From the Inside Out

On July 23, I will be cycling in the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure fundraising event at Texas Motor Speedway. More than 23.6 million Americans — including some of my own family members and friends — suffer from diabetes. During this event, I’ll be joining with riders from across North Texas to help ride for a cure.

Gary and I will be cycling the course with the Cisco corporate team, and I need sponsors to help me reach my fundraising goal of $150. All proceeds benefit the American Diabetes Association and will help us make a difference in the fight against diabetes.

If you’d like to sponsor me, click here to visit my personal site and make a donation.

Together, we can all make a difference!

After a 9-hour flight, 5-hour layover, and one additional 50 minute flight, we landed in Salzburg. The trip was long, but I have to say it was well worth it! It’s gorgeous here, and the weather was perfect. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.

It was early afternoon when we arrived, so we stopped by the hotel, dropped our bags, and then ventured out to explore the city. Our hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the Old Town of Salzburg, so most of the major historic attractions, shops, and restaurants are located within walking distance.

Here’s a sampling of what we found (for more pictures, check out the Austria album).

Salzach River, which runs through the middle of the city

Mozart’s birthplace and home

Shops on Getreidegasse Street

View of the Old Town and Hohensalzburg Fortress on top

Like a postcard everywhere you look!

The Dom, a cathedral built in 776

We ate dinner at McDonalds. Yes, I know, but due to the jet lage, we were hungry early and most of the restaurants weren’t serving yet. Besides, this McDonalds had the best outdoor garden eating area and lounge. Bet you’ve never seen that at a McDonalds before.

After dinner, we did a little more exploring, but the time change was taking it’s toll, so we turned in early for the evening to get some rest.

Tomorrow, we begin our cycling adventure with our first ride around Salzburg! Can’t wait.

They say that time flies when you are having fun. I guess that means I’ve been having lots of fun lately! Between work, church, rehearsals at McKinney Repertory Theatre, and training for the MS 150, I scarcely remember the month of April. It’s a good fuzzy blur of activity.

As I sit writing this blog, the world is eagerly awaiting the marriage of Kate and William. The festivities will take place at 5 am local time on Friday, but for me, I’m anticipating another momentous event. An event that will also start in the wee hours of the morning. It may not be as big as the wedding of a prince, but it holds tremendous meaning for me. It’s the MS 150 ride on Saturday and Sunday. I’m both excited and intimidated, but despite my conflicting feelings, I’m eager to get it started.

If you’ve been reading my blog, then you know I’ve been training for a long time for this ride. I even survived a crash and fall on my last ride the Sunday before the event. In spite of the soreness, I’m moving forward. I’m pushing through it, and I’m ready to go.

There’s only one more day left! Wish me good luck, sunny skies, and warm, dry weather.

I’m happy to report that Gary and I were cast in the upcoming production of “Leaving Iowa” presented by Imaginary Inc. After auditioning last week, we received a call from one of the Producers on Saturday, and they offered both of us roles in the production!

I’m excited and a little nervous. We only have only four weeks until opening night, so the next few weeks are going to be very hectic. They want all actors to be off book (have all lines memorized) as soon as possible. I’m hoping I can keep up with everything — work, Saturday Night Life, church, family, travel, and Leaving Iowa rehearsals — without completely stressing out.

We met the other cast members tonight and had our first read through of the script. There are a total of six actors (3 men and 3 women) in the play, including me and Gary. The script is great. It’s a comical and sometimes touching story about the classic family road trip. Here’s a brief synopsis:

Leaving Iowa is the story of Don Browning, a middle-aged writer, who returns home and decides to finally take his father’s ashes to his childhood home, as requested. But when Don discovers Grandma’s house is now a grocery store, he begins traveling across Iowa searching for a proper resting place. This road trip shifts smoothly from the present to Don’s memories of the annual, torturous vacations of his childhood. Leaving Iowa is a postcard to anyone who has ever found himself or herself driving alone on a road, revisiting fond memories of youth.

Performances will be held on September 1-4 and 8-10 at the Courtyard Theatre in downtown Plano. Tickets will be available soon. The website should go live tomorrow.

We held auditions for our annual comedy show this evening, and we saw some great talent tonight. Some of the actors had us laughing hysterically during their performances. They really let go and had fun with it which makes for a very entertaining audition process.

The hard work begins when all of the actors have departed and the casting directors are left to decide which actors will be assigned to each role. It’s so difficult to choose, especially when you have such great options. Eventually, we narrowed it down to a cast of 15 actors. It’s a larger number than I had originally wanted, but we can make it work. This cast gives us a nice mix of existing talent, core “ALC Drama Players,” and newcomers.

The show will be held on Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9 at 7:30 pm in the main auditorium at Abundant Life Church (ALC). The guest host this year will be ALC’s Greg Bailey, and Jacob Lowery will be returning from Nashville as our special musical guest. It’s going to be a fantastic show!

Mark your calendar now, and don’t miss out on a fun night of laughs, surprises, and entertaining performances.