I think I can, I think I can....

This past Friday morning was a rough one. Tears and yearnings to just give in and go back home consumed it. I felt as if I've messed up so much. I had hoped to find an affordable plane ticket for a brief visit to home for today through Sunday morning due to having two days off of work in a row, but tickets averaged around $400. I also wanted to audition on Sunday for "The King & I" at matthews playhouse, because I've been auditioning to no avail so far here. I convinced myself that I had to get home somehow, and I was prepared to drive through the night and surprise Mom, and hope that I could find a one-way back on Sunday. Once I put my mind to something, it's hard to change it. I thought on it constantly as I went to work that afternoon (I worked until close). I ended up working at the top floor (103) and getting to see the sunset for the very first time, work in the ambience of the dim lighting and few customers, as well as meeting some beautiful brazilian people. It was a very enjoyable experience, but in my mind I had to go as soon as I got home from work. I decided that it would be good to check plane tickets one last time, but I called my sister who handed the phone over to my brother, Matthew. He reminded me that I'll be home in 2 weeks, and it will be ok...and that I can just move up to NYC with him in August and there will be loads of auditions there. Problem solved? Just might be ;). Other opportunities have come into my path, though....

During the day on Friday it hit me. It was the 15th. Every month on the 15th since my dad's passing away on September 15 ,2008, although I haven't always been thinking specifically of the date, something inside of me feels the "anniversary". Just as my last post described March 15th....for some reason I become very emotional inside..feeling a hole...then I realize the date.

11 more days until visiting home and SC to walk at Graduation. This is where the "I think I can.." title plays in.

Back to opportunities: I was contacted regarding a Graduate Assistantship at BJU--one that would be working in a department that I love so dearly. I've been thinking about the benefits aside from further education and getting to be with wonderful friends again, and one would to be in "A Christmas Carol" the musical which excites me greatly.

Life? It's consisted of working mainly at the Skydeck, some hours at Auntie Anne's, auditions, and hanging out with people. Work at the Skydeck has continued to be lovely. I'm getting to know my coworkers more, and we've had a blast. The beautiful and adorable foreign people are definitely a plus of working there. ;) Concerning auditions...I've become more comfortable at auditioning which has been fabulous.

Audition horror story:

I left with just enough gas in the car with plenty of time to drive up to Ravinia to audition for a huge production of Annie Get Your Gun. I came to the conclusion after I had been driving around and around in the area where the venue was supposedly at, that my directions were wrong. I panicked inside as my scheduled audition time rolled by, and I still wasn't there. The gas tank was on empty, and I couldn't find a gas station nearby. I knew that getting gas and not being stranded was the most important need of the moment. I called my friend Austin, and he googled where I was at, directed me to a gas station, and got me on track to the audition. Thankfully, a staff member for the auditions called me up to see if I was going to make it. I explained that I was lost, and that I was going to try my best to get there if that was ok. Finally, an hour later after the scheduled time, I arrived quite happily. I auditioned with "Once you lose your heart", but my top notes weren't gorgeous due to congestion, but it went pretty well. I was just glad that I made it there and was still able to sing for them.

Audition happy story:

La Costa Theatre company held auditions for "Little Shop of Horrors", and guess who attended? Yours truly. I was able to have special rehearsal time the day before with the accompanist of the auditions and assistant music director, which put me ahead of the game. How did that come about you ask? Just a good friend from college. Yep, Austin was it. I auditioned with "I won't say I'm in Love" from Hercules and "A Change in Me" from Beauty and the Beast, because they were both Alan Menken musicals (as well as great contrasting pieces), and he just happened to write Little Shop. Because Austin was at the auditions, he was able to give me their thoughts (when you don't normally get the insight on it all). He said that it was a fantastic audition, they loved me and thought I was cute, but they were looking for more of a pop voice due for the roles that were open. The role of Audrey (who I could fit very well in) was already cast. They kept my headshot/resume, though for future reference! :)

Auditions on the agenda: at the top of my head, there is one this weekend for the Emerald City Theatre Company which does children's shows. Their line-up for the 2010-2011 season include The Wizard of Oz and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Sounds like FUN! :)

The other day I was able to visit Shedd Aquarium with my friend for FREE! Perks of working at the Skydeck. The moment we walked in, my friend asked me to help him put his wristband (for entry into the aquarium) on. A lovely foreign man watched me and asked if I could perhaps help him with his wristband. Once in a lifetime experience right there. I was way more than happy to oblige. My friend nicknamed him Hans, and we referred to him throughout the visit in the Shedd. It's such a fascinating place. We had an enjoyable time!

You know when you get on topics of books you like to read, what you are reading, or what genre you really like? I knew that I liked to read, but I just wasn't sure what specific genres to say. After some thought and a visit to the library, I discovered that I love reading biographies/autobiographies , books on animals, and books on Theatre. My dad would take us to the library pretty much every weekend when we were little, and I always checked out books on animals. I rediscovered that passion after visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo just recently.

Many more things could be said, but I must go and prepare a video audition for the King and I to send to Matthews Playhouse.... ;)

A bientôt!

Curtain Call.

Many goodbyes this weekend. Family, visiting friends, Mikado.

The hardest of these was the ending of the short visit of my family. My mom and two younger brothers arrived Saturday evening, and my sister and older brother arrived Sunday. It was bliss getting to hug them again, laugh, share stories, hear their thoughts on the show, and just be with them. I loved Mom's happiness in getting to attend Moody Church with me, little brothers, and friend Joe. It was wonderful having support in the audience that was specifically for me. My sister was my personal make-up artist/photographer on Sunday which was incredibly special. After the show/cast party Sunday evening, my sister, friend Melissa (dropped her off at her home in South Bend), and I drove to IN to join mom and brothers at my mom's cousin's house for the night. In the morning, we drove to Ashley, IN to visit a darling house that's now my mom's but has been in the family for a long time. I was so excited to visit, but it was sad to see how much repair it needed! I'm trying to convince Mom to move into it, so that she'll be close to me ;). The beautiful little house smelled the same, and everything was in place from when we have visited for family reunions throughout the years. I used to dream and hope that I owned that house when I was little. The city of Ashley is so intimate, and it's such a cute little town to ride a bike or take a walk through during nice weather. The smiley face water-tower is a warm sight to see when approaching Ashley.

After a little bit, it was time for my beloved family to return to NC for work/school. I was torn. was so ready quit my jobs and follow them back home. I realized, though, that although it would be an easy decision, it wouldn't be that smart, because I did come up to Chicago for a reason...theatre...and I do enjoy the city....

I couldn't hold in the tears as we parted. Mom reminded me that they have said many goodbyes here. In the past, though, I was always in the car leaving to NC with my family while saying goodbye to other relatives. When they started the car, I hopped into my car and bawled. I decided to visit the cemetery that was close by where my Grandma, Great Grandma, and a couple of other relatives are buried. Approaching the cemetery on that overcast day brought more tears, but seeing a squished kitty just outside of the entrance didn't help anything.

I got out of the car and walked over to my Grandma's graveside. Yes, more tears. Thoughts filled my mind of how we lose so many people in our lives. The day was March 15th--which is the year and a half marker of Dad passing away...which brought goodbyes even more to my attention.

Afterwards, I drove back home. Chicago home. Decided to stick to my reasons why I came to Chicago in the first place.

Last week, the Mikado cast performed successfully 1 dress rehearsal and 3 performances. I had friends in attendance at the dress rehearsal, so it was a delight. A big talk of the night and days to follow was a quite hilarious event that happened. It was Act I just after the "Three Little Maids from School" song, and the ladies chorus were giggling at the characters KoKo and Yum-Yum. We were waiting for Nanki-Poo to enter so that we could fawn over him, but he didn't enter....he wasn't even in the wing.....so we continued to giggle as Japanese school girls not really knowing what to do, and thankfully Poo-Bah and Pish Tush decided to do some improv comedy. It was Brilliant. We found soon got work on the stage that Nanki-Poo was locked in his dressing room!! Of course we all cracked up, but the audience was still oblivious to what had happened. After a good while, they were finally able to break into the dressing room, and he made his entrance. We were all quite relieved.

On Saturday, my friend Joe came into town a few hours before my Mom and little brothers made it here, and we had a lovely time. He brought homemade cookies! My family made it just in time to wave hello before I had to leave to get into costume, so I was thrilled to see them and our cousins, the Perez family after the show. We had a bit of a tailgating party as we munched on chips and sandwiches that windy evening. Lovely memory.

The performances went very well! Of course, you are your hardest critic, and there will be things in your head that you know you need to work on. It was such an enjoyable experience for me, though. I'm thrilled to have been a part.

My most looked forward to moment each rehearsal/performance: Being lifted up at least 8 feet into the air during the happy/party scene of the chorus right before our slow motion dance scene (rejoicing that Katisha can't do anything about Nanki-Poo). Steve was the 6'5" muscular guy who was my dance partner for the scene. He came up with the idea one rehearsal, and we stuck with it due to my excitement. It was always such a thrill, and I made sure we got pictures.

At the curtain call of each performance, we carried on the Gilbert and Sullivan tradition and sang God Save the Queen. It's the same melody as My Country tis of Thee, which seemed to have confused the audience, because they stood up as soon as they heard the introduction. They must have thought "Oh! It's a patriotic song.." and confused it with Star-Spangled Banner? Whatever went on, it was quite amusing.

It's been wonderful that the cast has continued to get together to watch movies and socialize. Next on the agenda is to watch Aladdin!

Work at the Skydeck and Auntie Anne's has continued to be lots of fun! The week has been a gorgeous one, so we had many visitors at the Skydeck to see the city on such gorgeous days. The most odd comment that I received during my time there was while working at the Jackson (streetlevel) gift shop. A group of about 6 guys and girls in the 18-20 age range came into the shop, and one guy commented, "Can I buy the cashier?". I was busy with the register at the time, so it didn't hit me until a few seconds later, and I looked up with the strangest face. That was the moment when I needed the Primm Lady wittiness. Nope, didn't come. It was needed not because I was interested...but because I wanted to scare him away. haha.

The past couple of days I've had the privilege of judging the Female Vocal Solo, Large Vocal Ensemble, and Youth Choir categories for the IACS Senior High Fine Arts Tournament. The coordinator of the tournament contacted me last week to see if I could be a part due to a recent judge cancellation, and it worked out marvelously with my schedule. I was thrilled to take this opportunity. I was very nervous, though, going into it due to this being my first time being a "real" judge, and not having to turn in my judging sheets to a teacher to be critiqued. So much responsibility and power was placed into my hands! As the competitions went on, I became more comfortable with everything, and thoroughly enjoyed getting to share what I have learned in my education with the contestants. I was a part of the NCSA and AACS Fine Arts competitions, and my school actually went up against a couple of these schools that I've judged back in the day at the National competition.

I've been schocked at how well they take care of the judges and staff of the competition! My eyes couldn't believe themselves at lunchtime when I happened upon the chocolate fountain surrounded by fresh fruit and other goodies to drench in deliciousness. A fellow female vocal judge who is a voice teacher at a nearby college remarked, "Do you think it would be inappropriate if i just stuck my tongue under the fountain?" We laughed and laughed. You know that's what everyone secretly wanted to do.

Chicago decided that it needed some more snow! Everyone woke up to a beautiful snow-covered and still snowing city today. It's gorgeous, but most everyone is ready for the warmer weather to actually stay :).

Big audition for the Ravinia Festival's performances of Annie Get Your Gun this coming weekend! It would be an amazing gig to get into due to the lead roles having been casted by fantastic people. Even auditioning for it will be an incredible experience!

This evening after work I will be taking the train to Elkhard, IN to visit the Perez family and see Caitlyn's performance of Seussical the Musical. It'll be a fun little trip! :)

Hope your weekend is magnificent,

TLE

Sunshine.

Yesterday was my first day at the Willis (Sears) tower Skydeck gift shop. I've been so pumped about my special ID badge. I guess I just feel a tiny bit powerful. There are 4 stores which the company operates in the tower. I trained yesterday at the gift shop on floor 103 (where the ledge, and observation area is), and I fell in love with the job. The view was inspiring. It was a clear sunny day in Chicago. The view from the gift shop is towards the east, so I caught myself gazing at Lake Michigan many times. Absolutely gorgeous. I thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of the customers. It was so adorable when people would have me pick through the money in their hand to get the right amount for payment. Some of the customers' limited English was so cute. A new employee next to me asked a man how he was doing, and he asked if he found everything ok. The man replied in a darling accent, "No, thank you." He must be used to being offered more products at the register.

I've wanted to work for a cruise line for quite some time, but those types of jobs are hard to come by. While at Willis Tower, I realized that it was kind of like working on a cruise--without the warm sun and traveling. You briefly come into contact with tourists, do what you can to make their experience memorable, meet people from all over the world, and more.

It's kind of funny to practically be a tourist myself since not being very familiar with the Chicago area yet, and having people ask me how to get to places. I have to explain my newness to the area and direct them to another employee.

The other employees have been very welcoming and fun to be around! A perk of the job is that I can take people up to the Skydeck! Can't wait for my family to come for the performances and take them up there.

Today, I worked in the main store which is on the lower level. It's like the gift shops at Disney that traps you into walking through it to exit after the ride. I laughed at every comment made like, "Oooh....that's goood...making you walk through the store" or "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS THE ONLY WAY OUT!" Yep, both ends of the spectrum of attitudes were heard on the subject.

Back to yesterday--when I was getting my things out of my locker, a fellow employee asked, "Why are you so happy?" So I paused....thought about it...and replied, "Because that's how I am, I guess."

It got me thinking about the experiment that I've been doing this week. I absolutely do not want to be like a majority of people who have glum faces on their way to work everyday. I want to enjoy work, to have a positive attitude and spread a light-hearted air to the people that I come into contact with. Even though I would rather just sing for a living, it isn't possible at this point in time, so I want to make the most of it. Though I despise mornings, I force myself to smile and hum songs on the way to the train. While at work, I make myself think of how thankful that I am to have these jobs. I think of every positive aspect in the job and let negative incidents quickly leave my thoughts. It has been a delight so far!

The Mikado!

This week has been full of rehearsals! They have been grand and much work has been accomplished. Guess what! I was able to see my costume last night. We had costume fittings, and it was so much fun to take a look at them all. We are finally moving into our stage space this Sunday afternoon! We are all so excited. I've heard that the hall is absolutely gorgeous. Some of the cast members are picking up the set tomorrow from storage and delivering it to the stage. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend! I'm having to skip out due to an audition for Court Theatre! Yay!

Something very happy from today:

I am the proud owner of a Chicago Public Library Card. My first books that I checked out? Two books on Chicago and Jane Austen's Persuasion.

I have a confession. I didn't finish Mansfield Park....it got away from me as different things added to my schedule. Hopefully these books and the others on my "want to read" list will be conquered.

This past Tuesday, March 2, would have been my Dad's 54th birthday. Since I couldn't be with my family, I decided to make my own celebration of his life. I had intended on baking a birthday cake, but my eye caught a gluten/dairy/basically everything free brownie mix from Trader Joe's, so I purchased it. My apartment lacks a mixing bowl and a brownie pan, so I used a pot and a cake pan in their places! After realizing that I didn't have any eggs, I substituted a cup of Almond milk. My dark chocolate desires urged me to mix in 85% cacao chunks, and crushed up some of my cats cookies for a little more variety. They turned out to be extremely moist/gushy--but delicious! They are incredibly RICH. You can't tell that they are actually good from the picture below---and my lack of cooking/baking history doesn't scream their wonderfulness---but my roommate and her boyfriend didn't die when they ate them, and they said that they were yummy, so I'm guessing that they are edible to the rest of the public.

Everyone tells me that this weekend is supposed to be gorgeous----in the 40's. Being from NC I laugh it up, but I'm equally excited.

Hope yours is amazing.

TLE

Opening night: Less than 2 weeks away.

The cast of the Mikado has successfully completed 2 full run-throughs of the show! Tonight we will rehearse with the chamber orchestra in a recital hall which will bring even more exciting emotions to each one of us. It's been fantastic observing and participating in the rehearsals, seeing the improvements, and how well the show is coming together. This past week, our costume designer flew in from NYC, and has been attending the rehearsals. The costumes are going to be incredible. They will be a twist of traditional Japanese costumes with a modern/artsy flair. She let us try out the gorgeous parasols, fans, and shoes. We can't use them any more until tech week so that we don't mess them up--which is a good thing at least for me...something wretched would happen to mine, I'm sure. As the blocking has continued, I now get to dance (more like a mini-spin) very briefly with the Mikado as he is singing his solo! We also have a tiny bit more choreography in a fun scene. Thankfully everything is sticking to my brain, and I don't really doubt whether or not I'll remember the choreography and blocking.

My family and some friends will be attending the show, and I'm thrilled to see them all! I get to show them my little knowledge that I've gained so far of the city!

A random thought from today: I absolutely love how my family can be so far away, yet so close. An example would be how my sister called me up just to ask what size of a particular item at the store that she should buy. We randomly call each other and ask simple questions/advice on such things. It's great :).

This past week, we began training for Jamba Juice/Auntie Anne's! I originally thought that I was going to be trained for Jamba Juice, but Monday came, and they had decided to put me on Auntie Anne's for the first couple of months then they will cross train me and others on Jamba Juice. At first it was a disappointment, but when I heard all of the noise on the other side and realized how much they have to learn from their complex menu before the opening day...I was very content! . The pretzel perfect Auntie Anne's employees weren't banging our heads up against the walls. A plus is that we all work well as a team! Our trainer Vikki was so much fun. On the first day of training, we learned how to master the art of rolling the dough and doing a special hand twist to make the pretzels look beautiful. My rolling wasn't going so well, and our manager asked, "Rachelyn do you do any baking or cooking at home?" I shyly replied, "Not really..." and she said, "Well, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and you just might be our great cashier!" I laughed and laughed at this. Of course. The ladies Primm aren't exactly known for our cooking abilities. Thankfully I have improved so that I have been able to have more variety in my job duties. Something we all learned very quickly: BEWARE of the 600 degree oven when you are the baker. I already have at least 2 battle wounds.

It's very amusing watching customers walk by the store. Especially when you greet them, and you know that they saw you, but they are refusing to look. The other kinds are those that walk by and they are looking at the menu or the fresh hot pretzels being put into the warmer, and you know that they are drooling inside and highly contemplating whether or not to purchase one. You know exactly what I'm talking about.

When I'm sitting during my lunch break gazing out the window at Navy Pier, I always keep my eyes fixed on the yachts that are used during the spring/summer months for dinner cruises. I have such lovely memories of going on a dinner cruise with my sister and a friend around NYC, and of course my longing to go on a bahama/carribean cruise (or in fact anywhere) again with my family grows. Speaking of lunch---Thursday the 25th was the day that we had our grand opening. Due to the chinese restaurant across the way was quite appealing, and it looked like it needed a customer, I decided to go there for lunch. The guy prepared everything, took it to the register, then proceeded to hand me my order saying, "Don't worry about it for today." I was shocked--not really knowing why. He then said, "It's your first day on the job, right? Don't worry about it for today." I thanked him, reassured him that I will give them more business, and happily went on my way, because I just got a free lunch!!

You know what? I've been hoping to become sick of the pretzels, so that I won't want to buy them on my lunch break, but each time I work, the smell haunts me. I don't think I have the ability to get sick of food from working with it.

One day after work, I was "freshening up" in the restroom before my Willis Tower skydeck gift shop 2nd interview/job offer. There was a little boy near the sink who looked about 2 years old, possibly closer to 3, that noticed what was in the girl's hand next to me, and he said, "Is that an iphone or an itouch? My Daddy has an iphone." .........................How in the world did that tiny kid even know how to speak that many words let alone know that there is an iphone and itouch out there?

So, as you may have gathered, I had a job offer for the Willis tower skydeck gift shop! I am now a part-time employee (which equals 2 part-time jobs), and I'll begin training Thursday. I'm super excited...mainly to get a cool ID badge that allows special access. :)

Loneliness and making friends was a topic that I touched on in my last post. Things are starting to brighten! Getting to know fellow co-workers, making acquaintances at Moody Church, talking more with the cast members, hanging out with Josh (who I had the interested meeting story about), my friend John and his fiance inviting me over to watch the Olympics one night, getting a beautiful card in the mail from my friend Jimmy, e-mails from friends I haven't heard from in a while, and more have been such blessings. I still need to follow my goal of meeting one new person a day!

This past Sunday morning I attended Moody Church again. The service was once again refreshing. Afterwards, I met with a lady with the SALT (20's-30's) Bible study class and guy from the Crossroads (college/grad students) class. They were incredibly kind, and they spoke with me some about each class and the church. I decided to try the Crossroads Bible Study class, because I assumed that they would be closer to my age. I walked into the room, looked around, and observed that the kids looked like high-schoolers! They must have all been freshman. It was fine, though due to just enjoying being there. I'm looking foward to visiting the SALT class next week! Hopefully it will be more suitable. I'm also looking into joining the choir! There have just been conflicts with their rehearsals, because of the Mikado rehearsals, but maybe in the future.

It's been interesting how pumped I am to go to church each week and strive listen attentively during the service/Bible study. Oh, how much students at BJU take for granted the Word being fed to them each day! I was one of them, although I tried to not be.

This weekend I have a big audition for Court Theatre! This theatre is what I recently saw a production at which was called "The Year of Magical Thinking". The auditions are their non-equity general auditions for musical theatre. I'm sure that the only way I even got one was through a friend who is the house manager of the theatre, so he knows people to talk to. So exciting!!

On a different note:

As the time has been approaching March 2, I've been so prayerful for my family and reflective on the beautiful memories of my Dad. He would have turned 54 on March 2nd. I still have to remind myself that he is gone, as do most people who lose a loved one. My mind has a hard time accepting that we won't ever see him again on this earth. He isn't just on a long trip. There are still so many things that I want to tell him, experience with him, and get his advice on. As rough as it is and will continue to be, I'm so thankful that he is experiencing our Heavenly Father's glory and splendor, and that we will join him someday. Truly, "Oh, what a day that will be!"

TLE

Almost 4 weeks of Chicago life.

A recent enjoyment of mine is picking up the free Red Eye newspaper which has mainly pop news inside. I've discovered that most CTA riders enjoy it as well. My excitement in getting a fresh issue each day is for the crossword puzzle. I've never been good at crossword puzzles--growing up I've always peeked at the answers unless they were for school, of course. The special thing about these crossword puzzles is that they don't give you the answers or any hints. The answers come on the next day's issue. They have been difficult, and sad to say...I've given up many times. The other day on the train, 2 girls sat down--one beside me and one in front. I was reading my book until my ear caught the girl next to me talking about the crossword puzzles in the Red Eye. She said that she always does them just to make herself feel smart, because they're so easy. Just imagine my thoughts after that statement...

Random quote dedicated to my sister from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park:

"But there certainly are not so many men of large fortune in the world as there are pretty women to deserve them."

Oh, how true.

Something I've found quite annoying is that the taxi-cabs here in Chicago highly resemble police cars. When driving, my mind is always extremely cautious of the speed limit and conscious of the break pedal due to taxis everywhere.

Rehearsals for the Mikado have continued to be a blast. There's so much little bits of choreography to remember, but the challenge is fun. It's hard to believe that we are doing a "stumble through" Run-through this Sunday afternoon! It's coming so quickly! Last Sunday, I met a couple of people that know 3 friends of mine who went to grad school with them for voice. It was quite interesting that they knew about BJU, because of my friends. Most people don't.

I had an embarrassing moment Thursday evening! There's a part when the ladies' chorus is shuffling/running in a huge circle to the other side of the stage and at the same time bowing in a japanese style to the Mikado and his "daughter-in-law elect" Katisha. Well, we rehearsed this, and I got so into it and was having fun bowing, when all of a sudden I was downstage center and realized that I should have stopped and stood in my place about 10 feet back, and everyone else was already in their places. Out of embarrassment I threw my arms out and exclaimed "Oh! Oops!" scurried back to my spot while everyone laughed. I was actually surprised that we've been in rehearsals for this long with that being my first embarrassing moment. That's a record.

Here is the poster for the show!!!!

Job update: Orientation was this past Wednesday for Jamba Juice/Auntie Anne's! The regional director Denver and the general manager Michelle did an excellent job it getting us excited for the job. It sound like a great company to work for!

I also had an interview for the Skydeck gift shop at the Willis Tower. It went very well! After they finish sifting through resumes and interviews, they will call back the people they really want for a second interview. We'll see! The wonderful thing about both of these jobs is that you can easily transfer to different cities. Jamba juice helps in relocation costs, but Skydeck doesn't..but the fact that you can easily transfer is fantastic.

Training for Jamba Juice/Auntie Anne's begins Monday bright through Wednesday, then it opens Friday!

A happy discovery was that the museums all have certain free days. This past Tuesday, my friend Austin and I really wanted to take advantage of the free day at the Shedd Aquarium.

We tried to get a couple of other people to join this fun event, but they were busy. We arrived at the aquarium around 11:00am, and the entrance was PACKED with a massive line. Schools were taking advantage of the free day...so we decided to go nearby to the Museum of Natural History. While walking through the exhibits, we saw art students sitting with their big drawing paper drawing the animal/exhibit of their choice. I knew Becca would've enjoyed seeing that since she often took her art students on field trips to draw. While in the exhibit of different kinds of birds, I wanted to create dresses inspired by birds such as the snowy egret, greater bird of paradise, and of course the peacock. Their design/feathers are gorgeous. How to accomplish this? Not quite sure yet. It will happen one day.

We also went to the planetarium, but to our disappointment, you can only go to the surrounding exhibits for free..not the actual planetarium. You'd think that for a free day to the planertarium you would actually get to see it.

On our way to the exhibits, there were giant "legs" in a park nearby. I absolutely HAD to get pictures with them.....

These are dedicated to Giuseppe...

Shedd Aquarium...Someday I'll get to really go...

Museum of Natural History...

Me with Sue!

In a glass exhibit with mammals....

Still confused why Belle was their chosen model.....

On a different note....

Big struggle this week: Loneliness. It's hit incredibly hard. Many tears over the need for fellowship. It hurt so badly that I kept on checking craigslist to get a cat to love. I called my dear mom one night and cried.."Mooommm I want a kitty!!" She was very supportive, BUT my sister said, "No! you don't need a cat...you're going to become a cat lady..and get lots of cats...have conversations with them...and refer to them as people while talking to others." I laughed and laughed. She is right. I would. She made a mission for me today--to meet someone, get a number, and have a good story to tell. At my objection, she lowered the standard to just having a good story about meeting someone. What a good cheerleader she was. I got off of my bum, got ready for the day, and started this conquest. The first stop was Quest Diagnostics to get a pre-employment drug test for the Skydeck gift shop--not exactly the place you would think you'd meet a new friend. When it was my turn to go into the back, a guy worker around my age opened the door and called my name. He was quite friendly with a very pleasant smile. My first thought was, "Greeaaat. I have to give him the cup." After giving him the sample, he asked about where I was from/why I was up here/etc. Turns out that he is a musician as well and is a piano tuner. It surprised me, because I have never met anyone around my age that was a piano tuner. We talked a little bit more, and then the other lady workers were giving him assignments to do, so he went back to give me his business card just in case I needed or knew someone that needed a piano tuned. As he gave it to me, he said, "Call me anytime" with a smile. Pretty sure I had a huge grin for at least 15 minutes afterwards. I had already met the goal of the day! I immediately called Becca and shared the story. She was proud. During my other stops of the day, I didn't really get the chance to talk to any more people, but I was satisfied. I'm thinking about making a daily goal to meeting one new person. Thanks so Becca for encouraging a day brightener :)

Random fact:

These Chocolately cat cookies for people from Trader Joe's are amazing. I have to restrain myself from eating the whole container each time my eyes lay on them.

More auditions are coming up in the future! I'll post about them (what they were for/how they went) closer to that time.

Hope your weekend is smashing!

TLE

snowy days

Most Chicago residents probably groaned at the thought of the snow storm coming, but I was filled with excitement. If I had waterproof gloves and pants I'd be out on the back building a snowman! I ran into a bit of a problem, though...I'm not sure how I'm going to get the almost foot of snow off of my car and the foot and a half of snow out from around the car so that I can use it tomorrow for rehearsals....

Speaking of rehearsals, they actually cancelled on on Tuesday due to the snow! Sunday's staging rehearsal was wonderful. I was amazed at how the director can remember to each group of people their blocking, and she smoothly transitioned from each one. She taught us different Japanese movements for us to remember so we aren't standing stiff on stage. We laughed as she looked at her notes and said, "It's a good thing that I drew stick figures for these." It was cute picturing stick figures doing the poses and movements she was teaching us. I've been able to get to know people in the cast more! It's been a pleasure. It was also fun being able to drive one of the lead singers and a fellow chorus member to the train station so that they didn't have to take a long bus ride. It's easier to remember people's names who you spend a bit of time with in a small group rather than looking at the huge cast and trying to remember everyone's names.

This past Sunday morning I attended The Moody Church which is pastored by Erwin Lutzer. My mom mentioned that she would love to go there, because his books have been such an encouragement to her. I was kindly greeted as I walked in the door, and I was amazed at the beauty of the Sanctuary. As I looked around, I loved seeing people from all kinds of backgrounds. It's a huge urban ministry. The choir and accompaniment were absolutely gorgeous, and the pastor was so wonderful. He began a series called "Nothing Else Matters: How the Glory of God gives meaning to all of life", and I can't wait to hear the rest of the series.

Newsflash-- Last week on craigslist I spotted a hiring event for a Jamba Juice/Auntie Anne's that's opening at Navy Pier soon. My friend Austin is in dire need of work as well, so we both were sure to be at the food court where the interviews were going to be held exactly at 10:00am Tuesday morning. The interviews were going to be from Tuesday until Thursday. When we picked up applications to fill out, we saw the man doing the interviews, and I immediately rejoiced inside, because he had a NC accent. I had points already. Austin had his interview first and he was hired on the spot for a part-time worker (the few ahead of us weren't...quite sad for them...). My turn came, and I tried my best to turn on the Primm lady charm. ;) Come to find out, he was the regional director of MSE, and they own a ton of locations around the U.S, so it's easy to transfer. He grew up in Denver, NC, and his daughter works for the speed channel in Charlotte, so we had a tiny bit of a connection. I asked about moving up to management, and he began to tell me about the hourly manager position and asked me if I would be interested in giving it a shot, even though I haven't had management experience, yet. So, he hired me to definitely be a part-time worker, and I could call him back to take the hourly manager position if I desired. I asked my family and friends about it, and I came to the conclusion that it would be best to start off as part-time and get the feel for it, even though I would have secure hours and higher pay with the hourly manager position. I am so thankful for this! To tell the truth, I began to worry after I got this job that I would barely have enough to cover rent and food, but I knew God would still provide. This afternoon I was contacted by the Willis Tower (formerly Sears tower) skydeck gift shop, because they received my resume and CV and wanted me to come in for an interview to be part-time employee there. If both of these jobs work out, that would be marvelous! It would be quite funny to have two jobs in high tourist areas. When I read the e-mail asking when I could come in on Tuesday or Wednesday for an interview for the gift shop, inside I thought,"See, Rachelyn! God is taking care of you!"

Today I went to the library to find and check out a book to read during spare time and when I start riding the bus/trains more often. I can't express how much I love libraries. We grew up going every weekend with Dad, and it's always a joy. I chose Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, because I want to read more of her work. :)

Also, I made it a point to take pics today......

My darling abode--2nd floor

Front Room

Living Room

Kitchen

Bathroom--Nice Brickwork!

View to little backyard

Mom's car that I borrowed :) surrounded in snow!

Lovely Houses on Nearby Street

Fair at Navy Pier

Navy Pier Chicago View

Enjoy!

TLE

settling in

Week 2 of the Chicago adventure is coming to a close. Things I've enjoyed this week: teaching myself to parallel park and being accident free, realizing my new addiction to Craigslist.org, moving into my apartment, seeing snow every day, my drive to rehearsals--passing the gorgeous lake Michigan which is frozen closer to shore topped with snow, passing the beautiful city/navy pier lights in the evenings, absolutely delicious veggie burrito from my first real visit to Chipotle, getting to know fellow cast members more, being on skype with family and friends during my brother's welcome home party...

Much has been accomplished this week in relation to job applications, but I'm still on the job search. During this search, though, Luke 12 has been a marvelous encouragement to me. I think on it every day as a reminder that our Heavenly Father knows our needs, and we don't need to constantly worry about things---He will provide!!

Big event previously mentioned was finally getting a place to live. It's a gorgeous vintage flat in a very safe area. I share the 2nd floor apartment with a female artist. She is very kind and helpful! I'm excited to get to know her more. I was so happy to find out that the previous girl who lived in the room that I am living in left her mattress/boxspring, so I have a bed! I've been scanning craigslist.com a lot--the free section particularly. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to snag anything yet, but hopefully soon I will be able to make my little room not so empty and be able to put clothes in drawers. I hope to take pictures soon to show the darling place. My favorite part about it are the doorknobs and the woodwork coming up the staircase to our apartment.

Sunday evening, I auditioned for "A Tale of Two Cities" the musical with Jedlicka performing arts center. It was a pretty good audition! I sang "When I Look at You" from the Scarlet Pimpernel and "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" from Sweeney Todd. I chose very contrasting pieces to give myself more of a chance--auditioning as a mezzo and a soprano. A not so happy thing happened, though--I wore my character shoes for the dance audition, and the material on the floor didn't agree with the sole of the shoes, so I was constantly slipping, so my footwork looked horrible! They mentioned that we should hear back by Saturday, but sadly I haven't heard back yet. My friend Austin auditioned as well, and he got a lead role--Dr. Alexander Manette--so many many congrats to him! BUT I must say though, that girls have a much harder time landing roles due to the massive amounts of girls that audition.

Everyone who auditioned received a voucher for 2 free tickets to an upcoming play. When I went up to the desk to get my voucher, I talked to the guy at the desk (he was about my age) for a tiny bit, joking about him hiding the vouchers and giving out extra for a little cash. Later when the audition was over and I was about to walk out the door, he called my name and told me that I forgot my voucher. I was utterly confused, and I said that I already got one. He kept on saying, no really, you forgot it, and proceeded to hand it to me. I laughed and thanked him, and I happily went out the door, because I thought I had 4 free tickets then, and I was trying to think of who I could invite. Later, I told Austin about it, and he said, "He gave you his number didn't he", and I said "What? No, why would he do that?", and Austin said to go check the voucher. Lo and Behold, he had written his name and number and wished me good luck. I rolled on the floor laughing about how I had completely missed it. Poor Mike didn't realize that he smoothly gave his number to a partial blonde.

I also auditioned for Light Opera Works' season with "Were I they Bride" from Yeomen of the Guard. It went quite well, and the director asked me what else do I have to sing for him. I froze for a second, then explained that I didn't bring anything else due to the website saying only one 32 bar song. I felt like an idiot. I've read this in audition books--to bring more than one selection in case they want to hear more of your voice--yet I failed to think of that. Now I know for next time! He asked me to sing my song again,though. We probably won't hear back for a couple of weeks due to the large amount of auditionees and productions that they are casting for (the auditions lasted over a week long). I'm so glad that I put that I'm currently in the Mikado on my mostly white resume, because he asked how rehearsals were going, and he mentioned that he hoped to come see the production!

For the first time ever, I saw an escalator for shopping carts only that ran right next to the people escalator in a two story target that I went into today. Pretty interesting.

Tonight was really a blessing to get to "attend" my brother's welcome home party through skype. I loved seeing and talking with everyone again. It helped ease the pain of missing them.

Tomorrow afternoon begins the first staging rehearsal for the Mikado! We will be staging the Finale from Act I after we review Act II. I am so excited for it, because staging rehearsals are the spark to the production coming alive. Music rehearsals these past couple of weeks have been fun, but once we start getting to move around and become the people of the town of Titipu. The excitement of being in a production begins to burst even more!

Better end this before my words start to become an unknown language as my eyes beg to close themselves. Pictures will come of the place soon.

Best,

TLE