Insanity

I usually pride myself on handling stress pretty well. I don't hit my children, swear at strangers driving by me, or smoke cigarettes. Sure, I may eat an occasional tub of cookie dough, but I rationalize it by drinking skim milk with it. I also try to get a healthy dose of sleep, (which is totally dependent on whether the kids decide to get a healthy dose of sleep, but that's really out of my control) and to maintain a spiritual awareness. Why I felt it necessary to test out the full range of my stress management potential, I'm not sure, but apparently I did.
I work in theater. Therefore, my work is totally cyclical, and inconsistent. Sometimes I'm doing NOTHING work related (and by work here, I'm using the loose definition of expending energy to receive a paycheck, no matter how small, in return. This doesn't include the everyday highly demanding work of raising three kids and a husband and a cat) and other times, like now, I'm completely inundated. For the past 14 years, I've worked with the local high school, choreographing their musicals. This year we're doing ByeByeBirdie...and I've so far managed to avoid poking out my eye with a fork from hearing WELOVEYOUCONRAD 9,000 in a row. Project #1. After a three year hiatus, I've returned to the Christian Elementary/Middle School to direct Honk, Jr. The musical story of the Ugly Duckling. Project #2. I've also decided to direct Godspell at my church - a huge undertaking which barely qualifies as "work", based on my above definition, since I'm only drawing my regular staff salary and not being paid any additional money for taking on a full-scale musical. Project #3.
So what am I currently contemplating? Project #4!! Some old friends of mine run a murder mystery dinner theater, and have asked me to read for them to understudy a couple of shows. Sounds easy enough, right?? Except there are 7 rehearsals scheduled during the month of April, which is already booked pretty solid with Projects #1, #2, and #3. I haven't been able to say no yet, though, because they are friends whom I would LOVE to work with, it is an ACTING job, and it would be really really fun. Plus, it holds long range potential for the dead time which will be coming after the others are over. So do I try to work it out? Do I go for it? Or do I just drink some more coffee, eat a cookie, and focus on the current commitments to insanity?
I'd love to keep writing, but it's time to wake up Cinderella and go get Tarzan from preschool.