Don't make me use my handbag!
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Boundaries.
It's fitting that today's Quote of the Day is:
There is more to life than increasing its speed. -Mohandas Gandhi
A while ago, a friend asked me for a bit of advice on boundaries, because apparently I'm very good at saying 'no' to people. Once I got past the initial shock at what actually wasn't a veiled attempt at calling me 'selfish', it made for some interesting thinking. Yeah, I am pretty good at interpersonal boundaries. And I can get very frustrated with people who aren't, to be honest. If I ask someone for a favour, I'd much rather they said "no" then waffled for a bit before talking themselves into a "yes".
Anyway, that's an aside. As another, I would note that to balance this out, I'm absolutely TERRIBLE at putting boundaries on myself. Terrible. And that gets me into a lot of trouble. Not knowing what is enough, too much, not enough... et cetera. That's one of the biggest things that I work on with myself (especially considering how vital boundaries are in the God-Relationship), and I'm admittedly pretty concerned that one day it'll get me into big trouble.
But anyway. What I wanted to say was that this week (or longer) I have said "no" to a lot of people. And that's been hard. I've been fobbing off a lot of requests for assistance onto others. I don't feel bad, per se, but I am sorry to those of you I've done it to. But when I say "sorry", I'd do it again.
Because I'm hella-busy.
You all know about my show, yeah? Wed to Sat. That, I can deal with. But there has been a major development at work, and so we're all going to be working this weekend (I got up early so I could blog, and do my way-overdue laundry). It's extremely stressful (especially with the show on, which gets your adrenaline zapping through you), quite tiring, and yet... I'm enjoying it. As I have said.
What we're doing - as much as I can say - is preparing for a mini-trial that's suddenly appeared on us. And we just got a major judgment from a previous trial yesterday evening (which may - hopefully not! - hit the news pretty soon. Keep an eye out, I will...). So we're not pushing paper, we're actually moving ahead (too fast!) with something. Which is, I believe, what I like about law. The litigation, the trial prep, the cross-examinations, the evidence.
The stuff you see on TV.
So this is all good and nice. Although I'm wary of the (not quite) inevitable 'crash' that will follow all this. I'm also wary that I won't get a chance to watch this week's LOST this weekend, as planned. Or the first episode of PRISON BREAK. But that can wait.
It is unfortunate, also, that this is happening right in the middle of the "friends visiting Wellington" season. I saw Mel for 30 minutes, and she's coming to the show tonight, but hopefully I'll get to see her again before she goes on Monday!
Which leads me to a selfish (?) prayer request: there is a *slight* chance (that I want to increase dramatically) that working this weekend will enable me to get a day or two off in mid-July (I haven't even mentioned this to my employer). This would be awesome. Why? Because I would go down to Dunedin for three or four days. Why then? Well, because I can, but also because Abbey will be there too. And otherwise I'll only get to see her on three evenings. So, prayer caps on, please. :)
I think my laundry's done. I dunno if I'll get a chance to let it dry before I have to wear it to work!
Oh yeah, the show has been Very Good the past two nights, hopefully it's as good (no, better) tonight for Bing and Mel (and Phil and Lujan???)! If you're reading this, dudes ande dudettes, make sure you stay afterwards for a chat!
P.S. Hitler cats.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
A weekend (almost) off!
Yeah, barring last night's performance, I had a free weekend! Which meant I got to go to church this morning, which was very nice. Good to be back there. I had a coffee with Dave O'B. this afternoon, that was cool. He did talk about 'City Church', which I went to for a couple of months last year, and it almost made me want to go back. I guess my ideal church would have the service of Central Baptist, and the extra-church events/organisation/ministries/fellowship of City Church. So, I'm still a little unsure, but I'll be sticking with Baptist for now. I'd like to put some roots done there, but I'm still a touch uncertain.
So, yeah! The show! It's been a pretty good week. Friday night was the best (luckily, that was the night that the Dom Post reviewer was there) - largely because the audience seemed to have 'had a few' (one woman in particular)! Not that that's a prerequisite for enjoying the show, not in the slightest. But because it's a comedy, you've gotta be quite relaxed and open to it, going along with the ride. To be honest, I don't think we've had a night that we're particularly super-proud of yet. It's been very challenging keeping the energy up, but hopefully we'll get there this week. We'll see! Until then, I've got three nights off. Very niiiice.
Sorry to those of you whose e-mails I haven't (or am only just) replied/replying to yet. Writing e-mails (and blogs) isn't exactly top of my list right now. I think sleeping probably is. :-)
Should I know who "eueyboy" is who commented on my last blog? It doesn't ring a bell... maybe a friend of a friend, or a random stranger... either way, cheers! I certainly have checked out the street, and it is good, although not quite right for me. Besides, one of my workmates goes there, and that would just be weird.
Becs is in town until Wednesday, at which point Mel gets here. Dave O'B and Paul R have just returned. Scott is rumoured to be heading up shortly, possibly. Carmi is coming down in a few weeks and Steph is booked in the not-too-distant. Mayhem. It's great to live in Wellington. I'm still hoping to head Southwards (when is the King's Ball?) at some stage, and Aucklandwards (mid-Sep... hopefully not clashing with Steph!) again. And maybe a bigger trip around Christmas... maybe. I shouldn't, but I'm kinda nervous about asking my boss about how we go about getting leave, and stuff. And how much we get. And what happens over Christmas. Most of the nervousness can be attributed to the fact that our office is essentially (though not actually) open plan - so you can never talk in secret (unless you close the door, in which case people start asking questions).
On the plus side (wait, there wasn't a negative side... oh well, I've said it now), our temp secretary starts in a week, which will free me to utilise my full-lawyer skills (I've still been secretary until midday most days). Which I'm looking forward to. Also, on Friday, I had my first one-on-one with a client. Very exciting, and I didn't freak out. Next step: an interview with a client! OoooOOOH!
And I can't leave without remarking on Abbey's "very pleasant news" (sorry, that's a quote from our show). I'm very happy for her, with her new job, it's just really cool. AND it means she'll be forced to do some creative writing... muhuhuhuhahaha!
Y'know, other than her blog.
I just spoiled that evil laugh by saying that, but I had to clarify.
I'm off to cook some chicken.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
We open tomorrow.
I'm tired, slightly stressed, possibly coming down with something, and I'm loving it all. After three months of hard work, the pay off (in the form of another month of hard work) is just around the corner. Which is nice.
In other news, on Sunday I went to my first church service since I went to Auckland to see Carmi and Jess, in mid-April. It was at 'The Rock' (on the way to Porirua), and I remembered my search for 'the right church'. It seems so long ago, and I never officially resolved it. Well, at least from this Sunday, I can go back to the Baptist church I had been attending, and give it a real chance.
And it's 10:30, which is so my bed-time. Good night, all.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Saturday night...
Well, it'll be Sunday morning by the time I finish this. Jeepers. Less than four days until we open - but I'll tell you what, as busy as we are, it doesn't compare to the chaos of Beauty and the Beast. Now THAT was a tragicomic fortnight or so. This... this is just very busy. And to think, that was four and a half months ago. Before I even got my job.
I guess you could almost say I've settled in.
Fortunately, with all this business, I've still had a lot of time to think about (and meditated on) stuff. I guess I've worked the thinking in somehow - which, many times, involves a conscious removal of the iPod. Which can be tough. But I've got to the stage where I've got a life routine down, for now. I can sense when I need time out, time to think, et cetera.
But I'd hesitate to say "I'm comfortable". Firstly because of the natural Christian aversion to that (the idea being we should be constantly striving for holiness or a better relationship with God. But not actually striving, because that implies that we can get there by ourselves. It's all a part of that faith vs. works paradox/continuum that can be understood by experience, but can never, ever, be explained), and the fear that accepting my comfortableness would lead to a necessary period of testing/trail/discomfort (willingly or nay). Secondly because I don't think I am. Comfortable, that is. There are still more than enough things on my plate to struggle with, or deal with, or be 'working on'. Especially the basics (or what seem to be the basics).
I guess my comfort is lying in the fact that I've managed to allocate a time and a space to dealing with my discomforts, and keep that separate from the rest of my life.
Or something like that. I think the real point is that I just made you read three or four paragraphs of what is probably gibberish. Now that's power.
But anyway, as started to happen right before Beauty and the Beast, I'm sensing the impending emptiness that will follow the finish of this show. I say emptiness purely in the sense of a sudden lack of a project - rather than a lack of purpose or worth or whatnot, heaven forfend! Before I was a Christian, there was a strong sense of that deeper emptiness I just mentioned following a show ending (known in the biz as the "post-show blues"). And, honestly, I remember that I predicted a similar feeling around this time in January. It didn't happen (admittedly, in part because I was prepared for it). What did - and will - happen is, as I said, I will have a lot more time, and a real hunger to fill it with something. Like after you vomit up a really good, filling meal, and (once the nausea and flavour passes) you're ravenous again.
I can't believe I just said that. That goes at the top of my Nasty Simile List.
What will I fill my time with? I think blogging will be up there... but I always like to have a project running. Hey, maybe Reuben will have written Jeremy and I a new script to film...
Time to have YOUR SAY! Answer one or both of the following questions in the comments:
1. WHAT should Sam do for a project from mid-July onwards?
2. WHAT should Sam and Jeremy's next film be about/called?
If you chose to ATTACK the Giant Spider, turn to page 73.
If you choose to NEGOTIATE with the Giant Spider, turn to page 52.
If you choose to FLEE from the Giant Spider, turn to page 812.
If you choose to SEDUCE the Giant Spider, turn off the lights.
Sorry, Choose Your Own Adventure flashbacks.
Monday, June 05, 2006
A Cry for Help!
I need you!
The first person to tell me when and where I can see the MTV movie awards in this country will get a PERSONALISED thank you - maybe even an EMAIL! Here's a hint: it'll probably be on C4, and it won't be before this Wednesday. Go TO it, gang!
As an aside, if you've been reading the Dominion Post, or watching the 6pm news last night, or reading this website, you might notice that my work is currently headline news. Which is a Bad Thing right now, especially as I'm manning the phone line tomorrow morning - and our boss is in Australia. And for many other reasons that I can't go into here. But yeah - that's what I do!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
A confession...
I'm going through a blogging drought at the moment, in which I just don't feel like blogging. And, as much as I like to think it doesn't have an effect, my reader count is part of the problem. It's about a steady quarter of what it used to be in Dunedin. I'm not going to be petty about this, it's not a problem of pride on my part, it's just a simply supply and demand thing.
But, ultimately, it DOESN'T matter, because I blog for those who read my blog faithfully, not out of a sense of duty, but out of interest. And that really drives me. I guess I'm saying that I don't blog for those who are in the same city as me. Hmm.
It turns out that I'm really enjoying trademe (think a New Zealand EBay). I'm currently hunting for a cheap microwave (I've got a $6 one which closes tomorrow), but I've found some great deals on there - particularly of items that are hard to buy in New Zealand - such as an MST3K DVD I'm currently bidding on, and a bunch of Reeves & Mortimer ones I got a few weeks ago. (7 DVDs for $101, ones that I really want and can't get in this country otherwise - SO GOOD!) I don't think I have a big enough stock of things to bother trying to sell them, but I could imagine that being fun, too.
Our show opens in 10 days. Eek! It'll be good to get into it, though. Today was a very good rehearsal, which is good (I've been feeling a bit down on it this past week). But it's pretty much our "crunch time", as Jeremy puts it. Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun rehearsals. Buuuusy. I'm glad it's a long weekend (Queen's Birthday, for you foreigners. That's Elizabeth II, not Freddie Mercury. By the way, you know the movie ELIZABETH? About HRH Queen Elizabeth the first? They wanna make a sequel, but they can't call it Elizabeth 2, because of confusion. True story.)
SPEAKING of movies, we saw SLITHER the other night... such an awesome movie! It's like Shaun of the Dead meets Evil Dead 3 meets Firefly/Serenity. So fun, I highly recommend it to anyone with a sense of humour about horror movies. It's had NO trailers or advertising here, but that's often a good sign.
"Starla!!!"
Thursday, June 01, 2006
I am 24.
Jack Bauer is frantically rushing about inside me, trying to stop terrorists and disarm the biological weapon and... I don't know, I've never watched it. I meant to, but it sounds like something you need to watch from the beginning.
But yeah, as today is the start of Winter down here, so today is my birthday. You'll forgive me for keeping this short, as I've got to go to work shortly (I was hoping to blog last night, but there was a big internet outtage in Wellington. AGAIN. Oh, yeah, and we got broadband yesterday). So I'll just point you in the direction of Abbey's blog. :-)
If you don't know, I'm having a party / flatwarming tomorrow night, at our new flat in Kelburn. And if you don't know, I'm not going to put the street address on here! So text or email me. But I think all who should know do know. I hope.
In other news, I did not buy lunch for the last TWO DAYS!!!
How did I manage that amazing feat (which required its own line)? Because I didn't EAT lunch for the last TWO DAYS!!! Okay, not the ideal solution, especially when it requires stuffing my face for morning and afternoon teas. And beyond. But I'm working on it!
Lastly, it looks like things are gonna change at work. The old secretary (who I was sitting in for, and has been coming in for half-days for the past month or so) is not coping too well, so she's going on extended leave. Fortunately, the boss is going to hire a temp secretary (for the WHOLE day) until the old one can return (October was the estimated date). Which is good, because I'll no longer be playing secretary. Of course, it does mean that I'll have to train someone else up, because it's not an uncomplicated job.
Right, better split. Thanks to all who have (and now will) wished me happy birthday, thanks for reading, thanks for all the fish.
God Bless us, everyone!