Nebraska here I come

Been gearing up for the trip to Lincoln, Nebraska. I leave tomorrow afternoon. I now have all the vignettes (the whole script) and Friday night did a reading with my besties, Aileen and Colby. Made lots of discoveries and now have some definite ideas about how this is all going to work. The script needs major cutting - it's far too wordy, but I have confidence that will happen as we get into the nitty gritty. Lovely lady named Linda offered her spare bedroom to me for the week and am very grateful to have a place to stay now.

My family is finally closing on their house tomorrow after 13 months of hassles! I am extremely happy for them, that the wait is finally over and they can be settled and no longer homeless.

Got more news that prompts me to make some major changes in my current work situation. This would all have gone so much smoother and be much more bearable if a certain party would stop trying to lie to me and would play fair.

The wonderful, fantastic, amazing Julie Valencia sent me 2 more students tonight, who will start after I get back to town. I owe that woman and her family so much!

Gotta go to bed at some point. Lots to do tomorrow; haven't even started packing. Am hoping to spend some of the time in Nebraska working on my book. Granted, the project is this play, but I think I will have some down time.

Here's a snippet from the book that will probably end up getting cut:

Elizabeth felt the car bump when Arden maneuvered it onto Asbury Close, and she woke up and fondled Jack’s hand a little. He opened his eyes, took in his surroundings and pointed across her torso out the window at the grand 250 year-old stone mansion crested on the hill ¼ mile to their right. “That’s it?” she asked, duly impressed.
“Welcome to Berkshire, Miss,” Arden told her, regarding her in the rear-view mirror with a twinkle in his eye.
She stared at it as it came closer into view and Arden slowed the car, turning right again into the drive. There was a fountain as big as a house in the center of the drive, adorned with marble horses and a garden surrounding it. The drive was paved in stone and the house was massive. It was bigger than most of the houses in Beverly Hills and there weren’t any other houses in sight, implying that the grounds must stretch for miles.
Jack was watching her awe with amusement. He pecked her on the cheek as the car gently rolled up to the front of the house.
Inappropriate questions came to her mind such as, “How much is it worth?”, “How many bedrooms are there?”, “How many square feet?”, “How many acres?” But she didn’t voice any of them and trusted that if she was allowed to know any of that, Jack would tell her.
Arden opened the car door for her and she stepped out. The bitter December cold hadn’t improved since Heathrow and she longed for a coat. Jack emerged behind her and said, “Go in the house. I’ll help Arden with the bags.”
She felt a bit uncomfortable walking in the front door without Jack, but she was freezing, so she obliged. The two-story double door creaked as she pushed it open. She stepped into a grand foyer with its marble black and white checkered floor and crème-colored paneled walls, which upon further inspection, revealed they were made of marble. The grand staircase, also marble, was centered in front of her and above her hung a four-tiered ancient chandelier with candelabras dotting it. She was certain she could fit six replicas of her tiny campus apartment in this foyer alone.
Jack and Arden bustled through the door behind her and she gave them room to maneuver, as she was still standing in the doorway. “Where would you like the bags, Jack?” Arden asked him.
“In my room,” he replied, as if that settled where Elizabeth would sleep.
Arden nodded and took two of the bags upstairs.
A woman in a yellow robe and slippers appeared the top of the steps, smiled at Jack, and made her way down to him. Jack flung his arms open and met her halfway, embracing her warmly and kissing her both cheeks. As always, upon sight of his big sister, he felt an enormous rush of family bond he received nowhere else. When he was away, he rarely thought about how much he missed his sister, but when he saw her, he was always flooded with relief and contentment. “I miss you so much!” he half-whispered.
“I miss you too, brother,” she told him, smiling.