I just have to say........

I just have to say how much I adore my son. There is nothing in my life more endearing, more improtant, more fufilling, or more wonderful than he is. Everyday, through one action or comment or another, he reminds me how very special he is and how very lucky I am. He isn't aware that he is doing it, but everday he makes my world a better place and my heart more complete. He is an amazing person who I am privilaged to know and blessed to be trusted with raising. And no matter how difficult life is, the decisions I have to make, the obsticals I have to overcome, it is all worth everybit of struggle, fight, hurt, and work when I look into those eyes, hear him laugh, or get that hug. I love my son, more than anything. I am a lucky, lucky woman.

Well here I go again !!!!

So to start off ... Corey is going to the State Championships in at least 2 events.
Whoooooot Whooooot !!!!!
So swimming is going to consume a lot of our time for the next few months. He has a new coach who was state champ for 3+ years. He is going to be focusing on Corey's goal to make state in Two other strokes.


2nd - I was asked to be assistant stage manager for a musical called Man of La Mancha at the VLT. I haven't stage managed in 15 years. And I have not worked on a musical in that long as well. Last night was the 2nd auditions ... and just sitting there I fell in love with the theater all over again. I LOVE every aspect of the theater.

And here is the big one. I was talking to a woman named Suzanne who was the Stage Manager on my last performance (Ravenscroft) and mentioned that I had been reading a script and was thinking of presenting it to the board for consideration. I thought it would be a good production for our small "arena" stage located on the left side of our building (called Stage Left). She said I should talk to a specific person as he was the one reviewing and considering the plays for the next 2 seasons. I told her I had no idea how this process worked. She asked me what roll in the production I was interested in. I said I would love to direct it, but have not established myself with the board or membership yet, so if they even ok'd the play, that I would love to have the lead. It was then that she told me that she was now the president of the board and who to contact.
So I call the guy today and tell him that I am interested in submitting a play for consideration. He said that I should get a crew (cast not included) prepare a purposal and submitt it to the board of directors for consideration. He explained that the Stage Left process was different and that I could submit myself as director. It would be a package. I would have to have my stage manager, my light and sound tech, props manager, and any other back stage crew selected. They would consider the purposal and let me know.
This means I could direct. I could help produce and direct a play! I could possibly live my dream with out having to prove myself over the next 10 years like you have to do in so many other theaters. At the VLT it is far less political and who you know, but rather, it is what you offer and how you present it!
Do I dare try? I mean ... dreams are great ... but to dare to go for them? What if they say no ... or worse yet they say yes and I fail in such a public forum. Maybe I need more time. Maybe I should put a couple more years in and get more established, more experience, more confident.
But to know that it is available to me. At least a chance. When I decide I want to go for it .... I could. Wow!!!! That in itself thrills me beyond what this little blog can express!!!
OH ... and here is the other issue ... As much as I would love to direct this script ... I would love to have the lead in it!

Jerry Springer Street !!!!!

For those of you who don't already know, we recently had to move. Our landlady (the wicked witch of the west) booted us to move a family member in. Joke was on her though, they had a falling out and it turns out that there was a mass amount of electrical work to be done and a huge mold issue.
She is still trying to get us to pay for stuff that we did not do. I am going to send her a proffessional letter of "It's your problem not ours" and will be leaving out the the kiss my @$$ part. (she is lucky I don't sue for the dangerous conditions we were living in. Maybe I should have complete physicals done on us to make sure we didn't suffer any effects from the mold growing inside the walls!!!!)
Anyway. We ended up in a new (well three year old) town house. Smaller, but much nicer. So I guess it worked out for the best in the end, because I never complain about anything and that mold and electrical problem would have gone on unnoticed for years I am sure. Anyway ... here is the problem with the new place...
It is just behind what I have named Jerry Springer Street. The people who live on the street behind us are straight up white trash, getto wanna be's. They look and act like they just came off the set of the Springer Show. Infact, Corey once said he would not be surprised if we drove past a filming of Dog the Bounty Hunter there sometime.
We have had problems, a couple noted in a previous blog. But tonight, tonight went beyond a problem in to a full force getto situation. It ended with me furious and on the phone with the police.
I pulled off of Jerry Springer Street and turned on to our street (which happens to be a dead end) I immediatly see a car across the street from my parking lot, pulled to the curb at a very strange angle, with head lights on, and blocking another car in the corner of the dead in. My California senses start tingeling, and I am at full alert. I pull into my parking lot, start to pull into my spot and my mommy alarm goes off. I immediatly decide we should not get out of the car or even suggest that we live there. So I throw it into reverse, pull back out, and as my headlights hit the window of the strange car, my instincts are proven correct.
There in the still darkness of his car, a young man about 20 years old, is smoking a crack pipe.
Now I have enought knowledge to know what a crack pipe is and how it is used. I have seen it all done on tv on A&E's "Intervention" and other such shows. So I know what I am looking at. And I knew with the car break in we had and other situations, that they were probably meth related. But still, to see it right in front of you. Less than a 100 feet from your front door. With your son in the car. I was outraged. I wanted to ram his car. I wanted to call the police. Instead, I pulled out and left. As if I saw nothing. I mean, he saw me, he saw me pull in. I don't need him wondering who I am or what I am doing. I have my son to protect. Good instinct again, because he fallowed us off of Jerry Springer St and on to another. I continued at a normal speed and turned down another street while on the phone with John. I was hoping he would think I had turned into my lot by accident and be on his way. I don't know if it worked, but he did not turn again, and kept going. I took my time winding through roads and headed home.
I called the police and talked to a neighbor.
I am still very angry. I do not want this shit around my son. I don't want the trouble it brings, let alone the danger. I will be the noseyest neighbor in town from this point on. I will watch for that car and keep my eye on the other car that somehow seemed involved. It is parked there alot, but no one seems to know who it belongs to. I will be watching for come and go activity. I will be smelling for fumes and cat pee (a smell that comes from cooking meth) I will be the most quiet and stealth neighborhood watchman. I will seem paranoid to John and those who know me.
But I don't care. I WILL NOT HAVE THAT AROUND MY SON!!! I will not have his well being, his saftey, or his security in jeapordy. He should feel safe in his home. He should BE safe in his home. It is my job to make sure of that. And anyone who thinks at any point that I am going overboard with that job duty can kiss my non white trash @$$.