PICTURE THIS

What a treat to see this lovely face
at this lovely place in this lovely show.

THE FAM

A day in the life of the Ayers family...

starts off with everyone getting up for church, (and at some point all 4 of us in one bathroom at the same time) but then my sis decides she needs to go in to work and my mom decides she should be here for when my brother and niece come over...

so just dad & I end up at St. Bernard's, and I head straight up the 6 flights of stairs to the choir loft, learn 2 new pieces of music (in about 10 minutes) plus 1 descant to a song I've known for years (during which I started crying because it reminded me of my Mama Denholm) and start singing my heart out...

an hour later church is over and we're headed back home where we're greeted by my adorably chubby 14-month-old niece (who continuously says "hi", "light", "mama", and "elijah" - which sounds low and long, like "elahhhhhhhhja") and when my aunt & uncle bring over the veggie lazagna, we eat on the fancy plates...

cut to the ceremony in Brunswick where my amazing dad is being honored (complete with a presentation of the check, a video montage and a mayoral proclaimation) for this truly breathtaking patriotic mural he's painted on one entire wall of the inside of the city hall; and after about a million pictures, some well-intentioned harmony on the national anthem, and some cookies & punch, we pile into the van for the ride home...

but not before stopping to get some homemade ice cream (chocolate peanut butter, mint chocolate chip & white house) at this little place I haven't been to in a decade or more...

and then we're back at the house and immediately into the "comfy clothes" - we munch on snacks while doing some computer business: checking some e-mail and looking at facebook, enjoying a beautiful online wedding album, fixing a few things on dad's website, and cracking up at an honest and humorous misunderstanding my mother has regarding her password strength...

and finally the games begin: first comes Scattegories where we learn that both my sister and I decided Wanda Sikes was the best answer for something and my parents consistently canceled each other out with their similar reponses, and next comes Taboo (during which one of said "dueling boys" in the post below comes over) which brings out my dad's uber-creative clue-giving like "big breasted entrapment" and "hilarious clavicle"...

which leads to this moment of completely enjoyable exhaustion, when I can take a few minutes to reflect on the lovliness of the day and the next two days to come - which will be even better.

LIL' SIS

My sister is amazing. She is 7 years younger than I am and at least twice as cool. She's beautiful and silly and kind and high maintenance. One minute she's cracking me up and the next she's talking to me about deep, emotional sister things. She gives me "hand-me-ups" of clothes she's finished with - usually after only a few wearings. She has two boys fighting for her attention, (get the pistols ready, we're about to have a duel!). She has a huge heart and a mouth that goes a mile a minute. I love every inch of her. And I'm so glad we get to spend some time together this weekend.

A SUPERHERO

look around
they're watching over what we say and do
watching over me
and watching over you
they're watching over what life can reveal
so you should take your chance

and make your superhero real

AH, TIME

These past few days I've been feeling like there isn't enough time. My days last from 8am until 1 or 2 in the morning, and still I get the feeling like I could use another dozen hours. I want more time to finish things at work & more time to relax at work; more time to hang out with people I adore & more time to be by myself; more time to enjoy the spring & more time to curl up inside with my book... there's just never enough!

LIKE, YA KNOW?

Stolen from the blog of the coolest Austinite I know.


Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

MARCHING BANDS OF MANHATTAN

Ever listened to a song many times before actually listening to the lyrics?

This song by Death Cab For Cutie ripped my heart open just now, as I poured over the words again and again.

And what about this one... or this one... c'mon, Death Cab! Give the poor heart a break.

LENT

I gave up alcohol for Lent. Now, although I would not consider myself a Catholic, I have always loved the Lenten Season: giving something up, purging, cleansing, purifying, doing something for a higher purpose.

I didn't think giving up alcohol would be hard. I didn't have my first boozy drink until my sophomore year in college. And I wouldn't have considered myself a "drinker" per se. But over the past few years, I've really come to enjoy a variety of beverages of the alcoholic persuasion: hard ciders, amaretto & orange juice, and my particular favorite - a glass of red wine.

Although I still go to the bars during this time, and have stayed up way past my bedtime with friends who are out until 2am on a school night, my recent drink of choice has been the L.A.D. (cranberry & seltzer). And though there are moments when it's actually a challenge to say no to a full bodied shiraz... I am very glad to be reminded of my Lenten vow - and to know that in that moment, what I am really doing is taking a breath & remembering the reason for this choice - and I am grateful for the challenge.

A NOD

Making a person feel good can be so simple. Just a small nod of approval from one's boss like "I know this stuff is not especially fun but your hard work really makes a difference and I couldn't do what I do without you" is enough to make staying at work until 9:30pm worth it.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

I know I'm late in the game on this one. But at the suggestion of a good friend - more than the suggestion, the statement that "YOU would LOVE this show" - I watched the nearly perfect pilot episode of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS this evening.

And he was right. I do. Love it. For the drama, for the suspense, for the pacing and the emotion, for the setting and the passion and the religion and the football. And particularly for quotes like this during the beginning...

KID: Mister Street - do you think God loves football?
STREET: I think everybody loves football.
KID: Me, too.

And this at the end...

COACH: Give all of us gathered here tonight the strength to remember that life is so very fragile. We are all vulnerable. And will will all at some point in our lives fall - we will all fall. We must carry this in our hearts, that what we have is special - that it can be taken from us - and when it is taken from us, we will be tested. We will be tested to our very souls. We will now all be tested. It is these times, it is this pain, that allows us to look inside ourselves.

Any show with writing like that is good in my book.

I WAS BEING PART OF THE UNIVERSE

MARRIAGE

I've had some eye-opening talks about marriage with a few friends lately: older & younger, married & single, those who believe (like me) that fairy tale love can be real & those who believe marriage is not something they'd ever want & those who aren't even "allowed" to have the ceremony.

I know how I feel about marriage. And I know what I think my marriage will look like. But I'm coming to realize that it's impossible to actually know what your marriage will be - until you're living it. And even then, it's a constant choice every day to choose the marriage again and again. And that choice may be difficult, or it may be second nature, or it may bring you joy each new day.

It's also a partnership - and it's important that both people are choosing. And while there is the partnership, there is also the individual. Of course, it's compromise. And of course, it's working on things together. And yet I wonder: is it possibly more important not to lose the individual merely to keep the partnership afloat?

HAPPINESS

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lazy about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it."

- Elizabeth Gilbert
EAT PRAY LOVE

LIFE IS A CABARET, OL' CHUM

Natasha Richardson, a Tony Award winner for her performance in Cabaret and a member of Britain's most exalted acting family, died March 18 following a skiing accident in Canada. A statement released by the family March 18 stated, "Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."

Read the full Playbill.com article here.

SALAD DAYS

The best salad I've ever made: arugala, chickpeas, red onion, peas, apples, walnuts, french fries, and honey mustard vinaigrette.

Yes, french fries totally belong on a salad.

SHARING THE WEALTH

I had a self-congratulatory day today (in a totally non-egotistical way, of course). Started with a panel discussion for arts administration majors who were in town from UT Austin. I told my story (along with a few of my colleagues) about how I came to be in the position I'm in today. It felt great to sit up there and say: yes, I do have a BFA in performance; and yes, I am under 30; and yes, I did start out as the weekend janitor at NYTW six years ago and end up as a general manager at RTC.

After that, I had lunch with a lovely woman who is trying to figure out how to "break into" the non-profit theatre administration community. And it was very fulfilling to be able to openly and honestly convey that my current job is an extremely challenging and extremely rewarding job, to be able to talk intelligently about my role in the company and the company as a whole, and to share any small amount of wisdom I may have picked up along the way.

Not to mention my "pay it forward" moment when I was able to sneak it in to all the Austinites that someone who was a big source of support for me during my formative admin years is currently the Director of Membership at KLRU, (Austin PBS). I love when things come full circle - even if it's a small circle!

PARADE

There's a whole WEBSITE dedicated to the NYC St. Pat's Day Parade.

Get ready, people. It's gonna be serious!

PRODUCTIVITY

I may never understand why my productivity seems to triple after 11pm. I get so much done in the wee hours. Why is that?

BAGPIPERS

I guess I never realized before that New Yorkers really get into their St. Patrick's Day festivities. Last night (on merely the 13th of March, with still four more days to go until the celebration of all things green & lucky) in a bar called the Blarney Stone Pub, three young men in full Irish bagpiper regalia waltzed right in, set up in the very center of the place and started playing. Two with bagpipes, one with a snare drum, kilts all around. When they passed a hat to collect donations, I easily threw in my last few bucks and enjoyed the music.

If this is what happens during the St. Patty's Day pre-game... my goodness, what the real day must be like!

THE POGUES LIVE

Seeing The Pogues is an experience like no other I've had. They're a mutt-ish Irish band that is simultaneously made up of classic drinking songs, ska music styles, and a Ramones-like quality... complete with a lead singer who is less than half sober and whose only understandable lyrics are something akin to "fdasduflr jwoekxkcu whiskey aslkweaqmcuu that woman coskmmzka f*cker sokmwekpi".

The fans range from men in their 50's acting like 14-year-olds, to college frat boys who run the mosh pit near the stage; from women who's age you can't really pinpoint with spikey hair and tatoos, to couples who sing along with every indiscernible word of every song; from people (like me) who seemed to wander in without knowing what to expect but still seem to enjoy themselves, to cops & firemen & European fashionistas; from the young to the old; from the sober to the inebriated (and much more of the latter).

If you should care to see/listen to a sample...

THE POGUES

I'm in for a night at Roseland this evening to witness the event that is The Pogues.

It'll either be a night of amazing musical talent, or complete debauchery... or both.

SIMILARITIES

I described work in this way to a friend tonight:
It's super challenging and really fun.

Not more than 5 seconds later, I described dating to the same friend:
It's super challenging and really fun.

JAZZ

An impromptu evening with a friend on Monday night provided a calm & inspiring few hours...

We met at Jazz at Lincoln Center and had a drink while waiting for that night's set to begin - hoping it would be something good, but not having any idea what to expect. Turns out we got to hear the amazing Christian McBride on the upright acoustic bass (who I didn't know by name, but have listened to over and over again on Sting's album ... all this time, recorded in Tuscany on 9/11) with special guest, the fascinating Angelique Kidjo (a woman I'd never heard of before, but with whom I am now a bit obsessed).

They did a short radio set - only about an hour long - and played about 5 songs in between conversations that ranged from how they started in music, to the world financial realm, to loving your fellow man. They played African music, a funky James Brown cover, and one of my favorite songs by Cole Porter.

INSIDE PEEK

Click here to get an insider's peek at DISTRACTED. Interviews from opening night & video clips from the show. Take 5 minutes and enjoy some New York City theatre!

REVIEWS ARE IN

DISTRACTED OPENING

A few pictures from DISTRACTED opening night. A shot with the young, hip assistant director. One with my roomie. And of course, me & D. The clip-in hot pink extension was a gift from our hair supervisor - total rock star. Think I might keep it!

EARLY BIRD

An excerpt from an early review (oops!) from Time Out New York... we open the show tonight & hopefully this one-day-too-soon eager reviewer is a sign of good things to come:

"These TONY reviews are short, but I sure hope that by the time I get to the end I remember to praise Lisa Loomer’s Distracted, a giddily clever comedy about parenting in the age of attention deficit disorder. Tangents threaten, since so much in the production deserves kudos: a funny and charismatic cast; Mark Brokaw’s bright, multitasking direction; complex multimedia—not to mention shrewd use of a child actor. Okay, take a breath, before you forget: Distracted is my favorite comedy of the year so far, a spring-jointed issue play hyperactive enough to tickle both your brain and your funny bone."

Read David Cote's full review here.

CARDS

I love writing cards. I love writing opening night cards. I love picking quotes to put on the cards. I love thinking of witty, kind, private joke things to say. I love figuring out which quote goes with which person. I love picking out which color card goes with which person. I love using three different kinds of pens to create the perfect writing style. I love using stickers to seal the envelopes. I love when my roommate helps me because she likes stickering. I love taking my time with the project. But I don't love it so much when it keeps me up until 2am.

SNOW DAY

New York City Public Schools are canceled today because of the foot of snow outside. Oh... how I miss snow days!

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

FOR MY SIS

I have a tendency not only to see the best in everyone, but to assume that everyone is emotionally capable of reaching his highest potential.

I have fallen in love more times than I care to count with the highest potential of a man, rather than with the man himself, and then I have hung on to the relationship for a long time (sometimes far too long) waiting for the man to ascend to his own greatness.

- Elizabeth Gilbert
EAT, PRAY, LOVE