What a day this has been, what a great mood I'm in...pm

I'm going to be as organised as I can in this post as a lot has happened this week, and I've been a bit average about getting to it!

Water, bagels and cream cheese, saw a fox and a skunk, heard a hyena, disappointment at leaving the Boat and a big change in COLONISATION.

So the final two weeks here are (and have) being spent doing a kids drama camp - akin to the holiday programmes I do back home. Except they are 930am - 12pm and so tiring, you can't imagine. We have over 40 kids per week! 3 groups of kids and have to produce a show on the Friday for the parents. Last week, I was working with Tane and we had 14 joyous little kids, all the boys and lots and lots of imagination. Their piece was entitled 'The Tragic Saga of the Potato Kingdom' and about a potato village taken over by Vampire robots and run by dogs. We made it rhyme.... Honestly, it is always very humbling working with children, especially devising with children, as you can tell from the idea of last weeks play - there is nothing you cannot fit in, or rather, no room for logic!

Monday night we had a BBQ at our friend Kurtis' house. His Mom Suzy is amazing and catered for the meatys and the veggies. The climax of the evening resulted in us in their pool, hottub and sauna, which we now can use at our discretion. I've been in just about every day in my hilarious purple Mexican inspired tankini.

Wednesday night was another dinner, this time at Alex's Mom's - Joy. Who is the biggest joy I've ever met. She's a Short, chic haired and wide blue eyed lady from Minnesota, and the most interesting, caring, delightful woman. I arrived with Alex and Adam after INTO THE WOODS, and not ten minutes after we arrived there was the freakiest storm I've ever been in. Like a hurricane or a twister - even though they don't get them in Steamboat - rain, thunder, hail, lightning, whole place shaking, trees falling down. When it settled down, we went outside, the house was covered in debris and we proceeded to have a snowball fight in the driveway. I had a rather unfortunately large snowball go down the back of my dress, into my underpants and sort of plop out on to the ground just as the others arrived - all shaken as they had driven through the worst of the storm... so not many noticed the hideous timing of snowball to Kate ratio.

A bonfire was lit by Joy's religious, republican husband Allan, who is the nicest guy ever and also very interesting. A true blue Mid Western man. Shiteload of guns, which of course is not up my alley, but all the same...

He had a firetorch and kept hooning it at the bonfire. Picture attached.

3 different kinds of pasta, Basil Gimlets and we were outside singing American songs and chatting away. I was the lead singer for the evening and confidence really is my friend. I decided I was going to be fantastic and was!!

Em and I ended up sleeping over there as it was too difficult to get home, we played Scattergories with Joy and Allan - Joy came up with the dirtiest things much to our amusement (Mum, if you're reading this, you would love it. You should order it and play it with Tom and Ave... It's a great test of knowledge and very fun and silly) Allan showed us one if his guns - Joy tried to stop him but he was convinced we would love seeing it...

And then Emma, Alex and I hung out and watched 'Willow' then went to sleep, though I was convinced there was a bear outside so Alex had to do a check of the grounds! It was a gorgeously full evening.

Saturday's Shakespeare was difficult. We were at Spring Creek and we all had 2nd night itis, which I know believe is actors too convinced that they know the play really well once they've opened and can go onto auto pilot. I was so aware of wanting to try to include the audience within each beat/scene that I was a bit disconnected at the beginning and everyone else seemed uber aware of themselves so the first half was like pushing shit uphill.

Then Sunday hit and OH MY - Was it tough! WE turned up for rehearsal at 1230pm. By 2.15 pm an actor hadn't turned up... this actor who really suited the part (but wasn't an actor) and was rarely there when we needed him/didn't know lines etc. Anyway, finally he turns up and it is 35 degrees outside. No apology. Anyway, Adam fires him on the spot. No discussion.

I understand, he had had several warnings and we were all super pissed with him. But he had blocked it, he vaguely knew it, he was right for it and now Adam is playing the part.

He did a really good show, we were all really nervous for him and us but once it built momentum we were fine. I was quite proud of him.

However, I am now extremely annoyed because it means I do not get a day off before I go to NYC because he needs to rehearse up. We have two shows tomorrow night from 5. AND a rehearsal during the day. In my opinion that is not fair, not after we've taught kiddies for 3 hours.

I want to serve the shows to the best of my ability, and I wont be as able to do that if I'm exhausted.

However, I am really enjoying the aspect of play in COLONISATION. I improvise, and feel free to do so. There is a lot of creative license here because it is a test.

Yesterday we experienced the Yampa River and the phenomenon known as 'tubing.' Basically you get a tyre like device, blown up and donned with a mesh bottom, cup holders and rope.

We got let loose with all our mates and went down the Yampa for three hours through rapids, around rocks, laughing and enjoying the fast and slow of mother nature.

I bought a 4 dollar dispensable camera which I worked my arse off to keep dry and when I got to the very end of film, I managed to totally dunk it... it's at the printers now.... we shall see.

It was so much fun, we had a couple of beers, had oodles of sunscreen. Laughed at Emma, who couldn't reach the water to paddle. My top came off as I floated past an upmarket restaurant on the river. Alex got hysterical with laughter. Asa got stranded on a rock on his 'tube' which was actually a blown up double bed. Was the funniest thing ever.

Nick saved me heaps when I, lounging on my tube went into the bush foliage, and I sold my tube to Amy afterwards so I didn't have to pay extra. Boom!

We had Kurtis and Alex over for dinner and beers and all was swell.

I've had enough of writing so this will have to do for now. K?!