May 29–June 4, 2011

No softball this week as it was Memorial Day weekend.  However, I got a chance of a lifetime.  A few days earlier, my friend Sandy, asked if I wanted to join her for the Prince concert as the person she’d bought the tickets with could no longer attend.  I couldn’t say no to Prince!  He’s a legend and so very talented!  She had to work earlier in the afternoon so I met her at Disneyland and then we headed to the Great Western Forum in LA for an evening of incredible music! 

After some interesting people watching in line we were let into the arena.  We grabbed some food and headed to our seats – and they were some amazing seats – on the floor, eye level to the stage (which was a raised platform in the shape of Prince’s symbol).  The show was scheduled to begin at 7:30; well, the opening act didn’t even take the floor (actually they performed in the tunnel opening at the entrance level – very strange) until almost 9pm.  They did a quick 3 numbers and then we waited another brief amount of time before Prince took the stage.  He did not disappoint!  It was quintessential Prince – the outrageous clothes, the heels (oh the shoes – first gold pumps and then knee high fuzzy wedge boots with lights in the heel), and the awesome music!  He played all the classics and then some.  Overall he played until after midnight – 4 encores, and we think the 4th was unplanned – the crowd just wouldn’t leave so everyone came back out and just jammed for another 10 minutes or so.  An amazing night – I’m so glad I got to share it with Sandy!

Monday (Memorial Day) was closing night for Join Jack’s Crew.  It was bittersweet – I understood the reasons for closing but am going to miss everything about the show: the cast, crew and laughs we shared.  I was Entertainment 1 that day but spent all of my time with the pirates.  I helped set up the tables & chairs for our potluck, got the food organized, and then enjoyed & shared stories with my amazing group!  We took a cast photo before the first show of the evening.  And since I called the first two shows, I thought it fitting to call the last two shows.  I so much didn’t want it to end that I let the opening improv banter go on an extra 5 minutes for starting the “show”.  I was just having to much fun and laughing too much to make it stop!  Needless to say, all great things must come to an end.  I will, however, always hold a special place in my heart for my pirates on Join Jack’s Crew!

Here’s Kevin hanging with his buddies ready for 3D…Waiting for the daily goat parade…Yeah! The goats are here…The men (and women) in black, otherwise known as my awesome Crew!!!Some of the creative and production staff with a few out of dress pirates…More food being enjoyed by the cast & crew…Catching up and sharing stories…Ralph & Traci – he missed the cast photo but I captured him here!Traci & Knuckles – he’s a funny guy…Glenn, Sharon and Furgus…Crow’s Nest & Knuckles (leashed!)…You can climb a gate but can’t escape!

Keeping the spirit of busy going, on Wednesday, it was time for the next production in our season line up at OCPAC (SCFTA) – Burn the Floor.  I met up with Sarah beforehand for dinner at Claim Jumper.  We ordered the same meal and enjoyed lovely conversation.  And for a change, we even splurged on dessert.  We then walked over to the theater to meet up with Karen & Jamie.  The show is an amazing ballroom dance concert with 2 live singers and a cast full of talented dancers.  And my sister got all excited when she realized two of her So You Think You Can Dance stars were in the show!  After the show, Sarah and I ended up chatting at our cars for another couple of hours.  It was a great night out!

The rest of the week was a typical work week – time spent on The Magic, the Memories, and You! and Magical fireworks and Grad Nite.  Nothing too exciting or out of the ordinary to report on this week.  

May 22–May 28, 2011

Yes, it was softball Sunday again!  It was a tight game but we pulled it off in the end – our last regular season game!  With this win, team Fantastical ended in 2nd place in the standings! Woot!  We have next week off and then it’s playoff time!  I can’t wait!

Monday, I spent the day with Harry.  I had finished book 6 late Sunday night and jumped right in to book 7.  And all day, while laundry was washing, I joined Harry on his final adventures.  Seriously – all day, from wake up until just about 6pm when I got ready to attend Danielle’s going away karaoke party.  I hadn’t quite finished with Harry (but was very close) but I couldn’t miss seeing Danielle off!

It was a great time at the karaoke bar.  I got to spend some time catching up with Danielle and some mutual friends. Harry (a real life man!) and Sammie were there, along with Sammie’s son Travis and his wife Vilma.  I declined on the singing, and the bar was better for it, but the others all got up and did at least a number. I realized how much I missed hanging out with this group and seeing them on a regular basis.  But my crazy schedule and the 30 miles between us really makes it difficult to keep up with them. 

After several hours of singing and good conversation, I headed home and back to Harry (the fictional one).  I ended the night by ending my adventures with him.  I am super excited and ready for the final movie now!  Just so long as they don’t change too many things, I will be very happy!

Tuesday saw me finally experiencing the movie Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides in its entirety.  I’d been seeing the same one scene for weeks on end with Join Jack’s Crew and now got to see how it all fit together.  I enjoyed the movie though I may have been partial to it.  I thought it was right up there with the first one. 

On Thursday, my cousin Cheryl, her husband Scott, baby Westin, and cousin Barbara arrived in town from Utah.  I met up with them late in the morning to sign them in to Disneyland.  As I had Grad Nite that night, I couldn’t play with them but they got a good many hours in the park.  Thankfully I knew we had the big family BBQ on Saturday when I could really catch up with them.

Friday I started my refresh on the summer fireworks spectacular, Magical.  It is a much faster paced show for us stage managers.  In addition to the two fairy flights, we also have a pachyderm flight.  We are constantly doing something during this show – not a lot of time to sit and enjoy the pyrotechnics. 

I continued my Magical refresh on Saturday but not before I experienced the famous Pickett Summer BBQ.  We usually saved the big BBQ for 4th of July but as we weren’t sure about the state of the house sale, we moved it to Memorial Day.  The kids got a bounce house, BINGO is played at the end of the night and all evening, my mom’s fabulous BBQ and spread is feasted upon by all.  There were probably 50+ people, family and friends, all hanging out in the family’s backyard.  It is such a fun time.  And I finally got to catch up with my cousins!  I was a little bummed to leave early (missing BINGO – with prizes!) and head in to work (especially as we ended up cancelling due to high winds!). 

Another family filled fun week in the books!

Apr 24–Apr 30, 2011

So I totally forgot to mention on my last post, my Saturday night activity!  I got to see my theater mentor and his wife, Kevin & Kathi Cook, in the OCHSA (Orange County High School of the Arts) Faculty Follies!  They were super fantastic!  My friend Gemma was also in the show.  To top it off, sitting next to me was Joseph Mulroy, whom I last worked with on his show Born to Ride the Waves.  It was a terrific night out and the show was pretty good too!

On to the current week, I can’t believe how busy I was over this 7 day stretch.  I began the week with Easter Sunday.  I got tickets for the Angels game – so I started my day at Angel Stadium.  Thankfully the rain quit just before the first pitch.  It was a great game – I even had a bordering-on-creepy old man ask me to dance during the 7th inning stretch.  I declined but he was a hoot (and a bit intoxicated)! 

After the game, I headed down to the family for a lovely Easter dinner.  It’s always nice to celebrate a holiday with the family and good food – nothing fancy but definitely tasty.  It was a relaxing afternoon and evening.

On Monday, Sarah and I finally found some time to hang out.  We decided to lunch at Rutabagorz in Old Town Orange.  I had a lovely Thai wrap but the best part was catching up with Sarah.  We talked and talked and talked.  I noticed the people around us were dissipating but I got quite the shock when I looked at my watch – we’d been talking for 4 hours!  Boy, time sure flies when in good company.  She and I really needed the afternoon to delve back into each other’s lives.  We just don’t get to see near enough of each other since we “work” in different parks.  Yes, we both work in the same department for the same company but ‘technically’ I am statused in Disneyland and she in Disney California Adventure.   She’s a fantastic friend!  This is one of my favorite photos of us (from a vacation in NYC that overlapped a few years ago – I suppose I need a new current favorite photo!).

Tuesday was Mom’s birthday!  The local family gathered at Ruby’s Diner at the Laguna Hills Mall for dinner.  It’s one of our family’s favorite places to eat out (Karen and I love the grilled cheese on parmesan sourdough – she adds the Cajon fries) and something for everyone!  The boys got to play with a cut out play neighborhood while the grown-ups enjoyed pleasant conversation. After dinner it was back to the house for cake & presents quickly before the boys went to bed. 

My visiting teachers stopped in for a visit this week as well.  I am really enjoying getting to know them.  And Stacie continues to ‘stalk’ me and make sure I have all the mid-singles information.  One of these days, I might actually have a day/night off when there is an activity.  Until then, I continue to hear about them but have to work.

Speaking of work, this week was quite varied for me.  I got to giggle the night away with my JJC pirates one night, cancel fireworks due to wind one night, spend two days prepping for Grad Nite Explosion, and spend one day & night working a special event at the Grand Californian Hotel.  The event was fun because I got to spend a little bit of time with my former roommate Marcie!  All in all, a week filled with life.  :)

Feb 13 - Feb 19, 2011

I began this week by celebrating my birthday with friends at the local mini-golf location.  Well, really, I began the week by picking up and tinkering around my apartment.  I got the kitchen clean, hung a few remaining frames on the wall, etc.  In the afternoon, I met up with Leilani & Holly for some mini-golf!  I hadn't played in years!  It was a blast.  We had a fantastic time - beautiful weather, good conversation, and silly shots on the course. 

This is one of the 4 hole in one's I made throughout the course! :)  Really 3 of the 4 were just making it onto the right ramp - not actually getting the ball into the hole skillfully with one stroke. 

This is me taking a shot towards the cup on a relatively easy hole.  We never did find the course par but we think we were close - it seems I always took about 3 strokes to sink the ball regardless of the obstacle. 

Here's Leilani with the dragons!  On the hole previous, she found her nemesis - the windmill.  She could not get the ball into the windmill for the life of her.  The first stroke she launched onto the lower course.  The next was too soft and so on and so on.  She much preferred this dragon!

Holly managed to somehow launch her ball over and out of the course area.  Thankfully it was still within reach and she didn't have to climb the rail to fetch the ball.

There was no standing room for my right handed shot on this particular hole so I just hopped up on the wall.  Surprisingly, I sank the ball on this shot!  Nobody - least of all me - was expecting that outcome!

Holly became the queen of the rim shot - her ball would look like it was going in but then roll along the rim and off the other side.  I love her expression in this particular photo as it shows her utter frustration at this phenomenon.  Seriously, this happened to her too many times to count.  Seriously. 

This photo, on a different hole, shows the rim shot the best - the ball did not go in - it just rolled off the rim and back out onto the course. 

Of course, she did eventually get a hole in one, and on one of the harder holes.  It had a water element that if you weren't careful, your ball would easily veer into the pond.  She was so focused on staying out of the water that she didn't realize she sank the ball in the cup at the other end.





After mini-golf Leilani had a previous engagement and had to jet, but Holly and I headed over to a local pizza joint to meet up with a few others for dinner.  Neither of us had been to Oggi's before even though it was fairly close to both of us.  Our service was awful but since we weren't in a hurry it wasn't so bad.  Sandy, Gemma, Marcie & Sammy, and Kate eventually joined us.  The pizza was actually quite tasty.  And we got a bonus in a round about way - remember that bad service... well, our server brought out a pizza that looked similar to what we ordered but wasn't quite it.  We, of course, didn't figure it out until we'd already had a slice.  Turns out that pizza was one that had been built incorrectly and was going to no one.  A few minutes later the manager came out with our correctly ordered pizza and apologized for the mix up.  So we got 2 pizzas for the price on 1!  Not too shabby since the incorrect pizza was pretty close to our order.  All in all, I had a lovely birthday celebration with my friends.

The next day was Valentine's Day - not too awesome for this singleton.  So I took the opportunity to run some errands.  I stopped by Company D for some last minute V-day shopping, picked up my completed taxes (refund - woo hoo!), supported my friend's daughter's Girl Scout troop by buying some cookies, and dropped by and gave my nephews some Star Wars toys for the holiday.  Then I headed to the local dollar theater (actually $2) to see Harry Potter 7 part 1 again.  It was quite enjoyable the second time!  In fact, I think I'm going to start reading the books again from the beginning in preparation for the final movie later this year.  After the movie, I met Chris and Sandy for dinner at Alcatraz in Orange.  It was a lovely dinner and good to chat with my friends again.

The rest of the week I focused on work.  It was a busy week dealing with possible rain, high winds, and more rain.  I ended up cancelling the big show (Remember) on Fri/Sat but got the MMY show in every night!  Thursday afternoon, I had a work lunch with some fellow stage managers at El Torito (boy I sure ate out a lot this week!).  They are proposing some possible changes and wanted to get our opinions - more to come on that later. 

It was a very full week.  The coming week may be just as full.  I guess I need to be careful of what I wish for - I wanted more social time, I got more social time :)  It's all about balance - I'll find it eventually =D 

Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2011

Looking back on my week, it was all about work again.  I really need to get a life.  Alas, it turned into another 6 day work week.  The proverbial "they" called me in to help cover for someone who called in sick yesterday.  Thankfully it was a pretty easy work week.  We were still working out bugs in the operational flow of the new show but overall I was pleased with everything.  I have such a great team that makes even the issues seem not as bad.  

I'm still on a late night schedule but am slowly working back to a "normal" schedule.  In the meantime, I am also adapting to this night schedule.  I do all my at home chores late after I get home from work.  The only trick is getting to the grocery store during operating hours.  Thankfully, my mid-week work schedule gets me off a bit earlier and can race over just before it closes (if I don't have to write a long, issue filled report at the end of the night!).  

My highlight of the week was the 2nd show of our season subscription to the recently renamed Segerstrom Center for the Arts (formerly Orange County Performing Arts Center) - Hair!  My sister Karen, her best friend Jamie, my friend Sarah, and I bought the season last summer but it didn't really get going until this show (we saw South Pacific last fall).  The next 4 shows fall within the next 5 months!  Karen, Jamie, and I went to dinner at Chili's before the show.  We love that place (2nd blog reference in 5 weeks kind of love though usually don't go that often).  Karen had a coupon for free chips and queso - can't go wrong there!  Other than a super slow waiter, we had a great time.  

At dinner before the show!  Jamie & Karen - BFFs!

The super slow waiter caused us to have less time to get to the theater than planned.  We hurried over (following all traffic rules!), parked, and had just crossed the street when a car drove by with the window down and a girl hollering out the window at us.  Turns out it was Karen & Jamie's other best friend Marissa!  She lives near the theater and was out and about.  Apparently she thought the girl on the corner looked like me and the girl next to me Karen and so on and then realized - wait - that can't be coincidence - it's got to be them.  Conveniently there was a bus turn out just ahead of her where she could pull over and we chatted for a bit.  Small world indeed.  

Before the show (L-R): Sarah, Me, Jamie, Karen

Of course, the brief conversation delayed us again so we very quickly hurried over to where Sarah was waiting for us just outside the theater.  Then the small world run-ins continued - Sarah and I ran into some co-workers as we were in line to go inside.  They had decided just that week to buy tickets.  After all that we made inside with a few minutes to spare - just enough time to use the restroom before the 80 minute first act.  Hair is not my favorite musical but this company and production was quite good and well done.  There were some annoying lighting choices (bright l.e.d.'s at the back of the house - a very large house, really?) and a really annoying family in front of us, both causing us to move forward a few rows at intermission.  So even though it wasn't our favorite show - it was a great time out with the ladies.  And our next show in the season is Wicked - the day before Karen's birthday!  What a fun way to celebrate her birthday!  We're going to get an extra ticket for Mom to join us as well.  I'm so looking forward to it!