Thai Yoga Massage!

Ahhhhhhh!

I've been back in the "Big Smoke" for a little over a week now. It's nice to be home...and a bit weird. I'm missing my pals from out West, the trees, the ocean, the vibe....I've been lucky enough to have already had a visit from Connor and his Mom, which helped the withdrawal a little bit!

I came home to an apartment in desperate need of unpacking and that is STILL a work in progress. The exciting news is that I spent the better part of last week taking a course in Thai Yoga Massage!!!! Suddenly I feel as though I have a TRUE skill, not just in my back pocket, but in my very HANDS!

How to describe Thai Yoga massage.....Well, it takes place on a mat, on the floor, fully clothed with no oils. It's interactive, meditative and yogic. It involves stretching and massage....and at the end of it BOTH the giver and receiver feel relaxed and completely energised! How amazing is that?! It's also a VERY hip and cool form of massage that folks are starting to get into these days...so, once again I find myself ACCIDENTALLY on the cusp of cool....not understanding how I got there!

There were nine of us ladies in the class. Seven of nine were RMT's, one was a professional kayaker...and then there was me, the actor.....Two of the ladies were also Shamen - which was very cool too.

I now have to embark on several practise massages and hope to sign up several friends for this adventure. No freebies though -and the Sha-ladies suggest that it's not good to leave folks energetically in debt to you. Who am I to argue that? (though i will be offering my first 15 massages at a significant discount!)

Plans for the rest of December?
1. unpack
2. paint
3. hang with Horak as much as possible
4. relax
5. write
6. massage
7. have a GREAT Xmas eve with the friends.....

Then, off to Guelph for a little Chekov in January. Fun times!

More blog thoughts to follow....

R

Epilogue....

Just got back from a HUGE walk along the ocean...most likely the LAST I will be able to fit in before I fly out of here. It occured to me along the way that there are still so many things and people that I haven't written about....So, as inspiration strikes, I will continue to write about them over the next few weeks....

Two people that I MUST touch on are Gary Harvey and Susin Nielson who are the creative partners behind not only Alic, I Think, but also Robson Arms. They are an amazing duo who work incredibly well together! Gary taught me many lessons over the last few weeks. He directed two of the five blocks we shot. Gary comes on as a director and sets the TONE for the entire crew. I had my director's eyes trained on him the entire time. He remains calm at all times, gives time to his actors (and knows how to talk to actors!)and gives time to his crew. He also puts his trust in people which makes you want to work hard for him and give him your best. He's quick to laugh, give over to you if you have a "better" idea and is clear about what he wants. I'm a HUGE fan and pray that I might work with him again. I will also strive to be more like him the next time I direct anything!

Susin is the head writer on the show. What a FUN lady - and one of the snappiest dressers ever! (funky-ass shoes!) Susin's fame quadipled in my eyes when I found out that she was one of the writers on the original Degrassi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I freakin' LOVE Degrassi and couldn't gush over her enough when I found this out. She also wrote some of the Degrassi books and gave me a copy of "Shane". I could weep with joy. Susin has a great sense of humour and I have a ton of respect for the attention she paid to the married relationship bewteen "John and Diane". They are a couple in love, even after many years of married life. Very, very cool.

I will miss our camera man David. He's an Argentinian with a HOT accent. David (did I write about him earlier?) set a great tone at work too. I was also excited to find out that he was a child star on TV in South America. He brought in some B&W photos for us to look at. He was the host of a children's variety show for 6 years. Dude interviewed MENUDO, if you can even believe it!

One of our grips was a man named Darin. Darin stood out from the crew for a few reasons: a wonderful smile, great salt and pepper hair, a gentle nature AND he's 6'7"....yes, I mean SIX FEET SEVEN INCHES TALL!!! Hard to miss him! What will stick out most in my mind though is that not once in 10 weeks did he ever wear PANTS, no matter what the weather! Always shorts. At first I wondered if it might be because it's not possible for find pants that fit a 6'7" frame....I finally asked about it though and found out that he just doesn't get all that cold. This got me wondering what Darin's threshold temperature might be....There were days when we could see our breath and still Darin never wore pants....even on the day I busted him being a bit cold, clenching his hands and rubbing them. I think by that point he was trying to make a statement. I had hoped to see him in pants at the wrap party...but he never showed....Darin remains pantless in my mind!

More later....

R

....that's a WRAP!!!

Alice, I Think, season one, wrapped officially on Friday night. Our last day of shooting saw us shooting a promo spot for CTV - "Coming to CTV in January...", and then Dan Payne, Sarah-Jan Redman and I in period costumes to shoot scenes from the romance novel that John attempts to write. God - I LOVE wearing corsets!

On Saturday night we had our wrap party. I really dressed it up, thanks to Enid-Rae, in a strapless dress and 10-minute high heels. I also discovered that when I've had a little too much to drink I don't fall down, break things or barf anywhere - but I do karaoke like an idiot! I'm ashamed to say that I was up there FOUR times over the course of the evening...but people were dancing to it, so maybe it wasn't all that bad?

On Sunday I got a gang together and went to see Bruce's matinee performance of The Canada Show - the two act version, at the Waterfront Theatre. During the wrap up of the show Bruce came forward and said, "Well, we paid tribute to a lot of the cool chicks of Canada earlier in the show...but there's a chick in the audience today that I want to pay special tribute to..." Then he jumped down off the stage, made his way into the audience, pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him! I said YES, of course, because we've already been planning the wedding for over a month. It was a real surprise though. I didn't think I would cry but I did...as did many folks in the audience. Well done Horak!

It's hard to believe that my first "big gig" has already come to a close. The last 2 1/2 months have FLOWN by. It's been a real treat to work with such an amazing bunch of people - so many that I hardly touched on any of them over the course of my blogging. I also cannot believe the difference a job you love, with wonderful positive, supportive people makes. I feel like a different person and I am so grateful for having had this experience. I have fallen particularily in love with my TV family. Dan, Carlie and Connor and all amazing people that I count amounf friends now - not to mention a few of the other cast members too! I have been told that this experience has not been "typical" and that I've now been spoiled for future projects....

So - we have three pick-up days this week to get some of the coverage we missed out on over the shoot...Then home to Toronto! December will see Bruce and I painting our new apartment, hanging out and planning the wedding. January/February Bruce heads to Calgary for the High Performance Rodeo and I'm off to Guelph to do a little Chekov. I can hardly WAIT to do some theatre!

Chances are good that my blogging will slow down a bit once I'm home....Everday life seems a bit less sensational. Maybe that's a bad attitude to take though. I've had such adventures of late, and my friends back in Toronto really make me feel as though I live in a sit.com all the time...so, you never know. Stay tuned....

The Home Stretch

Where does all the time go?

We are heading into our final week of shooting (though we've just had word that there will be a few extra days tacked onto the end to make up for shots that we still owe). None the less - the time here in White Rock has FLOWN by! It occurs to me that this may be the result of a schedule that has seen me getting out of bed before 8am and working everyday but weekends.....Is this really the way that most grown-ups live?!

This past weekend I zipped off to Calgary for a whirlwind visit of friends and family. Delightful! I do miss Calgary in so many ways....Everyone looks great and their lives seem to be progressing along nicely. The NEW Loose Moose Theatre is a sight to behold! I'm a bit heart broken that I won't be able to attend the Grand Openning on Nov.11 - but I am thrilled that there's a new space waiting for throngs of volunteers and improvisers to break out some felt hats and do a Hat Game. My weekend came to a close with thoughts of moving home running through my mind....

Although I am very much looking forward to getting back to Toronto, I am going to miss staying at the Ocean Promenade Hotel - and not just because I've had maid service for 2 1/2 months. The staff here have been amazing at making our stay here a home away from home. Mary and Luba are the two front dest ladies that we've had the most contact with. Mary always lets me sneak into the office and use the computer - though only after checking to make sure no "Top Secret Documents" are lying around. I feel quite certain that Mary is fronting some sort of Espionage ring and hatching plots to bring the White Rock hotel industry to it's knees. Luba is a delightful woman who claims to have a married son in his twenties...although she herself doesn't look much older than 35. Luba always has some wonderful tip for better living when you pass by the desk:

1. spicy food causes depression but enjoy your dinner at the Indian restaurant anyway
2. we get most of our nutrients from the air we breathe
3. negative sounds and thoughts affect our health
4. never buy flowers in full bloom -they will only die the next day, but if you are the recipient remember that it's the thought that counts more than how long the flowers live
5. yoga, yoga, yoga
6. stay away from jealous men
7. White Rock is a beautiful town full of decay...so many OLD people

If you're ever in White Rock needing a place to stay - I couldn't reccommend the Ocean Promenade more!

When I get home I'm taking a Thai Yoga massage intensive (in case I never work as an actor again). I can hardly wait! I was told last week that I have a very 'calming touch'....so, I'm hoping that will help me with massage! FYI: I will be required to give 10 free massages as part of the course work - so if anyone is game to let me try out my new moves on them and willing to document it, please let me know! ( I'm also going to need help painting our new apartment....)

Anyhow....more later....