LittleTurtle Takes the Stage

[LittleTurtle]

Disclaimer:

I won't be doing a "traditional" challenge this go around.  This challenge is more directed towards "Life Goals" rather than "Fitness Goals".  Feel free to scroll on by if it's not your thing.

 

 

 

 

 

I cried the first time I read the script.  I knew that it was a play I HAD to be part of.  I cried a bit the next day when I was telling my boyfriend about how beautiful it was (much to his confusion until he realized that the emotions were from sheer passion for the play).  I went to auditions on Monday, Jan 29th and was asked by the director to come back Tuesday, Jan 30th for the second night of auditions.  I waited for the cast list for what seemed like an eternity.  It was Thursday afternoon (Feb 1st), just about 15 minutes before the end of my work day when I saw that the cast list had been posted on Facebook.  My stomach dropped and I took a deep breath before clicking on the link.  I near screamed when I saw my name!  I landed the only female part in the show!  I came running out of my office in absolute hysterical joy, and my boss asked me to sit down because she thought I was going to faint!  

 

I have not acted (or been involved in theatre in any way) for over 5 years, but I miss it every day.  Acting is probably my number one passion in life, but these types of shows don't come along very often.  Most audiences prefer musicals and comedies, but I prefer dramas....plays that challenge me...let me stretch my acting wings.  I cannot wait for rehearsals to begin!  This will be, by far, the biggest role I've ever had!  I pray for health, energy, and pain management so that I can enjoy this experience to the fullest.

 

That being said, I had an appointment with my Naturopath this morning and we're adjusting my thyroid meds again (dropping one prescription altogether and increasing the dose of the other one).  In 8 weeks, if my TSH goes down and I'm still in this much pain, she wants to run a Rheumatoid Panel.  **Fingers crossed that the pain goes away before that happens**

 

My goals are going to be VERY lax this challenge.  My Naturopath gave me a free pass for diet for now.  She said with all the eliminations I've tried over the last couple years, she doubts I'm having any specific food triggers.  She said that food triggers are not subtle and I should know for sure if something was triggering the pain at this point.  Since I avoided potatoes so well in January and was still in pain most the month, she doubts potatoes are the source of my pain.  So YAY POTATOES!!!  Not that I'm going to binge on them or anything, but I'm just glad I don't have to feel guilty if I eat them for now.    Obviously, my diet has room for improvement (because pizza and cheeseburgers happen!), but in general, I feel I eat fairly healthy.  But I've been so hard on myself because the scale keeps slowly creeping up, but she told me that was probably thyroid related and not to worry about it for now.

 

Exercise has to stay pretty mild in the meantime.  If the pain starts to subside, I can adjust accordingly (with being extra careful not to overdo it on the good days).

 

Mostly, my goals for next month are to continue my tracking spreadsheet with how I feel each day as far as fatigue and pain.  I'll track my workouts, and keep that the same as far as only walking or doing some light yoga.  

 

My #1 goal is going to begin memorizing the daunting amount of lines I have for the play.

 

GOALS

1 - Memorization!

• 30 minutes every single day of studying the script.  I'd really like to be off book before the director's deadline.  

 

2 - Tracking spreadsheet

• Track pain levels, fatigue, etc every day
• Track workouts (aim for 3 a week, with forgiveness for not working out on rehearsal nights or days when the pain gets the better of me)

 

 

So that's it.  I'm starting now.   

[Lenore]

OMG CONGRAAAAAAAATS!!!!! I LOVE stage stuff, almost everything except acting. Music especially. Not exciting!!!

[Owlet]

Congratulations on landing the part! That is so cool  Good luck with your goals

[MaD MaLKaV]

Congrats on the role.  How long do you have before you need to have the lines memorized?

[Fearkiller]

That is so cool, LT! Acting sounds wonderful!

But, how are you doing? 

[LittleTurtle]

On 2/6/2018 at 7:23 PM, Lenore said:

OMG CONGRAAAAAAAATS!!!!! I LOVE stage stuff, almost everything except acting. Music especially. Not exciting!!!

Thank you!   

On 2/8/2018 at 3:29 PM, Owlet said:

Congratulations on landing the part! That is so cool  Good luck with your goals

Thank you!  

On 2/23/2018 at 1:54 PM, MaD MaLKaV said:

Congrats on the role.  How long do you have before you need to have the lines memorized?

Thank you!  Lines need to be memorizing by March 12th.  I am SO CLOSE to having them all memorized....if I keep at it, I'll probably be off book before the deadline.  SO MANY LINES!!!   

21 hours ago, Fearkiller said:

That is so cool, LT! Acting sounds wonderful!

But, how are you doing? 

Thank you!  Acting is so much fun!  And I'm actually doing really well!  I think I have all my medical stuff figured out for now.  It's so good to hear from you!!  How have you been?  

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I'm having a blast at rehearsals!  It's the highlight of my day!  And the guys that I have my scenes with are really amazing and I believe we have some good stage chemistry going on.  My day is totally packed with working an 8 hour day and rehearsals for 3 hours in the evening, so if I seem a bit absent this go around - that's why.  Now...back to studying lines!   

[Fearkiller]

I think it was Spezzy who said that actually working towards the goals is more important

than posting about them  Glad to hear it's going forward

 

The short of it is that the crap I've had the last few years is subsiding, and I'm back on track.

Even if slowly, but still 

 

[LittleTurtle]

On 2/27/2018 at 11:53 AM, Fearkiller said:

The short of it is that the crap I've had the last few years is subsiding, and I'm back on track.

Even if slowly, but still 

That's great news!  I'm so happy to hear it.  Slow and steady wins the race, no?  

[LittleTurtle]

BOOM!  I'm off book a week ahead of schedule.  The director was very pleased with me this evening.    GOAL ACCOMPLISHED!

 

And then I made a bet with one of the other actors that he could pick any random page from the entire script and say any line from the page that was my cue line and I'd give him my line.  He didn't believe me.  I won the bet.   

 

I've been feeling really good the past few weeks.  Theatre may have something to do with that.  

 

I've still been tracking my pain and fatigue levels daily, but I have not been exercising.  Despite the lack of exercise, I'm still feeling better than ever.  Energy is way up and pain is way down.  I can actually walk without limping!  

 

So that's that for now.  I'm off to wind down for bed.  I have a VERY full week.  Rehearsals through Thursday with an extra long one tomorrow.  Dinner with my family Friday evening, going out of town on Saturday for a baby shower, and then back to rehearsals on Sunday.  I'm guessing that my next free evening is next Friday.  Whew!  

 

I'm loving life right now.  I've missed theatre so much and have no idea why it took me so long to get back into it.