New Beginnings

It was a strange winter break.  I had a good time visiting my parents, siblings, and Nate.  I performed twice in a town I barely know.  It was the second time in the last 11 years that I didn’t return to Milwaukee, WI for the holidays.  That kind of took me off-center, but it was weird enough when I passed through in September that I figured a reduction is probably good at this point.

I had a fun romantic fling with someone in Rochester.  That was cool.  Who knows what that will be if anything, but it’s nice for now.  My parents got a new puppy while I was there that was too friggin cute.  Tess is a pug-chihuahua mix. I’m split between calling her a pughuahua or a chug.  Chug seems to fit her movement style better.

 She had a crush on me, and she has the most stereotypically cute puppy whimper language.  She’s also smarter than their 2 year old poodle mix, Cody.  I watched her piss on one of his rawhide chews after he had hassled and tortured her for a half hour.

Nate is hitting the desperately missing Portland phase of being in Rochester.  He’s starting to question a lot of his motives.  I just reassured him that he’s loved and missed, and that Portland is still  here.  I really miss that guy.

I made contact with two of the three improv groups out there.  I performed with one of them, the GEVA improv group.  Nate is working with Shipping Dock Unleashed.  He and I did a great show when I got there.  I need to make contact with Nuts and Bolts improv.  I think Rochester is going to make a good site to do my ethnographic work on improv because it’s a smaller market with a diversity of different situations, styles, and ensembles.

Jesus, I’ve got a lot to get done before I take off for Amsterdam.  It’s tricky balancing my scholarship with my performing life, but I’ll have extra time with the Brody on semi-hiatus while in between spaces.  We’ll be doing shows at the IFCC, though.  So I’m not going to get all of my time back.

The last six/seven months have really had me feeling out of sorts, confused and doubtful, and I finally feel like I’m back to myself.  That’s the best thing about this New Year.  I feel like I’m starting fresh and I know who I am again.  Fuck yeah.