Here is a photo of my family with my amazing brother who went from 10K to marathon, because, well, he can!
Left to right: my son, my twin sister, Deanna, my husband, Eric (back left), my brother, me, my daughter, my dad and mom
My Family
Photo courtesy of Debbie Montecalvo Photography
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Back from Hibernation
Well folks, dust off those computer screens- it's 2015 and I have FINALLY registered for that half marathon. I am sure only my family and friends are reading this post (thank you for humoring me :) so you know that a foot injury and subsequent surgery side-lined me for over a year from running. After recently watching my little brother complete his first ever marathon- which was the Boston Marathon to boot- I have become re-inspired to hit the pavement. I have never been so proud of him ( and if you knew him you would know that is really saying something!) And I am happy to say that Danielle and I will be doing this together (this was originally her "thing"). Stay tuned; we have a ways to go. The half isn't until October but you can bet we will be training now, as I have had to start over on my running journey. Dare I also mention that the fitness/bikini competition may be in the cards too? What. Have. I. Done?!
Here is a photo of my family with my amazing brother who went from 10K to marathon, because, well, he can!
Here is a photo of my family with my amazing brother who went from 10K to marathon, because, well, he can!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
10K
I have taken to Facebook these days instead of my blog (forgive me blog!) but I did in fact complete a 10K! While this is my friend Danielle's "thing", I am happy to report that running is now my thing too. It took a while to come to terms with that (me, a runner? noo...) but yes, it is so. Running isn't about how fast you are or how many marathons you have completed. It's about doing it, again and again, because you want to, because you love it, because you need to. I run for all those reasons (and to avoid stabbing people; that would be bad). Even when I hate it I love it. Running has also become my little brother's thing as well and I dare say that running together has made us closer. He is faster than me and can run farther, but he still runs with me on occasion and encourages me to do my best. I do believe that I run better/father/longer with him and others cheering me on. So, here's a photo of me finishing the 10K that we ran together in November. Sal finished well before me but came back for me at the last mile to see me home. I will note that my time wasn't too shabby either-- I finished in about 59 minutes. Danielle was too busy being pregnant for this round, but rest assured, we will be running together soon! I believe we have committed to doing a 1/2 marathon together. Stay tuned! Sunday, March 25, 2012
Conditioning, killer crunches, high bars and more!
This is a post about Meridian Gymnastics!!
First of all, a HUGE thank you to the levels 4 through 8 girls and to Jess, Christine and the staff of Meridian for welcoming me into your gym and making me feel right at home. Most of all, thank you all for your patience for this post. My delay in posting in no way reflects the great times I had with all of you!!
As part of my week off from work in December (and again in January), I set out to shadow a gymnastics class at Meridian Gymnastics, where my friend Jessica teaches. I didn't just attend any "class" but rather a level 4 through 8 team class. These girls compete once to twice per month, year round! They are no joke. They train for three hours a night, nine hours a week! I had a blast, visiting with them. And if once wasn't enough, I went back a second time to really have some fun with the girls!
Below are some photos from my time at Meridian but here is a "stock" photo of Jess (right) courtesy of facebook from the 2010 Visa Championships:
Go Meridian coaches!
Here is the schedule for the class I shadowed-- Levels 4 through 8:
Class begins at 5:45 and ends at 8:45, but Jess arrives well before then to prep for class (or should I say, think of ways to torture them ;)
Here are photos of some of the little gymnastics monkeys that I shared the floor with:
Okay, on to my time there! The class starts with over an hour of warm up and stretching. Who knew you needed that much stretching and warm up? You don't have time to be bored because Jess makes sure you are gasping in discomfort the whole time. I asked the team if they had any affectionate nicknames for Jess (such as "gymnastics Nazi") but they don't. I on the other hand, dubbed her "evil stretch queen" for her inhuman like-ways of forcing splits, killer crunches and hamstring-stretching h-e-double hockey sticks.
My first time there was about observing what the team does, learning about them, their training and gymnastics generally. For my next visit, Jess and the girls put together a list of things they wanted me to try (thankfully they were all achievable, AKA level 1--things a 4 year old could do--- easy. I am grateful!! :) I tried to be a good sport but of course I couldn't suppress my typical whining for the entire 3 hour class-- some of it was a bit scary! :) Here is the list of some of the things I tried:
Cartwheels on the floor, floor beam and air trak
Back Handspring down the hill (a triangle-shaped foam "mat" used for training)
Handstands
Walking forward and backward on the high beam
Tuck jumps, straddle jumps and forward rolls on the air trak
First of all, a HUGE thank you to the levels 4 through 8 girls and to Jess, Christine and the staff of Meridian for welcoming me into your gym and making me feel right at home. Most of all, thank you all for your patience for this post. My delay in posting in no way reflects the great times I had with all of you!!
As part of my week off from work in December (and again in January), I set out to shadow a gymnastics class at Meridian Gymnastics, where my friend Jessica teaches. I didn't just attend any "class" but rather a level 4 through 8 team class. These girls compete once to twice per month, year round! They are no joke. They train for three hours a night, nine hours a week! I had a blast, visiting with them. And if once wasn't enough, I went back a second time to really have some fun with the girls!
Below are some photos from my time at Meridian but here is a "stock" photo of Jess (right) courtesy of facebook from the 2010 Visa Championships:
Go Meridian coaches!
Here is the schedule for the class I shadowed-- Levels 4 through 8:
Here are photos of some of the little gymnastics monkeys that I shared the floor with:
Okay, on to my time there! The class starts with over an hour of warm up and stretching. Who knew you needed that much stretching and warm up? You don't have time to be bored because Jess makes sure you are gasping in discomfort the whole time. I asked the team if they had any affectionate nicknames for Jess (such as "gymnastics Nazi") but they don't. I on the other hand, dubbed her "evil stretch queen" for her inhuman like-ways of forcing splits, killer crunches and hamstring-stretching h-e-double hockey sticks.
My first time there was about observing what the team does, learning about them, their training and gymnastics generally. For my next visit, Jess and the girls put together a list of things they wanted me to try (thankfully they were all achievable, AKA level 1--things a 4 year old could do--- easy. I am grateful!! :) I tried to be a good sport but of course I couldn't suppress my typical whining for the entire 3 hour class-- some of it was a bit scary! :) Here is the list of some of the things I tried:
Cartwheels on the floor, floor beam and air trak
Back Handspring down the hill (a triangle-shaped foam "mat" used for training)
Handstands
Walking forward and backward on the high beam
Scale on the high beam (which is this:)
Swinging and casts on the high bar (both of which do this to your hands):
Tuck jumps, straddle jumps and forward rolls on the air trak
Back flips in the belt on the trampoline (video here:)
back "flips" into the pit. As an aside, another kudos to Jess to forcing me to roll backwards into the pit and for calling it a back flip, hee hee. And to top the night off, we played a fun game called bear hug. It's a fun version of duck duck goose, using wrestling moves (and some ultimate fighting moves if you ask me). You team up with another gymnast and sit in a straddle. When a person points at your team, the front girl in the straddle needs to get to the "pointer" as quickly as possible, while the gymnast behind her tries to keep her in place. Here I am schooling one of the older girls (guilt-free):
After spending six hours with these girls, it is easy to see why they are some of the best. I am blessed and grateful to have met them and to have spent two wonderful Friday evenings doing their thing. Thank you Jess, and thank you Meridian family. hope to be back soon!
Best of luck on your future meets!!
After spending six hours with these girls, it is easy to see why they are some of the best. I am blessed and grateful to have met them and to have spent two wonderful Friday evenings doing their thing. Thank you Jess, and thank you Meridian family. hope to be back soon!
Best of luck on your future meets!!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Fun with running, guns and balance beams
I have been a bit busy since my last post have not gotten my blog on to fill you in. Here it goes in chrono order:
Fun with Running: On September 11, 2011, I was honored to be a part of a memorial 5K run for those who lost their lives on September 11. This run has taken place over the last few years in my hometown of Reading. The weather was beautiful and the other runners were very inspirational. Alongside me for the race were firefighters in full gear, policeman, the national guard, and many supporters, family and friends. I also ran with my girlfriends Danielle and Sara (it was Sara's first road race and she did great!) And my neighbors Mark and Melissa were out in full Reading regalia running too!
September 11, 2011 was also the day that Reading held it's annual fall faire. Of course no road race would be complete without fried dough at the finish line :) Here are some shots from our 5K:
This race was a great experience for me physically and emotionally. The love, dedication and determination of those around me carried me through this race all the way to the finish line. I look forward to running this memorial 5K every year to remember those that lost their lives to make my home a better and safer place.
Thanks to Danielle and Sara for coming up to run with me!
Okay, on to the GUNS part!
For the first time in my working life, I took the week off between Christmas and New Years and I am extremely happy that I did. I was able to relax, enjoy my family, and focus a bit on some of my list items. Of course the kids' daycare was still open so I fully capitalized on that and shipped their butts off to school! So, with my kids in school, I did what any mom with free time would do. I went to the shooting range with my husband and shot skeet!
For those of you that haven't read some of my early posts from last year, let me quickly get you up to speed. Eric likes shooting guns. Up until last November, I had never shot or held a gun. I went duck hunting with him and quickly learned that not all guns are created equal and one simply cannot pick up any ol' weapon and shoot it off into the sky (without ear protection to top it off!) So, this year, it was try, try again for me. Last year, left duck hunting feeling nervous about guns and this year I set out to change my perspective. To do that, as I am fully realizing with each "thing" I do, I needed to start with the basics. With guns, it starts with gun safety, basic handling and of course, shooting.
Eric's friend Charlie was nice enough to open up the shooting range just for us. Charlie lent me his 20 gauge shotgun (the very gun his daughter learned to shoot with at age 14), and gave me one-on-one, hands on instructions on how to shoot skeet. He also taught me the basics of loading the gun and handling it after shooting. Here's a down and dirty explanation of skeet shooting from what I understand (I equate my version of events to the average girl explaining how to play football, but this is the best I can do!) You stand on various yellow squares, which act as shooting stations, and shoot at clay disks which fly out of the "high box" and the "low box". The disks are called "birds." The stations are set up in a half-circle shape across the firing field so that you can shoot the clays from all angles.
With memories of my last gun "experience", I reluctantly put the butt of the gun up against my shoulder, put my face on the stock of the gun, and looked down the barrel. After I made sure my noise-cancelling headphones were securely on, I gave shooting a try. I was nervous about the gun's kickback at first but after a few shots I learned that the 20 gauge was the gun for me. The gun handled great and fit me much better than Eric's 12 gauge. With new confidence in my shooting capabilities, I relaxed, focused on the task at hand and started to have some fun. I actually hit some clay "birds" too, including a double! (A double is when the clay birds come out from both "houses" simultaneously, in two different directions, one from the high and one from the low. Here are two videos Eric took of me at the range. One is me shooting at a high house clay bird and the other is a double. (this double I didn't hit though :)
A huge thank you to Charlie for opening the range for us, for his wonderful guidance, and for trusting me with his 20 gauge! A thank you also to my husband for taking me up on my requests to go skeet shooting, for putting up with my trash talk at the range, and for listening to me talk incessantly about this wonderful experience with everyone we know (and over-using the term "boom goes the dynamite" :) I am hooked and will be back!
On to balance beams! I want to dedicate a separate post to this topic so keep reading- my next post is on gymnastics with Jess!
Fun with Running: On September 11, 2011, I was honored to be a part of a memorial 5K run for those who lost their lives on September 11. This run has taken place over the last few years in my hometown of Reading. The weather was beautiful and the other runners were very inspirational. Alongside me for the race were firefighters in full gear, policeman, the national guard, and many supporters, family and friends. I also ran with my girlfriends Danielle and Sara (it was Sara's first road race and she did great!) And my neighbors Mark and Melissa were out in full Reading regalia running too!
September 11, 2011 was also the day that Reading held it's annual fall faire. Of course no road race would be complete without fried dough at the finish line :) Here are some shots from our 5K:
The National Guard ran and sang the whole time. It was great!
Hitting the finish line
Me and the girls pre-race
Danielle and Cole!
This race was a great experience for me physically and emotionally. The love, dedication and determination of those around me carried me through this race all the way to the finish line. I look forward to running this memorial 5K every year to remember those that lost their lives to make my home a better and safer place.
Thanks to Danielle and Sara for coming up to run with me!
Okay, on to the GUNS part!
For the first time in my working life, I took the week off between Christmas and New Years and I am extremely happy that I did. I was able to relax, enjoy my family, and focus a bit on some of my list items. Of course the kids' daycare was still open so I fully capitalized on that and shipped their butts off to school! So, with my kids in school, I did what any mom with free time would do. I went to the shooting range with my husband and shot skeet!
For those of you that haven't read some of my early posts from last year, let me quickly get you up to speed. Eric likes shooting guns. Up until last November, I had never shot or held a gun. I went duck hunting with him and quickly learned that not all guns are created equal and one simply cannot pick up any ol' weapon and shoot it off into the sky (without ear protection to top it off!) So, this year, it was try, try again for me. Last year, left duck hunting feeling nervous about guns and this year I set out to change my perspective. To do that, as I am fully realizing with each "thing" I do, I needed to start with the basics. With guns, it starts with gun safety, basic handling and of course, shooting.
Eric's friend Charlie was nice enough to open up the shooting range just for us. Charlie lent me his 20 gauge shotgun (the very gun his daughter learned to shoot with at age 14), and gave me one-on-one, hands on instructions on how to shoot skeet. He also taught me the basics of loading the gun and handling it after shooting. Here's a down and dirty explanation of skeet shooting from what I understand (I equate my version of events to the average girl explaining how to play football, but this is the best I can do!) You stand on various yellow squares, which act as shooting stations, and shoot at clay disks which fly out of the "high box" and the "low box". The disks are called "birds." The stations are set up in a half-circle shape across the firing field so that you can shoot the clays from all angles.
With memories of my last gun "experience", I reluctantly put the butt of the gun up against my shoulder, put my face on the stock of the gun, and looked down the barrel. After I made sure my noise-cancelling headphones were securely on, I gave shooting a try. I was nervous about the gun's kickback at first but after a few shots I learned that the 20 gauge was the gun for me. The gun handled great and fit me much better than Eric's 12 gauge. With new confidence in my shooting capabilities, I relaxed, focused on the task at hand and started to have some fun. I actually hit some clay "birds" too, including a double! (A double is when the clay birds come out from both "houses" simultaneously, in two different directions, one from the high and one from the low. Here are two videos Eric took of me at the range. One is me shooting at a high house clay bird and the other is a double. (this double I didn't hit though :)
A huge thank you to Charlie for opening the range for us, for his wonderful guidance, and for trusting me with his 20 gauge! A thank you also to my husband for taking me up on my requests to go skeet shooting, for putting up with my trash talk at the range, and for listening to me talk incessantly about this wonderful experience with everyone we know (and over-using the term "boom goes the dynamite" :) I am hooked and will be back!
On to balance beams! I want to dedicate a separate post to this topic so keep reading- my next post is on gymnastics with Jess!
Friday, September 2, 2011
OOOOOOMMMMMMMM
This is a post about meditation!
Who doesn't need a good lesson in breathing sometimes? For me, controlling my breath yogi-style helped me through two unplanned drug-free childbirths! Now, when I find myself feeling anxious, I need a lesson in breathing. But apart from what I learned in yoga classes over the years, no one has ever taught me how to meditate to control my mind, body, breath. Enter brother in-law, "Moxie". While his "thing" isn't posted, it should be! I went to Moxie to learn how to meditate because I want to manage my stress and anxiety better (I know many of you are shocked to hear that my tightly-wound self ever feels anxious! :) ). He was surprised by my request to say the least, and threw me a curve ball to get me off his tail for a while. My first, lesson: read this:
Who doesn't need a good lesson in breathing sometimes? For me, controlling my breath yogi-style helped me through two unplanned drug-free childbirths! Now, when I find myself feeling anxious, I need a lesson in breathing. But apart from what I learned in yoga classes over the years, no one has ever taught me how to meditate to control my mind, body, breath. Enter brother in-law, "Moxie". While his "thing" isn't posted, it should be! I went to Moxie to learn how to meditate because I want to manage my stress and anxiety better (I know many of you are shocked to hear that my tightly-wound self ever feels anxious! :) ). He was surprised by my request to say the least, and threw me a curve ball to get me off his tail for a while. My first, lesson: read this:
a "practical guide" to learning how to control one's breath. Yeah right. Apparently my brother in-law cherishes this damn thing because it's his only copy (Circa 1970's but still in great shape). I don't think he expected me to get through it (and neither did I for a while as I paged through illustrations of netti pots and pretzel-yogi poses) BUT I DID! Impressed was he, my brother in-law. I can't say I learned much from it though, other than "you will never be a meditation master" and "don't try this at home. Seriously, don't." (Okay, the book doesn't really say that but that's how it made me feel!)
Now I am ready for step two: sitting down with Moxie for stage one in my lesson. I am a hands-on learner so there is no better way to learn than dive head first in (unless of course I am learning to snowboard...) However, such lesson will have to wait because Moxie is on his own personal expedition- he is hiking Mt. Rainer this month! Good luck brother in-law and please don't get hurt because you owe me a full meditation lesson!
Namaste people!!
Monday, August 15, 2011
An Inspirational Story
Hi all,
I am sure many of you have read today's article about the man that lost his pregnant wife on Flight 93 on 9/11. http://news.yahoo.com/pregnant-flight-93-victim-honored-by-husband-s-lasting-tribute.html
A part of the article resonated with me, specifically, that he published a book that his wife had been dreaming about completing called "You Can Do It!" The book is about teaching women how to accomplish their dreams, from skydiving (check!) to knitting. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Do-Handbook-Grown-Up/dp/0811846350
Sounds a lot like one of the purposes of my project so I thought I would share! I am probably going to purchase this book (perhaps it will help me with doing your things!) I welcome feedback on the book from anyone who has already read it.
Thanks!
I am sure many of you have read today's article about the man that lost his pregnant wife on Flight 93 on 9/11. http://news.yahoo.com/pregnant-flight-93-victim-honored-by-husband-s-lasting-tribute.html
A part of the article resonated with me, specifically, that he published a book that his wife had been dreaming about completing called "You Can Do It!" The book is about teaching women how to accomplish their dreams, from skydiving (check!) to knitting. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Do-Handbook-Grown-Up/dp/0811846350
Sounds a lot like one of the purposes of my project so I thought I would share! I am probably going to purchase this book (perhaps it will help me with doing your things!) I welcome feedback on the book from anyone who has already read it.
Thanks!
Friday, July 22, 2011
"Fun" Run 5K in 99 degree weather!
Running in the heat and humidity: fun, you ask? Yes! With the promise and allure of free pizza and slush at the finish line, despite the heat, I ran an impromptu 5K last night with my neighbor Melissa. Here is a photo of me with my biggest fans (aka- the "party crew"):
I did it to gear up for my 10K training with Danielle (and Sara --- yes, Sara, you ARE doing it with us!) and to continue the momentum of getting back on track. Also, to prepare for my beatings from my own personal "Jillian", my sister Gina! (She is threatening to post a "before" bikini photo of me online. If that isn't motivation I don't know what is!)
Getting back to the 5K thing, Melissa and I have searched the neighborhood for 5K's offering good, free food at the finish line, and so far our favorite find is the "On the Border" run in Woburn. Free tacos and margaritas!! Hell ya! I think this run is every Tuesday night in Woburn. Email me or leave a comment if you are interested in joining us!
Cheers!
I did it to gear up for my 10K training with Danielle (and Sara --- yes, Sara, you ARE doing it with us!) and to continue the momentum of getting back on track. Also, to prepare for my beatings from my own personal "Jillian", my sister Gina! (She is threatening to post a "before" bikini photo of me online. If that isn't motivation I don't know what is!)
Getting back to the 5K thing, Melissa and I have searched the neighborhood for 5K's offering good, free food at the finish line, and so far our favorite find is the "On the Border" run in Woburn. Free tacos and margaritas!! Hell ya! I think this run is every Tuesday night in Woburn. Email me or leave a comment if you are interested in joining us!
Cheers!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Getting back on track
It's been a while since I have posted and that's because things at work have been busy. The summer months are promising to be less hectic so I hope to get back on track with doing your things. Check in with me and let's see what we can get accomplished together! I think the next big project is Gina's thing which is fitness and nutrition. Hopefully my workout regimen will allow for some beer and summer fun :)
Cheers everyone!
Cheers everyone!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Would you do it again? What have you learned? Have you learned your lesson? What's next?
Those seem to be the questions I get most from doing this, and my answers are:
(1) Would you do it again?
Yes, yes yes, and in fact I am doing some of the things again (except the snowboarding, BUT I would take a boarding lesson);
(2) What have you learned?
I have learned a whole bunch! But what I have learned from each and every experience is this: If you do something, do it RIGHT! Put your whole self into that experience and don't waste the opportunity when you have it to do that thing to the best of your ability and efforts! I find this mantra popping up in every aspect of my life, from work to motherhood, and this experience is no exception. In hindsight, I learned that I was too preoccupied with accomplishing the task that I didn't take time enough to enjoy it! I wanted to check things off my list and continue on my way, often missing the point of this project in the first place. I am taking that valuable lesson with me as I continue on my journey through your things!
(3) Have you learned your lesson?
I hate that question, as if I am supposed to be "punished" for trying something new! NO, I have not "learned my lesson"! Just because I didn't like something or got hurt doing it, that does not mean that I will shy away from it. The lesson learned was that these things are your things that take time and energy and effort and I took that for granted. (See my answer to number two!!) I won't snowboard again, not because I got hurt, but because I didn't enjoy it. Isn't that what counts?
(4) What's next?
Stay tuned as what's next is beginning my fitness training with my sister and combining that with my efforts to run road races with my friends! AND, this time, I am hiring a trainer and seeking professional nutrition and fitness advice from my sister, who I am sharing this "thing" with!!
I am taking a break at the moment due to my broken elbow which is quickly on the mend, but also due to my hectic work schedule (do it right or don't do it at all, remember :) )
Thanks for reading!!
(1) Would you do it again?
Yes, yes yes, and in fact I am doing some of the things again (except the snowboarding, BUT I would take a boarding lesson);
(2) What have you learned?
I have learned a whole bunch! But what I have learned from each and every experience is this: If you do something, do it RIGHT! Put your whole self into that experience and don't waste the opportunity when you have it to do that thing to the best of your ability and efforts! I find this mantra popping up in every aspect of my life, from work to motherhood, and this experience is no exception. In hindsight, I learned that I was too preoccupied with accomplishing the task that I didn't take time enough to enjoy it! I wanted to check things off my list and continue on my way, often missing the point of this project in the first place. I am taking that valuable lesson with me as I continue on my journey through your things!
(3) Have you learned your lesson?
I hate that question, as if I am supposed to be "punished" for trying something new! NO, I have not "learned my lesson"! Just because I didn't like something or got hurt doing it, that does not mean that I will shy away from it. The lesson learned was that these things are your things that take time and energy and effort and I took that for granted. (See my answer to number two!!) I won't snowboard again, not because I got hurt, but because I didn't enjoy it. Isn't that what counts?
(4) What's next?
Stay tuned as what's next is beginning my fitness training with my sister and combining that with my efforts to run road races with my friends! AND, this time, I am hiring a trainer and seeking professional nutrition and fitness advice from my sister, who I am sharing this "thing" with!!
I am taking a break at the moment due to my broken elbow which is quickly on the mend, but also due to my hectic work schedule (do it right or don't do it at all, remember :) )
Thanks for reading!!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Show's over! No broken legs but a broken elbow!
JH is over and what a blast that was! Thankfully I didn't literally break a leg, although I am told I did tear it up on the stage :) However, I DID manage to break a bone doing the next thing on my list---snowboarding!! In an attempt to barrel-ass down the bunny slope, I broke my right elbow. Here is a lovely "before" photo:
And here are, sadly, the after photos:
I learned a lot from that. mostly:
(1) I don't like snowboarding
(2) snowboarding is hard
(3) spring skiing in New England is kind of crappy
(4) don't try something new and dangerous without lessons
(5) always wear your helmet on the slopes and
(6) I don't like snowboarding!
I hope to write more on the subject as well as more on doing the play but I am typing with one hand at the moment which sort of stinks if you don't know already. Check back in with the blog in a week or two! I will post more on JH and snowboarding.
Thanks for reading!
Yours truly,
the one-armed writer
Don't we look super cute and excited?
And here are, sadly, the after photos:
I learned a lot from that. mostly:
(1) I don't like snowboarding
(2) snowboarding is hard
(3) spring skiing in New England is kind of crappy
(4) don't try something new and dangerous without lessons
(5) always wear your helmet on the slopes and
(6) I don't like snowboarding!
I hope to write more on the subject as well as more on doing the play but I am typing with one hand at the moment which sort of stinks if you don't know already. Check back in with the blog in a week or two! I will post more on JH and snowboarding.
Thanks for reading!
Yours truly,
the one-armed writer
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Show in Progress!
One weekend down of the show and one more to go! Check out photos from rehearsals and dress rehearsal, courtesy of my CCP friends! I plan on posting more photos taken from backstage before the shows.
This link is rehearsal at the Hose House:
and this one is dress rehearsal at the Rogers Center (I am in the last one):
Cheers!
Monday, March 14, 2011
It's T-Shirt Time! No, Wait.... It's SHOWTIME!!!
After many months, I cannot believe the time has come-- it's showtime! Jekyll & Hyde opens this Saturday at the Rogers Center at Merrimack College!
This week is called "tech week" but affectionately named "hell week" for reasons any week would be called hell week. Rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals! Tonight we had a partial tech run and yesterday we spent the day putting the set together and then off to rehearsal with the orchestra! Here are some photos from set building at the Rogers Center. I cannot wait to perform there, it is incredible. I am told by the theater junkies that this is quite the privilege to perform here. Take a look!
This week is called "tech week" but affectionately named "hell week" for reasons any week would be called hell week. Rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals! Tonight we had a partial tech run and yesterday we spent the day putting the set together and then off to rehearsal with the orchestra! Here are some photos from set building at the Rogers Center. I cannot wait to perform there, it is incredible. I am told by the theater junkies that this is quite the privilege to perform here. Take a look!
 |
| View from the audience |
 |
View from the stage   Putting together Jekyll's lab    A camera phone photo of Jill and Meghan putting Jeykll's lab together   |
Here is the orchestra pit with some of the ballroom wall sitting inside. You can see that the top of the
"walls" are peeking over the stage floor.
I hope to see you all there- can't wait!
P.S.-- having sat through countless shows, it is a lot more fun to be on stage rather than looking at it! :)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Theatah Jargon
Hello all,
In order to get you in the mood for some theatrics, i thought it would be fun to share with you the theater dictionary I am building as I navigate my way through rehearsals.
Upstage: the back
Downstage: the front (brownie points for those of you that can tell me where those names come from without googling!)
Fourth wall: the audience
Drag through: run through of a scene or act
Principal: a nice way of saying a lead role
Blocking: choreographing or setting places for scenes
Straight tone: singing without vibrato
Vibrato: that funny vibration noise you hear from good singers (i don't sing with vibrato :)
In order to get you in the mood for some theatrics, i thought it would be fun to share with you the theater dictionary I am building as I navigate my way through rehearsals.
Upstage: the back
Downstage: the front (brownie points for those of you that can tell me where those names come from without googling!)
Fourth wall: the audience
Drag through: run through of a scene or act
Principal: a nice way of saying a lead role
Blocking: choreographing or setting places for scenes
Straight tone: singing without vibrato
Vibrato: that funny vibration noise you hear from good singers (i don't sing with vibrato :)
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Set building, ticket sales, playbooks and biographies
Hello friends,
It's been a while since I last blogged because I have been so busy with rehearsals!
Jekyll & Hyde is going great and I am really enjoying the experience. I feel proud to be a part of this production and as it gets closer I can't wait to show all of you what I have been working on these past few months!
The show is fun but also challenging. The music is fast paced, the choreography is hard for a scatter brain like me to remember and the cast is huge. I guess that's theater for you! Last night we did what is called a "drag through" of act II, which is exactly what it sounds like- a run of the entire act. I have to say a big kudos to our leads, Bobby (as Jekyll), Lori (as Lucy) and Brittany (as Emma). They are truly talented folks that really make our production special. I am excited for those of you coming to see such a talented cast! I just hope to keep up and not screw up. :)
If you want a sneak peak, here is a sound file for "Murder Murder" from rehearsal. This was our first run through of the full song. It's 8 minutes long(!) but during the show there is dialogue (and murders!) to break it up. Thank you to my cast members Chris and Andy for sharing this link!
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8066055/Jekyll%20%26%20Hyde/25%20-%20Murder%20Murder.mp3
On top of the rehearsing, cast members are encouraged to sell tickets (of course) but also sell ads in our playbook to promote local businesses, and to help with set building, painting and costume creation. (For any locals interesting in purchasing an ad in our book please comment to this post or email me if you have my email address. Ads are due by Feb. 27).
The Hose House, where we rehearse, becomes a hive of activity on Friday nights, Saturday afternoons and Monday nights, with cast members, their friends and family and past group members all lending a hand with creating the set and costumes. It is very exciting to see the pieces falling into place and to see an end in sight. For instance, my ballroom costume started off as an old ugly prom dress and has slowly transformed into a Victorian England-era ball gown. Sophia has been a great help at set painting too so for those of you reading the playbook at the play you will see her name as a helper! Here are some photos of us painting the set at the Hose House
For those of you interested in attending the play, here are the details again. They will also be posted at the bottom of my blog page until the show is done.
It's been a while since I last blogged because I have been so busy with rehearsals!
Jekyll & Hyde is going great and I am really enjoying the experience. I feel proud to be a part of this production and as it gets closer I can't wait to show all of you what I have been working on these past few months!
The show is fun but also challenging. The music is fast paced, the choreography is hard for a scatter brain like me to remember and the cast is huge. I guess that's theater for you! Last night we did what is called a "drag through" of act II, which is exactly what it sounds like- a run of the entire act. I have to say a big kudos to our leads, Bobby (as Jekyll), Lori (as Lucy) and Brittany (as Emma). They are truly talented folks that really make our production special. I am excited for those of you coming to see such a talented cast! I just hope to keep up and not screw up. :)
If you want a sneak peak, here is a sound file for "Murder Murder" from rehearsal. This was our first run through of the full song. It's 8 minutes long(!) but during the show there is dialogue (and murders!) to break it up. Thank you to my cast members Chris and Andy for sharing this link!
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8066055/Jekyll%20%26%20Hyde/25%20-%20Murder%20Murder.mp3
On top of the rehearsing, cast members are encouraged to sell tickets (of course) but also sell ads in our playbook to promote local businesses, and to help with set building, painting and costume creation. (For any locals interesting in purchasing an ad in our book please comment to this post or email me if you have my email address. Ads are due by Feb. 27).
The Hose House, where we rehearse, becomes a hive of activity on Friday nights, Saturday afternoons and Monday nights, with cast members, their friends and family and past group members all lending a hand with creating the set and costumes. It is very exciting to see the pieces falling into place and to see an end in sight. For instance, my ballroom costume started off as an old ugly prom dress and has slowly transformed into a Victorian England-era ball gown. Sophia has been a great help at set painting too so for those of you reading the playbook at the play you will see her name as a helper! Here are some photos of us painting the set at the Hose House
 |
| Ronnie painting the benches for the "Wedding Scene" |
 |
| Here's Kim, one of the prostitutes :) |
For those of you interested in attending the play, here are the details again. They will also be posted at the bottom of my blog page until the show is done.
Show dates are:
March 19, 25 and 26 at 8pm
and March 20 at 2pm
At the Rogers Center for the Arts, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA
Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students and seniors (ages 65+). *group rates available for parties of 15 or more.
For more information visit http://www.colonialchorus.com/ or call 781-944-9780 or of course contact me for tickets.
March 19, 25 and 26 at 8pm
and March 20 at 2pm
At the Rogers Center for the Arts, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA
Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students and seniors (ages 65+). *group rates available for parties of 15 or more.
For more information visit http://www.colonialchorus.com/ or call 781-944-9780 or of course contact me for tickets.
Thanks again for reading- More to come!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Murder Murder!
Rehearsals for Jekyll and Hyde are going great!
So far we have learned two songs from the show; "Facade" and "Murder Murder". Both have been really fun to learn and to sing. The music is complicated in spots (which just makes for a better sound in the end), so a few people bring tape recorders to tape individual parts and practice at home. I have some of these sound files and I hope to post sound bytes of rehearsal on here soon. I have also posted on the bottom of this blog site details with the attached event flier for the upcoming show. (Shows are in March at Merrimack College). We have a lot of work to do but I know at this rate we will have created a wonderful end product that you will enjoy!
So far we have learned two songs from the show; "Facade" and "Murder Murder". Both have been really fun to learn and to sing. The music is complicated in spots (which just makes for a better sound in the end), so a few people bring tape recorders to tape individual parts and practice at home. I have some of these sound files and I hope to post sound bytes of rehearsal on here soon. I have also posted on the bottom of this blog site details with the attached event flier for the upcoming show. (Shows are in March at Merrimack College). We have a lot of work to do but I know at this rate we will have created a wonderful end product that you will enjoy!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
A Blog Thought
Recently a friend said to me that she assumed I was unhappy with my life because I was always "doing." I thought this was an odd assessment of my situation since to me, life is about living and doing! In fact, I find "not doing" to be the definition of unhappiness. For me, really living my fullest life involves finding ways to push, challenge and surprise myself. What is life without experiences? This recent journey is my newest way of living and I am having such a wonderful time doing it! And for the record, I feel truly happy and utterly blessed with my life and the people in it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my loved ones and thank you for your support!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my loved ones and thank you for your support!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
I am not a hooker!
I was truly hoping that the title of this post would be "I AM a hooker" but alas I was not cast as a "red rat girl" in Jekyll & Hyde as expected. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me explain....
The time has finally come to do the "thing" that has inspired this blog! Last week, with the help and support of my friends Kim and Allison who are the people behind the "thing" behind the inspiration of this blog, I auditioned for two community theater plays; "Little Women" and "Jekyll and Hyde." I am happy to announce that after several hours singing, dancing, waiting and sweating, I have accepted a role as an aristocrat in the ensemble of Jekyll! Rehearsals have already begun and are Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. The play is set to open in March at Merrimack College!
What can I say so far about all this? It has been quite a time-consuming process! First, auditions. They start by filling out an application, writing down what part you are auditioning for, and listing your past experience (mine is high school chorus, singing in the shower and to my kids) and attaching your theater resume if you have one (um.. yeah. okay, I don't). You turn your application in, get a number, take a mug shot (I think in the theater world it's called a head shot) then you wait to be called. The Little Women (LW) audition was a "you in front of the directors alone thing", meaning no one was watching. Waiting for this sucked and despite the fact that I looked cool as a cuke while waiting (that was the feedback people, I don't make this up) my nerves were shot. Let's face it, I haven't sang in 15 years and even then I would say I could carry a tune but I don't hold a candle to talent! (If you think I am being humble just ask my loving and supportive husband :) With that in mind, I made my application as funny and convincing as possible and auditioned for parts that I thought were reachable (ensemble for Jekyll and the part of a "troll" for LW).
Anyway... to audition, you are required to sing a song or two in the spirit of the show (whatever.... my choices for both plays were "Part of Your World" from the Little Mermaid and "My Favorite Things" from Sound of Music). The director for LW actually asked me to pretend to pick flowers and sing to them while performing My Favorite Things. hee hee. I must have kicked ass on that because despite my efforts to get the part of a "troll" I was called back to read for the part of "Amy", one of the four sisters! Let's just say after I competed for that role I got NO part in LW, not even TROLL! Yeah, they were finally on to me and my lack of singing and theater experience. Whatever though, their loss, because I WAS cast for Jekyll and I am excited to do that.. So, on to that audition....
For Jekyll & Hyde (JH) you have to audition in front of a room full of people! Let me tell you, these people were so great and supportive (most of them just showed up to watch, not even audition!!), and they brought cookies, I can't forget that part. But despite this "support" I was so nervous, especially since I had to follow a phenomenal singer who was later cast as the female lead in this play! Same process as for LW but just one song here. After cursing out my preceding competitor, I made my way to the front of the room, introduced myself and sang 16 glorious bars of "Part of Your World" and got a raging round of applause (really!!). JH is a dance-intense musical, so after vocals, they asked us to hang around for auditions part two, which was to learn choreographed dance moves and perform them in front of the directors. I had to learn both ensemble and "red rat girl" dances. The red rat girls are the whores in JH and they have a really fun dance scene in the play so you understand why I wanted to be a red rat SO BAD! The dance for the red rat girls was so much fun and super hard! It was raunchy and racy and left me with bruised knees and in need of a shower afterwards (seriously, I am not making this up).
I left auditions three hours later covered in sweat, dirt and bruises, but because I really can't dance I wasn't cast as a hooker. (I am sure that's the reason as I am confident I was skanky enough for the part.) Kim WAS cast as a red rat girl though-- she did great! (As one male watching said to her, "Kim, you are naughty!")
So, on to rehearsals! I plan on posting a separate entry for rehearsals, and maybe a few as I go with progress updates, even though I am pretty sure that no one is reading this!! Anyway, all I can say is that this has been a blast. It has pushed me beyond my comfort levels and made me feel really crappy about myself at times, but I would not trade this experience for anything. It has also brought out my competitive spirit and made me want to try harder and do better, which I will! Just wait until you see the play (which I am making my entire family see- hee hee). Stay tuned!
The time has finally come to do the "thing" that has inspired this blog! Last week, with the help and support of my friends Kim and Allison who are the people behind the "thing" behind the inspiration of this blog, I auditioned for two community theater plays; "Little Women" and "Jekyll and Hyde." I am happy to announce that after several hours singing, dancing, waiting and sweating, I have accepted a role as an aristocrat in the ensemble of Jekyll! Rehearsals have already begun and are Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. The play is set to open in March at Merrimack College!
What can I say so far about all this? It has been quite a time-consuming process! First, auditions. They start by filling out an application, writing down what part you are auditioning for, and listing your past experience (mine is high school chorus, singing in the shower and to my kids) and attaching your theater resume if you have one (um.. yeah. okay, I don't). You turn your application in, get a number, take a mug shot (I think in the theater world it's called a head shot) then you wait to be called. The Little Women (LW) audition was a "you in front of the directors alone thing", meaning no one was watching. Waiting for this sucked and despite the fact that I looked cool as a cuke while waiting (that was the feedback people, I don't make this up) my nerves were shot. Let's face it, I haven't sang in 15 years and even then I would say I could carry a tune but I don't hold a candle to talent! (If you think I am being humble just ask my loving and supportive husband :) With that in mind, I made my application as funny and convincing as possible and auditioned for parts that I thought were reachable (ensemble for Jekyll and the part of a "troll" for LW).
Anyway... to audition, you are required to sing a song or two in the spirit of the show (whatever.... my choices for both plays were "Part of Your World" from the Little Mermaid and "My Favorite Things" from Sound of Music). The director for LW actually asked me to pretend to pick flowers and sing to them while performing My Favorite Things. hee hee. I must have kicked ass on that because despite my efforts to get the part of a "troll" I was called back to read for the part of "Amy", one of the four sisters! Let's just say after I competed for that role I got NO part in LW, not even TROLL! Yeah, they were finally on to me and my lack of singing and theater experience. Whatever though, their loss, because I WAS cast for Jekyll and I am excited to do that.. So, on to that audition....
For Jekyll & Hyde (JH) you have to audition in front of a room full of people! Let me tell you, these people were so great and supportive (most of them just showed up to watch, not even audition!!), and they brought cookies, I can't forget that part. But despite this "support" I was so nervous, especially since I had to follow a phenomenal singer who was later cast as the female lead in this play! Same process as for LW but just one song here. After cursing out my preceding competitor, I made my way to the front of the room, introduced myself and sang 16 glorious bars of "Part of Your World" and got a raging round of applause (really!!). JH is a dance-intense musical, so after vocals, they asked us to hang around for auditions part two, which was to learn choreographed dance moves and perform them in front of the directors. I had to learn both ensemble and "red rat girl" dances. The red rat girls are the whores in JH and they have a really fun dance scene in the play so you understand why I wanted to be a red rat SO BAD! The dance for the red rat girls was so much fun and super hard! It was raunchy and racy and left me with bruised knees and in need of a shower afterwards (seriously, I am not making this up).
I left auditions three hours later covered in sweat, dirt and bruises, but because I really can't dance I wasn't cast as a hooker. (I am sure that's the reason as I am confident I was skanky enough for the part.) Kim WAS cast as a red rat girl though-- she did great! (As one male watching said to her, "Kim, you are naughty!")
So, on to rehearsals! I plan on posting a separate entry for rehearsals, and maybe a few as I go with progress updates, even though I am pretty sure that no one is reading this!! Anyway, all I can say is that this has been a blast. It has pushed me beyond my comfort levels and made me feel really crappy about myself at times, but I would not trade this experience for anything. It has also brought out my competitive spirit and made me want to try harder and do better, which I will! Just wait until you see the play (which I am making my entire family see- hee hee). Stay tuned!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A man, his gun, his dog .... and the wife
This post is about duck hunting!!!
While you all were sleeping off your turkey dinners, Eric and I went duck hunting last Friday. Long story short, no ducks were harmed in the making of this "thing." So much for the hunting part.
In order to enjoy our nice date day, we needed to first unload our precious cargo, also known as Sophia and Griffin (and referred to in earlier posts as my "party crew.")
Luckily awesome aunt Kellie was up to the job of babysitting, so we loaded up and headed off for an afternoon hunt. Eric took me to the Nashua River in Pepperell , MA. His friend Dick was nice enough to join us for this adventure (also affectionately called a "shit show" by my loving husband). Dick just had to see the wife in camo!
We arrived at the river, put on our bad-ass duck hunting gear and packed up the canoe. (Ok, so Eric packed up the canoe, I just complained about how cold I was.) Bogey squealed in delight the entire time, eager to get his bird. (sorry Bogey, that never happened. I know you deserve better than that.) Here is a photo of me and Bogey dressed for the task at hand. I know, peeps, I look smokin' hot....
After a short canoe trip across the river, Eric found our spot and we set up shop in a muddy, marshy location.
Here's Bogey checking out the scene
Here's Eric in the canoe
The odd thing was that there were cows in the field right across the way from us. They didn't seem to mind the gunshots though.
After we set up the only thing left to do was sit, wait and watch the sky. Besides my cold fingers and toes, I enjoyed sitting out there and listening to nothing at all. It was peaceful-- I get why my husband likes hunting. The boys said some silly stuff like "there is some nice movement in the spread" (meaning the ducks are moving on the water--- why don't they just say so?!) They also participated in some skillful duck calling which I can only imagine sounded like sweet songs of seduction for the ducks. I also now know why Eric comes home empty-handed often. He and Dick failed to do the "watch the sky" part! Ducks flew over us only three times: two out of the three I had to tell them, "hey guys, there are ducks flying by." The third time, let's just say I didn't escape without injury! (See bloodied gum below).
I also want to mention here that wearing your headphones or ear plugs around 12 gauge shotguns is a good idea! Don't take them off! (my ears are STILL ringing!)
We had to end our hunt at 4:16pm because of sunset and while we left empty handed I personally left with a sense of self accomplishment. I was nervous and reluctant about this trip. There were so many unknowns to me. But I really did enjoy myself, I made it through without serious injury and I think it really benefited my relationship with Eric. After 13 years together, I learned new things about him, and for that I am truly grateful!
While you all were sleeping off your turkey dinners, Eric and I went duck hunting last Friday. Long story short, no ducks were harmed in the making of this "thing." So much for the hunting part.
In order to enjoy our nice date day, we needed to first unload our precious cargo, also known as Sophia and Griffin (and referred to in earlier posts as my "party crew.")
We arrived at the river, put on our bad-ass duck hunting gear and packed up the canoe. (Ok, so Eric packed up the canoe, I just complained about how cold I was.) Bogey squealed in delight the entire time, eager to get his bird. (sorry Bogey, that never happened. I know you deserve better than that.) Here is a photo of me and Bogey dressed for the task at hand. I know, peeps, I look smokin' hot....
After a short canoe trip across the river, Eric found our spot and we set up shop in a muddy, marshy location.
Here's Bogey checking out the scene
 |
| The blind |
 |
| Me in my kick ass outfit |
 |
| Eric setting up the decoys |
 |
| Mooooo |
After we set up the only thing left to do was sit, wait and watch the sky. Besides my cold fingers and toes, I enjoyed sitting out there and listening to nothing at all. It was peaceful-- I get why my husband likes hunting. The boys said some silly stuff like "there is some nice movement in the spread" (meaning the ducks are moving on the water--- why don't they just say so?!) They also participated in some skillful duck calling which I can only imagine sounded like sweet songs of seduction for the ducks. I also now know why Eric comes home empty-handed often. He and Dick failed to do the "watch the sky" part! Ducks flew over us only three times: two out of the three I had to tell them, "hey guys, there are ducks flying by." The third time, let's just say I didn't escape without injury! (See bloodied gum below).
I also want to mention here that wearing your headphones or ear plugs around 12 gauge shotguns is a good idea! Don't take them off! (my ears are STILL ringing!)
We had to end our hunt at 4:16pm because of sunset and while we left empty handed I personally left with a sense of self accomplishment. I was nervous and reluctant about this trip. There were so many unknowns to me. But I really did enjoy myself, I made it through without serious injury and I think it really benefited my relationship with Eric. After 13 years together, I learned new things about him, and for that I am truly grateful!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Comic Book Mega Show!
BATMAN ROCKS! That's right, peeps, I went to a comic book convention! This "thing" was courtesy of my friend James Donahue. Thanks to his "dealer" pass (because he had a batman motorcycle on display) I was able to get in FOR FREE without waiting in a two-hour long line. Much appreciated James!
For the rest of you that don't attend comic book conventions on a regular basis, did you know that those conventions aren't just for comic book people? Umm, yeah! This one was a "Back to the Future" kind of theme so Christopher Lloyd was there along with the Delorian (spelling?). You could take photos in it for a cost, with the proceeds going to Michael J. Fox's charity. The other heavy hitter there was Linda Blair (from the exorcist in case you didn't know!) The convention also featured the original muppeteer for Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, Bozo the clown, (NOT "Homie the clown" for those of you under the age of 30) some washed up pro wrestlers from the Hulk Hogan era, porn stars from 20+ years ago, Peter Tork from the Monkees, etc.. etc.. See some photos of Linda Blair and Christopher Lloyd below. For anyone that wanted to know as much as I did, Big Bird did actually have a person inside him operating him (just one though- can you believe that?!)
Here is Linda Blair and in the back, Christopher LloydApart from the randoms (i.e.- Bozo the clown), the convention was what I would expect from a comic book convention (or "ComicCon" as those in the biz like to say-I think...). There were your typical weirdos dressed up, nerds, geeks, wizards and warlocks. There were comic books, vinyls, trinkets, and posters for sale for everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Ghostbusters and Archie Comics. I did my Lynnfield loop as it were through the convention room then headed out to let my son play on the batcycle with Ephram. Here are some photos!
The Bat Cycle
The Batmobile
A storm trooper thing
Inside the convention area, right, and below is the orignal Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch muppeteer
I am glad I opened up my mind to the experience and actually felt what it was like to be in a convention where comic book peeps thrive and feel the rush of the atmosphere, buzzing with petchouli and B.O. I can't say I will return, but I do feel enlighted by being there. Thanks again James for a unique experience! And thanks again for reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)