Completing Projects

[mrdreamjeans]

Thursday evening I attended a production of "Stephen Sondheim's musical "Assassins. It's not produced as often as some of his better known works; it was a new experience for me. I know very little about the show, other than it tells the stories of the people who attempted to assassinate US Presidents, with emphasis on the four who succeeded. It's an odd topic for a musical, but so relevant in this time of gun violence. But, Sondheim's "Sweeny Todd" is also a quirky choice for a musical. Assassins was preceded by a carnival in the lobby. It was interesting to see how it linked to the show. I was excited to go; the ticket was a gift from my friend Steve for taking care of his dog while he was on vacation. We enjoyed ourselves a lot!

Earlier in the week, I took the proctored exams for my property and casualty licenses, the exams that follow completion of the 40 hours of online study. I passed them on the first try. Next step is to sit for the MN insurance licensing exam. I hope to pass the 100 question State exam on the first try, too. I begin my part time job, lined up since November, this coming Monday.

I am hoping my new passport arrives soon. I am encouraged that the government has already processed my payment.

I became a sustaining member of Minnesota Public Radio in early February. I've also become a supporter of the Southern Poverty Center which does such fine work in fighting hatred and racism in the United States. This follows renewal of my memberships for the Colonial Williamsburg Association (20+ years), AARP (fve years), AAA (38 years) and The Actors Fund (three years).

Today, I got a bee in my bonnet and started tackling a lot of minor changes to my house I've been contemplating all Winter. I moved pieces of art around, shifted some furniture pieces to be more functional and organized paperwork and filed. I dislike visual clutter, so am editing my choices after a year in the house.

I'm just about ready to send off my tax return paperwork. I've used the same guy in TN since 1992. Label me loyal. (Randy bailed me out on a tour of "Evita", when a tax preparer specializing in actors' returns got her nose in a snit and cancelled all appointments that had been set in advance. All of us on tour in Chicago were ham-stringed; Randy had prepared my folks' returns and I've remained with him, knowing he is reliable and honest.)

I've written and mailed an initial batch of March birthday cards. I celebrate more birthdays from March 1st to April 14th than in any other time of the year; 20 altogether. LJ's designerotter's birthday is March 13th; thespian15's is March 15th. My twin nephews' birthdays are on March 17; my ex brother-in-law's is March 18th. (I continue to celebrate Wayne; he was married to my sister for 25 years.) I celebrate additional friends' birthdays on March 3, 5, 8 and 31. There are five friends from Live Journal who share my March 22nd birthday; I've met four of the five in person and stay in touch.

February 27th, marked the 17th anniversary of the 6.8 earthquake in Seattle. I may have written about it here previously, but I was onstage at the 5th Avenue Theatre, in blocking rehearsals for a production of "1776". Suddenly, the raised stage began shifting under my feet. I remember thinking how odd ... "1776" doesn't have special effects. The director was in the balcony and suddenly shouted on the "God" mike, "Oh, Shit! Earthquake!" I stumbled off stage and exited through a sidedoor, covered in mortar dust, after our PSM and other actors who had been waiting in the wings. (I was the only who had been placed on the set.) Chunks of the ceiling of the historic building landed all over the seats in the orchestra area of the house. Our preview was delayed a day by the earthquake; a net was placed over the ceiling to prevent any more of the ceiling falling until repairs were completed; with the actors' assistance, the company was able to raise money to retrofit the 5th Avenue and make it safe for future theatregoers. We forever nicknamed our production, 1776.8!