It’s been pretty quiet here on my blog in 2013, as it will go down in my personal history as the year I got married (on September 29, 2013). I’ll blog about the wedding separately once we’ve got video and official photos, but it was a whirlwind as you might expect (and we were even offered a spot on TLC’s Four Weddings which I had to decline due to conflicts with my honeymoon). The most important thing is that I found the love of my life and we’re looking forward to our first full year as a married couple!
I will focus on the positives here – there were lots of little setbacks, from a wedding weekend that turned into the rainiest September Seattle weekend in 30 years to problems finding treatment for my hemochromatosis locally – but in general there was a lot to like about 2013. 🙂
Personal Life
- I got married and went on my honeymoon!
- I became a godmother (and a stepmother).
- Began teaching Improv 100 with Unexpected Productions.
- My brother got married.
- Attended three other weddings of dear friends.
- First jury duty service (just missed being placed on a murder trial)
- Travel to New Jersey, Philadelphia, Sonoma CA, Orlando, and the Caribbean.
- Still working at Microsoft on the Connected Car team, and survived several massive re-orgs
- Lost some friends to LA and Atlanta, but welcomed one friend back from Boston and preparing to welcome another soon.
- We installed a birdfeeder on our balcony (sounds minor, but for a pet-allergic girl it’s basically my favorite thing.)
- Performed improv on live television (!!)
- Appeared in a color photo/article printed in the Seattle Times
- Met Red Fraggle (the Muppet – I met the woman in 2011!)
Stem Outreach
Managed to reach over a thousand girls in person between career panels, workshops, and talks, plus many more through online articles.
- Blogging and mentoring for the Huffington Post’s Girls in STEM program
- Taught my Interaction Design hands-on workshop at DigiGirlz to 120 girls
- Participated in a number of career panels for TEALS
- Gave the keynote and closing at Redmond’s Girls Unlimited in March
- Gave an Interaction Design talk at Redmond’s Girls Unlimited in November
- Gave an Interaction Design talk at GeekGirlCon 2013
- Continued participating in IGNITE career panels (Spring)
Acting
Surprisingly busy year despite very few auditions, as I had originally planned to lay low due to wedding planning. Plans to get a video channel off the ground never really materialized, but I’d hardly call the year a quiet one.
Mainstage Performances:
- Where No Man Has Gone Before
- Jewel Box Theater, Memorial Day
- Theater Off Jackson, August 16 & 17
- Wedding Horror Stories: July, Jet City Improv
- Seattle TheaterSports: all year long, Unexpected Productions
- Bubbles in the Wine (Improvised Laurence Welk): November, Unexpected Productions
- Two Gentlemen of Lebowski: Nov, Jewel Box Theater
- An (Improvised) Christmas Carol: Nov – Dec, Unexpected Productions
Festival, Convention and Variety Performances:
- Emerald City ComicCon 2013: Where No Man Has Gone Before & NERDprov
- Seattle Festival of Improv Theater 2013 (Emcee)
- Geek Improv Comedy Doubleheaders: Where No Man Has Gone Before & NERDprov (March & September, Jewel Box Theater)
- Q13 Fox News This Morning, August 16
- Redmond Acts OUT!, August 17 (with Where No Man Has Gone Before & Wedding Horror Stories)
- Cards Against Humanity LIVE!, The Triple Door, Sept 1
- Bumbershoot 2013 (with NERDprov), Aug 31 – Sep 2
- GeekGirlCon 2013 (with Where No Man Has Gone Before)
- NERDprov in Walla Walla, November 7
Shows, Concerts & Events
Not as much of a concert year as last year, but there was still plenty to do. Here are the shows I can remember seeing (not all-inclusive!).
- [Event] Game of Thrones Season 3 Premiere & Party
- [Event] EMP Fantasy Exhibit Opening
- [Show] Cirque du Soleil: Amaluna
- [Musical] Book of Mormon (touring company)
- [Musical] War Horse (touring company with backstage tour
- [Musical] FELA! (touring company)
- [Musical] Flashdance (touring company)
- [Musical] Sister Act (touring company)
- [Musical] Chicago (Village Theater)
- [Musical] Xanadu (Village Theater)
- [Film] SIFF Opening Night Gala: Much Ado About Nothing w/ Joss Whedon
- [Film] Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Film Festival
- [Concert] Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- [Concert] Bumbershoot 2013
- [Play] Anna Karenina (Book-It)
- [Play] Taming of the Shrew (Island Stage Left)
- [Play] Across a Little Red Marker (Eclectic Theater)
- [Play] Team of Heroes: No More Heroes (Annex)
- [Play] August: Osage County (Balagan)
- [Play] Noises Off (Cascade Community Theater)
- [Improv Longforms] Gilbert & Sullivan, Austen Translation, World’s Fair, The Cosmos, Men of Action, Break-Up Songs, Skid Road, Pretty Wonderful Club, Impromptu
I’m still reasoning through what my goals for 2014 are. Travel and home improvement are at the top of the list, along with continuing to evolve my STEM outreach. And of course, blogging more. Best wishes for a wonderful 2014!