2014 in Review

2014 brought some interesting things, some painful things, and some wonderful things.

Three months working at an Irish pub was more than enough to remind me that I quit holding down a regular job to pursue acting for a reason, and landing a job on a month-long film production in Columbus gave me a way out.

That film in Columbus led to jobs on other films with some of the same crew (see my last post about Cleveland). I landed a job shooting a series of internal videos for Proctor & Gamble, which is really the only reason I have any money in my savings account, and it's got to last until the next big job because I don't want to wait tables again!

Then June happened. A friend had, months before, texted me about trying to fix me up with a friend of her husband, and we just weren't able to sync our schedules until June. To say that he's the best thing that ever happened to me is probably the understatement of the year. He came into my life at just the right time, and I think I'll keep him around for as long as he'll stay.

 
Skip ahead two months, and I spent almost three weeks in England and Scotland, exploring and eating and enjoying a different slice of life, my Awfully Big Adventure.

 
I set out to overhaul several rooms in the house, starting with my bathroom and the laundry room. Sadly, the bathroom won't be done before the New Year, but should be soon after, and the laundry room soon after that.

October was a spectacular month full of inventive dates and days out, and one instance of me being brave and cooking for Brad. It might have actually been good, but then again, he has told me numerous times that he will eat almost anything.

 
He took me to see the Lion King at the Ohio Theater for my birthday, spent Thanksgiving with my family, and went with me to the interview that landed me a job in Cleveland that lasted until two days before Christmas. Shopping was a bit of a scramble, let me tell you!

We lost some friends along the way, and there have been some tears shed over loved ones no longer with us. 

It's been a full year, and traveling oversees and finding Brad have been the biggest highlights, but that's not to downplay the little things, the wonderful friends, and the new kitten that have rounded out what has, overall, been a fabulous year!

So, farewell 2014. May 2015 be pleasant and prosperous, full of friends, family, and fun, laden with love and laughter, better than the year before, and full of the knowledge that the best is yet to come. Be blessed in all your endeavors, and be a blessing to others at every opportunity. Make it a great year!

Absent December

I had an interview for a job as a stand-in on a film shooting in Cleveland. I met the director on November 26th, got hired the 28th, and started the 1st of December. That wasn't a lot of prep time. I scrambled to find a place to stay in Cleveland, and thankfully, a friend came through with a roof to sleep under and a mattress to sleep on. I am eternally grateful for the assist.

Then filming started. I knew many of the crew, and I made some new friends during the production, but this is easily the least fun film set I've ever worked on. We shot an entire week outside in 30 degree weather (and it rained a lot too, oh joy), and then two weeks in a cramped house set, and during these weeks, nearly everyone was sick with what we'll just call "The Cleveland Plague".

 I drove home every weekend to do laundry and pack, cuddle with my new kitten (poor thing came home just before I left and doesn't really know who I am), spend time with my family and my boyfriend, and try to recoup some sanity. Oh, and let's not forget Christmas shopping.

So we finally finished filming, to the great relief of all involved, the day before Christmas Eve. I left a gift for my friend for so kindly putting me up (or putting up with me, as the case may have been), and headed for home to wrap last minute gifts and simultaneously decompress from filming and enjoy my Christmas... For two days.

Not that the following weekend was not enjoyable, it was just once again away from my home (and my own bed). Brad and I left the day after Christmas (which we had spent with my family) and drove to Indiana to spend a belated Christmas with his mother (who I was meeting for the first time).

 
Let me begin the description of our trip to Indiana by saying that I think I put on at least five pounds in the three days we were there. We arrived and dropped our things off on Friday afternoon and headed into Goshen to have dinner at the South Side Soda Shop (which we'd recently seen on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" - I'll post a link to my full TripAdvisor review once it's published). The short version is that I loved it and the clam chowder is stellar!

The next day, the sly and secretive boyfriend had another surprise for me, and it happened to be another place we'd seen on TV. My geeky heart skipped a beat when we pulled in to the Hall of Heroes. An incredibly large collection of rare comics, toys, and memorabilia, we easily spent a little over an hour trying not to drool over the beautiful things. (full photo set here - https://flic.kr/s/aHsk6CXQtb)

Fast forward to evening, after we'd drive past his old schools and through a few little towns, and we went out with his mother and two of her friends to a gigantic Amish restaurant called Das Dutchman Essenhaus. Four out of the five pounds gained were gained right there over the cheesy potatoes and the rolls with apple butter.

Sunday morning, we had our belated Christmas and opened stockings and presents, then waited until evening to head to South Bend for dinner (my first experience at Culver's, definitely not my last) and drove through neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights.

We had a nice weekend, and I think I passed the "meet the mom" test...

Last night, back in Ohio, I slept in my own bed. By New Years, I will have slept a total of six nights in my own bed in the month of December. More than enjoying my Christmas gifts, more than setting up my new stationary bike, more than spending New Years Eve with friends playing card games, and maybe even more than the Starbucks I'm going to drink in the morning, I'm looking forward to spending a few nights in my own bed.

I have some catching up to do, both in the house and on the internet, so be patient. I have photos to upload, stories to tell, messages to answer, and I haven't forgotten about my last post in which I attempted a sleep experiment and promised another experiment in the works. Those are both still happening, but my absent December put them slightly on hold.

In the meantime, be safe this New Years Eve, and I'll see you in 2015!