Happiness is...

I've been neglecting the blog. And Facebook. And Twitter. And Flickr. And email. I'm thinking it might be a good thing, though. For the first time in a while my real life is looking pretty damn attractive, and I'm nurturing it instead of my online life. Lest you think that I've abandoned you completely, however, here's an update.

What have I been doing instead of telling you all about my life? Well, working, for the most part. We've been rehearsing Magic Flute for a week now. Coming back to Flute after having just done it this summer is a bit like seeing an old friend. Only in this case, it's that socially awkward friend who invites himself to parties and then gets just a little too drunk and passes out on your couch. Despite the fact that it's not my favorite opera (not even close), though, I seem to be having a great time working on it. Part of it is just familiarity; I think I never truly know an opera until I've worked on it, and this one? This one I know. I'm also enjoying doing an opera in German more than I can say. Flute has a bunch of German dialogue, and I'm delighted by how much my comprehension, grammar, and the flow of my speech have improved since this summer. I was even able to help answer a grammar question in rehearsal the other day. Don't think I won't be bragging about that for the next few days months.

But the best thing about working on this production is that rehearsals are fun (seems like a no-brainer, but it is definitely not always the case). The singers are young, vibrant, and inventive; the conductor is soft-spoken and laid back with a wicked sense of humor that surprises me every time; and the director has a fantastic creative energy that sets the tone for rehearsals that are full of collaboration and discovery. And all this, despite the fact that, being Winter (yes, even in Houston we call it Winter), few of the cast members have not succumbed to some kind of illness, and we've even had one casting change as a result. Still, I'm having the best time! Who knows, the opera itself might even grow on me.

When I'm not in rehearsal, I've been spending lots of quality girl time with The New Oregonian (we're roommates now!) and my other girlfriends, co-hosting a Superbad party, chauffeuring CameraMan to various doctor's appointments (leprosy, in case you're wondering), going to the gym, and freaking out that I haven't found a summer job yet. I'm told that once I adopt a Zen attitude and decide I really don't need a summer job, an amazing opportunity will just land in my lap, but I haven't figured out quite how to get there yet.

Today's my free day for the week, the one day in which to cram everything I haven't done since my last free day (New Year's Day). I got my hair done (yay! no more straggly bangs and unsightly roots!), ran lots of errands, did laundry, cleaned, and sent my résumé to remind people that I exist and am highly employable.

And now I'm sitting with a cup of tea and shortbread cookies (thanks a lot for that new habit, Army Brat), listening to William Fitzsimmons, and feeling almost, dare I say it...happy.

Hey, what do you know.