Thurs. March 7, 2024: Feels Like I’m on a Hamster Wheel
image courtesy of Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke via pixabay.comThursday, March 7, 2024
Waning Moon
You can read the latest on the garden over on Gratitude and Growth. And there’s some growth since last week!
Yesterday was kind of all over the place, but a lot of it was good.
Today’s serial episode is from LEGERDEMAIN:
Episode 170: The Purpose of the Protest
Not all protests are negative.
I dealt with Amazon, and my episodes have cleared.
I did all the morning monitoring and chores early, then packed up my mom and took her to the doctor (we had a 9 AM appointment). I came in armed with documentation that would put the Watergate Commission to shame.
The doctor spent 5 minutes with her, took her off the medication that makes her feel better, put her back on the medication that does not, said I’m doing a good job and know what’s what, and she’ll see us in six months.
That would be incorrect.
We have an appointment booked for April. I told the nurse, and he agreed, that we will hold the appointment, and work from there.
Not a happy camper, and am going to continue the monitoring/documentation. And make changes based on data between now and next month.
While we were at the doctor, I got a message that MASSMoCA/Assets4Artists employees are on strike (good for them). It means that all of our planned cohort activities are on hold. A couple of A4A managers are still required to work; I told them if they needed to be removed from the premises and plied with an adult beverage, to give me a shout, and I’d come get them. I mean, I won’t cross a picket line, but I will take them out for a stress-relief drink.
On the way home, I stopped at Carr’s Hardware to get potting soil. Of course, I saw both sweet pea and more black-eyed Susan vine seeds and bought them.
I came home to find an invitation from Suzette Martin for her open studios event next week on her new eco-grief paintings. I’m delighted to go (her art intrigues me and she is such an excellent human). She said I should invite other artists who might be interested, so I sent an email to my cohort. Anyone who wants to turn up can, and my fellow cohort artists don’t have to feel like everything is on hold because of the strike. It’s at a different venue, so we won’t be crossing any strike lines.
And I won’t be crossing any lines on my birthday (I planned to go to MASSMocA on my birthday, but that can wait).
Changed the release date on the next 10 DEADLY DRAMATICS episodes.
Got us fed and the after-lunch chores done.
Sat in on the Creative Capital grant seminar. Most of it was information with which I was familiar, from other various grant writings, but it helped me hone my idea for this particular grant. I started working my way through the application questions after, drafting the statements which I will hone over the coming weeks.
The most time-consuming portion will be the budget, although once I have a handle on actor/stage manager/designer salaries that will sort that. I have a good idea of rehearsal space costs, having just recently investigated them. And, from my production management days breaking down scripts for budgeting purposes, I will remember to add the caveat that the budget increases by 20% for each three months from its original creation to the start of the project. Because prices go up, and a budget you made 3 years ago is mostly irrelevant. And it might not have gone up that much, percentage wise, across all categories – but it’s gone up.
Charlotte was upset because it was a webinar, not a two-way Zoom call, and no one could see her and tell she’s pretty.
Found out I forfeit the pittance in my Actors’ Equity pension plan, because I’m not considered “vested.” Sigh.
I am, however, vested in the Local 764 plan, so at least there’s that, although it won’t kick in for a few more years.
Went to tarot circle, which was a lot of fun. Very intense discussion, but in a good way. Grabbed some more chime candles.
It was raining on the way home, but the storm really didn’t kick in until a few hours later, thank goodness.
I made pasta with pancetta, roma tomatoes and spinach that should have been wonderful, and just kind of wasn’t. It was fine, it just wasn’t amazing, and I want amazing. I will send that cookbook back to the library, and maybe play with the recipe on my own at some point.
Tried to stay up later, and only made it about a half an hour more. Woke up at 3 AM, pondered some LEGERDEMAIN plot points. Was just starting to doze off again around 5 when Charlotte and Tessa had a spat and knocked over the table in my reading corner, smashing a several things that were on the table, including a pair of red champagne flutes and a pot with a small jade plant in it. I’m so mad at them. Tessa refused to discuss it until I fed them, and then she apologized. Charlotte is trying to show she is a good kitty; when we first got her, she would have hidden for three days, but I think she finally realizes that I can be annoyed with her and still love her.
I cleaned up as best I could (at 5 AM), and put cardboard down on the floor, just in case, until I can vacuum later this morning at a reasonable hour. I don’t want any glass shards to wind up in paws. They ran as soon as everything fell, so they didn’t step in it right after.
It’s just stuff, but I’m still sad and discouraged.
Got a message from someone on social media that a mutual friend has passed away. Only I can’t find any confirmation, so I’m not entirely sure it’s true? No one’s heard from her since mid-February. But there’s no obituary or any other information listed. I hope she’s okay, and just on vacation without internet or something.
On today’s agenda: meditation group, household chores including making sure all the glass is cleaned up, some writing (not sure on which project), moving 10 more DEADLY DRAMATICS episode release dates, several medium sized script coverages. I might be able to finish up a book for review and write it, or that might have to wait until tomorrow.
Onward.
