Well, I think it’s about time for another installment of the Rebecca Show. This week’s episode brought to you by 8 o’clock coffee, good at any time – day or night. Find it in your local grocery store today.
Many chores to be done this week, including but not limited to the following; laundry, sewing, grocery shopping (I’m out of coffee), reading, and organizing. Many preach of spring cleaning, but in the spring I would much rather be outside enjoying the weather. This week, with it’s 111 (elevnty-one) temperatures, I will lock myself inside and focus on getting things in order. Thus, summer cleaning has been born. Tell your friends.
It’s all about increasing productivity, really. Winter is coming (you’re welcome Jessie/Allison) and I have to be prepared for anything. My calendar is filling up and I need some sort of order in my life. When I was in college, I took on too much and I would become overwhelmed. Now I can prioritize and focus. I hate to say “no” but sometimes, for my own sanity, I must.
The stressful thing is the choosing. “The choice may have been mistaken, the choosing was not,” says Dot in Sunday in the Park with George. It frustrates me to no end to waste time on making a decision. Sometimes you just have to stop fretting over which decision is right and just choose. In situations like these, I don’t flip a coin, but go with my gut instinct. I don’t want to say that I’ve never been wrong, but I usually don’t regret the choice I made.
Stay tuned for more good news. I’m in talks to do something magical this fall. Should it come through, I’ll do a back flip. I don’t want to drop too many hints, but I’ve been told there are giants in the sky.
Category Archives: My Funny Valentine
Move On
Pst. Hey, pst. Come o’er here, I got somethin’ for you.
Okay, I trust you now – don’t mess with me. And whatever you do, don’t tell Chicago. You know how he is – all about the family…. Can I trust you?
Okay, here goes.
ImCheatingOnChicagoWithLosAngeles.
Los Angeles
Whew. It feels good to get that off my chest. You don’t even know – I’ve been carrying that around for a while.
It’s just that Los Angeles could give me things Chicago couldn’t. Then again, Chicago gives me thrills I can’t even define. But Los Angeles is exotic. But Chicago is passion. Oh! I’m just so confused!
Max and I are trying to decide between the two. I have obvious love for Chicago, but I’ve never been to L.A.. So we’re planning a small trip to scope it out soon, so I could have a more unbiased opinion.
Right now the pro/con list isn’t making the choice any easier. It looks like this: One one blackboard we have Chicago. Windy City, Second City. On the other blackboard we have Los Angeles. The City of Angels. You can see my dilemma.
Chic Chicago
I shouldn’t have even said anything.
What do you think though? Do Los Angeles and I have a chance? Or will Chicago be my one and only? Time will tell, or as my good friend Angela McBurleson of the McBurleson clan would say, “Only Tim will tile.”
Started comparing job listings for myself this week, so that will help with the decision. Took a gander at the cost of living analysis between the two. It’s a big decision, and although I’m scared to make it – I have to. Dot says it best in Sunday in the Park with George, “The choice may have been mistaken, the choosing was not.” – I have to move on.
We’ve got time to do more research, of course – but I’m torn. What would you choose? What are some things I should analyse? What are things you thought about when moving to a new city? Feel free to leave feedback anonymously in the comments.
Back in Business
A whole lot of stuff has happened since last we left our heroes – get ready for lots of exposition.
The first Trivia Night at Finnegan's Wake in Winston-Salem.
Firstly, Winston-Salem shenanigans.
Well, we didn’t do as well in Trivia as we thought we would. On the first trivia night, Michael and I came in third with the grand score of 9. On that night we were 1/6 teams, the only ones competing as a pair instead of a group of four or more. We thought we could simply take the gold if our team was larger, but unfortunately it was not the case. 1, there were more teams competing that week, and B, adding Andy, Tiffani, and her friend Crista actually made it more difficult to decide on answers. But since when do I play to win? NEVER (read: all the time) Seriously though I play to have a good time, unless I don’t win.
Trivia night redux, with Meagan and Michelle!
No really, but in all seriousness, though – it really was a good time. Meagan joined our group after her rehearsal in Greensboro – and when her shift was nearly over our new favorite server in the entire state of North Carolina joined us. Her name is Michelle, and watch out world – because she’s working hard and is going to be freaking fantastic.
Towards the end of the week, Andy and I were torn back towards the mountains once more and ran into a familiar face and his new tour partner in Jonesville, NC. Joe and Dan joined us for a Saint Patrick’s Day Eve Eve celebretions at a small little wine and beer bar called “Fiddle’s Pub” that was full of older gentlemen chess players that may or may all not have owned the now appropriate public house. Afterwards we all enjoyed a Double Ukulele and Melodica jam session in the pool room. And with that, we said goodbye to North Carolina.
Marilyn is about to get pinched for not wearing green.
Hello, Chicago. It’s me again. I told you I would be back in the spring, now didn’t I? No, shh… don’t cry. We don’t have much time – let’s just get down and dirty.
We rolled into town in time to make the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Andy went to carouse with newly successful grown-up Bill, and I sought out everyone’s favorite Michael. No, not Fox. No, not Bolton. No, not Jackson. Venske, people, Venske. Stay with me, kids. We caught the tail end of the parade, and explored the rest of the city. I may or may not have had an anxiety attack, my knee felt like it was gonna blow, and we had a delicious fish sandwich at a thankfully quiet lunch counter before heading back to the hustle and bustle of it all.
Even the river got the memo.
You wouldn’t believe it. There were gingers everywhere and everyone was wearing green and stumbling. I felt like I was in an episode of the Walking Dead by the end of the day. We travelled to Wrigleyville, where the sea of green was just as large but remarkably younger. One such zombie in that sea was offered a drink of water from my water bottle after stumbling into me. She poured half of it down her throat before I could tell her to take it slow. She brought the bottle back down and looked for a moment or two like she might get sick. How can being this drunk in public possibly be glamorous? I know I’m the pot calling the kettle drunk, but cha’mon mon – get it together! I can hold my own with the big leagues in Wrigley Field!
Tourists, amirite?!
We split ways before sundown and I went to join Travis and Kristi for Commedia Beauregard‘s Bard Fiction at the Greenhouse Theatre Center. Words can’t express how funny it was. And I know it was a holiday, but they had an unreasonably small house. Take a look at the trailer, and tell me you don’t want to go see Bard Fiction! I dare you! I double dare you vile Oedipus! A spectacular cast made this show – I couldn’t believe the work I was seeing. Hope I can work on their level in the near future.
Afterwards, wine and dining at a Mexican restaurant then couch crashing with the Barnharts.
So now I’m in between a rock and a hard place. I love you, Chicago. I want to be with you. I really do. But I gotta go right now. We’ll catch up again soon, okay? I’ll hurry back. xoxo
A beautiful sunset ride through Wisconsin later and we’re in Minneapolis unloading the tour vehicle and popping champagne and hugging new friends. The people I have met during my time on tour have shaped me for the rest of my life. I’ll never forget it – truly… And I can’t help but wonder where I’m bound. But for now, I’ll take some time for friends and family at the city I will always call home, whether I live there or not – Tulsa.
My Funny Valentine
Dearest of all Valentines – my own dear Max,
I have another month before I can see your smile again. I hope it doesn’t fade in my absence. Okay, selfishly I probably hope that it fades a tiny bit. I mean, how can you live without me, really? But I insist that our time apart is making us stronger. I look forward to the day when we don’t have to be apart from each other – neither on Valentine’s nor any other day.
But even though I’m miles away, my heart is right there beside you.
We have been through amazing things together. I mean, really – just look at what we have accomplished!
Sharing a Chocolate Malt
I hated your guts in high school. You were a pompous ass. You made me so mad because you were so stubborn. I tried to knock your ego down a few pegs, but no use – so instead of fighting it I tried to just ignore you. Yeah right. And then we did Taming of the Shrew together. Our first kiss was on that stage. There’s no denying we had chemistry. I was embarrassed of my hormone-crazed infatuation of you. I blamed Shakespeare (my kryptonite!) and my ‘woman’s heart grossly grew captive to [your] honey words.’ Damn the Bard.
You graduated and I thought I would forget you. I very nearly did. Fast forward two years.
It was a very difficult day for me. I had been toying with the idea of going, but was actually more content to sit at home. However, Martin was being difficult and Mom gave me the keys so I drove the Honda Passport away. I wanted to just escape, but I didn’t know where else to go – so I went to Edison’s graduation. Jessie was the salutatorian and I wanted to hear her speech. I ran into Carly too, but she didn’t have any empty seats near her so I choose instead to cross the arena and sit by my lonesome. I was sitting there for a few minutes before you started ascending the stairs toward me. It looked like you were alone too, so I called your name and waved. You saw me then joined me. We small-talked about God-knows-what and then screamed for Jessie when she approached the podium. Afterwards we made plans to hang out. When I got back into the Honda Passport, I had the dumbest grin on my face and I said your name aloud and hit my head on the steering-wheel, making sure that it wasn’t a dream.
I came over to your apartment the next night. We played Rock Band and you offered me Franzia (come on, Max – really? Franzia?!) Gareth joined us (seriously Max, what were you thinking?) and we watched the entire first season of How I Met Your Mother on DVD (I have to hand it to you – smooth move on that choice). I was kinda smitten, but cautious. I had never… You suggested a dinner date, I agreed, and slept that night on your couch. (Don’t look at me like that kids – it was innocent.)
A staged B&N shot
I was so nervous. I probably changed fifteen times. When I was doing my makeup in the front bathroom, Dad walked by and stared at me for a bit. I was dancing around to Christina Aguilera’s Candy Man and putting on tacky lip glass. “Uh Oh” he said, and I got embarrassed and yelled at him to leave me alone. Mom chased him into the next room. You picked me up. We went to P.F. Changs, which was my first time to the restaurant. You were suave and handsome. You made me feel beautiful. It helped that you worked there; everyone knew you and went out of their way to make things glamorous. I felt like Julia Robert’s in Pretty Woman. Only I wasn’t being paid. But in my mind you were Richard Gere. I know how ridiculous this all sounds on paper, but I thought it was the most romantic night ever.
xoxo
It’s been a crazy roller-coaster of a ride since then. Here are some highlights:
- Sneaking you into the dorms and spending weekends together.
- Listening to music together – more specifically the first time you played me “Sunday” by Maroon Five. It was on the drive from your apartment to my parent’s house.
- “There Is”
- Suiting up for a date at McDonalds.
- An admittedly drunken phone call by the bonfire when I asked you to move in
- Our first night in that apartment on 4th and Beech. The sink was full of black guck and I was so upset that everything was ruined, but somehow you turned it around and made everything okay.
- Playing video games together (Rock Band, Army of Two, Assassins Creed, and Little Big Planet). Even though I would be so mad when you would win.
- Picking up Penny. Thanks for humoring me on that. I know she’s not always the kindest cat, but I’m happy she came into our lives – she taught us a lot.
- A lunch in the Union Hall at Pipeliners when we walked about our future. Later, at Shades of Brown. They were difficult talks – but one that defined us.
- Defending our love in method class.
- The break-up. In hindsight it was a good thing, don’t you agree? It allowed for us to reevaluate what was important to each of us independently.
- Returning to Tulsa and realizing we were still best friends, even if we tried to deny it.
- A dance at Sound Pony months later – it was the moment I realized I really wasn’t over you.
- Disney World.
- When you asked me to move in with you in August.
- Every moment in between.
I’m still amazed how giddy I get when I think about you. Every day with you is a new and exciting journey. I don’t even know what else to say. I love you. I wish the English language had words enough to express it. It’s overwhelming. Thank you for everything you’ve given me – confidence, support, and most of all – love. Every day is Valentine’s Day.
Forever,
Rebecca
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