It's All About Me
So, there was something else nice at our opening show. My sister-in-law, nephew and nieces noticed my weight loss. So far, people have only noticed when I mentioned it first. But the nasty back to back colds have at least helped with that. I've actually had the scale show me at under 220 a few times, but I think 222 is about where I'm at now given the scale fluctuation factor. I'd hoped to drop another ten pounds in a month or two, not a week or two. That is over thirty pounds lost so far (I started at 255-6). Soon I'll need a new headshot! I already look significantly different, but I'm waiting until my weight stabilizes. Hopefully around 190-200. I've weighed as low as 160 as an adult, but that was in 1990 and while it felt better than being overweight it was a little light for my size and bone structure, but was nice for the long distance running I was doing at the time. I've gained some muscle mass since those days, and I'd like to hold onto some of it.
My nieces and nephew are great. They were like really excited about the show you know. It was really great, and they like used the 'f' word in the show. Jimmy had two of his friends with him from the drama club -- I guess the football and hockey friends weren't as interested. He is quite the popular kid with all the different groups at his high school, and it drives his older sister the senior nuts. Being an older brother myself I understand. Jim and his friends were excited for two reasons. All the women in the cast are attractive, and the two which I have relationships with in the show are the ones they thought were really hot. And the more flattering thing was how much they were jazzed by the show, saying it was super for them to see what good actors can do on stage. Pretty high praise in my book. Especially nice after the way I've been berating myself. Being sick for performances is not as fun, but having the surprise appearance of family like that sure made a difference.
On Sunday my friend Beth and her mom, Peg, noticed my weight loss too. Finally, I"m at the tipping point where people notice. My nieces and nephew were particularly flattering. "Wow Uncle Scott, you're skinny and cute again." It feels peculiar to have teenagers say you're cute, but it was nice and I remembered to be gracious. I think I commented here a year or two back when I visited them on the 4th of July, and the nieces and their friends were looking at old pictures from when I was in the Navy and said in a kind of shocked way, "Geesh, Uncle Scott used to be really hot." Maybe it isn't so shocking anymore.
Along with the proclivity to carry extra weight, I get much of my basic physical build from my mom's side of the family. Very much a tapered 'V' kind of thing, thanks to really wide Scandinavian shoulders and chest. I was a little startled to notice in the bathroom mirror at work that it is starting to stand out again. The kids were being sweet, as I'm nowhere near skinny yet. I still carry extra weight, but I guess I'm not really fat anymore, at least not by American standards. It is nice to have that little advantage back. Looking buffer than I am because of the wide shoulders. They are a royal pain in the ass on airline, stadium, theatre, car, or motorcycle seats. I usually have to lean forward or seat twisted to make room for my shoulders. As I lose the waist dimensions, the damn things finally stand out again. My vane side likes that, and the more practical side wonders if it could ultimately help me with getting cast in shows.
I feel like I'm finally getting over this damn cold. I sounded like a frog on Friday and Saturday, and was worried I'd lose my voice. I worked hard to keep my voice in my chest and the pipes open so there'd be very little stress, and I kept the squeaking to a minimum. Had a little more range back yesterday afternoon, but developed a coughing fit. Keeping the coughs back until I had lines, and using them in a way that punctuated my text, or at least kept me from making it unintelligible seemed to work. It in turn made my sinuses cut loose. I did a lot of acting with the coughs and nose tissue. Luckily it is a show about a party, so I was able to pour myself drinks to sip which helped. I kept the tissue work subtle, like you would at a party and it seemed to work out alright. The play is about an opening night and "Did you catch it when I went out the window?" is a repeated question by my character. I had a little fun with that with my friends, "Did you catch it when I was coughing and blowing my nose?" It took them a moment to get the joke, so I guess I covered about as well as I could. Still, I don't want to go through that again anytime soon.
So it's been a hard month, with a couple nasty colds. Are the 4th graders immunizing me? They helped me drop an extra ten pounds, sooner than I'd hoped for, which isn't all bad. Speaking of the 4th graders, I sure do enjoy my Monday mornings again. This was the hardest thing to give up when I did ETI last year, and at times I feel like I haven't assimilated nearly what I should have in ETI, my improved skills taking on voices and characters while reading to the kids are something I can notice both in myself and my ability to hook that wonderfully young and curious audience. The kids are a fun crowd, and if you're honest with them they respond wonderfully. Like performing Shakespeare at the prison. If you bring truth, they'll bring their spirit into the show. If you bring caricature they'll check out immediately.
Another funny thing happened as a result of the training. I invest more in the text I am reading. I like to read the books aloud twice before reading them to the kids, as I am more easily emotionally involved in them, yes even kids books. It doesn't take much involvement for me to get a little choked up, if I'm not breathing appropriately. For example, this morning I read of a true story about a Newfoundland (from Newfoundland) helping rescue the passengers of a foundering ship in 1832. I already knew the parts about the recognition from the King and such at the end moved me, and took breaths there to let me honor the feeling without getting mired choked up breathing. Much like preparing for stage work, knowing when and how to breath. Yup, not only do I enjoy reading for the kids, but it is good for me too.
My nieces and nephew are great. They were like really excited about the show you know. It was really great, and they like used the 'f' word in the show. Jimmy had two of his friends with him from the drama club -- I guess the football and hockey friends weren't as interested. He is quite the popular kid with all the different groups at his high school, and it drives his older sister the senior nuts. Being an older brother myself I understand. Jim and his friends were excited for two reasons. All the women in the cast are attractive, and the two which I have relationships with in the show are the ones they thought were really hot. And the more flattering thing was how much they were jazzed by the show, saying it was super for them to see what good actors can do on stage. Pretty high praise in my book. Especially nice after the way I've been berating myself. Being sick for performances is not as fun, but having the surprise appearance of family like that sure made a difference.
On Sunday my friend Beth and her mom, Peg, noticed my weight loss too. Finally, I"m at the tipping point where people notice. My nieces and nephew were particularly flattering. "Wow Uncle Scott, you're skinny and cute again." It feels peculiar to have teenagers say you're cute, but it was nice and I remembered to be gracious. I think I commented here a year or two back when I visited them on the 4th of July, and the nieces and their friends were looking at old pictures from when I was in the Navy and said in a kind of shocked way, "Geesh, Uncle Scott used to be really hot." Maybe it isn't so shocking anymore.
Along with the proclivity to carry extra weight, I get much of my basic physical build from my mom's side of the family. Very much a tapered 'V' kind of thing, thanks to really wide Scandinavian shoulders and chest. I was a little startled to notice in the bathroom mirror at work that it is starting to stand out again. The kids were being sweet, as I'm nowhere near skinny yet. I still carry extra weight, but I guess I'm not really fat anymore, at least not by American standards. It is nice to have that little advantage back. Looking buffer than I am because of the wide shoulders. They are a royal pain in the ass on airline, stadium, theatre, car, or motorcycle seats. I usually have to lean forward or seat twisted to make room for my shoulders. As I lose the waist dimensions, the damn things finally stand out again. My vane side likes that, and the more practical side wonders if it could ultimately help me with getting cast in shows.
I feel like I'm finally getting over this damn cold. I sounded like a frog on Friday and Saturday, and was worried I'd lose my voice. I worked hard to keep my voice in my chest and the pipes open so there'd be very little stress, and I kept the squeaking to a minimum. Had a little more range back yesterday afternoon, but developed a coughing fit. Keeping the coughs back until I had lines, and using them in a way that punctuated my text, or at least kept me from making it unintelligible seemed to work. It in turn made my sinuses cut loose. I did a lot of acting with the coughs and nose tissue. Luckily it is a show about a party, so I was able to pour myself drinks to sip which helped. I kept the tissue work subtle, like you would at a party and it seemed to work out alright. The play is about an opening night and "Did you catch it when I went out the window?" is a repeated question by my character. I had a little fun with that with my friends, "Did you catch it when I was coughing and blowing my nose?" It took them a moment to get the joke, so I guess I covered about as well as I could. Still, I don't want to go through that again anytime soon.
So it's been a hard month, with a couple nasty colds. Are the 4th graders immunizing me? They helped me drop an extra ten pounds, sooner than I'd hoped for, which isn't all bad. Speaking of the 4th graders, I sure do enjoy my Monday mornings again. This was the hardest thing to give up when I did ETI last year, and at times I feel like I haven't assimilated nearly what I should have in ETI, my improved skills taking on voices and characters while reading to the kids are something I can notice both in myself and my ability to hook that wonderfully young and curious audience. The kids are a fun crowd, and if you're honest with them they respond wonderfully. Like performing Shakespeare at the prison. If you bring truth, they'll bring their spirit into the show. If you bring caricature they'll check out immediately.
Another funny thing happened as a result of the training. I invest more in the text I am reading. I like to read the books aloud twice before reading them to the kids, as I am more easily emotionally involved in them, yes even kids books. It doesn't take much involvement for me to get a little choked up, if I'm not breathing appropriately. For example, this morning I read of a true story about a Newfoundland (from Newfoundland) helping rescue the passengers of a foundering ship in 1832. I already knew the parts about the recognition from the King and such at the end moved me, and took breaths there to let me honor the feeling without getting mired choked up breathing. Much like preparing for stage work, knowing when and how to breath. Yup, not only do I enjoy reading for the kids, but it is good for me too.
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