Alrighty, we’ll see how long I’m back for this time. I needed to write something so I came back to this old thang to write a blog post about this past year. I signed up for and completed two different acting courses through different studios. I thoroughly enjoyed learning at Railtown Actors Studio – we got to do a bunch of different scenes and film them each week, get feedback the following week and re-shoot with the feedback. Very helpful, though I think I have a lot to learn.
I was then promoted to Guided Tour Guide this year – I was bumped up from the Hop On Hop Off bus, to the tours that actually leave the city (for Capilano, Grouse Mountain, and Whistler!). It’s a stressful job – Taking buses of 40 + people on trips up the Sea to Sky highway made for an interesting summer – I only lost a couple of people along the way (I found most of them again). I had a family who realized they had left their backpack, WITH passports in it, at our stop at Shannon Falls… 15 minutes behind us on the highway. Had a family who thought I had said 12:45 return time, when I had ACTUALLY said 11:45 return time – had to leave without ’em. Had a lady who broke her foot in two places. Or the lady who pooped her pants. It was an exciting summer!
My tense-ness got the best of me though, I got a bulging disc in my neck near the end of August, extreme pain and discomfort. I’ve had to scale back the tours I’m able to do for the rest of the season. I’m also going to physio to help the healing.
Though here’s a tip for Vancouverites – go to Whistler for medical treatment. I was able to get into a clinic AND get a CT Scan done within 2.5 hours – they called me later with the results as I was only in Whistler on a tour and had to leave to catch the bus I was guiding. It’s worth the drive, you’ll end up waiting at a hospital or clinic in Van longer than it takes to drive to Whistler and wait there!! It worked for me anyways, I also may have gotten lucky.
Sarah and I have made a point of seeing a concert almost every month this year (on top of seeing Billie Eilish TWICE in December 2024) – Eivor in Feb, Lun in March, Felix Cartal in April, Lights in May, we missed June, Mannequin Pussy in July, missed August, Aqua and Noah Cyrus in September, nothing for October YET, Bif Naked in November, and we’ll find something for December.
That’s about it so far, not a lot to report on the acting side of things, though I plan to shoot some self-tapes and create another demo to send out to agencies. That’s the plan today anyways, we’ll see what happens tomorrow.
Mary Maxine 