Relaxing Summer Days coming to an end

Well, maybe the busy I get the more active I will be on here? Who knows...

My few month break is quickly coming to a close and the dance companies are picking back up. I have to admit that the break was nice and I really needed it. I am looking forward though for 3 new seasons to start up in the next few weeks (and to get some extra cash again!).

It's crazy, I had in my mind that I wasn't going to be performing at all the next year or so except for my own solo work, but the past week as proven differently. I am still understudying/ training with Ledges and Bones until my injury is so far in the past that I forget about it (okay that may be extreme, but we are taking this year to fully train me back to health and not chance re-breaking my ribs!) I am excited about the work that this company is producing and feel honored to be associated with them, but it is a lot of work for no performance pay off. Its not pay that keeps me dancing, if it was, then I wouldn't be dancing, but its the performing. So working really hard for no end performance results is hard to swallow, but the training I am gaining is really so amazing that I have to keep reminding myself it is all worth it.

HNDC (Here Now Dance Collective) took a long break. I wasn't sure if I was going to be invited back for another season since I hadn't heard from the Director of it, but it just turns out that she has needed a break to figure out personal things and we are going to be starting back up come August. I am excited for this next turn of events with HNDC because it no longer will be a theater base dance company but a site specific dance company focusing on work in and around the Bay area. We have a photographer and Videographer on board as well to help document it all and maybe make a dance for film out of it. Her next work is based off the subject "apologies." I think its a topic that many can relate to and I am excited about starting it up.

DHPco was a big iffy question mark for me. David is the director of the company and a good friend of mine. He features me in all of his work and really respects my opinion on the work as well. Unfortunatly, I had a not great experience with some of the other company members which made me question my place with the company and if it was a right match for me. Over the past week though when I thought I was resigning, I learned that none of the other dancers were planning on returning and that David's next work was a theater base dance featuring a couple (me being the female lead). A good friend reminded me to give 2nd chances and what is the worse that can happen? I don't want to regret not trying and doing theater based dance really excites me so I am going to resign and see what happens. (and hope for the best).

Now since I wasn't planning to dance/perform this fall with others I committed to working on some solo work. How exciting to be asked to perform my own work! So Aug 12-13 I will be premiering the first draft of my new solo, working title "Love Thee, Not" (Not sure I love the title yet). I am excited for this chance to explore more solo work of theatre/ dance. It will be the 3rd solo in SF I will have presented but the first one that isn't associated to another dance company...just me! It will be about 12 min I think, maybe 1o? I have about 1/2 done thus far and this will for sure just be a first draft. The great part of it all is that my mom gets to see it as she will be here visiting!! yay!

I am continuing yoga and pilates training. I am seriously looking into getting certified in Yoga. I love it so much and would love to teach it. The problem is, I don't have $2,500 to do so. Looking to find scholarship/ work trade for it...but that requires more time than I have right now. So here is hoping to next summer finding money, time and the right program.

This month I have been taking Erika Chong Shuch's Sketch it up workshop as well. There are 16 or so of us creating 4 hours a week new work, showing it once or twice and moving on. This workshop is full of dancers, playwrights, directors, poets, clowns etc. Its been great to be with so many talented artist in the city, not just dancers but Theater people, writers etc. I have found it to be inspiring and I hope that I can continue work for Erika as she is really a brilliant director in this city.

Oh on an off Dance topic. A few weeks ago we celebrated Paul's 25th Birthday! It was a crazy fun weekend and it took a week to recover from it, but so great. I met about 18 of his family members at dinner which was so scary, but turned out to be amazing (even though I don't speak an ounce of Spanish!) Both his Grandma's have invited me over for dinner and him mom and him and I went out to a movie last week! It nice to be close to his family since mine is so far away. They are very large and loud compared to my tiny family. Don't get me wrong, my family, well my brother mom and I can get loud, but 3 people being loud compared to 18 is a different kind of loud! I was scared, but as Paul had let me know over and over again, I had nothing to be worried about. I got him Giants vs Dodger tickets for his bday so Friday we are off to cheer on the SF Giants in the 2nd row! yay!

Some pictures of his Bday:

Everyone singing Happy birthday to Paul

Later that night once he officially turned 25!

He got his hands on my camera, me once he turned 25, clearly I didn't have the same reaction!

The only picture I got of us on his 25th bday (4 days of celebrating and this is all...losing my camera touch) And this picture is not great representation of us! Oh well! It is what it is :)

okay, I have stalled finishing up household chores long enough, must go finish before my company arrives!

4th of July in San Francisco

So I use to love 4th of July because its when I would spend time with my mom. When I was in Chicago, I would drive home to Iowa, mom and I would go get KFC and we would go watch Bettendorf fireworks. We didn't do much for the 4th when I was in HS, but once I left home, it quickly became our holiday. Brad would be working, Sean wasn't at home and so Mom and I would celebrate together. The Bettendorf firework show was always so good.

Its not like mom and I never had quality time together, but this was always one of my favorite mom and me times to have. We just would sit and talk, and laugh. Usually we would drive home in the convertible, top down of course, and get Whiteys on our way (duh). No matter what Mom and I are doing, we always have a great time, but the 4th always reminds me of my mom and the past few years, reminds me of how much I miss her.

Last year I attempted to go see the SF firework show at the pier. I mean, a big city, on the water, fireworks should be awesome right? WRONG they were so bad. Lame to say the least. So this year I didn't really care to fight the crowds of locals and mostly tourist to see a crappy/cheap show.

On Saturday I get a text that Paul wasn't going to work, so we had the whole weekend to spend together (a rare thing to happen). I had to stop at the office first, but then realized I forgot my keys on my desk so couldn't get in... so the work I had to do, couldn't be done. I had my car so I drove to him, picked him up and we went to get brunch. Usually we eat in the Mission District since there is every kind of food you could want, and he lives in that neighborhood, and I am always there dancing (I dance just a few blocks from where he lives). But since I had the good ol' Lancer (my car) we decided to venture out to a place we wouldn't go without the car. We hit up a little restaurant/ cafe in Potero Hill. Off the beaten path and totally a "local neighborhood" joint. We had a delicious breakfast and it was so nice to not have a time limit or place to be.

I had my last pilates class for a few weeks scheduled for that afternoon. My friend Mo gives me free privates and she left town Sat night for 10 days, so I am without pilates, I had to go. I left Paul around 1:45 to take my class. He was going to clean his room during that time I was gone...At 3:30 when I was finished, i called and there was no answer...The lazy bum took a long nap while I was working out! Can't blame him though, those 5 and 6 am shifts are bound to catch up with you and on a HOT San Francisco day after a big, delicious, and filling, breakfast, a nap was in order. I borrowed Mo's keys, went to the office to get mine and did a run to Goodwill to drop off a few things that were in my car and when that was said and done, my phone rang.

Paul, indeed took a long and deserved nap. I drove back over to him though, Kinda helped him clean his room, watched a little TV and by 5 we were both ready to eat some more food! We walked down the block to a BBQ place and both got a big old bbq sandwich. Delicious. Full once again we wondered back to his place to just hang out in the back yard. Sounds boring, but far from. We play music, play with the dog and just chill. Sometimes much needed. I took my friend Mo to the airport that night so left him to hang with his brother and friend for the night.

Paul enjoying himself, I really like this picture of him laughing

The next day (4th of July) we started our morning early with walking the dog, getting coffee and splitting a bagel. Paul has a huge back yard and balcony off his room. So we sat out on the balcony soaking in the sun drinking our coffee. Paul got out a notebook from two years ago and read me some of his writings. He is a really talented writer. Its great because he reads to me, its not very often you get to hear stories read how the author intended for them to be heard, I love it.

We worked out, sat in the sun and didn't shower...may not be looking camera ready, but look I don't look like a total ghost next to him I got some sun!!

Staring contest....the key to winning: tickle him!

It was early still so we decided to do a quick workout before his friend arrived. So we put some tunes on and did this pretty quick but intense workout right in his room. Once his friend arrived we walked to the store to get things to BBQ. Meat here in SF is very expensive, but produce is amazing. We went to a little market by Paul's house to get things for my guacamole (5 avocados, tomato, jalapenos, cilantro,2 limes, onion, garlic), 3 corn on the cobs, and 9 rolls, and it totaled $5.15. How cheap and amazing is that?!

Some of the food on the table

The grill round 1, we had 2 rounds and it ALL was eaten!

We walked back to Pauls and let the BBQ begin. I made the gauc while the boys got the grill fired. We sat and chatted, read the news paper, played tetras, and started to eat like crazy. It was so hot and sunny and we were all loving it. I even got a little tan...seriously! The boys showed me some cool tricks to light matches, I was loving it, pyro I know, but it was great.

Trying to do the tricks that they were teaching me. My thumb is slightly burnt from the attempts, and the tricks aren't even that cool, but I feel cool doing them!

Games were played, food was consumed all day, we had some drinks, and sun, and music. It was a great 4th. People in the neighborhood shot off fireworks and we enjoyed watching those but it was nice to not fight crowds but just to be with a few friends. Paul and I wore sweats all day, didn't even shower, so it was truly a lazy but so enjoyable Sunday/4th of the July. Not quite the same as my wonderful 4ths with mi madre, but if I couldn't be with her, it was the next best thing.

Another cute picture of Paulie

We were both pretty grungy by the end of the day, but happy non the less, maybe not so photogenic since we are both pretty greasy, but oh well! :)