Sunday, July 08, 2007

Time Doth Fly


Remember when I said that adding a blog to my website would result in more updates, because it would be so much easier to post?


Sigh.


Well, here I am, in the middle of my summer "vacation," just now posting for the first time in six months. Vacation is in quote marks because I've been busy with one project after another around the ol' Watson household. I finally forced myself to sit down and give some kind of update; after all, if I can't even update a blog more than once a year, I need to call it a day, hmm?


(Quick tangent: I have updated my personal and production sites a little, mainly in the Bio sections to reflect some of the stuff below.)


So what have I been up to? Although it would be near impossible to knock out all the things I've done for the first half of 2007, here are some highlights:


** Finished my second school year with a successful production of The Wizard of Oz. This is now the second high school musical I've been involved in.

** Completed my MAT program at U of L in Secondary Education (concentration on English). After 11 years of part-time college, I'm finally done with university classes. At least for now.

** After much debate and handwringing, decided to step back from the Theater Director position and "just" teach English and Drama for the forseeable future. Two teachers in our English department were retiring, so there was a need to be filled at the school, and after so many nights at college and time away from family (especially from Ayla), I wanted to have more time for home during the school year. I do hope to dip my toe into local theater in the next year or two . . . or at least finish the play that's been bouncing around in my head for quite a while.

** Speaking of Ayla, had to share a recent pic from around Father's Day. This would be as good time as any to give a shout out to Michelle, our favorite Ayla photographer (responsible for the beautiful shot above) who has seen enough of her and us to become a friend of the family. She's currently at Celebrity Kids at the Summit, I highly recommend her work.

** Saw Spider-Man 3 (liked it more than 1 but less than 2) and Transformers (much better than I expected, incredible special effects, Shia LaBeouf is a riot, and the first Michael Bay film since The Rock that I really could give a thumbs-up).
** I'm turning green. No, not sick. Or Kermit-y. April and I are trying hard to be more eco-friendly. We can't say we're perfect, but here are some of the highlights:
Got canvas bags for the grocery and other outings. Kroger had a killer sale, so we stocked up.
Using an electric lawnmower and trimmer. (Have actually had both for a few years now.)
Signed up at Greendimes, which cuts down on unwanted junk mail and plants some trees.
Working on recycling/consigning/otherwise avoid dumping a buncha unused stuff in the house.
Starting to buy CFL lightbulbs to replace our standard bulbs as they go out.
Signed up for a programmable thermostat from L G & E. (It's free, but read the fine print.)
Watched Live Earth online and on Sundance Channel pretty much most of yesterday. Some AMAZING music, and I hope it truly raises awareness. Get green folks; the planet you save may be your own.
Unfortunately, there's not a recycling pickup in our neighborhood, but we're working on bins and trip to the local center.
And that's it, really. I'm frustrated that I haven't done as much original writing as I would like, but I at least feel I'm getting other things accomplished. And since school has let out, getting some rest.
I make no promises about when my next blog entry will be, but let's hope it's not six months. In the meantime, let me leave with one last plug. The Little Colonel Playhouse has a production of Heaven Can Wait next week, July 12-15. I plan to go because several of my high school students will be on the stage and behind the scenes. They have wonderful talent, so that should mean a great show. Call 588-1557 for ticket information.
Enjoy your summer!