Hot time, summer in the city

Blog! Hello! How are we today?

Since last we've spoken written, many things have happened, indeed.

1) I have been dating a wonderful man for two months (as of tomorrow, if we must be all official about it). Long-distance as we are, we're making it work. TGFS = Thank God for Skype!

2) Mom almost died a little over three weeks ago. Her heart stopped, and she face-planted onto the floor, scaring the hell out of me and Dad. Thanks to God, Dad's refresher CPR courses, the South Denver Fire and Rescue squad, a newly installed pacemaker and an intense 10 days of acute rehab, not only is she still with us she is doing well. And she got to come home yesterday. So, we are celebrating Independence Day in more ways than one around here.

3) I'm going to Brazil in November. I almost forgot about the trip, but, Mom gave me miles for a plane ticket, and I'm going with a group of friends from SF (one of whom is from there AND happens to be a travel agent...I can't wait). Looking forward to it!

4) I had my first (and so far, only) Colorado singing gig last weekend! It was fun - a concert fundraiser for a local opera company - and, well, hopefully that will lead to a few more things!

5) It's *finally* settling on me that I have moved. I knew it would take a while for that to sink in. I'm glad I moved, but I do miss my SF peeps. Lack of established peer community has been difficult. Even though I have a handful of friends here (and a couple of those close), it's not quite the same. BUT, making progress.

6) My birthday is in a week...weird! I plan on getting a massssssage...aahhhhhhhhhhhh

malaise

I am grouchy this week. And no, I can't blame it on pms.

I think I know it's a combination of many things which can all be boiled down to one word: Change. And plenty of it this summer. I - though somewhat of a creature of habit - enjoy adventures and traveling and new experiences, but I don't necessarily like change in various forms. It's painful. It's complicated. Even if it *is* for the better.

I'm turning 30 in just under a month (7/11 for anyone keeping track). On many fronts, I am quite excited about entering this new decade. I'm more comfortable with myself than I was at 20, I am taking the time to get healthier for myself, and I enjoy having the freedom to do certain things because I am an adult and I can. It's nice. However, I think the thing that gives me pause is when I start to dwell too much on the "what-if's" in life. Those always seem to crop-up near landmark birthdays, don't they? I try not to let them get to me, but sometimes they creep in.

Other changes . . . my younger brother, with whom I've gladly shared a house for the past 3.5 years, is moving to the East Coast this summer. Words cannot begin to express the joy it has been to live with him and get to know him as a grown-up, instead of just the tow-headed little boy from childhood memories and photos. We are close, and I consider myself extremely blessed in that regard. An added bonus has been becoming great friends with his fiancee, who lived with us for 2 of those years, before moving out to the East Coast for school (hence the brother's move). It is a change for him, as he starts this chapter of living with his life-mate all on their own, and I am thrilled for him. But, admittedly, I - selfishly - am mourning the end of this particular time period we've shared.

And more change...maybe...on certain horizons about which I cannot blog. I don't know. There are just some situations in life I can't control, no matter how much I'd like to do so - and it's hard for me to let go and "let God" as it were, even though I know it's much better in the long run when I do. It's just living in a prolonged state of unknowningness is...difficult.

I know this is just a season for me - lots of events converging - and I'm floundering a little. And I have a ton of extra time on my hands right now to ponder and sit because I am not involved in any theatrical productions this summer. Which is another story...mostly good, though.

This too shall pass.

Friday Five - Friends

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: "The way to have a friend is to be a friend."

So today let's write about the different kinds of friends we have, like childhood friends, lost friends, tennis friends, work friends, and the list goes on. List 5 different types of friends you have had in your life and what they were/are like.

1. The Best Friend: There are many variations of a "Best Friend" (childhood best friend, current best friend, lifelong best friend...etc.), but they usually share the following traits: can make you laugh just by saying one word which refers to some crazy incident of years past; cry with you at life's worst imaginable moments; sit with you in the emergency room in the middle of the night; straight-up tell you what you *need* to hear - even if it's not what you *want* to hear; they can read you like a book (and vice versa).

2. The Artsy Friend: I wade through many different social circles - the arts constituting one of the bigger ones - and a great portion of my friends fall in various places along the Artsy Friend spectrum. (And I fall into this category for some friends.) The Artsy Friend: is unique and has a treasure trove of experiences solely as a result of them being "in the arts"; provides reasons to go out and 'get cultured' for their other friends; generally marches to the beat of their own drummer; has a penchant for scarves, bangles and/or other excessive accessories - depending on their particular art.

3. The Travel Buddy: Some friends make better travel buddies than others, and often, one finds this out AFTER the trip is said and done. A true Travel Buddy compliments your own travel style, as conflicting travel styles lead to clashes, hurt feelings and possibly even severed friendships. Good Travel Buddy qualities: flexibility, humor, curiosity and the same tolerance for togetherness/independence as yourself. Extra bonus points if they can read a map and/or speak other languages.

4. The Family Friend: I have some wonderful family friends - people who have known me my entire life and are some of my biggest cheerleaders. They are, for all intents and purposes, part of my extended family, and are often called "Aunt," or "Surrogate Mother," "brotha from anotha motha" etc.

5. The Friend-of-a-Friend Friend: These are the folks you run into at mutual friends' birthday parties every year, the annual alumni wine tasting event, or other such similar social gatherings. And then it happnes: you end up connecting over something random ("OMG - you're taking Arabic, too?") or run into each other at a party sans mutual friend ("I'm so glad to see you - I don't know anyone else here!"), and you become *actual* friends all on your own. And when that happens, it can be a lovely thing.

Thus far

We are having springtime here in the Bay Area. It has been absolutely gorgeous, and I've been taking as much advantage of the weather as I possibly can, walking during lunch hours and/or after work and before rehearsals...just soaking up as much Vitamin D as possible before the summer fog starts rolling in.

Today, AZ, Ty and I met up with the fantastic T's and went wine tasting in Livermore Valley (East Bay as opposed to Napa/Sonoma area). DELICIOUS wine out there, people! And beautiful vistas. And bocce. And an amazing picnic by our hosts with the most. All-in-all, a perfect Saturday.
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April is turning out to be quite a good month, I think, though...I feel as if I'm juggling several things at once, and would just like to escape for a bit. Today was a nice chance to do a little of that. In any case, I'll have one less ball in the air come April 17 (post-show), and then I'll probably be bored. Go figure.

I'm looking at this year as a time to celebrate turning 30. Even though by birthday is in July, I'm gonna celebrate all year. I've been planning my vacation days out, and so far have blocked out the time and purchased my ticket to visit friends in Europe in September. And, thanks to an early bday gift from Sibling, I'll be going to see U2 in October down in SoCal. Also? AZ is *finally* going to come with me to visit CO. YAY for all of that!
I hope to visit CO when P gets his vacation time in June and will be there, too (of course, if I can, I'll try and convince him to spend a few days out here with his West Coast Fan Club!) but not sure yet when those dates are. Also? My mom is chomping at the bit to go to Branson. And I promised I'd meet her up there one weekend. Good thing airfares are low right now (and that I've got a ton of FF miles to use!) If only I got paid to travel . . . hmmmmm gotta figure out how to make that happen . . .

Things to be thankful for last week - in random order

1. Two good friends both gave birth to healthy babies. YAY!
2. Speaking at Career Day wasn't nearly so nerve-wracking as I thought it would be.
3. That so-called horrid winter storm we were supposed to get on Saturday? Didn't happen, which meant hiking in the Headlands was a go!
4. Simultaneous waltzing and singing is a challenge. Especially after drinking champagne. But a fun challenge, nevertheless.
5. Point Bonita is really quite...bonita.
6. Cheesesteak
7. Feeling at the end of my rope, only to realize - with relief - that I'm nowhere near to the end.
8. The Darkness, The Beatles and Yonder Mountain String Band
9. Catching up
10. Setting sights on vacation time!

lovely

It has been a gorgeous day today . . . sunny, warm...who would have thunk it is practically Thanksgiving?

I went up to Marin today for lunch and to hike with some friends in this place called Tennessee Valley. Very lovely - I'd never been up there before.

Now, headed to a going away party for a good friend of mine...I guess that's just the thing about SF - it's such a transient place, and saying "goodbye" to folks never gets easier. But, I try and frame it in my mind that, well, I just have a lot of fun places to go visit!