NO Milestone or Sadiversary today! YAY!

Well, maybe... after Mommy died, I traveled to Florida on either Wednesday the first or Thursday the  2nd.  It's probably better that I don't actually remember or pay attention to that particular travel date.  Oh, no, wait... wait.  I remember now.  When Mommy died, I was part of a children's show at my local Los Angeles theatre company... we'd had two Saturday matinees and then suddenly, I had to travel to Florida for a memorial service.  I had an understudy for the show, who had seen my rehearsals and performances, and could probably have gone on the following two Saturdays without any input from me.  But I needed to stay busy before I got on the plane, so I went to the theatre on that Wednesday the first to "assist" in the rehearsing of my understudy.

When I left the theatre that day, sure that the "show would go on" without me, at least for two Saturdays, I was ready to travel to Florida on that Thursday the second.  I felt pretty good.  And then, my brain escaped to a fleeting thought of Mommy, and I honestly did not see the red traffic light or the car stopped at it or the open lane to the right where I could both swerve to stop and/or run the light (accidentally, of course) and miss the car.  My mind left my brain, and I rear-ended a car that still had little stickers all over it, as if the car dealership hadn't quite prepped it yet for its new owner.  The occupants of the other car were unharmed, and I had sufficient insurance to cover an at-fault accident.

But my car was TOTALED.  And I was on a plane to Florida for a week the next day.  Crazy, right?

... went to Florida on Thursday.  Participated in memorial services.  Came back to LA the following Thursday.  Watched my understudy perform in my place that Saturday.  Dealt with the insurance company to hopefully cover the remaining payments on my car.  My little sister in the play, THE "Ugly Duckling" (I was the beautiful, fabulous, not even remotely modest or humble Rosie, the big sister {actual} duck), LEANT me (seriously, I did not make car payments for those two months while the insurance company was jerking me around) a five-speed, manual transmission car so that if my mind disappeared from my brain again, at least the car would stall rather than rear-end anyone else.

So today's milestone is actually not such a Sad-iversary.  I am grateful to my understudy for being able to step in under such short notice.  I am grateful to the production for allowing me to "contribute" to her being ready to go.  I am grateful to my little sister, the swan, for LENDING me a car to get me around LA.  I'm even grateful that I'd been given sufficient negotiating skills in my life to cover the remaining loan on my TOTALED vehicle.  I'm grateful that all of Mommy's family and friends who'd written eulogies trusted me to read them if they weren't up for it on the day.

I'm grateful that today, instead of "remembering" that I totaled my car eight years ago (and why), I was given another fabulous opportunity to be on set, doing the job I love and working in the industry I love, particularly with my really good friend the director, and making a handful of new friends.  I am so SO blessed.  Yes, I have milestones and Sadiversaries to commemorate.  I also have a really great life.

Sound guys I think I'll get to work with a lot, now that we've
worked together on TWO Palm Street Films!
Hipster dudes Joey (boom op) and Jake (mixer)
LOVE these hipster dudes!

Dawn Fields, my friend, doing what SHE loves and
helping me to stay on set doing what I love.
Thank you, my friend.