Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Full Time Employment is good

As of June 4th I will be a full time employee at Marshall Fields. I am excited about this...at least for the time being. Some people have told me I'm wasting my time- that I shouldn't be working retail. Others have said this is a good step to something else. I'm just looking at it as something steadier than theatre for a while and as a nice break from the job that made me dislike what i used to love.

But the best part of being full time at Marshall Fields is...HEALTH INSURANCE! [insert heavenly "ahhhhs" here]. That's right I will have health insurance as of July. Who excited? ME! Yay for being able to go to the doctor if I'm hemorrhaging!

Friday, May 26, 2006

Post-op recovery

Mom is doing ok...she'll be coming home later this afternoon. When I have the engery I'll blog about all the ridiculous things at the hospital. However, this post-op blog is about me. I'm trying to recover from the time with grandma thus far...and its not even over yet.

Initially we thought we'd go the hospital this morning and mom would come home early...around noon. But mom just called. Her calcium levels aren't high enough yet (due to nurses uanable to read instructions) so her doctor wants to wait a few hours. Mom won't be home til late afternoon and she asked us NOT to come to the hospital until she calls. No point in us sitting there for 5+ hours making her room hot and her sick. But, my grandma is pacing saying "we have to go...she can't sit there alone". And I'm like "well go then, but she asked us not to". And then there's dinner: I'm trying to offer to make things for dinner and she keeps turning it all down. then i find out that its because she doesn't think mom will eat it. Well if we only eat what mom can eat, we're having mashed potatoes and jello for dinner. Not necessarily a bad dinner, just not what i had in mind. So fuck it. When mom gets home we'll find out what she wants to eat. Grandma and Grandpa can do what they want and I can eat cheesecake for dinner....lots of cheesecake...and some vodka. Lots of vodka.

I know she means well. She's worried. She's trying to be helpful. But no, I will not hang towels in the windows to block out the sun. I know its warm. Leave the fans on...stop turning them off. And I know grandma is just trying to find something to do with her time. But saying we need to dust the house before mom gets home even though i just dusted on tuesday is not helpful. I know grandma dusts sher house everyday, but that's not normal.

I'm just looking forward to mom being home. I'm also looking forward to going back to work tonight and then again being there all day tomorrow. I'm really looking forwards to drinks tonight (it might even be a semi-date...at least I know I'm getting kissed).
Sorry for the rant...it needed to come out.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Cancer Be Gone!

Mom's thyroidectomy is tomorrow morning.

She has to be there bright and early at 7:00am. Matty and I will show up at 8:00am with doughnuts and juice for grandma & grandpa. We will play cribbage, and phase 10, and backgammon. We will think good thoughts. Grandma & Grandpa will be very nervous. I will try not to be. Matt will distract them. Rae will stop by- so will her mom.

Mom will come home two days later. She'll relax for a couple of weeks. Listen to my I-Tunes. Watch lots of movies. Read some books.

And the cancer will be gone.
I pray.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Ducktales...Woo-ooo!

I now own this:
I'm pretty sure that makes me awesome.
It's also pretty awesome that I remember 90% of the opening song.
Who wants to come to the Ducktales party?
^
^
^
^
Ultimately I realize I'm a huge dork for owning this.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Bring on the Summer!

Lets try this again...

I have come to the realization that I have 2 weeks left at the theatre. That's it...2 weeks. I won't be returning to the History Theatre next season and it seems unlikely that I will find a paying position at another theatre. So, I could be done with theatre all together...kind of sad but I'm not thinking of it that way yet. I aslo thought I'd be working on Corleone this summer but it turns out I won't....unless I can get to NYC, find a place to stay for a month, and be willing to work the NY Fringe Festival for free. Nice idea David Mann, but I can't do any of those things.

What I am left with is a theatre-less summer....for the first time in a few years. I'm actually really looking forward to this. There is a VERY good chance that i will be moved to a full time position at Marshall Fields which is slight step up and a slight pay increase. I will make more money this summer than I have in a long time which is great but kinda sad since its just retail. But, considering that the last few summers I've been getting paid $100 a week, anything is an improvement. In fact, there are many other benefits to not working theatre this summer. The theatre schedule is sooo busy during rehearsal (about 10 hours a day) and so strict during performance (every night except Mondays). Given that retail is much more forgiving here is a list of things I'm looking forward to for the summer:

-the store closes at 8:00pm so I will still have my evenings
-the store usually opens at 10:00am so I won't usually have to be at work before 9:15am
-bike rides! Rachel is buying a rack for her car and we will be hitting up bike trails around MN...40 mile Gateway Trail here we come!
-shopping: Jean we both get discounts at good stores...lets use each other! Fields will be clearancing all their store brand to make room for Macy's. I smell bargains!
-working out...gotta get back on that
-Zoo day with Jean and Travis, then Grand Old Creamery
-MMC block party
-Tony Sims Band in the summer
-grilling...though I have to buy a grill...or use Matt's dad's grill which is the size of my house!
-getting a tan...probably while doing yardwork
-time with Matty...camping?
-reading while laying on a blanket
-taking my new i-shuffle everywhere
-I can request time off!
-said time off will be used for...
*a trip to Mankato
*possible road trip with Jean & Lance
*time with Ryan around the 4th
*a weekend of Shakespeare in Winona
*a trip to California in September (i know that's not summer anymore, but i'm still putting it on the list) this trip will include a visit to Disneyland and embarrassing pictures of me with foam suit Disney characters. I miss my California:(

2 more weeks of theatre. Bring on the summer! I got stuff to do!

fuck blogger

I just wrote a super long post about why i can't wait for the summer...and stupid ass motherfucking cocklicking blogger erasesd it.

If I have the patience to write it again today I will...til then...

FUCK YOU BLOGGER

Monday, May 08, 2006

thanks for a great birthday!

Just wanted to thank everyone for all the birthday wishes. AV, chad, Matt...thanks for the b-day greetings. Ryan and Lance, thanks for not posting the horrible picture post...i think the new tradition of cute pictures is a good one! And Jean where is my blender phone and hot guy?
However, despite not getting a fish sweater, I'm am now the proud owner of an adorable red leather purse (thanks Jean). Ducktales volume 1 is on its way thanks to Ryan, an IPod is coming to me via matty and my mom, and Lance sent me $$$ to go see/buy movies. Thanks everyone!!! I also received many gift cards for barnes and noble...perhaps my favorite store.

We had a great time at the MMC thursday night. Much Much alcohol was cosumed...mostly by me. Lets see...matt bought me shots, rae bought me shots, Tony bought me shots....I think the grand total was about 7 shots and 5 beers....pretty good for a girl who didn't eat much that day! There was much drunken dancing and picture taking. Thanks guys! Oh...and we met Rae's new boy!




Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Welcome Maties!

Per Ryan's request you all have pirate's names now. If I didn't know your full name I used your blog name to generate the fabulous pirate names. I find it odd that Matt, who has no hair, is called Jolly Mullet. Chad, as Sealegs Rackham I assume that you are my swashbuckling brother and will inherit all my booty should I perish on the high seas. Hope you enjoy your pirate names! For a more accurate and amusing time, check out this pirate name survey and let me know what you get! That's where I got Captain Scarlett Rackham.

CAPTAIN SCARLETT RACKHAM

Thanks for all your imput...I combined a few to create a name that commands respect. People at work actually call me this...on headset I say "Yarrrr" when people ask me things. I think I may have found a new career. Ruamor also has it that there is a foam pirate hat in the works...I love our prop master! Pictures of my first mate are on the way...he's a bit camera shy.

Here's a pirate joke: A pirate walks into a bar and he has a ships wheel stuck in his pants. The bartended says, "hey captain, you got a wheel in your pants." The pirate says, "I know. It's drivin me nuts!"
It works best when you use a pirate voice. I laughed a lot. But it could have been cuz i was drunk and tired when I heard it.

Monday, May 01, 2006

6 letter word

I can think of lots of six letter words; donkey, vacuum, videos, cereal, orange, kitten...but last Thursday I discovered a really big 6 letter word: CANCER. That's a big word. It's only 6 little letters but it's huge. The big C word.

Last week we found out that my mom has thyroid cancer. Amazing what changes when that word enters your life. We've dealt with cancer in my family before. 2 years ago, my aunt had uterine cancer and had to have a hysterectomy. That was big too...I vividly remember finding out, crawling into bed with Ryan in St. Louis and crying. But now its here...in my house...in my mom.

Words are now in my vocabulary that I didn't even know before. Papillary thyroid cancer (the "best kind to get" if there is one) is now a term I know. Endochronologists are doctors that I will visit with my mom. Hypoparathyroidism is a complication. Radioactive-iodine treatment will be the next step in the even surgery doesn't remove it all....
So many words and terms have become part of me in the last 4 days.

I'm dealing with it better than I thought...of course when I first heard the word cancer in relation to my mom I lost it. But after about 15 minutes of sobbing at work I realized what's the point? Nothing we can do but get through this. It's shitty....really really shitty. But it could be worse...and we'll deal with that if it comes.

We have the first appointment with the surgeon today to find out how soon the thyroidectomy needs to be done. Auntie Di comes up this week to celebrate the big 25 with me. We'll go to Tony Sims. They'll see Farm Boys (a GREAT show at my theatre...come see it). And we'll try not to talk to much about the big 6 letter word.