The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

My five-year old has a mild fever; she put herself to bed at 6:30 p.m. tonight: "Ok, mama, it's bedtime." Her two-year-old sister, sucker that she is, followed suit — god forbid she be left out of anything, even an early bedtime: "Me sleep! No, me sleep!"

It's unlikely that she'll still have a fever in the morning; she's bizarrely healthy, always has been, but I'm making contingency plans just in case. I have a very elaborate series of to-do lists spanning pretty much the month of February. (I just read Colleen Kruse's column re: her own passion for the art of list making. I too am a devotee.) If she's still under the weather tomorrow I'll take her with me to rehearsal for the Medtronic live industrial (scenes we perform for purposes of employee training, one of the many oddjobs that keep us afloat) in the morning. Of course, the last time I did that she ran around giggling and singing and had so much fun that I still get grief from the other parents. Also, she has little to no respect for the art of naturalistic acting; mama goes to work and just stands around talking and laughing, apparently. I'd like some credit for, at the very least, the fact that I say the same words over again every time I rehearse a scene, but this does not impress her. She politely watches for about five minutes, and then she kicks her shoes off (that's how I know it's coming) and launches onto the stage with some rendition of a Dora-song or, worse, cuttingly honest mimicry of our own performances.

Then I'll take her with me to the agency for my voice-over audition. She's usually pretty good there; it's quick and they have toys. I'll cancel visiting Love Person rehearsal — there's no way she can sit through that. Which will put me behind schedule for Tuesday.

Today is my day off this week. I like when it's a Sunday; I actually get to spend it with family. Traditionally, theater takes Monday off, which I get, and when I'm in a show it's fine, but I prefer having the weekend like everyone else. So I've been list making, trying to get a handle on the coming weeks. That's probably why I read Colleen Kruse's piece — always good to find independent support for your own compulsions. In that spirit:

Monday: Medtronic rehearsal, v/o audition, call about travel grant for residency this summer, Love Person rehearsal (unless kid is sick), rewrites if necessary...

Tuesday: Research statistics on genocide for 3rd draft of When We Look (Intermedia Arts, April), schedule school visits (school choice cards due Feb 28!!), visit Love Person rehearsal, perform show at Medtronic, read new script for show at Florida Stage (Ward 57, April) to make sure they haven't changed my character into a small green alien...

Wednesday: Write new draft of When We Look, visit Love Person rehearsal, rewrites if necessary...

Thursday: Have oral surgery. I'm not kidding, I have a wisdom tooth with a cyst, and they're putting me under anesthesia. I'm not really ok with meds. I had two kids naturally, not because it was better for them but because I have control issues, but I'm even less ok with anything involving dentistry, so being under is probably good. And apparently, I can expect to be completely useless for the rest of the day or longer, which I don't really have time for, but that's why I'm making this list, see? If I get all that other stuff done, it won't be the end of the world if I lose a day or two to anesthesia induced oblivion.

I switch to a more long term February list now, since I don't know how long the dental trauma will affect my productivity:

-complete school choice card, plan and execute baby's birthday party, open HOBT show, open Love Person, complete final and usable script for When We Look, start rehearsing Florida show (& pack for Florida), make arrangements with family and friends to keep husband and children sane until the kids join me in Florida. At a minimum.

More would be good, and that's what the other seven sub-lists are for, but they will remain in a drawer where they won't stress me out needlessly until I figure out if my daughter is still sick tomorrow, at which point I will fall behind. On the upside, I'll have an excuse to vegg out and watch The Little Mermaid again.