Or so I'm told. It's been a while since I've actually felt it myself. I'm really not rubbing that in - I'm actually looking forward to donning my favourite long black winter coat and traversing frozen ground that squeaks when I walk. But, I also have to admit that the longer we live here, the more I appreciate the temperate climate. I love that I can drive my scooter year-round. To use Phillip's favourite axiom "we can always visit the cold."Of course, we could have used quite a bit less heat here last month; as most of you are aware, San Diego county and surrounding areas was ablaze with several wildfires for about a week after October 21st . We were grateful for the concern you showed us, but Phillip and I were never in any serious danger, despite the unprecedented extent of the fires and the resulting evacuation of about 500,000 people! The photo above is taken from the corner by our house, looking South, where the fires may have been closest. Compare the sky to the one looking North.
Qualcomm Stadium and even some offices became makeshift evacuation and volunteer centres. Phillip and I wanted to help, but there was some mixed messages going out from the volunteer organizers - we were told that help was needed, but then when we tried to organize dropping off some supplies (cat & dog food, children's books and toys, for example), we learned that there were too many people crowding the drop-off areas and that the best thing we could do was stay off the roads and out of the way. Phillip's office sent out automated pages (emergency services urged people to restrict their cell phone usage) to the effect of "don't come into work until we tell you it's okay". So, we stayed home and kept an ear out for news and watched the skies. There are updates of the aftermath here.
Halloween came and went with friends who shared their own stories and then before we could blink, November was upon us. I went through more dental hell (I know, you're probably wondering if I still have my own teeth!) and we had our "biometrics" appointment with our local government office. What that means is we, as aliens to this great nation, needed to be fingerprinted and put into a federal database as part of our whole immigration process. It was an interesting and thoroughly modern experience - it's all digitized now. No more ink stains. That done, I eagerly awaited the arrival of my "employment authorization card", which in turn, would allow me to apply for a social security number. I received it about a week ago and this week worked up the fortitude to wait in another government office for over an hour to hand in my forms and identification in person. I should receive my number in another week or two and by the time we get back here from our trip, I can actually apply for a job - like serving coffee.
Of course theatre is still my priority, though I just had an unhappy experience in that realm. As I'd mentioned before, I performed a show called "The Collection" at Sixth @ Penn theatre for the Resilience of the Human Spirit Festival this summer and most recently, I auditioned at the same place for a brilliant show called "Anton in Show Business". I didn't get the part I wanted ("Casey"), but I was asked to be Assistant Director and understudy the role, so I accepted.
It started off well; I like the director (who happens to also be the theatre owner) and I think we worked well together, but I quickly learned that the show was plagued by problems. The original director left, and then "Casey" followed. The audition I had attended was in fact a re-cast of the role. A woman by the name of Gail was cast instead and we had a first rehearsal with an almost-full cast. The second rehearsal resulted in a phone call from Gail saying she was leaving for a huge real estate commission (acting was something she "used to do" before she started making money in her new career). As understudy, it meant I had to step in and pick up the reins. I was happy to do so, even though it meant our director needed to find a new assistant. After all, I wanted to act.
Right away there were problems that made me uncomfortable. The director told me "be better than you are" and "be like Meryl Streep in that movie..."! Umm... okay. Sure, let me pull an Oscar-calibre performance out of my ass in my first rehearsal. No problem. I voiced my concern to Phillip that perhaps the director was expecting me to fail, since I wasn't his original choice. I spoke with a cast mate that I knew and respect (she's older, wiser and a lot more experienced, not to mention talented). She gave me a great heads-up about the fact that the director was in the hot-seat with a show that was already behind schedule and I was expected to pick up the slack as "Casey". It helped me look at the bigger picture and stop worrying about myself.
The problem was, the director didn't share my epiphany. By the fourth blocking rehearsal, and the day before Thanksgiving, he fired me. I told him he was being hasty, explained that I recognized the difficulty he and I were having (we had different interpretations of the character), but that I was willing to do it his way. His response? "You can't be Casey." I told him he was wrong, that I could indeed pull off the role, but he insisted I wasn't right for the part. He'd obviously made up his mind (I think BEFORE I even started rehearsals...) but what was I to do? I couldn't change his opinion of me without proving myself, and he wasn't willing to let me try. He did have the nerve to ask me to return as Assistant, but I told him it was a demotion after a lead role. I'm an "all or nothing" kind of person. Either I'm the best damn Stage Manager I can be, or the best damn "Casey", but I can't be sorta one or the other. I had to walk away. He asked me to reconsider, but it's too humiliating to return to former cast mates in the guise of a stage manager (which is what he really wants, not an assistant director).
The upside is that I burned no bridges and despite his ways (or perhaps mine), we can still work together in the future. Sixth @ Penn is an important small theatre in San Diego, and I'd like to direct my own show there for the next Human Spirit Festival. I've been told that is still a distinct possibility. We'll see. Now that I'll be able to legally work here, I can start auditioning to the professional houses too. The stakes have gone up, but I think I'm game.
Thanksgiving was the next big social event, which was a great way to take my mind off my unhappy failure. We joined friends for their annual pot luck, contributing my now-favourite homemade cranberry sauce and a scalloped cauliflower dish that was less popular. Everyone really does such a great job on the food; there was a turducken again this year, as well as a regular turkey and lots of potato choices. Green beans, broccoli, and other greens rounded out the meal nicely, and we ended with spectacular desserts of the chocolate, pumpkin and pecan variety. Phillip and I were very good and ate moderately, though of course many celebrated in true gluttonous fashion and stuffed themselves silly. We didn't bring home leftovers.
Even bigger on the American calendar is Black Friday. I keep forgetting about this strange phenomenon, perhaps because it is so disturbing, but I'm forcibly reminded every year that consumerism is not just a hobby here, it's a blood sport! Happily, I read no reports of injuries or arrests this year, although according to friends, some people have died in frenzied mall mobs. Remember Furbies?
I really don't understand it. According to articles I've read, Black Friday (and the relatively new "Cyber Monday") are not truly accurate barometers of a store's year-end sales. That seems to be the reserve of those few days directly leading up to Christmas. According to Time online, the whole concept of retail sales tallies going into "the black" as a result of one day's frenzied shopping is a myth. Even with online sales beefing up the bottom line, retailers don't necessarily make it big because of Black Friday. So I have to ask, why? I mean, why do people line up the night before, why do malls open at 6am, slash their prices and suffer the hordes of cranky, insane shoppers if all that madness doesn't really do what it's supposed to do? I really don't know. And I have no desire to be a part of it.
What I am looking forward to is our visit to Canada in December! We'll be arriving in Ottawa on the fourteenth, and driving directly to Elgin to stay for several days before driving in the opposite direction to spend time with my side of the family. Phillip and I are to become godparents at my niece's baptism on the 22nd , which will be a new experience for both of us. We'll return to Ottawa on the 23rd and spend time with friends and family there before wooshing away, back down south again. We'll be in Canada for a total of two weeks, but already if feels too short. I hope we'll have a chance to see everyone, even for a bit, especially since this is Phillip's second-only visit back since we moved here. Until then....
