spleen

I love that Baudelaire entitled some of his poems "spleen."

What a wonderfully descriptive and so very un-French word for him to choose.

I have no idea why I was thinking about this. I am not in a spleen-like mood myself - in fact, I am quite content. But the thought struck me all the same.

I've always enjoyed Baudlaire's Les Fleurs du Mal poems. Perhaps for the same reason that my musical tastes tend to run towards minor keys: I enjoy their melancholic nature. Their affect, if you will. Never underestimate the power of the dark side.

Picture meme!

1. What is your current relationship status?

2. What is your current mood?

3. Who is your favorite band/singer?

4. What is your favorite movie?


5. What kind of pets do you have?

6. Where do you live?

7. Where do you work?


8. What do you drive?

9. What did you do on Saturday?

10. What will you do on Sunday?

11. What is your favorite network tv show?

12. Describe yourself?

13. What is your favorite candy?

14. Favorite sport?

(Taken from Bag Blog)

Friday five - Word Association

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read each of these words and why?

1. ice
"Ice, ice, baby." Yeah, I know. Now it's going to be stuck in YOUR head all day, too. (You're welcome!)

2. primary
Colors. I still remember learning about them in elementary school.

3. dirty
South. I don't know why that was the first thing to come to mind. And it's pronounced drrrrrrty.

4. green
M&M's. Ha! ha ha ha...that's still funny. Even oh... 15ish years this side of middle school!

5. fly
Bar. It's the name of a bar in SF.

Seeing red

Generally, I am a "laid-back" kinda gal. Perhaps this is because my inner Drama Queen gets to flex her muscles on stage.

In my personal life, I don't like conflict; I enjoy working "behind-the-scenes" to help folks out; I tend to listen first than speak second (unless hardpressed or questioned specifically). All of these traits are parts of my personality.

Cue: this evening's rehearsal.

I have a really juicy part this summer. I'm playing in the Mikado, and my character - is...shall we say...whatever the exact opposite of a shrinking rose is. And she's mean as hell. My first entrance is the Act 1 finale - and BOY! It is with guns blazing, eyes of steel and fangs dripping with blood. It's great and awesome in power. I'm not used to it yet...her particular feeling of rage and red seeping into my vision.

It's just acting, right?

But after that scene - I am so keyed up it's hard to focus, to listen to other people, to quiet the load whooshing noises in my ears. And it takes a ton of energy to keep myself hyped up that much for the duration of the scene (it's about 20-30 minutes in length). Well, it's not anger the entire time. There is a brief suspension of the anger for a short section of complete heartbroken pain. That is a hard switch...and then she goes right back into wrath. I have to be in the right frame of mind - for all of these emotions, and keep them all somewhat real in order to sustain them. Fake emotions are hardly believable and impossible to sustain for any length of time if there is not something real up under them for support.

I started getting a glimpse of what this character will ultimately be (I've only been to a couple music rehearsals thus far) and it actually made me start laughing. It was a completely involuntary response to the rush of rage coursing through me/her and the images I had in mind of thoroughly eating the object of my wrath alive and with much relish (not unlike, say, a praying-mantis).

One of the biggest challenges in all of this is the fact that while all of this ire runs amok, I also have to sing. This is what makes our job as singing actors hard - and rewarding. I can't let the anger/sadness/joy/insert-emotion-here takeover my body and character 100%. There has to be some percentage...even if it's small...held back, so that the voice doesn't become slave to emotion. Think about this...when you are angry in real life, do you consciously think about the mechanics involved in shouting at someone? What about grieving? Do you try to time your sobs around your sentences, making sure to clearly enunciate your words whilst collapsing in a heap on the floor? No?

It's a balancing act...multitasking at its best - especially during the rehearsal period. It's so important to learn the music correctly - and be able to sing it legato, before adding in some of those extreme emotions...lest the voice gets overblown. But come performance time, THAT's when to let loose...and rely upon technique and training. You should be able to trust that your body knows how to react when say...you take the wrong breath or push your voice. My voice teacher has this saying that "Technique is everything you do to recover after taking a wrong breath". (Breathing is KEY for opera singing...!) There are no crutches. No tricks, no easy fixes, no patches, no valves or strings to tune.

It's you and two tiny little inch-long pieces of muscle which vibrate together to create sound. Other than that...you better be able to trust in your training, or you will psyche yourself out and crash and burn. Been there and done that. And it sucks.

So. I am looking forward to the challenge this summer. The gauntlet has been laid: time to face it - locked and loaded - with a glint in the eye, a curl of the lip, head down and hell-bent on leaving no witnesses . . .

The Things We Learn Late At Night

It has not been until more recent years that I have realized I am prone to insomnia a night person. This only becomes a problem when I have to get up and work a “normal” day-job (which I do). My mom is the same way . . . the polar opposite of my father in that – and many – ways (thus perhaps lending some truth to the whole ‘opposites attract’ idea.)
While I was at home this weekend, my mom and I exploited our nocturnal tendencies and stayed up talking into the wee hours. I’m not sure how it started – but it ended up being very informative, and did not (as can happen) degrade into some sort of mother-daughter pick-on-each-other session. We talked a lot about family history and the like.

Here are some of the things I learned:

• I have a few grey hairs. I was not aware of this – but my mom noticed them last time I was home. I am not sure what my natural hair really looks like, as I get it highlighted a few times a year (my secret is out).
• My dad’s mother was completely grey-haired by the time she was 30. She was also probably certifiable – but that was not something to be discussed. I am guessing that part of that stems from the fact that at a young age, she was the one to find her step-father dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Horrifying.
• My mom recorded cassette tapes of her father talking about his life. She gave them to me to transcribe for her, as it’s still too painful for her to listen to his voice. I am very excited about this project! “Papa” was a Major in the US Army and served in the Signal Corps during WWII, the Korean Conflict & Vietnam War. He died when I was about 4, but I still have a couple memories of him.
• When my mom and dad started dating in college, my dad was also dating another gal at the same time. Mom found out and gave him an ultimatum…and the rest is…well, you know how it goes. Their 40th wedding anniversary is this year.
• My mom wanted to be an architect. But that was not an “approved” subject for women in the mid-1960s at her college in Louisiana.
• There is the remotest…REMOTEST…of possibilities that we are distant…distant…relatives of the Hiltons through my dad’s grandfather. Yes. You read that correctly. Perish the thought that Paris and I could possibly share DNA. Holy crap.

LIVE! from DIA...it's TUESDAY night!

LIVE! blogging from DIA. I volunteered to give up my seat to take the later flight. Not a big deal for this trip, and now I have myself a free-ticket voucher good for use anytime in the next year. WOOT.

It's been a great trip back home . . . I feel - if not physically rested (I still stay up late here!) - rested in spirit. So, that's good. And now it's time to hit the ground running!

Will write more later, but for now, gotta go check on my flight.

Thank You

"Heart of the City" comic strip by Mark Tatulli

Loving CO in the Springtime...

It is beautiful here. It's been a wonderful trip thus far. Very relaxing, hanging with my folks and friends here.

Tonight, we went out with P's parents to celebrate dad's birthday. It's funny...my dad is pretty shy in a lot of ways...he and my mom have friends, of course (like everyone from church). But, I think P's dad is one of his close friends - they actually talk more than just "small talk" - which is good. I'm happy for him. I remember my dad's best friend from college, whom we all called "Uncle Jonathan." Sadly, Uncle J passed away at a young age - and I didn't realize it fully at the time (I was young) - but I know now that it profoundly affected my dad. Later on in life, my dad became very close friends with one of his coworkers. And my mom was very close with his wife. And then they ended up moving away about 10 years ago - and that too was hard on my dad.
So...I'm glad he has another good friend. Makes me happy :)

Oh...and dinner tonight was awesome. I had turtle soup (a very New Orleans dish) and steak. MMMMmmm.

I'm in love . . .

. . . and the man in question is short, bald, is a real boob man and loves to drool. To call me a cradle robber would be an understatement!!

I had the GREAT pleasure of spending today with my friend Katie and her son, Clark. Katie and I have been friends...well...ever since I can remember. Our parents were friends pre-k (pre-kids), so it's been a long time.

Clark's daddy flies F-16's and currently he and his family live very far away...so this was my first chance to get to meet him in person! I took a bunch of photos - but unfortunely will have to wait until I get back to SF in order to post one.

He is the cutest. Boy. Ever. And I'm not just saying that because his momma and I have been friends for so long. Truly, he is a beautiful baby. He's 5 and a half months old, and is just the happiest, smiliest bundle around. I got to play with him a lot today and get to know this little guy. It's amazing, actually, to look up on my wall at home and see a pic of me and K in matching pj's circa kindergarten...and then spend all day today holding her SON. wow.

Anyway...I'm absolutely smitten and am so proud to be "Auntie" to this little tyke.

And pretty soon, baby Clark is going to be joined by ANOTHER little honoray nephew...Katie's and my dear friend Jen is expecting baby Carter later this summer. Carter, whose daddy flies F-22's and also lives far away, will be giving Clark-o a run for his money in terms of cuteness, especially if he follows anything at all in the footsteps of his older sister, Addie!! Can't wait to meet him!

I am so blessed to have these "nephews" and "niece" in my life. My cup overfloweth, indeed. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!! (And miss you guys, too!!)

Friday Fives - childhood recollections

Here's today's fiver from the LJ Friday Five Page.

1. What were some of the smells and tastes of your childhood?
Smells: My Grandmother’s perfume; grits cooking; summertime in the Rockies – the air just smells different up there.
Tastes: Orange muffins made by my great-grandmother; coke floats; southern fried chicken; microwave instant breakfasts; milk and sugar with coffee in it.

2. What did you have as a child that you do not think children today have?
I had discipline in the form of spanking! How many parents still do that? (It worked for my brother and I, and we turned out pretty well, hahaha) Also: longer attention spans and the ability to be…happy/content without high-tech gadgets. Case in point - the other day I saw my friend’s two-year old niece watching cartoons on her father’s iPhone. It completely blew my mind.

3. What elementary grade was your favorite?
Hmmm…I remember a lot about 4th grade. I had to memorize times tables, I got to read as much as I wanted and at my own pace, and I also spent a lot of time writing. My chef d’oeuvre was something like a 30-page murder-mystery. And then in 5th grade, my Language Arts teacher was horrible and told me I was a crap writer and I hated writing from that point on until I got to college. My mom is STILL mad at that teacher!

4. What summer do you remember the best as a child?
I don’t have just one *favorite*. I always loved the summertime! To my recollection, all of my childhood summers were filled with swim team, tennis lessons, spending a ton of time up in the mountains, visiting all our extended family in Louisiana, and my brother chasing me around the backyard with fresh earthworms my mom would dig up whilst gardening. A year-specific memory was my 8th birthday party. It was a swim party and one of my friends from school – a boy – gave me a necklace. It was a row of 8 little silver hearts on a red, satin cord (clearly picked out by his mother). I loved it and wore it a lot…and I think I still have that somewhere back at my folks’ house.

5. What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self, and at what age?
I took ballet lessons from about the age of 4 through 10. And then I quit. I only have vague memories (maybe I blocked them?) about the whole thing, but my quitting had something to do with my teacher being mean to me, and the fact that my arch-less feet got too big too quickly (ha!) to safely learn the next level of ballet (en pointe). So I just stopped dancing all together. I would go back and tell myself to not give up and to change teachers or learn other types of dancing, because it was something I loved and at which I excelled. I still love dancing of all kinds!
I would also tell myself – at all ages through high school – to do the music theory homework my piano teacher gave me. Boy, would THAT have saved me a lot of time/effort in college!

too many choices

SO I have a lot of things I want to blog about for real - as opposed to these little cop-out shorty posts this week - but I haven't yet had enough time to commit anything to "paper," as it were. However, I'm hoping that this weekend I'll have a little more time to flesh those things out (since I'm going home to CO and everyone there goes to sleep early, leaving me awake and alone with time to kill!)

Just to whet your whistle:

- A little more on my theatrical/musical life [since Ms. BagWag asked so nicely :)]

- Changes happening here at our humble little abode

- All about meeting and falling in love with the Cutest. Boy. Ever.
(It's not what you're thinking...!)

Oh and I'm updating my profile page...w00t...and adding an email address. So feel free to drop me a line!

Down to the wire

This news has been floating around the blogosphere and the MSM for a while now…but it is still shocking to me.
I mean…damn…it’s one thing to work at, say, an office and feel underappreciated, or not compensated for your time, efforts, whatever.
BUT let’s say your job entails putting yourself in physical danger everyday, voluntarily going where so many people will not go, and being away from your family/friends/life for more than a year at a time...and THEN you find out you might not have a paycheck after June 15th . . . ???!!!

WTF, Congress?! Can’t make up your mind?
Got spring fever and can’t wait for that Memorial Day BBQ you have planned?

Tuesday

Finished up one show on Sunday . . . and started rehearsal toinght for the next one.
We were already giggling our way through it...it's gonna be a fun summer.


In other news...looking forward to this long weekend. I'm headed home for a few days to chill and celebrate dad's birthday. Even though my folks were just out here, most of my time was spent at the theater, so it will be nice to relax at home.

woot.

Mr. Postman

Mr. Postman brought me good stuff in the mail today. Oh yeah:

1. My tax stimulus check. Woot. Does it defeat the purpose if I put it towards something like...my Roth IRA? hahahhaHAHAHAHAH. Maybe. But I don't care!

2. The Babylon Blog by Glen Morris. Shout out to Lea Ann for the info. Glen's a friend of a good friend of mine in SF. We went to the same church for a while here, but at the time I only knew who he was, and didn't actually know him. (At that time, I couldn't have told you the first thing about anything taking place in Iraq or Afghanistan, either. My world was reduced to one building taking up 2 city blocks and overflowing with music students. There really was very little happening in my world outside of those four walls for like, three years.) ALL that to say. Glen turned his milblog into a book, and these are his experiences in Haditha as a Colonel with the Marine Corps Reserve. Semper Fi, Glen...I look foward to reading your account . . .

3. The latest Rolling Stone magazine. I think it's my last one, as I didn't renew my subscription. Looks like I will have to rely on Sibling from now on to clue me in to the hot new bands. He usually knows before anyone else, anyway. lol.

ah, theater! And boys vs. men

Finally, we opened our show in SF this weekend...and it was wonderful. This is the company's 'hometown' so to speak, and I think most of us had a great deal of friends and family in the audience. My folks and Aunt are in town, and I had a great time seeing a bunch of friends out there, too.

Today (Sunday) will be our last performance. The ending of a show is always bittersweet: I'm always glad to have another role under my belt and over, but sad that another chapter has come to an end. By nature, this production has fostered a wonderful sense of community. Since we are a small cast, we've been able - for the most part - to get to know one another quite well. I will miss our time together...but look foward to the next adventure (for which rehearsals start Monday!) knowing that some of these same folks will also be involved in the same summer production as I. Yipee!!

So. Lots of warm fuzzies all around.

But here is something I don't understand. After we all get changed and ready to leave the theater, there is one group of folks who have decided to go out for drinks. Because my folks are in town, I decline the outing, knowing full well that the cast will be going out Sunday night for a party...and I'll join in the fun then. (Besides, I have to take care of "la voce" for the Sunday matinee.) After the wonderful wig/make-up lady helps me out of my wig, I approach a cluster of seven or so guys. It's about 11:30pm, and they are discussing where to go imbibe. And here are our conversations:

Me: "Hey, [male friend #1] would you mind walking me to xyz parking garage. I really don't feel like walking by myself through the dark park to get there. I'll drop you off wherever you need to go."

Male Friend #1(MF1): "Oh yeah, hey. Ask [male friend #2] where his car is - I'm riding with him.

Me: "Okay. Hey...MF2, are you by chance headed towards xyz garage? Can I solicit you guys for a walk to my car?"

MF2: "Uh...actually...I'm walking in the exact opposite direction."

Me: "Oh. Okay. Hey, MF3 - can you walk me to my car?"

MF3: "Oh...well don't you want to come for a drink? We're headed to xyz bar."

Me: "No...I gotta get home and see my family tonight. But I can drop you off."

MF3: "I don't know. I think we're headed out now."

....ack. What's a gal gotta do to get some gentlemanly help around here? Seriously BOYS, work with me here! I returned to the women's dressing room to collect my stuff and notice R is still around. We decide that the two of us will walk to her car together, and then she will drop me off at MY car. We end up walking out with the group headed to the bar, and just as they are going into the bar, one MAN finally turns to us and asks "Oh...do you ladies need someone to walk with you?"
As we were practically at R's car already, it was a moot point. But I'm glad someone offered.


Let this be a public service announcement: guys...do NOT let a woman even THINK about walking by herself. At night. Through a dark park. Downtown. To a parking garage.

I don't care if this IS San Francisco and women are supposedly...fiercely independent and grrrl power and all. Whatev. You will not offend the woman.
(Or at least not THIS woman.)

snippets of table talk

"Well guess what *I* just got? A workout tape. Richard Simmons: Sweatin' to the Oldies!"

"I remember when you used to smoke. For like a week."
"They were menthols...oooh ya'll they were NASty."

"I smoked a cigar once. And didn't know you weren't supposed to inhale. I was very sick."

"That guy's hairdo is . . . strange . . . he needs to lose it."

"Ooh. Ya'll. Let's figure out where we goin' to eat all weekend. And when we can go get us some chocolate!

Friday Fives - Grand Tour

Name five places that fall into the following categories:

1) Favorite Destination -- someplace you've visited once or often and would gladly go again:
Grand Lake, Colorado and Nice, France (sorry – I couldn’t choose just one!!)

2) Unfavorite Destination -- someplace you wish you had never been (and why):
Birmingham, Alabama. Hot, humid and dirty. I spent a week there and it was horrid.

3) Fantasy Destination -- someplace to visit if cost and/or time did not matter:
Mark Twain’s house – when he was still alive. We are relatives through my great-grandmother!

4) Fictional Destination -- someplace from a book or movie or other art or media form you would love to visit, although it exists only in imagination:
The forest moon of Endor!! Or the cantina on Mos Eisley!!

5) Funny Destination -- the funniest place name you've ever visited or want to visit:
In high school, we had three French exchange students stay with us for a short time. (My mom tried to serve them grits – but that’s another story).
Anyway, they invited me to visit them if I ever made it to their part of France (Brittany). And the name of their home town? Brest.

The story thus far . . .

Wyld tagged me with this today...it's a story meme, with different folks adding the next phase to the story.

So here it goes:
- - - - - - - - - -

(Splotchy): I had been shuffling around the house for a few hours and already felt tired. The doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw a figure striding away from the house, quickly and purposefully. I looked down and saw a bulky envelope. I picked it up. The handwriting was smudged and cramped, and I could only make out a few words.

(FranIam): Despite the throbbing pain in my knees and the dull ache in my lower back, I bent down slowly and picked up the envelope...
Oh no. It did not say this, did it?
Oh yes, it did. It did.
The handwriting was familiar in a way that inspired a cold sweat and a bout of nausea. It was the penmanship of my former husband. You know - the one that was presumed dead.
He disappeared in a suspicious blogging related accident a number of years ago and was never heard from again. I was devastated. I had hated the blog, loathed the thing. What began as a hobby that took but a few minutes a day had morphed into an addiction, the proportions of which could not be measured. It was pure evil.
The blog turned into a cruel and demanding mistress and her siren song was more than I could compete with. One day he left for an evening event, never to return again.
All fingers pointed to one blogger, but I could never get the charges to stick. That one is slick- slick, slick, slick. He can talk a good game and write like nobody's business. But there is something about him, it just is not right.
So my husband was gone, that other one kept blogging and I had to rebuild my life, which I did.
So I finally had the bastard declared dead.
And now this.

(Wyldth1ng): Suddenly the phone rang, and I felt like I was ten inches tall and eerie music was playing in the background.
I went to pick up the phone and the music stopped.
"Hello?"
Dial tone, no one was there. I glanced back to the door, and there he was. He rushed me and rose his hand and...

Suddenly the phone rang and I just had that "black cat, Friday the 13th" kind of feeling.
I looked out into the world. No one, no one was about. I closed and locked the door and went to answer the phone.
"Hello?"
Dial tone, no one was there. I glanced back at the door and it was locked.
I directed my attention to the envelope; abruptly, I heard a knock at the door.

(MezzoSF): Or what I *thought* was a knock at the door. But somewhere back in the reaches of my brain, I realized something was . . . amiss.
All at once the world snapped back into focus – colors, noises, sounds, images - coming together into a sensory overload.
The knocking grew louder and louder…and as I got my bearings, I realized that it was the clanging of a heavy steel padlock against the doors of a barren van. Well, barren except for me, a semi-dried pool of blood, and the as yet unopened envelope that started this whole thing. Based on the road noise, we seemed to be on a highway - the kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK of the seams in the road kept lopsided time with the knocking of the padlock.
Wincing with pain against an unknown violation throbbing at the back of my skull, I struggled to keep my brain focused…eventually realizing that after that first phone ring, the man rushed up behind me and must have given me a good, old-fashioned pistol-whipping. Unbeknownst to me, my subconscious had been reliving that moment over and over again – attempting to wake me up through a jolt of fear. And when it finally did . . . well . . . here I am.

I tried in vain to recall the man’s features…labored to see through the adrenaline and pain and relive my last-remembered 10 seconds of consciousness . . . but the fog remained.
Struggling against the duct tape around my wrists, I reached for the envelope, hoping that its contents would provide me with a clue as to the situation at hand…
- - - - - - - - - - -

I'm tagging the following folks to take up some more of the story - and don't tell me you guys don't like to write...!
La Vie en Route
The Sour and the Sweet
Grace Shattered
Things People Say That Please Me
The Opera Singer

holy crap batman! a weather-related post

Perhaps Al Gore is on to something. I saw his movie and yeah, it was scary. But I haven't thought about it for a while. (Does that make me a bad Californian?)

It's supposed to be 90+ degrees here today. In san francisco. NOT in the East Bay, South Bay or Marin...in those places it's supposed to be cresting the 100s, i believe.

We sometimes get weather like this in ... Sseptember or October (our real summerime) but mid-May? ack. People are going to start melting on the street. Nobody here is used to it. I might remark upon the temp, but I'm going to do my best not to complain...because I just looked at the forecast for our friends over in the 'sandbox' and weather.com was broadcasting nothing but a BOB in the sky and several successive days of triple digits.

Maybe I'll just keep a tally of how many people I hear say "it's hot" throughout the day.

The fog will come rolling back with reinforcements shortly.

**11:00 AM PST UPDATE** I'm not the only one blogging about the weather here today. Rona's got a good description of San Francisco's Annual Menopause.

I'd like to think Dean Martin would love this...

I really enjoy the comic strip Pearls Before Swine, written and drawn by Stephan Pastis. More often than not, it makes me laugh out loud with a bad pun or satirical jab.

Today was no exception:

Leading a double life

After spending a majority of my weekend ensconced in my performing life, surrounded solely by others of the same bent, it was a little hard to make that snap back to Monday morning day-job reality. These sets of colleagues and “work-sites” tend to define things . . . differently . . . from one another.

Shooting the Breeze
Singers: an in-depth discussion about which sinus rinse methods work the best
Salaried minions: an in-depth discussion of last night’s episode of L O S T

Taboo topics
Singers: nothing is sacred
Salaried minions: bodily functions, romantic escapades and why you were late to work this morning are all off-limits

Meal times
Singers: 11am; 6pm and 11:30pm
Salaried minions: 8am; 12:00pm and 6pm

Work Space
Singers: cramped backstage dressing rooms contrasting with sets on stage under bright lights
Salaried minions: cramped cubicles contrasting with the corner office with a view

Business Travel
Singers: pay their expenses (motel, food, gas, tolls) out-of-pocket
Salaried minions: get reimbursed for five-star hotels, dinners, plane tickets and taxis

Sick Days
Singers: are the worst possible scenario
Salaried minions: mean paid time off!

Dress Code
Singers: anything goes – both on and off-stage
Salaried minions: business casual (jeans “okay”)

Neuroses
Singers: not eating dairy, spicy food, garlic, or too much caffeine before a show; hand-washing; throat care; proper breathing technique and the money notes
Salaried minions: keeping the coffee pot filled; updating The Calendar; not using a large post-it note where a small one would have sufficed; mandatory fun

Crisis Management
Singers: ad-lib, add more make-up, stall for time, whatever it takes with what you’ve got at your disposal
Salaried minions: whatever it takes with what you’ve got at your disposal; knowing how to reach someone via cell phone, email, ‘crack’berry or semaphore

Vocabulary
Singers: up-stage, down-stage, wings, proscenium, flies, and a tempo at the da capo with a short ritardando before the penultimate beat of the measure
Salaried minions: fiscal year, investment managers, roundtable, capital calls

I don't understand

...the whole "twittering" concept.

I am going to have to pass on that one - seems too tech-dependent for me.
I mean...I own a RECORD player, people. And I still use my VCR. Regularly.


Kids today . . . ;)

Overheard: backstage edition

Earlier this week, I skimmed through my posts looking for something I had written last year. I found this forgotten draft - which is not what I was looking for - but which is very funny.
So...welcome to another edition of Overheard: Backstage. Some of these are from a show I did last year at this time, and some are updated from more recent memory. Enjoy!
-------
"Yes, I eat toothpaste to warm up. But only a little bit, and only a specific German brand."

"Look - it's the Barbie brigade."

"EEEEEK!!!!" [4th grader to me upon seeing my 'scary' age makeup]

"If we were in Europe right now, we'd all be naked."

"What do you mean the orchestra left already? We've not done the last scene yet!"

"What were we going to look-up on youtube later - was it the Bug Porn?"

"This weekend's Motel 6 was waaay better than that last motel."

"Ladies - did you all remember to highlight your cleavage?"

Q: "Everybody decent in there?"
A:"Well...we're all clothed - but that doesn't really answer your question now, does it?"

"Now *that* was classy. With a capital Ass."

"The thing I love to do the most on stage is to sing a high-note. It's as good - if not better - than sex."

"Do you know how to juggle? How about learning so we can incorporate that into your trio?"

The phrases "That's what *she* said," and "Yo' momma" are casually and frequently bandied about backstage. As are various and sundry phrases capable of making a sailor blush.

The real choice expletives are reserved howver - at least in the women's dressing room - for use during the following activities: the application of false eyelashes; lining one's eyes with eyeliner; pincurling one's hair; attempting to buckle one's shoes AFTER one's corset is laced; and realizing one's tights are two sizes too short.

XKCD

Rona recently discovered XKCD - A webcomic of Romance, Sarcasm, Math and Language, and wrote about it on her blog.

And HOLY crap there is some funny stuff on there....and after scrolling through a few, I realized that I had myself stumbled upon one of XKCD's comics back in September, but didn't know where it came from. I am glad to know the source! So - below is a preview just to whet your whistles...but go check them out for yourselves:

Wicked Wacky Witches of the West

*headsmack*

I believe in freedom of speech, the right to protest, and the right to counter-protest. It’s part of what makes America…America.
As a Christian, I even believe that there are good and evil powers in the world - spiritual warfare if you want to call it that.

But what I cannot believe is THIS, the latest call to action by Code Pink in their protests of the USMC recruiting station in Berkeley.

It is laughable. Witchcraft vs. the Marines? My money is STILL on the USMC.

“NArmy” milblogger Lt. Nixon has a great idea for a counter-protest that I would pay good money to see.

And by good money, I mean $4.22/gal for gas and a $3 bridge toll.

I’m going to keep an eye out for local media photos of this and hopefully post some links up later.

Friday fives - Gifs of the Spirit

Have you or anyone you know:

1. ...ever experienced a prophesy (vision or dream) that came true?
Not myself...possibly someone I know has - but I'm not sure.

2. ...dreamed of a stranger, then actually met them later?
Does deja vu count? If so, then yes...I think :)

3. ...seen a wonder in heaven? (including UFO's)
Only shooting stars and magnificent sunsets.

4. ...seen a "sign" on the earth?
I've never seen crop circles, if that's the question.

5. ...experienced knowledge of another language without ever having studied it?
I have experienced someone close to me speaking in tongues. And to be quite honest, it scared the bejeezus out of me.

I see dead . . . baby whales

Back at my first full day of work this week after being sick, I found it hard to concentrate. Sure, I was tired. Sure, I was digging through stacks of papers. But that wasn't it. It was the constant buzzing of orange Coast Guard helicopters flying by our windows. Okay - it wasn't as loud as the Blue Angels buzzing around overhead, but nevertheless, my coworkers and I talked about it...like..."Wow, wonder what's going on? The USCG is out in force today!"

Fast foward to a few minutes ago as I'm watching the evening news. As it happens, there is a dead baby whale washed up under a pier not that far from us. And, because of certain restrictions, the Coast Guard is not allowed to just go up under there and pull it out. Not sure what all those restrictions are...but, I guess we'll hear more about it tomorrow.

Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ down the river

If my father had a top 5 list of what makes him happy in this world (other – than, of course, his perfect kids…hahah) this is what it would look like:
1. Traveling. Anytime, anywhere (I definitely got that gene….)
2. Delta Airlines and their history
3. Dark chocolate (Moonstruck, Ghirardelli, and Maison du Chocolat)
4. Grand Lake, CO (me too)
5. Tina Turner

So…I get a phone call at work today from my father who is VERY excited about something. As it happens, it’s #5 on that list. Seems Tina is coming out of retirement for one last tour, which he read about in the paper last week. And which Tina announced (along with Cher) on the Oprah show today. (No – my parents don’t watch the Oprah show…but TINA was on today, so they watched).

Anyways…I get a call with a directive to please look up the website and see the tour schedule. I did and – unfortunately – Tina is not going to be playing in Colorado near my parents. However….she IS playing both San Jose and Sacramento. One quick phone call back to dad and we now have tickets to the San Jose show in October. I’ve seen Tina with the fam once before. I believe mom & dad have seen her three times total (once in the mid-60’s when it was Ike & Tina). And there is a strong possibility of going to the Sacramento show, too, if dad can get the whole week off of work.

So we’ll be rollin’ on down the highway all over the bay following Tina’s tour. Just like Grateful Deadheads. Only….less hippy and more….middle-aged parents with their 20-something kids. And I am TOTALLY looking forward to it!

Picture time

Because I just want to sleep today, here's a picture:




This is where I was at this time last year...Saint-Raphael, France. Right on the Cote d'Azur, in between Nice and St. Tropez.

Ahhhhh....ca me manque beaucoup! J'y reviendrai un jour...peut-etre l'annee prochaine, ou peut-etre pour "le retrait" en...quarante ans...hahahah. On ne sait jamais qu'est ce qui se passerait dans la vie....

Behold!

The current state of our living room:

Supposedly, S is going to go through all of this stuff and pack what she wants into the moving POD in . . . ONE DAY.

meh

I don't have any good stories today...as I've spent most of the last 2 days in bed. Which in and of itself is nice, to a degree. I've felt bad enough that I'm not yet stir-crazy.

I've not even watched any tv. I don't have one in my room, and our common area....is otherwise occupied at the moment. S has alllll of her stuff from the storage unit parked in our main living area. I mean...we've left a path to the doors, in case of emergency. But other than that . . . yeah. Maybe I'll take a picture tomorrow.

(I've been assured - repeatedly - both by S and Sibling, that her stuff will all be gone by this weekend, when the storage 'pod' they've rented comes and she can load up her stuff for the move to Philly. Here's hoping...)

Anyways. This is a week of medical appointments for me. ENT today, eye doc wed and regular doc on thursday. I'm thankful for health insurance...that's for sure! Even though it takes FOREVER sometimes to get an appointment....or heck, even to get anyone to answer their damn phones. I hate that. Half the time, I end up getting so sick or worked up about something that I end up at the walk-in ambulatory care center up the hill from me. Shoot - they have great docs there and they accept my insurance . . . but . . . we don't have a "history together" like with a regular doc. So. That's a trade off, I guess.

praisin' Jesus today

...for the combination of adrenaline, afrin and good technique which helped me make it through the performance last night. Seriously, it was but for the Grace of God that my fevered self did not pass out onstage, mid-scene.

So...thank you Jesus! (And thanks for all ya'll who sent prayers my direction! I am still sick, but have a week to recover before the next show . . . so here's hoping that whatever this is will go away quickly!)

humility?

I know that as a Christian, I am supposed to claim I rely on God all the time. In good and bad scenarios...etc etc. Well, sometimes it's so easy during the "good" times to forget to do so. At least it is for me. I try, but ... well, I'm human.

On the other hand . . . during times where everything is crappy. Well then it seems much easier to cry out one of those 'oh Lord...You'll get me thru this because you are God' prayers. right?

Well....that is me today. I am physically unwell . . . not sure what is going on, but I've been bowled over by something. You name it. Sinuses, head, stomach and anxiety levels are all *very* unhappy with me. And guess what? Today I get to drive 2 hours one way to the outer reaches of the East Bay for a performance. I AM praising the Lord, however, that my throat does not hurt. So YAY - that means I can still sing in theory. hahhah

Maybe it's just His way of keeping me humble. And if so, than it sure is working.

(side note: Ladies and Gentelmen: please do NOT go to work sick! I had three colleagues come to work with bad colds this week. And really? That is not good coworkershipness. Especially when you work in a small office. Argh.)

Friday Fives - wait & pray

From RevGals Friday Five:
Prayer is a joy to some of us, and a chore to others, waiting likewise can be filled with anticipation or anxiety....So how do you wait and pray?

1. How do you pray best, alone or with others?
Either. However . . . it is “easier” for me to pray with others, just by virtue of the fact that there are other people there to help keep my mind from wandering off on some tangent. But…looking at Jesus’ life…He always found a place to retreat and pray by himself, away from other people – which takes a lot of discipline. And if He had to communicate one-on-one with God…well, Lord knows how much more I have to, then. I’m working on being more disciplined in this area. Writing things down helps me keep focused.

2. Do you enjoy the discipline of waiting, is it a time of anticipation or anxiety?
ooh. Honestly? Most of the time, no. I don’t enjoy it. But I think that can stem from (up there in question #1) not spending enough time in prayer alone and listening.

3. Is there a time when you have waited upon God for a specific promise?
Yes.

4. Do you prefer stillness or action?
I tend to buck at the stillness. But eventually, I get tired and embrace it.

5. If (and this is slightly tongue in cheek) you were promised one gift spiritual or otherwise what would you choose to receive?
To be able to communicate to all people in their own language…

Shout out!

One reason I enjoy the blogworld?

Because after yesterday's wish for a bubblewrap suit . . . what should spring forth from the blogosphere?

This fantastic bubblewrap suit, courtesy of Wyld!

Thank you, Sir!

And then she yells from the kitchen - "I'm alright!!"

I've spent the last couple hours getting together a bday cake for T.
I am making a similar one to last year's lemon blueberry cake with white chocolate frosting . . . I am adding raspberries.

ANYWAYS. I have a history of klutziness. My father's UNironic nickname for me is Grace . . . for more than one reason. If I ever decided to exercise my second amendment right, I would probably shoot myself in the armpit...or somewhere equally ridiculous and impossible.

My kitchen is not huge...two people in there can work, as long as there is good communication and not too many elbows (or large knives) flying around. But, it's not big by any means. So, I'm standing in front of the sink (back to the fridge, oven behind me to the right). The oven timer starts beeping. Time to take out the cakes.

But wait! My hands are covered with icing! Ack! Grab a towel! BEEP BEEP BEEP!!

Back up to hit the timer button and RUN the back of my ankles SMACK into the open oven drawer...which throws off my balance. I'm about to topple over headfirst into the marble countertop behind...but manage to throw a wrist up and somehow catch myself enough against the top cabinets to not fall over. Also...I miraculously managed to miss placing my hand palm down on the extremely hot cooktop right below the cabinet I DID grab.

All of this made a huge noise: metallic banging from the drawer and cursing from yours truly. And then, lest Sibling in his room think I've done myself in, I yell out "I'm alright!" Thinking that he would come running out to check on his poor klutz of a sister...I only start to crack up myself when I hear his feeble attempt at holding back laughter and a week "Glad to hear it!" coming from down the hall.

I think I need my own personal bubble-wrap-protector-suit. Either that, or everything ELSE needs to be bubble wrapped for me.

I'm going to go ice my wrist now.

the irony

I sent a box to P today for his bday. After I sent it, I started laughing to myself, because I realized that out of the food items I sent...most were purchased at Trader Joe's, and were therefore "organic" in nature.

It just cracks me up in retrospect . . . sending organic food to a war zone.
How Californian of me.

But, you *know* . . . the REAL reason that the man of steel himself was able to stop bullets and leap over tall buildings? He must have been eating organic food!

:P

Opa!

Greek dancing was awesome. A ton of fun - roughly 2.5 hours of fun, along with hopping, skipping, grapvineing and counting in 7/8 or 3/16 time.

Being a musician and being able to hear the off-beats definitely helped my case.

Since tonight was a free class, there were probably about 45 people there. It was packed! We learned three easy dances, then had a break and then it was 'practice' time...that was when all the crazy dancing happened (and all the regulars got to request what dance they wanted to practice).

I figured out a majority of the patterns with the help of a couple of the regulars there guiding me . . . but there was at least one that left me just...totally confused. Fun to watch, though!!

I will definitely go back on Monday's that I don't have rehearsal. But - oh man - I made the mistake of not stretching before the dancing mania started tonight. NOT a good idea to have skipped that part...and now my calves are hating me. *doh*

Because sometimes you just gotta dance . . .

. . . shoulder to shoulder, grapevining in 7/8 time.

Guess what!

It’s Bay Area National Dance Week.
Tonight I’m headed to the “Greek Feet” Greek dancing class…how fun is that!?

There are a ton of events happening all week long . . . so if you’re local, check out the calendar of classes & performances!

Feelin' Groovy

It's been a good weekend. My last free weekend until . . . the end of May. Lots of performing and traveling to do in the meantime! hooray!

Part 1: Music
I spent a good chunk of time this weekend making mix-cd's (how early 90s of me!) for a couple people.

Ty's bday is Tuesday (29 on the 29th!), so I've made a 3-disc retrospective entitled
"A musical safari through 29 years of listening to great music."
Yes. It is awesome, I know. Everything from jazz to Tori Amos to Simon & Garfunkle.

I also burned a few for P, who'll be celebrating #40 in the desert. In his case, they are themed: "music for kicking ass & amping up;" "classical/opera mania;" "everything else, including the kitchen sink."

I'm excited. I've rediscovered a lot of music I haven't listened to in a while - and that was nice.

Part 2: Film
AZ and I went to see "The Life Before Her Eyes".

Holy Crap. That movie did a number on both of us, I think. I literally could not speak after it ended...the theater stayed really quiet for a long time (akin to after, say, Schindler's List or The Pianist). Many were weeping. I know I had tears...
It was a beautiful film. And an horrific one. On a basic level, it was about a girl and a Columbine-esque high school massacre. Having grown up in Denver, where sibling was in high school at the time that that happened...well, let's just say that it all hit a little too close to home for me.

I jumped in my seat several times from the gun shots in the film.

The movie did not have a clean ending. No pretty-bow-tied-around-it-ready-to-go-on-to-the-next-viewer type of thing. No, it chewed at me all night. And it wasn't until this afternoon, waiting in line at the grocery store, that I had some insight into *what* perhaps had actually transpired at the end of the film. I will not spoil it here . . . but man. It was intense.

Part 3: Travel Opportunities
I opened my email to find an invitation from a friend who's turning 30 next year and wants to get a bunch of folks together for a short cruise down to Cabo. It's not until a year from now - but, hey...sounds like fun to me!

Part 4: Long-Distance Friends
I had the chance to catch up with an old friend today who lives a couple time zones East of here. As soon as she called...I knew. I knew what she was going to say. And I was right. Let the baby parade continue!! One more honorary niece (or nephew?!) for me!! I'm so excited :)

come out, come out whomever you are!

Because I'm feeling curious today . . . let's make it delurking weekend. If you happen by this blog this weekend...stop on by the comments section and say hello. You know who you are. And, really, I know who you are, too - or at least where you're from (I'm looking at you, Canada.)

Maybe you googled "Devo hats" and ended up here. (That's a popular keyword search for this here blog). Or perhaps it was "Anne Geddes," also popular for some reason. And weird.

Anyways - say "hey"... I'm friendly. Or hola, or what's up doc, or however one says hello in Danish, while we're at it. I don't bite. And you can keep it anonymous, if you REALLY want to do so.

That is all...have a great day....I know I am!!

Old vs. Modern (Postmodern?) Friday Fives

1. What modern convenience/invention could you absolutely, positively not live without?
Recorded music!

2. What modern convenience/invention do you wish had never seen the light of day? Why?
Fast Food drive-thrus. Thinking back on my childhood – man, we went to them a lot. It’s just not healthy, and the impact of those ingrained childhood habits are hard to undo.

3. Do you own a music-playing device older than a CD player? More than one? If so, do you use it (them)?
I have a tape deck and a record player. I use both of them.
(And up until about 5 years ago, my family still had an 8-track player. I think it finally died, though).

4. Do you find the rapid change in our world exciting, scary, a mix...or something else?
I think it is a mix of both. Good change is exciting…bad change is scary. My great Aunt was alive for the entirety of the 20th century (1897-2005) – and I am positive that the changes SHE saw in the world during the course of her lifetime will eclipse anything I might experience. I mean, the changes in our current age are significant, yes…but how does, say, an mp3 player compare to the automobile? Flying? The fall of the Iron Curtain? I just don’t know…maybe I’m desensitized to change, since everything changes so quickly.

5. What did our forebears have that we have lost and you'd like to regain? Bonus points if you have a suggestion of how to begin that process.
A moral compass. One step could be parents taking responsibility for their kids (disciplining them, teaching right from wrong) – and not leaving it up to teachers to “babysit” them, as is so often the case.

Notes to self #814 - #819

• Do not buy tights which appear to have already been opened. Even if they are the only pair in your size hanging on the rack (TALL!).
  
  
• Make sure you have the correct size tights with you BEFORE arriving at the theater. If not, make sure you have an extra pair.
  
  
• When standing in the bathroom cursing at the tights which will not come up much past your knees . . . make sure your director is not in one of the bathroom stalls. You might frighten her.
  
  
• If you are lacking an extra pair of tights, make sure you have a pair of scissors. Or nail clippers. Use them to cut out the crotch of too-short tights so that you don’t have to walk like a duck all night long.
  
  
• When not onstage, do not make the mistake of sitting down! Sitting down only causes the too-short tights to fall even more.
  
  
• Make sure – of course – that this all happens during a performance, so that the onstage orchestra ALSO gets the pleasure of watching you in the wings as you wrestle with the crapulous tights underneath 20 pounds of skirt. There is just not a graceful way of doing this, especially whilst wearing a torso-bend-preventing corset.

I have to get it outta my system...rant

Something stupid that really irks me is how in a group of a dozen and a half or so, no one seems to know how to load a freakin’ dishwasher. Seriously. I go to put my coffee mug in at the end of the day and it’s like all hell has broken loose in that damp dungeon of dishes.

Cups have fallen over flat on their sides, bowls are turned upwards: neither of those positions will get the dishes CLEAN, you know. I mean, is it *really* that difficult to put the mugs and glasses in properly along the sides of the top rack? They don’t tip over that way! Amazing! And the bowls go FACE DOWN so all the little chucks of dried oatmeal left behind have a better chance of getting washed away. Except for the fact that oatmeal sticks like molasses in July and seriously can’t you rinse off the bigger chunks before you put it in upside-down?

Maybe it’s just my OCD. But EVERY time – I can’t help myself – I fix the dishes. Because *I* don’t want to be drinking someone else’s leftovers in my morning coffee…I don’t know about the rest of the crew.

(Yeah…I’m a little testy today. I thought it would be a nice, easy day…and that I would be able to relax, do some mindless things like filing, and be in power-saver mode thus conserving my energy for tonight’s performance. But no. Those were pipe dreams, I guess. I’ve already had to deal with too many “crises” today … which aren’t really “crises” at all except for the fact that some people choose to make them as much. And because some assume they are critical, I’M treated as if they are…when really, they are not. And now my shoulders are creeping up, up, up towards my ears the tension building and it is all I can do to take a deep breath and force them down to normal, click my heels together and repeat over and over in my head “There’s no such thing as TPS reports, there’s no such thing as TPS reports, there’s no such thing as TPS reports…”)

PS: Happy Administrative Professional’s Day!

I just want to add . . . .

...just wanted to add to my previous post. It is horribly tragic and sad when anyone - regardless of their job - committs suicide. I have known my (un)fair share of people who have died in this manner, and it is a painful subject.

People close to me have suffered major depression. They do still. And this is - in many circles - a taboo subject to discuss. Almost anything having to do with mental health, really, has a "do-not-go-there" aura about it, which in turn can make it that much more difficult for people to get the help they need.

I am pretty laid back, yes. But when it comes to topics such as mental health, depression, suicide...and to hear of SO MANY people not getting the help they need...ARGH. It just infuriates - and saddens - me.


I know what it is like for the people left behind.

staggering

I read this report about the staggering numbers of returning OIF/OEF veterans suffering from PTSD and/or depression. It makes me sick to my stomach when I stop and think about it.

And, in today's paper, this article on the state of care (or lack thereof) at the VA hospitals. Granted - perhaps it is a blanket generalization to say that each and every VA center falls under the category of "complete mess"...but, it doesn't seem that that's too far off the mark.

It doesn't matter what one's opinion of the GWOT is. We're talking about men and women - sons, daughters, brothers, mothers, etc - who have spent months and years fighting in [insert adjective/perjorative here] wars, only to come home and get the run-around when trying to get help for their wounds - both mental and physical?

That is just disgusting.

filling in the, ahem, blanks

I can't remember where I got this list . . . maybe [insert social networking site here] or someone's blog...so...sorry if I took it without giving credit where it's due...!

1. Who did you last shoot a dirty look at [sic]? Hmmm...a taxi driver cutting me off.
2 .What kind of car do you drive?
Volvo (how stereotypically SF, right? But that car has saved my life more than once.)
3. Have you ever had a garage sale? Many, but not at my current address.
4. What color is your iPod? Black & Red U2 iPod
5. What kind of dog do you have? n/a. I have a fish.
6. What's for dinner tonight? Had dinner with AZ at Pasta P.
7. What is the last drink you drank? Water
8. Last time you were sick? Last week due to allergies.
9. How long is your hair? Long right now - past my shoulders.
10. Are you happy right now? Pretty happy, yes.
11. What did you say last? I laughed with S at Futurama.
12. Who came over last? Haven't been home much myself, but I think it was the folks who came over for game night a weekish ago.
13. Do you drink beer? Yes, but not regularly
14. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? nope
15. What is your favorite key chain on your keys? handy dandy carabiner
16. What is in your pocket? chapstick and change
17. Who is the last person you had a phone conversation with? S
18. What DVD is in your DVD player? Not sure...
19. What's something fun you did today? Got to catch up w/AZ
20. What do you think of when you hear the word "meow"? I start itching
21. What are you listening to right now? Family Guy
22. What have you had to drink so far today? Coffee, tea, water
23. When is your birthday? 7/11
24. What's the area code for your cell phone? I still have a CO cell phone. I haven't lived in CO since 1997.
25. Where did you buy the shirt you're wearing now? haha...it's a Denver Bronco tshirt my mom sent me...lol
26. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror? nope
27. How many states in the U.S. have you been to? I don't feel like counting...but well over half of them. I've lived in four.
28. What are you going to do after this? probably try to go to bed soon
29. What is something you need to go shopping for? groceries
30. Do you like pickles? yes
31. How about olives? yes
32. What is your favorite kind of gum? peppermint
33. Do you have any tan lines? on my shoulders (ha - from getting burned a week ago)
34. Do you remember the name of your kindergarten teacher? ms. lessig
35. Who was the last person to call you baby? prolly CPT, actually.
36.When you're at the grocery store do you use the self checkout? sometimes
37. Has anyone ever sang to you? oh yes
38. Has anyone ever given you roses? yes
39. If you were abandoned in the wilderness, would you survive? Maybe. I have a decent sense of direction, and have eaten bugs before....so I got that going for me.
40. What is your favorite color? blue, pink, black, red
41. What color are your eyes? blue
42. What is a compliment you receive way too often? way too often? really? um..how about "wow, you're tall"...lol
43. How tall are you? 5'11.5"
44. Who was the last person to say they loved you and when? my momma on the phone today :)
45. Do you like your parents? I do.
46. Why did your last relationship end? We are on different paths.
47. Who was the last person you said you loved on the phone? my momma
48. Where is the furthest place you've traveled? Croatia, I believe
49. Which do you prefer, to eat or sleep? hmmm right now, sleep
50. Do you look more like your mom or your dad? I'm a pretty good mix
51. How long does it take you to shower? 10 minutes on your average morning. Longer if I don't have to rush off to work.
52. Can you do splits? no
53. Can you use the grill? sure
54. Are you flexible? fairly
55. What did you on New Years Eve 2007? helped cook a 6-course meal for a kickass party 56. Was your mom a cheerleader? nope
57. What is the last letter of your middle name? n
58. How many hours of sleep did you get last night? 6.5
59. Do you wear your seatbelt in the car? yes
60. Are you scared of flying? no
61. What do you sleep in? pj's
62.Do you have any tattoos? hahah...not really...excepting the fake one I won playing skee-ball a few weeks ago...it's bugs bunny.
63. Have you ever been to Los Angeles? yes
64. What jewelry do you wear all the time? earrings, usually a ring or two
65. What is your favorite song at the moment? too many to list...
66. What song do you HATE? anything by natalie merchant
67. Do you like chocolate? dark chocolate is best
68. Are you easy to get along with? generally
69. Any upcoming events you're excited about? my current show!

Answer

In answer to the question "What is spirit gum?"

It's a funk-nasty liquid adhesive used to stick the following to one's face (for theatrical purposes):

1. Facial hair (sideburns, mustaches, etc)
2. Lace fronts on wigs, so that they blend in seamlessly and appear more real (especially over the temples if it won't lie flush)
3. Prosthetics (noses, "scars", chins, etc...)

It hurts like a mo-fo to remove most of the time, especially for those of us with the sensitve skin. And it requires its own special "spirit gum adhesive remover". The most basic form is a solution of gum in ether. Good stuff right there.

I keep some backstage for use in cases #2 and #3. Or for stopping a run in my tights.

Men use it mostly for facial hair - especially when doing period pieces involving lots of lambchop sideburns and the like. I have to admit, though, that there have been many times I thought it would be hilarious to sport a mustache...especially when playing a crotchety, old Italian woman. Ha! (But somehow the directors never go for it...lol)

small world Sunday and other stuff

I stayed up way too late last night, afterall, having had some coffee to keep me awake for my drive home...I couldn't sleep until 3am. No bueno.

So this morning, before getting ready for church, I dragged my tired ass outta bed at 8 and went for a walk & coffee (it was pretty this morning!). No one - I mean NO one - is out that early on a Sunday morning here in SF. On my way back home, I ran into R at the intersection near my house - totally random. I didn't even know he was back in SF...and out on an early Sunday morning way on the other side of town from where he (now) lives. So that was fun, though, to see him.

After church (well, okay, Rona & I ducked out a little early to get (more) coffee) I ran into someone else I knew when I was headed back to my car. It was a performer friend I hadn't seen in several months, so that was fun to randomly see her. I then headed to SFO to pick up Sibling & S.
---
Our show over the weekend was in Antioch - which, well, it's about an hour-and-a-half into the East Bay from here. And it could not be more different from SF. Suburbia to the max, man. I mean, having grown up in Suburbia...well, I guess I can't really say too much. However, having lived in a really urban area for the last several years - it was like stepping into another planet for a while.

They have a really beautifully renovated theater - kinda art-deco style, which has signatures on the walls from everyone who's ever performed there - some of them dating back to the late 1930s! But the best part was the location: in the historic downtown city center, which only stretches for a few blocks. The theater shared a street with a really good Mexican restaurant (necessita hablar espagnol), an Armory and a dance studio. Talk about eclectic.

So - if you're ever in the mood to purchase a gun after ballet class and before some tasty carnitas . . . boy do I know the town for you!

The opening show went well; the audience was appreciative & pretty attentive (for a 2pm matinee made up of mostly the silver-haired crowd). All of us performing had a great time, I'll tell you that. Once all of the male castmembers got used to having to watch their step around us women - we all have ridiculously long trains on our dresses - everything went smoothly.
And - I am happy to say - this go around I don't have to play an old woman! No old-age make-up for me this time . . . I get to be pretty and young! And wear an amazingly beautiful dress. I will have to take a picture of it...it's gorgeous....red with black lace and a crazy corset (which - I'm getting used to singing in, I have to admit), all topped off with an auburn wig. I'm totally diggin' it.

(This pretty youthfulness won't last long though - this summer I get to play a mean old lady all done up kabuki style! Looking foward to that!)

backstage box

Because I have hit the post-performance-adrenaline-crash wall, today's posting will be a list. This is what it takes to transform my everyday self into whomever it is I need to be for a performance, as well as deal with any small crisis that may occur. What I take to the theater in my backstage box:

• 1 box (a bright blue, old-school caboodle)
• cell phone (to keep time - not all dressing rooms have clocks! wtf?)
• nail file & clippers
• dental floss
• sewing kit
• bandaids/neosporin
• bobby pins & hair pins
• wig cap (so sexy. . . let me tell you...ha)
• advil/tylenol
• 3 lipsticks in tube form
• 1 compact of flat lipsticks
• 2 lip liners
• 4 eyeliners
• eyebrow pencil
• 5 shades of eyeshadow
• loose translucent powder
• 2 shades of m.a.c. studio tech foundation
• 3 shades of kryolan foundation
• concealer
• old-age base
• spirit gum & hair for "facial hair"
• stipple sponge
• cotton swabs & squares
• combs
• make-up brush cleaner
• 2 blush compacts
• lotion
• pencil sharpener
• pen
• 3 sets of false eyelashes
• 1 tube of eyelash glue
• eyelash curler
• a dozen or so brushes & applicators of varying sizes & uses
• mascara
• hairspray
• chewing gum
• antibacterial hand stuff
• face cleanser/make-up remover
• hand-held mirror
• deodorant
• contact solution
• lozenges
• socks
• tights
• moleskin

Shaku Maku*

To my delight, I had an email from P waiting in my inbox when I logged-in this morning. It was a nice surprise…and the first any of us had heard from him in two-and-a-half months.

He’s in a new area now, which will make it harder for those of us back home to follow the news/milblog trails near him…but on the plus side, he *might* get back to the fob more often and have internet access. I am just praying that he’s not here or here or even here.

But then again, what do I know? I make it a point to seek out information through various channels, and actively spend time and resources volunteering with these fine folks . . . so, yeah, I guess I am more aware of the goings-on than your average civilian walking around downtown SF. But, it’s probably a good thing I don’t know more than I actually do . . . because sometimes knowledge is dangerous – even if just for my own sanity.

Friday Fives - 24 hours

Think about what you might like to do if you knew it would only last for 24 hours.
There are no reality boundaries to these imaginings. So here are the five things for you to consider...

1) If you could dramatically change your physical appearance for 24 hours, what would you do?
I would want to be very short - for the change in perspective, and to see if people treated me differently.

2) If you could live in another place for 24 hours where would you go?
New Orleans

3) You get to do somebody else's job for a day...
CIA undercover agent

4) Spend the day with another person from anywhere in time and space...
My grandmother . . . I miss her and never got to know her other than in the context of me being a kid. I would love to pick her brain on so many things now that I am an adult.

5) A magical power is yours. Which one would you pick?
Something along the lines of being able to transport myself through the space/time continuum.

Freeze-dried nation

Is it just me? Or has there been a resurgence of the popularity in freeze-dried foods? What brought this to mind were the delicious freeze-dried strawberries Ty brought home from Trader Joe’s when he was crashed out on our couch. Also, at our local market down the street, I’ve noticed some Petaluma-based food corporation making their own freeze-dried fruit snacks.

So when I went to Trader Joe’s today over my lunch hour, I bought some of the aforementioned strawberries, as well as some mangoes. They are a tasty-tangy-sweet-crunchy snack. A snack made of flavored air.

Maybe it was just us folks of a certain generation, but I remember being fascinated with Astronaut Ice Cream as a kid. Freeze-dried ice cream – the concept still boggles my mind. Does anyone else remember that? Seems to me it was a fad to buy it (as civilians) sometime around the early ‘80s. I can recall begging my mom to get it for us. And I still remember the weird airy-sweet taste of each of the flavors (vanilla – strawberry – chocolate).

Ahh . . . the reminiscences of youth . . .

dreamy

In general, I lean towards being an insomniac. I think part of it is that I find myself keeping the schedule of both a performer (late nights rehearsing leading up to performances) as well as that of a salaried minion (read: day-job). There are some nights - many - that I just can't get to sleep. I don't wind down. To the point of panic attacks, when I'm strung out enough. My doctor and I tried many things . . . and I've found melatonin supplements to be a HUGE help in combating said insomnia. The trouble happens when I wait to take it until there's not enough time to sleep without being groggy the next morning.

In any case, I've remembered to take it on a somewhat consistent basis over the last few days. And the best - and worst - part is the dreaming. I almost never ever remember my dreams when I don't take the melatonin, probably because I'm never really reaching that deep REM cycle.

The dreaming is the best and worst part because the dreams feel so real. And if they are nice dreams . . . well, that's one thing. But when they border on the nightmare-side of things...*shiver*. I could do without those, thank you very much. I can't quite remember last night's...but it was more on the scary side, as I remember waking up and feeling relieved to find myself at home in bed.

Sunday night's dream was just surreal: I was searching high and low for my chapstick. (Which, well - that's more like reality, really.) And Sibling was, too. And then we ended up in the grocery store, looking for the chapstick aisle, to no avail. It was very frustrating. Indeed.

Vituperation

I have a mean streak. Most people do. I try to keep mine in check, and I’d like to think (perhaps foolishly) that since:
a) I’m old enough to know better, and
b) I claim the title of “Practicing Christian”
it would be easy to keep said streak in check. But that is just not always the case. My particular brand of invective tends to reveal itself in the form of not thinking before speaking. This can either mean consciously taking a verbal shot at someone - making a witty low-blow which helps me score points with one party by detracting from another one - or just flat-out not taking a moment to consider the repercussions of my word vomit before spewing it forth.

In the last week I have found myself on more than one occasion suddenly reeling in the wake of my own sarcasms. I am pretty sarcastic, but on these particular occasions, I took it too far. And I found myself hastily snapped to my humiliated humbled senses, trying to pull the foot out of my mouth as quickly as possible, without causing further damage. And, even though apologies were issued in short order . . . it still is a horrid feeling knowing that I have wounded someone.

I need to work on this.

“’Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove
all doubt.”
– Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

“If you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all.”
– Thumper, Walt Disney’s Bambi

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your
sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
– Psalm 19:14

“If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
– Ephesians 4:28-32

devil, thy name is C-A-T

I drafted an entire tirade on cats, allergies, asthma and the politics/ethics of bringing cats to work without consulting upon the allergies and results of said allergies on the people who work for you (even IF the cat is being brought in to eat mice). I mean...if you want to pay me not to do my job...I guess that's your decision.

Anyways.

I wrote it. Got it (somewhat) out of my system. And then wrote to our lovely stage manager asking nicely if the cat could disappear for our current hell week (tech week) before we open on Saturday.

And, she wrote me back...and I am so happy, the cat will be gone. Cat's are cute, but they are all little devils in relation to my immune system.

So - a parting request - please pray that my allergy-induced asthma and swolled-up throat would clear up quickly. They are making breathing (much less, say, opera singin') a real beeyotch right now. And I would *really* like to be able to do what I've been hired/contracted/paid to do come Saturday.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some nasal spray to use and SFGiant's traffic to fight.

Funny!

This hit my funny bone this morning...here's today's "Rhymes with Orange" comic strip (by Hilary B. Price):

summertime

It is so summertime for us this weekend! 80+ weather does not happen during our *actual* summer months (that's when we get socked in with fog) . . .

The morning started early with breakfast at the Pork Store Cafe in the Haight with Sibling & S. We got there before they opened. On the way there, I said to S, "Man...I am just not awake yet. We must be crazy, right? Getting up at 7:30 am on a Saturday, what was I thinking?"

S's reply: "Nah, we're not crazy. We're just white people."

I almost fell on the ground laughing at that. OMG. It's going to be a good day. I have a callback audition later this afternoon, but for now I'm headed to the beach...

California Girl

When I was younger, I NEVER wanted to live in California...and here I've been for just about 7 years.

I know I've lived in NorCal for a long time as is evidenced by what I cooked for dinner tonight. You've got the "Hippy Elements"(tofu and brown rice); the "Asian Influence" (baby bok choi and water chestnuts in my stirfry); and the "Napa Effect" (a nice California red wine to accompany the meal).

Sibling walked in and was like . . . "What on EARTH are you cooking? (It smells good, though.)"

*Clearly* he has not lived in California long enough.


And now - to round out my lovely day, after having been to the beach on our 80-degree spring evening - I'm enjoying said dinner and wine with "the kids" and watching Star Wars. I haven't watched the original (Episode IV) in over a year (!) but boy howdy, I still know all the dialogue.

BLAST!

Friday Fives - Moving

1. How many times have you moved? When was the last time?
16 times. The last time was in 2003, when I moved into my current place. MOST of those moves took place between the years 1997-2003.

2. What do you love and hate about moving?
I love that it forces me to throw out a bunch of crap. I hate that it is so stressful, and I usually get sick from dust flying around.

3. Do you do it yourself or hire movers?
Depends on the move – I’ve done it myself, had friends & family move me and had professional movers involved at times.

4. Advice for surviving and thriving during a move?
Drink a lot of water. Get rid of anything you hesitate about keeping.

5. Are you in the middle of any inner moves, if not outer ones?
Not planning on leaving my current home in the near future. As far as other moves go . . . there is almost always something going on in my head or my life…right now, it’s cooking with and eating more vegetables.

Protest photos

1. Looking down around 10am...people headed down towards the Ferry Building. 2. I saw this woman walking down the middle of the barricaded Embarcadero...that's the only torch I saw :)
3. Team Tibet - across the street from us...
4. Team China/Olympics/USA etc...also across the street from us.
5. After hearing that the torch was no longer coming down this street - everyone else decided to take to it . . . (this is looking down on them from our 3rd floor windows).

Photos on the way - I promise

. . . . but I left my camera at work - d'oh!

However...I have to report to Jury Duty tomorrow afternoon, and I anticipate having some down time. I'm planning on taking the laptop and posting the photos then (they have free wireless at the courthouse...yay!)

Okay then - nighty night everyone!