Back in the Saddle Again

Wow. I have now been back in Utah for three weeks. Time sure does fly. The first week was limbo, while my belongings travelled up. So just lots of time with my sis and nephew. Lots of getting the house prepped, cleaned, cleared out in order to move my things in that first Saturday. The 2nd week was primarily the unpacking phase. So so much unpacking, cleaning, organizing. I still have a bit more, actually, but I am happy with my lil basement "apartment". Having my things here, my bed, my art on the walls, makes me feel at home.

This last Monday I started my new job at Salt Lake Acting Company. I am very lucky to have this job. I am on the Communications and Audience Development team. So far it's been mainly box office (well, will mostly be box office). More duties and random responsibilities will come as we go along. The people are wonderful at SLAC. Fun, liberal-minded, artistic-minded folks. I'm really happy to have what so far seem like great co-workers including my dear Cassie - who I was in the ATP with at the UofU. Thrilled to have her back in my life! It's been interesting what a different environment this job is compared to my last one. SLAC is tiny, a few people working, the arts, laid back, casual. There's just so much more freedom. I really need to adjust my mode of being to this new freedom. I'm used to a much more corporate, structured setting. But I love the fact that it is so different. I think it will be good to be in a more artistic, right brained kind of environment. I'm also very happy to be working in Salt Lake City - I like SLC and though living in Sandy is fine, SLC is def more my style (not LA my style, but for Utah my style).

I've had some interesting and wonderful spiritual experiences here so far. Many new lessons being learned, which is great. I feel very blessed. Will expound later or in person, if interested.

Crud. It is late, but wanted to do a quick catch up.

So it's certainly been different. Lots of time with my sister and nephew. Living with a kid and feeling like a lesbian mom is new. haha. But I do feel very lucky to be able to spend so much time with the greatest little boy in the world, my nephew, Dylan. He is delightful and has been so welcoming and fun. There was one night walking the dogs with Alex and Dylan in a suburban neighborhood in Sandy that I started to feel a bit panicky. "I'm not ready for this life!" But that passed. Starting my job helped. And it is just finding balance between family life and personal life. Mostly it is just special to observe this boy. Actually had fun playing lego's traveling to distant lands in the kitchen with my gay alien lego character I created, making my sister laugh as my alien demonstrated his obsession with the Will Turner action figure. Loved watching Cinderella with them last Sunday. Tonight found myself sitting in the bathtub in the pitch dark while my sister searched for me while she wore a glow in the dark alien mask. Living with a kid is new. But it's fun to connect to creativity, play and silliness. I appreciate how selfless parents must be. It's hard, it's tiring, but giving ones time and energy to make that kid happy is the most important thing. I'm learning a lot. I still only understand a smidgen of what it means to be a parent. But I am appreciative, nevertheless.

Yesterday my sisters and I spent the day together. We went swimming and watched the pilot of Tales of the Gold Monkey - cracking jokes the whole time as well as one of our old favorites, Elephant Parts. I love being with my sisters again. Today we all went to Lagoon. It was crazy being at Lagoon again with my sisters. So many strange flashbacks. But it's great to be with them again.

Glad to be near my parents. I just wish I could do more to help them and make them healthy and taken care of.

I love my family and I hope I am and will continue to make them happy and make them feel loved.

Final quick mention for this catch up: wonderful to be around one of my most favorite people in the universe. Wonderful to know I can see him more than a couple of times a year. Will be hard, perhaps, but I'll take on the difficulty for the warmth he brings to my soul. I've always believed this. It's worth the pain.

Oh and guess what? SLC is getting a Trader Joe's. Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles! :)