Any news?

I wish I could tell you that I've been doing super amazing things and I have super exciting news to tell you...but alas, I don't. The most interesting news? With a splint, I've been able to walk all week. Wow. Stop the presses. Seriously, that should go on the front page!

What else has been going on in my glamorous life? In the past week, I've also been turned down for a few summer jobs, reminded of a project and a test coming up that I hadn't done anything for yet, and realized that I have 6 weeks to prepare for a jury that I'm not nearly ready for. (insert panic here) Some people might take this opportunity to go a little crazy and take on more than your average amount of stress similar to a boat taking on water and then subsequently sinking into the ocean.  That doesn't sound too pleasant.


Instead, I have chosen to accept that whatever happens these next few weeks and months will happen and that no matter what happens, I will still have family, friends, and a life to live and enjoy. I won't let anything hold me back! Life not going your way isn't a reason to stop living.




On that note, I have another audition tonight around 8. It's for summer theater and the shows that are being staged are some of my favorites. Here we go again!

One foot in front of the other....

Think back to watching the movie "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". It has the cute penguin, a bunch of elves with rhyming names, Kris Kringle, and a Winter Warlock. There is a scene where the Winter Warlock is doing what all evil beings must do in a kid's flick, go from bad to good. As he is learning to walk along the symbolic path of morality, there is a great tune that encourages him to put "one foot in front of the other". That is the soundtrack of my life right now!!!

To bring you up to speed- I spent Thursday laid up in my living room with ice and a propped ankle. I did homework, watched t.v., read, and stared longingly out the window. There were some heavy rainstorms that day, but I would have given anything to be able to run outside in it! Thursday night I went to an Urgent Care place. Tell you what, this place was awesome! It is a facility that is able to diagnose and treat injuries that aren't "ER" worthy...and therefore, there is no ER wait, and the people are much, much nicer!! After an hour or two at Urgent Care, it was determined that yes, I did have a fracture. Turns out it is what is called an "avulsion fracture". When I fell, the ligaments stretched and pulled like a sprain, but went a further and literally pulled chips of bone off. I had a few chips of bone floating detached from the ankle bones. Home I went on crutches, awaiting (rather impatiently) an appointment with the orthopedist. 

Fearing the worst, and hoping for at least an air cast, I headed off to the doctor. Turns out that this kind of fracture can be treated without a cast (dancing around as if I'd just won a million dollars, except not really, because I can't stand on my foot) He said that it would be about a week before I would be able to fully support my weight on it, but I was allowed to try a bit each day to get stronger.

Well, as is my tendency, when someone gives me an inch, I tend to go a mile. By Sunday night, I had tried to walk a bit without crutches. This is great, because as much as a klutz as I was before, you should see me try to walk using two sticks. So anyway, walking=OUCH.... but I was able to do it! I've been able to walk, but in such a weird way that I swear I've forgotten how to do it properly. I can't really bend my ankle while I walk, so I have this weird shuffling gait that allows me to keep the weight off a specific part of my foot. I have to concentrate so hard to walk normally that it looks like I'm figuring out a ridiculous calc problem....plus, it hurts, so I don't try much. And then today, I went outside into the world (what a glorious achievement for someone with no access to a car right now!) and went to a movie and to a store, and overdid it, so I'm back to ice and pain killers. Before you start to scold, don't worry, I've heard enough already, and I'll take it easy.

I think I've finally come to terms with missing the auditions. Others will come. In fact, there are auditions for another musical coming up that doesn't require dancing (!) , so I'm focusing on that for now.

Another downer? I CAN'T RUN FOR A MONTH. I was doing awesome! I wasn't "regularly" running, but it was often enough where I was improving. Now, I can't run for a month! Hmmm....walking here I come!!! Have I told you my goal for this yet?  I don't think so---- by the end of the year, I want to run the a path that stretches 26.2 miles....all the way to the steps of the Philly Art Museum!!!

Another adventure that I've thought up? I haven't played softball in about 8 years...since I had to make the choice between softball or music. Maybe I'll play in a summer league : )

Well, it's that time. Practicing tomorrow!

Much Love,
Lauren

SERIOUSLY?

To fill you in- this weekend I was planning on going to an open audition in NYC on Saturday, another on Monday, and another on Friday!! Obviously not expecting anything, but it was going to be awesome! So much fun! I've been working hard and I thought I was going to really have such blast!

This morning, I'm walking out the door to go to Praxis. I'm excited, I'm ready for the day.

BOOM.

On the ground. In the mud. I twisted my ankle. Can't walk. At all. No weight. My friend is an absolute angel. Got me inside, made the calls I needed to make, called my Uncle (EMT) to see what needs to be done. I'm on the couch with it elevated and ice on it. Stupid!

Seriously? Is this happening now? Just before I'm about to have the most exciting fun weekend ever? I was so ready to go on this adventure, by myself, all by myself to New York! SERIOUSLY?

Some more pictures...

Just around the river-bend!

Gate to Narnia?

Anyone home?

Pretty flowers!

A road.

If a tree falls in a forest with no one around, does it make a sound?

Look at the roots of the tree! Amazing!

Two roads diverged...

Most often, I adore Saturdays. It's not because of the rest it gives me or the ability to do whatever I want. Most depressingly, I love Saturdays for the additional time to get even more work done. That's "most often". Today was another story. It was like one of those scenarios that is described and then followed by the caveat "when pigs fly". I had NOTHING that I had to do. Absolutely nothing! Every project, test, lesson teaching, etc was done last week. Hence, I had nothing to do for next week! So what did I do? Watch some "West Wing", fiddle around with some pictures on the computer, take a 2 1/2 hour walk exploring the area, and taking lots of pretty pictures of trees and such, making dinner, and lazing around.....Absolutely incredible. Be jealous.

I love taking pictures. I've always wanted to be one of those people who can walk around with a camera and just take lots of pictures of nature. So, per my latest experiment, I decided to go for it! Being early March, nothing was really green, but it was still very pretty. It was so much fun! You should try it, even if you've lived in the same place since birth. You'll see lots of new things through a camera. Below are some of my favorites and some of the more quirky ones!

"...and I took the one less traveled by."

Is it just me, or does the handicapped spot seem a bit superfluous?

I liked comparison of both man-made and nature surrounding a path to walk down.

Creepy house. Needless to say, I did not linger.

GEESE!

I just liked this picture.

Hello. I'm a card carrying member of "self-picture takers anonymous"
It's been an issue since I was little.
Moving on.

The weekend started off even better because on Friday night a dear friend had her recital. You can't truly know beauty, grace, and God until you see this woman play. She has such a power erupting in her when she plays at the piano. I love recitals like this. I love them even more when I'm not the one playing!

What does the week ahead hold? I'm playing in performance class again on Tuesday. And this time, I found out a mere 5 days before. I think this is my teacher's sneaky plan: avoid the pre-performance debacle . That would be something that she would do. Especially since she is currently going through a little nutty all on her own...in her own words, right as we were starting Thursday's lesson.... "I'm a little bitchy today". Looks like even she's not immune to performance anxiety. I'm actually feeling okay about it. Then again, this is Saturday night after a day of no stress whatsoever, so, you might want to check back with me Monday night.

I also found out about my Cabaret audition!! It must have gone well because I was offered an ensemble part! Yipppeee! Smile!! As previously alluded to, many many times, I can't dance, so I wasn't looking for a principle role. Unfortunately, I've had to turn it down. Major, major boo. I haven't finalized my paid job this summer, so I can't accept anything that would interfere with the money. (Insert "money money money moooney.  moooooney") Being an adult is annoying sometimes.

I've got some other stuff coming up, though. Paid summer stock. Again, pigs will fly..........

Also, I'm generally just feeling really good lately. I'm happy, healthy, and living life. I take pictures, sing, read books that I want to read, stalk youtube, cook new and fun food, and still manage to keep up with crazy school and everything else. I'm living life as best as I can. I think I'm doing okay!

Much Love,
Lauren