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laurabirdd
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Name: Laura
Gender: Female
Interests: I am interested in... Theatre, teaching, singing, learning, auditioning (I guess I have to be), dogs, horses, cooking, baking, good coffee, entertaining (having friends over to my house), Dance Dance Revolution (nerdy, but true), reading, revolutionary living (I said I'm interested in it, I didn't say I'm good at it!).
Expertise: I am an expert at being a novice.
Occupation: Actress, waitress, Standardize
Industry: The arts, hospitality, medicin
Message: message me
AIM:  laurabirdd
Member Since:
7/7/2004
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| My oh my.
The holidays are upon us and my life is crazy! Strangely enough, it's not as crazy as it was in college (10 AM- midnight every day), but then again I didn't have to cook or go grocery shopping or clean a bathroom and I could de-stress whenever I wanted to just by walking next door and venting to whoever was there. There were so many projects to complete or papers to write- it gave me a very satisfied sense of accomplishment. However, in the real world, I do not sense that accomplishment all the time, as things pretty much keep coming- work follows work follows teaching follows shopping follows rehearsal, etc, etc.
I still love my job at Crazy Mocha. But I hope they continue to love me as my schedule becomes increasingly difficult. Example:
Dec. 17th- Performing Arts Academy Open House! Yay!
Dec. 18th-20th- Go to Westfield for Brautigam Christmas.
Dec. 24th- Jan 1st- Go to St. Croix with Andersons
Jan. 4th- Start rehearsals for Pioneers of Flight
Jan. 9th- 10th- Go to a wonderful wedding!
Jan. 11th- May- Tour to high schools during the day, work at Crazy Mocha at night (hopefully!) and on the weekends, teach at the Performing Arts Academy again.
Stuff to do today:
* Print out monologues for students
* Go to two different grocery stores (may not happen today. I might have to do that tomorrow. This internet-library trip has taken way longer than I thought it would.)
* Help a student with their audition song
* Teach my final full classes of the semester for the Performing Arts Academy.
Stuff still left to do within the next week:
* Do Performing Arts Academy Evaluations
* Finish Christmas shopping
* Make lots of cookies.
* Work a lot.
That may not sound like a lot, but it is.
Stuff to do before Christmas:
* Write and address Christmas cards? I don't know if that will ever happen within my life time (remembering addressing wedding invitations).
* Write and address support updates for all of our supporters out there! (this may be combined with Christmas cards, for ease)
* Finish other Christmas shopping.
* Clean the house.
* Take Aunt Dot out.
* Finish up perishable food and leftovers.
My goodness. I'm sorry I saddled this onto all of you. But that's the way it is.
Merry Christmas!
Laura Lee
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| I love working at Crazy Mocha. It's been great so far- such a great atmosphere and the people are so nice.
The Performing Arts Academy has been going so well. My Musical Theatre students are really coming along! Not only do they sound great, they are really acting and getting into their characters' mindsets. They are getting along really well together, and our Bible study time has produced some great conversations (one of which revealed the fact that one of the girls had no idea what 9/11 was or what the Holocaust was- what are they teaching these kids?!). So between our Bible Study/History class and our singing, these girls are getting closer and closer. I really hope they continue with this. they all have potential.
The Middle/High School acting class is also going well. They've all been assigned monologues, and they're using those monologues to audition for the play we'll be doing next semester! I told them all to dress up for the audition the week after Thanksgiving, and to have at least part of their monologue memorized. They're kind of nervous, but I think that auditioning is a huge part of acting, and the only way you get better is to practice.
Eric and I have been working out our acting muscles with a group called The Mighty Ducks Theatre Co. It is so great. I haven't had a chance to be that creative in such a long time! It's nice to have a group of people that I trust and respect who can give me honest feedback and good advice. Really- all you college students don't know what you got 'til it's gone.
Fall has brought on the baking bug. All I want to do is bake. I made bagels the other day without a thermometer to tell me how hot the water was for the yeast. They ended up being kind of rock-like, but that's ok. Eric's and my current roommate works at Dozen, so she brings cupcakes and danishes home all the time. Eric was craving doughnuts, so I picked some up on my last trip to the store. And yesterday we wanted chocolate chip cookies, so those might make an appearance today. This week, I'm making a pumpkin roll and some cookies for my parents for the Thanksgiving. We live in a house of delicious baked-goods temptation.
I'm so excited for Thanksgiving! Eric and I are going to my house, where my parents and two of my sisters and all of their kids will be. I am looking forward to a delicious meal and good times hanging out with my siblings and niece and nephews. Joy and David and Ellie will be missed, but I have less than a month until I get to see them, too! Life is just rollin' along. :) | | |
| I have a job at Crazy Mocha! Yay- that makes me happy. Coffee shops make me happy. I hope they continue to do so after I work at them. :)
I had training yesterday and today, and I like it a lot. The people I've met are really great- really chill and responsible and non-dramatic, which is my style.
I think I'm going to go home now and read a little, and watch a little TV, and get ready to go back to work tomorrow! | | |
| Life is ok!
Ok things are happening.
I didn't get Christmas Carol :(. Ah well, such is show business. But on the up side, I applied at Crazy Mocha! It's building a coffee shop a block away from my apartment, and I would love, love to work there. Can you imagine?! Going to a coffee shop. Every day! And getting paid for it! :) On the down side, I gave them my application (saying I want to work on the North Side but would train elsewhere) a week ago, and I have not heard back. I content myself by saying that they're probably really busy right now. That's all.
So I feel pretty useless. I don't have any Standardized Patient work this week (or last week) and I turned down the offer of some Extra work in order to get the phone call and interview that never came. I had a dream that I was on Project Runway and was actually doing pretty well, so maybe I'll start drawing or designing clothes for fun. I started reading a book about stand-up comedy, and I thought, "I could do that!" I check my e-mail every day for news from the coffee shop. Since I'm not earning any, I try to cost as little money as possible, so I spend my days at the library or at home since I don't want to waste gas or anything. I know I don't have to do all that, Eric wouldn't mind, but I do anyway. I'm just such a restless person, I feel like I have to be helping out in some way! I really am a restless person.
But I am incredibly blessed to have some time off, to myself- I've been reading a lot- African American youth fiction to help get to know our kids' culture better. And just some other youth fiction- it's really my thing more than real, live grown-up books. It's quick and easy and really compelling! I just read a book about football called, "Pop!" by Gordon Korman, and I am please to say that his writing style has really grown since his, "Twinkie Squad" days. (Although "The Twinkie Squad" can still make me laugh like crazy). The story was wonderful- I cried a little. Or at least teared up. I've also been cooking and baking. I even bought some yeast the other day in hopes to make real bread.
Performing Arts Academy last week was really tough. We still need volunteers. My faithful volunteer had a family emergency, so I was on my own after battling a cold for 4 days. Technically, I'm not supposed to teach by myself if there are more than 6 kids, and there were only 4 at the beginning of class- the other 5 trickled in throughout the first half-hour, when it was too late to cancel class. By the end of the class, I was at my wit's end. I hope it goes better this week. If anybody has advice for handling teens and pre-teens, please let me know. And I know that everybody has prayers to spare, so prayer for more volunteers would be great. Great great. :)
So things are ok! I know they are actually better than ok: I am an incredibly blessed woman- I have a wonderful husband, a career/jobs I enjoy, a wonderful family, and a whole host of other blessings. But I am also human and even in the face of many blessings, I sometimes see things through grey-colored glasses and think of this beautiful life as just ok. I think I'm just spoiled so when things don't go my way, I get pouty. I'm sure Eric can corroborate that. :) I found this verse that's been helping me with ok-ness:
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." (2nd Corinthians 14:2).
I like the picture. And the idea that even though I'm not doing a lot to contribute financially, God is using me to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ everywhere I go. | | |
| I feel like I just blogged! And yet I look and see that it has been about 10 days.
Auditions, auditions, auditions. That is my life right now. One yesterday, one today. Both pretty big auditions with the possibility of leading to pretty big jobs. And they involve singing. So that's all the more nerve-wracking. In 6 hours, it will be over, and I'll be making dinner and getting ready to watch The Mentalist.
Book update:
Eric and I have finished "The Hunger Games." We are currently number 92 out of 116 on the library's waiting list for the sequel.
Urban Impact Performing Arts Academy:
Please pray for volunteers!
We currently have a waiting list for Middle and High School Acting class, and we would love to take them, but we just can't unless we have more volunteers to chaperone bathroom trips and make sure everybody's sitting down and listening. You do not have to be an actor or a singer or anything! Just somebody who can call kids who are late, help with crowd control, and take unruly kids out into the hall.
Another prayer request:
My co-teacher for the Musical Theatre class had to leave us for work-related reasons. For the next two weeks, I need somebody to come in at 4 and do warm-ups and range checks while I get out of work and travel to class.
Thank you for your prayers! They are the most valuable assets we have. :) | | |
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