Milestones

Way back in 1999/2000 Logan and I were in Gr. 12. In the first semester of that grade we did the musical Grease.

(in the very bottom center you have Jeff (Danny) dipping Shelly (Cha Cha) - right behind them is Logan in the suit with one arm up and I am directly to his right in the champagne dress. (Kendra is directly to my right, Amanda is behind Logan in the bright pink dress, Stef is right behind her in the black top with red scarf in her hair, Lisa is at the bottom right with the white skirt/blue shirt...)


Our music teacher takes credit and great pleasure in the fact that she matched Logan and I up. I was Marty (a pink lady) and he was Sonny (a T-bird) - (they end up together in the end) - and so did we.

Move forward to January 28th, 2000. Logan and I went on our first date. We went on a double date with Derek and Teri to a movie at the Cornwall Centre. (We were talking and we don't remember what the movie was.) Then we all went back to Logan's house and the two boys had flowers for us there.

That was seven years ago. Seven years! At the same time it feels like a million years ago - and as though it was only yesterday.

30 minute meals

A while ago I was given 2 Rachael Ray cookbooks, both variations on her 30 minute meals. Last week I sat down with one and chose meals I wanted to try and went to the grocery store to stock up with those recipes in mind. They have been great. They have actually taken only 30-40 minutes to make and are so tasty. I highly recommend her to anyone who has not yet discovered her magic!

Rachael Ray

Opening and cop stuff

*** UPDATE****
The puke run was supposed to be yesterday. They all arrived early to the classroom dressed to run (and puke). They had a little lesson on the chalk board about how the run would go etc. Then they said that they were going to go for a nice easy run as a group - choose a partner... no puke run. I am just worried that they will spring it on them. That is something I would want a little warning on, some prep time.
*****************


Opening went well. The show was fine. Once I am preset there isn't a lot for me to do. The show is three actors on stage for the whole show - they don't leave and there are no scene changes. Everything that needs to be done/changed they have to do themselves. But it seems to be going well. The audience likes it and that is all that really matters.

Nothing else new to report. Logan is loving be a recruit. They are working him hard (physically and mentally). He is learning tons of great stuff - and lots of fun stuff that he teaches me when he gets home. Lots of interesting obstacle courses and physical training too. Some that doesn't sound very fun to me! On Tuesday there is a thresh hold run. Basically, they run from the cop shop downtown to the enter street bridge and Memorial Drive (very close to our house and our huge hill) they run up the steps leading you from Memorial to the top of the bridge - at the top do 30 push ups and back down. Repeat until you puke. That is right - go till you puke. The idea (apparently) is to see how much you can actually do (instead of when you might stop). Weird. Not really my idea of a good time - but we will see how it goes. He tells me that they aren't doing it individually, they have to run in a group. So really you are only as strong as your weakest link - so maybe he just has to wait for most of the others to puke. Weird.

Tomorrow is opening

Well, I have made it. Tomorrow is Opening Night! It is such a huge relief to be at Opening. When you hit that big day you no long have to worry about changes or rehearsal. You are strictly in a show state - and with this show that means just evenings. I show up for my show call at 6pm. Empty the dishwasher, clean up the green room from the night before, make coffee, prep the consumable food, preset all of my props, double check everything is in the right place, check in with the cast, check in with the crew, then there is the half hour call (7pm) at this point we can not go on stage as the main curtain is not in for this show. We open the house to the audience at half hour. At the 5 minute call I get on head set and wait for the actors to join me at their entrances. They are given their go - and on with the show.

Video Editing

From previous blogs (here, here and here to name a few) you will know that I really enjoy video editing. I spent a lot of time editing my own wedding video, as well as Lisa & Curtis' wedding and Lani & Regan's wedding. Since Christmas I have been editing our Christmas video and I really like it. Even though it frustrates me, and takes way to much time, I like the pay off. I have thought about trying to make a side job out of it. Mostly when Logan and I were the official videographers for The Calgary Jewellery Gala. We videoed the set up, they transformed of an army gym into a elegant ballroom. We got paid to do it, and I think that it is pretty good. I am just not sure how to go about it. I guess, a little more practice with the actually shooting could help. Stef's friend Sarah is getting married in June and I hope to get to Regina to practice.

I also thought that maybe I should take a class on editing with my extremely advanced program I'm using. I found one at Mount Royal but it is only a six hour beginner class, and I have probably already figured out on my own everything they could teach me in six hours. Well, we will see. I will keep practicing and experimenting on my own and see where life takes me.

Tech week is over- bring on the audience

Tech rehearsals are long and stressful. The problem with the technical rehearsal is that they are 12 hours long. Also, in rehearsal, everyone and everything is visible. You can anticipate what is going to happen next because you are sitting beside the stage manager and director. When you move into the theatre the stage manager and the director are sitting in the audience, the actors are on stage and the assistant stage manager(s) are backstage, behind the curtains. It takes a huge amount of effort to stay ahead of what is going to happen. In the case of this show, there are only three actors and a lot of words and they are not completely ready to do it on their own, so I have been sitting "on book" to supply lines when needed. But at the same time I need to have all the props in the right place at the right time. I am also the liaison with all of the new tech crew. In rehearsal I am the wardrobe lady, stage carpenter and all of the tech crew. Once on the stage I need to let them know what it is they need to do. On top of that you need to be prepare at any time to run out on stage to troubleshoot, move set/furniture/props to a new place, or spike (place tape to mark when something needs to start or be moved to). To sum up, tech days are long and hard because I have to give 100% concentration for the whole time. Nothing is more tiring than having to concentrate for a full 12 hours - and this show is worse because there is not a lot going on. Christmas Carol was busy so it went really fast. There was always something to do. On this show I do a lot of sitting around and waiting. Which makes those 12 hours longer. I am just glad it is over. Now we are on to shows!

I have house envy

It seems as though I have grown up. The other day I was thinking about how Logan has just started his career as a cop. And thinking about how people we grew up with are now Fire Fighters, Teachers and all sorts of grown up things. And that last summer we went to four weddings. Four couples joined their lives together, as we did; what a grown up thing to do. And even more so they are now buying houses and having babies. It is funny how time just slips away from you and now we are all grown up.

This got me to thinking about houses. I am fine with our little apartment on the hill. But many of our Regina (and other city) friends own homes. To make matters worse, two friends here in Calgary are looking. Their parents are looking for the ever popular investment in real estate. So these two are starting the hunt. I am jealous. I want to be looking for a house. But who can really afford that in this city. I went looking and found that in an article from December 5 "According to figures released by the Calgary Real Estate Board, a typical single-family residence sold for $394,712 last month...dropp[ing] below $400,000 for the first time since May...which marked a 36.4% hike over the same time last year." Holy Crap! You could buy a pretty spiffy house in Regina for $400,000. And they are saying that this is the price coming down.

Oh well, our time will come. I'm not really wanting a house right now, or rather, a mortgage payment right now. I'm just jealous.

The long lost gift certificates

For our 1st anniversary our very kind siblings gave us gift certificates out to dinner. Andrea got us one to Boston Pizza and Stef and Matt got us on to the Keg. As they were anniversary gifts we wanted to save them for a special occasion or a nice night out together. And because of this we never got around to using them. When we were looking for something to do for New Year's eve we decided that would be a good time to go out to the Keg. We had a fabulous dinner - thank you Stef and Matt. And tonight we used up the other. We out for dinner to Boston Pizza (on the Red Mile). Thank you Andrea. I just thought I'd let you each know that we have used the gift certificates and appreciated them.

Nothing new

There seems to be nothing new at our place. Things have found a rhythm. Logan gets up and goes to work/school around 7am. I stay in bed until the much later alarm call of 8:30. Logan goes to his police class, I go to the theatre. He finishes around 4pm and I finish around 5:30. We come home, make some supper and sit around a bit. Then Logan starts to get tired and tries to go to bed early. I have been allowing this - even though I am a night person. It is 9 right now and he is off getting ready for bed. And then we will get up and do it again tomorrow.

Exciting - I know. I can hardly convey the excitement on the page. Oh well. Routine is nice. For a while. I look forward to my next contract. I will be working with Quest Theatre as a Stage Manager. They do theatre for young audiences. I will be working with three male actors in a show call "The Curse of Shree" and it will tour Calgary and area schools teaching kids about music. On that contract I will have weekends off. Logan and I will both have weekends off together. It has been a long time since I have had weekends off. Since we both have had the same days off together! Can't wait for Feb.

Day One down

I picked up Logan shortly after 4pm yesterday, just down the street from the downtown Police Headquarters building. He had piles of books and papers, not to mention his duty bag full of goodies. He couldn't stop talking about all that he had learned. And yet, he felt like they had tried to jam so much stuff in his head in one day that none of it had stuck. I think that he quite enjoyed himself.
It will take some getting used to though. It has been a long time since he has been in school. The classroom setting calls for a very different sort of energy. A lot more brain power than one is used to using in a day. He said that his head hurt from cramming so much in.
He was pretty excited to go back today. I think that it will be a very interesting six months.

Today is the first day of a new career

Today is Logan's first day of training with the Calgary Police. Yesterday was his last day as a civilian. The first order of business this morning was to swear all the new recruits in. He is now officially Constable Kotlar. He has to wear his uniform every day and everything. I can't wait for him to come home so I can hear all about his first day.

Boxing Day Special

Logan and I had been thinking that we needed a new digital camera. So we headed out during the Boxing Week sales. Our first stop was Futureshop. We were looking at a couple cameras at the counter when the salesman told us he had a couple of the cameras that we were looking at were available for less because they were out of the box. He got really excited when he pulled out this camera. A Kodak z650. He said that someone got it for Christmas and had returned it without even opening the plastic packaging, just the box. So we bought a $300 camera for $200. 10x optical zoom, 6 mega pixel beautiful new camera. We are very excited. It was a great deal. The only thing that beats a great new camera, is a great new camera at great deal!

They easy way to a four day weekend

As you may or may not know, in theatre you don't get weekends, you get Monday. And that is it. Since Oct 17 I have only had one day off at a time - except when I was given the gift of Christmas Day and Boxing Day off. Yesterday night I took a Nyquill in the hopes that it would knock me out, I'd get a good sleep and wake up feeling rested and cold free. This of coarse was wishful thinking. I slept horribly and woke up worse than when I went to sleep. So I called my stage manager and she knew before I asked that I wasn't coming in. "Take today and then you can be ready tomorrow for a run of the whole show. Or at least be well enough to come in and tell me how to do your job." Well, it seems that the three actors in the show were not interested in my germ covered body coming into work today. So last night I got a call saying "Take tomorrow too. Oh, and the director has decided we should all take Sunday off to rest up before we move into Tech rehearsals." So I am now on a four day weekend. Which is nice in theory. Except that I am coughing, sneezing and blowing my nose constantly. Oh well. Four days of sitting in my pajamas on the couch should fix that.

Sick again

I think that next year I am going to get the flu shot. I have a bad cold/flu again. I was struck down at about the same time in the rehearsal process during A Christmas Carol. It really sucks being sick.

Christmas Pictures

First, to give some closure to A Christmas Carol. I had a great time working on that show despite all of the drama that accompanied it. And believe me that show had more than its fair share. The two ladies that I worked most closely with were Susan (the Stage Manager) and Kelly (the Assistant Stage Manager). For our last Christmas Party the three of us planned a Secret Santa Party - but with a twist. Secret Santa Goes to Hawaii.

Susan on the left, Kelly in the centre and me on the right.

Next, Christmas Eve. The highlight here was pulling out all of the Christmas baking that Janet and I had made - and realizing, as many do, that we had made way to much. This picture is to illustrate the enormous pile it was.

On Christmas Eve the Kotlar family tradition is to open one present, and it is something to do with sleep wear. We changed into our pj's and played the new game Outburst Remix.

Christmas morning came early enough (but not to early - thank you Kotlars!). We opened present and then ate breakfast. This is a shot of me opening the beautiful necklace Logan gave me.

For Christmas Dinner we prepared a "Pre-stuffed, Cook from Frozen, Butterball Turkey". It was great. It took almost no work at all and tasted fantastic. This is a picture of the bird right out of the oven. Even the stuffing was great!

We had a great time! And my first time ever Boxing day shopping. There are some good deals. But you have to learn the tricks. Assess the store before you enter. If they have the doors half closed and are only letting in a few people at a time - keep moving. If that is okay - check the sale. Not all stores are giving things away. If it will be that price next week -keep moving. Lastly check the line to the till. If it is too long how fast is it moving. Us three ladies were very successful and in and out in 2 hours!

January 2nd

The tree is still up but it doesn't feel like it should be. Christmas was only a week ago yesterday. A week ago today was just Boxing Day. And yet it feels like a million years ago. Or even that it didn't quite happen. I have been back to work for a week now. The first week of rehearsals for my next show "The Retreat from Moscow" is complete and today we start week two. Time is sure flying. I imagine that we will take down all the Christmas gak in the next couple of days. It is always sort of depressing. December is such a great month, just writing December on something is sort of exciting. Writing January has no thrill. But there is a sort of neatness that comes with taking down Christmas decorations. Everything feels neat and clean and uncluttered.

Here is to all of you as you take down your own Christmas Decorations! Have that last cup of Egg Nog (or throw the bad stuff down the sink) and some left over Christmas baking.