Gas

Sorry.

The every day posting has taken a backseat to Tech Week and Opening a Show. In caps. Cause it’s been a capital week.

So I was cast on March 13th as Mae in Reefer Madness at the Egyptian Theatre–a Darkhorse Company Theatre Production.

I didn’t know squat about the role.

We started rehearsal on Monday, March 18th.

Last night, April 18th, we previewed to an audience.

I have to say–this cast is incredible.  I have enjoyed working with these folks so much. Not a diva in the bunch. Everyone is working so hard to create a show that audiences will love.

The music is wonderful, the dancing is vibrant, the dialogue is witty. It is a hilarious show.

If you just want to come and laugh and have a good time–come on up to Park City and enjoy the show.

Tonight is opening night.

I have been in Park City every night this week until midnight–sometimes later. Adding technical elements to a show is always difficult, but this has been particularly trying. I won’t go into details about this because I’m trying to stay positive–but I will say this:

It is difficult for me to find a place of calm and relaxation when other elements of a show aren’t in place. I have learned to find calm in the midst of a storm of variables that I have no control over. Well, I don’t know that I’ve found that calm just yet–but I’m bound and determined to find calm in the midst of a storm of variables that I have no control over.

In the midst of the storm of opening a show, I forgot to fill my gas tank yesterday.

I left the theatre at about midnight again.

As I drove out of Park City, I thought, “Eve, you should stop and get gas now.”

And then my stupid/regular brain decided to work: “Nah, you’ll be coasting down the mountain. Get gas in the morning.”

Smarter Me: “But you don’t have any money in your account and you can’t pay cash at a closed gas station.”

Regular Me: “Whatever. Punch it! I wanna go home!”

I turned onto the freeway and headed down the canyon.

Then the gas light came on.

I did the math. I had maybe 20 miles to get home. Did I wanna risk it and run out of gas in the middle of the canyon?

Suddenly I got freaked out.

I saw a sign for gas at mile marker 140. I pulled off immediately.

I pulled into a dark gas station.

I don’t get paid until the 20th.

It is not the 20th.

I don’t get frazzled or scared, but I was petrified that I wouldn’t have any way to get down the canyon.

I know it’s just gas–but a week of work and tech rehearsals had reduced me to a pile of nerves.

I was freaked out.

I put my card in and prayed that it would let me pump gas. I was completely willing to pay an overdraft fee. I just wanted to go home to my bed!

And then I saw the beautiful words written on the little grey computer screen next to the card reader–“Choose the gas you wanna pump girl! You got moneys!” (I’m paraphrasing.)

I filled that little tank and came home and slept like a dog in my own soft happy beautiful bed.

Today I’m grateful that my paycheck showed up in my account two days early. Coincidence? I think not.

I am a blessed woman.

(The title of this post is “Gas”. Regular Me wanted to name it: “Ice Cream Gives Me Gas, But Not the Kind I Need at Midnight When The Gas Light Comes On Up The Canyon”.  Smarter Me intervened.)