On September 20th, I'm quitting my job. I'm excited and terrified to go over to Green Room full-time. It is a bittersweet time as I really do love my job, the organization I work for, and my coworkers.
I'll begin a new adventure at Green Room helping to run the business. I have never taken business classes. I'm not an accountant. Like pretty much everything else I've done in my life, I'm just planning to wing it.
I turned in my notice at the end of August, with plans to leave September 6th, but I agreed to stay on to finish a project because I was asked to do so. Thus, I live in the in-between with the "last moments" stretching out to a point where I can contemplate this crazy decision and second-guess myself.
I know all the cons - loss of a guaranteed paycheck, loss of employer-provided health insurance, loss of a retirement plan, ending a promising career in nonprofit fundraising, and a wealth of others that I'm sure someone will think to remind me.
The pros are important, too - learning new skills, focusing my energy where it matters most, having an active and relevant role in our family business, staff management, market research, a crash course in economics, accounting, budgeting, marketing, and of course...flipping burgers.
It is hilarious to me that I'm leaving my desk job to literally ask people if they want fries with that. It's basically giving a finger to the old cliche that you should "go to college because you don't want to be stuck flipping burgers the rest of your life".
I am choosing to flip burgers the rest of my life.
I am choosing the harder career path.
And I am scared.
Sep 11, 2013
Jan 24, 2013
Green Room Brews!
My husband's restaurant, Green Room Burgers & Beer, has been open for almost a year. He's celebrating by brewing his first batch of commercial beer, called Papa Louie's. If you're interested in his technique, process, projects, and general musings, follow his blog!
Oct 15, 2012
Holy Cow! It's Over!
I started Holy Cow! when I moved to Kansas City seven years ago, and I ended it last Saturday at the championship round of Improv Thunderdome: Season 10 (We got third place, and our show kicked ass. That tells you the quality of Improv Thunderdome.)
Holy Cow started as a project of mine at Rockhurst University. I transferred in as a junior studying English with a minor in Theater. Rockhurst had a great theater department at that time but there was no improv troupe at the school so I decided to start one of my own.
I was naiive about how much work running a troupe is, but I was also fiercely motivated and improv is super fun, so it was easy at first. We did 2 shows a year - one each semester, and it was free admission. It became quite the hit on campus by the time I graduated in 2007. I thought, "I'm moving on, so should Holy Cow." But there were some younger classmen that really loved it and wanted to keep it going, and I am selfish and it's hard for me to let other people be in charge, so I just decided to keep doing Holy Cow.
There were many, many times when I wanted to quit - many weeks where I desperately wanted to cancel rehearsal and stay at home with nothing to do...But I really loved it and I hated letting other people down (also see above about how I am rather controlling about certain things) so I kept going.
Our membership changed throughout the years, but it was always so much fun to perform. We went from being a short-form college troupe that did free shows to a long-form troupe that got paid to perform (not much, but hey, getting paid to do improv is pretty freaking awesome). I was introduced to a whole community of amazing improvisers in KC. I got to perform in 2 big-time improv festivals, and meet some famous and not-so-famous comedians. I've made great friends.
But it has come time to let Holy Cow finally end. The number one reason is I am tired. It is hard work to run a troupe and plan rehearsals and book shows and keep the momentum going.
Also, I have sort of been married to Holy Cow...spending free time in rehearsals and shows and drinking sessions (there have been lots of drinking sessions). And now it is time to go get married to Michael and spend my free time with him. (It also helps that Mike Ferris and his wife are having a baby in February, and Mark Bruce moved back to St. Louis.)
It's not the end of my comedy "career". You can still see me perform many weekends at ComedyCity, and throughout the year with Pretty.Funny. And starting in two weeks, I'll be at ComedyCity every Sunday cheering on high schoolers participating in the nonprofit program I helped start: Seriously Playful's Operation: Show!
Endings are always weird. I sort of thought I would be more sad, but...mostly, I'm just excited about what's to come. Onward and upward.
Holy Cow started as a project of mine at Rockhurst University. I transferred in as a junior studying English with a minor in Theater. Rockhurst had a great theater department at that time but there was no improv troupe at the school so I decided to start one of my own.
I was naiive about how much work running a troupe is, but I was also fiercely motivated and improv is super fun, so it was easy at first. We did 2 shows a year - one each semester, and it was free admission. It became quite the hit on campus by the time I graduated in 2007. I thought, "I'm moving on, so should Holy Cow." But there were some younger classmen that really loved it and wanted to keep it going, and I am selfish and it's hard for me to let other people be in charge, so I just decided to keep doing Holy Cow.
There were many, many times when I wanted to quit - many weeks where I desperately wanted to cancel rehearsal and stay at home with nothing to do...But I really loved it and I hated letting other people down (also see above about how I am rather controlling about certain things) so I kept going.
Our membership changed throughout the years, but it was always so much fun to perform. We went from being a short-form college troupe that did free shows to a long-form troupe that got paid to perform (not much, but hey, getting paid to do improv is pretty freaking awesome). I was introduced to a whole community of amazing improvisers in KC. I got to perform in 2 big-time improv festivals, and meet some famous and not-so-famous comedians. I've made great friends.
But it has come time to let Holy Cow finally end. The number one reason is I am tired. It is hard work to run a troupe and plan rehearsals and book shows and keep the momentum going.
Also, I have sort of been married to Holy Cow...spending free time in rehearsals and shows and drinking sessions (there have been lots of drinking sessions). And now it is time to go get married to Michael and spend my free time with him. (It also helps that Mike Ferris and his wife are having a baby in February, and Mark Bruce moved back to St. Louis.)
It's not the end of my comedy "career". You can still see me perform many weekends at ComedyCity, and throughout the year with Pretty.Funny. And starting in two weeks, I'll be at ComedyCity every Sunday cheering on high schoolers participating in the nonprofit program I helped start: Seriously Playful's Operation: Show!
Endings are always weird. I sort of thought I would be more sad, but...mostly, I'm just excited about what's to come. Onward and upward.
Mar 29, 2012
Letters.
Dear MyFitnessPal,
Thank you for helping me balance my diet. 17 pounds down!
Dear Sunshiny Spring,
You are making it hard to focus at work.
Dear Max and Diego,
Let's go for a walk tonight.
Dear Ferris's and Salierno's,
I hope you are prepared to lose in Settlers of Catan!
Dear Michael,
I love you and thank you for waking up and eating breakfast with me, even when you are exhausted.
Love,
Cindy
Thank you for helping me balance my diet. 17 pounds down!
Dear Sunshiny Spring,
You are making it hard to focus at work.
Dear Max and Diego,
Let's go for a walk tonight.
Dear Ferris's and Salierno's,
I hope you are prepared to lose in Settlers of Catan!
Dear Michael,
I love you and thank you for waking up and eating breakfast with me, even when you are exhausted.
Love,
Cindy
Jan 8, 2012
We're engaged!!
On December 23, 2011, M asked me to marry him and I said yes! Let the countdown to October 20, 2012 begin! <3
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