Just what I was there for

Checking Out just closed Sunday. It was a HUGE success. Several sold out houses and a standing ovation the night my parents came. However, Miranda had to make some big cuts to the script. She found out Monday of production week that the show was *4* hours long! So she cut it down to about 2:20. With this in mind, I cut ten pages out of Blue Moon. It's now just under 60. I don't want it to be more than 2 hours, and I'd like it to be less. I cut a whole scene and made many cuts within scenes, cutting several monologues. I'm even considering cutting a CHARACTER, but I don't want to. We'll see.

Miranda's sending me the cut version of CO and I will cut more. Unfortunately, I'm thinking of cutting a whole scene that Adam's in. I wanted his character to have more to do when I initially wrote it, but it's just so small talk-y. I'm going to go through and see where there is no point to the dialogue. The Blue Moon scenes have more of a point to them, with very little fat and mostly meat. But I think I can still cut more. It's 60 pages now and it should probably be 50.

After the cuts are done, I'll send the script to the CTAM contest. If I win, the play can be produced by any Michigan community theater for a year. I also get $500, but I don't care about that. I just love the idea that my work will get seen by another audience.

We're doing CO again for Pride. I'm really excited about this. Another great way to get it seen. We didn't have drag queens in this production because someone didn't come through, but this summer we will. That's pretty cool!

So I'm feeling like a "real writer". Scott said it's still a career even if I don't make money from it. I'd like to think that's true. I have lots of plays in me. A friend has a theater company in Indiana and I'm going to send her a two-person, one-set play I wrote years ago. It's 40 pages, so that will probably be a full (albeit short)play. The more I do, the more I feel like it really is a career.

In other news: Scott and I are doing workout dates. My weight went up again but my measurements are great. The veggie stuff is going well; my main challenge is finding alternatives at restaurants, but that hasn't been too hard in the Lansing area. I'm still going to eat fish, so I can have sushi and eat the lake fish we catch this summer. I don't think I could give that up.

I lost Spot on February 26. It was her time. She was diagnosed with a squamous cell carcinoma behind her left eye. She went down quick, about a week after she was diagnosed. She was in a lot of pain, especially her last night. Through a friend's help, I contacted a vet who does house calls, including home euthanasia. She was very kind and professional. It was quick and dignified. I bawled and she shed a few tears too. They cremated Spot and made a clay paw print of her little paw. I got the paw print and the ashes along with a copy of "The Rainbow Bridge" about a week later.
It was all very sad but I took comfort in knowing I did the best I could.

The best part about losing a pet--if there is a good part--is getting a new little one. Boogaloo Jake will be coming into my life soon. I want a little boy gray tiger-striped kitten. I'm not TOO picky, but that's what I'd like most. But I really want the one who's best for me. Kitten season is coming up and Stephanie's going to CAHS with me to pick him out. He's going to be spoiled rotten--I've already got a bunch of toys for him, both store-bought and homemade. I'm going to call CAHS right now to see when they will start getting the Boogaloos in.

Yours in words.