For the past four Saturdays, I have been attending an Acting for Film & Television Workshop in New Orleans. Yesterday, I had my last class which turned out to be exciting, emotional, and eye-opening. My acting coach Lance Nichols invited a director (Oley Sassone), a director of photography (Claire), and a script supervisor (Sandy Parker) to teach the class. As an actor, you need to not only prepare yourself for your performance, but you must also know the technical aspects of performing in the space of the scene. I walked away from this workshop showing more growth as an actor, gaining more wisdom and insight into the craft of acting, and obtaining a better understanding of the technical aspects of working as an actor in film and television. In addition, I met wonderful new friends in the acting community which is so beneficial on this journey to becoming a thespian. Since my workshop has ended, I will be focusing solely on my role as Mitch Mahoney in the upcoming theater production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
In Other News:
Ever hear of Kombucha, dear reader? Molly Kimball, a New Orleans registered dietician, talked about Kombucha on her September 12th episode (“Behind the Brand: Big Easy Bucha”) of her podcast, Fueled: Wellness + Nutrition with Molly Kimball. She interviewed Austin Sherman, co-founder and CEO of Big Easy Bucha, to learn more about this locally produced tea and why we should be consuming it. There are several benefits of drinking this concoction rich in probiotics. According to an article by Kristen Lila on the website Odyssey, Kombucha cleanses and detoxifies, supports joint health, helps digestive heath/gut health, supports immune health, promotes energy, and helps aide cancer prevention/recovery.
I found Big Easy Bucha at Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago, and I bought a bottle of Jazz Juice which is infused with Pineapple and Elderflower. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. The first sip tasted like vinegar. My hubby tasted it and agreed. I almost cut my losses and poured the rest of it down the drain. Instead, I decided to drink small amounts of it over the next couple of days, and surprisingly I now like it. Yesterday, I bought another bottle of Jazz Juice along with a bottle of Bayou Berry which is infused with Strawberry and Honeysuckle. I like the Bayou Berry more. My hubby says it tastes like vinegar, too. HA! More Kombucha for me. I asked Molly if Kombucha should be consumed daily and how much is enough to see benefits. It is good for daily consumption and 8-16 ounces per day is plenty. Molly personally drinks a 16 ounce bottle most days. I’m planning to incorporate at least 8 ounces daily. Since there is a variety of flavors, I’m on a mission to find other ones. The Wal-Mart in Ponchatoula only carries Jazz Juice and Bayou Berry.
October is finally here, dear reader, but somehow it forgot to bring cooler weather with it. I’m hoping, as I’m sure the rest of Louisiana is hoping, that this week will bring plenty of much-needed rain, as well as cooler fall temps. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the weekend. And, if you come across some other flavors of Big Easy Bucha in your grocery store, please let me know. Happiness!
“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.” ~ Nate Berkus
My life is pandemonium right now, and I’m surprisingly happier because of it. I have a bunch of irons in the fire. Some are way more enjoyable than others. I’m working on making my dreams a reality. It is awesome to set goals; however, I must remind myself that the satisfaction of achieving those goals comes from the journey or the process in fulfilling them.
#8 Read one book a month for self-improvement. This month I read The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen Rubin. I’ve always been fascinated by personality assessments and learning how personality influences decision making, job performance, etc. While those assessments share some specific aspect of human nature, Rubin’s framework is based solely on meeting inner and outer expectations and how people respond to them when making decisions, reaching goals, and handling relationships. A variety of personality types can share a tendency. As I have mentioned previously on my blog, I am a Questioner. According to Rubin, “Questioners question all expectations; they meet an expectation only if they believe its justified, so in effect they respond only to inner expectations” (6). Finding out my tendency has been helpful to me. It has helped me understand why I am unable at times to complete a task or make a decision, or it explains my resistance to meeting someone else’s requests. If you, dear reader, are interested in finding out your tendency, visit 
Some processed foods that I have incorporated in my clean eating repertoire include: Wholly Chunky Avocado minis (only one ingredient, Hass Avocados), Sabra Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Fage Total 2% Greek Yogurt (terrific substitute for sour cream), Sargento Balanced Breaks snack pack (not thrilled with the 8g of sugar that comes from the golden raisin medley), Gorgonzola cheese crumbles, Primal Kitchen Ketchup (organic and unsweetened; no added sugar); Amy’s Organic Soup: Black Bean Vegetable (does contain 5g sugar; organic and gluten free; I get two servings (3/4 cup each) out of a can and pair it with a sandwich), Amy’s Bowls (Mexican Casserole), Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread. I also made kale chips this week. It was interesting. I burned my first batch even though I followed the directions carefully. I received confirmation from co-workers that my second batch was successful. So, I can add kale chips to my clean eating list and add a little more crunch to my life.
This week I decreased added sugar, reduced process food, reduced consuming unnecessary additives, and incorporated most of the foods recommended in The Clean 20 by Dr. Ian K. Smith. I lost 3 pounds. One of the main observations that I have made so far is that I do not feel as bloated as I have been after eating meals. Surprisingly, I do not miss the added sugar; however, I do miss the convenience of processed food. Thankfully, I like the foods on the clean eating list because I eat many of them already.
I DID IT! Two weeks ago, I auditioned for my first musical at The New Octavians, a local community theatre in Hammond. The show that I auditioned for is called The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and it will be directed by Rachael Knaps. It is a musical comedy centered on a fictional spelling bee held at a middle school where six oddball teens will compete, and three unconventional adults will run the show. Well (drum roll), my name made its way on the cast list. I was offered a role, and I accepted it! I will be playing Mitch Mahoney, who happens to be an ex-con assigned to the spelling bee to fulfill a community service requirement. HA! I’m SUPER excited about getting cast and cannot thank my voice coach Laura enough for all of her help preparing me for the audition. We worked intensively together for two weeks preparing me to belt out “The Kite” and the hard work paid off. Go, me! The performances will be in November.
Last Sunday, my hubby, Andrew, and I took a road trip to Slidell to attend the HERPS Exotic Reptile and Pet Show at The Harbor Center. These shows happen a few times a year in our surrounding areas, and I have always wanted to go to check out their critters. We are animal lovers and have cared for many pets over the years with a few exotics being part of the mix. I specifically was interested in checking out the hedgehogs (learn about the breeders, touch one, and assess cost to acquire one). I have never had a hedgehog but find them fascinating, so I have joined a couple of Facebook hedgehog groups to learn more about their habits and care requirements. I even follow Mr. Pokee’s page to check out his many adventures with his owner. My guys tagged along because they were just as curious as I was, and there would be lots of snakes.
I had no idea when I went to the show that I would be leaving with one of them. We stopped at the Knockout Exotics table where Andrew spotted a Corn Snake for $25. The snake was born on June 4th where he hatched from an egg. His container had a “pet only” label on it. I inquired about it, and the breeder (Kara) told us that he was born with kinks in his spine which are medically harmless to the snake but not ideal for breeding. That was all my future zoologist needed to hear. Andrew purchased the snake, and with help from Kara, he also purchased a tank, bedding, and a hidey-hole to place inside the tank. With instructions from Kara, we left Slidell and headed back to Hammond. On the drive home, Andrew named his snake George. Before we arrived home, we had to make a quick trip to Petco to buy some frozen pinkies (sold out at the show) to feed George.
Good morning! Today is a most terrific day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the air conditioner is running, and I got Sesame Street stamps from the post office yesterday. Happiness boost! It is also the birthday of one of my dearest friends on the planet…the fabulous Michelle. How fitting that I bought Sesame Street stamps the day before the celebration of her birth! Sesame Street is one of the many popular shows that airs on PBS.
The Kat Files 