Attending Cast Calls in Aspen
I walked into Aspen Valley Hospital to get my blood drawn… again. After that last scary incident on my bike, I was determined to find out what was causing the pain I’ve had in my side for over twenty years.
I have those veins that are hard to find, and when I saw it wasn’t John, who not only succeeded last time but was a bit of a ham, cracking jokes as he poked me, I slumped down in my seat, not wanting to talk.
The nurse had a friendly demeanor, and as she prepared the needle, I burst into tears. “My dog ate my salad,” I sputtered, figuring she was probably used to this kind of loony behavior from stay-at-home working moms who have simply had enough. She listened compassionately as I explained that I had treated myself to a salad at Cafe Ink, but because I was rushing around unloading scooters that never stop whacking me in the shins, I absentmindedly left it in the car with poor Muki. Of course, she got into it and ate all the chicken and goat cheese. The rest, soggy lettuce and cranberries, was embedded in her fur and every crack of my car for me to clean up another day… another week.
After my story, the nurse told me about the children’s book she had written, about a mouse without a tail who endures hardships and comes out stronger, and we became fast friends.
Granted, these past few months have been a bit crazy with the move. On top of that, I’ve been planning Brevitt’s bar mitzvah, and because he refuses to let me hold it in a barn or a schoolhouse, we’ve been touring every venue available, which has been a journey, including firing the DJ for smarminess. (Never fear, we’re back on track with the locally famous DJ Naka G, and Brev is triple psyched.) Plus, our tenants of four years moved out of our less-than-glamorous condo, and we had to back out with a possible new tenant who seemed to have a few troubles of his own. All this just as we’re getting slammed with ski passes, ski programs for the kids and a school bus pass that costs more than a trip to Africa.
Aspen Cast Calls
My last bubble was about to burst when I got an email. Axel had been selected for a cast call from some website I must have submitted a photo to years ago for a contest. It turned out to be Aspen Production Services, the production company I used to work for, putting on the cast call along with my friends at Model Team, and they encouraged me to bring the whole family for a hot tub print shoot. What the heck, I thought, we have nothing to lose, other than my dignity for posing in a bikini, a bold move I never would have braved had I not felt safe with the production company owner and had dollar signs not been flashing before my eyes. So I dragged my whole family to the cast call.
We arrived on Jilly time, a half hour late (I’m not proud of this trait, I swear). Our gorgeous Baddy, who hates these things, came in with his hair spilling over his visor, holding his elbow, which was oozing from a wound he gave himself flipping over while popping a wheelie with the kids on Midland Avenue in Basalt, in front of all the ladies dining at Tempranillo.
As dysfunctional as I felt, the boys had it going on, especially Thumper, who, not wanting to blow the chance to earn money for new ski gear, looked very dapper in his new school clothes.
I guess living on the fly is a good thing, but it’s also important to take time to be present. Breathe, I kept telling myself. Write… meditate… do what you can to stay sane. And as I stood there at the cast call, giggling with my family at the thought of making money off our disheveled selves, I changed my mindset then and there.
I think there comes a time when we’ve all had enough, whether we stay at home or go to an office. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of feeling, and hearing, “I’m sooooo busy.” Are we really all that busy, or are we just not taking the time to breathe and enjoy the lives we’ve created for ourselves?
If you’re anything like me, too busy to take care of yourself, especially the emotional side, which leads to embarrassing breakdowns with strangers, then it’s time to take control of our lives. So let’s do it together, shall we? Let’s trust our intuition, enjoy life while we’re in it and not sweat the small stuff, no matter how big it feels at the time.
