Midsummer

I just opened "A Midsummer Night's Dream" that I directed at Ellensburg High School. The school (or the district for that matter) doesn't employ theatre teacher, but they do employ me to direct plays as an after school club advisor-type-person. It's a weird system that doesn't really lend itself to amazing plays, but this turned out pretty good. Despite some last minute hiccups of having to recast two leads who were ineligable to perform because of grades, and actors and techies who have never once taken a drama or technical theatre class of any kind, it's a pretty decent show. I like it a lot.

Anyway, here are some pics of dress rehearsals. The set is amazing. Zac designed it and built it with the students on Saturday mornings. It's near the top of my list of favorite sets of mine right along with Animal Farm. Not that it's really MINE... but close enough. I will post pictures of the actual show that show the entire set better soon.

:(

Along with going to school, Zac is a teaching assistant and at the University. He has a class every Tuesday night that doesn't end until 10:30pm. This is the first night he has had the class (because school starts so late here) and I am home alone. I am bored and I miss my husband.

OR and WA Coast Trip

Zac and I have been in WA for about three weeks and public school doesn't start for another week and the university for another two weeks. They start really late here. So anyway, we are getting kind of antsy to have somthing to do, so we took a trip to Portland and to the coast. It was really nice and very beautiful.


We didn't take a whole lot of pics of Portland, but we really loved it. Really fun, kinda liberal, lots of old buildings, and really easy to get around. Great public transportation, we didn't drive the whole time we were there.

We went from Portland to Tillamook Oregon, home of the Tillamook Cheese factor. I have always LOVED Tillamook cheese. Very informative and delicious. :)

We drove up the coast from there stopping at different beaches and beach towns.

In Astoria, WA they have a little sea lion home, kinda like in SF but a lot less touristy. We really enjoyed watching the sea lions and how they interact.

We drove North into Washinton to th Olympic Penninsula. We went to the Quinault and Hoh Rain forests. Very cool, insteresting and pretty.

We stayed in Aberdeen and Port Angeles, WA but left the camera in the hotel and forgot to take pics both places. We stopped in Fork, WA where the Twilight series and movies take place. Neither of us have read them though, so were weren't too excited. We kinda feel bad for the locals there. Except the ones who have tourist-driven businesses, they seem to be doing well. We took a ferry into the Seattle area and drove home from there. We stopped at the Snoqualmie waterfall on the way. Really great trip.

I got a job!

I was offered a job today as an extra-curricular advisor at Ellensburg high school to direct their fall play. They don't have any actually drama teachers in this district, so this is the most theatre there is to do in public school here. I'm very excited. We audition in mid-September and go up the beginning of November. So now I just have to pick a play and go for it! :)

Also, you have to have a valid teaching license to substitute teach in the state of Washington, which is crazy and really good for me since I have one. So I will also be subbing since the stipend they pay to direct the play and Zac's stipend to be a grad TA at the Univeristy isn't gonna cut it. I'm kinda excited for that too... though that excitment may be short-lived. We'll see.

Apartment in Ellensburg, WA

After much visiting of family, traveling, and moving of stuff, Zac and I finally arrived in Ellensburg and moved into our first place together. We have a one-bedroom apartment near the CWU campus that we LOVE. It is a perfect place for us. His parents and Aunt and Uncle lovingly helped us haul our stuff here and we have spent the past few days setting everything up. Here are a few pics of our place.

Living Room. The cat enjoys the back of the couch near the window.

More Living Room. We have an intense amount of books!

Our kitchen.

Bedroom.

We bought a small table and a dresser at yardsales and now have them as projects to refinish and make all awesome! Exciting...