Cigarettes and chocolate milk

Sigh.

It's definitely summer here in Appalachia. The festival started this weekend which means that every time I go to work I'm bombarded with the smell of kettle corn and the sound of banjos and fiddles. The festival can be a pain in the butt but something about it always makes me smile. I enjoy the people watching, the arts and crafts of local folks, the aforementioned kettle corn.

With the festival comes mini-productions. I'm not going to lie, the mini-productions always make me nervous. The problem lies completely within myself: I never feel prepared enough, I never feel that I truly understand the play or my character, I always wonder what I could do to make it better and feel that I never really get it right.

I'll be spending A LOT of time with my script today.

I stated in my profile of this thing that I teeter between mind-numbing arrogance and devastating insecurity. I think that no matter how long I'm in this profession I will always feel like that. For instance, the fall show that I'm currently rehearsing. Things are going good there, I feel. I am by no means done with the work I will do for that show, but I leave rehearsal feeling like I've brought something to the table, like I'm doing something special. Then there are other times with other shows that I leave and I feel like I'm letting people down.

The season for next year is currently being picked. Starting now and until we all find out whether or not we have jobs next year, a lot of energy is spent worrying about exactly that: whether we'll have jobs next year. I currently find myself thinking: "What do I have to offer? What is it that I do that makes me a necessary addition to this company? What do I bring to the table that no one else does?"

Hmmm...That's the question, isn't it?

Ugh, jeez.

A good thing: Seeing an ex and realizing that they've completely let themselves go. Fat, sweaty, slovenly... the works. Always a good ego boost.

A not so good thing: Seeing an ex and realizing that they look REALLY good. Like "Why the hell didn't you ever look that good when we were together?!?!" good.

Warm Weather Ramblings

First thing's first: I currently have tan lines so precise that they looked like they've been traced on. Awesome. I also got a new swimsuit today that is so adorable on me I jumped around my room: Navy blue halter top bikini with white polka dots and bright yellow trim. I love it so much that I didn't bother to change before I settled in to write this. I would answer the door in this swimsuit, folks. That how effing cute it is.

Secondly, I came to the realization today while at the pool that several residents of SW Virginia look as if they are mentally retarded while, in reality, being of completely sound mind.

I also realize that I'm going to hell for saying that...

and then there's me..





Sigh...

Technical difficulties

Hello all! I got to my dressing room station to find a rather large sprig of basil fresh from Sass' yard. Hooray! She had left some for Mo, AB and I and the lovely aroma of home grown basil lingered in the dressing room for quite some time. It was the perfect summer surprise.

In other news, there was a MAJOR snafu during the show today. Ok, this is going to take some explaining: This show, like several that we do here, is tracked. There is no band in the pit playing because it's all been recorded previously. Occasionally, vocals are also recorded and added to these tracks. Let me also state that we are in NO WAY lip-synching. All of us (or at least most of us) have learned our parts and sing them as best we can. The vocals are tracked because sometimes 20 voices sound better than 10, or because when doing a large dance number it's hard to sustain your notes. Yeah? Everyone on board so far?

So today during the opening number, the dancers are almost done and are coming up to the big finish. All of a sudden the next track is playing. A WHOLE DIFFERENT SONG IS PLAYING!!!!!!! Some people continue to dance and sing. Others just kinda freeze, everybody's confused. Then everyone gets the hell outta Dodge and for like a good 20 to 30 seconds nothing is happening on stage. Now take a moment to actually count to 30 and think about just how long that is to stare at a blank stage that's still fully lit. Go ahead... I'll wait...


DO YOU SEE HOW EFFING LONG THAT IS!?!?!?!?! AAAARRRGGGGHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! On my god, the entire thing was this slow motion train wreck that just wouldn't stop and each moment just got worse and worse. I was so horrified that I literally ducked and covered. I ran away from the monitor. Thank god I wasn't on stage because I probably would have had a fully body shut down, lost control of my bladder and bowels and fainted in a filthy heap right there. It was a hot mess if I've ever seen one.

Ahh... Live Theatre!!!!

P.S. As far as I know, we still don't have any idea about what exactly happened. However I do know that the boss was there and that my apple throw was FLAWLESS today.

Summer days and clogged arteries

Ok. I LOVE food. That's no secret to anyone who has spent even five minutes with me. My love of food is deep and everlasting. And I love it all. Ethnic food, home cooking, soul food, gourmet, trashy, sweet, salty, fresh, processed, I love all of it!!

My love of cooking shows, obviously, goes hand in hand with my love of food. I spend most of my private TV time watching my beloved Food Network. Alton Brown and his show "Good Eats" is, of course, my favorite. But I also enjoy watching the Food Network Challenges, every now and then I'll check in with "30 Minute Meals" or "$40 a Day" or "Ham on the Street" and I also thoroughly enjoy Paula Dean's show. She's absolutely adorable and her dishes usually look very yummy, if not exactly figure friendly.

Today, Paula took it to 10. She was making "ball park" food: nachos and the like. So she's making a hot dog and, of course, this is no ordinary hot dog. It's a hot dog wrapped in bacon, smothered in cheese sauce and topped with a heaping mound of cole slaw. A hot dog. Wrapped in BACON. SMOTHERED in cheese sauce. And topped off with a big ol' spoonful of COLE SLAW. JESUS CHRIST, PAULA!!!!!!!!

Ach! Ach!! I think I'm having a heart attack just thinking about it. ACH!!!

I'm loving it.

Has anyone seen this McDonald's commercial where the man is eating a chicken sandwich and his co-worker say 'You keep eating those chicken sandwiches, you're gonna turn into a chicken!" and then they guy starts getting all chicken-y? It's FREAKIN' hilarious. Poor Bear has had to hear me talk about this silly thing over and over again. Sorry Bear, but it just came on and I was compelled to jot down it's fabulousity!

We started rehearsals for Green Gables today. Just a couple hours of music rehearsal that I didn't actually need to be there for but I stuck around anyway. The music for this show is very pretty. It's not some grand score that's trying to show off and be bigger than it is, it's just pretty... or so I thought. The cast (sans myself) begin working on the opening number. Well, long story short, it wasn't long before I was starting to tear up. Everyone just sounded so beautiful. KT talked briefly about how she wanted to create an atmosphere where we invited the audience to come into this world with us. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to do just that when they hear this freaking cast sing. This is gonna be fun...