Good strides.

Wow, I needed a day like yesterday. I got so much done. Primarily, I found homes for my desk, tall shelves, and old computers. I sold the desk through an ad on Craigslist, and just a few hours after the initial e-mail, it was on its way out the door. (Thankfully I had finished my last illustration assignment yesterday morning.) The tall shelves went to my friend Mary and a non-profit she has called The Birthday Box Project (giving fully packaged party kits to underprivileged kids). Since the departure of these items kind of crept up on me, last evening was under the time crunch of clearing the desk and shelves... and getting quite a bit of the stuff in boxes. The computers will be literally going across the street to a little computer shop which will polish 'em and resell for low prices. I'm not getting any money for them, but at least they're saving me the cost of recycling.

I also finished boxing up books and music for my media mail shipment to the folks. Right now, I'm off to the post office to send them off. And then I'll swing by the printer to make the spiffy prints of my commissioned piece. This afternoon, I'll pack some more, and then I'm heading south to return a friend's guitar I've borrowed. Back home tonight to pack some more and hit the hay for a busy weekend of coffee and meetings and gatherings. Wheee!

I'm not entirely sure why I'm listing out all the details of my to-do list except that I think it helps my resolve to see what I've accomplished. You just happen to get to have a peek into my whirlwind. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Getting stressed...

Wow, I'm becoming more and more aware of all I need to do before I take off next week.

I've made huge strides already, but I still need to box up my carefully divided piles. It's a big puzzle how everything will go into those boxes and where they will end up, and I think that's the most daunting part of the task.

I still need to find homes for my desk and a couple tall shelving units. I have leads, but it's stressful getting my needs and others' schedules to meet up.

Planning the drive to Oregon is giving me a little stress, but my hope is that once I'm on the road along the California coast, it will be a sort of vacation. My initial plan is to make it to Monterey on the first day, and on the way I want to see Hearst Castle and whatever else I can see. The second leg will bring the Monterey Aquarium, a short stop in San Francisco, and I'm hoping I'll be able to get to Eureka by nightfall. And then the final leg will take me up the coast into Oregon and to my folks in Lebanon. In addition to wanting to see the California and southern Oregon coastline, that route will also help me avoid what could be snowy patches along the I-5 route. I do look forward to being in the car, listening to favorite tunes including my reference CD of the songs that will be in the Milwaukee show. Road trip!

I've also gone ahead with plans to take part in a living room reading as a last (for now) hurrah with my peeps at Musical Theatre Guild. That takes place on Monday, but we have a read-through rehearsal this evening. I'm a little ashamed to say I haven't done much homework and I'm afraid that I will be the weak link. While they are working with me fully knowledgeable of my situation, I still feel bad. Maybe if I can just set aside an hour before rehearsal, I'll feel a lot better.

That's not all... I've taken on a commissioned illustration project that needs to be completed before I leave. On one hand, it's a little stressful, but on the other, it might just be the saviour of my sanity. When my brain gets full with planning and organizing and my body gets tired from lugging boxes, it has been healing to be able to sit at the desk and create something of beauty. The subject resonates with me and I'm finding it a joy to draw. And the fee will be partially applied to packing and shipping and traveling expenses, and for that I'm super grateful.

Add to all of this a steady schedule of meetings and lunches and coffees. I've got to plan a tiny road trip to return a guitar. I'll be attending the opening night of an amazing show featuring dear friends. And I've got to do my best to get my rest. The happy irony of this situation is that even though I'm stressed out, I've still been able to fall asleep when the head hits the pillow. Grateful!

And of course, I'm procrastinating by posting on my blog. But it does feel great to write out what's spinning in the noggin. Back to work! Take care, all! Peace and love.

Purgin' and packin'... but the art rolls on.

In the midst of all this shuffling of my belongings, I've also been keeping the hand in the art. There are still a few commissioned things I'm working on, but the majority of what I've done lately is seen on my Squigs Knows His Lines page (which has been around for one full year now)...







Here are a few recent pieces. There's Ricky Jay who I caught in his latest one-man show in Los Angeles, the three gents who have played Tevye in the current Fiddler On the Roof tour, Elaine Stritch who is playing a limited engagement at the Café Carlyle, and pieces heralding the Broadway openings of Present Laughter (starring Victor Garber) and A View From the Bridge (starring Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson).

I enjoyed a wonderful couple of hours at the Huntington Library and Gardens today, thanks to the benevolence of an anonymous friend. What a beautiful sunny and cool day in Pasadena! I absolutely loved perusing the art and the flora.

This week will be all about wrapping up... boxes, paperwork, time with friends. I have so much to do, but I think the scheduled work load is doable. Here we go! Take care, all! Peace and love.