Friday, December 09, 2011

23 Weeks!

Ok, I'm kind of starting to freak out a little. He's moving a lot more now, but not so much that people can feel him on the outside of my belly. What really has me going, though, is that next week I'll be six months pregnant. Which means 24 weeks. Which means 3 and a half months to get everything done. AHHHHHH!

So what I'm trying to do, to take the stress off, is go see my friends in plays, go out to dinner, enjoy the quiet time I have left, the freedom I have to go where and when I want, because those days are going to be pretty limited for some time. I know that I have no idea what's in store for me, and that's ok, because that's just life. I didn't know how Los Angeles would turn out, I didn't know how I'd survive Mom's death, I didn't know what 10 years of marriage would be like. But here I am, all the stronger and wiser, and now I feel as ready as I'll ever be for this next great chapter...

...at least that's what I keep telling myself. It doesn't always work.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

22 Weeks!

Geez, it's December already. I should have known. Just by looking outside, our cars are covered in frost. People wonder why I like the rain so much. Well, it keeps me from having to de-ice my car, and the temperature stays above 40 degrees. Of course, I don't live in a flooding area, so I suppose I would feel differently in that case.

22 weeks. It's pretty obvious that I'm pregnant now. All those big shirts I bought in September that were WAY too big (making me look fat rather than pregnant), are now fitting just right. My frustration is with maternity jeans, those elastic waist bands that never stay flat. The just roll down, and create discomfort. I suppose I need to straighten them out and iron them, but what's the point when they are getting to be so uncomfortable? Mommies, do you have any suggestions? I am having more meltdowns, the latest freakouts have been about hubby being gone in March (though he'll be home every night), filming JourneyQuest 2. My worse-case scenario is going into labor by myself and not being able to get ahold of anyone. My first pick, obviously, would be to go into labor when Matt is home, either at night, or on one of the non shooting days. But it's not up to me. My control-freak self is getting a big lesson in patience with pregnancy, that's for sure.

Did I mentioned we registered? It was actually kind of fun, mostly because I took a good friend with me who has 2 young kids, and could walk us through what was necessary and what wasn't (like wiper warmers -- really?). To make a long story short, it didn't take as long as I thought and by the end, while I was overwhelmed, I was so glad to have my friend with me. She made it so much easier, and even had snacks for me afterwards so I could replenish my tired, hungry self.

As for Thanksgiving, it was hilarious. Up in Packwood, at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin, with my Mom's side of the family. Some of those guys can talk about the same thing for hours and hours and hours but I don't mind, I'm used to it. But poor hubby, he just went crazy. It was kind of comical. :) And one of my relatives, upon seeing my belly, exclaimed "Oh my gosh! You just grew overnight! What happened?" Um, well thanks for making me feel so much better about my changing body, auntie. Babies grow, and I'm 5 1/2 months. What did she expect?

And may I just throw in that I love my pre-natal yoga class? What a godsend!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

20 Weeks

I am amazed, stunned, and a little bewildered that in 20 more weeks, we might just have a baby in our lives.  I am trying to process how much our lives will change, that I won't be able to come and go as we please, that my love of sleep will have to be on the back-burner, and that this baby is really a little person, with *his* own feelings, thoughts, and ideas on how he will process things.  It's a biological miracle.  I go between feelings of elation and excitement to being overwhelmed and just wanting to forget about everything that still needs to happen.

Health-wise, everything is good.  We had an ultra-sound last Friday, and baby looks just fine.  No problems.  Hubby and I were so amazed to see the 4 chambers of the brain, the heart beating, *his* lips moving.  How incredible that my body knows what to do, and that all these cells seem pre-destined to work so beautifully in sync!

House-wise, Matt has finished with the basement project and it now has a lovely red concrete floor.  We get the sense that this may be a summer room because it's going to be very expensive to heat in the winter months.  He's finishing putting all the furniture back, and then I need to shop for curtains to help keep what little heat is in that room, actually in the room.  :)

20 weeks.  I feel like I just found out I was pregnant.  Where has the time gone?

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

18 Weeks!

I suppose the greatest challenge of this week has been airing out the house while Matt has been deconstructing our downstairs hallway and family room.

(Backstory.) You see, one of our precious meows decided last year to pee on the carpet.  So we put him in the garage.  And he was good for awhile, so we let him back out.  And he did it again.  Back in the garage he went.  And then he was good.  So we shut him in the family room, as it was really cold last winter and we felt bad.  So he was good almost for an entire year.  Until last month, when he peed right in front of me on the carpet.  So back he went.  And he's still there.  He has lots of blankets, a new cat bed, and a heating pad.  I feel bad but what can I do, he is only going to get worse once the baby arrives!  And I cannot deal with cat pee smelling carpet and a new baby.  No. Way.  Oddly enough, cat seems happy in the garage.

Moving on...

So, husband has, in less than 2 weeks, ripped out said smelly carpet, ripped out the tack boards on the side, filled it in the quickcrete, sanded it all down, and painted!  So the hallway is done, and so is half of the family room.  We discovered that our base flooring downstairs is actually concrete, not hardwood flooring, so we decided to paint it this lovely brick red color.  It's warm and beautiful, I can't wait for it to be all done.  Pictures to be coming soon.

Camille, get to the point, you say.  What's the challenge?  Oh dear.  The fumes.  While they are not toxic, they smell awful.  So while he paints, I open windows and doors, we throw the the other cats in the garage, and I leave the house for a few hours.  But it's a small sacrifice for home improvement, and having a house that no longer smells like cat pee.

On the pregnancy side, I started feeling the wee one move at 16 weeks, if you can believe it.  It's decreased a little, but I realize it's pretty early.  I still have morning sickness, so I think I will be one of those women that has this lovely pregnancy quirk throughout my pregnancy.  My biggest challenges now are drinking enough water and getting exercise.  It's getting so cold now, and I just want to stay home...well, I want to stay home, when we're not airing out the house.  :)


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

April 5, 2012


PRESS RELEASE:
MESMER/VANCIL CO-PRODUCTION

TACOMA -- Longtime creative partners Matt Vancil and Camille Mesmer-Vancil today announced a new jointly-produced project that will arrive on the scene in the spring of 2012.  According to early buzz, it will have broad appeal across all four quadrants and will be especially popular in the couple's 55-70+ parents demographic.
Mesmer-Vancil is slated to produce the project, which has an estimated budget of $300,000 over 18 years.  Vancil was heavily involved in development and is expected to take a more active role in post-production.  The couple will co-direct.
"It's great to finally be producing something together," says Vancil from the home office the two of them will now be sharing.  "Camille [Mesmer-Vancil] and I have meaning to collaborate on one of these for years.  When she conceived of the idea about four months ago, we knew the time was right to make this baby happen."  Mesmer-Vancil was eating bananas and ketchup at the time and was unavailable for comment.  
The couple has remained tight-lipped on whether this will be a standalone feature or the first in a series.  The as yet untitled project is scheduled for release in early April.

Friday, September 30, 2011

JourneyQuest Season 2 Kickstarter Campaign!

Yes, I know, it's been 4 months.

Yes, I know, most of you know what's been going on, and I will update sometime in the next month.  I promise.  Most of the things happening this summer weren't very internet friendly.  Let's just say that I had to go back to counseling, and there was much drinking and a few melt-downs.

But that is not the point of my post, here, dear reader(s)...(if anyone is still reading).

Matt's (with Ben Dobyns, ZOE, et al) webseries, JourneyQuest, has launched a fundraising campaign for Season 2.  (If you have not seen Season 1, watch it here on Hulu or here on YouTube.)  They have raised over THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS in just 3 days!!  What an incredible start!  Now with 57 days left, they have just under 28k to go.  And you can help!  Even $1 helps.  And if you can't dontate, that's ok.  I just ask that you share the information so that this can happen.  I believe this is Matt's best work to date.  Please help!  And thank you for your support!  :)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Tiny Rant

I donate to Heifer twice a year, at least. I pay the neighbor kid to mow my yard, and when times are tough, I give him the leftovers from our fridge. I donate food to canned food drives. I really don't appreciate being begged for money from random strangers who knock on my door while I'm trying to cook dinner. Seriously, it's time to get the garage cleaned out so we can park our car in there, and strangers won't think we're home. I don't mean to sound cold, but we have bills, a mortgage, and student loans to pay...leave me alone!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Just to get it out there, I haven't exercised much this week. I am babysitting tonight and if it's ok with the 'rents, I'll be strolling their baby girl in North Tacoma for a good walk. Or I might go by myself this afternoon. We'll see. Motivation for walking is easier when the weather is so beautiful outside. However, I've really been focusing more on eating right and drinking more water, taking my vitamins, etc.

But the real reason I wanted to blog today is that I need an outlet for these emotions I'm having. Today my co-worker Tom, my parents long time friend and employee, came over to hang up my mom's window, in our home. I watched her work on it, and now it's here. It's been on the floor since last summer. Now it's in our dining room, filtering the afternoon sun, watching over us. It's difficult to tear myself away from it. I could just watch it all morning. I can't wait to see my dad's face when he comes over on Saturday. He's going to be so happy. But I can tell that I'm not going to get much accomplished today. To me, with the window finally up, I just want to stare at it. I feel like she's here, watching over us, guiding me. I just wasn't ready for that today.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Exercise #1

35 minute walk today during lunch. Things just haven't gone my way today, and I'm stressed and overwhelmed! Thankfully it is NOT raining so I grabbed my iPod and walked along Marymoore Creek. I feel much better now.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

My best

So I have a couple of friends who are on a weight loss/fitness plan, and I have to say, there's not a bigger motivator for me than to keep myself in line with others. I'm working really hard at cutting back on sugar. Even with making cookies yesterday, I only had one. And today someone brought in gingerbread squares, and I only had one. While yes, my original goal is no sugar, I'm doing my best.

This week I'm getting back into my "normal" schedule. I say "normal" because I've been in shows for the last 7 months, and I can't really remember what "normal" is anymore. This gives me a little time to figure out meal plans, clean out the fridge, and focus on healthy eating habits. Next week I'll figure out my workout routine, which will probably be a few weekday walks during lunch, (especially now that the weather *should* start warming up), BodyRock TV, and a weekly Zoomba class at the community center. I've heard good things about that class, and I am eager to check it out. I figure if I keep the activities changing, then my body will respond appropriately.

Why the push? Not only do I just want to look better and feel better, but I'm in a HUGE wedding in June. I want to look good in those pictures, and feel better about myself over all. I'll be using the blog and facebook to hold myself accountable. So far, week one hasn't gone bad. Not perfect, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Refined Sugar

When in a show, I try to be healthy. Key word is "TRY". This show, for some reason, a lot of chocolate has been going around, along with cookies and candy. Luckily Matt realized that Lent just started and decided to give up refined sugar for Lent. And, though I'm not religious, I've decided to support him and give up refined sugar too. Which means if I want something like a cookie, it can't have any sugar, except honey and/or applesauce. I realize this is going to be a major challenge, but it shouldn't be too bad. I mean, I get to eat more fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth, and what's wrong with that? :) Just in time for spring and summer too. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries...here I come...

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Wow, I haven't blogged in nearly two months. I guess you could say I just haven't felt like it. There's been lots of stuff going on, in my life and in my head, and to try to sort it all out on the Internets just takes too much effort sometimes.

The latest show I'm in is finally winding down this weekend. It's been an amazing experience, probably my best role ever, what a challenge! For the first time I wasn't cast because I look young (not that I have a problem with that), but I feel that I was cast because of my abilities as an actress. This is the toughest role I've had to play in my post-college career, mostly because of all the physical attributes. And what's really neat is that I learn something more about my character every time I go on stage. What an adventure! I love it. I'm really going to miss the cast and crew. However I am going to LOVE having my weekends back, as well as my weeknights. I have been in shows pretty much straight through, from August until now, and I'm tired, friends, I'm so tired. That's not to say that I won't audition again, because I will, but likely not anytime soon. The rest of my life needs attention, and I'm excited for upcoming plans, including a HUGE wedding that I get to be a part of, vacation with my hubby in April, possible trips to Spokane this summer, and getting our house in order...maybe we'll finally paint some walls! There are other aspects of my life too, that need attention, but I don't want to publicize them all over the Internets, but for those of you who I've talked to in the last couple of months, you know what I'm talking about. :)

I've been thinking a lot about my future too, not in a panic, but more of ideas of where I want to be, and what I want to do. I definitely want to travel more, but I also want to go back to school and get my masters. The tough question is IN WHAT because, as you know, I'm interested in so many different things. Writing, journalism, Japanese, cooking, marketing, hospitality...oy...and it would be hard to find a program that would combine all of those. So I'm going to take a little time in my head, do a little research, figure out what I would like to do, but still stay open to possibilities. I don't want to think that I'm where I'm going to be for the next thirty years, because thirty years is a long time and who knows what's going to happen?

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Almost Play Time!

For those of you in Seattle, in the Northend and Eastside, here is the information on the play I'm in. We'll be performing in Bellevue for just one weekend. I hope you can make it!

The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
Bellevue Civic Theatre @ The Meydenbauer Center
11100 NE 6th St
Bellevue, WA

The longest-running play in history. A group of strangers stranded in a boarding house during a snow storm, one of whom is a murderer. The suspects include the newly married couple who run the house. Others are a spinster with a curious background, an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef, a retired Army major, a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift, and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. Into their midst comes a policeman, traveling on skis.

Originally written for the late Queen Mary in celebration of her 80th birthday, The Mousetrap is in its 59th year in London's West End.

With:
Wendy Enden
Scot Garrett
Travis Tingvall
Yvette Zaepfel
Robert Alan Barnett
Camille Mesmer
Jeremie Wallis
Nathaniel Jones

Directed by Curt Hetherington

Opening Night - February 3, 2011 at 7:30pm
Shows: February 4 and 5 at 8pm, February 6 at 2pm

Tickets:
$30: Adults
$27: Seniors
$15: Students & Under 18
425.235-5087 or bcttickets@bellevuecivic.org

For those of you in the South Sound (and for others who miss the weekend we're in Bellevue), we'll be performing in Renton at the end of February through mid-March. I'll post more information on that later. But if you're really eager to get tickets, or just want more info right now, click here.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Challenge - Ideal Job

Today's Daily Health Challenge is to write down two or three characteristics of your ideal job. So I thought what better way to do so than to blog about it?

1) Flexibility - I have that right now, in some ways, at my current job. I have the ability to work from home if needed, which is really amazing. But I'd like to have a job where I can not be sitting at a desk all day, where I can break the hours up, meet different people, see multiple goals get accomplished throughout the day and not get bored, which seems to happen when I work a desk job. One distraction leads to another, which leads to another and so on...

2) Achieving both career dreams - In a perfect world, I'd be running a bed and breakfast while still acting in community theater shows now and then. I know it might not be possible to do both in reality, but there is nothing wrong with dreaming big!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Interesting Discoveries

Day 2:

Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs w/ veggies

Lunch - Salad with veggies, quinoa, chicken, and basil vinagrette

Dinner - Unknown

Yesterday was quite interesting. Since my hours at work have change, so has my hunger. I am eating later which makes me not as hungry. I ate breakfast around 7:30, lunch around 1, and by the time I tried to eat dinner at 5, I was full pretty quickly. Today I'm going to try just having a large snack of a little meat, string cheese, and some sliced veggies for dinner. I don't want to overdo anything and give myself heartburn again.

I joined a free website via Facebook that keeps you moving and motivated with a daily health or fitness challenge. Should be interesting, I'm excited to try it out.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Gluten Free vs Wheat Free

Either way it's still hard.

Breakfast - Scrambled eggs and tea.

Lunch - Gyro Salad from the local greek restaurant. A total splurge and well worth the $$. I yummed it right up.

Dinner - Leftover soup.

Dinner is going to be a challenge with my rehearsal schedule. Now that I a) get dropped off at the theater or b) take the bus, I won't be home to make dinner until late at night. I have given myself the week to go out to lunch so I can figure out timing and how all of this is going to work. I'm not going to stick to a lifestyle change if it's going to be immediately stressful. Matt has another job, writing part time for a video game company. This is really exciting for him, I am so proud (not to mention the extra income will be incredibly helpful)! This just adds another adventure to our evening commute. Luckily 2 people in the cast are south sounders, so I can get a ride home, or at least close enough so that Matt can pick me up and not have to go more than a mile or two.

I have gotten several suggestions on wheat free and gluten free blogs from friends and family. I know that I'm not gluten intolerant, nor allergic to wheat. But wheat and dairy allergies run in my family, and I do notice that when I focus on just eating meats, veggies, and fruits, I feel lighter and rather than weighed down.

I can tell that going wheat free alone is going to be a challenge. I went to the grocery store for lunch and thought I could get some baked chicken and a veggie salad. I was pleased to find the chicken, but all salads were coated in dressing and had pasta. The pre-made salads all had dressing that had MSG. Very disappointing! Then I went to find some sushi, only to discover that soy sauce has wheat in the ingredients. (This means I must find an alternative sauce so I can still enjoy sushi and chinese food...guess this means no more chinese take-out).

I am just taking all of this one day at a time, and am doing my best to not get overwhelmed. Day one is almost complete. We'll see how day two goes, hopefully it will go just as smoothly.

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Dietary Changes Needed

I had a fantastic girls weekend. We went to Lena's in-laws cabin in Home, WA. There were 7 of us. Some crying, but mostly laughing, talking, and LOTS of eating. But the wine. Oh the wine flowed, and we got very happy. I ate and drank, and continued until 9pm, when the heartburn set in. I haven't had heartburn since May of 2009 when I overate in Hawaii and was up until the wee hours of the night dealing with painful tummy issues. Which got me thinking, while laughing and watching others drink wine, about making some changes to my diet so I didn't have to suffer anymore and pop tums like an addict.

Today I've been thinking seriously about making those dietary changes that I've been curious about. I've been reading a lot online about how those who've cut out gluten do feel better and have more energy. Bread and pasta are a big portion of our diet, especially in the evenings and in the winter. But I think we can manage by perhaps making our own bread, and buying gluten-free pasta. I have some friends who are gluten-free, and Matt has several family members who are as well. Now I'm not saying that we won't cheat now and then, but if we're going to seriously make this lifestyle change, then we are going to have to keep one another accountable. At least until we can feel/see a difference.

So, in the spirit of change, I made Sausage and Spinach Soup for dinner. Yum!

Friday, January 07, 2011

Girls weekend!

Taking off tomorrow morning. Early. So I won't be posting tomorrow.

Wine? Check. Groceries? Getting them soon. Girl time? Can't have enough.

Thursday, January 06, 2011

I finally went for my first lunch walk yesterday. It wasn't pouring rain, and by 1pm I was nodding off. Instead of trying to fall asleep for a little bit, I took a 35 minute brisk walk to get the blood moving. I felt so much better, and wide awake. I'm going to do it again today, this afternoon, rain or shine. With the crazy rehearsal schedule creeping in these next few weeks, it's really important for me to keep this up, at least 3 to 5 days a week. And now that my work hours are changing, I just might have some time to try Zuzana's workouts too.

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Not feeling so hot today, but it's not contagious. Lots of emotional stuff. Thankfully I have a girls weekend planned, and I'm in desperate need of fattening foods and wine. I can sweat it off at Yoga Sunday evening.

Really wishing I was somewhere sunny and warm, instead of wet and cold. Meh. Maybe tonight's rehearsal will boost my energy level. We are getting fitted for costumes. Yay!

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Trying

Today's a rough day, but I'm working on keeping focused on what I need to do. I have some new goals for work that I am excited about.

Last night I didn't get much sleep and I'm going to be having more caffeine this afternoon. I'm already having trouble keeping my eyes open.

And I wish the snow and ice would melt already. But that would require temperatures to get above 40!

Monday, January 03, 2011

Blogging Every Day?

I was on wordpress (where my poor little abandoned travel blog is located), and they are encouraging everyone to blog every day or once a week. So I'm going to aim high, and see what happens!

Today I'm at home, my final day off of break. I have a lot to accomplish, mostly going over my lines and working on my character for the next play. It's a large amount of work because this character is unlike any that I've ever played before. I need to do her justice, to make her real. It will help when I get my lines down and then I can really start diving into quirks and characteristics.

Rehearsals are going to kick up this month, as we open in Bellevue for a weekend in one month! So I'm going to try to go walking during my lunch break for about 20 minutes every weekday so that I can get a little exercise in and get the blood flowing. I went to bikram yoga on Friday, and naturally picked the hottest spot in the room. It was insane, but I felt so relaxed afterwards. I can't wait to go back.

Have you ever seen Friday Night Lights? So addicting. Matt and I got a Wii for ourselves for Christmas, and we can now stream Netflix to our television. Also addicting.

Saturday, January 01, 2011

A New Year, A Fresh Start

I resolve to not have any resolutions this year but to just keep moving forward on my plans and goals like have been in 2010. I'm in my third play of the season, which is amazing, and Matt and I have this incredible house.

I am looking forward to 2011 with an open heart and an open mind.

Here's to a fabulous year!