April In Review

Month: April 2011
Home Base: NE Minneapolis
What I Did:
Obtained rights for the an amazing, amazing second Gadfly season, set up my Etsy shop and even sold some photos, saw Jacks and Jills go live, got a little too amped up on Suburban Redux marketing/scaled back for a few weeks/learned a balance, more or less memorized my new tarot deck (give or take a few cards), organized an Alternative Easter fest, sold a lot of Avenue Q tickets, rearranged my apartment, obtained a new bed, was invited to an exclusive tasting party at Noodles and Company (greatest lunch hour at work ever).

Honestly, this was kind of a slow month for me for fun and productivity but I’m (luckily) getting so many hours at Mixed Blood that I haven’t had a ton of time.

Where I went:
Except for a very fun but all too brief trip out to see my friend LB’s farm in Independence, this month wasn’t good at all for travel

Key Hangouts Around Home Base:
SO MANY, new and old. Wilde Roast and Namaste as usual, Lake Calhoun is back on the list now that it’s getting warmer, Pizza Luce, Town Hall Brewery, Spyhouse Coffee Shop, Noodles and Company, The Muddy Pig, Jewel of India.

What I Listened too :
Old school Dresden Dolls, George Harrison’s solo work, New Britney, {title of show} album, Mika, Lykke Li
The T.V. I watched:
Archer, 30 Rock, Scrubs, Weeds, Modern Family. I suppose I should say something about the ending of RuPaul’s Drag Race here since everyone knows how much I love the show, but the ending was anti-climactic and predictable. Yawn.
The Movies I Loved The Most This Month:
I <3 Huckabees, Breakfast on Pluto, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Stranger than Fiction (again)…and to answer someone’s question from last time-these can be movies that I’ve seen before and just rewatched with vigor this month (often more than once, I get on kicks). Many times they are first views though.
The Theatre I Saw:
[title of show] by Urban Samurai was really the only great thing I got too. I did see a really cute viewing of one of Mixed Blood’s touring show, Minnecanos. I also got my laugh on at Huge Theater, finally.
The Best Thing I Fed Myself:
This iced coffee from Spyhouse made with honey and white chocolate, Vegan Easter treats from my mom, French bread/hummus/strawberry feast on Easter, giant salad I made featuring chickpeas and edamame, anything from Pizza Luce on my cheat days.
Best Books I Read:
Huntress by Malinda Lo! Judith Ortiz Cofer’s Love Story Beginning in Spanish, and I am unashamed to say that I thoroughly enjoyed wrapping my childhood up with Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later (even if I hate how small the parts of some of my favorite characters were)

Best Websites:
The blogs of the geniuses behind A Softer World, Huffington Post (lots o’ crazy news wandering around), Postsecret, The Vegetarian who Hates Tofu, Gala Darling (ESPECIALLY for her ‘Carousel’ and 'Things I Love Thursday' link roundups)
Favorite New Unnecessary Material Items I acquired:
Oh wow. Um, I got some great new shirts from my friend Jodie, and some books and DVD’s. I think that was about it!


Biggest Challenge of the Month (and how I overcame it):
This was a really trying month were almost anything career related was concerned; I ventured into new territory with my Etsy shop, I had some Gadfly setbacks, and am still barely making ends meet. Literally all I do to overcome these challenges is keep working hard. I am realizing that it’s crucial not to punish yourself by working unrealistically hard or sacrificing self-care (IE HEALTHY food, lots o’ water, and catching some Zzzz’s), but I also don’t let myself backslide and get lazy. I certainly never let myself give up unless a project is clearly not for me.

Best Thing I Did for Myself:
Set up the Etsy store, called in sick to work (yes I was actually sick, but I never do this, and my god I needed too) and slept.

Breakthrough Thoughts:
I’m going to be more honest about my personal life than usual right now. I went through a major self-analysis and realized that I run my romantic relationships like a business. Notice I said A business, and not MY business, because I do run my business with passion, love, and everything that that implies-but still with business sense and common sense. This is great!

What’s less great is that the more romantic aspects of this are missing from my romantic life. I tend to run them like cut and dry business transactions, as if I were a stock broker and not an artist. “I made her lunch and she didn’t call me when I was sick. Strike one.” Alternately, I am also really hard on myself for the same reason. “She bought me dinner AND brought me a coffee to work without asking, I am a worse girlfriend than her.” It’s a tricky line to let real emotions take over without getting walked on or walking on anyone else. Still, I see the wonderful relationships around me and know it can be done. Late April 2011 is when I realized this-we’ll see what I do with it from this point on.

Couldn’t Be Without:
My roommate, my newly arranged apartment, those two sick days that I took. The day or two I actually had off. My sweet, snuggly cat.

Quotes of the Month:
“I’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing”
{title of show}

Eric: Why are these people all walking?
Manny: Apparently some people do that for exercise.
Eric: Huh.

“Being good is towing the line, being behaved, being quiet, being passive, fitting in, being liked, and being GREAT is being messy, having a belly, speaking your mind, standing up for what you believe in, fighting for another paradigm, not letting people talk you out of what you know to be true.”
~Eve Ensler

“I need to talk to someone kind and non-judgmental. You used to be good at that, and I’m just going to assume that not much has changed.”
~Anonymous friend from Junior High