Done like Dinner

So are final show ended up being canceled due to late trains. Fitting.
So my last day in the loops was spend organizing costumes, dismantling my prompt book and saying farewell to cast and crew. We toasted off with a couple of drinks, I got on a bus and now I'm back in Vanland.
I'm done.
Now I'm back in Van and getting ready to move onto the next adventure...
Thanks for reading this blog and keeping me company as I tried to navigate the madness. I think I may have stayed in better contact with some people while I was out of town rather than when I was home.
I'm not sure what I'll do with this blog at this point. If I do continue blogging, I'll have to re-vamp this page or start a new one. I'll be sure to let you folks know.
Until then,
Thanks for the adventure Kamloops. Keep well all.
Peace
Cmax

last show

Today feels a bit weird. Last show.
Cards are done, tickets are booked, and now I just need to finish my packing and strike my stuff at the theatre.
I'm excited to be home and still a piece of me is feeling sentimental about saying goodbye. I'll get over it I'm sure.
Six months is just such a long time. Its hard to imagine it being over.
There are just hours left of this adventure.

peace
Cmax

It just keeps getting better

What could be better than finishing our last show on the 6th?

... finishing our last show on the 5th

whoooo hoooo!

Welcome to October

Less than a week left here in the old loops.
I've been trying to think up some finalizing, all encompassing anecdote to wrap up this blogging business, but my brain has been failing me. I think if there is wisdom to be taken from this adventure then I am still too close to see it, or simply too tired. I am still holding out hope that there is some sort of golden learning to extrapolate from this madness, but only time will tell I guess.

I made it back to Van for a few days. The move was quick and painless and I am grateful for that. Thanks!
I intended to do some unpacking and reorganizing while I was home, but I couldn't bring myself to break the plastic seal on my belongings. Just the thought of unleashing bugs into my Vancouver home sends me to the brink of a panic attack and the risk just doesn't seem worth it. I know I cleaned everything very throughly, but believe it or not, I'm not perfect; so what if I missed something or didn't do it right? I've decided to wait till my steamer returns to me; so I can steam the beegeebies out of everything.

I spent most of my time at home while in Van. Catching up with the cat and my roommate. It was restful and homey and just what I needed.
I got back to Kamloops yesterday, got some errands done for the week and then spent an obscene amount of time browsing Michael's crafts. I went in to get some closing night card supplies and then 2 hours later I was still there. I get over stimulated in that store cause there is so much to look at and so many projects I want to make. Also, now that its Oct, there is Halloween EverYwHerE and I was thinking of all the cool decorations we could make for our party. Did you know that Martha Stewart makes crow decorations you can stick on your walls? Forget Halloween, I just want a Martha Stewart Murder themed bedroom! I refrained from buying anything other than my card supplies. I don't want to be packing more stuff. Besides, there's a Michael's in Van now; so I can go shopping when I get back.

Well I'm rambling now, I should get back to my cards.
5 more days!
peace
Christie

a few days off

I'm headed to Van tomorrow! YAy!
I may not blog while I'm home. I'm hoping to be out socializing with real live people and enjoying my city. I will check in again later in the week.

These few days off are well earned and much needed. Hopefully I'll be able to come back and charge through our last with some revived positivity and energy.

For you MBTI/ Naramata enthusiasts, this is where we're at: I'm living in the 'grip' (as are a few others I'm sure) and the ensemble is cycling through the 'control' phase of group dynamics. Everyone seems irritable. Perhaps with some rest I can restore some of my dominant functioning and then next week we will move into 'inclusion' and all be very polite.

Peace friends
Cmax

scrubbing

So today has been filled with scrubbing windows, walls, fixing baseboards, cleaning out the fridge, all that sort of cleaning business you do before you move.
The floors will be the most work, but I'm not even gonna bother. My landlord will be showing the house next week and my roommate still has to finish moving out her stuff; so the floors would all be dirty again by the end of the month.

So mid afternoon, I'm taking a little break, thinking,  'I've got tons of time to get this done'
When it hit me.

This is my last weekend in this house!
Hooray!

I only hope and pray, and hope and pray some more, that all my stuffs are clean and that Monday's evacuation sees all the bugs left behind.

Later friends!

2 more weeks!

So here we are. 2 weeks left. Amazing!
And we're dark for most of this upcoming week; so it should be pretty easy.
Tomorrow is another understudy show, kind of. We have last year's SM subbing in for our other technician. I hope it doesn't turn into a show down. I'm really not that worried.

No show today. That's fine for me, gives me a chance to check some things off my list. I ventured out into the Loops today and it was sooooo windy! Seriously, crazily windy. It was the kind of wind where I actually had to stop and brace myself to avoid being blown over. It actually reminded me of living in Lethbridge. Wind is to Southern AB, what rain is to Vancouver, and it can drive people bonkers. I would take rain over wind any day, clearly I do.

See what boredom has reduced me to? I'm blogging about the weather!

Monday I'm headed to Van, with all my stuffs in a truck *thanks D : )
That means I can side step all the Greyhound, shipping, logistical stress and just get out of town.
I'm often convinced that the hard way is the right way and usually that it true. In this case however, I choose to believe that easier doesn't mean wrong, it just means easier. And some ease in my life sounds pretty good about now.

Onwards and upwards folks! see you soon!

Peace Cmax

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

yAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAArgh!
that's what I have to say about today's show.

and here's my piece of wisdom from that.

Theatre in Canada is a close knit industry.
If you're lucky to last long enough to make a career of it, you will earn a reputation.
Make sure its a good one.

peace
Cmax

Ah yes!

I had forgotten that one of the pain in the a$$ parts of moving is having your landlord and a bunch of strangers tour around your house. So annoying.

In other news, tonight marks our big show count down! We have 10 shows left!
That may seem like a lot in a regular theatre run, but we started the season with a hundred and something. I only have to watch this show for 10 more hours and 50 minutes.

Later friends
peace
Cmax

Day off

Today is one of the last days off I'll be enjoying here in Kamloops.
I have one more full week of shows coming up, then a few days in van, a few more shows in the loops and then home again home again.
I anticipate I will be fairly busy in the next couple of weeks. I have shipping to organize, end of show business and paperwork to sort out, cleaning to do and travel logistics to organize. (The transitional stress  has given rise to some disturbing dream activity, but swap the melting puppies for piglets suffocating in zip-lock. There is something seriously wrong with my imagination.)
Sort of the same crap I had to deal with at the beginning of the season, but with less emotional turmoil and a positive end result to look forward to. Though today I am feeling a bit like the woman in the 'Canadian heritage moment', "We'll never get there!"
I can do this.
I have my master moving list complete. (if you've ever had the joy of moving cmax style, you know the master list makes for a smooth and organized move.)
One problem I've come to is how to move with bags and rubbermaid bins rather than boxes. Greyhound and I are trying to work it out. ( unfortunately my luggage didn't survive the great bug infestation of 2011; so I literally only have tupperware to travel with).
Also problematic is the recent turn in the weather. In August, when I did my decontamination shopping, I only picked up summer items, and flip-flops also seemed like an easy and sanitary choice. However, flip-flops are not great fall/ rainy weather shoes and I have been FrEeziNg this week. So today, I picked up a pair of little boys canvass slip on shoes to tide me over till I make it home. (when buying children's shoes I generally opt for the little boy options cause somehow wearing little girl runners just seems ridiculous to me.) The new shoes should help. My beloved sweaters however, will simply have to remain plastic wrapped until I return to Van.
And before I sign off, here are this week's movie recommendations from Cmax. (Yes this is the first and likely last week I'll be offering movie recommendations. And Yes, I've watched enough of them this week to be able to pick out favourites. Its one of the few ways I can occupy my time in my barren, bug infested house; so cut me some slack. Beside these two were quite good!)

- At home by myself with you- a cute and quirky Canadian OCD love story.
- Fat head- the anti-vegetarian, thought provoking rebuttal to the documentary 'Supersize me'
K! Later friends!
Peace
Cmax

3 weeks!

Exactly 3 weeks left!

That is all.

Cmax

rollin rollin rollin

Well Sept is rolling along. We are doing more understudy shows this week. Yep... I know. It really isn't that big of a deal though, cause all the understudy shows are fully operational at this point. (Well unless I get hit by a bus. They are still working on a sub for me in the event I have to miss a show. How much you wanna bet it never happens?)
We technically only have 15 shows left. crazy. Though counting down shows feels a bit deceiving, in that I have more than 15 days left in Kamloops.
I'm restless. I'm sick of being here.
For one, I think I need to spend less time in this G-dforsaken house, its flat out maddening. I am an introverted person, but if I don't have any people around, then I start feeling like I'll implode.
I'm trying to fill my idle time thinking about all the lovely things I will do/ see/ have when i get back to Van.
1. See/ hang out with/ talk to/ harass/ make fun of/ play with my roommate
2. sleep in my own bed.
3. See/ hang out with/ talk to/ harass/ make fun of/ play with my friends. (sorry friends, you're third only due to sleep deprivation and burn out)
4. see my Ernie
5. Do laundry in our own machines which are silicate free and conveniently located in our bathroom.
6. Play Mario party!
7. Go to theatre in the city
8. Ride dependable and frequent public transit.
9. Go running on our track
10. Check out the new gym on Fraser.
11. Eat sushi and bubble tea after all aforementioned physical activity.
12. be able to cut back my sunscreen consumption.
13. Go out for a good cup of coffee
14. Go to my church on sunday morning
15. Go to Granville Island/ opus/ art galleries/ the beach

I'm feeling better already just from making the list.
3 and a 1/2 weeks left!

peace
Cmax

Off with their Heads!

Well the first day of the last month has come and gone and I'm feeling pretty positive about September.
I've been a ruthless disciplinarian as of late and that seems to have had an effect. I've been respectful and calm, but also incredibly assertive about what I will and will not put up with in the work place.

a little bit of fear does the hierarchy good.

Today was easy.

Today I was queen of the castle.

Peace
Cmax

too excited to wait

So I realize that it is just barely Sept 6th, but I simply couldn't wait till tomorrow morning to start celebrating. It feels like waiting for Christmas to arrive.

Sept 6th. That marks the official 5 month mark here in Kamloops.

ONE MONTH !!! LEFT!!!! YAAAYAYAYAAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

Now I get to start counting in weeks, soon it will be days, soooon I will be home!

I'm already packed and starting to ship items back home to Van. I have a few days off at the end of Sept; so I'll make one more trip out to Van, then back for a few more shows in Oct and then we're done.

Oh boy. I cannot believe that I've managed this long.

Weeks people. Weeks!

Peace
Cmax

patience is a virtue

My patience has been worn very thin this week and I find myself struggling to maintain my professional composure. I am finding myself needing to explain the fundamentals of theatre professionalism and that strikes me as ridiculous. Show up on time ready to work. Its a simple policy. I shouldn't need to explain or justify that one to anyone.

I am grateful to have friends here this week. They have been a blessing.
I've be able to blow off some steam, get out to have some Fun, and distract my weary mind from this bloody show. Thanks friends.

New favourite game. The questions game (generally referred to as 20 questions, but we are non-conformists and choose to set our own question limit...  aka, infinity)

k. later folks

Management 101

Today was a royal pain in my ass.
Its bad form to claim compassion and then break basic labour laws in the same breathe.
Its weak management to make choices based on what is the easiest option, or because you're afraid to rock the boat, or because you assume someone else will just pick up the slack. What's worse still, is to make no decisions at all and just hope things will work out.

I take strong issue with lacking integrity, especially in the work place. I understand that life is not always so cut and dry, but work is simple. There are rules, there are policies, you follow them.
If they don't fit the situation, then fine, change them.
But then you talk about it, consider the implications and options available and then you make decisions that are ethical and effective for all parties. You communicate, you plan.

'Oh its a miracle! it worked out!'
No, not a miracle, its called me, figuring out your mess and getting it done.
And in the end its me who sacrifices my basic labour rights.
How very compassionate of you.

Another one bites the dust!

Seriously this production should have been a reality show.
The drama of it all is simply sensational! The ratings would have been killer! The characters! You can't write this kind of craziness.
We sent another packing... The 'T's stepped in and said 'no, all feelings aside, these are the rules we must live by' (ok so I was the only one who said that, but the feelers appreciated my logic and my plan for action)
And now we have temporary people in, we are doing more rehearsals and we're also preparing for more understudy shows. Blah!
Did I mention that I'm sick? I feel like I've been hit by a truck today. Too bad for me, there is noooooo way that I can be missing shows this week; so I'll just have to suck it up.
Surprisingly though, morale on the show seems stable. I think we've all become so accustom to the never-ending drama that we can roll with pretty much anything. Its amazing what you can get use to.
Is it saturday yet? yikes.
I have friends coming to visit this weekend. I promise I will do my best to be fun, maybe even aim to make it on the 'awesome' list.  ; ) A
So it goes friends.
Talk to you again soon.

peace

Try Me

How selfish and arrogant do you have to be to get behind the wheel after a couple of drinks?
I travel those roads. I have friends and family who travel on those roads.
You may choose to risk your own life that way.
But how dare you make that choice for the rest of us.
don't think I'd call the cops on your ass?
Try me.....
Done.

Never ending rehearsals

Long week. Like that's a surprise.
I've been swamped at work, rehearsals, Q-2-Q's, new equipment... yarg.
And it seems there will be more to come in the upcoming weeks. One would think that we'd have the show ready by now, being that we're almost five months in, but that would be foolishness.
It looks as though we will be replacing yet another member of our team; so we keep rehearsing.
I'm tired.
I honestly can't think of any other witty or exciting anecdote to add.
Peace all

Thank goodness for Fridays

Its Friday folks! Yay!
That means tomorrow I get a day off, and this week, that feels well deserved.
This week has been crazy busy and stupidly stressful. It seems to have plateaued at this point and for that I am grateful. We are still prepping rehearsals and fighting technical issues but there's nothing that I can do to make that easier at this point.
There is also order at home. It doesn't feel clean by any stretch, but order will do.
At this point I am starting to plan my return to Van. Packing, organizing...
I still have a full 7 weeks left here, but I don't plan on spending one extra night here than I have too; so a good plan can make that happen.
I might have some friends out next month, which would be great, but I don't want to send them home with any unwanted travellers. Then I make one more trip to Van, one more week of shows after that and then its all over.
I have a feeling that once I get to September things will move fast and it will really start to seem like we're in the home stretch.
As a complete side note, can I just say how amazed I am with myself that I've been so consistent with this blog? I really thought I would get so wrapped up in the show that I would fall out of the habit rather quickly.
So time to jet, the theatre calls. Saturday, I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon.
Peace