Meet Joe

Today I startes writing about some of the characters introduced into my novel, or my life, this past week. I am confident that eventually there will be a book out of all of these adventures I've gone through. I just have to write more!

Let me introduce to Joe.

A fair skinned man stops us in the hallway. Age 72, he has been struggling all day to unzip the zipper of his anciant military wind jacket. He has waited for James to come by to ask for his help. James struggles with it for a while until finally it breaks unexpectedly. Although he is told the zipper broke, he doesn't notice. He appreciates the company he has now trapped from going upstairs.

Joe speaks of a former tenant who scammed him out of 400 bucks. Every conversation with Joe brings the retelling of the con artist.

Joe has lost so much faith in the world he lives in. Having lost his wife to cancer many years ago, he speaks as if death is knocking on his door every minute. He looks as if he has given up on showering, his white, this hair slicked back with grease.

Joe sits in his car, watching people as they come and go. He never drives his car, rather he walks to pick up the things he needs. The walk is exhausting for him which gives him something else to complain about. His car might not even work he explains. He doesn't care. He says he is too old to drive.

Discussing a recent school shooting he says, "If I was healthy, Id never think of that."

While you look at him and want to reach out to help him, he makes it clear that it is necessary to keep your distance for you own safety. Although, I offer to pick him up groceries on my way home from work. He may never except the offer since he doesn't trust anyone.

Tune in again and I will introduce you to the others as their characters become clearer!

Bekah

The moral is...don't judge a book by it's cover.

This weekend we started cleaning our apartment just to find that when you left the cabinets open there was an overwhelming smell of curry! Not that I have anything against curry, I would just prefer it in moderation.

So, we went looking for a new apartment. Not thinking we would find anything, we actually found another two bedroom over the office that doesn't need quite as much work. And it doesn't smell like curry!

Yesterday brought many suprises at the apartments. A lot of people were out and about and there were many oppurtunities to talk and have a good laugh. Most of the people you stop and talk to won't let you leave the conversation without a good laugh. The area has it's con's like with any neighborhood but it is so vibrant and alive which makes it fun just being there.

I'm sure after the summer when violence is at it's worst, I might not be saying the same thing but right now I love it. People support each other and look after one another. We've joined a community that is a lot of fun. And better yet, I think most of the people we have met really like us.

I guess it is kind of racist to think like this but I think part of me thought we wouldn't fit in, like we were different. Nope. There's not that much that makes us different. We're all broke and trying to get by.

What I love even more is that most people make light of how crappy their lives are instead of being depressed about it.

It's really a neat place and I hope my family and friends won't hesitate to come visit us. Just don't forget your gun when you come...Just kidding!

Bekah

I'm in a bad mood.

I am still trying to settle into a new schedule. My immune system seemed to shut down this week as well, prabably from all the changes. I've had horrible allergies and as soon as I started feeling better I got a bad UTI. It hurts and it is making me cranky. So I am going to take my crankiness out on whoever is reading this.

The people I work for are really cool and I enjoy when they are around. I think I just take things to personally. I just want to be a good addition to their childrens' lives. It makes it hard to do my job when they don't let me. It's all so new and fresh that I know I just have to give it time.

No disrespect to the guy I work for, but it bummed me out that he came home so early and didn't let me go home to get some rest. I feel so drained today. I don't mind him coming home early so he can get stuff done around the house but this week it has been hard to establish boundries with his older kid because he steps in and lets him do things I wouldn't necessarily do. Or jumps in to tell him he isn't acting right.

I am trustworthy and responsible. I will be relieved when they figure that out!

It's rainy and gross outside today. And so is my attitude. Why is it that I never write when happy things are going on? I'll write something cheery next time.

Ok, here is another reason I think I am so bummed. I miss my family. A lot. I am super home sick. I've been away from my family before so I don't think missing them is all of it. I was so sick yesterday and I wanted to go "home" so badly but when I got there there was nothing to go "home" to. James was just as tired as I was and begining to not feel well. There was someone elses couch, someone elses, beds, someone elses stuff. I miss having a home. I can't wait to get settled again and have some normality in my life again.

Ok, one last thing. I miss James. We were together everyday, all day for so long and now I never see him. He tries to act like he is not exhausted from work but he is. We just vedge out on the couch and vent about our day at work. And then we go to bed. I see him for 2 or 3 hours before I go to bed. We really need to get our finances straitened out so we can work together for our own company. WE work so well together. It bums me out that I can't be with him as often any more.

That's enough of that. I'm feeling better now. I hope you're not bummed out after reading this! Come back and I will right happy things next time. Promise!

Bekah

The moral is...life always throws you curve balls.

It is amazing how quickly your life can turn upside down. I was aware that is was coming, but by the time it arrived, I wasn't really prepared for it.

I was planning on starting my nanny job a few days ago and expected to commute from Topeka until James had found a job. It worked out that James ended up starting a new job the same day.

James had interviewed to work as a manager of an apartment complex in North Kansas City and was waiting to hear back. He finally heard back and after his third meeting with the owner, he was left in charge the following day to begin figuring things out. There is very little orginaization so most of the "figuring out" has been developing systems to run the business smoothly.

I love the family I am working for. I think we are all warming up to each other nicely but it still feels akward for me at times. I tend to make myself at home very quickly and I am begining to think that that can be good and bad.

To top it all off, they have been very generous and very helpful with our difficulties getting back on our feet. While I know they aren't making judgements against me, it is hard for me to ask for help when I need it but I have been asking for help since they began offering it. I think the biggest thing that has been bothering me is that James and I are down to one car now so I borrow theirs often. I don't want them to feel like I am trying to mooch off of them. I just want to help them out and be a good influence to their children. James and I will be back on our feet again shortly and hopefully we will find another car for cheap. (Galen, if you loved me, you would give me my car back...just kidding!)

Any new relationship takes some getting used to, I guess. The whole family is great so I know that eventually I will begin to feel more at home with them.

We are also homeless. While we have my parents' house in Topeka, the apartment of James' boss in KC, James' uncle in Overland Park, and I have the option to stay the night in Leavenworth after work if I want to, it's not quite good enough. It all is wonderful and we are so greatful for everyone that has helped us out. We are very greatful to have a roof above our heads each night. So don't take this the wrong way. I was just thinking about how we don't really live anywhere. We often use the word "home" to refer the place we are going to. It is so odd. We came "home" today to Topeka to use the computer, do laundry, and say hi to my family that we got so used to having around.

I got very used to seeing my dad everyday. While I saw everyone in my family almost daily, my dad, whom I haver always been very close to, was home all during the day with us while we were there. (It was so we wouldn't get in trouble I am sure!) Now, I haven't even talked to my dad in about 48 hours. It is really strange.

I have felt, for about the past week, that I have been walking around in a dream. I never got to say "goodbye" to anyone but I haven't really left because most of my stuff still lives at my parents' house.

I don't even know if any of this is making sense. It's hard to put into words the way I am feeling. IT'S JUST PLAIN WEIRD!

I know that there are only a few constant readers of my blog but now would be a good time to hear from you all. I need as many constants in my life right now so my head doesn't fall off. Especially, from my WWR friends...I haven't had my fix in a while! :)(Give Jim and Esther a hello from Bekah and James the Guru) If you can find the time, please leave me a comments or email me at bekahandjames@gmail.com

This sounds like I am advertising but I'm not.(Ok, maybe I am...but just a little) If you are a podcast listener, be on the look out for upcoming podcasts, I know they are going to be interesting with all the drama James is seeing at the apartments. Not to mention all the changes we have had recently. You can find those at http://bekahandjames.com

We don't have internet at the current place we "live" so be patient if we can't spit them out very often!

Bekah

PS. Leave me a fun, cheery message at 206-339-4545!

Letter to Sara

I found my friend who is away at college who I have not seen or spoke to in a few years. She wants to know what she has missed since my wedding. This letter is to her. I hope she doesn't mind that I posted this publicly but I thought it would be easier to illustrate things for her. Plus, I would imagine it might be interesting for others to read it as well.

Sara,

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I wanted to make sure I have time to write more than a sentence or two. I don't know where to start. You want me to start at the honeymoon...oooo...I should just start writing a book right now. I'll try and add illustrations!

There was the wedding of course. The honeymoon in Alaska was amazing. We were sick most of the time, therefore not getting to hike as much as we would have liked. I think the stress from the wedding finally got to us and beat our immune system into the ground.It rained the whole time were there, making it hard to stay dry. My favorite meal of the honeymoon was Salmon cooked on the fire. We were camping in another town when James met a man who had just gotten back from a fishing trip. He offered James a generous amount of salmon steaks. It was awesome! We wouldn't mind moving there eventually. We were sad to have to leave!

This is unrelated but we have made "friends" with a couple in Alaska. They broadcast 24 hr indie folk music from their cabin in Talkeetna, Alasks. I love to tune in whenever I am working on stuff. I love them. They are great people. If you get a chance, you should check it out. Whole Wheat Radio

We continued living in our apartment with our dog, Xander, who learned to open doors and cabinets. We lost hundreds of dollars in new groceries until we figured out how to tie the fridge and cabinets closed!

Before our wedding we took a trip to Chicago. I wanted so badly to tranfer to Columbia and James wanted to work for a coffee company. We took the trip so we could take a tour of the college and have job interviews. The school was nothing to get excited about, especially when considering the HUGE difference in price. I still would have loved it but the job stuff fell through and we didn't want to try and plan the wedding from Chicago. Chicago 1. Chicago 2. Chicago 3.

James quit working for PTs and started an espresso euipment repair business. It was doing quite well until...well...the things we do for love.

After my senior year of college, I was tired and burnt out. I had the honor of doing a show over the summer with the Karen Hastings Players. I think the story goes as follows. Phil Grecian asked Jo Huseman who he should ask to play the roles of the young couple in his play. She said, he had to had Greg Krumins and I. So Phil called me up and asked me to do the show. While I was so excited not to have to audition, I didn't say yes right away. I asked to read a script. The script revealed that I would have to kiss Greg. James and I had mixed feelings about is, since he was my ex-boyfriend. I expressed my concern to Phil and he said he would work with me to make sure I was comfortable. During Toby Saves the Farm, I met my good friend, Chris Waugh (his son went to school with us). He put me in touch with Ric Averill, who cast James and I in a children's theatre show that inspired this blog. James quickly bonded with other members of the cast!

We began the Aesop's Fables tour in September, leaving James' business behind. Here I am showing off our new costumes to my parents. The assembly we performed was about 45min of Aesop's Fables that kept all ages, including adults, captivated and laughing. Although we liked to perform on a gymnasium floor, we often got put on the stage. We were distanced from the kids and they didn't react as well to the show since we were so far away.

The most exciting stuff has happened more recently. Due to the show, James discovered he had a hernia that had been laying dormant for a while. Every show he did made the hernia worse and worse until he couldn't stand it anymore. At one point, we were waitng "backstage" to perform, the kids were seated for our third show of the day and I thought I was going to have to cancel the show and take James to the hospital.James is a tough cookie. He got demanded we do the show. It was shortly after that, that we decided to see a doctor who told us that it was potentially life threatening. We knew it was something that needed to be taken care of immediately.

We started living with my parents and we are still here! We have had no income for over a month now. We went from spending hundreds of dollars a day on food, hotel and gas to having no money for food, shelte or gas. Thank god for my family...well OUR families and friends. We will definetly be more greatful for the money we have once we start working again.

So, James had his surgery on Mardi Gras and now he is doing great. Ouch! But at least he got beads, which he earned! He was well taken care of! Three more weeks and he can return back to most activities.

Currently, I just got a job as a Nanny for a great family in Leavenworth. James is waiting to hear about a potential job in North Kansas City. Soon enough, we should be back on our feet and enjoying our PRIVACY again! Here is our "bedroom!" And our bedroom again!
At least we aren't in the dining room like we used to be!

Hannah was nominated for Homecoming. We were on the road then so we missed it. I didn't miss, however, Galen's nomination for Royalty of courts. He loves us, he really does!

Galen is a really cool guy. He never seems embarrassed to hang out with James and I although, he doesn't invite us to tag along much and we can't afford to invite him out right now! Despite the picture, I know he loves me! We have been going to the gym together at night which I love! We don't spend the whole time at the gym together but I treasure those few minutes in the car or at the gym that he talks with me!

Hannah doesn't have much time for me anymore which really bums me out. She does a million things and keeps her grades up. She does cheerleading, babysitting, works as a host at Texas Roadhouse and everything in between.

I want to make sure you get a good idea of what you're missing!
This is what they do when dad tries to talk to them! This is from winter semi-formal!

Alright! I think that is enough for now. While I am sure there is much more that I missed, I sure it can be saved for a nice discussion over coffee. Let me know when you will be in town! I hope you don't mind that I shared this letter with the world! I'll keep sending you letter via email!

Bekah

The moral is...help someone in need.

Here are a few messages I have recieved concerning Mary Travers. Please help cheer her up. Start making calls and sending e-mails!Thanks for your help.

As you might know, Mary Travers of Peter Paul & Mary is in
the hospital gearing up for a bone marrow transplant (six
matches were found!) -- she will be hospitalized for at
least the next six weeks. I have set up an address where you
and your listeners can send Mary 'get well' wishes -- I will
print them out once a week and send them over (she cannot
have visitors, so this is a way to help keep her
entertained). In case you don't know, Mary is very funny,
sarcastic, loves a good joke -- so if you know any good
jokes, I'm sure she'd get a kick out of them. Over the years
PP&M have proven to be one of the most enduring folk groups
that talks the talk AND walks the walk, supporting good
causes and doing countless benefits, so here's a chance for
us to help support her during a difficult time. The address
is getwellmary@aol.com Thanks so much --

Christine Lavin

A message from Whole Wheat Radio:

You can call (907)733-2934 anytime in the next day or two
and leave a telephone message that I'll make sure gets to
her via Christine on CD. I'll collect it all and send it off
to Christine who will then deliver it to Mary.

Let's see if we can't give something warm and fuzzy back to
this woman who helped pave the way for the music we hear
today on WWR. Thanks!

The moral is...keep waiting!

Finally a phone call from the director this week. We haven't returned his phone call yet because we still don't know what to do.

I tend to think that things happen for a reason. Most major decisions in my life have been pretty clear to me when it was the correct time to make them. That's not saying the decisions were easy to make, fate or god or whatever you may or may not believe in, made it clear that there was a clear path to take.

The waiting is the hardest part. Trial and error, trial and error and then I start to question if a path will be layed out for me. And sure enough, right when you feel like giving up, the signs are there.

We are still waiting.

The problem we face now is the money. We would love to go back out on the road. It is going to be hard to explain to them that we can afford to. It really isn't their problem though. Once again we have no money.

Alright, let's think this through. We decide to go out on the road. We make no money for another few weeks until it is time to go out. How do we put gas in our car to get to our first show? How do we pay for a hotel? Ok let's say we sleep in the car...how do we eat? And then we don't get payed until Wed or Thurs. And then part of our check goes to filling in the negative numbers in our bank account. Then we start a new week of trying to eat, sleep and put gas in the car.

We already owe for repairs done to our car. I'm sure he would be willing to give us an advance to get back out on the road. While that sounds fine and dandy...ask yourself how many jobs have you taken that have left you in debt. It's just not right. I'm not going to be more in debt at the end of this than when we began. Well, that's not true. I am. But I refuse to include even more money into the picture so those jokers can start making money again.

It sounds like I am whining again. I'm sorry! Thanks for still reading! I just want to keep everyone up to date on the Aesop's Fables adventures!

Bekah

Call us!

We just register with K7, a free voice mail/fax service. So you can call us and leave us messages telling us how cool we are!

The number for our podcast is 206-339-4545. If you call this number, know that it might get played during our podcast unless you say otherwise. Anything goes! Call me...I need to feel special!

The number for my Just 4 Kids podcast is 206-339-5437. If you call this number please make sure its for the kids and not a personal message.

Thanks,

Bekah

PS. The funnier, the better!

The moral is...life is a big freakin' adventure!

First, I would like to thank the few people that commented or sent me e-mails regarding my last two posts. I thought that was really cool. I am especially excited about my Whole Wheat Radio buddy, Fred, for keeping up with me. I feel so honored! I encourage everyone to send me comments...it really boosts me up and makes me feel good. And if you have a website, let me know. I am really nerdy about that kind of stuff and I'd like to check them out.

So, I started this blog to keep people updated on our life on the road. We had so many adventures and now we are home. It has been hard to keep up the writing as much as I would like to. Let's get back to the Aesop's Adventure, shall we.

Last time I wrote, I was being told that it was expected of me to continue on the road with out James. James had his surgery about a week and a half ago so that idea was dropped when they realized how long it would be before they even got me back out.

The director let me know that there were going to be two other actors from the Chicago area who were going to continue the tour for a while. He made arrangements to come pick our costumes. I ran around franticly trying to gather up the things they would need and seperate them from our personal items. Let we waited...and waited...and waited. No phone call. No nothing. Finally, I asked James to check e-mail to see if had written. By the way, he has ignored my request to update his address book and e-mail me at another address. He is the only one who EVER emails us at that address so we have to make sure to check it regularly to see if he has written.

He had written and said he had forgotten that his weekend was completly booked and he couldn't make it. Could he come pick it up a few days later. We e-mailed him back and said that was fine. The night before we made sure to check e-mail, guessing he wasn't going to make it. Yep! It was 12am and there was an e-mail saying he would e-mail us late that night if he would be arriving in the morning. We didn't hear from him until today.

Now, he wants to come pick up four items, so I have to re-organize everything that I gathered up for him originally. However, he wanted to come today or tommorow. We are staying with James' family for a night or two so we don't even have the things he needs with us. The other option he suggested was for us to ship it and he would reimburse us. He must have forgotten the part about he had to come pick up the stuff because we couldn't afford to put gas in our car and bring it to him. WE ARE IN THE RED. NO ONE HAS PAYED US. WE AREN'T WORKING. WHAT PART OF THAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND? Ok, I feel better!

Ok, how are you doing? Do you need a break? Should I split it up into two parts. No I'll keep going. But now would be a good time for a bathroom break. We will call this INTERMISSION!

Meanwhile, I emailed the real boss to tell him that the doctor's office said that we might be able to go out on the road sooner than expected. We had some guidlines that I thought were reasonable. He said, we could go out but he had people for two weeks and we would have to play the game their way if we went back out. AND James would have to move his doctor's appointment up. Ok, James isn't doing THAT well. He's doing ok but he is definitly not ok enough to just jump back into the regular, strenuous schedule.

Then the director e-mails me to ask if I can go out in two weeks without James for a few weeks.

I am still looking for a job. We have NO money. If I find a job, it is going to be really difficult for them to talk me into quiting my job to go back out on the road for a month or two and then start the job search again.

Well, I'll keep you updated as the soap oprea continues.

Pictures

Check out some family pictures!

The moral is...WWR Rocks!

A story:

There was a man who once was very happy with his life. He had the perfect life; a wife, a child. There was a world of oppurtunities waiting for him and his family.

He participated in a wonderful community he called his church. He found peace, happiness and love there. He was surround by a world that was familar to him. This world gave him a sense of security and a feeling of love.

One day that community was taken away from him. He searched long and hard for a new community. Years went by. Activities came and went, and no matter how hard the people around him tried to include him in their communities, he felt as if there was no community left for him. The people began giving up on trying to include him in their activities.

He refused to see the good things that were being handed to him. His wonderful family no longer gave him the same happiness that it once did. He had refused every community that had come and gone, wishing that they were like the community he longed for.

Eventually, this wonderful, good-hearted man, woke up and realized that there was nothing in his life that made him happy. Every day became a harsh reality of what he thought he was missing out on.

He packed his bags, leaving behind everything; including his family. He returned to this church he had longed for for so long. The community was gone. In it's place was a new generation of people that he could no longer relate to.

Now he had nothing. He felt as if all his possibilities for a better life died that day. Ashamed of what he had done, he felt as though he could not return home.

The man died that day. He had talked himself out of being able to find himself a home. There was no reason for him to exsist any longer.


An explaination:

Last time I wrote I was feeling down. Jim at Whole Wheat Radio read the entry during the live, hour long rant and made a comment about the fact that no one had commented to help cheer me up. One "wheathead" did! And although it was just one. It made all the difference. Thank you Jim and thank you fine-line!

It is amazing to me the different types of communities that are availible to people. I thought I had outgrown chatting online. Now way! Not when I found Whole Wheat Radio.

There have only been a few times that I have ever seen or heard people putting others down. Most of the time, everyone there will lift you up and make you feel better about whatever is bothering you in your world.

If you decide to check them out, assuming you haven't already, let me tell you this...the first few times I listen to their "podcast" or "audio magazine" I thought is was horrible. I couldn't figure out what all the computer generated voices were all about and why Jim and Esther were screaming all the time. Once I visited their website, figured it out, realized they DIDN'T scream all the time, I was hooked for good!

Please visit their website and at least listen to their 24 hr stream of music!

Bekah

The moral is...life stinks and then you die!

James' surgery is done. Now I am afraid this is where the fun begins. Although, I went to bed early, I slept very vew hours last night. James was waking up a lot. His sleeping routine was off as well. I was so worried I was going to hurt him and that made it hard to sleep. Plus his sleeping habits were so unusual. He kept talking in his sleep and snoring. Both are pretty unlike him.

I can't believe that it was expected of me to rehearse through all of this and then leave once the surgery was over. The director wised up at least. Unfortunately, I don't think they can find anyone because I haven't heard from them.

I've interview for two jobs so far. I haven't heard back from either one yet. First of all we have very little money which will be taken up by bills and by tickets from out travels. That's it! That leave 0 dollars for us to live on.

While my parents would never admit it, I know we have got to be a burden on them. I can hardly stand this arrangement. It works though. I'm starting to get a little worried about how we are all supposed to survive. Hopefully, one of those jobs will come through SOON.

I'm feeling kind of down. I am trying not to show it but I don't know how good of a job I am doing. I think I managed to fake it yesterday. I was pretty layed back about everything, I think. Now, we've arrived back to reality and it sucks. What else can I do? Anyone out there have a job for me? I'm a hard worker. At least send me happy comments and e-mails to cheer me up!

Bekah

Our podcasts

I apologige to my friends who can't listen to podcasts. Please keep reading, I really appreciate it!

For everyone else, our podcasts are up and running. Check out James' creation called The Emergency Podcast System at the website he designed. I'm proud he learned all that html stuff.What am I talking about? He can do everything!

www.bekahandjames.com

And then for anyone with kids I have started on that is for kids, ironically called Just 4 Kids. James was kind enough to give me a sub domain on our site. Here is the link for that.


www.just4kids.bekahandjames.com

Bekah

The moral is...with a job comes money.

In celebration of looking for a job, I decided to get the new ipod shuffle. Naturally I wanted the 1GB ipod that was a good deal more. Nope, I got the 512MB for less and I am so excited.

Before all the caos with James' operation, we sold our car and bought a computer that was to be James' because I am a computer hog. I own and ancient ibook that is on its death bed but it still works. The new laptop we got at a VERY reasonable price. We knew that it would be a lot more reliable than the ibook. Now that we are stating home, maybe for good, naturally it is too late to take it back.

Therefore, I made James hold up his part of the bargain and allow me to buy the ipod. All of this coming to a grand total of less than what we sold the car for. Regardless, now are supper broke but at least we have cool toys.

Life is short, right?

So I begin making calls tomorrow and dropping off resumes. Wish me luck.

Bekah

PS Check out our podcast! www.bekahandjames.com

Rachel's Choice

I recieved a comment from the father of "Rachel's Choice." How can I compete with this? She is the youngest podcaster out there! She is eight years old and her show is better than mine. To bad I don't have a cute, eight year old voice.

A big thank you to her dad! Here's her feed:

http://www.godcast.org/categories/rachelSChoice/rss.xml

website:

http://www.godcast.org/categories/rachelSChoice/

Bekah

More children podcasts!

I an diving deep to find out what is really out there. I found a podcast called Family Review. It looks to me that most of the shows can be listened to by children, as they are watching children's movies. Their blog shows that they have reviewed adult films but they claim to review "family oriented" to I'm dure it would be appropriate for kids. Check it out.

http://jmetzger.casdracast.com/family-reviews.rss

Alright, well, that's it. The others I found were not what they claimed to be. Well one of them might have been but it was in a different language so I'm not sure what it's about.

Soon, I'll quit blogging about all this and save it for my website. Until then, deal with it!

Bekah

The moral is...the show must go on...after what is truely important.

I can imagine what people are thinking about sometimes. Natuarally, the company we work for isn't jumping for joy about James getting surgery. They are urging me to go back out on the road while James is recovering.

That's great but I don't see how two people who aren't related can figure out how to do this sort of thing whith anyone else. Ok let weigh the variables here.

I stay. I get to be with James, I get to find temp work to help pay off the outrageous bills that we are going to have(but basically I'll make money), I'll get to hang out with my family, and I won't have to go hang out in WI in the middle of winter.

I go. I don't get to be with James while he CAN'T MOVE for two weeks, I get half of the pay a week to try and pay for half of everything we do(the director thinks we will save 100-200 bucks a week, HA, what a joke), I get to drive MY car, I get to spend my time not getting paid to rehearse again, and I get to sleep every night with someone that isn't my husband.

I know I forgot something but I think clearly, my decision is made. It's going to be tough for the Company to convince me otherwise. We'll see what happens.

Bekah

The Emergency Podcast System

I've really been neglecting my blog. We have been dedicating a lot of time to our podcasts. That's right podcasts, as in plural. James and I finally have one up and running:

http://www.bekahandjames.com/podcast/rss.xml

The other one is called Just4Kids. And I'm sure you can figure out what that's about. I have recorded one already but James hasn't done the xml for that yet.It's more fun to do it with James anyway.

I've hunted around and if there is a podcast for kids I have missed it. There's Sheakspeare Souffle. They are definitely kid friendly btu my immpression is not that they are just for kids but rather a wholesome family show.

http://bradley.chicago.il.us/ss/rss.xml

Each podcast will have a different theme. The first one id Dr. Suess for grades PK-5. I have some other topics in the works about kids getting stuck by lightening and stories from KidsPub.com.

The moral is...all good things must come to an end.

This past week has not been the best week for us.

Tuesday, James found out that he has an umbilical hernia. We figured as much, but my dad made him go see a stomach specialist on a day that we only had one show.

We didn't take it very serious until we did more research this weekend and found out that he could potencially die from it. The risk is greater everytime he does a show. The more strenuous the work, the worse off he is.

With the help of our family, we decided that James needs surgery as soon as possible, therefore, we will not continue the tour until he has recovered.

I guess I could finish it with someone else but I hardly see how that is possible to do on the current pay we are getting. And whose car would we take...not mine!

So here is the part where you feel sorry for me. We don't have health insurance! My mom recently spoke to a nurse at the hospital who said, basically surgeons will not operate on people who don't have insurance. Kind of looks like we are screwed. She suggested that we fake the urgency of his condition so he can get surgery via the ER. I am sure that won't be cheap.

Currently, I am looking for a job to at least help pay off this thing.

If you feel pity for us and can offer us money, I have set up a Pay Pal account. Help if you can, otherwise, send us happy thoughts our way!

Bekah

PS We have a podcast coming soon! It was supposed to be about our journeys on the road. We'll have to see what it is going to be like now!

The moral is...everything has it's season.

This is tearing me apart. I had dreams about leaving home all night. Everyone waiting while I pack.

I am so excited to go home again but it's just for tonight and then that is it. I won't see anyone again until May. I guess that's only four months now.

What makes it so hard is that the past three times I have said goodbye, I thought is was until May. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe we'll come back before then. I doubt it!

On a more exciting note, I told our director of our show that I didn't think we would be returning. I didn't whine to him about all the things that nag at me about the tour, I simply explained to him about the money.We need more money if we are going to do it again. The offer we got was $50/week more. While that would be nice right about now, that's not worth it.

Without my parents I don't know how we would have survived the three weeks at home with no pay.

I think we kind of get screwed with the money part of all of it because unlike the other shows, we have this guys name attached to our show. I am pretty sure he gets paid every week as well for writing and directing the show. But the show was terrible when we got it. Some of our fables are verbatim out of the book. It is what it is because of us not because of him. So if we do this again, we have another well respected writer who is going to dramatize some stories for us free of charge. That way we can hopefully get paid properly for the work we do.

Bekah