movie with Andy. You're Next. Waaaaay better than I was expecting. It honestly surprised me in the best possible ways.
-free food
-laughter. Particularly watching other people perform and kill it. I'm in such awe of my co-workers sometimes.
-hanging out with people after the show in the ETC.
-the basics
-as always, my friends.

Gratitude on the go! 8-23-13

Today I am grateful for:
-This quote:
"Better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness."
-Breaking Ice. New people, new experience every time, and I love it.
-hanging out with Anna and Maggie both at the Tea Garden. It was good to catch up. They're both really great people.
-still having that content feeling.*
-having some time at home before the show.
-a great audience
-a great show
-a great improv set. We got tired towards the montage, but our short forms were killer. Our musical audition was so great. Andy did an amazing song about a man with Chainsaw Hands. (Random and sweet suggestion) Fun take that back about Scotch Tape and Crack. Dramatic scene made me laugh so hard. "The seagulls don't belong in the sea anymore. They should move to the bay. They'll become bay...gulls." hold for 15 seconds of straight up laughter. And then finishing off the short form with a Foreign Film inspired by Ninjas and Spatulas. Boom.
-Laughter. Particularly Andy's song about Chainsaw Hands. It was pretty fucking brilliant and hysterical.
-hanging out at the Dakota with some of the staff from the workshop. Closed the place down. #whoami?
-The basics
-my comfy new bed
-as always, my friend.s

*I'm not going to lie, I worry that the feeling won't last or that the other shoe will drop. I'm trying hard not to focus on that though. Things will continue to shift and change or as Amy puts it, "the tide goes in and out." Nothing is permanent and that's okay. What I'm feeling right now is exactly where I need to be.

Gratitude on the go! 8-22-13

Today I am grateful for:

-this quote:

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
-Augsburg Fortress. Quick and easy session that was lots of fun. I like this new unit of Whirl.
-my ipad
-public transportation
-being present. I was present today that while I was sitting on the bus I was content in the moment. I was happy. I was able to be at peace for a bit.
-a great audience for the show. Lots of good groups and great laughs.
-a fun improv set. Strong characters. Random references.
-laughter. Particularly when Tom's character told my character that he loved my grilled cheese sandwiches when I was obviously folding laundry. My character told him that she just like to dust her bread before putting it on the grill. Andy's third person entrance as our son who vacuumed the milk before drinking it really put the icing on the cake.
-going to Matt and Katy's book launch party. Their book, The Nu Project, is all kinds of awesome. I'm so glad I was able to support it. The party was super fun too. Low key, good people, and lots of cheese. And a photo booth! Here were some pictures that were taken:

Some were staged
Like this sweet roller coaster shot

Or this super awkward embrace 

Or even this attempted vogue shot.

Other shots were candid...

Regardless of what the outcome was,
The process was so much fun.
I heart me some photo booth pics. 

-the basics

-hugs

-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-21-13

Today I am grateful for:
-VO coaching from Beth. She gave me a lot of great pointers on new directions on how to take my VO's.
-Andy and I seeing two movies! Two for the price is one. :) The first one was called Europa Report. It was a sci-fi thriller. It was really, really well done. The second one was called In A World. It was about a girl trying to break into the VO world. It. Was. Outstanding. I was laughing so hard. Some seriously hilarious writing and characters.
-left overs
-my class. They ask a ton of good questions and have been improving by leaps and bounds
-Bead making it back safely from Bali.
-being present. I'm really just trying to do that. The moment is all we have.
-laughter. Specifically how much In A World made me laugh and also Andy's sly comments. :)
-the basics
-gelato
-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-20-13

Today I am grateful for:
-My therapist. It was a really good session. I guess we kind of kept it light because I had a voice over directly afterward and I didn't want to be too worked up, but it was a nice change of pace. We did some focusing/centering exercises, which I always find extremely helpful. We also talked about boundaries and laughter and boys  and group all the while not getting me worked up. She knows her shit. End of story. :)
-A fun VO for DQ. It was suppose to go from 1 to 4, but we got done around 2:20. Boom.
-the joy accents and dialects bring me
-having a bit of time to do laundry
-an evening with Kat. We went to a new Indian place, Gandhi Mahal, and had a feast! It was all kind of incredible. We were able to really talk and enjoy the evening. I also think she's going to take my old bed! Score! It was a good time.
-laughter. Particularly talking about ACTletes with Marit. I was giggling like a hyena and I made her snort. Nbd.
-the basics
-late night drives with padre. I surprised him with some killer grammar tonight. He was legit stunned.
-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-19-13

Today I am grateful for:

-this quote:

"If you don't fail now and again, it's a sign you're playing it safe."
-meeting up with Jen for lunch. It's always such a treat to hang out with her. And Oscar too of course. :)
-my new bed
-group. Man I love group. Following our new outline of asking for time during check in, I said this week has been pretty good and I didn't really need any time. This allowed others to have more time and this week Maggie took up space. It was hard for her, but it was so good. She rocked it out. Again, I'm so impressed with people's bravery. She really leaned into it. I wish I could do a better job of describing the feel of the night. It was just so...supportive and courageous and vulnerable and connected. I think that's the best word for it. Connected. It was a great group. It usually always is. I love those ladies.
-compassion. Self compassion and compassion for others
-recognizing other people's strengths.
-recognizing my own strengths.
-gelato. Particularly Jackson's pistachio and raspberry gelato. :)
-the beautiful full moon
-late night drives with padre.
-the basics
-laughter. Particularly Oscar's laugh when he's being tickled.
-re-finding this video:

-stumbling upon this video while looking for the previous video:

-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-18-13

Today I am grateful for:
-crock pots. They're kind of magical. I put some ingredients into this hot pot and 8 hours later BAM. Deliciousness.

Here is my creation!
(this is about 7 hours in)
It was the meat for the tacos

-the small gathering of people at my place for taco night. It was Melanie, Michael, EJ, Roomie, Jen and Oscar. It was small, but it was great. We all sat on the grass in the backyard and ate tacos and drank margaritas and watched Oscar be adorable. Case in point:

No guys...I'm totally fine to drive.
*hiccup*

-laughter. Specifically when Jen said that hippos were the cows of Africa, Roomie and I's "rotunda" fight, and when I saw a squirrel leap from the roof of my garage onto a tree branch. I don't know why it got me as hard as it did, but I couldn't stop laughing. 

-watching breaking bad with Lydia and Anna. 

-breaking bad

-the basics

-the comfort of my new bed

-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-17-13

Today I am grateful for:
-This quote:
"Creating space is as important as filling it."
-This article on ambiverts. Finally some understanding!
-Kevin helping me move my new bed! It was quite the adventure. We first went to home depot to rent a truck, but there were no more trucks available. So we bought some bungee cords instead for the same price. Here's a quick look at the process:

"Heading" out to the garage.
Get it? Cause we're carrying it on our heads? 

Here we are in the garage getting the bed bungeed down.

The garage was about 90+ degrees.

We did get it successfully strapped down. 

However, we then realized that we couldn't get in through the doors.
Because they were bungeed shut.
So we improvised 

We each had our different techniques...

All and all it was a success! 

After the bed was up the stairs and we drank some water, I treated Kdog to some Cleveland Wok. It's been a looong time since we've been there. It was nice. We kind of just sat in silence and ate. (We were starving.) We also laughed and reminisced about times gone by. We talked about our spring break trip oh so long ago. "Hey Jenny. Look at my completely average body." I got a fortune cookie that made no sense:

Seriously. I don't get it...

It was a successful afternoon and I'm so grateful he was able to help me out. He told me he loved me again. I said it back without hesitating this time.
-finding out that the package I sent to Nora arrived safely. Zed was in there so I was even more nervous it would get lost. It didn't though. Hooray!
-a super fun improv set. I felt the characters were complex. One of my characters was a girl who was prone to panic attacks that manifested by her knees not working properly nor her mouth. She tried to chew gum to calm herself down, but it didn't work. It was fun. I felt like we went deep, which felt great. Lots of great call backs and cut tos as well.
-getting a wonderful text from roomie. Made me smile from ear to ear.
-a post show drink with the cast.
-the nice people at the grocery store late at night. We all agreed that late night grocery shopping is the best.
-settling into my new bed.
-the basics
-so much laughter
-as always, my friends.

Gratitude on the go! 8-16-13

Today I am grateful for:

-this quote:

"I don't let go of my thoughts, I meet them with understanding, then they let go of me."
-an easy corporate gig that only took about an hour
-meeting up with Maggie and having breakfast at BLB.
-taking an afternoon nap*
-a great audience for the show
-Tane rockin out as an understudy.
-laughter
-the basics
-throat coat tea
-as always, my friends.

*I had some insane stress/anxiety dreams. I dreamt that Jaime and Amy had come to visit and were going out to dinner on a hay ride and Amy announced that Jaime was pregnant. Then Jaime got pissed because she wanted to tell me herself. Then I started to cry because I was a) happy for her and b) mad that she didn't tell me sooner. Then all of a sudden I realized I missed a really important rehearsal, but no one called to check on me and then I met up with Amy and Jaime again, who were at this extremely fancy restaurant (that doesn't really exist) downtown that served Brazilian food. Then I changed locations completely and was being chased by a whale and I was crying and everyone was laughing at me. Then I woke up back in my room at home and I got up to go to the bathroom, but there was luggage everywhere and the window in the bathroom was open, which I assumed meant that my roommate was smoking in the house and that's when I realized I was still dreaming because all of a sudden I was taking the fire escape (which doesn't exist) down the side of my house. There was more but that's all I can recall. 

Gratitude on the go! 8-15-13

Today I am grateful for:
-waking up naturally
-a quick and fun shoot with Best Buy.
-the makeup person, Kristin, giving me complements. Petty, but sometimes a great reminder to hear.
-Andy and I meeting up early to get dinner downtown. I really enjoy our friendship and time together.
-hanging out after the show
-laughter
-the basics
-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-14-13

Today I am grateful for:

-These quote:
"Many people have harmed me in my life and I remember them all. But the memories grow pail and faint in comparison to the people who have helped me...I used to say that these people saved me, but what I now know is they did something even more important in that they empowered me to save myself.
"The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers."
-teaching with Eric Webster today at his camp. The kids were soo great and soo ready to learn. They were truly outstanding, super inspiring, and genuinely funny. They also gave great feedback and were having fun and participating fully. I'm so grateful Eric asked me to come back again this year.
-Laughter
-hanging out with Anna and watching a horrible scary movie. Even though she was sick, she made me some mac and cheese. It was really sweet and tasty.
-my Every Day 2 class. There are only 6 people in the class but they're all so amazing. 5 of them transfered over from ED1. They all had some really great goals that I do think line up with what I would like them to be challenged with too. They ask a lot of questions, appropriate questions, which I really appreciate. I'm excited for this group.
-late night car rides with padre
-the escape reading gives me.
-music
-the basics
-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-13-13

Today I am grateful for:
-this!

-seeing a matinee movie with Andy. Elysium. It was okay. No District 9.
-daring greatly. I was struggling a bit today and I reached out and asked for some reassurance.
-Amy always having my back. Ask and you shall receive.
-EGBOK
-The beautiful weather
-this quote:
"To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is: a dissatisfaction with self."
-hanging out with Amanda. We talked about a lot of exciting things happening for her as well as watching Mulan and laughing. I mean, duh, right? It was great to catch up.
-laughter
-the basics
-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-12-13

Today I am grateful for:
-these quotes*:

"Don't go through life, Grow through life."

"People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway."

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did."
-the nice woman at the post office.
-getting a free bed frame from Mary Fox. I put the word out on facebook that I was looking for one and bam. Ask and you shall receive! It was also great to see Mary and hear about her new exciting upcoming adventure!
-getting a really, really great hug today. I didn't want to let go.
-getting a lovebomb text from Amy. Seriously her timing could not have been better.
-talking to my mom calmly and not getting into a fight.
-Anna coming over to watch Breaking Bad
-Breaking Bad. I think that show is fantastic. The acting, the writing, the sound mixing/design, the cinematography, etc. It's fun to watch all those elements come together to create such a kick ass show.
-group. Our councilors kind of did a restructuring of the group, which was really good. Check in now kind of forces us to ask for time if we want it. We also were shown (via role play) how to give better feedback. Very helpful. Asking for time to talk is definitely going to challenge me, but in a good way. We all talked today for a bit. I asked for time. I talked about my mom again and mostly how I've figured out what I want to say to her. I also talked about how I'm so happy by other people's successes and accomplishments that it makes me strive harder to meet my goals too. Like talking to my mom eventually. Everyone is on their own journey and some people figure things out faster than others, and even though it feels like I'm stuck in molasses sometimes, I was also able to give myself some credit that I am making progress. The group also helped me by validating me on that notion, which I think I needed more than I thought. By the time I was done talking I was shaking. Thanks nervous system for kicking in!
-making dinner at home.
-the basics
-laughter
-koala yummies
-as always, my friends

*these quotes really nail it on the head for me today.

Gratitude on the go! 8-11-13

Today I am grateful for:
-This quote:
"All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs."
-the Gap having a 30% off sale on basically everything in the store. I got new jeans. It was awesome.
-Seeing this:

It's the Google Car! 

-spending time with Sarah Gioia and Calvin. We went to this adorable little park. It was pretty great. 

-seeing roomie! She's doing so great. It seriously makes me so happy when other people are happy. :) We hung out at her place and ate macaroni and cheese and she regaled me with stories about all the awesome things that she's doing in her life. I love that. She's killin it at life. Again, when I see and hear these changes in my friends I can't help but a) be so incredibly happy for them and b) want to emulate their kickassness. 

-laughter 

-the beautiful crescent amber moon. 

-the fringe after party. It was a blast and a half. I got to hang out with a ton of awesome people and dance the night away! I never do that. You know, act like a 20 something year old. It was so much fun. So sweaty. So so sweaty. 

Quick photo while on a break from dancing.
seriously it was so much fun 

-Someone telling me congratulations and that they thought it was awesome I was on the main stage at the workshop. Thanks, stranger!

-the basics

-a warm shower after a long fun day/night

-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-10-13

Today I am grateful for:
-These quotes:
"You only need to claim the events of your life to make yourself yours...You are FIERCE with reality."

"Our friends don't see our faults, or conceal them, or soften them."

-the ripe peach I ate this afternoon. It was all the things you could want in a peach.
-hanging out with Kevin. We went to our hidden lunch place and then went shopping for jeans. We also got ice cream and basically laughed the entire time. I have such a good time with him. I feel I can really be myself.
-a fantastic energetic audience
-laughing myself silly
-laughter
-improv. Fun set. Good short form, fun montage, great characters.
-drinks after the show.
-actively crushing on all the guys. This is a new thing. I usually have a crush here or there but don't really want to pursue it. Lately I've been feeling like I do. Want to pursue it. I don't know if I actually will, but I want to. It's...different. I like it? Yeah. I like it. :)
-hanging out with friends
-free food
-genuine, kind smiles. I'm a sucker for them. A huge sucker.
-having the apartment all to myself.
-the basics
-a good book
-as always, my friends. 

Gratitude on the go! 8-9-13

Today I am grateful for:
-being able to go back to sleep after dropping off Ruth at the airport at 5:30am.
-having the apartment all to myself today! I watched some tv, I crafted, I did laundry. I stayed in my pjs until 3pm. Killin it.
-pubic transportation
-radiolab podcast
-Anna letting me borrow her performer pass to see her show. It was great! Full of lots of love! And puns! Padre came to and particularly loved the puns. :)
-Andy texting me about what to expect from a meeting. "You're gonna like the meeting." I needed that. I was having minor heart palpitations.
-laughter
-being able to focus my energy on areas of my body that aren't stressed and/or tense. Knowing I can go back to those areas any time I want to. It was working because my hands got super warm/hot.

-these videos! The first one made my week if not my month: 

-late night drives with Padre
-seeing a fox!

Yes it's blurry, but it's a real life fox!
He stopped long enough for me to snap this photo.
I named him Felix and we're best friends now. 

-the basics

-melatonin 

-as always, my friends 

Gratitude on the go! 8-8-13

Today I am grateful for:
-a relaxing morning
-meeting up for lunch with Hannah and Josh. It's been forever. It was nice to catch up.

World Street Kitchen is all sorts of amazing
So are these two goofs
lots of winning happening here. 

-having the time to run a few errands

-crafting

-laughter

-the basics

-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-7-13

Today I am grateful for:
-waking up naturally
-having the apartment to myself
-seeing a double feature with Andy. First we saw We're The Millers. It was good. Not amazing or outstanding, but definitely some laugh out loud parts. Oof. There were too many whale references though. Then we saw Two Guns. It was...fine. Typical bro movie I feel like. It was fine though. It was $free.99 so it's all gravy.
-having an impromptu night out. Ruth's friend Rachel invited me over to look at her bed I'm probably buying. It was extremely comfortable. Then Ruth called and actually came over to and then we went to a bar downtown for awhile to meet up with some of Ruth's friends. Then we went back to Rachel's place, had basically a Christmas morning type clothes/boots/bags give away before moving her three piece dresser set out to Ruth's car. (I left with three pairs of boots, a purse, and really nice dress.) It turned into a whirlwind of an evening but it was fun. I'm glad I was able to see Ruth again before she leaves.
-being present. I'm present to the fact that I still suck at goodbyes. I get verklempt and want to gush about how amazing everyone is and how I wish they would stay but I know that's not possible so I don't say anything. Stuck again. Not stuck, stuck, just...stuck.
-my therapist. It's no secret that basically all of my friends see the same therapist as I do. Alright, I'm exaggerating, but at least 5 or 6 people I know see her as well. It's so incredible to see how much my friends have grown and changed and benefited from the guidance of this woman. She is truly phenomenal at her job and knows exactly how to help people. I hope she gets the praise appreciation that she deserves.
-the basics
-laughter
-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-6-13

Today I am grateful for:

-a song from Grease coming on the oldies station. You Are The One That I Want. It brought an instant smile to my face. :)
-my therapist. We did some body work again, which was great. I was able to focus in on areas in my body that don't hold stress (or as much stress) and focus on that. She sat with me while I found words to put to how I was feeling about my mom. She said today was the clearest I've ever been in regards to that. I really just need acceptance. That I am who I am and that 50% of me is my dad. All the years that my mom bad talked my dad had a greater effect on me than she knows. She hating my dad = she hated me. Considering that I look like him, I have similar interests as him, I got along with him, etc. Anyway, I'm grateful my therapist just let me kind of work it out. We used some visual aids too, which were very helpful. I was exhausted by the end of it all.
-Amy booking her flight to MPLS. It's really happening!
-http://bigassmessage.com/
-having a very relaxing day at home.
-Daring Greatly. I was chatting with friend on gchat, and some how we started talking about a guy. She asked if I thought he was cute and well...I didn't say yes, but I also didn't say no. She said she was going to look into it. I would usually stop everything about this from happening. However this time I just kind of played it off. If anything comes about it, great. If nothing comes about it, that's okay too. Trying something new. TRE.
-having the apartment to myself.
-Steph giving away her books that she doesn't want anymore. She had about 8 paper bags filled to the top with books. At the end of it all I took one whole bag of books. Although some of them were mine to begin with.
-Ruth calling me to tell me her friend is moving and is getting rid of her basically new bed for cheap. She got it in February. I'm definitely going to call her and look into it.
-Meeting up with Kasono. Its always so much fun to see him. Such a kind soul.
-Seeing Emily's show. It was really good. Her writing style is great and the actors fit their characters like a glove. Fun to watch!
-being invited out for a drink after the show. Again, handling the social outing pretty well. Catching up with people I don't really see all that often.
-laughter.
-the basics
-melatonin
-as always, my friends 

Gratitude on the go! 8-5-13

Today I am grateful for:
-These quotes:
"You're braver than you believe. Stronger than you seem. And smarter than you think."

"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place."
-metro transit
-Augsburg Fortress.
-This gem:

-the nice people working at both Barnes and Nobel and the Gap. Got me a new book and a pair of jeans. :)
-having the apartment all to myself this afternoon
-group. I actually talked a bunch in group about my mom. She's been on my mind this week. No new information really came to light, but I was able to get words out. That's a big first step. I mostly kept it together too. Although, it really is almost impossible to fully keep my composure. Words do not accompany talking about my mom with some anger and sadness. I also still feel like a giant asshole. I wish it wasn't so hard. But group held space with me and appreciated that I was able talk about it and thanked me for sharing and being courageous. I needed that support more than I realized.
-The stunning view by the lake tonight. 

I really, truly love my city.
Love, love, love!

-the two women who came up to me and asked if I knew the 10 commandments. Thanks for the story, ladies. :) 

-books

-blogs

-belly laughter

-laughter 

-late night happy hour with Emily at Chino. It's been so long. It was good to be back! 

-the basics

-melatonin 

-as always, my friends 

Gratitude on the go! 8-4-13

Today I am grateful for:
-getting a really solid night of sleep
-daring greatly. I attempted to express some boundaries with my roommate. I couldn't get everything out I wanted to say though and I was pretty meek in my delivery. I asked it in a form of a question instead of saying I need this to happen. Then I had a slight panic attack that I would get stabbed in the night for even opening my mouth. However I did say something and that's a start.
-having a really chill landlord. He came over today and fixed the railing and was very calm about the whole situation.
-seeing Isabella perform. She's in The School Of Rock and she really did rock it out! She played the bass, the keys, and sang. Killin it!

Here she is!
Rockin like a hurricane!
(That's what song she was singing)

-Hanging out with Ruth. First we got tacos, which were delicious, as always. Then we did our traditional picture at Franklin Freeze. So amazing! I made her laugh so hard she did a spit take. Yesss! I (not so) secretly love making people do spit takes. After that we went and sat out by Lake Harriet. It was a gorgeous night out. I'm so happy for Ruth. Things are really taking off for her in so many ways and I am so grateful to be witnessed to it.

Franklin Freeze tradition picture! 

Here are some from past years.
I told you it was tradition!

The beautiful view of Lake Harriet and Downtown MPLS.
I love my city so hard.

-finding out that two of my friends just got engaged!! I feel very honored that they called me and told me personally.

-the email correspondence with Jen. It's still making me so happy!

-the basics

-laughter

-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-3-13

Today I am grateful for:
-Waking up early and naturally
-The uptown art fair. I was originally trying to find a book at the book store, but they were out so I thought I would peruse the art fair. I stumbled upon this amazing artist and fell in love with him (and his art) and bought two of his prints:

Just your classic Cherry and the Spoon
But with a slight twist. :)
I honestly couldn't Not get it. 

A surrealist painting very a la Salvador Dali, who is only my favorite artist ever.
You can't really tell how amazing this picture is from this picture,
but trust me, it's amazing. 

-having the apartment to myself all day. Thank goodness. 

-art

-crafting 

-carpooling

-feeling safe and brave enough to go out to Fringe Central. It was great because I knew a ton of people there (that I enjoy socializing with) and actually drank a bit. Only two Strongbows, which was the perfect amount. I'm a super happy drunk. And yes, I'm drunk right now. :) I felt like I deserved a drink this week. So fuck it. I did it. I should try to do this a bit more often then I do. Nothing crazy, but a bit more. 

-James telling me that he thinks I have good stories. I honestly don't have that many, but he's heard the few I do have, and I appreciated that he said that to me. He also complimented me and just my general personage. Thank you, James. I think you're a great dude all around too. 

-having guys on my mind again. Like, actively thinking about them. I've been thinking about them all day. First the artist from the art fair (even though he was married. Whatever. He had a wonderful smile. I really think I'm a sucker for a good smile.), the guy who came up to me at the end of the show to say good job (he was Indian and hansom), and then at fringe central they were everywhere! I even talked to a few. What? #whoami? 

-laughing. Particularly in the car with Lauren and Sean tonight. We all laughed until we were saying, "ow! ow! ow!" Every time one of us would calm down, another one would start up again and it kept going around and around and around. It was all kinds of awesome. 

-The basics

-remembering that it's all about perspective. 

-as always, my friends. 

Gratitude on the go! 8-2-13

Today I am grateful for:
-Finding this VO:

-this quote:
"Never let success get to your head. Never let failure get to your heart."
-NUTS.
-my therapist. First of all, I'm so grateful that our appointment got rescheduled for today. I was/am still beat up about my awful train wreck VO. She has an incredible way of making things seem completely manageable and not overwhelming. Sara B tweeted today that she would take a bullet for her therapist. I would do the same for mine.
-having tacos with Amanda. It was awesome. As always.
-laughter
-my house not burning down. Because yeah. My house could have burned down today. The fire department was at my house because Josh didn't fully put out a cigarette that he had lit earlier and then placed it into a wooden box filled with hundreds of other cigarette butts on the back porch. The neighbors saw that the back deck was on fire and called 911. Thank goodness. I seriously am so grateful that everything is okay. It could have been worse. A lot, lot worse. Needless to say, I need to have a talk with my roommate.
-my job(s)
-the FOH peeps
-good conversation
-music
-free oreos
-EGBOK
-The basics
-as always, my friends

Gratitude on the go! 8-1-13

Today I am grateful for:
-These quotes:
"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are."

"Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."
"We must see all scars as beautiful. Okay? This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, 'I survived.'"
-To be a Minnesotan today! (And honestly every day.)

-Ron McKinley. I actually didn't know Ron, but he was the president of the board at Mixed Blood and from what everyone said about him today, an all around amazing guy. He was in a motorcycle accident and killed. Today was his funeral. It was packed. I would say well over 150 people were there to celebrate his life. My dad knew him really well and gave a speech. I was proud of him up there at the podium. I know he was struggling. I know he was sad. But man is my dad a good writer. He brought so much laughter and love to everyone in is punny and poignant speech. The service was about 2 hours. I couldn't help but let my eyes wonder around the room to look at people and how they were reacting. I was captivated though by Ron's youngest grand daughter. She was sitting on her mom's lap, not really fully understand what was going on around her, but could tell that her mom was in pain. She looked up at her mom's crying face and just smiled. Then she snuggled in close to her, took the tissues out of her hand, and put her own hands into hers. It was beautiful. What a great comfort for Ron's daughter in her time of need.

-the voice over opportunities I've been given. I really struggled today. I was not pleased at all with my work. But I've learned from my mistakes. I'm going to work even harder at this craft that I so love and want to do more of in my life. I can't and won't deny that today was a big blow to my self confidence. I was knocked down. I'm accepting that. Now I'm getting back up. 

-Target.

-Making dinner at home

-The Fringe Festival. I'm not really invested this year, but that's okay. I still love and am so incredibly grateful for it. 

-Tonight's set. We did a group scene about a quinceanera. It was all kinds of fun. Also probably one of the most solid group scenes we've ever done as this group.

-laughter

-seeing a movie after the show with Andy, Lauren, and Dan. Wolverine. It was honestly pretty bad, but I had fun anyway. 

-the basics

-feeling tired

-as always, my friends