quickupdate

Week by week, I'm attaining employment...working out pretty OK so far! Last week I taught a week-long improv camp for 5-9 year olds at IB and it was kind of amazing. Intense, because there were 17 of them and I almost lost my voice, but amazing. When a six year old nails a joke during "World's Worst"...that's what joy is made of, folks.

Next week I'll be working at Perkins School for the Blind doing some administrative stuff, so that should be fun. I temped there a week or so ago and it reminded me of Hogwarts in a totally delightful way.

We're off to BBQ city right now, so I'm running off. Have a glorious Labor day, especially if you're actually giving birth.

xo
erin

Blog in which I mention Senator Kennedy only once

Hey Friends and People who Like Blogs!

This year's eighth month has been all over the map -- sorry for the few-and-far-between blog posts. Just checking in now to give the ol "hey, I'm still here!" while I brainstorm something fascinating to write about.

Due to some unexpected twists and turns in my life-plot I'm currently on the search for work, and it's actually been a pretty rewarding experience. I guess sometimes you just wake up at 4am and know it's time to shift priorities. It happens with me that most of my revelations come to me this way, and I'd kind of love it if they were more the "quietly approaching during afternoon tea" type, but you take what you get. I finished my course work for my Masters degree this summer and it touched off a chain of introspection that's led me to where I am today. So, yes, I'm terrified about the
"no safety net" nature of my current job(less) situation, but I'm also optimistic and much more focused than I have been in years.

So for all of August's distractions and ridiculous boloney (and there's been greasy truck-loads), it's a strengthening transition. I guess this was a kind of personal and totally not funny entry...er...sorry. All the Kennedy coverage has me a little reflective, I think!

Can't wait until Hank Philipi Ryan makes this whole thing into a literary thriller....



Help me, Hank!!!!

Of Porches, Bike Paths, and Shrimp

When presented with the opportunity to get out of town this weekend I took it - hard. Friday night, we drove to Harwichport, where my family has a little, sweet, un-airconditioned cottage right next to a cemetery. I think I was probably creeped out by the location when we first started spending time down there when I was a kid, but now I'm pretty grateful for how quiet the neighbors are when they aren't rising from their early 19th century plots and feasting on brains. Which has hardly been a problem since '02. It's not as though Cape Cod is rural America or anything, but what a nice change of pace. The only problem was, because time was so limited, and 9am Monday so inevitable, we had to hurry up and relax, as it were.

The weekends' big wins include but aren't limited to:
*A nearly 20 mile bike ride from Harwichport to Orleans from which my body has yet to fully recover
* Dining outside on the deck at Clancy's where they may play Billy Ocean, Sheila E., and Prince, but they also have a gorgeous river view and GIANT SHRIMP
*Naps
*Meltaways
*Watching a multi-generational European family furiously playing mini-golf.

On Sunday as we watched an elderly local couple eat soup and Chardonnay at the 400 Club I mused about just moving to the Cape, working here:

..and calling it a day. Doesn't sound too bad to me at all.

But then there's all the nagging business about comedy, aspirations, pipe dreams, etc. But every time I go down for a few days I just want to stay...to go to the beach, bike ride, read a bunch of books that I won't be quizzed on, and eat some GIANT SHRIMP.

School's In For Summer

Well, this Monday is kind of the pits. After a very nice weekend that entailed bbq, movies about the moon, a trip to the SALEM WITCH MUSEUM (highlight), and very pretty walks -- Monday has come into my life like a rotten salad. The kind of thing you pay too much money for and then try to pick out all the not-brown lettuce so that you at least have something to eat.

I have to put most of the blame for this on the fact that this month begins my very last MAT course at Simmons. I showed up on Thursday to the first class only to be informed that Tuesday was actually the first class. Yes, the website says differently, but there was a magical email list from which I was clearly omitted. Entirely my fault, or so declares the universe. I'll curtail this train of thought right here so we don't go down a dark and whining road. So, I was thrown into that situation pretty abruptly. It kind of felt like one of those nightmares when you're on stage and you don't know any of your lines. Everyone else in the class had received information about the obscure editions of particular books that they needed to order in advance, so I couldn't even just go to the bookstore and pick up what I needed. Nightmare.

It will be an interesting course, however dis-associated from anything I'm currently doing or pursuing in my daily life. And it only lasts a month. And then I'll officially have my Masters degree. But, it looms like a big fat raincloud over July.

Here's when I change my attitude and power through it. OK DONE! It's going to be great. I think I'm going to a spa once I'm done with mom and sister, that'll be a nice carrot.

So Monday, screw. You can't take this away from me:

No Goat

It wasn't always raining. I really do have specific memories of days, this Spring even, that were sunny and dry. I want to be outside today, but in the weather of some previous, sunny day. I actually would really like to go hiking.

If you're my mother and you're reading this, you're a very petite, intelligent public school teacher. Also, you're shaking your head and picturing me at six years old, terrified and furious on a rickety bridge attraction at Storyland. There was a lot of anxiety involved with that specific rickety bridge. I remember, very clearly, having the thought "This bridge is poorly constructed. I'm going to fall and die and I don't understand why my parents are encouraging me to walk across this bridge, which is clearly...rickety."

The fact that the "rickety" part was supposed to be the "fun" part escaped me completely. It just seemed like a trick to kill dumb kids. That day, in having a good laugh at my difficulty on said bridge, my dad remarked "she's no goat!"

And, oh man, did that stick. You know how you get labeled as being really good or really bad at something when you're a kid and it becomes woven into your identity? Well, for years and years I negative self-talked myself out of any situation that would require the physical dexterity to climb or balance on something. Those years of gymnastics classes were great, by the way.

In the beginning of this summer, however, I was asked to go for a hike and, feeling empowered and trusting that my companion was a specifically non-judgmental individual, I said yes. We went up to the Blue Hills and started walking. True, I thought I was going to die in the first 15 minutes, but then it leveled out a bit. It was actually a pretty challenging trail (we thought we took the easy one...we were wrong)but I handled it well. It was such a feeling of accomplishment to succeed at doing something that I'd kind of assumed I'd be terrible at. A really great day. Maybe the best day of the year for me so far.



I did freak out once, but it was because we saw a mouse. Then I promptly realized that a mouse belongs in the forest, and I kind of don't. So...you know, get over it.
I'm still no goat, but I'm also not a nerve-wracked six year old at Storyland, which is an upgrade.

So I'd like to go on a hike today. Or go to Storyland.

Of Saturday, Sunday, and Beer Can Trophys

I feel compelled to break the mold a little bit here and do a kind of standard weekend recap type of thing. Why? Because it was awesome.

During the day on Saturday I went to Improv Boston to see the premier of Michelle Barbera and Jacob Lipcon's pilot Our Living Blue Planet.


It was completely fantastic. Featuring lots and lots of the funniest people I know and months and months of really hard work, this show is not to be missed. It was a lovely afternoon. There was even lemonade. There were even babies! Really cute ones. Just, I mean, how else would you want to spend a Saturday?

From there, the Bastards packed up and we drove off to Providence, RI for the Providence Improv Festival. We got a nice 8pm slot in a little space called The Speakeasy and got to watch our New Hampshire compatriots Stranger Than Fiction do a very fun short form set before we went on. The audience was lovely, and we had a killer time. Just being jerks, doing scenes, it was the most fun.

This year at the improv festival, Mauro and the gang made it New England exclusive, and added in a competitive component. The top six groups (who could make it the next day) were announced that night and both Bastards and our cousin group (I think we've decided that's what we are to each other) Three Hole Punch were asked to return on Sunday. We were first up at 7pm and had lots of fun on stage for our 15 minute semi-final slot. Our "round" came to a close and we were asked, based on audience vote, to stay for the finals.

Three Hole Punch had a great set featuring some very savvy ski ball playing, and Improv Jones who were hosting the festival did some very exciting, fast scene work.

The final performances were a blast. Just such good energy, such a great theater, such an excited crowd. Ryan and Tucker played a surgically conjoined assistant stylist, that's pretty much what I'm taking away from the show and holding in my heart forever. So we "won" the festival! (?) I don't know if you can really "win" a festival, but it was a great time and an true pleasure to meet so many great folks, see a lot of outstanding improv, and eat Cuban sandwiches.

Thanks Providence, Mauro, Improv Jones, and my gorgeous Bastards.

Love 'em

The kids in the back are the BEST.

I found the PS22 channel on Youtube and I'm absolutely transfixed. These kids are magical.