From the Inside Out

It’ll be a short blog post tonight as I have to get up in four short hours to catch a flight. I’m heading to Italy for a few days to relax, rejuvenate, and restore my sanity — especially after today. It’s always a nightmare at work right before you’re about to leave!

My blogging may be irregular over the next few days as I may not have great Internet access at my hotel; however, don’t let that stop you from checking the site for updates. When I am able to connect, I’ll upload pictures and give you the play-by-play of my Italian adventure.

Arrivederci!

What a great day! Jacob Lowry is back at ALC for the weekend, and we met today to learn a few new songs for service tomorrow morning. I really love one of the songs we’re singing, “Open Up the Sky” by Deluge. The words of the chorus really hit home with me.

All I want is more of Him, and He did not disappoint today. His sprit fell in a powerful way during rehearsal, and it was such a blessing. It just proves that whenever you praise Him with your whole heart, He will be there. You don’t need a crowd — just an open heart. Love it!

This evening, Gary and I went downtown for dinner and a show. We ate at the new Hard Rock Cafe which opened recently in Victory Park. It’s great having a Hard Rock in Dallas again, but this one is more modern than most of the ones we’ve visited. It doesn’t seem to have the same charm (or as much memorabilia) as the others, but the “twisted mac & cheese” is fantastic!

After dinner, it was time for “Legally Blond: The Musical” at Fair Park. If you enjoyed the movie, you’ll love the show. It was filled with fun, perkiness, laughs, and lots of pink. As the ads say, it was “one “Elle” of a show!” My favorite parts included the UPS guy and the courtroom “gay or European?” scenes. The dogs also provided some cute “aww” moments.

If you haven’t seen it yet, buy tickets and go next weekend. You’ll have a great time…and don’t forget to wear pink!

Yay, I finally got to catch up on some of the sleep I lost this week! That is why Saturday is one of my favorites — it’s the only day I can sleep late on a regular basis. It’s amazing how good you feel when you get a decent night of sleep. I really should try it more often.

Sometimes people make fun of me for sleeping until noon on Saturday, but according to Wired magazine, sleeping late is smart. Here are three reasons why:

1. You may need more sleep than you think.
   Research by Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders Center found that people who slept eight hours and then claimed they were “well rested” actually performed better and were more alert if they slept another two hours. That figures. Until the invention of the lightbulb (curse you, Edison!), the average person slumbered 10 hours a night.
2. Night owls are more creative.
   Artists, writers, and coders typically fire on all cylinders by crashing near dawn and awakening at the crack of noon. In one study, “evening people” almost universally slam-dunked a standardized creativity test. Their early-bird brethren struggled for passing scores.
3. Rising early is stressful.
   The stress hormone cortisol peaks in your blood around 7 am. So if you get up then, you may experience tension. Grab some extra Zs! You’ll wake up feeling less like Bert, more like Ernie.

First, I have to say that I’m sorry for the lapse in blogging. I’m still adjusting to the new 3-hour rehearsal schedule at night, plus I’ve been working after practice. It’s exhausting. After such a long day I don’t have much to say, except that I’m tired — and that doesn’t make a compelling blog post.

Tonight, we focused on the remaining blocking for the first half of the play, then we got into the fun stuff…the chase scene! Our stunt coordinator choreographed the routine tonight. It’s going to be hilarious. Think Benny Hill and craziness. Fun stuff!

Below are a few pics I snapped with my cell phone of the historic McKinney Theatre where we’ve been practicing this week and where we’ll be performing in July.

Getting ready for the fun

Gary and “Ma” — kicking off the crazy, action-packed chase

“Sahara” receiving instruction from the chase scene choreographer

Looking towards the back of the multi-level theater — yes, those are authentic hard wood chairs and floors.

It’s a neat facility with lots of history.

Short blog tonight — still recovering from the dreaded Colonoscopy — but I do have a treat for you. I’ve finally uploaded pictures from the drama (The Prison) last week.

Check out the Photos section of the blog and enjoy!