I Lied

I didn't go to yoga class after all last night. It got to 7:15pm and I realised that I wasn't really in the mood for stretching and sweating uncontrolably. I also realised that I'd miss Secret Diary of a Call Girl so decided to call it a day and head home. I'll definitely go tonight. My studio has just begun doing Friday Night Yoga Class by Candlelight and I'm quite curious to see what that's like. I imagine it to be very relaxing which is exactly what I need in preparation for a busy day tomorrow. Too much to do and not enough time to do it all in. I was looking forward to a rest once I finish my play next Saturday but there's still the matter of my entire flat needing redoecorating and I'll need to get started on that soon if I'm going to be finished in time for my sister's visit in early December. Of course, after next Saturday I'll be commiting more to the rehearsals for the December play so that'll eat up a lot of my time too. It looks as if the rest of 2007 will be divided between rehearsals and decorating. When am I supposed to have some fun and relax?

Waiting For Yoga Class

It's past 6pm but I'm still in work and killing time until my 8pm yoga class. I usually leave earlier on Thursday but I came in late this morning as I needed an extra hour in bed so I'm making it up now. It's been such a draining week, I received some news from home about my brother's friend who died on Monday (after being in a car crash) and was upset by that. I knew him since he was a child and my little brother and all his friends are still 10 years old in my eyes. It wasn't until someone at worked describe it as "losing another wee brother" that I understood why it affected me so much. Tuesday was then emotional but I went to rehearsal which was long and labourious and had me throwing myself on the ground repeatedly as I was trying to get a stunt just right and done in the safest way possible. It's also been bitterly cold this week and stepping outside is quite a shock to the system. It's time to invest in some thermal underwear and a good pair of shoes/boots in preparation for November - February. I also need a good winter coat but I'm trying not to succumb to the usual black/grey coats on sale at the moment. I'm considering a long, yellow coat that I can partially pay for with some gift vouchers. I'm just wondering if I have the guts to wear it. It's certainly different and I was planning to inject a bit of colour into my winter wardrobe this year.

Despite feeling absolutely shattered, I'm still pushing myself to go to my Bikram yoga classes. I always feel good about them and there's something tempting about lying in a hot room when it's horribly cold outside. I went last night with the plan to try the best I could but if it got too much to rest and lie down for the rest of the class. However, upon arriving at the studio we found out that they would be a photographer in class. I thought this would be a good reason for me to work hard in my class, as I didn't want to turn up on any pics collapsing on the floor in a sweaty, red, mess, but I actually found the class easier than I expected it to be and felt much better at the end than I did at the start. I'm going again tonight and hope it will have the same effect.

I'm trying to get in a couple more yoga classes as next week I'll be busy doing my play everynight of the week and won't have time to workout then. I'm sure I will love doing the performances but I'm looking forward to having a rest when it's over and actually find more time in my life. I'll be rehearsing another play hroughout November but the location of the theatre/rehearsal space is much more convienent for me and I'll actually get home at a reasonable hour each night. I plan to get to the theatre a bit more in November as I still haven't seen Rent or Hairspray in the West End yet. I also haven't seen Wicked since July 17th which is absurd and unheard of for me to have such a long gap between viewings. The SHAME!!!!

So Crap I Actually Forgot To Put A Title

To be honest, I'm only updating now because I don't want to leave such long gaps in between each blog. I have nothing interesting to say. Nothing eventful's happened unfortunately nor am I depressed enough to write a "I HATE THE WORLD, YOU SUCK!" blog. My life at the moment is a constant stream of meh-ness.

We're still ploughing on with rehearsals for the comedy play which we will put on in under two weeks. I can't wait for this, I loved the performances but hate rehearsing. Especially when it's dragged on for so long like this one. Never again. Monday's rehearsal dragged on until 11pm meaning I didn't get home until after 12am and this did not please me at all. I skipped the next days rehearsal because I was knackered from getting to bed late and felt all the better for it. Sitting around for 4 hours watching everyone else while I wait to say my 5 or 6 lines is not fun and it really frustrates me as there's plenty of other things I could be doing with my time. I'll enjoy performing the actual play but I can't wait until I have more free evenings and can do stuff again.

One of the first things that needs doing is decorating the flat. I've put it off because apart from last weekend, I've not had a free Saturday for ages and if I'm to make any decorating impact on the flat then I'm going to need at least a full weekend for starters. I'm dreading the actual work itself, laying floorboards, stripping walls, painting etc. but I can't wait to have it finished and then I can go shopping for frilly girlie things. Cushions and candles and stuff. I'm looking forward to spending Winter/Christmas in my new, pretty, smelly (good smells) flat.

This has been a Crap Blog from Mel.

Not Dead... Just Floating.

I'm not dead but at the moment I'm not feeling well. Tiredness, cold, funny going-ons inside and my head feels bunged up which in turn makes me feel disconnected from the real world.
I don't know where the time has gone these past few weeks. We're now rehearsing our comedy play 3 times a week now (as opening night is October 30th) which is the only constant ouside of work. However I still manage to fill up every day/evening with something and I'm not sure what.

I can count for some days, the fundraiser party I helped organise on Sept 26th, the Darren Hayes concert on Oct 3rd, going to see a play and support friends from another theatre company last Saturday etc. I also started back at Bikram yoga last week (to help detox, de-stress, regulate my emotions and get more energy) but I'm having difficulty fitting in regular sessions. I guess in between everything I've been sleeping and when I've not been sleeping, I've been buying shoes. Then I've slept some more. That seems to sum up the past 3 weeks.

Rehearsals start tonight for the December play and as knackered and tired as I am, I'm looking forward to it. I love the company, the people and the theatre and rehearsals space is in a really convienent place that's easy to get home from. Knowing me, I'll be moaning about "bloody rehearsals" in 5-6 weeks times but I always seem to do that. Rehearsals are alright, but it's the performance nights that I LOVE.

Speaking of performing, I need to do a lot of updating about all the Prince concerts and aftershow I attended since I last blogged. I'm thinking of making the whole experience into a report which I might so this weekend (no rehearsal on Saturday - Yay!). Something big happened and as soon as I feel better I need to reconnect with it and the inspiration it gave me. I also need to sing again (as soon as my cold ends). I'm doing two plays at the moment but I need to get a bit of music back in my life. I feel that more today that i have done lately. I'd love to be involved in a music/choir performance near Christmas so I'm on the lookout for something that suits at the moment.

I'm also looking forward to the next month or two as a lot of my favourite artists will be releasing music (Alicia Keys, Britney, India.Arie) and I can't wait to hear it all. I'm enjoying the thought of the rest of this rest going by in a flurry of music and performance and finding the time to have some singing lessons and to finally book a piano lesson... or five!

Tired Prince Craziness

As was the case this time last week, we've got last minute tickets for yet another Prince concert for tonight so I must blog now before I'm overwhelmed by too many "Princeploits".

To be honest, all the concerts are starting to blur now and I'm trying to remember what particular congs he did at which concerts, and when did he say this funny thing, and which show was it that he tripped when walking over to our side of the stage etc. In a nutshell, we went to concerts last Thursday & Sunday, and also went to the Thursday night aftershow party where we got even closer to the front and got to touch one of his backing singer's (Shelby J) hands and sing into her mic.. all while trying not to look up her skirt. Yup, we were THAT close. I had to spend half the aftershow with a very rude woman, who barged her way to the front (and told me to "be happy and enjoy the show" when I shot her dirty looks for pushing on front of other people), pressing her chubby breasts against me and leaning over me to take pics of Prince (even though this is strictly forbidden). However, Prince noticed this and had one of his aides shine a torch in her face until she relented. Her equally rude friend kept sticking his arm in my face so he could click his fingers at Prince. WTF? Why would he notice you doing that and why would be appreciate THIS? After having a bit of an arm wrestle with him when he thumped my head one too many times, he & his obnoxious camerawoman friend left... hopefully sensing how hated they were by everyone in that section of the crowd.

Rooooode!

So far this week I have been incredibly tired and run down. I've also been feeling a bit weird & depressed too but I attribute that to now being in great health at the moment. I'm taking iron tabets again and eating better so I just need to get back in the gym/yoga studio and that should help me heaps! Once Mr Prince leaves town I can focus more on my play, the fundraiser for it and (afford) singing & piano lessons. Yay. The future's not so bleak.

And I promise to be nice to my sore throat/deteriorating voice and not scream (much) at tonight's concert.

The MOTHER of all Princey Weekends

As I've got another night of last-minute extreme Princeness coming up tonight I need to report on the Prince events of the weekend past before it's too late:

Friday night: Our seats were Row D in the "swirly" side of the stage (the stage is in the shape of his symbol with seating all around it) and although we were not facing the performers dead on, there was plenty happening on the Swirl to make us thank Jebbus we were there. I was with Jenny on that side and Ellie, who bought her ticket at the last minute, was directly opposite us on the other side (the Horn) side of the stage. We got there in time to see Mutya perform at support act and that was all right. He outfit did make me feel better about my legs & belly. The show started as most of them do, by showing the UK Hall of Fame footage with various performers, producers etc. gushing about how wonderful he is then Prince came on stage and opened the show with Musicology, which he usually does in the middle of the show. When he got some audience members up on stage to dance we were all entertained by some woman who was OBVIOUSLY drunk. Prince took one look at her and said "The bar's closed!". She was quickly escorted off stage. After that another woman on stage began bellowing into Prince's mic until he swiftly ran over and grabbed it away form her. The rest of the night was great and again did the usual songs (Cream, Kiss, Purple) as well as 7 and a cover of Come Together. I like to think he was covering MJ's version of the song. There was also a small paino set onthe Swirl where I FINALLY heard him sing (a bt of) Diamonds & Pearls and unknown song called 1000 Hugs & Kisses which was beyoooooootiful and I WANT!!!! After the encores, the house light partially came on and we were about to leave when he noticed the stagehands dragging his keyboard back onstage and Princey came out and delighted us for a further 10 mins doing his solo "Synth Set".

Once we were certain that the concert had well and truly ended (when Prince get wheeled out in his little black box), we said goodby to Jenny and me & Ellie made out way back to the flat (after shopping for provisions at 24hr Asda and waiting almost an hour for a taxi!). At the flat I bravely wired my cooker into the mains (I wanted to do it when someone, Ellie, was with me just incase I did it wrong and ended up blowing myself up in the process. I didn't). With pizza & cola-cola, we sat down at 4am and amused/tortured ourselves by watching one Prince's films "Graffiti Bridge". It may have only been 80 mins long but it seem to drag on and on.... Watching it did however, start to make me feel better about myself. I may be in awe at Prince's musical talent, but an actor (and scriptwriter?) he is not, and knowing that he is AMAZING but not amazing at everything make me feel a little bit more hopeful in myself.

After lying around the flat all day Saturday and making sure I rested enough so I could make it through the night, we got the the arena after Mutya left the stage and not long before Prince would begin. As he was a bit late coing on stage there was no UK Hall of Fame video shown tonight, instead the lights were turned off and in the darkness we bagan to make out the band coming on stage and getting into position. Then a loud wrapped voice rang out over the areana "I don't want to hurt you... I only want you to have fun..." the crowd went hysterical as we realised what song was going to open the show, then we were awash with red & yellow lights and the horn section blasting out the opening to 1999. I got goosebumps then and I'm getting goosebumps now as I write this - it was the PERFECT opening atmosphere! During the Musicology section, Will.I.Am. came onstage with the audience members and walked over to our side (were were 5th row at the Horn part of the Symbol) and (with Prince beside him, who tripped up walking over to us) did a wee rap. Then he (Will) went off stage after that section of the concert was done and went back to sitting in the VIP area and playing with him mobile phone. There was a huge encore that night with Prince coming back on stage 3 times and one of the last songs to be played was Controversy, which is now a Mellie Concert Favourite. We ADORE this song being performed ESPECIALLY with the Housequake ("We know 'bout the 'Quake" breakdown) and for him not to performe it one night would be unforgivable.

Despite queueing for the loo and then taking the long way 'round to exit the arena, we got in the queue for the afterparty show and got really close to the front. Somehow I managed to last the 90 mins in the crowd waiting for Prince & his band to come on, despite annoying people trying to push their way to the front, some pretty girl flirting with a security guard when SHE kicked up huge fuss because some guy accidentally pushed her (the whole crowd surged forward at that point), and some scary emactiated Asian woman staring at Ellie with her green Laser Eyes as she was trying to get back to her place in the crowd. Finally at 1am Prince & band came on and performed for another 90 minutes. They did some of his own less-well known songs (he did "The 1 U Wanna C" from his new album which I luuuuve) and some cover versions including Janet's "What Have You Done For Me Lately" and the new Amy Winehouse song. It was unbelievable being less than 6 feet away from him and then it got better when at the very end of the show he walked over to our little section of the crowd and held his guitar out to us. We all surged forward to touch it and then Prince left it go and let it "crowdsurf" for a little bit before a satgaehand pulled it away form us. The crowd began to disperse and we began to have a little dance to the music the DJ was playing wen he can back out of stage. EVERYONE manically ran to the front and we were properly WEDGED in and unable to jump when we were told too. Luckily (or not) he only did one song and left the stage for good and we were able to breathe again. I forgot what it felt like.

The original plan for tonight was to go to the aftershow tonight and queue up for it early so we'd get right to the very front (barriers, not with a couple of people in front of us), however Ticketmaster just released some fantastic seats that we'd be foolish not to snap up. I have no idea what I'm going to do about work tomorrow. God help me!

A Princey Weekend

I'm sitting here overdosing on Prince music and I'm seeing him again tomorrow night/tonight and Saturday night too. I'm going with Jen on Friday which will be a lot of fun as it will be her first Prince concert and it will be fun to see her reaction to the show. Again, I will be saying a decade of the Rosary so that he will perform "Gold". I think I would melt into a puddle of tears if he did that. I also be going to another aftershow party after the Saturday show and hopefully this time I'll have much more energy and be less stressed and be able to enjoy the show and won't miss out by slumping against a pillar at the back for most of the night. Listening to the show with my head in my hands wasn't bad but I imagine it would have been much more fun seeing Mr Nelson funk his way around the stage all night in his orange feather hat.

I'm also pondering whether or not I should get a digital camera this weekend. It would be very useful to have but I'm just too gutless to spend that much amount of money in one go. Plus I'd have to use some of my savings fund and I quite like the thought of having that money and not touching it. But then that isn't very fun is it? Then again, I could also use that money to pay for a month's membership at Bikram yoga which would also be useful, but I'd had nothing to show for spending that money apart from my health and a hot bod. Which do I want more? Hot body or apparatus that takes pics of my current flabby body....