a year in review...a little late.

First post of the new year! 

I don't really have a plan as to what I want to say in this one. Suppose you'll just have to deal with my mindless ramblings. Sorry.

I guess it'd be appropriate to look back at 2010 and, like, evaluate it or something. So here goes, by month(ish):

January

Can't remember much of what happened in January. Rehearsals for Peter Pan started, I'm pretty sure auditions for Twelfth Night happened, which means this month was when I was cast as Viola and therefore became a twin to by good friend Sidney. 

Then rehearsals for Twelfth Night began. Oh, and my last semester as a college student began, I suppose that's fairly important, huh? Yeah, thought so.

February

This month was pretty much consumed by school and rehearsals. We had a month, basically, to put together an entire Shakespearean play. That meant memorizing, blocking, building a set, promoting, and perfecting something that even professional Shakespearean companies take more than a month to perfect. And it is of my opinion that we did a fantastic job given our circumstances and resources. Most importantly, to me, is that it was the smoothest play I had been involved with. Usually there's drama and something huge goes wrong or at least threatens to...Not with this one. Sure, sometimes we all got on each others' nerves, but we were in an even smaller space than usual (The girl's "dressing room" was a space that used to be a bar and the boys' was basically a closet) so that was expected. Pretty much everything went right and because of that it was really easy to be super passionate about the show. 

Oh, and this was also when the final season of Lost started, only to remind me of one more thing that would be the beginning of the end for me. I was sad, the first episode made me cry, and week after week, I continued crying over the show. It really was such a huge part of my life and I'm an uber geek for that, but I'm proud of my Lost fanatacism!

March

Twelfth Night rehearsals came to an end and the running of the show began! One weekend. Best. Performance. Weekend. EVER. It was so much fun and I loved interacting with the audience. It was great. 

Saw Alice in 3D and loved, loved, loved Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen. The 3D with live action made me dizzy, however and I might have preferred it not in 3D. Unless it was a cartoon.

Since Twelfth Night ended, it was now time to focus on school and Peter Pan. Since I was a lost boy, it was easy to focus more on school, though I doubt I did that. Social life is sort of important to me, and I'm pretty sure I spend more time hanging than studying. *shrugs*

If I remember correctly, spring break was in March. I was visited by some awesome people! When they visited, we went to the Science Center, but it was too crowded and we got really bored really fast, so went to the Zoo instead. We walked A LOT and it was so much fun and I can't wait to be visited by some more awesome people and go to the Zoo again! (Maybe try to go a little earlier to find a better parking spot!)

After spring break, Peter Pan rehearsals picked up, Glee returned (Well..started for me, that's when I got addicted!) and the rest of the month (All 9 days of it) flew by.

April

Peter Pan rehearsals, hanging out, school. The usual. Started going swimming more often. It was fun. This would be my last full month of school, so that was starting to really pick up and I started getting nervous for it to end and I really wanted to work on finding a job in Quincy. I didn't have luck in that, unfortunately, but a lot of me wasn't surprised I didn't find anything. 

Peter Pan began at the very end of the month. I was excited to be able to fly again, only I almost preferred the old flylines we had in Wizard of Oz. The ones for Pan were cool because you could spin around and didn't have to just keep facing forward, but that was also frustrating, because it was more difficult to control. I didn't have a mic and I'm pretty sure half of the lines I said in the air were said to the people backstage. The harness hurt a lot more, too. BUT I have to say that, although I was slightly disappointed with the show because it had Wizard of Oz to compete with, I did have a great time. I got to spend a few hours every night with some of my really good friends, and making good friends with new people. It was an excuse to act like a little kid since I was playing a little kid, and not many things get better than that. 

May

Peter Pan's last weekend. Last show on the MacHugh Theatre stage. I cried. A LOT. Sidney stood in front of me during the greet afterwards, THAT'S how much I could not control my sadness. I hope I didn't make too many strangers feel awkward. I think they figured I was a senior and leaving when no one else was acting that way. *shrugs* That theatre was my life for four years and there is not a day that passes I don't think about any or all of the shows I was involved with in the short years I was there. 

School work was insane! Had to put together a portfolio and present it. Nervewrecking! But I did it and I was proud of all I did in 2 years. (I didn't declare my major until the end of my Sophomore year) Then it was over. I visited Notre Dame to see my cousin graduate. I didn't walk in my own Graduation. I don't think I'd have made it through without having a breakdown and THAT would have been embarrassing. I could go on and on about how that school changed my life in so many ways, but I'll spare y'all that rambling. (Mostly because I don't feel like crying)

On the same day of my "graduation" was the series finale of Lost. I drove home, well to my cousin's house, and watched it with the few other people in my family that were just as obsessed with it as I was. My mom surprised me with a Congrats cake. It was supposed to be Lost themed, but the people at the store forgot about it, so it was a beach cake, which was good enough. (I have birthdays and stuff that I can use as an excuse for a REAL lost themed cake :-D) The show was sad sad sad sad and when it ended, I was speechless. I'm still attempting to adjust myself to believe and accept that Lost is really over. Usually the season would be starting within 3 weeks to a month. I also had to deal with the end of Heroes. Sadnessssss. I didn't know what to do with myself.

June

I was asked, and all too willingly accepted a chance to play Hermia in A MidSummer Night's Dream that was to be performed as a part of a festival in downtown Quincy. So, I had moved back home to Florissant, but I was spending weekends in Quincy for rehearsals. Best weekends ever. I felt like I was still a part of the town and I liked that because I was not ready to say goodbye to it. (Still not!!)

Show went great. It was so much fun and it was hot outside but totally worth it.

The rest of time spent in Florissant was devoted to filling out applications, a fumbled "job" that was just terrible and stupid.

July

Managed to make it to Quincy for the 4th of July. That was fun. Hung out with friends, was introduced to Invader Zim (Thanks, Sidney!) and watched fireworks. Yay.

Rest of the month devoted to trying to find a job. No luck. Increasing amount of anxiety and depression settled in. I missed Quincy and it's people.

August

Continued sadness and frustration. Not to mention certain rifts that were occurring. On my birthday, I got a call for a job interview at a local grocery store. It was something at least. I was a little happier. Got the job. Became a checker. Made it to Quincy, too. Fun fun fun and loved it. At the same time, when I came home it only made me sadder to be in Florissant. I was digressing emotionally.

September

Depression. Work. More depression. Awkardness. Success, was promoted to office checker after only working at the store for a few weeks. Woot, from cashier to customer service, great step. I'm a supervisor! I was still sad, though and continuously frustrated in my personal relationship with someone. 

At the end of the month, that relationship ended. I finally made plans to visit Quincy.

October

Visited Quincy for first time in too long and that weekend was the weekend I really grew up. Reconnected with an old friend and that was really great. Actually, make that two friends, one was a surprise, and the other was planned. Bonfires are awesome. Friends are awesome, especially the ones I have.

Made plans to visit Quincy for Halloween. Plans fell through, dressed up for work on Halloween, was told I looked like a Hot Topic employee, but I was intending to be a rockstar. Whoops. It was fun.

November

First couple of weeks uneventful. Couldn't believe it was November already. The weather was still in the 50's and 60's so it was very confusing. Finally got colder the week of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving it snowed. Weird, weird, and more weird. Liked it, though. Didn't stick, but who cares, the flakes were great to see. Food was yummy. Saw the Lost encyclopedia. Drooled.

Two days after Thanksgiving I went to the BLUES game with someone I had not hung out with for a long time. It was so much fun! The Blues lost, but reconnecting and catching up and all that jazz was fantastic and I honestly didn't want the game to end because that meant the night was over.

December

Visited Quincy and got to see the final rehearsal of an interactive Madrigal dinner play. Made me sad not being involved, but still felt integrated since I still knew most of the people involved. Was asked by Connie if I was interested in doing the Shakespeare show for the summer and encouraged to send her ideas! This made me happy. Watched Scott Pilgrim vs World. (If your life had a face I'd punch it)

One sad day, I came home to find my dog had gotten into a bottle of IB Profin. She threw up, I figured she'd be okay (didn't know at the time it was toxic to dogs.) Two days later, Mom took her to the hospital where we found out she was in the early stages of acute kidney failure. We all prayed a lot. A LOT. Two days later, after lots of IVs and whining,  her blood was retested and they were normal. MIRACLE. Christmas miracle. So glad my baby is ok. I'd have really really missed her and probably have digressed back into depression-like behavior.

Visited Quincy for a whole weekend. It was awesome. Partied, chilled, and partied some more. Was sad to leave.

Christmas was awesome! Got a Nook. I love it. Family came to visit, and as usual, did not stay long enough, but I had a blast when they were here and I was sad that I had a job so I could not spend all my time with them.

Worked New Years Eve. Boring, even though it was busy. When I got off, I drove to Quincy. Locked my keys in my car. Great way to almost start the new year, right? Yeah. Made it to Quincy 2 minutes after midnight. 

And that concludes 2010. I typed a lot more than I intended, and yet I could have gone into so much more detail. Yeah, I talk a lot. Whoops. Deal with it or don't read it, just look at the pictures.

Good night.