Insanity

I have decided to update this every three days or so. This will save me time, and also keep me from needing to come up with pointless things to say.

I will give my Sunday 'Weigh-In' at the top of the boring info so that you don't have to dig through bananas and fish to see how much I lost.

On Monday I started the Insanity DVDs. They are supposed to be the most difficult workout DVDs ever (hence the name Insanity). I have only done one, the 'Fit Test', to test how much you improve over the 60 day period. It is probably eight different exercises and you write down how many you were able to do in one minute. You are supposed to go as hard as you can the whole time. That is what insanity is about. For the first time ever, I almost vomited from exercising so hard. I took a huge break before the last two exercises as I tried to prevent myself from doing so. I did finish them (pathetically). I look forward to the next one. I am sure that I can improve.

On the plus side, the guy is likable. Though after a week I may want to kill him, who knows.

Sunday Weigh-In: 273
Another three pounds. Not as good as I had hoped, but not bad.

Saturday:
Food:
Breakfast:
Lima Beans
Plum
Banana

Snack:
Popcorn

Lunch:
Popcorn
Sausages with Mustard

Dinner:
Popcorn with Butter
Dark Chocolate

Exercise:
I walked 45 min at a decent pace and lifted weights


Sunday:
Food:
Breakfast:
Sausages with Mustard

Lunch:
Salad with Bacon Bits, Raisins, and Ranch

Dinner:
Cheese-less Pizza with Pepperoni, Bacon Bits, Garlic, Red Pepper, and Pineapple

Exercise:
I mowed the front yard with the electric and the back with the push. I also walked at a decent pace (until towards the end when my body would do no more) for about 30 - 40 minutes.


Monday:
Food:
Breakfast:
Sausages with Mustard
Banana

Lunch:
At Ryan's
Sausage and Peppers with Sour Cream and Heinz 57 Sauce
Fish with Tartar Sauce
Salad with Eggs, Ham, Raisins, and Ranch

Snack:
Deli Turkey

Dinner:
Fish with Lime Juice
Baked Potato with Yogurt
Steamed Broccoli

Exercise:
I took the Insanity 'Fit Test'. The first video of the Insanity workout DVDs. I also walked for 30 minutes at a slow to decent pace.

Updated

I updated yesterday's post to a much longer version of my auditioning story.

Food:
Breakfast:
Tots with Yogurt and BBQ Sauce

Lunch:
At Ryan's
Fish with Tartar
Salad with Eggs, Ham, Raisins, and Ranch
Pulled Pork with A-1
Melon

Dinner:
Dark Chocolate
Tots with Yogurt, Ranch, and Bacon Bits

Exercise:
I walked for 45 minutes at a decent pace.

It's Official

It's official, I did not get a part in A Winter's Tale with the Prenzie Players.

I have been attending Prenzie's (mostly) Shakespearean plays for the past three and a half years, ever since my wife convinced me to go see A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was phenomenal. They showed me that not only did Shakespeare not suck, but that his plays could be extremely fascinating. In all of the shows that we have seen, the actors have been excellent, and the directing is always at least a little edgy. The performances are very memorable. At home, several of the actors occasionally even come up in our casual conversations, and we have wanted to see performances by other groups simply due to a Prenzie actor being part of the cast.

With my background in drama, a mere 14 years ago in high school, I occasionally thought about auditioning for a part. Fear and a complete lack of any Shakespearean experience kept me from ever trying it ... until this past week. Last season's performances of Much Ado About Nothing, the most comedic performance that I have ever seen, and Trojan Women, the most tragic performance that I have ever seen, were so amazing that I couldn't help but want to be a part of it.

So, I spent the summer reading up on Shakespeare and watching videos such as "John Barton's Playing Shakespeare". I am now amazed at the intricacies and depth of his work. And also amazed at how it was made so bland during high school.

Maybe I would have hated it no matter what at that age.

In addition to learning about Shakespearean acting for a decent chunk of the summer, I also told quite a few people that I was planning on auditioning. I knew that I would be really nervous and want to back out, and doing so took that option off of the table.

The auditions were this past weekend. At the beginning, I was rather intimidated, as almost everyone else there had acted in multiple Prenzie plays. Even the few non-Prenzies had quite a bit of experience performing in various other plays in this area. As someone without even any community theatre experience, I felt a little like someone who decided to skip high school and college ball and go straight to the pros.

Then the auditions began, and they were a blast. I would be assigned a part in a scene with one to three other people, and then we would rehearse it for about five to ten minutes, and head out to perform it. Then I would be assigned another scene with someone else, and perform that one, and so on. And even though I didn't really have a clue what I was doing (and sometimes what I was saying), the other actors were great, and I felt comfortable there. And when acting Shakespeare for the first time, that is probably the best thing that anyone could ask for.

Excitement (and no small amount of stress) raced through me when I opened the e-mail for Monday's call backs. And seeing my name in big texty letters was even more of a rush. That night when I arrived at the theatre, I even felt comfortable enough to try out a few ideas that I came up with on the spot. Regardless of whether they worked (not so much), the fact that I (a devoted introvert) was willing to try 'bold' things with a group of people I didn't really know, says a lot about the environment of the audition.

Unfortunately, as I said above, my auditions ended there. I was not asked to be part of the cast for A Winter's Tale. JC, the director, did send me an e-mail saying I had improved IMMENSELY (emphasis his) from earlier that week, and that he hopes that I come to future auditions. I know that those words could be seen as a courtesy, but I truly believe that he is pulling for me to do well.

Now I think back on things that I did poorly and I wish that I had done better, and I am sure that I will continue to do so for quite a while. I also know that I have a lot of work to do before I am ready to audition for Troilus and Cressida in December. But, I realized one thing just before I went to sleep last night (and I roused my mostly asleep wife to tell her) ...

Even though it didn't turn out exactly how I hoped, I was actually at the theatre performing scenes with these amazing actors. Disguising myself. Duping rubes. Finding a baby in a basket. Agreeing to poison a king.

I was there, and that is really fucking sweet.

Food:
Breakfast:
Meatloaf with Mustard

Snack:
Almonds

Lunch:
Meatloaf with Mustard

Snack:
Doritos
Dark Chocolate

Dinner:
Tots with Yogurt and BWW Sauce
Popcorn

Exercise:
I walked at a slow to decent pace for about 35 minutes.

...

Catchin' up.


Food:
Breakfast:
Seasoned Meat mixed with Curry Rice. I was in a hurry, but it wasn't as bad as it sounds.

Snack:
Plum
Orange

Lunch:
Rice

Snack:
Orange

Snack:
Lots of Bacon Bits

Dinner:
Meatloaf with Mustard
Baked Potato with Yogurt
Cheetos
Dark Chocolate

Exercise:
None

...

Catchin' up.


Food:
Breakfast:
Rice with a Black Bean and Veggie Mix

Snack:
Plums

Lunch:
Chicken Rice and Vegetables with Curry and Honey

Snack:
Chicken Rice and Vegetables with Curry and Honey

Dinner:
Chips with Seasoned Meat, Salsa, and Yogurt

Snack:
Dark Chocolate

Exercise:
I walked 30 min at a slow pace, and then later another 30 min at a slow pace.

Well, That is Probably That

Well, the auditions went poorly I think. I could be wrong, but I think that my journey ends here.

It was pretty alien to me, and that made it tricky and taxing on my poor brain. But, I had a good (although stressful) time and the Prenzies were all very nice and helpful.

I look forward to seeing the play in November, and possibly even trying out for the next show, Troilus and Cressida.

But now, to relax. Ahhhhhhhh.

Food:
Breakfast:
Rice, Chicken and Vegetable Curry with Honey

Lunch:
At Ryan's
Fish with Tartar
Salad with Eggs, Ham, Raisins, and Ranch
Buffalo Wings

Dinner:
Plain Rice

Exercise:
None

Here I wait...

I am sitting here, waiting for an e-mail from the director. It is 11:25pm, on a Sunday, and I must needs go to work tomorrow. But here I wait.

I did not like my performance at he second set of auditions tonight. With the exception of my last piece I felt as though I didn't do as well as I could.

But that doesn't stop me from sitting here, and waiting, for an e-mail from the director that will tell me my fate. Will I be called back and have the chance at a part? Or will I be dashed to the ground a broken man?

I took another walk when I got back, as I knew that it would take him a while to get all of his notes ready and let people know. Alas, I came back and still no word.

So here I wait, desperately hoping against hope that somehow, at some point, he saw something that he liked and wants to see more.

I hope that I find out soon.

Weigh In: 276
Back to decent losing weeks now that I am actually getting off my ass again.

Food:
Breakfast:
Eggs with Bacon Bits

Lunch:
A little Chicken Vegetable Curry with Rice and Honey

Dinner:
A Banana
A bowl of plain Rice.

Exercise:
I walked at a mostly slow pace for about 45 minutes, and tonight I also walked another 40 or so minutes at a mostly slow pace.




Here I wait...