I sit here and type this from my saturday desk, around lunchtime. Things are great here because it's relatively quiet and the office is spacious and I am alone to revel in my afternoon. Almost doesn't feel like working, and I like it. Laura-quiet time (almost)!

Things have been going well. I was feeling overwhelmed there for a while, but a really great practicing session and the changing of my monthly wall calendar made me feel much better.

I saw the Devil Wears Prada last night. I think it was a really good film--particularly for my age group. The issue of career vs. personal life is such a huge concern for 20 and 30-somethings, and this movie addressed it in a way that kept me thinking. Adonis and I talked about that for a little after the movie, and worried if we would have stepped away from that personal-life threatening position, or if we would have stayed to help secure our future career goals. Hmm.

Well, I feel guilty typing from work, so I suppose I'll sign off for now. Extra warm-throughts to Suz and Rob and Katie and Naomi, wonderful friends and friends-of-friends who helped me move Suz's heavy sofa from her place to mine this morning in a matter of 15 minutes. Down 2 sets of stairs and up another. Extra props to Naomi and Rob, wonder-folk who managed it mainly on stregnth and good-will. I owe you. :)

more than knee deep into summer

These weeks keep flying by. With approximately 2 days off each month, I feel like I never quite get a good amount of time to relax. Granted, a lot of evenings I'm done around 6 or 7pm, and can make dinner and read or whatnot, but without a full day off, it feels a little crazy around here.

Work is going well all around. I realize that there's no possible way I can keep it all up when school starts, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it. I'll have to start thinking because within a month I will have to have made a choice!

My practicing varies from really good to pretty unsuccessful. I have reason to believe I may be developing allergies (scratchiness in the back of my throat) and that does nothing to help my practicing. It seems to shorten the amount of time I can sing at once, and all I can say is that I hope it either goes away or at least I'll figure out how to fix it. I'm dying for some voice lessons so I can make sure I'm doing things correctly, but I still have almost a month until Ms. Wise gets back. In the meanwhile it's all work and practice, and saving money for future costly ventures (this career).

Tonight I start rehearsals for Two Gentlemen of Verona. I still do not know what the schedule for rehearsing will be, so that's just another thing to add on to my busy days. I've been cast as 3 different people, all men. It's like a reversal of how it used to be, with men playing women. Two of the roles are ok sized and one is just a tiny part. All in all, it'll be fine, though I don't have any idea how I'll pull off a man's voice. Plus, having played men probably won't help me much on my resume, or even for experience because all my opera characters are young women (or birds or bells or fire or something like that). I guess it'll just expand my horizons and hopefully help me to role-prep. We'll see....

Well, I'm off to spend some time with Marion. I really feel like I'm making some kind of difference in her quality of life, and that's really really rewarding. I certainly wouldn't mind just working with a few people at Meadowood, which would cut down my work hours and probably make me more money. Ah well.

Hope all is well for everyone that might read this. Probably not too many people, as I haven't been updating. Anyhow, if you do read this, yet haven't spoken to me in a while, please write or call. I'm so bad with keeping up...

And for those who have asked for pictures on the blog, here's one of just another graduation:

One month later...

I've got 2.5 jobs
I am singing in choir for scholarship money
I've got no television
my boyfriend has left Bloomington permanently
I have discovered the joys of the library

So, as the list is in no particular order of importance, I'll attack it in random order too:

Though I'm not working more than a combined 40 hours a week, I have 2.5 jobs (plus choir, so it's like a total of 3 jobs). I was first hired by Home Instead, a company providing non-medical aid and companionship for the elderly. We help them so they can stay in their homes and try to stay independent. I did 2 or so weeks of 20-30hrs. a week, and then the hours starting getting smaller, as many of the incoming clients' health has been declining (or stopping all together, shall we say). I was then called by my apartment complex for an interview, which I took, and was subsequently hired a few nerve-racking days later. Turns out that the companionship job doesn't mind how inflexible my hours-available are now, so I work for them Thursday mornings and evenings (and perhaps an occasional other time) and work in the Heritage office 20 hours a week. Pepper the schedule with a normal 4.5 hours of choir a week (unfortunately in the middle of the day) and 4.5 hours of companionship for a lady at Meadowood, and that's my schedule.

Though it will have to be rearranged when the school year starts, it's really not bad. I'm upset that I don't have any long weekends until Sept., as I have to work Fridays and Saturdays at the office here, particularly in August (which is the busiest month) but as for a day off here and there, I don't really need it. I can get out all evenings but Thursdays, and have no cable to keep myself glued to the tv-screen for entertainment.

As for tv, I've discovered the joys of the public library over the summer--lots more movies available! They've got zillions of VHS, and quite a good selection of classic or older DVDs. You can take out an unlimited amount, and keep them for a week. I've been getting 5 each Monday, and it gives me something to watch when I'm getting ready for bed, or am bored. I've also been excited about reading any books I want, which is such an old concept, yet strange to our generation, I think, which loves Barnes and Noble and Borders and Amazon, etc. Not that I don't love those places, for certainly I do, but it's nice to be able to give a book a first shot, and not have to own it if it's something I can live without.

You know, I've been recalling last summer a lot, and living in San Fran with Anna and Naomi. The program we were in was ok, at least for the time being...But San Fran was amazing. I loved where we lived, and Adored the part of town where the program was--New Chinatown. Food was pretty cheap, and it was wonderful. Fresh sushi or dim sum all the time, and an incredible bakery and cafe, and used bookstore with bargain bins overflowing at $1-2 a book. I read like crazy, and Naomi and I exercised for 40 mins/night. I just cannot motivate myself to read as much and exercise living alone, and I don't know why. I suppose having this internet connection is a large part of the problem, though I can't bear the thought of not having it.

...Andy is officially gone for the summer, and I really don't know when I'll get to see him next. It was wonderful seeing him all the time this last month, and I certainly miss him being here. I feel badly about not having the time to visit him in Wisconsin for the entire summer---perhaps if I get a Monday off in August I'll be able to take 3 days for a short trip. Otherwise it'll be up to him to make it out here, which isn't really fair, but due to the circumstances, I guess the only way around it for now. I also really wanted to take a trip to L.A. to see Rachel, as I had promised not only her, by myself that I would. If I only have 2 days off in a row, it's not going to do me much good. I guess I'll see what I can do when I get my august work schedule.

...I've realized that there isn't much to do in Bloomington. Not that I didn't realize this before, but over the summer months people look at every night as a night to go out, and therefore I think realize how easy it is to end up doing the same old thing (which for me is making a good meal, and watching a movie, occasionally with a homemade dessert in hand by mid-flick). I enjoy this, but at times it gets boring. Then there's the bar scene, or going out for meals, but mainly eating out is always more expensive, and when you're getting something that's no better than what you can make at home, is it worth it?
...Even when I lived in NYC, when I was an RA and my social life was spending time with the other RAs, it didn't cross my mind that this responsibility cut-off my social life. There were always these friends just a floor or two away, and even on our free nights, we would do the same things we do here in IN, except for the fact that the scene was better in NYC (but we certainly paid for it, most of the time).

So, I'm rambling now, which although it's a month worth, is way too much for one entry. Until next time...