Auditions... or results..

Well, I found out that I did not get the role I auditioned for. I don't know who got it, but I do know it was not me. I did not get offered any other role either, except chorus, which I am not likely to accept. Why? I don't know. Not knowing who got the offer, I can't really comment yet.

I do know that I am singing better than I did before I started with Brad my new teacher. Not only does he regularly comment on the improved clarity in my voice, but so have others.

Immediately after my audition I was talking to someone from the show that I had sung a solo role in, when I started with Brad. When talking about my new teacher, she asked if I had started with him during the run. When I said yes, she replied that she had heard the change in my voice at the time. When I pointed out that the music I auditioned with was as high as the solo I had in that show, and more to the point, sat up there most of the time, she nearly fell over. She said that my voice was far freer, and clearly showed that my new teacher was doing great things for me.

Other people have noticed too.

The Singing teacher that the group I sing at nursing homes uses as a vocal coach when preparing for shows has made a number of comments about how my voice is sounding better. My boyfriend noticed the difference at our last nursing home show. Now to make it permanent, and automatic!

Auditions?

I just survived an audition last week, one that I felt was fairly important. It was quite a challenge doing the audition. Having been working with my new teacher on a radical change of technique, it was the first test of what I have learnt under a stressful circumstance. I think I mostly survived.

I had a moment where I lost my words, but on the rest I feel I survived with flying colours. My technique did not fall over and the sound came out easily. My voice filled the hall (quite a large one) without any effort. Well, not quite, the effort I put out was all mental. Focusing on singing how I am learning to, rather than having the old muddy sound that I used to have.

I survived the first test. I look forward to the future tests, knowing that the changes to my voice are making a big difference, and that in the future I will have a voice I can rely on, that is more like what the people that sit behind the desk making casting choices are looking for...

F'ing reflux!!!

I guess most of you (assuming there are a few of you that read this!) have at sometime experienced heartburn or indigestion. Some of you may even have recurring reflux, and understand what it is like. For those of you that don't, well, let's just say, it is evil!!!

I was only diagnosed relatively recently (last year) with having a hiatus hernia, and the associated reflux. More to the point, until that point I had no idea that I had ever suffered from it before to any extent. Getting an endoscope for checking up on a former stomach ulcer revealed the hernia, and significant scarring of my esophagus from on going reflux. Needless to say, I was surprised.

Since that scoping last year, I have begun to notice that I do get reflux fairly regularly. Whether that is because of the scoping proceedure (which went into my stomach) or just because I am finally aware of it, I am not sure. But, man, talk about annoying. There does not seem to be a lot of logic as to what sets me off.

One thing I know that does, is eating too late. If I eat too close to bedtime it is much worse. And if I drink red wine too close to bed, expect a disturbed night's sleep, thanks to the burn of reflux.

Yes, sometimes it is that bad!!! Last week, I woke up a couple of hours after going to bed. I had taken a ranitidine tablet before bed, knowing that I had eaten too close to bed, and then had too much red wine to boot. Yet, man, nothing prepared me for the rough night I had. I even woke up in the morning still feeling the burning sensation from the reflux overnight. I hope that never happens again.

But, I know it is likely to happen again. Hopefully I soon learn how to keep it under control, and how to stop it affecting my life.


Oh, should also add. I have not been posting lately. Been enjoying not working, and trying to get myself motivated to find a new one. It has not worked yet. But, I have found a new singing teacher. I am impressed, but GOD!!! He is making me work!! I come home mentally exhausted. Then again, that is a good thing! I wanted someone to work on a number of problems, and he is working them! Oh man is he working them!!!!

So...

Well...

Free at last. Free of the poisonous work environment that I was in at Helstra. Now that I am starting to de-stress from it, I have received a hellish reminder from a former colleague who is still there..

"Hi Tall

How does it feel to be out of HELL

You will be pleased to know I miss you HEAPS.....K1, K2 and J do NOTHING all day long

K1 has G and JB wrapped around his little finger he goes to the coffee shop for 45-55 minutes at any given time, does nothing whilst his there and is allowed to park downstairs for all his hard efforts-its becoming a real Boys Club....HOW LUCKY ARE YOU!!!!!"

Well, I can't say I am surprised. Life there was becoming hell while I was waiting for our package/last day to come, which helps to explain why I was so eager to leave, and left as soon as I could and still get my package... Mmmm.. Payout!!! mmmm!!

Sick leave was rife, and abused (one week off, one week on, another week off? K1, what were you thinking?) And of course, no supervision, because the team leaders themselves were too busy seeking new jobs for themselves. Then, most of my colleagues that were at work, might as well not have been there, considering how much they actually did. I tried to maintain my normal work ethics, but seriously, getting out was the only option. I do not need that sort of stress. I am so glad to be out.

And don't talk to me about how badly the restructure has been managed at the higher management level!!!

Now, time for a new job, hopefully!

sickness...

I have been looking after the Gorgeous Man this weekend, while he copes with a nassssssty chest infection that has him sleeping lots and not a lot else... so nothing much to report atm, apart from the fact that I am going stir crazy!!!!

3 weeks of work till my office is shut down for good!!!

Something just plain silly!!!

I got sent this, and it is too good not to share. Check out this headline:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/15/nz_badminton_kerfuffle/

So... who is next?

With all this talk about the death of great Aussie icons, it had to happen...

I got an email today talking about this today, offering some suggestions on who would be next and how they would go...

First of course, in one week:

Steve Irwin killed by a wild animal (no surprise)
Colin Thiele (the great children's author) - dies of cancer at 85
Peter (Perfect) Brock dies in a car race when he hits a tree.

So, then the suggestions were...

Rex Hunt chokes on fish bone
Joan Sutherland runs out of breath
Miss Pat gets tangled in Mr Squiggle's strings (very nasty)
Valerie Taylor taken by white pointer - all that remains to
identify her are her Heidi plaits
Both Mike and Mal are lost in the Simpson desert
Paul Hogan has close encounter with a shrimp laden barbie
Greg Norman hit by speeding golf cart
Leyton Hewitt trips on a Nike shoe lace and falls head first into
trophy cabinet
Ian Thorpe strangled by pearl necklace that just wouldn't sit
right with the neckline of his outfit!


My additions...

John Howard gets blown up by a terrorist suicide bomber
John Farnham gets electrocuted while performing
Pauline Hanson gets burnt to death in her deep fryer in her new fish and chip shop (we can dream can't we?)
Eddie MacGuire chokes to death on a bone while having feasting at Machiavelli's on the company's expense.
John Laws "golden tonsils" finally say enough is enough and leap out through his mouth to strangle him.

So... Who do you think is going to be next, and how are they going to die. Go on, be creative, come up with something really left of centre as to who you want to die, and how....

Sport - am I turning straight????

On Friday night after going out for some post work drinks with 100 or so of my closest friends (!) the gorgeous man and I went to dinner in Enmore at Kaffenes, a Greek restaurant we had looked at many times while going to other places, meaning to check out one day, seeing as it always was full of Greek-looking individuals. Seeing patrons that looked like they belong to the relevant ethnic group in an ethnic based restaurant is usually a good sign, which made us both suspect it was worth visiting.

Food wise, and service wise it was fabulous. The staff were friendly, and the food was yummy. Price wise it was higher than we would normally spend per course, but then, we are spoilt living in the greater Newtown area. Where else can you eat in a cafe and get a 2 course meal with change from $20 and enjoy it?

But the reason Friday night's dinner is so blog worthy was what was going on while we were there....

Any one that knows me knows I do not follow sports much at all. I am the sort who would rather play sport than watch them, especially the usual sports that every one talks about at work each week, like Rugby League, AFL, Cricket, not that I have been playing much sport lately, well, much sport outside ;-) Diving, yes, I will watch for hours, happily, or gymnastics, as much for the perve value as for the brilliance of the performances.

So anyway, I was facing away from the street, the gorgeous man was facing the street. This restaurant had a big screen, which I found myself facing, on which they were showing the league match as it was broadcast, between Newcastle and Manly, a match which there had been much discussion about at work. I had been of the opinion (purely from picking up things I hear at work) that Newcastle were going to win, and convincingly, but as we sat down, Manly were winning. While we were at the restaurant, I was finding it hard to focus on the gorgeous one, being distracted by what was going on in the game.

Now, while I am easily distracted at the best of times, this was just not like me. I avoid rugby league like the plague normally. I like looking at some of the guys, sure, but watching them play? Normally can't be bothered. What is going on? Could I finally be discovering my inner straight boy? Scary!!!!!

Another day, another death...

What is it lately with all these well known people dying lately? Steve Irwin, Colin Thiele and now Peter Brock??? And with Peter Perfect another offer of a state funeral. Well, at least this time I would argue that it was more deserved.

What? The non sports lover thinking that Brockie deserves a state funeral?

Well, think about it. We researve state funerals for persons of note, people who have made significant contributions to the country in some way. Brockie certainly did that.

First of all, think of the number of times he won at Bathurst. I heard it announced on the news that it was nine times... No one else comes close to that. Brockie's domination of the Australian Touring car circuit was legendary. Even those that never followed motorsport would have still known that he was "the man", the one to beat. In a competitive car, no one else came close.

At the same time, it was rare to hear a bad word about him. Articulate, polite and attractive, he was the pin up boy for the motorsport world for all sorts of reasons.

And now he is gone...

Does this really matter in the grand design of the world? Is what he did so world shaking?

No, but that is not the point. He was an outstanding performer in a high profile role. He did it extremely well, and brought pleasure to many.

Would that we could all do so well..

Another day, another death...

What is it lately with all these well known people dying lately? Steve Irwin, Colin Thiele and now Peter Brock??? And with Peter Perfect another offer of a state funeral. Well, at least this time I would argue that it was more deserved.

What? The non sports lover thinking that Brockie deserves a state funeral?

Well, think about it. We researve state funerals for persons of note, people who have made significant contributions to the country in some way. Brockie certainly did that.

First of all, think of the number of times he won at Bathurst. I heard it announced on the news that it was nine times... No one else comes close to that. Brockie's domination of the Australian Touring car circuit was legendary. Even those that never followed motorsport would have still known that he was "the man", the one to beat. In a competitive car, no one else came close.

At the same time, it was rare to hear a bad word about him. Articulate, polite and attractive, he was the pin up boy for the motorsport world for all sorts of reasons.

And now he is gone...

Does this really matter in the grand design of the world? Is what he did so world shaking?

No, but that is not the point. He was an outstanding performer in a high profile role. He did it extremely well, and brought pleasure to many.

Would that we could all do so well..

Farewell to a great Aussie (not the croc man!)

In the midst of all the who ha over the death of Steve Irwin, who, lets be honest, died doing what he loved, interacting with nature in a way that put his life at risk, another death got overlooked, of another great Australian. One who, might I add, quite possibly did more for teaching the importance of looking after the environment than Steve Irwin, by writing stories about people whose lives interacted with the environment in a powerful way. For those that missed the news, it was Colin Thiele. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Thiele)

For those of you that never had the priviledge of reading his books as a child, you missed out big time, unless you saw the movies made of some of his books. Who could forget the plaintive cries, as a young boy realises his companion Mr Percival (a pelican) was shot, and might not survive in Storm Boy. I know I won't, especially since I had already been traumatised that night at the drive in. The previous movie was Willard, one of those horrible movies about rats from the 70's. Well, I was about 10 at the time!!!

So, anyway...Why am I writing about this? I guess for many of us, Steve Irwin, while he brought entertainment to millions around the world, will never have the impact on people's lives the way that Colin Thiele did to many of us that grew up in the 70's. He taught us through his books to look at the world with a respect that we might never have had otherwise, and to realise that our actions do affect others, something it seems that Steve may have only done, with his death.

Hmmm...

Well, where do you start with a blog?

I guess I should say that I called it Not a rehearsal, because I do a lot of performing, and thus I spend a lot of time rehearsing, for all sorts of things.

Also, of course, life is not a rehearsal. A cliche, but sadly true. I guess that is one of the reasons I get so irritated with stupidity around me at times. You don't get a second chance at life. It is also why I get frustrated with my own stupidity too. LIFE IS NOT A REHEARSAL!! Stop f*ing around and get on and live it!!!

So, just like most blogs I guess that like most, this blog will be about things that frustrate me, annoy me, or just make me laugh... And with my job coming to an end soon, maybe I will be posting a lot, as I go thru the joys of applying for, and seeking out a new job, hopefully one that suits me and pays me a fortune...

Well, I can live in hope!!!!