The biggest thing I accomplished in 2013 was I finished my last semester to get a degree in Technical Theater from Georgia Perimeter College. This was a goal, but not a specific 2013 goal, I started going back to school while I was working at the law firm back in Spring of 2008 before I was laid off and then I started again once I was eligible for a Pell Grant in Fall of 2011. Much more of a long term goal then one of a resolution for 2013, but since it happened in 2013 does it count? I worked for a long time to keep up the straight As I got from Fall of 2011 through my final semester.
I did get to do my first professional (paid) lighting design for Lady Lay at 7 Stages Theater. This is why I've been going to school. So I would have enough skills to keep myself employed regardless of what the job openings were. Stage Manager, Costumer, and now Lighting Designer. I was also thrilled to add Production Manager to this list this year as well. The only way to stay employed in theater is to be able to do ANYTHING so they can use you regardless of what they have available. Make yourself invaluable and they can't help but want to keep you!
Syrens of the South lost a venue and then found a new monthly home at The Shelter and 7 Stages. We had two super successful show at 7 Stages with Syrens celebrating its 6th birthday (we're now in our 7th season) and a SOLD OUT 7th Annual Tits for Toys for Tots show. We ran a wonderful monthly show at The Shelter from May through Dec that brought together the community a great deal with helping fund Southern Fried Burlesque Fest as well as an outlet for performers new and old to test out new acts and get videos of performances. Sadly, as of tonight the Shelter is closing but it has been very good to us over the past 4 years as we've performed there MANY times since they opened as guests, features and sometimes just because we were getting rowdy as customers. But notice that it's a 4 year relationship with The Shelter and our 7th Anniversary. We moved to 7 Stages because I started working there in 2012 and that relationship is what led to our shows being there, again not a 2013 only decision.
Southern Fried Burlesque Fest, I launched a Kickstarter to pay off the 2013 festivals bills and raise the money for the down payment for the 2014 festival and it was successful. I was shocked, we even went a little over so we were able to pay off the SFBF credit card as well which was amazing. We've actually already been able to pay $4000 of the $8500 we have to pay for the hotel space (not including air fare, hotels rooms, performance fees, etc...) which is a huge leap from where we normally are. The Kickstarter may be the only thing that was thought of and executed in 2013, but Southern Fried has been my baby since 2010 when I began working on the 1st one that took place in 2011.
In January I began working at Studio Burlesque which later became The Atlanta School of Burlesque under Ursula Undress' leadership. Not my first time teaching (obviously since Ursula was once a student of the Syrens of the South ABCs and 123s of Burlesque back in the day) but my first time having it be a main source of income and a steady job with a schedule. A nice evolution of things I have been working towards since I started teaching in 2007. (WOW, has it been that long already?)
So these were my big life changing things in 2013 which all happened due to YEARS of hard work rather than a major change in 365 days. Maybe that's the point of this post, these things don't happen over night, they don't happen in the span of a year, everything we do leads us to our future and those are years in the making. I think it is good to have goals, I like lists to check off to have a feeling of accomplishment when I am working on things. Everyday we make choices, those choices pile up into our futures. Instead of trying to change over night make one choice each day that makes you better than the day before and eventually you'll be the person your resolutions say you are.
And on that note, I guess I should have some resolutions that are doable.
2. Eat more vegetables. I actually really like vegetables, my problem has been I have been super busy and my eating habits have been kinda crap. I just generally need to pay more attention to what I put in my body. I am not giving up anything or denying myself anything, I just need to add some healthy things in there as well.
3. See my friends more. I have been so busy with work and school many of my personal relationships have suffered. Even if I just go hang out once a week with someone I'll be doing infinitely better than I have been able to do.
4. Do more things...I need more adventures. I need to say yes to more things instead of being weird about wandering out by myself or feeling silly. Silly feels awesome and should be embraced more.
5. Organize my existence more. I need structure to get things done, that's what being in school has taught me. I work best with a schedule. All of my other goals will be more easily accomplished if I do this one thing.
5 resolutions seems like a nice number so I'll stop there. Am curious as to what other people's resolutions are/will be and how many other people accomplished from the year before.
. However, those aren't the things that made me adore him as an actor and spending the rest of my life excited when I saw his name associated with a project. No, I discovered Peter O'Toole through one of my favorite movies, 
. 
with Malcolm McDowell who is one of my favorite actors. He was the Pope in the television show 
which was an amazing series, but I have to say that I loved him as the voice of Anton Ego in 
. The hardened food critic whose heart was soften by a cooking rat and a boy who finds his confidence. I bring up these particular roles to show the insane amount of versatility that he had as an actor. If you look at his
