Break a Leg

Happy Jenday, everybody!

 I have to keep saying that or else when I'm famous nobody will know.  Anyway...

 This week, and indeed for the past month or so, I've been gearing up for War.  I know I talk a lot about this, and in truth, this Jenday session is not about that.  This one is about something my co-star Jimmy Scotch has recently and indirectly touched upon, albeit from a state of unpossessing.  And that thing is Leisure Time.

 I am not the busiest person in the world.  I am single.  I am not in a relationship.  I work 9-5:30 M-F.  My hobbies are minimal.  I am the definition of Bachelor. 

But I do have this one thing I do.  I'm an actor.  

 This is not so much a choice as it is just something I have to do.  As I must eat, sleep, drink, and go #2, so must I act.  Every single person involved in Break A Leg has this compulsion.  They do it.  Not just because they love it.  Because they Need it.  You might as well say "Hey, why not try going without air, gravity and friction?" as trying to get one of us to stop.  And it is exhausting, have no doubt. 

 And when I'm not working on BaL, I have a couple different community theater companies that I love working with, and that love working with me.  Lately its been Sonoma County Rep, which is about a 45 minute drive depending on traffic.  Last year I did 4 shows with them, plus a couple of local shows and The Nutcracker, which I do every year.  Each show is usually about 3 months from the beginning of the rehearsal process to the final curtain.  Add to that working 8 hours a day, that's a good chunk of time.  I really cannot fathom being a parent and trying to live that kind of lifestyle.  My beret is off to those that do.

 So when a moment comes along where you can suddenly do anything you want without having to worry about being someplace in an hour, well those moments are worth savoring.

Last night (Tuesday) it occured to me that I had nothing I had to do.  I had meant to do laundry in preparation for War, but there is only one laundry machine at my apartment and we kinda lost the key to the door (don't ask).  I was supposed to meet up with a fellow pirate to work out supply logistics, but that wasn't going to be until later.  I had prepped and packed everything that I could possibly have done.  My room is a mess...but its ALWAYS a mess, so I feel no pressure to make it otherwise.  

And suddenly...I was hungry.

If you live near any microbrewing companies, I highly suggest you enjoy their patronage as soon as possible.  I live near a good one: The Marin Brewing Company.  Actually, I live in an area where micro brews are pretty popular, so I have access to a lot of good beer, but the Brew Co (as it is called in the parlance of our locale) is just a 5 minute drive from my house.  Its got a nice pub atmosphere: lots of wood and brass, eclectic paraphenalia on the walls, a crowd you can easily loose yourself in. Usually I'll only go if a group of people are going, because if you try to eat like that every day you'll end up rounder than a keg and short an unfortunate number of denaro.  But every once in a while, I like to go in there with a book, have a few beers order something of the starter menu, and just...leisure.  Leisure is not a conjugal verb (or a verb at all, for that matter) but if it was I like to think it would conjugate as "leise".  I just looked up "liese" on dictionary.com (today's word in umbrage) and the definition that came up was "under one's breath".  Yeah, I think that's right: a thing barely said, no effort made, the slightest of breath...liesure.

Now, at the Brew Co. they have wings.  You can either get them Buffalo style, or you can get them BBQ style.  By accident a few years back I got wings that were mixed in both sauces..and they were truly fantastic.  I always ask for them that way now, but sometimes they just bring me a plate with half of one and half the other.  This is ok, because if you eat them fast enough it's almost as good.

And as I always say: the beer helps.

I won't be around to post next Jenday, but the week after, I promise a photologue of War (as much as is decent, anyway)

Cheers, ya buggers!