Thursday, October 30, 2008

Ok, I know I've been slacking on the posts and sorry, blah, blah, blah.

Anyhoo, what is with people writing checks for their purchases at the grocery and Target?!?! Seriously! You haven't jumped on the cash or credit or debit bandwagons yet?! For fuck's sake!! You're gonna sit there and waste everyone's time writing a GD CHECK?!?!!?! ARGH!!

Monday, October 27, 2008

*cough, cough*

Ok, I'm sick and the truth is that I have no desire to do anything, let alone try to be clever, witty or funny.

I'm going to get back in bed...

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Woo-Hoo!

Remember that feeling when you were little that you'd get when your Mom or Dad or whatever would come into your room in the morning and say that school had been canceled because of snow? I had that feeling tonight! Due to some political hubbub my little show got canceled for the evening so I got a night off! Yea! I love this show but I am feeling a little under the weather and it was a very pleasant surprise to get the call from my SM about 45 before the show was supposed to start saying "Show's been canceled, don't come!" Huck and turned right around and went home. Very nice.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Neat and Tidy.

I find that, often, I want things to fit into neat little boxes. I want the bad people in my life to be bad and the good to be good. I want to be able to trust the knowledge I have about people. I don't want to have conflicting emotions about people that should be firmly in the "bad" box.

What I am learning, however, is that life ain't really that easy. So here's the deal Tres: I know you will never see this and I know you have no way of knowing that this is the way that I feel, but I'm sorry about what you're going through.

I in no way forgive you for being a dick and a tool and a total lazy coward. However, even though I still don't forgive you or want to talk to you, I am thinking about you and maybe on some unconscious level you feel that and maybe you feel some peace for it.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Year in Review

Today is my one year anniversary of moving back to The Burque. Wow. Where did the last year go? It was Halloween last year and then the next thing I knew it was Halloween again! Wha-what?!?!

Regardless of the weird time-space continuum stuffs, this has been a very important year in my life. Let's go through it, shall we?

I got a job and quit a job. For most folks that's probably not the biggest of deals but for me it is for several reasons: 1. Just the fact that I got a job is surprising, really. 2. This job gave me a very superficial introduction into the arts scene here. 3. I really got to think about how I want things done when I do them for myself. It's really nice to watch an organization that's kind of trying to do what you want to do and failing miserably at it because it gives one a very clear insight in to what not to do. This job was also beneficial because it forced me to stand up for myself. It forced me to let folks know that "employee" does not equal "disciple" or "janitor" or "shuttle service" or "wait staff" or "baby sitter" or "slave" or "whipping post". Working at that job made me aware that it is not ok to be working 55 hour weeks and have your boss tell you that you are doing nothing while everyone else is killing themselves. It let me know that just because an employer wants to have no other life beyond their job, I am not responsible to do or feel the same way.I learned that playing the "office politics" game is not important enough to keep me from standing up for myself when I'm being abused or misused. I learned that sometimes bridges have to be burned and I know that my work will be enough to outweigh all the vitriol that one sad little woman could possibly produce. I learned to dislike and speak out against those who make a mockery out of what I do and love and. I learned to form intelligent opinions on what art means to me and how it affects my life and world. I learned to say "No" and really mean it and not feel bad about it. I learned not to take the shitty things my boss said about me to other employees too seriously because really? If your boss is gonna talk shit about you to fellow employees to try to get them to pick sides, that's just sad!

I made myself a home. A home that is mine and that is run and lived in the way I see fit. I load the dishwasher the way I want to. I stack my magazines how I see fit. The pantry and fridge are stocked with my favorite foods and beverages.

Probably the best thing that happened this year and most likely the best decision I ever made was Mr. Owen. That silly dog has brought more joy into my life than I can possibly express in words. Owen is a rescue dog in that I adopted him from a shelter and as cliche as it sounds, while I did save him, he rescued me so much more.

Two break ups: one...annoying, the other quite painful.

Four shows at local theatres, a staged reading, an independent movie, five Street Theatre Brigade missions (and counting), one really excellent review in the local paper, and meeting a bunch of fun, awesome folks who are trying to create theatre and art. Not too shabby!

Two very lovely trips to Mexico when I needed them most. I fully believe in the healing power of the ocean.

Two failed Balloon Fiestas. I told the family that next year would be our year. However it does suck so very much to wake up at 5am to see the balloons only to learn when you get to the park that there's inclement weather and no balloons will be going up. *Yawn*

Two really great comic book movies. I am, of course, talking about The Hulk and Hellboy. Kidding, kidding! I actually don't have any real beef with the Hellboy movie, I just don't really give a rat's ass about that character or the entire franchise. I think it's boring. Anyhoo, I am very seriously talking about Iron Man and The Dark Knight. These two movies are awesomely made and are two wonderful (albeit polar opposite) examples of what a comic book movie should be. These two films make me have hope (and very high expectations) for next year's Watchmen.

A logo, a season, a name, an EIN number from the IRS and (drumroll please...) I just got word to day that the theatre has been incorporated at the state level. Our little theatre officially exists!!

There's also been a lot of karaoke, a couple of pranks, a high number of laughs and a whole lot of growing up. It hasn't been the easiest year, but it in no way comes close to being one of the hardest. All in all I have to say that moving back home was a wise decision on my part. It allowed me to "clean house" if you will in terms of the folks I wanted to keep and those I could do without. I've made some really wonderful friends here and I've gotten the chance to sort of reconnect with Huck which is so very important to me. Being around Huck also gives me incredible insight into who I am on account of how well she knows me. We have many conversations that end in my saying "Is that really how I am?!?" The best part is that what she reveals to me is rarely unsavory.

A long while ago, when I was still in Appalachia, I remember telling someone that I had always ended up exactly where I need to be and that I knew that the same would be true in the future. And I'm finding that it is true. My move back home wasn't about defeat or fear, it wasn't about giving up and going back to Mom and Dad. It was done with a very specific purpose and I've found that once again, I'm exactly where I need to be.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Swamp cooling and global warming make me want to hurt people.

Seriously.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Question:

So last week I posted about an actor in the show that I'm currently doing who asked me out and my subsequent refusal of said request.

During one of our scenes together (he happens to play my brother in the show which is weird to say the least) he has been directed to grab my wrists. Tonight he grabbed my wrists and proceeded to shove them back at me rather forcefully. So forcefully, in fact, that one of my fists flew into my own face, effectively causing me to punch myself, fairly hard, in my own face...

What do you think, dear readers: A complete and total accident? Or well planned vengeance for my brutal rebuff?

?

I'm very nearly thirty years old and I still feel a little unsteady when my folks go on vacation and leave on my own.

?

I'm hoping that one of these days I'll actually become an "adult" instead of a "teenager with a decent knowledge of 80's and 90's pop culture"...

Friday, October 17, 2008



Ok, I know it's not funny and it's actually something that makes me quite sad and concerned but this WWF PSA about the plight of polar bears makes me giggle because it almost seems fake. It seems like something I'd see in a Ben Stiller movie.

Am i going to hell for giggling at the polar bears?!?

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.

There's something very satisfying about making your own food. I don't eat out a whole lot in the Burque but at the same time, I don't do a whole lot of "cooking" either. I do a great deal of assembling... you know: sandwich making, quesadilla building, can opening, mac and cheese stirring. I love to cook but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to cook an entire lasagna for just little ol' me. And we all know how I hate left overs!

Anyhoo, as I was saying, there is something deeply satisfying about going to the grocery store and wandering through the produce aisle, picking up strange and unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, buying beautiful cuts of meat or poultry and then taking the whole lot home and throwing everything into a pot to simmer. The making and enjoying of food is something that is soothing and familiar to me. I grew up in a house where we ate dinner together every night. When all of us kids where living outside of the state, we planned our trips home based on what we wanted to eat. My family still gathers and bonds over meals so food has always been something supremely joyful to me. Good food meant home and family and love and laughter.

One of my favorite books is Like Water for Chocolate and it's a book I recommend to anyone who loves food and cooking as much as I do. The book suggests that whatever emotional state you are in while cooking will have its effect on the food, good or bad. My favorite scene depicts the novel's heroine Tita crying into the cake batter she makes for her sister's wedding to the man she loves. Tita's tears fall into the cake and infuse the cake with a sense of loss and longing so intense that every wedding guest who eats the cake is so overcome with these feelings, they leave the wedding crying or vomiting from the great losses of love that each person has felt.

Cooking food for another person, in my opinion, goes far beyond just feeding an appetite. Taking the time to roast a chicken, braise a stew, or bake a batch of cookies says "I care about you enough to make something for you with my own hands, the hard way, the long way because you deserve more for dinner or lunch or breakfast than something that comes out of a can or the microwave." As silly as it sounds, it's a tangible bit of proof that you are cared about.

I have an inherent trust for people who can cook or bake. It says to me that these folks understand the way the world works and what the human body needs to survive. In my experience, people who can't cook cannot take care of themselves let alone another person. You don't even have to have an extensive repertoire or exceptional knife skills! You don't even have to be very good! You just have to have desire to nourish yourself and others.

So to everyone who reads this blog, I urge you to head out to the store and wander around those aisles looking for some strange and foreign ingredients. Take your cart past the box dinners and frozen food because I can guarantee that you can make you own pizza or mac and cheese or meatloaf or whatever and that it'll cost about the same and be exponentially more satisfying because you made it with your own hands. So get out there, start cooking and enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

This shower feels really good!

I cannot take credit for finding this little gem. Dailybedpost.com is fully responsible for bringing this to my attention.

http://www.pgporn.tv/

PG Porn is exactly what it sounds like: Porn without the sex. Now, I know at least one of you is asking what the point is, but trust me, this stuff is pretty freakin' hilarious. I'm also a fan of the fact that real adult stars are taking part along side "legit" actors. Those of you in the know will recognize "Chris" as Nathan Fillion who has appeared in a little show I like to call Buffy the Vampire Slayer!! I believe my favorite nerd, Mr. Joss Whedon, has a fondness for Mr. Fillion because he also played the role of Malcolm Reynolds in both Serenity and Firefly. I understand that the aforementioned movie and tv series are both quite good and a must see for any Buffy but I haven't quite gotten around to that yet...

Anyhoo, go check this website out and have a good laugh! Go! Shoo!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Sorry guys,

I got nothing today. Let's do some deep thoughts, shall we?

-Sometimes when you're dealing with something scary, you just need someone to say "You're right, that's really fucking scary. But I'm here to be the cool and collected one so you just freak out if you need to." Sometimes that's nice.

-I'm convinced that folks out there who create really accurate recreations of costumes for Halloween must spend all year looking for things. Really. I love Halloween but I just can't plan that far in advance.

-Is anyone else watching True Blood on HBO? I'm watching it religiously and I don't know why. I don't care for Anna Paquin, the accents are pretty bad and a lot of the story is rather romance novel-esque but it's like crack. I'm totally addicted. And it's got a banging theme song.

-You can decide for yourself about True Blood but you should be watching the following: Dexter and Californication. Some very good tv there, in my humble opinion.

-Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches may be my favorite midnight snack. Yum!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

A Very Nice Weekend.

What qualifies as a very nice weekend in my book?

A visit from one of my awesome brothers.

Said brother, parents and Huck coming to see the show I'm in and liking it a great deal.

Rocking some karaoke with brother, Huck and other pals.

A rocking good STB mission.

A banging review of yours truly in the paper. Neat!

What makes a very nice weekend turn into an awkward and uncomfortable weekend? Being asked out by someone for whom you have absolutely no feelings for, romantic or otherwise, and having to tell said person that a romantic relationship with them is not going to happen.

However, it does make for excellent conversation with friends and copious belly laughs.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Oh jeez.

So, my show opened tonight and, somehow, in the first scene I skipped a rather large chunk of dialogue. Man!! I hate it when that happens. For anyone out there who's reading this who has no experience whatsoever with live theatre, there are few things scarier than being in front of a theatre full of people and not having any clue as to what your next line is. And it happened to me...TONIGHT!!! Thankfully, the gal I was on stage with covered my ass and the rest of the show went off without a hitch.

In other news, I'm a proud member of something here called the Street Theatre Brigade. We do urban pranks ala Improv Everywhere. We're actually part of the Improv Everywhere network. Today's mission was a spontaneous outburst of dancing in a very popular outdoor mall here in the Burque. At approximately 5pm these evening yours truly was dancing her butt off to the dulcet tones of Michael Jackson.

Awww yeah!

I'm late, I'm late!

So maybe I'm a little drunk and maybe I went out to the bar and talked comic books with a bunch of folks and maybe I'm a little late in posting this post.

What are you gonna do about it, huh?

That's what I thought...

Apparently, I'm a bit feisty after a few drinks.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

23 Days Left!!!


Oooohhhh!! Halloween is coming and I could not be more pumped. Not only do Huck and I have truly awesome costume ideas, it's actually looking like something fun will definitely be happening on my favorite holiday of the year.

Oh, I love this time of year. Fall, Halloween, it's just so nice. Autumn is truly lovely in the Burque too. The Balloon Fiesta, Maize Maze, ghost tours of Old Town... I love it!!

I'm going to get into the Halloween spirit by watching all the creepy Halloween shows on the Discovery Channel, the Travel Channel and National Geographic channel, I'm going to carve at least one pumpkin, and I'm going to re-read World War Z. I'm also going to try my darndest to actually partake in all of the Fall activities I mentioned above. I'm also hoping that somewhere along the way my episode of Scariest Places on Earth will air. "Not with a team of priests would I go back in there!!!"

How do you celebrate Halloween?
Technically, it's already the 8th but since I'm still awake, this counts as today's post.

I would very much like to eat my way through a gigantic ice cream sundae.

I told you guys there was going to be a lot of me not having a lot to say!

G'Night!

Monday, October 06, 2008

Let's see how this works.

Ok, I'm making a deal with you folks because I have been horrible about updating and posting. I'm not sure how long it will last but let's give it a starting time frame of 1 month. Cool? So here's how it's going to go: I will vow to post everyday for a month. Ok? I kinda just want to see if I can do it. Maybe I'll find out that I have lots of really interesting things to say or maybe I'll find out that I have absolutely nothing to say and I still have to blog about it anyway.

Strap on your seat belts, everybody. Let's do this!

But before I go, am I the only person who thinks that Christina Hendricks from Mad Men would make a nice Wonder Woman if that movie ever actually gets made? I mean, let's take a look at Wonder Woman:


For those of you unfamiliar with his work, the above artwork is an Alex Ross creation. I happen to be a big fan of his Wonder Woman because I think she's the only one who actually looks like, you know, an Amazon Princess. A lot of other artists draw her very cheescakey, like she's anime porn.

Ok, now let's take a look at the lovely Christina Hendricks:


If you ask me, this is what Wonder Woman should look like. She's like 18 feet tall and all curves. I love it! Throw a black wig on her and let's get this movie made!

Seriously, Hollywood should just let me come in and take over.