I’ve said a million times before that I expect things to quieten down so that I can focus on writing, etc. A million wasted breaths they were. Things always come up…sneaking towards you like the bully on the playground about to give you a wedgie.
This week, the trilogy of events that kept me running around were as follows:
1/ Talent Contest at work
2/ Ghost Walk at Georgina Pioneer Village
3/ Graduation show at Second City

Shall I break them down? Yes, let’s.

1/ Before I was hired on full time last year by my current employer, they held an America Idol like contest to raise money for the United Way. I told myself at the time, if I get the job, then I will enter it the following year. Well, that time had come, and surely enough, they held the second annual event. So, I entered and began looking for the right song to sing. Then I got sick and my voice was pretty much ripped up. Less than a week to go and I had no idea how I would sound if I went out there…I wasn’t that nervous since my very first time doing karaoke ten years ago. I finally settled on U2’s With Or Without You; even though it has some challenging bits. I knew it fairly well and had actually performed it once before during a friends birthday party, and was praised for it then. So, on Friday the show came up, I sang my little heart out, and once again did get praise, even though I knew I had croaked at some of the high bits. Alas, there was plenty of other talented people there, and I did not get selected to enter the semi-finals. But the spirit of the event was reached…much money was raised for the United Way, and more will be raised on Monday during the finals.

2/ I performed in the first annual Georgina Ghost Walk as Stephen B. Leacock, and was asked to return this year, this time as a Spirit Guide. So, I became Charles Noble, a long lived Doctor (1832-1934 (that’s 102 for those not good with math)) and enjoyed myself a lot. The turnout was absolutely fabulous too…Friday night we had about 90 people ,and Saturday drew a massive crowd of 175 people. Considering that there were five tours per night, spread out between myself and Ninette Gyorody, this is a considerable number. We expected to run the tours with 20 people max, but had to run them with up to 38 people on one or two. For the outdoor stops that it easy, but imagine jamming that many people into an old log cabin so they can see a re-inactment of peoples daily lives…it was a job but we did it. Great stories were told, possibly with the highlight being my friend Rufus‘ sad tale of Mrs R.M. Anderson (and no, I’m not just saying that to be nice – ’tis true). Following the Saturday night show, I joined Melanie at a Hallowe’en party (Nathaniel was at my mothers for the night), which we stayed at until closing.

3/ My time in the grade levels of Second City are drawing to a close. Today was our graduation show at the new Second City digs, and I had an absolute blast. The entire class performed an amazing set of 40 minutes, and we all kept the audience in stitches throughout. . The need to form a troupe with these people is constant, and I know we will all be talking seriously about this after our final class next Sunday (we have to do a make-up due to a scheduling issue). As well, many of us hope to continue on into the next level of Second City classes – The Conservatory, which it is necessary to audition for. Of the ten people left in our Level E class, I know for a fact that seven are auditioning…and only twelve spots are available total. We’ll be competing for spots with people that perhaps failed to enter the conservatory previously, other Level E classes, or those given special dispensation from the gods that be to skip A-E and go straight to the top. I expect to find out tomorrow when my audition time is (I’m expecting sometime on Thursday the 3rd), and I am looking forward to it.

In the meantime, I will take a breath and enjoy a couple days of peace, along with sometime to catch up on writing, websites and sleep. I would love to be involved with NaNoWriMo but I can’t guarantee the time. Not if I want any peace in my marriage anyway.