70 degrees in December

It's a constant shock to me to go outside and find that I don't need a coat... in December! But that's what you get for living in Texas, I suppose. Four months into my life here, and I'm still loving it, and not least the (lack of inclement) weather! At this point I feel about the New England winter about the same way I imagine it feels to be a grandparent: I'm happy that I get to go visit for a few weeks, but then I get to leave, and that's a wonderful thing! And visit we will, very soon in fact. I'm very much looking forward to seeing our east coast friends and relatives, and it's nice not to have to cross an ocean to get to them.

I'm still working at Austin Market Research, and for now it's really the perfect job for me. (The Christmas Tree lights job fell through, and the haunted house ended when October did.) I have never once dreaded going in to work, and that means a lot, I think. My co-workers are definitely the reason it's so wonderful. There's an unspoken but always observed rule that no-one is allowed to be down and grumpy, which is great: commiseration is offered and then cheering-up administered, and the general atmosphere is one of camaraderie and laid back-ness. One of my co-workers calls AMR "the island of misfits": everyone is their own special brand of bizarre, which is, I think, why I fit in so well there. :)

In terms of creative work, I'm lucky enough to be currently involved in two fabulous projects. The Penis Vagina dialogues fell through, but I'm still directing The Blackwell Family Funeral in January. I found five wonderful actors, and have been working with them over the past few weeks to create a short piece that will be, I hope, simultaneously hilarious and heart-breaking. The piece will be entered in the short fringe part of Fronterafest, a yearly showcase for new work in Austin. There's a guarantee of one performance, with the possibilities of others if the show is well-liked. While of course I'm hoping to get more than one performance, I'm also just happy to be making theater. It's very different to work with non-LISPA actors, and doing this show has made me realize just how valuable the LISPA training is, and how much I miss working with other Lispians. But ultimately I think the Austin actors bring their own brand of awesome to the work, and I'm sure we'll end up with something fun and interesting.

The other show I'm in is entitled "Air," and I was cast as a dancer/aerialist, which is really exciting. We're still workshopping it at the moment, but it looks like it's going to be a pretty spectacular show. The character I'm exploring at the moment is a Harpy, and I'll most likely get to do a lot of dancing, hopefully some aerials, and perhaps some juggling. It's a really fun cast and great director, and it runs from February through to April (phew!), so if anyone wants to come on out here and see it let me know! I'll buy you a breakfast taco. ;)