I'm Back, Bitches. Hopefully for good.

Revival 2.

RAAAAAR!!!
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Yes.  I'm alive.  Although whether or not I'm living is a different story.
Let's recap.  Since June last year I have been in my first play in ten years as an actor.
I hated it.  The director was stale, obvious in their choices, and basically too old, blind and deaf to be doing it.  Lovely lady, bad director.  We clashed.  Lol.
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A couple of weeks before opening, my precious Granddad passed away.
He had had Alzheimers disease for about 9 years, and we had a long time to get used to the fact that the Granddad we knew and loved was gone.  He was just a shell of a man in those last few years, but boy did he hold on.  It's amazing that even after 9 years of knowing he was dying, and wanting the end to come, when it did come it was no less of a shock, no less hurt.  Sure, we were glad he wasn't suffering anymore... Hell, in the end there were a couple of moments when I was alone in the room with him and genuinely considered putting a pillow over his head and ending it for him.  But it really did suck when he did go...
He wasn't the most perfect husband or father... He was war-torn, and a drunk, and violent, and did what he could to keep his ever expanding family in line.  But my Aunty said his attitude changed once he got his first Grandchild, and as Grandchildren, we really did get the best of him.  He never said much, but when he did, you listened, and it was worth it.
I had a moment in the early drunken hours of 2015 realising this was going to be the first year of my life without him in it.  It was sobering.
I will miss you forever Kingi.  I love you to the end of the time.

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Then I went back to rehearsals... it's a very uneasy feeling, knowing you are in a bad show.  It's the first time that's ever happened to me!  As opening night neared all the problems that were blatant as fuck to me suddenly became blatant as fuck to everyone else, including our very nervous director.  But as a cast we banded together and tried to fix the problems, learn how to save each other when someone is stuck... all the stuff we should have had under control weeks before.
Reactions were mixed... some fell asleep and left at half time (don't blame them).  Others really enjoyed it.  Or endured it (in the case of family or friends who couldn't be dissuaded from coming).
Then of course as soon as it was over I was bored again.  I'm lined up for an amazing show that's on in August.  It's a kiwi play by Maurice Shadbolt called 'Once On Chanuk Bair' about the Wellington regiment of soldiers trying to keep the foothold hill of Chanuk Bair in Gallipoli during WWI.
It's a strong play, I have a great character, and I will try my best to honour my Grandfather with this show.  Some might say it's a shame he won't be around to see it.  But truth be told, he wouldn't have had a clue what was going on even if he was around.  In fact I imagine that in the state he was in, it may have deeply upset him - the war was Not something he ever talked about (to me at least - truth be told, War didn't interest me growing up, so I wouldn't have asked anyway).  But I hope I can bring some truth to the performance from now knowing about what he went through.  I'm looking forward to it.
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Have been trying to no avail to find work that suits my bodies capabilities.  Will keep on pushing this year, and in the meantime, commit to continuing to work on Dark Valley - the book version.
Got sick of pitching and episode structure and producers giving me shitbox reasons as to why my show isn't worthy of funding.  Whatever.  It is, in essence, a story that is busting to get out of my system, so I'm just going to write it.  Maybe it will become the tv show I dream of it being after that, but at least I will have gotten it out by writing it.
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Have given up my facebook addiction to help things along there.  6 days cold turkey and actually, I have discovered, I am fine without it!  Lo and behold!  I don't even Care what you had for breakfast anymore!  Admittedly the first day I kept going to log in and then going "oh yeah, that's right..." but now... you would never know I was there at all.  It's a bit of a pain in the arse as far as my Farm Heroes Saga addiction goes, but whatevs, I'm sure I'll get over that also.
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Went to Welly for NY's.  Had a blast.  Got laid (always a bonus).  Made me think I could live there again, easily.  Although that's easy when you're in a nice house and it's Summer - the weather is so shithouse usually...
Made some new friends which is always good...  Saw a few old ones too, which is even better.
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Came home after a week to a burst hot water tank in my cousins house, although in true ghetto fashion, no one is actually doing anything about it.  The whanau needs hot water, so it's not even turned off.  The landlord knows but apparently doesn't care, or at least isn't in a rush to do anything about it.  So in the meantime the solution is to clear the room the tank is in and let it leak everywhere.  Awesome... That will end well, huh.  Can't see AAAAAANNNNNNY problems there...
Common sense is not a strong point in that household...  For real.
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Question: should I create a new blogsite where I post DARK VALLEY piece by piece?  Try and lure in interest, and perhaps fan motivation will keep me going?  Or am I ruining my chances of a published novel if I do that (ie. not getting paid for it)?  Well, the answer is yes to that last part, I just want to know what people think.  Net or Paper.
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That is all.  For now.
Hope you are all having a great 2015 so far, and may we all strive for betterment.