Seriously, part the second

Seriously:
We now have rules for our making of popcorn. The folks upstairs seem to not like the smell, so they bought us a new microwave, which we shall keep in our spare office and use under the following conditions ONLY:

1) Under no circumstances may anyone use the microwave in the spare office to cook or heat other food;

2) The microwave may be used no more than once a day for popcorn;

3) The window in the spare office must be left open to air the room in order to lessen the absorption of popcorn odor in the fabric walls;

4) The door to the spare office must be closed when making popcorn.

seriously?

Whomever decided that "Legally Blond" was a good idea for a Musical needs to have all of their musical priviledges taken away.

Just hearing the commercials on the radio sets my teeth on edge.

Am I being unfair? Ummmmmmm.....let me think about that.

---thinking---

Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and say...no. This prejudice is totally warranted.
For the love of eardrums all over the world . . . STOP with the musicals being styled after movies, already!!!

The Lion King is clearly an exception, as it was awesome. And had a really good soundtrack. Which then translated to a good stage soundtrack.

This works vice versa too...only *rarely* does the stage show actually translate well to the screen.
Good movie: Chicago
Bad movie: Phantom of the Opera
Good movie: Cabaret (with Liza, of course)
Bad movie: Les Miserables

I could go on, but I'm done ranting for now.

braindump

tomorrow is my doctor's appointment at the psychiatrist. i had a really fun time playing trivia tonight. and racing crossword puzzles at lunch today. i had a great experience at a new clg, to which i look forward to returning. i like old people. i need to remember to measure my curtin rods, and how high they are off the floor. but, in order to do that, i have to go through some crap stacks. which, i don't really want to do. i'm looking forward to saturday, but am also a little trepidatious. there are some happy hippies on vh1 right now doing yogi and qi gong. whoa. good tea. i should get some bath crystals. joe cocker is totally playing air guitar right now, and looks as though he's smoked one too many. i need to go to bed now. i hope i can fall asleep. hoping this braindump helps me fall asleep, as i shall have gotten everything out of my system.

Es viernes, ya-ba-da-ba-dooooo!**

**actually heard on 98.9 tonight! It made me chuckle!

I just got back from the YMCA's Cuban Salsa class. I've never done the cuban salsa before (rueda) in which everyone dances in a circle, passing the women back and forth. It was a lot of fun! I haven't been salsa dancing in a long time...! I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy it! Yay!

LIVE! from New York it's . . .

Saturday Night American Idol!

DAY 1:

Ian Benardo
"My therapists say I'm a superstar". "I'm wearing chinchilla to show people how rich I can be."
Needless to say, he's not going to Hollywood...

Sara (forgot her last name)
Lied to her parents about trying out for American Idol, but she's going to Hollywood!

Fanta Tsakalakos
She was on Greek American Idol . . .but will not be continuing onto the stateside version...

Ashanti Johnson
She's been to Hollywood twice before . . . but I can't figue out why. She's not going back. And wow, she has a whole monologue diatribe going off on the judges. Very soap opera. She should be on tv. But her voice sucks is better for musical theater.

Amanda Coluccio & Antonella Barba
BFF's and Jersey girls! Amanda's the 'trained' one - and blond. Meh...she gets a go on to Hollywood. Why not.
Antonella's the untrained one - and brunette. Man, I like her voice better - and she has more soul than her bland blond friend. The judges agree! She goes, too!

uh oh...I hear a harmonica! It must be Clifton Little!
He's very funny (dry humor), and there's stomping involved. AND clapping. And lots of yelling...why the heck is he singing ZZ Top? I'm so confused...and more harmonica. Sorry Cliff....no go.

WOW someone in a spacesuit! hahahah. They got 3 seconds on tv!

Kia Thornton sings some ARETHA, yeah!
Lots of soul, looks good and good pipes! Way to go. Just don't oversing.

Where are the men from NYC???

DAY 2:
Starts without Simon? what? he's hungover??

oooh the oh-so-easy on the eyes Jenry Bejarano. And not bad to listen to, either...a little rough around the edges, but a lot of potential (he's only freaking 16!!!) Jailbait! ack! He is going to Hollywood!

Now for someone completely different, Nakia Claiborne. She has TONS of energy! But her voice needs work - it showed on her slow song. She's not going to H'wood & there are lots of tears :(
"Sometimes you get tired of hearing 'no'"

Sarah Goldberg
She reminds me off my wacky theater friends. But not my musical theater friends. She can't sing. And she's ADMITTING that she's at American Idol because her friends make fun of her tone-deafness. Even though she can't sing, she can be the next American Idol, because she can be TAUGHT to sing! What? This is a singing competition, girl!

(HEY here comes Mr. Cowell...finally!)

Holy cow...there's a 47 year old trying out?? What?eh?

Now back to our real auditionees...
Jory Steinberg
Not bad, looks good...but has this weird habit when she breaths of sounding like Michael Jackson (cha!) *insert moonwalk here* She's on her way to LA!

And representing Queens, NYC . . . we have our own rocky here...will she make it?
Porcelana Patino sings some Mary J. Blige for us. Paula thinks she's pretty awesome. She's unique! And she's going through. The training paid off!

Christopher Henry says he's been told he looks like Simon Cowell and George Michael. HAHAHA. Does this give him an edge? He's singing a Kelly Clarkson song. In a VERY high key. Damn. I think he lost that edge.
(Paula just called Simon an asshole bad word!)

Here comes a girl who "goes to school for opera. and if they find out I might get kicked out and lose my scholarship." Her name is Rachel Z..? forgot the last name. But they've asked her for a second song! And now, some opera (which she doesn't sing very well...IMHO). Wow she gets a semi-enthusiastic 'go' to Hollywood.

Christopher Richardson DANG good singer. And has a cool confidence, but yet, humility. Or, maybe it's just his youth...whatever it is, he gets MY vote.

Nicholas Pedro bowed out of American Idol during the competition last year. So, he's back to audition again! Will they give him a second chance? He's singing some ol' blue eyes! And they still love him for a second chance...so don't blow it this time, Nicholas!

I can't even comment on Isadora. Ack.

whew. I'm done blogged out. Yo.

family ties

So, I was talking to my mom earlier today, and she informed me that my cousin, L, on my dad's side also has panic/anxiety attacks. As does her father (my dad's older brother). As did my grandmother (my dad's mom). Hmmmmm. And, interestingly enough, OCD (as exhibited by my father) is characterized as a type of anxiety disorder.

It's all very interesting, in someways. That is, when I'm not in the midst of an actual panic attack. Because really, that sucks.

I spent a good deal of time on Friday trying to find a psychiatrist in my health insurance network, and left a couple of messages. So, here's hoping I'll hear back from one this week, and get something going. I'm also waiting on the results of my lab tests, to determine if there are physical factors (anemia, thyroid, etc) contributing to the attacks. So, we'll see.

In other news, I've had the strangest cold, and am pretty sure I caught it from Will's girlfriend, who had it and was at the house last week. Strange in that it seems to be moving on fairly quickly - I think. I was feeling so-so on Friday night, and by Saturday night, I was not so good. Sunday and today I've spent resting and drinking tons of tea. Thank goodness I didn't have rehearsal this weekend, and an extra day off! I should be all better by Saturday!

red letter day...

I just wacked the bejeezus outta my skull. Ouch. I went to sit in the oh-so-comfy red leather chair when BOOM. Slipped on that luxuoriously slick material and slammed the back of my head into the pointy corner of the lampshade. Which in turn struck the painting behind the chair, which in ITS turn smacked against the wall. Loud enough to send my brother running out to ask what the heck..?

So, ice pack and ibuprofin in hand . . .

I went to see my doctor today. I've been having anxiety attacks over the last month. Three of them, seemingly unprecipitated. Tomorrow morning I'm going to get some blood work done. Sometimes being anemic or having some sort of thyroid issue will be manifested as anxiety. And, just in case it's NOT something physical, but mental, my doctor also wants me to see a shrink I mean, psychiatrist. So, here's to 2007!

But, all is not lost. I can't quite go to sleep yet, so I will watch an episode (or two) of Arrested Development. One of the best. shows. ever. And here's hoping that I don't do anymore damage to myself before I go to bed.

weekend!

I am v. much looking foward to this weekend for many reasons. I get to spend time with my friends (read: no rehearsal) - including AZ, who's been out of town for a bit, and Raina, too. Also, get to meet up with an old friend on Friday, who I've not seen in ages - at least a year and a half - so, that will be fun. And perhaps the reason I'm looking forward to this weekend the most . . . .

drum roll, please

It's a three-day weekend. Oh yeah. Sibling has Monday off, too, so perhaps will shall wreak havoc up and down the coast. Plans t.b.a.
- - - -

Meanwhile...it is getting wicked windy here in SF, and I've been hearing rumors of snow? Now, having spent the better part of the holiday season in Denver, I know about snow. (I should put up my pics...hmmm), so to hear rumors of snow here..? wtf?

Martin Mack's

Just got back from a really fun pub trivia night at Martin Mack's up in the Haight. Our team won! The night was a send-off for Karen, so it was good that we won, I guess!

I shall have to go back and play again!

AND, they have strongbow, which is not terribly easy to find in SF, so that made it even better! hahahah!

yay!

As it - randomly - happens, my cousin, H, is in town. Turns out one of his fraternity brothers from LSU who lives here in SF had H drive out his car to CA from Louisiana. As H is between jobs right now, he made the long haul out to the West coast, and just called us!

I haven't seen him in...oh, probably 2, or 3 years...? I can't really remember. So, I'm really excited. We are going to meet up with him shortly.

Hilarity shall ensue. I'm sure.

'tis the season . . .

I hate making 'resolutions.' For me, the word resolution may as well just be defined as "something to do during the month of January, and then discard February 1".

It's true. I don't know why, but there must be some sort of disconnect in my brain. I know I'm not the only one, I'm just saying.

However, I also know there are other folks who don't necessarily think like that. For some, "resolution" is just that: a strengthening of one's resolve to make a change in one's life. I respect these people a great deal, and admire their tenancity to stick-to-it.

Anyways, I was at lunch with a couple friends one day not too long ago, and one asked "do you have any resolutions for 2007?" Even though my mind can leap to some stock answers - things I know I should resolve to do (lose weight, sleep more, clean out the house, etc), I don't want to classify them as "resolutions" out loud because I just don't think I'll get it done.

2006....my biggest goal for 2006 was to decrap my house. Well. If anything, I did the opposite...got more crap to fill it up. So, whilst this is niggling at the back of my brain, I dare not pronounce it as a carry-over resolution from 2006, or else no progress whatsoever will be made.

Sitting there, thinking to myself, "what can I possibly resolve to do in 2007 that might actually get DONE?" After several minutes, and a few conversation topics later, it hit me:

I shall floss daily.

That may sound tiny, insignificant perhaps. But to me (and my dentist) it's not. I have never been in the daily habit of flossing, and that is no good. And, the best part? I *started* flossing in December. So it was kind of like cheating on my "New Year's Resolution" because I had a head start.

Am I a total nut having to double-talk my way around my own head and my own stubborness? Sometimes...