A handful of things from this week to be grateful for…

My beautiful wife surprising me with a “Happy Opening Day of Baseball” afternoon – beer, hot dogs, nachos and crackerjacks in front of the TV watching the Tigers in Monday’s game.
Williamston Theatre found out that we have a very good chance of getting theatre seats for our whole space cheap, or donated.
Plans for Additional Particulars are going well. Great discussions with the Set Designer and Lighting Designer.
The Detroit Tigers have now won 4 games straight to start the season!
The awesome 3D “artists renderings” of Williamston Theatre.
Hiring a spectacular Stage Management team for Additional Particulars to go with the great cast and production staff.
Dinner tonight at Joe’s Crab Shack with the family.
Popcorn and A Movie Night at home with the family – Harry Potter rocks.
Some good friends showing that they really are good friends, which reminded me that I don’t need to waste time on false friends.
Seeing a good production of an old classic play.
I’m starting to like Prince’s new CD much more than I did at first listen.

Now…off to bed.

And hey, anybody who bothers to read this, Thanks.
I hope you had at least as many things on your list as I did!

The Detroit Tigers are undefeated! They’re LEADING THE DIVISION!

World Series, baby. World Series, here we come!

*fanatical laughter*

What? I don’t care if they’re only 2 games into the season. Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.

So, I get this email.
From this fantastic guy, Tim. He’s great. He’s volunteered a huge amount of time and energy to Williamston Theatre, in particular in the “helping us with the building” department. He’s been a go between with the architect, he’s done a bunch of drawing/design work and helping us solve building code issues and deal with a ton of things that just left my little tiny brain spinning.
So I get this email from him:

Hi Tony. Hope you don’t mind – I had some fun in the computer with your theatre (see attached images). It was a good excuse to see if I had any 3D skills still left in a graphics program. I took some artistic liberties (seat style/color, light grid, eliminated walls for visibility, etc.), but the overall layout is essentially the same as the the full build-out. Don’t count the number of seats … I left a few out. 🙂

And with that email were these awesome 3D renderings of what our theatre will look like soon.
I’ve seen the blueprints, I’ve seen the drawings – we’ve been going over versions of them for weeks.
But here’s our space.
In 3D.
And it’s really inspiring.
I mean, there it is.
Soon, we’ll be producing plays there. I’ll be directing there. People will come see our shows there.
Is it done yet? No.
Are we packing the house and paying our bills and making the difference we want to yet? No.
But those things will come.

I mean, look at this place – the potential. The promise. The possibilites.

Man, I’m excited!

Here are all 6 pics!

Okay, sorry to do two of these in a row, but this one made me laugh…

I mean, Night Blindness? *Laughing*

Naturally Smart You’re a naturally smart person. Your intelligence comes to you naturally, rather than from instruction – and you are better with applied or more real-world things… which comes in handy, here in the real world. 0% applied intelligence 40% natural intelligence

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Well, I don’t know if that’s true or not, but that’s what this quiz says!

Hooray! To start the season, the Tigers beat the Royals in Kansas City, 3 to 1. The Royals are a team the Tig’s should beat every game, but the fact that it was kinda close doesn’t bode well.
(Actually, although the score was close, the Tigers had a lot more hits and left a lot more men on base.)

Still, a win to start the season is a good thing!

We’re tied for the lead in the Division!! YES! *laughing* Only 161 games left to go! 🙂

In sadder news, I have to miss Detroit’s Home Opener for the first time in…I’ve gone 10 years in a row, it’s a HUGE event in downtown Detroit.

Can’t go this year though. Schedule is all clogged up with rehearsals/work.

*sigh*

Still, baseball’s back! Now begin all my posts complaining about the Tigers. (OR – for a nice change, maybe it’ll be talking about how they’re winning everything!)

Tonight, the 2006 Baseball Season Begins!

Tonights game is between the White Sox and the Indians, everyone else starts tomorrow or Tuesday. The Tigers begin their season tomorrow, at Kansas City, at 3:30. Can’t wait to watch it on Fox Sports Detroit!

The American League Central, once considered one of the weakest in baseball, has now become formidable. The World Champion White Sox are trying to defend their title, but many consider Minnesota and Cleveland to be very good this year. Most are predicting the Tigers to come in 4th, and the lowly Royals to finish a distant 5th this year.

I’m hoping the Tigers can make it more interesting than that, but it’s going to take a lot of things going right for it to happen, including several injury-prone players being healthy for a whole season!

Still, with a couple of offseason additions, and a new manager, I think the Tigers will have their best season in many years – I’m hoping for an over .500 finish. It’ll be the first one in a long, long time!

However it turns out…there’s going to be a lot of baseball played between now and October.

I can’t wait!

Thursday afternoon.

Beautiful day. Sun shining, 72 degrees.
I had a ton of work to do, mostly stuff at the computer.
But it was so nice outside, I didn’t want to be cooped up.

So, I went to Starbucks.
Wireless Internet is an amazing technology.

I sat outside of the Starbucks, in the most beautiful day 2006 has shown this part of the world so far. It’s amazing what a beautiful Spring day can do for you after a long gray winter, isn’t it?

I’ve cut way back (for money and diet) but, since I hadn’t had one in over a week, I drank a Decaf Triple Venti Mocha as big as my car. NOTE: I’d like someone to please find a way to make the Starbucks Decaf Triple Venti Mocha cost 39 cents and be healthy for me, please.

I worked on the laptop, sitting outside in the beautiful weather with my mocha, and got a TON of work done; Scheduling stuff, emailing the Playwright about the show I’m directing and getting some positive response to some script changes, etc…

And I listened to the Tigers play a Spring Training game over the internet, with my headphones into the laptop. They lost, but it’s Spring Training, who cares?!

So, to sum up:

Sitting outside in the sun.
Drinking Best Coffee Drink Ever.
Working on several theatre projects at once.
Listening to a Tiger’s game.

A little slice of heaven.

Our lives are inspired by the dreams we have from the earliest stages of our youth. When you combine passion and hard work, then success is always possible. While no road is ever straight, dedication and persistence will always lead you to your dreams.
— Arte Moreno

I like this quote. Reading it reminds me not only of why I’m working hard at what I do for a living, but of the other things that I consider my “dreams” – being a good dad and husband, succeeding in my directing/producing career by making good plays, doing more writing than I currently do, making people laugh, owning a jetpack, going to outer space, working on a starship…whoa, that got away from me a little bit there.

(For some reason that made me think of a Captain James T. Kirk quote: “I’m from Iowa, I only work in outer space.”)

It’s been a busy day. Up early, went to the gym and worked out. (Yep, 3rd day in a row! I know, I know, I’m as surprised as you are.) From there, lots of reading/scheduling/planning/organizing. Leaving Iowa is coming along nicely. The actors in the show are good, and good to work with. Our rehearsal schedule is a little wonky, but we’ll be okay.

Also, got some GREAT news about Williamston Theatre – we may be able to work out our building/building code issues with minimal money/time spent! Such a huge relief that will be. And we’re getting ever closer to first rehearsal of our first show…only 47 days until rehearsals start. Can’t wait! I love this first play we’re doing – funny, sweet, and thought provoking. I love what it says, and how it makes you feel when you hear it. Can’t wait to do it.

Called home mid-day because the kids were home (only 1/2 day of school today!). Talked to them both, Maggie made me laugh by being silly, and Max said “Daddy, I’m giving you a big hug right now over the phone.” Then I heard some rustling around and the BEEEEEEEEEP of a couple buttons being mashed down for 15 seconds as he hugged the phone. “There,” he said, “There’s a big hug for you!”

*deep breath*

Passion. Hard Work. Dedication. Persistence. Dreams.
You betcha.

So my brother Dom called and said “You have to go check out this site.”

He was right, and it’s my duty to share:  please go here and laugh your butt off!