#18 - All the World's a Stage (and #64)

I love theater - watching or participating all the way from those elementary shows that invariably include some kid stealing the show by doing something embarrassingly wrong to full scale professional productions where you wonder how in the world they can do that.  I was involved with high school productions both on and back stage, but, other than attending shows (when I could afford it), it was another 15 or so years before I became directly involved with performances again.

Pirates of Penzance -
the 1st show I costumed for community theater

Kismet -
the most recent show I've costumed

A friend convinced me to join the local theater committee shortly after I moved here - I think I was appointed the committee secretary at the first meeting I attended - thanks Sarah ;).  However, being a part of the committee meant being in the loop ... and before too long I was asked to be part of a project matching actors with with first time directors.  I both directed a one-act (and discovered that I have almost zero interest in that particular facet on theater productions) and acted in a different piece.  After a bit more stage time in two other projects, the spring musical director asked if I would help with costumes despite my protests that I wasn't much of a seamstress.  That show - Pirates of Penzance - was one of the most enjoyable productions that I've ever been involved with.  Over the next few years, I became more involved with the costume aspects of community theater ... with lots of guidance from my friend Nina, I even have become a passable seamstress.  However, I don't really enjoy sewing, and costuming involves lots and lots of time - most of which was spent fretting over cutting patterns and my sewing machine rather than hanging out with everybody backstage.  So, after the year where I worked on two shows simultaneously (one for community theater and the other for the local elementary school) which is something I don't recommend for people who wish to remain sane, I decided I needed a break.

However, I've been thinking that I'd like to be out ON the stage again and decided to add auditioning to my DayZero list.  So, last week, I tried out for the fall show here.  It made me a bit nervous to be reading lines cold since I haven't actually auditioned for a part for over 20 years (I've just been asked to fill in gaps more recently), but I'm happy to report that I did receive a role.  The show is Almost, Maine, and the first rehearsal is tonight.  And, I should really be memorizing lines right now!

As a small side note, I also completed goal #64 last week.  It was one of my financial savings goals, so I'm not going to go into all the details.

#46 - Giving from the checkbook

I've always thought that it is important to give something to organizations that are important to you ... whether it's time or money.  However, I know that my monetary donations tend to be fairly random and impulsive.  Many charities do planned drives either at the holidays or during the summer, and, because my income does have limits, I tend to pick one at that time and ignore other - just as worthy - causes.  So, my goal this time was to choose a different charity each month for a year (August of 2010 - July of 2011) and give them a monetary gift.

I didn't set an amount to give to each.  The largest gifts went to my undergraduate university and my former high school's scholarship program; both of these institutions gave me a scholarship based on purely on academics when I was younger and really needed the cash.  In the case of the university, I hadn't even applied for the scholarship; it was one that the professors nominated and chose the student recipients.  The smallest amounts were given in October ... I made sure to put something in the donation box at every museum that I visited while I was in London ... those gifts may have been smaller individually; however, I'm sure that they added up to as much as I spent most other months on a single organization.

So, what did I support (aside from London museums)?  The largest category was educational related ... my graduate university program, my undergraduate university, my high school scholarship fund, the local PTO where I live now, the classroom wish list for the town I live now.  I guess you could say that I'm all about learning!  I also gave to several medical research causes and some animal related groups - one charity combined those two ... Guiding Eyes for the Blind ... a group that trains service dogs.

I enjoyed doing this goal, but I don't think I will continue to monitor that I spend on at least one group per month.  It did have the unfortunate effect of increasing my junk mail ... and it was interesting to see how quickly some of the national groups sent second letter to ask for another gift.  I expect that with some random exceptions my gifts will continue to go mainly towards education.

#65 - Money in the bank

The first Day Zero list that I read was full of financial goals ... obviously, that person was waaaayyy more into money than I am.  However, it did make the impression on me that perhaps, as a single person, I should be a bit more pro-active in making sure that I was set for that proverbial rainy day.  So, I set myself three goals - each with a different purpose. 

A couple of weeks ago, I met one ... thanks to my income tax refund check ... having to do with good old-fashioned savings.  I now have a year's worth of take-home (not gross) income in the bank(s) in easily accessible forms ... just in case.  Don't ask in case of what ... that's the point, you never know the curveballs that life might throw at you.  And, I may be dipping into it soon to solve the roof problem that's been plaguing me this spring, but you can be sure that I'll keep adding to it as well.