Happy Halloween and Danse Macabre!
I just wanted to say Happy Halloween, even though I think Halloween is a shitty holiday. Anyway, trying to be in the holiday spirit, I went and saw a super fantastic improv show last night at the Second City called Danse Macabre. It's a long-form improv show based on audience suggestions. The cast knew that they were playing characters from a 1920s-30s horror movie and, every show, they get the name of the movie from the audience. The name of the movie from last night was "Death Stink"... clever, huh? Anyway, it was an incredible show... and my friend Andy, from "Maybe this isn't the right forum..." was in it, and he's amazing! The show included a super-catchy song, which has been unfortunately stuck in my head ever since. Perhaps if I write it down, it'll get out of my head: "twelve AM, twelve AM, the danse macabre begins... twelve AM, twelve AM, the night is my home." Whatever, you... Laura would have liked it, that predictable bastard.
KERRY WINS!
Let me be the first to break this story. Since the Packers beat the Washington Redskins in Washington today, Kerry will apparently win the election. There is some kind of weird statistic where, if the Redskins win their last game before an election... the incumbent wins; and if they lose, so does the incumbent (for the past 17 elections? like 70 years or so?). So, thanks to the Green Bay Packers, Kerry will win the election. I was checking out electoral-vote.com (thanks Nate) and, as Halloween, Kerry would win the electoral college 283-246. It's my understanding that 270 votes is needed to win, and with three days to go... Kerry might pull it off. I've actually got hope for this election for the first time in months. I think Kerry just might do this. Thank God! Wait... maybe I shouldn't be thanking God, as that's Bush's thing. ("Thank you God for letting me kill Middle Eastern civilians")
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Saturday, October 30, 2004
The worst writing five show ever!
Last night I went and saw my friend Amy's level five writing show. She didn't write it, she was one of the actors. One of the good actors. She was one of the two good actors in the cast of six. "But John," you say, "doesn't good writing trump bad acting? I mean, how bad could they have been?" I would like to say that you're right... but I have no idea. The writing was so atrocious that I can't test your theory (did see THIS coming, did ya? I did that on purpose, because I'm a good writer). Good LORD was the writing bad... scenes that kept going after everything was said; terribly written songs that weren't funny and weren't very appealing musically so they could only be loosely called songs; and a constant beating over the head of whatever the point was to the scene (most of the time the point, I guess, was 'Bush likes to kill Iraqis!'). I felt preached to... which is saying something because I generally agree with what their points.
In crappy news, I just learned that our Skybox proposal (the hour long one) was not accepted. That really sucks because, with all the other shows I'm doing, this one was what I was really excited about... acting in an hour of my own stuff. I mean, that would have been awesome. But Keith isn't down about it, so I won't be either. It just means we're going to have to work that much harder when we propose this same show (or a slightly different version) next time.
And in weather news, today the gusts of wind in Chicago are approaching 44 miles per hour. It's just howling outside my window right now. I can't wait to have to go out into it. That'll be awesome. I do have kind of a conundrum because I'm wondering about my hair. I mean, there's no point in trying to make it look nice since the wind's probably just going to blow it all over the place anyway. However, it might be too windy for a hat... it would just fly away. Interesting. Don't feel bad, even I stopped listening to myself after a while.
Last night I went and saw my friend Amy's level five writing show. She didn't write it, she was one of the actors. One of the good actors. She was one of the two good actors in the cast of six. "But John," you say, "doesn't good writing trump bad acting? I mean, how bad could they have been?" I would like to say that you're right... but I have no idea. The writing was so atrocious that I can't test your theory (did see THIS coming, did ya? I did that on purpose, because I'm a good writer). Good LORD was the writing bad... scenes that kept going after everything was said; terribly written songs that weren't funny and weren't very appealing musically so they could only be loosely called songs; and a constant beating over the head of whatever the point was to the scene (most of the time the point, I guess, was 'Bush likes to kill Iraqis!'). I felt preached to... which is saying something because I generally agree with what their points.
In crappy news, I just learned that our Skybox proposal (the hour long one) was not accepted. That really sucks because, with all the other shows I'm doing, this one was what I was really excited about... acting in an hour of my own stuff. I mean, that would have been awesome. But Keith isn't down about it, so I won't be either. It just means we're going to have to work that much harder when we propose this same show (or a slightly different version) next time.
And in weather news, today the gusts of wind in Chicago are approaching 44 miles per hour. It's just howling outside my window right now. I can't wait to have to go out into it. That'll be awesome. I do have kind of a conundrum because I'm wondering about my hair. I mean, there's no point in trying to make it look nice since the wind's probably just going to blow it all over the place anyway. However, it might be too windy for a hat... it would just fly away. Interesting. Don't feel bad, even I stopped listening to myself after a while.
Friday, October 29, 2004
The Fable dream
I played Fable last night for about a million hours. It's an XBox RPG (making me a super-huge SELLOUT dork)... and the whole game is based on a fictional place called Albion. I poo you not... Albion. Perhaps all this Albion thinking was still in my skull when I went to bed, because I had a dream about it last night. Here's the twist... I also had my last trip to Albion in my head, because the whole thing's set in Albion. Let me explain something first... you can level your character up in Strength (to help with melee weapons), Skill (to help with range weapons), and Will (magic). I somehow broke this up into three different characters because Bohne was the strength, Nick was the skill, and I was the magic dude. Right? Okay... so you can visit towns and stuff and, depending on how attractive you are, people will be attracted to you (indicated by a heart over their head). It doesn't matter what the sex is of the person, men and women can be attracted to you (isn't that very progressive of a video game?). Anyway, in the game I've been hitting big time on the chick who works at the tavern AND the barber chick and then just a whole bunch of random passers-by. I basically spent a lot of time using the "flirt" option because that's how awesome I am. ANYWAY, back to the dream, a certain Chelsey was the barber, another Chelsea was a random villager, and there was a Rose working in the tavern. Nothing really happened in the dream... Nick shot some bandit with an arrow, I flirted with women, Bohne stood around with a huge ax... it was pretty much exactly what happened when I went to Albion last weekend. BTW, Miss Karen Rose Green looks great in a serving wench outfit... it's a good look for her, I think she should try it. Heehee... I'm serious, she could start a trend.
I played Fable last night for about a million hours. It's an XBox RPG (making me a super-huge SELLOUT dork)... and the whole game is based on a fictional place called Albion. I poo you not... Albion. Perhaps all this Albion thinking was still in my skull when I went to bed, because I had a dream about it last night. Here's the twist... I also had my last trip to Albion in my head, because the whole thing's set in Albion. Let me explain something first... you can level your character up in Strength (to help with melee weapons), Skill (to help with range weapons), and Will (magic). I somehow broke this up into three different characters because Bohne was the strength, Nick was the skill, and I was the magic dude. Right? Okay... so you can visit towns and stuff and, depending on how attractive you are, people will be attracted to you (indicated by a heart over their head). It doesn't matter what the sex is of the person, men and women can be attracted to you (isn't that very progressive of a video game?). Anyway, in the game I've been hitting big time on the chick who works at the tavern AND the barber chick and then just a whole bunch of random passers-by. I basically spent a lot of time using the "flirt" option because that's how awesome I am. ANYWAY, back to the dream, a certain Chelsey was the barber, another Chelsea was a random villager, and there was a Rose working in the tavern. Nothing really happened in the dream... Nick shot some bandit with an arrow, I flirted with women, Bohne stood around with a huge ax... it was pretty much exactly what happened when I went to Albion last weekend. BTW, Miss Karen Rose Green looks great in a serving wench outfit... it's a good look for her, I think she should try it. Heehee... I'm serious, she could start a trend.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
$200 worth of groceries... *faint*
I just got back from Dominicks, and boy are my arms tired! No, seriously. My arms are tired because I bought so much damn food. How can I do that? you ask. Well, it's easy. This $200 will last me probably a month and a half (maybe until Christmas), where all I'll have to do is keep buying milk or other perishables... but most of it will last for a long time. Plus, city livin's damn expensive.
I forgot to mention this earlier. I got an email from one of my past instructors about an audition for a company called Teatro Bastardo. They've been around a while and have produced shows at Second City, Improv Olympic, The Playground, The Annoyance, ComedySportz and other places. The audition is not only for actors, but also for writers! for a show that they would perform at SketchFest in January. So I'm going to have to write something for next Tuesday to prove my writing prowess... and I'm super nervous about the audition. *deep breath* It's okay if I don't make it (I tell myself) because they're professionals and I'm still young and learning. There... I feel slightly better.
I heard this week that Brett Favre's wife has been diagnosed with cancer. Good lord... for all the football 'highs' Brett has experienced on the field, the feces has certainly hit the fan in the rest of his life. Keep Deanna Favre and the Favre family in your thoughts and prayers. Brett says that she's tougher than he is... so this woman must be made of adamantium *pushed up dork glasses*.
I was talking to Miss Laura Jeannine this afternoon and she mentioned the new Eminem album. She said that he has a video that might be internet only called "Mosh." So I found it and WOW... does he want people to vote. To see the video, go here. I commend Marshall on trying to get the minority out to vote... it doesn't matter who they vote for (although it's pretty obvious who Ems voting for from the video), but at least he's doing something to get people to the polls. Good for him.
I just got back from Dominicks, and boy are my arms tired! No, seriously. My arms are tired because I bought so much damn food. How can I do that? you ask. Well, it's easy. This $200 will last me probably a month and a half (maybe until Christmas), where all I'll have to do is keep buying milk or other perishables... but most of it will last for a long time. Plus, city livin's damn expensive.
I forgot to mention this earlier. I got an email from one of my past instructors about an audition for a company called Teatro Bastardo. They've been around a while and have produced shows at Second City, Improv Olympic, The Playground, The Annoyance, ComedySportz and other places. The audition is not only for actors, but also for writers! for a show that they would perform at SketchFest in January. So I'm going to have to write something for next Tuesday to prove my writing prowess... and I'm super nervous about the audition. *deep breath* It's okay if I don't make it (I tell myself) because they're professionals and I'm still young and learning. There... I feel slightly better.
I heard this week that Brett Favre's wife has been diagnosed with cancer. Good lord... for all the football 'highs' Brett has experienced on the field, the feces has certainly hit the fan in the rest of his life. Keep Deanna Favre and the Favre family in your thoughts and prayers. Brett says that she's tougher than he is... so this woman must be made of adamantium *pushed up dork glasses*.
I was talking to Miss Laura Jeannine this afternoon and she mentioned the new Eminem album. She said that he has a video that might be internet only called "Mosh." So I found it and WOW... does he want people to vote. To see the video, go here. I commend Marshall on trying to get the minority out to vote... it doesn't matter who they vote for (although it's pretty obvious who Ems voting for from the video), but at least he's doing something to get people to the polls. Good for him.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Red Sox World Series and the Lunar Eclipse
On the night of the first lunar eclipse in World Series history, the Red Sox have won their first championship since 1918. It literally was written in the stars tonight... a "curse" like the one the Red Sox endured can only be broken by something celestial. Congrats to all those Red Sox fans out there. Now it's time to get the ring back in Chicago!
What's next for the Red Sox? Everyone already wants to know what next year holds. I'll let you know right now. Pedro's leaving. Derek Lowe will leave for more money. Shilling will retire (maybe?). Basically the Sox will be a one year phenomenon, destroyed by the Yankees (who will reload AGAIN next season). *shrug* I don't think the Sox fans will even care. All they wanted is one. They got it... time to move on to rooting for the Patriots and their shitty quarterback.
As Election day nears, everyone feels the crunch. Both candidates are slamming each other pretty hard (gross! Wait... not like that): Kerry by telling the truth, Bush by spreading rhetoric and then smirking after every sentence he tells that he thinks is clever. Ever notice that? The smirk is his visual "ZING!" "I just got you," he seems to say, "See if you can justification yourself now that you're spot-lightified! heh heh"
Hitting a little closer to home, the CTA is planning job cuts: 1,000 job cuts, and 20% less coverage by next year. This is no good... as Chicago is the only city with a semi-nice public transportation system that works. Unless Disney World is considered a city. It's such a shame that we as a society aren't more into putting money into things like public transportation. We'd rather spend that money on ourselves than our society. Who's moving to Canada with me?
On the night of the first lunar eclipse in World Series history, the Red Sox have won their first championship since 1918. It literally was written in the stars tonight... a "curse" like the one the Red Sox endured can only be broken by something celestial. Congrats to all those Red Sox fans out there. Now it's time to get the ring back in Chicago!
What's next for the Red Sox? Everyone already wants to know what next year holds. I'll let you know right now. Pedro's leaving. Derek Lowe will leave for more money. Shilling will retire (maybe?). Basically the Sox will be a one year phenomenon, destroyed by the Yankees (who will reload AGAIN next season). *shrug* I don't think the Sox fans will even care. All they wanted is one. They got it... time to move on to rooting for the Patriots and their shitty quarterback.
As Election day nears, everyone feels the crunch. Both candidates are slamming each other pretty hard (gross! Wait... not like that): Kerry by telling the truth, Bush by spreading rhetoric and then smirking after every sentence he tells that he thinks is clever. Ever notice that? The smirk is his visual "ZING!" "I just got you," he seems to say, "See if you can justification yourself now that you're spot-lightified! heh heh"
Hitting a little closer to home, the CTA is planning job cuts: 1,000 job cuts, and 20% less coverage by next year. This is no good... as Chicago is the only city with a semi-nice public transportation system that works. Unless Disney World is considered a city. It's such a shame that we as a society aren't more into putting money into things like public transportation. We'd rather spend that money on ourselves than our society. Who's moving to Canada with me?
Ken recently sent me a picture of himself with a huge gun. That's NOT how I hope I remember him. I hope I remember him like this. (Sidenote: I always try to make him look taller in pictures... you'll notice that later)
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Notice, even though I'm mocking him in the background, he also looks taller than I am because I'm so far behind him.
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Nate, Ken, Me, and Jason... chillin' outside of a Women's restroom. We found this was the best way to meet chicks, as they seem to always be coming or going from this one point in space. Trippy, huh? (Notice how tall he is!)
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This is Nate, Jason, and me pretty much humoring Ken. Notice how Nate and Jason do a good job of seeming to be shorter... while I am obviously bending at the waist. This is how I "act" shorter. Guess which one of the four of us is the actor.
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This is actually how tall Ken is. This is the first time I saw him after he came home from Basic. I am pointing to his super-short military hair. I am also trying to point out how straight I am with that outfit. Good lord!
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Tuesday, October 26, 2004
5,000 Visitors, Albion's Homecoming, Ken's worst nightmare, and Preparing for a Lifetime of Finishing 'Last'
Well well well, kiddies... it looks like over the weekend, while I was gone, my blog hit 5,000 visitors since mid-March of this year. At this rate, I might be able to hit 10,000 in a year. I find that number staggering! I find 5,000 staggering. I find myself staggering? Maybe I'm dizzy. Before I get too far into the funny, let me just say 'Thank you.'
Now, speaking of dizzy, the amount of happenings on which to update you are dizzying. Allow me to enlighten you on my roller-coaster weekend:
Friday -- I find it difficult to gauge how much time it actually takes for me to get to Albion from Chicago because of the time zone difference. I know that sounds stupid, but if I'm going to Albion from here I have to make sure to add an hour to my calculations (making me arrive 4 1/2 hours after I left). But, for some reason I always forget that... or something, and I never seem to give myself enough time to get there. Friday found me driving faster than I wanted to, worrying about making it to Albion in time to mentally prepare for the workshop. In my head, I'm running through how I would have to change my itinerary based on how many people showed up; I'm trying to figure out how long each exercise really takes based on, again, an imagined number of participants; and I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with myself from Friday to Sunday afternoon. The drive to Albion didn't actually seem that long with my mind occupied and, as, once I got into Michigan, the view improved dramatically. Yes, I took for granted all those Falls in Michigan where the colors of the trees become so vibrant you would swear that the leaves were more alive rather than dying. Unfortunately for myself, I was too worried about what I was going to say/whether or not I was going to be on time/whether or not I could actually teach anyone anything that I didn't really appreciate the view like I should have.
I did, in fact, arrive in Albion in plenty of time. I got there about 4 PM, and proceeded to try to find a parking space. There were already a couple alumni functions, so a lot of the parking lots I feel comfortable in were already full. I found myself still looking to see if I knew anyone as I drove past Baldwin and the KC. I don't know if I'll ever get over thinking that I know everyone there. I'm sure I will, but it'll take another three years at least (ever = three years). Anyway, I remembered that campus safety doesn't care where you park on the weekends, so I parked in between Twin and the Mae. I then stalled for time for a bit, trying to figure out what I should bring with me and where I should go and if I should write down what I was going to say, or just improvise it. And, if I improvised my 'speeches', would it reflect on me poorly as an improviser if I ended up sounding like an idiot?
I arrived at Herrick Theatre and there wasn't a whole lot of activity going on. It's a Friday afternoon on a college campus, so everybody's pretty much done with the week at this point. I was happy to see a series of large frames being laid on the floor of the stage where I was hoping to have my little workshop. That was fun... I had to politely ask Miss Chelsey Wagemaker to get them moved so that I could continue to freak out about what I was going to say/do without having to worry about trying to find a space in which to hold the workshop. Thank God for Miss Chelsey Wagemaker. As 5 o'clock approached, only Katie Aumann and Miss Karen Green had showed up. Then @ 5, a freshman from Chicago!, Ashley, showed up... but still only three. After about half an hour of calling people, I finally had six (which I figured was the cut-off): Bohne, Chelsea Sadler, and San Jose. I started them off with the alphabet (I kid you not, it's a very revealing game), and then moved them through some exercises to show you what not to do in improv. From there, they did some completely improvised scenes with some side-coaching... which they all did really well. After that, I played a couple of games with them... and they had a little trouble with Jeopardy, but I think that might've been my fault. I was pretty tired by then, and I don't know if I successfully explained it. Regardless, I hope I actually inspired some kind of interest (which I doubt)... at the very least, I had a good time. I'd like to think that's all that matters, but that's not the case.
After the workshop, I headed to Bohne's for a bit. He was going to watch a movie I really wanted to see, but I didn't stay long because I was headed to the Coffehouse to see my son read some of his poetry. Hey... he asked me to, and I'm a good, supportive father. But, you could bet your butt I was going to leave as soon as Nick read, because I wanted to see that stupid movie. Ooo! This would be a good time to mention that I knew a secret, which is no longer a secret, so I can just go ahead and say it here. I learned that afternoon that Kerri (I hope I'm spelling it right, I'm sure you've all told me how to spell her name and I keep messing it up. I'm old) had flown in from NY where she's studying off campus to come back for Nick's birthday. When I got to the Coffeehouse, Nick was outside on the phone with Kerri. He said that she wasn't feeling well, and so I told him that I'd give him time alone to talk to her (knowing that she was somewhere on campus). When I entered the Coffeehouse, I was directed upstairs to where Kerri was... talking to Nick. If I had the surrealist technology, I would have traced a path through space without walls to show that the conversation was occurring literally within forty feet (BTW, in my mind I see some kind of Matrix camera work, combined with a view of the Coffeehouse without walls to show how close they were. It's a super-cool effect in my head). Anyway... Kerri was nervous and she told me that she had written him a poem based on his favorite poem. I told her that she's the awesomest person who has ever lived, and I defy you to prove me wrong, dear reader. I headed back downstairs in time to hear Karen read. Then the time came for the surprise. Nick looked like he couldn't believe his eyes... as if he honestly thought he was imagining Kerri being there because he wanted her to be there so badly. Wow... what a powerful moment. Her poem was incredible, by the way. And, speaking of incredible poetry, Nick's poems have gotten so much better since I left Albion. He read a few, and I think they are amazing. He read the poem which won the poetry slam in KZoo and I loved it! I was so so proud of him.
One of Nick's poems included a line or two about 'beating time,' and that seemed to be a recurring theme to the weekend. The Fall colors and the leaves reminded me of the parable of the apple blossom in The Last Samurai. Okay... I call it the parable of the apple blossom, I don't know what it's actually called. Regardless! Ken Watanabe's character is standing next to an apple blossom tree in full bloom, and he talks about the temporary nature of the blossom. The blossom only blooms temporarily and then dies... it's life journey is symbolic of all life. We all grow to a point, peak, and start the slow decent into death--hence the 'over the hill' thing we often joke about when someone reaches their 40s. Granted, everyone peaks at different times... and the slopes of the graphs of everyone's life (if you'll allow me such a thing) is different. If you can envision everyone's life as a graph--where things like attractiveness, utility, and intelligence/memory are the y-axis and age is the x-axis--then most living beings' graphs are a bell-curve. This is why people talk about the tragedies of people dying young (with so much left to offer), and about the disappointment and tragedy of someone just 'coming into their own' if they die unexpectedly in their 40s or 50s.
I don't find this a depressing idea. In fact, it puts me at ease in a way. I know that I'm still building to something, the peak of my being: I'm still getting smarter, I'm still learning new things, and my life is still heading in a positive way. I don't even worry about it becoming negative when I'm older, even if I know I've peaked.
How the hell did I get there? Nevermind that... I'll talk about it later when I can write with some kind of actual communicative sentences. Was that last one even one? I don't think so. Regardless... I'm rambling. What was I even talking about? Oh! Nick's poems. And I went off on that rant because Nick's words inspire thought. See how much better he's gotten? *nods* Way to bring it around, John. I'm awesome. Anyway, so I heard Nick's poetry and then I left. On my way out I gave Amy Feder a huge hug. She looked great, and I wish I could've stayed to hear her stuff... but I was already torn and had told myself that I was just going to stay long enough to hear Nick and to see Nick's surprise! Heehee... Kerri's awesome.
After the Open Mic, I went back to Bohne's and finally saw 'Saved.' I thought the movie was really great, and I was super impressed by Mandy Moore's performance. I know! I never thought I'd be giving Mandy Moore praise... but here it is. Speaking of, Macaulay Culkin was also quite good. And the atmosphere was also good... as the company was fantastic *super winks all around!*
But there's something about Albion, because every time I go back there I have trouble sleeping. Friday night was no different. It was one of those nights where, if I did sleep, I don't really remember sleeping... it just seemed like I was awake all night. And it wasn't the couch or noise or anything... my eyes were tired, but my brain wasn't. So I really didn't sleep.
Saturday-- In the morning, I headed to choir practice. This consisted of the alums and the Britain Singers singing the alma mater and one fairly simple song (which was still too difficult for me, seeing as though I've forgotten everything I once knew about reading music). So that was 'fun'... blah.
Saturday afternoon, half the apartment I was in was drooling over this girl named Stacy. I honestly didn't get it. I've seen much more attractive women before... especially on Albion's campus. I didn't find my social interaction with her intellectually stimulating, and she didn't strike me as funny. But, whatever! I guess the kids are falling for drunk girls in windows now-a-days.
After they stopped drooling long enough for us to figure out what was going on, we decided to head to the Homecoming football game to see the half-time festivities. Mike Kopec was up for Homecoming King and, since he's on the short list of men I might sleep with if we were both drunk enough and no one else would find out about it, I figured I'd go support him. Turns out... he won! Homecoming king! Way to go Kopec! Now I have absolutely no chance with his girlfriend in comparison. Ahh ha ha ha ha haaaa... *laughter dies off, and only uncomfortable silence remains*
After the game, I went back to Bohne's and hung out for a while... playing video games and such until the Red Sox/Cards game came on. Then, Saturday night, Nick and Andy had a combined birthday party. I really got a taste of what some people feel in social situations. You know when you enter a party... you do the visual sweep of the party to see where you want to go first/who you want to talk to? AND, if you're already there, you always make sure to look at who just entered to see if it's someone you want to talk to right away? Okay... this makes for fascinating interactions, I've found. Because, Saturday night, about 90% of the time I got the "I don't know him" look of indifference. Though this isn't a first, I've never noticed it SO much as I did Saturday night. It made me feel pretty awkward, and even stupid for being there. I sat in this party and heard all the people asking where Nick was, etc. and I remembered not-too-long-ago when I could make a party stop by entering. I think this is where my ego takes a backseat to fact... I could, honestly, stop a party to be acknowledged by those already present. Wow do I miss that. I never thought I would, considering how much I dislike parties... but I do miss it. I guess I'll just be happy to be able to pull people away from the party to have a quick "what have you been up to" conversation.
I spent a great deal of time talking to lots of ladies from my 'past'. Let's face it, the SECOND PLACE AWARD goes to me! In the unlikely event that the actual boyfriend should be unable to complete his term as boyfriend, I will be made the adjunct until a suitable replacement can be found! Seriously. I don't know how many fantastic women I talked to who, by golly, if they weren't dating someone they liked more, they would SOOO be dating me. I suppose this should make me feel good? I recently read an Ode to the Nice Guys... which basically described my situation (nice guys finish last). I knew that high school was going to be like this for me, because high school women want stupid, asshole guys. This is a scientifically proven fact, so I was ready for it. I guess I just never thought college was just going to be the same thing. The article talks about the "nice guy finishing last phenomenon" not lasting forever, but I'm not getting any f--king younger here people. Whatever... I'm totally used to it. So used to it, in fact, that I gave up trying to talk to people pretty early in the night and instead decided to be reclusive.
Later Saturday night found me and Bohne watching Saturday Night Live together. Yes, we did see the Ashley Simpson debacle. Hopefully that will be the end of her crappy crappy career.
After the party died down, I was actually able to go to 'couch' at a decent time: roughly 2:40. Half an hour into my sleep, Miss Chelsey Wagemaker called. She figured people would still be hanging out, but she instead woke me. We started talking, and I figured we might as well talk face-to-face, so I invited her up. We talked for about an hour before I became too tired to talk and we called it a night.
Sunday-- I woke up (from a pretty good sleep) to drive to Battle Creek to have breakfast with Sarah, Eli, Amber, and Randi. It was great to see them all again (Eli is Sarah's boyfriend... but it was nice to see him again anyway), particularly since it seems like they're all doing really well. Randi still wants me, and it's kind of sad how desperate she... is anyone buying this? No? I'll move on then.
Sunday afternoon was the Homecoming concert. Jennie and I got a chance to chat for a bit. I love talking to Jennie, she's great. Plus she gives me all the important info about Bohne that men don't think to ask each other or talk about, but seems to flow freely from women. Women are remarkable that way. But what wasn't remarkable was the concert. And I'm not talking about the performance of the choir or the symphony, I'm talking about my own participation in the concert. Dr. Rose keeps talking about wanting this to be an annual event, inviting alumni back to sing with the choir... but I honestly wouldn't do it again. We sung the alma mater third from the end (the alma mater is SUPPOSED to be last... or, at the earliest, second from the end). I'll admit, for as much as I hated that song in college (sorry whoever wrote it), the stupid thing gave me goosebumps to be singing it again. I'll go up and sing that song whenever I'm asked. Then we sang Randall Thompson's Alleluia. I didn't feel a thing because the alums were smashed onto the side of the choir, in one corner. I felt excluded... and, furthermore, like people were staring at us because we were excluded. It was a terrible experience and, like I said, something I'm not going to do again if I can help it.
I got back to Chicago Sunday night to both good news and bad news. The good news is that yet ANOTHER of the writers from the writing five show I acted in has written another show, and he asked me to be in it. I haven't written him back, but I'm most definitely interested. This would make four shows that I'm a part of within the next four or five months. How incredible! What a difference a year makes! I mean, a year ago, I was trying to express without words that I was making dinner upset and NOT cutting up onions (I was crying, get it?)... and now I'm being asked to be in shows. How awesome.
Now the not-awesome, bad news: I got a couple emails from Ken this weekend. He wanted to let me know that Airman First Class Jesse Samek was killed in a helicopter crash in combat. Was this the first time I had heard of Airman Samek? Yes. Does that mean anything? No, no it does not. Airman Samek was the first casualty from Nellis Air Force Base in North Las Vegas, NV. This means Ken must have known him for a while and, furthermore, it sounded like they were getting closer being from the same Air Force Base and being stationed overseas together. It sounds like he was hit pretty hard by this... and, perhaps, the realism of the danger he's in has finally hit him as well. If it hasn't hit him, it's certainly hit me. Ken even included a picture of him in the email... and, looking at it, all you can think is "by God, he looks like every young American man ever." Actually, it isn't much of a stretch to envision Ken in the picture instead of Jesse. I haven't emailed Ken back yet... because I don't know what to say. Everything I can think of just makes the situation awkward or potentially more painful... but I can't just ignore it or how it makes me feel. The thoughts keeping Ken going are thoughts that what he's doing is noble or necessary and that he's helping... and I don't know that that's necessarily the case. God... I can't think of anything worse than dying unnecessarily for a stupid reason in a meaningless war. That's where it lies... meaning. I don't know what this war means... but I have a terrible feeling that the answer is 'nothing.'
VOTE KERRY/EDWARDS '04
Well well well, kiddies... it looks like over the weekend, while I was gone, my blog hit 5,000 visitors since mid-March of this year. At this rate, I might be able to hit 10,000 in a year. I find that number staggering! I find 5,000 staggering. I find myself staggering? Maybe I'm dizzy. Before I get too far into the funny, let me just say 'Thank you.'
Now, speaking of dizzy, the amount of happenings on which to update you are dizzying. Allow me to enlighten you on my roller-coaster weekend:
Friday -- I find it difficult to gauge how much time it actually takes for me to get to Albion from Chicago because of the time zone difference. I know that sounds stupid, but if I'm going to Albion from here I have to make sure to add an hour to my calculations (making me arrive 4 1/2 hours after I left). But, for some reason I always forget that... or something, and I never seem to give myself enough time to get there. Friday found me driving faster than I wanted to, worrying about making it to Albion in time to mentally prepare for the workshop. In my head, I'm running through how I would have to change my itinerary based on how many people showed up; I'm trying to figure out how long each exercise really takes based on, again, an imagined number of participants; and I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with myself from Friday to Sunday afternoon. The drive to Albion didn't actually seem that long with my mind occupied and, as, once I got into Michigan, the view improved dramatically. Yes, I took for granted all those Falls in Michigan where the colors of the trees become so vibrant you would swear that the leaves were more alive rather than dying. Unfortunately for myself, I was too worried about what I was going to say/whether or not I was going to be on time/whether or not I could actually teach anyone anything that I didn't really appreciate the view like I should have.
I did, in fact, arrive in Albion in plenty of time. I got there about 4 PM, and proceeded to try to find a parking space. There were already a couple alumni functions, so a lot of the parking lots I feel comfortable in were already full. I found myself still looking to see if I knew anyone as I drove past Baldwin and the KC. I don't know if I'll ever get over thinking that I know everyone there. I'm sure I will, but it'll take another three years at least (ever = three years). Anyway, I remembered that campus safety doesn't care where you park on the weekends, so I parked in between Twin and the Mae. I then stalled for time for a bit, trying to figure out what I should bring with me and where I should go and if I should write down what I was going to say, or just improvise it. And, if I improvised my 'speeches', would it reflect on me poorly as an improviser if I ended up sounding like an idiot?
I arrived at Herrick Theatre and there wasn't a whole lot of activity going on. It's a Friday afternoon on a college campus, so everybody's pretty much done with the week at this point. I was happy to see a series of large frames being laid on the floor of the stage where I was hoping to have my little workshop. That was fun... I had to politely ask Miss Chelsey Wagemaker to get them moved so that I could continue to freak out about what I was going to say/do without having to worry about trying to find a space in which to hold the workshop. Thank God for Miss Chelsey Wagemaker. As 5 o'clock approached, only Katie Aumann and Miss Karen Green had showed up. Then @ 5, a freshman from Chicago!, Ashley, showed up... but still only three. After about half an hour of calling people, I finally had six (which I figured was the cut-off): Bohne, Chelsea Sadler, and San Jose. I started them off with the alphabet (I kid you not, it's a very revealing game), and then moved them through some exercises to show you what not to do in improv. From there, they did some completely improvised scenes with some side-coaching... which they all did really well. After that, I played a couple of games with them... and they had a little trouble with Jeopardy, but I think that might've been my fault. I was pretty tired by then, and I don't know if I successfully explained it. Regardless, I hope I actually inspired some kind of interest (which I doubt)... at the very least, I had a good time. I'd like to think that's all that matters, but that's not the case.
After the workshop, I headed to Bohne's for a bit. He was going to watch a movie I really wanted to see, but I didn't stay long because I was headed to the Coffehouse to see my son read some of his poetry. Hey... he asked me to, and I'm a good, supportive father. But, you could bet your butt I was going to leave as soon as Nick read, because I wanted to see that stupid movie. Ooo! This would be a good time to mention that I knew a secret, which is no longer a secret, so I can just go ahead and say it here. I learned that afternoon that Kerri (I hope I'm spelling it right, I'm sure you've all told me how to spell her name and I keep messing it up. I'm old) had flown in from NY where she's studying off campus to come back for Nick's birthday. When I got to the Coffeehouse, Nick was outside on the phone with Kerri. He said that she wasn't feeling well, and so I told him that I'd give him time alone to talk to her (knowing that she was somewhere on campus). When I entered the Coffeehouse, I was directed upstairs to where Kerri was... talking to Nick. If I had the surrealist technology, I would have traced a path through space without walls to show that the conversation was occurring literally within forty feet (BTW, in my mind I see some kind of Matrix camera work, combined with a view of the Coffeehouse without walls to show how close they were. It's a super-cool effect in my head). Anyway... Kerri was nervous and she told me that she had written him a poem based on his favorite poem. I told her that she's the awesomest person who has ever lived, and I defy you to prove me wrong, dear reader. I headed back downstairs in time to hear Karen read. Then the time came for the surprise. Nick looked like he couldn't believe his eyes... as if he honestly thought he was imagining Kerri being there because he wanted her to be there so badly. Wow... what a powerful moment. Her poem was incredible, by the way. And, speaking of incredible poetry, Nick's poems have gotten so much better since I left Albion. He read a few, and I think they are amazing. He read the poem which won the poetry slam in KZoo and I loved it! I was so so proud of him.
One of Nick's poems included a line or two about 'beating time,' and that seemed to be a recurring theme to the weekend. The Fall colors and the leaves reminded me of the parable of the apple blossom in The Last Samurai. Okay... I call it the parable of the apple blossom, I don't know what it's actually called. Regardless! Ken Watanabe's character is standing next to an apple blossom tree in full bloom, and he talks about the temporary nature of the blossom. The blossom only blooms temporarily and then dies... it's life journey is symbolic of all life. We all grow to a point, peak, and start the slow decent into death--hence the 'over the hill' thing we often joke about when someone reaches their 40s. Granted, everyone peaks at different times... and the slopes of the graphs of everyone's life (if you'll allow me such a thing) is different. If you can envision everyone's life as a graph--where things like attractiveness, utility, and intelligence/memory are the y-axis and age is the x-axis--then most living beings' graphs are a bell-curve. This is why people talk about the tragedies of people dying young (with so much left to offer), and about the disappointment and tragedy of someone just 'coming into their own' if they die unexpectedly in their 40s or 50s.
I don't find this a depressing idea. In fact, it puts me at ease in a way. I know that I'm still building to something, the peak of my being: I'm still getting smarter, I'm still learning new things, and my life is still heading in a positive way. I don't even worry about it becoming negative when I'm older, even if I know I've peaked.
How the hell did I get there? Nevermind that... I'll talk about it later when I can write with some kind of actual communicative sentences. Was that last one even one? I don't think so. Regardless... I'm rambling. What was I even talking about? Oh! Nick's poems. And I went off on that rant because Nick's words inspire thought. See how much better he's gotten? *nods* Way to bring it around, John. I'm awesome. Anyway, so I heard Nick's poetry and then I left. On my way out I gave Amy Feder a huge hug. She looked great, and I wish I could've stayed to hear her stuff... but I was already torn and had told myself that I was just going to stay long enough to hear Nick and to see Nick's surprise! Heehee... Kerri's awesome.
After the Open Mic, I went back to Bohne's and finally saw 'Saved.' I thought the movie was really great, and I was super impressed by Mandy Moore's performance. I know! I never thought I'd be giving Mandy Moore praise... but here it is. Speaking of, Macaulay Culkin was also quite good. And the atmosphere was also good... as the company was fantastic *super winks all around!*
But there's something about Albion, because every time I go back there I have trouble sleeping. Friday night was no different. It was one of those nights where, if I did sleep, I don't really remember sleeping... it just seemed like I was awake all night. And it wasn't the couch or noise or anything... my eyes were tired, but my brain wasn't. So I really didn't sleep.
Saturday-- In the morning, I headed to choir practice. This consisted of the alums and the Britain Singers singing the alma mater and one fairly simple song (which was still too difficult for me, seeing as though I've forgotten everything I once knew about reading music). So that was 'fun'... blah.
Saturday afternoon, half the apartment I was in was drooling over this girl named Stacy. I honestly didn't get it. I've seen much more attractive women before... especially on Albion's campus. I didn't find my social interaction with her intellectually stimulating, and she didn't strike me as funny. But, whatever! I guess the kids are falling for drunk girls in windows now-a-days.
After they stopped drooling long enough for us to figure out what was going on, we decided to head to the Homecoming football game to see the half-time festivities. Mike Kopec was up for Homecoming King and, since he's on the short list of men I might sleep with if we were both drunk enough and no one else would find out about it, I figured I'd go support him. Turns out... he won! Homecoming king! Way to go Kopec! Now I have absolutely no chance with his girlfriend in comparison. Ahh ha ha ha ha haaaa... *laughter dies off, and only uncomfortable silence remains*
After the game, I went back to Bohne's and hung out for a while... playing video games and such until the Red Sox/Cards game came on. Then, Saturday night, Nick and Andy had a combined birthday party. I really got a taste of what some people feel in social situations. You know when you enter a party... you do the visual sweep of the party to see where you want to go first/who you want to talk to? AND, if you're already there, you always make sure to look at who just entered to see if it's someone you want to talk to right away? Okay... this makes for fascinating interactions, I've found. Because, Saturday night, about 90% of the time I got the "I don't know him" look of indifference. Though this isn't a first, I've never noticed it SO much as I did Saturday night. It made me feel pretty awkward, and even stupid for being there. I sat in this party and heard all the people asking where Nick was, etc. and I remembered not-too-long-ago when I could make a party stop by entering. I think this is where my ego takes a backseat to fact... I could, honestly, stop a party to be acknowledged by those already present. Wow do I miss that. I never thought I would, considering how much I dislike parties... but I do miss it. I guess I'll just be happy to be able to pull people away from the party to have a quick "what have you been up to" conversation.
I spent a great deal of time talking to lots of ladies from my 'past'. Let's face it, the SECOND PLACE AWARD goes to me! In the unlikely event that the actual boyfriend should be unable to complete his term as boyfriend, I will be made the adjunct until a suitable replacement can be found! Seriously. I don't know how many fantastic women I talked to who, by golly, if they weren't dating someone they liked more, they would SOOO be dating me. I suppose this should make me feel good? I recently read an Ode to the Nice Guys... which basically described my situation (nice guys finish last). I knew that high school was going to be like this for me, because high school women want stupid, asshole guys. This is a scientifically proven fact, so I was ready for it. I guess I just never thought college was just going to be the same thing. The article talks about the "nice guy finishing last phenomenon" not lasting forever, but I'm not getting any f--king younger here people. Whatever... I'm totally used to it. So used to it, in fact, that I gave up trying to talk to people pretty early in the night and instead decided to be reclusive.
Later Saturday night found me and Bohne watching Saturday Night Live together. Yes, we did see the Ashley Simpson debacle. Hopefully that will be the end of her crappy crappy career.
After the party died down, I was actually able to go to 'couch' at a decent time: roughly 2:40. Half an hour into my sleep, Miss Chelsey Wagemaker called. She figured people would still be hanging out, but she instead woke me. We started talking, and I figured we might as well talk face-to-face, so I invited her up. We talked for about an hour before I became too tired to talk and we called it a night.
Sunday-- I woke up (from a pretty good sleep) to drive to Battle Creek to have breakfast with Sarah, Eli, Amber, and Randi. It was great to see them all again (Eli is Sarah's boyfriend... but it was nice to see him again anyway), particularly since it seems like they're all doing really well. Randi still wants me, and it's kind of sad how desperate she... is anyone buying this? No? I'll move on then.
Sunday afternoon was the Homecoming concert. Jennie and I got a chance to chat for a bit. I love talking to Jennie, she's great. Plus she gives me all the important info about Bohne that men don't think to ask each other or talk about, but seems to flow freely from women. Women are remarkable that way. But what wasn't remarkable was the concert. And I'm not talking about the performance of the choir or the symphony, I'm talking about my own participation in the concert. Dr. Rose keeps talking about wanting this to be an annual event, inviting alumni back to sing with the choir... but I honestly wouldn't do it again. We sung the alma mater third from the end (the alma mater is SUPPOSED to be last... or, at the earliest, second from the end). I'll admit, for as much as I hated that song in college (sorry whoever wrote it), the stupid thing gave me goosebumps to be singing it again. I'll go up and sing that song whenever I'm asked. Then we sang Randall Thompson's Alleluia. I didn't feel a thing because the alums were smashed onto the side of the choir, in one corner. I felt excluded... and, furthermore, like people were staring at us because we were excluded. It was a terrible experience and, like I said, something I'm not going to do again if I can help it.
I got back to Chicago Sunday night to both good news and bad news. The good news is that yet ANOTHER of the writers from the writing five show I acted in has written another show, and he asked me to be in it. I haven't written him back, but I'm most definitely interested. This would make four shows that I'm a part of within the next four or five months. How incredible! What a difference a year makes! I mean, a year ago, I was trying to express without words that I was making dinner upset and NOT cutting up onions (I was crying, get it?)... and now I'm being asked to be in shows. How awesome.
Now the not-awesome, bad news: I got a couple emails from Ken this weekend. He wanted to let me know that Airman First Class Jesse Samek was killed in a helicopter crash in combat. Was this the first time I had heard of Airman Samek? Yes. Does that mean anything? No, no it does not. Airman Samek was the first casualty from Nellis Air Force Base in North Las Vegas, NV. This means Ken must have known him for a while and, furthermore, it sounded like they were getting closer being from the same Air Force Base and being stationed overseas together. It sounds like he was hit pretty hard by this... and, perhaps, the realism of the danger he's in has finally hit him as well. If it hasn't hit him, it's certainly hit me. Ken even included a picture of him in the email... and, looking at it, all you can think is "by God, he looks like every young American man ever." Actually, it isn't much of a stretch to envision Ken in the picture instead of Jesse. I haven't emailed Ken back yet... because I don't know what to say. Everything I can think of just makes the situation awkward or potentially more painful... but I can't just ignore it or how it makes me feel. The thoughts keeping Ken going are thoughts that what he's doing is noble or necessary and that he's helping... and I don't know that that's necessarily the case. God... I can't think of anything worse than dying unnecessarily for a stupid reason in a meaningless war. That's where it lies... meaning. I don't know what this war means... but I have a terrible feeling that the answer is 'nothing.'
VOTE KERRY/EDWARDS '04
Friday, October 22, 2004
And you thought YOU were lazy
I went to Adam's last night to hang out and watch game 7 of the ALCS. I left "early", at about 2, and headed back to my apartment. I was so tired I went right to sleep... the first night on the new futon. It was apparently comfortable, because I woke up today at 3 in the afternoon. Yeah... I slept for about 12 hours. How lazy is that?! Very very lazy.
The good news is the rest of the day wasn't wasted. I saw "I [heart] huckabees" again tonight with Kelly. She really enjoyed it, and I did some existential research before seeing it again, so the arguments/ideas didn't hit me as hard the second time around. I did want to mention that Kierkegaard (arguably the father of existentialism) tackled the problems of God that I brought up previously. To boil it down, Kierkegaard believed that human reason isn't absolute, it's fallible and so we, therefore, cannot trust reason in matters such as debating the existence of God. In fact, it is because of the absurdity of God's existence that, he claims, we MUST believe in God. He called this the "leap of faith" [pretty clever, huh?], and said that we will never be able to have faith through reason (probably one of the reasons I struggle with my faith so epically). He also loved the paradox and his favorite example is Jesus as both God and man. A paradox, he said, yet truth. He loved the paradox so much (not the specific example I just gave, but the paradox in general) that it's been said that he used a pseudonym to publish philosophical writings just so he could later refute them himself (now THAT's paradoxical!). I find that amusing... and I will one day do the same, so that I may do my calling: writing smut novels.
I went to Adam's last night to hang out and watch game 7 of the ALCS. I left "early", at about 2, and headed back to my apartment. I was so tired I went right to sleep... the first night on the new futon. It was apparently comfortable, because I woke up today at 3 in the afternoon. Yeah... I slept for about 12 hours. How lazy is that?! Very very lazy.
The good news is the rest of the day wasn't wasted. I saw "I [heart] huckabees" again tonight with Kelly. She really enjoyed it, and I did some existential research before seeing it again, so the arguments/ideas didn't hit me as hard the second time around. I did want to mention that Kierkegaard (arguably the father of existentialism) tackled the problems of God that I brought up previously. To boil it down, Kierkegaard believed that human reason isn't absolute, it's fallible and so we, therefore, cannot trust reason in matters such as debating the existence of God. In fact, it is because of the absurdity of God's existence that, he claims, we MUST believe in God. He called this the "leap of faith" [pretty clever, huh?], and said that we will never be able to have faith through reason (probably one of the reasons I struggle with my faith so epically). He also loved the paradox and his favorite example is Jesus as both God and man. A paradox, he said, yet truth. He loved the paradox so much (not the specific example I just gave, but the paradox in general) that it's been said that he used a pseudonym to publish philosophical writings just so he could later refute them himself (now THAT's paradoxical!). I find that amusing... and I will one day do the same, so that I may do my calling: writing smut novels.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
My apartment hasn't been this clean since I moved in... and it's still not as clean as I want it
I'm almost done with the cleaning/re-arranging of my apartment. In the midst of all this, I've continued my back problems. Ouch. Additionally, I may not have enough room for the new futon. I've been measuring and it'll fit... but I might effectively section off my apartment into the "tv" section with the futons and the "kitchen/bath" section with the... well... I'm not very original at naming things, give me a break. Why is this even a big deal? Well... it means that it'll be really difficult to move around in here. *sigh* I think once I get the futon in here, I might have to seriously re-arrange my apartment again to get everything to fit properly.
See what happens when I have time to actually sit down and write in this blog? Nothing interesting spits out. Oh well. I'm getting very close mentally to writing again... I took some time off writing to get everything in motion as far as these other Second City shows. It's also given me the chance to see some great/interesting movies. As I continue to try to think through writing my first screenplay (Mr. Adam Emperor's idea), it's probably a good idea to see as many good movies as I can. So... ladies... anyone want to come to Chicago and see some good movies? Please, one at a time.
I'm almost done with the cleaning/re-arranging of my apartment. In the midst of all this, I've continued my back problems. Ouch. Additionally, I may not have enough room for the new futon. I've been measuring and it'll fit... but I might effectively section off my apartment into the "tv" section with the futons and the "kitchen/bath" section with the... well... I'm not very original at naming things, give me a break. Why is this even a big deal? Well... it means that it'll be really difficult to move around in here. *sigh* I think once I get the futon in here, I might have to seriously re-arrange my apartment again to get everything to fit properly.
See what happens when I have time to actually sit down and write in this blog? Nothing interesting spits out. Oh well. I'm getting very close mentally to writing again... I took some time off writing to get everything in motion as far as these other Second City shows. It's also given me the chance to see some great/interesting movies. As I continue to try to think through writing my first screenplay (Mr. Adam Emperor's idea), it's probably a good idea to see as many good movies as I can. So... ladies... anyone want to come to Chicago and see some good movies? Please, one at a time.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
One of the two of us is sick... and I don't think it's you
Yeah... I feel pretty ill. It's just a stupid cold, but it's making me just want to sit around and sleep. The bad news is that I can't just sit around or sleep... I've got way too much to do before this weekend. Yes, I am heading to Albion this weekend for Homecoming. It's not just the homecoming festivities, however, that are bringing me back to my alma mater. On Friday night, I'm going to be hosting an improvisation workshop at Albion. I couldn't be more excited! I've got a full slate of things to take them through, and I hope it's enough for them to understand it. Worse comes to worse, I can say that I'll be willing to stick around for another hour for anyone who wants to stay... and we'll see if I did my "job" (i.e. if anyone's interested).
In other exciting news, I'll soon be getting my first AD credit for my yet unnamed Level 5 show. We decided who got what last night, and I might even help Adam with the Stage Managing. But I'm way excited to be Assistant Directing! It's the kind of anal-retentive subordinate work that I was born to do! *sigh* oh, it's true.
We had our first rehearsal last night to cast each scene. I continue to be surprised/amazed by how good our cast could potentially be. I think the show will be great and one of the actors, Jill, has a great, infectious laugh ("I think I caught a laugh!") and she seems to really be into the humor of the show. I think rehearsals should be fun.
Speaking of fun, I went to Adam's again last night for some more X-Men Legends. We continue to be entertained by the breaking of walls to reveal more wall. That was truly genius in the game design. In addition, when two of your characters work together in an attack, the game screams "COMBO!" It sounds just like you might think it would sound if, say, the South Park dudes were yelling 'combo.' That shit is hilarious, B!
Yeah... I feel pretty ill. It's just a stupid cold, but it's making me just want to sit around and sleep. The bad news is that I can't just sit around or sleep... I've got way too much to do before this weekend. Yes, I am heading to Albion this weekend for Homecoming. It's not just the homecoming festivities, however, that are bringing me back to my alma mater. On Friday night, I'm going to be hosting an improvisation workshop at Albion. I couldn't be more excited! I've got a full slate of things to take them through, and I hope it's enough for them to understand it. Worse comes to worse, I can say that I'll be willing to stick around for another hour for anyone who wants to stay... and we'll see if I did my "job" (i.e. if anyone's interested).
In other exciting news, I'll soon be getting my first AD credit for my yet unnamed Level 5 show. We decided who got what last night, and I might even help Adam with the Stage Managing. But I'm way excited to be Assistant Directing! It's the kind of anal-retentive subordinate work that I was born to do! *sigh* oh, it's true.
We had our first rehearsal last night to cast each scene. I continue to be surprised/amazed by how good our cast could potentially be. I think the show will be great and one of the actors, Jill, has a great, infectious laugh ("I think I caught a laugh!") and she seems to really be into the humor of the show. I think rehearsals should be fun.
Speaking of fun, I went to Adam's again last night for some more X-Men Legends. We continue to be entertained by the breaking of walls to reveal more wall. That was truly genius in the game design. In addition, when two of your characters work together in an attack, the game screams "COMBO!" It sounds just like you might think it would sound if, say, the South Park dudes were yelling 'combo.' That shit is hilarious, B!
Monday, October 18, 2004
I [heart] philosophy: Huckabees' Blanket vs. God
One of the most interesting mental exercises from I [heart] huckabees is the blanket theory. In brief, Dustin Hoffman's character holds up a blanket saying that the blanket represents the entire universe and every particle in that universe. He then holds up a hand under the blanket and says it represents "you", another hand represents "me", still other spot represents the Eiffel Tower, a rock, trees, a car, and so on. The point: everything in the universe is different, but the same. Everything in connected. If you're nerdy, does this argument sound like something? Yeah, the movie even makes a joke about 'the force,' as a French existentialist in the movie talks about how this connection makes one strong (it sounds like the French word for strong, "fort"). Okay, so Star Wars has some very existential philosophy in it... so we should all understand how this blanket theory works. So, as I was walking to a movie Sunday afternoon, I was thinking about this theory and the blanket and what I thought about it. Here's the problem I have with it: God. Let's try to wrap our mind around this, shall we? When asked, in the movie, what lies outside of the blanket, Hoffman's character says "more blanket"... and they agree to understand the blanket as 'everything that could possibly exist.' Now think of this... does it logically follow that for the blanket to exist, the blanket must have been made by someone/something? We understand this creator to be God. But if their is nothing outside the blanket, then God must exist within the blanket. And, if God exists within the blanket, then God must be the 'connected' or 'the same' as everything else in the blanket. This goes against everything that we know about what/who we call God. God is supposed to be a perfect entity... and not flawed like we are. I feel like this is where existentialism gets muddy. Let's list some possibilities: God exists and is the perfect combination of matter in the universe, which means God exists in a solid form somewhere within the universe; The blanket was not created, it has just always has been... There is no God or creator, there is just a connection between everything in the universe (this might be a possibility for a chemist to mention the finite amount of atomic particles in the universe, etc); we are NOT connected in any way, shape, or form, and the existence of God is irrelevant [I call this theory the "really really positive theory"]; we are all connected, there is a God, and His perfection lies outside the blanket that is our universe... this theory refutes the belief that the universe is all that exists, which is a possibility, given all the dimensions that may very well exist--why must we believe that a universe in the third dimension is all that there is? Well... this is the kind of bullshit that goes through my head when I walk down the street. Awesome, huh? No... no it's not. That's why I like things that numb my mind like football, video games, and violent horror movies. Speaking of movies...
As I was saying, I was thinking about all that loot above while on my way Sunday afternoon to see Team America. It had some great songs and was a pretty funny movie overall. I love that Trey and Matt will let anyone in Hollywood (or the world) have it. I could see how someone might say they go too far, but they balance it. Not even Michael Moore was safe... heehee.
After the movie, even though I was tired, I was somehow persuaded to go over to Adam's. We were just going to sit around and work on writing new scripts--Adam's already looking to put together another show--but we ended up just playing X-Men Legends. It is supposedly an X-Men RPG... although I kind of find that hard to believe. It's more of a hack 'n slash than an RPG... but you do have to level you X-Men up. This is what bothered Adam about the game initially... your favorite X-Men start off pretty weak, and they can't do everything that they should be able to do (for example, you have to level up to fly for some characters). Once the characters are leveled up, it might be a pretty fun game. But one of those games that is fun only if you're playing with someone else... like Brute Force. Yeah... I wasn't going to play long, but I got to Adam's a little after 4 PM... we ordered pizza, we watched Star Trek: Nemesis on one of their other TVs (they've got three), and then watched Adult Swim not once, but twice... and I ended up leaving around 3 in the morning. We were playing that stupid game for about 11 hours. It probably would've been shorter, but they have save points only sporadically. And it IS the only game to truly show me the joy of destroying a wall only to find another wall behind it. Double walls are the future, people... trust me.
One of the most interesting mental exercises from I [heart] huckabees is the blanket theory. In brief, Dustin Hoffman's character holds up a blanket saying that the blanket represents the entire universe and every particle in that universe. He then holds up a hand under the blanket and says it represents "you", another hand represents "me", still other spot represents the Eiffel Tower, a rock, trees, a car, and so on. The point: everything in the universe is different, but the same. Everything in connected. If you're nerdy, does this argument sound like something? Yeah, the movie even makes a joke about 'the force,' as a French existentialist in the movie talks about how this connection makes one strong (it sounds like the French word for strong, "fort"). Okay, so Star Wars has some very existential philosophy in it... so we should all understand how this blanket theory works. So, as I was walking to a movie Sunday afternoon, I was thinking about this theory and the blanket and what I thought about it. Here's the problem I have with it: God. Let's try to wrap our mind around this, shall we? When asked, in the movie, what lies outside of the blanket, Hoffman's character says "more blanket"... and they agree to understand the blanket as 'everything that could possibly exist.' Now think of this... does it logically follow that for the blanket to exist, the blanket must have been made by someone/something? We understand this creator to be God. But if their is nothing outside the blanket, then God must exist within the blanket. And, if God exists within the blanket, then God must be the 'connected' or 'the same' as everything else in the blanket. This goes against everything that we know about what/who we call God. God is supposed to be a perfect entity... and not flawed like we are. I feel like this is where existentialism gets muddy. Let's list some possibilities: God exists and is the perfect combination of matter in the universe, which means God exists in a solid form somewhere within the universe; The blanket was not created, it has just always has been... There is no God or creator, there is just a connection between everything in the universe (this might be a possibility for a chemist to mention the finite amount of atomic particles in the universe, etc); we are NOT connected in any way, shape, or form, and the existence of God is irrelevant [I call this theory the "really really positive theory"]; we are all connected, there is a God, and His perfection lies outside the blanket that is our universe... this theory refutes the belief that the universe is all that exists, which is a possibility, given all the dimensions that may very well exist--why must we believe that a universe in the third dimension is all that there is? Well... this is the kind of bullshit that goes through my head when I walk down the street. Awesome, huh? No... no it's not. That's why I like things that numb my mind like football, video games, and violent horror movies. Speaking of movies...
As I was saying, I was thinking about all that loot above while on my way Sunday afternoon to see Team America. It had some great songs and was a pretty funny movie overall. I love that Trey and Matt will let anyone in Hollywood (or the world) have it. I could see how someone might say they go too far, but they balance it. Not even Michael Moore was safe... heehee.
After the movie, even though I was tired, I was somehow persuaded to go over to Adam's. We were just going to sit around and work on writing new scripts--Adam's already looking to put together another show--but we ended up just playing X-Men Legends. It is supposedly an X-Men RPG... although I kind of find that hard to believe. It's more of a hack 'n slash than an RPG... but you do have to level you X-Men up. This is what bothered Adam about the game initially... your favorite X-Men start off pretty weak, and they can't do everything that they should be able to do (for example, you have to level up to fly for some characters). Once the characters are leveled up, it might be a pretty fun game. But one of those games that is fun only if you're playing with someone else... like Brute Force. Yeah... I wasn't going to play long, but I got to Adam's a little after 4 PM... we ordered pizza, we watched Star Trek: Nemesis on one of their other TVs (they've got three), and then watched Adult Swim not once, but twice... and I ended up leaving around 3 in the morning. We were playing that stupid game for about 11 hours. It probably would've been shorter, but they have save points only sporadically. And it IS the only game to truly show me the joy of destroying a wall only to find another wall behind it. Double walls are the future, people... trust me.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Somebody tried to pull my intestines out through my mouth OR My experience at a Packers' Monday Night Football game
I don't even know how to begin. I saw the most points given up by the Packers in Lambeau Field ever. EVER. We're talking since 1957, or roughly 48 years of football... and the Packers have never given up that many points. Let's see if I can at least start by giving the world the reasons why we suck so badly.
Players gone (injured or otherwise) that are more important than you know: Mike Flanagan... the Packers' center who is now injured for the season. This is HUGE... as the Packers O line is one of the best in the league, if everyone is healthy. Now they're not... and it was evident against the Titans, as the Packers couldn't run worth poop; Mike McKenzie... I know he wanted more money and blah blah blah. But, let's face it, the Packers' cornerbacks now (Harris, Hawthorne) aren't very good. Our whole defensive backfield is worse now that McKenzie's gone. What a bastard he is, to want more money; Ed Donatell... our former defensive coordinator got all the blame for the 4th and 26 play against the Eagles. Donatell is good, and he's proving it again in Atlanta. Our new defensive coordinator is technically/literally an idiot; Grady Jackson/James Lee... both of these nose tackles are injured. If your defensive line starts from the inside out (like most good defensive lines), having your starter and your back-up injured is huge. Cullen Jenkins (rookie, CMU) has played pretty well... but he IS a third stringer for a reason. *shakes head*
Players that are better than you think: Ahman Green, still doesn't get enough credit... can run and catch as good or better than any other back in the league; The Offensive Line (in general as a unit) is on par with Kansas City or even better, making them, perhaps, the best unit in the league; Craig Nall, I'm telling you... this kid is good; Nick Barnett, speaking of good kids, this guy has the opportunity to be something special. Unfortunately, if the defensive coordinator sucks there's not much you can do.
Players that aren't as good you think: Javon Walker, Robert Ferguson, Donald Driver... Favre makes those guys better. Walker is probably the only of the three who could start for another team, but he's not so bright; Bubba Franks... for years I called him the most useless player in the NFL. Then he started catching passes, lots of passes. Now, he's gone back to only catching the ball if we're a yard away from the endzone; Darren Sharper... yes he's a pro bowler. But he does it on pure athletic ability. He is NOT smart, and is always looking to make a huge athletic play rather than a smart play.
Players I want gone: SS Bhawoh Jue, can't do anything; P B.J. Sander, a wasted pick... the guy's got mental problems that stop him from performing on the field... he should retire as a rookie; KR/PR Antonio Chatman, he's terrible; DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, can only rush the passer... doesn't stop the run... should only supplement a better defensive end on third downs; C Gary Ruegamer, replacing Flanagan and he's terrible; CB Michael Hawthorne, I am not impressed; QB Doug Pederson, quite literally the most useless player in the NFL for the past 12 years; TE Bubba Franks, we might be able to get something for him while teams still think he's actually good... let's get a draft pick for him.
I want whole-sale changes! What am I talking about? *deep breath* I want Mike Sherman gone... both the coach and the GM. I want all his coordinators gone. I think Favre should retire. Yeah... I said it. I'm more worried about Favre the person than I am Favre the player. I don't want him to get hurt... and I worry about the concussion. And I honestly think it's time to start over, and Favre doesn't want to be around for that. We'll keep the O Line intact... focus the offense on Green... keep our three rising wide receivers... and give the team to Craig Nall. Yep, I said it... give the team to Craig Nall. "But John," you say, "He's nowhere near as good as Favre. You need to draft someone to replace him" Exactly... sort of. No one is going to be as good as Favre. It's going to be an awkward transition regardless. It's like when you break up with someone you've been with for a long time: you always have that transition person, and it never works out. It's not going to work with anyone, might as well hand the ball to Nall, someone who knows the system/players/receivers. Yeah, knowing the system doesn't matter if the coordinators are gone... but you have to assume the new guy would want to transition as smoothly as possible, and would want to use some of the same plays/terminology. Let's give the ball to Nall and see what he can do for a season. No rush to "replace Favre" in the draft... because that's not going to happen. Let's just do something. (BTW yeah, it would be great to trade to get Drew Brees... but I'd also take the Lions' Mike McMahon, the Patriots' Rohan Davey [maybe], the Niners' Ken Dorsey, or the Bengals' Jon Kitna. All these QBs most likely won't get a chance to start with their current team, and would be able to start on the Packers. I don't expect them to be great... but all they need to do is be good long enough for us to draft someone who is. Can I take Kitna? Please?)
I don't even know how to begin. I saw the most points given up by the Packers in Lambeau Field ever. EVER. We're talking since 1957, or roughly 48 years of football... and the Packers have never given up that many points. Let's see if I can at least start by giving the world the reasons why we suck so badly.
Players gone (injured or otherwise) that are more important than you know: Mike Flanagan... the Packers' center who is now injured for the season. This is HUGE... as the Packers O line is one of the best in the league, if everyone is healthy. Now they're not... and it was evident against the Titans, as the Packers couldn't run worth poop; Mike McKenzie... I know he wanted more money and blah blah blah. But, let's face it, the Packers' cornerbacks now (Harris, Hawthorne) aren't very good. Our whole defensive backfield is worse now that McKenzie's gone. What a bastard he is, to want more money; Ed Donatell... our former defensive coordinator got all the blame for the 4th and 26 play against the Eagles. Donatell is good, and he's proving it again in Atlanta. Our new defensive coordinator is technically/literally an idiot; Grady Jackson/James Lee... both of these nose tackles are injured. If your defensive line starts from the inside out (like most good defensive lines), having your starter and your back-up injured is huge. Cullen Jenkins (rookie, CMU) has played pretty well... but he IS a third stringer for a reason. *shakes head*
Players that are better than you think: Ahman Green, still doesn't get enough credit... can run and catch as good or better than any other back in the league; The Offensive Line (in general as a unit) is on par with Kansas City or even better, making them, perhaps, the best unit in the league; Craig Nall, I'm telling you... this kid is good; Nick Barnett, speaking of good kids, this guy has the opportunity to be something special. Unfortunately, if the defensive coordinator sucks there's not much you can do.
Players that aren't as good you think: Javon Walker, Robert Ferguson, Donald Driver... Favre makes those guys better. Walker is probably the only of the three who could start for another team, but he's not so bright; Bubba Franks... for years I called him the most useless player in the NFL. Then he started catching passes, lots of passes. Now, he's gone back to only catching the ball if we're a yard away from the endzone; Darren Sharper... yes he's a pro bowler. But he does it on pure athletic ability. He is NOT smart, and is always looking to make a huge athletic play rather than a smart play.
Players I want gone: SS Bhawoh Jue, can't do anything; P B.J. Sander, a wasted pick... the guy's got mental problems that stop him from performing on the field... he should retire as a rookie; KR/PR Antonio Chatman, he's terrible; DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, can only rush the passer... doesn't stop the run... should only supplement a better defensive end on third downs; C Gary Ruegamer, replacing Flanagan and he's terrible; CB Michael Hawthorne, I am not impressed; QB Doug Pederson, quite literally the most useless player in the NFL for the past 12 years; TE Bubba Franks, we might be able to get something for him while teams still think he's actually good... let's get a draft pick for him.
I want whole-sale changes! What am I talking about? *deep breath* I want Mike Sherman gone... both the coach and the GM. I want all his coordinators gone. I think Favre should retire. Yeah... I said it. I'm more worried about Favre the person than I am Favre the player. I don't want him to get hurt... and I worry about the concussion. And I honestly think it's time to start over, and Favre doesn't want to be around for that. We'll keep the O Line intact... focus the offense on Green... keep our three rising wide receivers... and give the team to Craig Nall. Yep, I said it... give the team to Craig Nall. "But John," you say, "He's nowhere near as good as Favre. You need to draft someone to replace him" Exactly... sort of. No one is going to be as good as Favre. It's going to be an awkward transition regardless. It's like when you break up with someone you've been with for a long time: you always have that transition person, and it never works out. It's not going to work with anyone, might as well hand the ball to Nall, someone who knows the system/players/receivers. Yeah, knowing the system doesn't matter if the coordinators are gone... but you have to assume the new guy would want to transition as smoothly as possible, and would want to use some of the same plays/terminology. Let's give the ball to Nall and see what he can do for a season. No rush to "replace Favre" in the draft... because that's not going to happen. Let's just do something. (BTW yeah, it would be great to trade to get Drew Brees... but I'd also take the Lions' Mike McMahon, the Patriots' Rohan Davey [maybe], the Niners' Ken Dorsey, or the Bengals' Jon Kitna. All these QBs most likely won't get a chance to start with their current team, and would be able to start on the Packers. I don't expect them to be great... but all they need to do is be good long enough for us to draft someone who is. Can I take Kitna? Please?)
Se7en... and being unable to sleep on a Saturday night
Well... I'm back in Chicago. And here it is, 4:45 AM and I can't sleep. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that I just got done watching Se7en (which is how the kids are spelling it). Why watch THAT movie so late at night? Two reasons: 1.) I had my Assistant Director's Cut rehearsal today. There is an alternate ending we're doing to Se7en, and I'm playing John Doe (Kevin Spacey). I consider it an honor to satirize such a fantastic actor... so I'm doing all the homework I can. I promise you that my impression of him, come performance time, will be quite believable (because I will watch that movie a million times if I need to, just to get it right). 2.) I was watching it earlier tonight, but I got a late phone call from K Rose in the Albizzle on the phizzo. We had an interesting... kidding, it was a necessary conversation... and one that took great strides towards a satisfactory resolution. There... that sounds vague enough.
Speaking of vague, I got an email from SS Kenny Hoots while I was gone this week. He gave me some BS advice on how the Packers should do something and not do something else, I don't pay attention when he talks... but he also told me that he talked to this girl he rather fancies. Good for him. Bout time that Air Force gave him testicles. Now... he's still working on me getting mine, but alas, the ladies are so scary! What with their "no"s and their "you're stepping on my foot"s and their "stop looking through my garbage"s... so demanding!
This has nothing to do with anything, but I saw "I [heart] huckabees" tonight with Adam, his roommate Chip, and their friend from Florida, Rhea (although I'm almost 1,000,000% sure that she doesn't spell it that way). Rhea reminds me a lot of Courtney, if Courtney was Korean and German (don't ask me how that works, but that's what happened). Anyway, the movie was all about existentialism... and I really really enjoyed it. There were a few "hmm" parts... the philosophy wasn't beyond me, and the story itself was interesting enough to keep non-philosophers (read: idiots) entertained. It's a good movie, and I think I'm probably going to spend some time in the next few days reading up on existentialism... because it's never too late to learn more!
I will also spend some time in the next few days organizing my apartment. I'm getting a new futon! I'm not replacing the old one, I'm just somehow squeezing them both into my apartment. Don't ask me how it's supposed to work--just know that it's supposed to work. And it will mean that I'll not only have more space to have guests over; I'll have more room to have guests STAY overnight. Which means, if my group of fellow actors/writers gets an hour on the Skybox stage for sometime early next year... I'm going to want a car-full--not just one person, but an entire car full--of Albion students. This means YOU Bohne! I don't care who you're getting married to, until you've got a ring on that finger, you're mine!
Well... I'm back in Chicago. And here it is, 4:45 AM and I can't sleep. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that I just got done watching Se7en (which is how the kids are spelling it). Why watch THAT movie so late at night? Two reasons: 1.) I had my Assistant Director's Cut rehearsal today. There is an alternate ending we're doing to Se7en, and I'm playing John Doe (Kevin Spacey). I consider it an honor to satirize such a fantastic actor... so I'm doing all the homework I can. I promise you that my impression of him, come performance time, will be quite believable (because I will watch that movie a million times if I need to, just to get it right). 2.) I was watching it earlier tonight, but I got a late phone call from K Rose in the Albizzle on the phizzo. We had an interesting... kidding, it was a necessary conversation... and one that took great strides towards a satisfactory resolution. There... that sounds vague enough.
Speaking of vague, I got an email from SS Kenny Hoots while I was gone this week. He gave me some BS advice on how the Packers should do something and not do something else, I don't pay attention when he talks... but he also told me that he talked to this girl he rather fancies. Good for him. Bout time that Air Force gave him testicles. Now... he's still working on me getting mine, but alas, the ladies are so scary! What with their "no"s and their "you're stepping on my foot"s and their "stop looking through my garbage"s... so demanding!
This has nothing to do with anything, but I saw "I [heart] huckabees" tonight with Adam, his roommate Chip, and their friend from Florida, Rhea (although I'm almost 1,000,000% sure that she doesn't spell it that way). Rhea reminds me a lot of Courtney, if Courtney was Korean and German (don't ask me how that works, but that's what happened). Anyway, the movie was all about existentialism... and I really really enjoyed it. There were a few "hmm" parts... the philosophy wasn't beyond me, and the story itself was interesting enough to keep non-philosophers (read: idiots) entertained. It's a good movie, and I think I'm probably going to spend some time in the next few days reading up on existentialism... because it's never too late to learn more!
I will also spend some time in the next few days organizing my apartment. I'm getting a new futon! I'm not replacing the old one, I'm just somehow squeezing them both into my apartment. Don't ask me how it's supposed to work--just know that it's supposed to work. And it will mean that I'll not only have more space to have guests over; I'll have more room to have guests STAY overnight. Which means, if my group of fellow actors/writers gets an hour on the Skybox stage for sometime early next year... I'm going to want a car-full--not just one person, but an entire car full--of Albion students. This means YOU Bohne! I don't care who you're getting married to, until you've got a ring on that finger, you're mine!
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
My hotel's got internet access, and I decided to bring my computer with me. Moron the Packers game in a moment, but first:
You're Joel! You're incredibly complex, and you
spend a lot of time looking for that missing
piece in your life. Hate to be a downer, but
you might never find it.
Which Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
You're Joel! You're incredibly complex, and you
spend a lot of time looking for that missing
piece in your life. Hate to be a downer, but
you might never find it.
Which Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Monday, October 11, 2004
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Productive Sunday!
This morning was the 27th annual Chicago Marathon. It ran right past my apartment near the four mile mark at the front, and it ran past the back of my apartment around the 11 mile mark. So my apartment building was flanked by runners this morning. It made me feel lazy. And then I got over it. Ta da! It's true. Anyway, I had to postpone going to Keith's for an hour to allow the race to pass. But, at noon, I met with Adam and Dave and we headed to Oswego and Keith's House!
Sunday at Keiths! Yay! But we had important work to do. We needed to collect all our skits, and then decide which ones were staying and which ones not going to be included in our show. I'm going to have two of the scenes I've written in our show: 'The Adventures of Superhero Man' and 'The Talk'. But we didn't just stop at selecting the scenes; we also cast all the scenes AND came up with a running order for our show. I honestly can't believe how much stuff we got done... all the loot we did is huge, and is normally accompanied by egos leading to disagreements. I guess the Second City creates such an atmosphere of trust that we didn't waste time and energy bitching about whose stuff goes where and "oh, I want my scene to open our show" or "I'm not in that one, so we can't end the show with it". I like our running order too... it makes sense and our crowd will love it. We're awesome! Look for a name and show dates to come from me soon!
Then, when I got home, I took the time to fill out my absentee ballot. If you haven't seen Nate's blog, there is something very important that we're voting on in Michigan this year. It deals with a proposal (04-2) to amend the Michigan state constitution. The amendment would specify that only a marriage between a man and a woman would be recognized as legal. Nate included a long list of what non-married couples cannot have the right to do. It's an interesting list... check it out. It should be pretty obvious how I feel... and it's one of the reasons I'm glad I'm still voting in Michigan.
So, to become a more informed voter (we're not all Rhea), I went to a few of the campaign websites. For those of you in Michigan, the website is here. Check it out. And for more info, go to another good site here. The race for congress was easy for me: Dave Camp is pro-War-in-Iraq (which is all I needed to know to NOT vote for him), while Mike Huckleberry is anti-school vouchers, anti-Patriot Act (as it may overstep the Constitution), and the slogan "Save a Duck, vote for Huck: Working Hard for the Environment" was awesome. That's all I needed. Additionally, I do not agree with Leonard Schwartz's view that "Robbers and rapists love gun control laws, because they don't want you to have a gun to defend yourself". Unfortunately for me, I agree with his views on asset forfeiture and unfair tickets. Oh well, the gun control issue is so key to how I feel that I can't justify the vote. A lot of the other races weren't as easy, as it was difficult to find info on the candidates. Then I just guessed. Kidding! Calm down Rhea... I was kidding. I just voted for all the Republicans to keep us sending my friend overseas to police the world. Right.
This morning was the 27th annual Chicago Marathon. It ran right past my apartment near the four mile mark at the front, and it ran past the back of my apartment around the 11 mile mark. So my apartment building was flanked by runners this morning. It made me feel lazy. And then I got over it. Ta da! It's true. Anyway, I had to postpone going to Keith's for an hour to allow the race to pass. But, at noon, I met with Adam and Dave and we headed to Oswego and Keith's House!
Sunday at Keiths! Yay! But we had important work to do. We needed to collect all our skits, and then decide which ones were staying and which ones not going to be included in our show. I'm going to have two of the scenes I've written in our show: 'The Adventures of Superhero Man' and 'The Talk'. But we didn't just stop at selecting the scenes; we also cast all the scenes AND came up with a running order for our show. I honestly can't believe how much stuff we got done... all the loot we did is huge, and is normally accompanied by egos leading to disagreements. I guess the Second City creates such an atmosphere of trust that we didn't waste time and energy bitching about whose stuff goes where and "oh, I want my scene to open our show" or "I'm not in that one, so we can't end the show with it". I like our running order too... it makes sense and our crowd will love it. We're awesome! Look for a name and show dates to come from me soon!
Then, when I got home, I took the time to fill out my absentee ballot. If you haven't seen Nate's blog, there is something very important that we're voting on in Michigan this year. It deals with a proposal (04-2) to amend the Michigan state constitution. The amendment would specify that only a marriage between a man and a woman would be recognized as legal. Nate included a long list of what non-married couples cannot have the right to do. It's an interesting list... check it out. It should be pretty obvious how I feel... and it's one of the reasons I'm glad I'm still voting in Michigan.
So, to become a more informed voter (we're not all Rhea), I went to a few of the campaign websites. For those of you in Michigan, the website is here. Check it out. And for more info, go to another good site here. The race for congress was easy for me: Dave Camp is pro-War-in-Iraq (which is all I needed to know to NOT vote for him), while Mike Huckleberry is anti-school vouchers, anti-Patriot Act (as it may overstep the Constitution), and the slogan "Save a Duck, vote for Huck: Working Hard for the Environment" was awesome. That's all I needed. Additionally, I do not agree with Leonard Schwartz's view that "Robbers and rapists love gun control laws, because they don't want you to have a gun to defend yourself". Unfortunately for me, I agree with his views on asset forfeiture and unfair tickets. Oh well, the gun control issue is so key to how I feel that I can't justify the vote. A lot of the other races weren't as easy, as it was difficult to find info on the candidates. Then I just guessed. Kidding! Calm down Rhea... I was kidding. I just voted for all the Republicans to keep us sending my friend overseas to police the world. Right.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
Level E Graduation Showcase!
There's nothing quite like an entire hour on the Second City mainstage! Such was my level E graduation showcase this afternoon. They rush you on stage and rush you off it, but for that one hour, the world felt like it was ours.
Our show started with a game called "1001." It's basically a formulaic game where all we need from the audience is an object and we improvise jokes. It's also an interactive game, as we're trying to get the The object we got was a cowbell. I went out as one of my characters: Guy Richardson. "A thousand and one cowbells walk into a bar and ask the bartender for a drink. The bartender says we don't serve cowbells here. Thousand and one cowbells say 'why not?' Bartender says, 'come on, you guys gotta mooove'." At this point, I egged the crowd on to give me a boo... and boy howdy did they boo. It felt great.
The next game was Jeopardy. I pulled out one of my favorite characters, Eanus. I think I did pretty well during the first part of it, but what really got everyone was the final Jeopardy question. The category was Solar Systems and the 'answer' was Uranus. So for my question I said "What do people say when they meet me? You're Eanus" and I got a huge laugh... I'm f--kin' hilarious!
The very next game was the Superhero game. We get some suggestions from the audience. One of them is getting the name of the superhero that doesn't exist... what we got was "Falling-Down-A-Lot Man". The villain was "Mr. Stair" and I was the superhero sidekick. The scene was actually HILARIOUS and not just because I was in it... because everyone in that scene was quite good. My character got to pick his sidekick name and I called myself "Helps-Him-Up Boy!" I thought it was funny at the time, forget you!
I then introduced Scene Tag. I feel like I actually made it as funny as an introduction could be... but I had to do it because I was in the first three things and Ed felt like I needed to do something near the end of the show. Whatever!
We ended the show with a Blues song game. Oh God, no we had rhythm! No pitch! It was terrible! Terrible!! I don't ever want to see or think about that game again. I don't even want to tell you how I did. It was awful. The end of this!
After the show, I spent about a half an hour with my parents talking. It was nice to have them there because this show was the culmination of a year's worth of work. It was great to have them there. But they had to leave and I had to go to my first rehearsal for The Assistant Director's Cut. At rehearsal, we just read through about half the scripts and the writers cast it. I've got lots of work to do to get myself ready for this show. It's all about deleted scenes and alternate endings from movies, and I want my impressions to be pretty good. I've got a lot of research to do before November 12!
There's nothing quite like an entire hour on the Second City mainstage! Such was my level E graduation showcase this afternoon. They rush you on stage and rush you off it, but for that one hour, the world felt like it was ours.
Our show started with a game called "1001." It's basically a formulaic game where all we need from the audience is an object and we improvise jokes. It's also an interactive game, as we're trying to get the The object we got was a cowbell. I went out as one of my characters: Guy Richardson. "A thousand and one cowbells walk into a bar and ask the bartender for a drink. The bartender says we don't serve cowbells here. Thousand and one cowbells say 'why not?' Bartender says, 'come on, you guys gotta mooove'." At this point, I egged the crowd on to give me a boo... and boy howdy did they boo. It felt great.
The next game was Jeopardy. I pulled out one of my favorite characters, Eanus. I think I did pretty well during the first part of it, but what really got everyone was the final Jeopardy question. The category was Solar Systems and the 'answer' was Uranus. So for my question I said "What do people say when they meet me? You're Eanus" and I got a huge laugh... I'm f--kin' hilarious!
The very next game was the Superhero game. We get some suggestions from the audience. One of them is getting the name of the superhero that doesn't exist... what we got was "Falling-Down-A-Lot Man". The villain was "Mr. Stair" and I was the superhero sidekick. The scene was actually HILARIOUS and not just because I was in it... because everyone in that scene was quite good. My character got to pick his sidekick name and I called myself "Helps-Him-Up Boy!" I thought it was funny at the time, forget you!
I then introduced Scene Tag. I feel like I actually made it as funny as an introduction could be... but I had to do it because I was in the first three things and Ed felt like I needed to do something near the end of the show. Whatever!
We ended the show with a Blues song game. Oh God, no we had rhythm! No pitch! It was terrible! Terrible!! I don't ever want to see or think about that game again. I don't even want to tell you how I did. It was awful. The end of this!
After the show, I spent about a half an hour with my parents talking. It was nice to have them there because this show was the culmination of a year's worth of work. It was great to have them there. But they had to leave and I had to go to my first rehearsal for The Assistant Director's Cut. At rehearsal, we just read through about half the scripts and the writers cast it. I've got lots of work to do to get myself ready for this show. It's all about deleted scenes and alternate endings from movies, and I want my impressions to be pretty good. I've got a lot of research to do before November 12!
Brian's housewarming!
Last night, after being called three times by various people, I finally answered when Kelly called. Here's a hint for anyone trying to get a hold of me: have a girl call me. As a rule, I don't answer the phone for men. Heehee... oh, it's true. At any rate... I answered when Kelly called me. She was at Brian's housewarming party and she wanted me to stop by. I had told Adam earlier in the night that I was really too tired to go out. What a difference a vagina makes (or perhaps it was the fact that it was the third time I got called). I finally decided "okay, they're not going to leave me alone, I'll just go for a little while." I went to the Brown-line stop at Chicago to head uptown to Brian's. When I was waiting for the train, Abby called me. She was headed to Brian's in her car and wondered if I wanted a ride. Awesome! Yeah I do! So I waited a while for her to pick me up. Unfortunately for me, there's something about a white dude standing around waiting on a Friday night under an L stop that says "ask me for money!" Cities suck.
Anyway, Abby and I got to Brian's a little before mid-night. I got to see a lot of people from Coldstone that I haven't seen in a while... and it was nice. It was only the second "party" I've been to since I moved here. I guess I'm not much of a party person. Whatever... I was still able to hit on Kelly mercilessly. I'm starting to realize a pattern in all the lovely young ladies who I pine after: they all look Irish--Kelly, Chelsey, Karen, even the incomparable Miss Colleen Kelly... light colored eyes and light, reddish hair (Collen is actually Manx, so she doesn't need to have reddish hair. Maybe she's got reddish hair, it's been far too long... I need to go to California and propose. I mean, find out). So, yes, I was unmerciful to Kelly... as only I can be (heehee... I'm awesome).
We hung out at Brian's until about two, and then went to a 24-hour restaurant called Clarke's. It was okay food... it was just nice to have a place to go and eat at 2 in the morning. Chicago isn't Big Rapids, that's for damn sure.
Last night, after being called three times by various people, I finally answered when Kelly called. Here's a hint for anyone trying to get a hold of me: have a girl call me. As a rule, I don't answer the phone for men. Heehee... oh, it's true. At any rate... I answered when Kelly called me. She was at Brian's housewarming party and she wanted me to stop by. I had told Adam earlier in the night that I was really too tired to go out. What a difference a vagina makes (or perhaps it was the fact that it was the third time I got called). I finally decided "okay, they're not going to leave me alone, I'll just go for a little while." I went to the Brown-line stop at Chicago to head uptown to Brian's. When I was waiting for the train, Abby called me. She was headed to Brian's in her car and wondered if I wanted a ride. Awesome! Yeah I do! So I waited a while for her to pick me up. Unfortunately for me, there's something about a white dude standing around waiting on a Friday night under an L stop that says "ask me for money!" Cities suck.
Anyway, Abby and I got to Brian's a little before mid-night. I got to see a lot of people from Coldstone that I haven't seen in a while... and it was nice. It was only the second "party" I've been to since I moved here. I guess I'm not much of a party person. Whatever... I was still able to hit on Kelly mercilessly. I'm starting to realize a pattern in all the lovely young ladies who I pine after: they all look Irish--Kelly, Chelsey, Karen, even the incomparable Miss Colleen Kelly... light colored eyes and light, reddish hair (Collen is actually Manx, so she doesn't need to have reddish hair. Maybe she's got reddish hair, it's been far too long... I need to go to California and propose. I mean, find out). So, yes, I was unmerciful to Kelly... as only I can be (heehee... I'm awesome).
We hung out at Brian's until about two, and then went to a 24-hour restaurant called Clarke's. It was okay food... it was just nice to have a place to go and eat at 2 in the morning. Chicago isn't Big Rapids, that's for damn sure.
Friday, October 08, 2004
The Last Samurai
Today I watched The Last Samurai. I borrowed it from my dad months ago, but never had the chance to watch it. I thoroughly enjoyed it... it is a great movie, and it seemed to come to me at just the right time. I'm transitioning from a steady, irritating employment into a new phase in my life... and the ideals prominent in this movie strike a chord within me. The ending is a downer (I won't ruin it if you haven't seen it), as it basically means that the new will always beat the old... or superior numbers always beats bravery and intelligence (did I ruin the ending?). I find this to be unfortunate but inevitable. My kind of managing--attentive, informed, with a focus on making every employee, not necessarily happy, but productive and feeling like their needs would be met. The kind of managing that really pervades the current marketplace is that of my former employers--what's the bottom line?, how can we use our employees?, and how can we squeeze the most out of the least.
It's raining outside. A beautiful... deep... cathartic rain. Just to watch it, I feel renewed. The wind is strong, and the mist is heavy in the air. I do not feel that the weather and my feelings are unlinked. The anger and frustration I felt has almost completely ebbed... I acted with disrespect, and deserve the punishment I received. However, the way in which the punishment was handed out to me was without honor. *shakes head* It is no matter... I'm currently happier than I've been in months. I start my Assistant Director's Cut rehearsals tomorrow... and I'm very close to being able to present the hour's worth of original material written by Dave, Keith, Adam and I. AND I'm about to graduate from the beginning levels of improv here at The Second City. Things are going well.
Unfortunately, there are some interesting relationship issues that I'm currently having. I'm looking to have some fairly interesting and complicated conversations over the next weekend.
In happier news, I finally just saw the trailer to Alex Carroll's movie "The Work and the Glory." If I was made of money, not only would I buy the book to read it, but I'd fly out to Salt Lake City to see the movie when it comes out November 24th. I hear it's at Jordan Commons! Anyway... I wish him nothing but the best. I think what will really help him is that he's a student of the craft. He's really going to try to get better out there... good for him. And he gets to make out with Tiffany Dupont, who I'm sure he dated during filming. Attractive people are awesome! *thumbs up*
Today I watched The Last Samurai. I borrowed it from my dad months ago, but never had the chance to watch it. I thoroughly enjoyed it... it is a great movie, and it seemed to come to me at just the right time. I'm transitioning from a steady, irritating employment into a new phase in my life... and the ideals prominent in this movie strike a chord within me. The ending is a downer (I won't ruin it if you haven't seen it), as it basically means that the new will always beat the old... or superior numbers always beats bravery and intelligence (did I ruin the ending?). I find this to be unfortunate but inevitable. My kind of managing--attentive, informed, with a focus on making every employee, not necessarily happy, but productive and feeling like their needs would be met. The kind of managing that really pervades the current marketplace is that of my former employers--what's the bottom line?, how can we use our employees?, and how can we squeeze the most out of the least.
It's raining outside. A beautiful... deep... cathartic rain. Just to watch it, I feel renewed. The wind is strong, and the mist is heavy in the air. I do not feel that the weather and my feelings are unlinked. The anger and frustration I felt has almost completely ebbed... I acted with disrespect, and deserve the punishment I received. However, the way in which the punishment was handed out to me was without honor. *shakes head* It is no matter... I'm currently happier than I've been in months. I start my Assistant Director's Cut rehearsals tomorrow... and I'm very close to being able to present the hour's worth of original material written by Dave, Keith, Adam and I. AND I'm about to graduate from the beginning levels of improv here at The Second City. Things are going well.
Unfortunately, there are some interesting relationship issues that I'm currently having. I'm looking to have some fairly interesting and complicated conversations over the next weekend.
In happier news, I finally just saw the trailer to Alex Carroll's movie "The Work and the Glory." If I was made of money, not only would I buy the book to read it, but I'd fly out to Salt Lake City to see the movie when it comes out November 24th. I hear it's at Jordan Commons! Anyway... I wish him nothing but the best. I think what will really help him is that he's a student of the craft. He's really going to try to get better out there... good for him. And he gets to make out with Tiffany Dupont, who I'm sure he dated during filming. Attractive people are awesome! *thumbs up*
Moving on up...
Wednesday night I went to the ESPN Zone with Jim. It's two levels of bars, tvs, and sports-related interactive video gaming orgasms. If I was made of money (which is almost how I used to feel), I would've played some of the games. But we were just there to watch the Twins/Yankees game. The Zone started off pretty empty, but the restaurant was still busy, so we sat at the bar and started watching. The bartender was a pleasant and attractive young lady named Denise, who took very good care of Jim and I... refilling our drinks at least a dozen times. We also talked with one of the servers... a guy who's name is something like Will... I never really saw his name-tag. But he was a Cardinal fan from St. Louis... and he kept Jim and I entertained while we all rooted against the Yankees. It was an awesome game, but even I--the not so good at baseball dude--knew that it was a mistake to leave Joe Nathan in so long. Especially with Derek Jeter coming up and Nathan's control leaving him. But, what can you do?
I woke up early this morning (Thursday) to helping Brian move again. Yeah... I know I said I helped him move last week; but that was moving out of the old place and into a storage unit. This is moving out of the storage unit and into the new place. FUN! It actually took us less time to load it onto the truck than it did to to unload it from the truck the first time. And then... it took even LESS time to unload it from the truck into his new apartment. His new apartment is WAY cute... and I wish I lived closer to him. It's huge! He's got a living room, large walk-in closet, a bedroom with another large closet, a bath and a kitchen... four rooms, and I bet he's not paying as much as I am. Cities really suck.
I recently received my first email from Ken. He's "safe"... overseas. He's arrived at wherever he's supposed to be. I suppose I feel a little better about it, hearing his description of "bathroom trailers" instead of tents... and a 24 hour coffee house similar to Starbucks. This somewhat puts me at ease... but not really.
Upon my return to my building, it seems as thought the summer AC has been turned off, and the winter heat as begun. This lead to a pretty sleepless night on Tuesday, as it was too hot to sleep, but not cool enough outside to cool my room. Stupid large buildings!
Tonight I went and saw the Second City's ETC show. Find out more about it here. The woman on the left is my Beginning Improv Level D instructor Jen Bills. That was the crappy level that wasn't her fault because they smashed two classes that didn't want to be together, together. I'm sure you remember me bitching about it. Anyway... I always thought Jen was awesome and I have lamented the fact that I didn't get a more directed instruction from her. But, alas... twas not meant to be. So ever since she was my instructor, I've wanted to see her on the etc stage, but haven't ever felt like I had enough time. Ta da! Now I do! The show, Show Title Deemed Indecent by the FCC is fantastic! I loved it! They do this car chase thing with lights and rolling chairs that just blew my mind. They used a strobe like and spun the chairs slowly to give a Matrix effect... it was unreal. Just awesome. They even did an improved set after the show which was great. I totally enjoyed the show. The improv still impresses me a great deal, but I don't think there's any scripted stuff that I don't think I could do. The show was awesome, don't get me wrong... but I think I could hang with 'em, at the very least. And that's my one positive thought for today!
Wednesday night I went to the ESPN Zone with Jim. It's two levels of bars, tvs, and sports-related interactive video gaming orgasms. If I was made of money (which is almost how I used to feel), I would've played some of the games. But we were just there to watch the Twins/Yankees game. The Zone started off pretty empty, but the restaurant was still busy, so we sat at the bar and started watching. The bartender was a pleasant and attractive young lady named Denise, who took very good care of Jim and I... refilling our drinks at least a dozen times. We also talked with one of the servers... a guy who's name is something like Will... I never really saw his name-tag. But he was a Cardinal fan from St. Louis... and he kept Jim and I entertained while we all rooted against the Yankees. It was an awesome game, but even I--the not so good at baseball dude--knew that it was a mistake to leave Joe Nathan in so long. Especially with Derek Jeter coming up and Nathan's control leaving him. But, what can you do?
I woke up early this morning (Thursday) to helping Brian move again. Yeah... I know I said I helped him move last week; but that was moving out of the old place and into a storage unit. This is moving out of the storage unit and into the new place. FUN! It actually took us less time to load it onto the truck than it did to to unload it from the truck the first time. And then... it took even LESS time to unload it from the truck into his new apartment. His new apartment is WAY cute... and I wish I lived closer to him. It's huge! He's got a living room, large walk-in closet, a bedroom with another large closet, a bath and a kitchen... four rooms, and I bet he's not paying as much as I am. Cities really suck.
I recently received my first email from Ken. He's "safe"... overseas. He's arrived at wherever he's supposed to be. I suppose I feel a little better about it, hearing his description of "bathroom trailers" instead of tents... and a 24 hour coffee house similar to Starbucks. This somewhat puts me at ease... but not really.
Upon my return to my building, it seems as thought the summer AC has been turned off, and the winter heat as begun. This lead to a pretty sleepless night on Tuesday, as it was too hot to sleep, but not cool enough outside to cool my room. Stupid large buildings!
Tonight I went and saw the Second City's ETC show. Find out more about it here. The woman on the left is my Beginning Improv Level D instructor Jen Bills. That was the crappy level that wasn't her fault because they smashed two classes that didn't want to be together, together. I'm sure you remember me bitching about it. Anyway... I always thought Jen was awesome and I have lamented the fact that I didn't get a more directed instruction from her. But, alas... twas not meant to be. So ever since she was my instructor, I've wanted to see her on the etc stage, but haven't ever felt like I had enough time. Ta da! Now I do! The show, Show Title Deemed Indecent by the FCC is fantastic! I loved it! They do this car chase thing with lights and rolling chairs that just blew my mind. They used a strobe like and spun the chairs slowly to give a Matrix effect... it was unreal. Just awesome. They even did an improved set after the show which was great. I totally enjoyed the show. The improv still impresses me a great deal, but I don't think there's any scripted stuff that I don't think I could do. The show was awesome, don't get me wrong... but I think I could hang with 'em, at the very least. And that's my one positive thought for today!
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Important Dates
The Assistant Director's Cut
(This is my twenty-five minute show written by a couple of guys who wrote a couple pieces in the Level 5 show I acted in)
We open: Friday, November 12th, 2004 @ 7:30 PM
We close: Friday, December 17th, 2004 @ 7:30 PM
The show runs 6 weeks; every Friday night. Our show is 25 minutes long, and will most probably be part of an hour-long show.
My Writing Five Show
We open: Friday, January 7th, 2005 @ 7:30 PM
We close: Friday, February 4th, 2005 @ 7:30 PM
The show runs 5 weeks; every Friday night. All shows are an hour long.
If you're coming, let me know... and show up EARLY.
The Assistant Director's Cut
(This is my twenty-five minute show written by a couple of guys who wrote a couple pieces in the Level 5 show I acted in)
We open: Friday, November 12th, 2004 @ 7:30 PM
We close: Friday, December 17th, 2004 @ 7:30 PM
The show runs 6 weeks; every Friday night. Our show is 25 minutes long, and will most probably be part of an hour-long show.
My Writing Five Show
We open: Friday, January 7th, 2005 @ 7:30 PM
We close: Friday, February 4th, 2005 @ 7:30 PM
The show runs 5 weeks; every Friday night. All shows are an hour long.
If you're coming, let me know... and show up EARLY.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
My weekend/vacation
Thursday
I left Chicago and headed to Albion. I got into Albion a bit earlier than I needed to be there, so I went to a place that I've missed... and a place I used to spend a lot of time writing. I actually only took one person there, and she loved it.
After my reminiscing, I went to Arby's and ate alone. I feel weird dropping in on people at Albion and just saying "hey, I'm here... let's go get food". Whatever... after dinner, I got to the parking lot near the theatre a little over an hour before the show and ran into Starko. He and I chatted for a while and then he said "come on in and say hello to everyone." I didn't really want to, to be honest. My time bothering the actors and pretending like I was important enough to come and go as I pleased has passed. So I felt awkward going backstage and seeing the actors getting make-up on and getting ready. That's one of the reasons why I didn't say hello to everyone. I did say hi to Bohne... as it was his begging that made me go in the first place. I got a super-enthusiastic hello from Miss Mann... which felt good. And Chelsea Sadler asked simply if I wanted her to kill someone for me. I responded "No, but you could maybe stop being ridiculously hot." If I were Chelsea, it would be understandable if I were a bit narcissistic. I mean, let's face it, masturbation is having sex with the hottest person you know. But I digress. I also got to see Mr. Groggle for the first time since 19-forever. That was five shades of awesome. But what made my night was seeing Miss Chelsey Wagemaker in pig-tails. *drool* I mean, what made my night was seeing Miss Chelsey Wagemaker again. That's what I meant. Right. It was also wonderful to see Katie Aumann again, as I got to sit next to her during the play.
About the play... I know someone says I'm harsh, and they're right. But I'm harsh with myself, too... and that's how I made progress. Anyway... the play was awesome. It really was a fun, interesting, and highly stylized piece. It took me about two minutes of stage time to notice that they must have spent lots of time working on how to stand and move for the period. The make-up was fun, but a little too inconsistent. From the audience, some actors were totally white-faced, while others just had a little more white to their face than normal. The costumes were unreal... totally period and incredible (for Albion College... yes, they were incredible). I thought the set looked very nice as well. As far as the actual script, I'm sure that Royal made lots of cuts-he always does-but it was still a long-ass play. The actors did as much as they could, but it was just a little too long for my taste. As for the individual performances... Mike was hilarious, and even slightly believable as someone who could get chicks (slightly... heehee); Andy was very very good, but was given too many asides (his character kept telling us exactly what was going on... and it got cumbersome. Andy did the best he could with it); Karen was incredible, and even managed to effectively expand her acting range; Audrey was quite good, but was type cast again as the innocent, young girl... I'm sure she's sick of playing that same role over and over again (and she probably really liked Laramie because she got to play other types of characters); Steve Fish has grown on stage since I left Albion, and his performance was good as well; there was a freshman named Jason who was perfect in his role and with that style, I would be interested to see this young man in other roles in the future; and there was another young woman, Alysia (?), who did quite well, as well.
After the play, I didn't have a whole lot of time to meet with people and tell them how they did (because Chelsey needed a ride to Euphonics and she was being impatient). So onto...
Euphonics rehearsal was... interesting. A whole lot less arguing over stupid stuff with the current group. But, Bohne's as "funny" as they get, and if Bohne's the best you can do, you've got problems. I'm totally joking, Chelsey Wagemaker is the comedian of Euphonics now. Anyway, as I was sitting in on practice, Chelsey asked me if I knew Jill. I said that we "go way back", which is what I say when I don't really know someone. Jill then recounted the story of how she got into Euphonics. Apparently, she auditioned while I was still around and didn't make it. The next day I saw her and stopped her in the middle of the street. I told her that I thought she did really well and that it would be a very good idea for her to audition again. She did... and now she's in Euphonics. Do I feel partially responsible? I suppose. Do I even remember doing that? No... but it just shows to go ya that you never know how you can change someone's life quickly, even if you don't know them. Fascinating. The Euphonics were working on *gasp* Crazy Love and Sexual Healing during that rehearsal. They were asked by Issa Beatty if they would come to her wedding (WEDDING!!!) and sing... and she picked those two songs as two songs she wanted to hear. So I sat through the group learning Crazy Love... feeling a bit impatient, as it seemed to take them longer to get it than it should have. Then they skimmed over Sexual Healing, just long enough for me to hear Dan "rap." I jokingly said "Now I'm obsolete"... as Sexual Healing is a song I never wanted the Euphonics to do without me. I thought that song, that ONE song was my song... but, alas, not even my song makes me unique. So it goes...
After Euphonics, I hung out with Maggie and Mike for a while. Then I went to Nick's apartment and spent some time with Nick. Nick's apartment is Chad's old apartment... which made things REALLY weird when I walked in. But that weirdness passed quickly, as I was with my son again. He's on the cusp of being "free" of school... except he's going Super-Senior and staying another semester to teach. I really think teaching is where he'll be comfortable... as it will allow him plenty of free time to write or travel (at least during the summer). At any rate, I kept him up WAY too long talking about himself and the stuff I'm doing and about this young lady he seems to be crazy about. Heehee... oh well, he didn't need to do well on his history test (whoops... sorry Nick).
Friday
I woke up after Nick had already left for his class. I took my time showering and waking up... and then went to the quad and wrote. As I was ironically writing about how few people still remember me, I then had people come up to me to talk. How weird! I then took Miss Karen Rose to lunch. I figured she didn't get out of Albion much, so I would take her to some other town. So to Chicago we went. That's a joke... she's never been to Chicago (or something). We went to Marshall instead... yes, to the Denny's. It was just a lunch full of nostalgia. We talked about all kinds of things, she told me a story, and we had a generally interesting conversation. I'm not sure I want to say much more than that... it was interesting, to say the least.
After my lunch, I headed back to the quad and sat in a little more inconspicuous spot to continue writing. After an hour or so, Nick called me and we headed to Charlie's. I had only been to Charlie's once previously... the Philosophy majors bar night. It was interesting... but I didn't really enjoy it. Being at Charlie's with Nick, however, was pretty awesome. We had an interesting conversation.
He then dropped me off at my car, but I didn't feel like leaving just yet (I had too much time before dinner). I actually called Miss Wagemaker and asked if she had some free time. She did, so I headed to the Mae to chat. We spent about an hour chatting outside in the courtyard. God was it hard to imagine the Mae without Court, Amber, Randi, and Sarah living there... and it was hard to imagine Laura not being in Porter Street... but I tried to let that all slide as we talked. We had a pleasant conversation, except I think Chelsey is still caught up in the "John Steeno" persona that most people seem to believe is who I really am. Anyone who really knows me, knows that there's the front, the act that everyone sees... and then there's me. I forget what class it was, but one of the classes I took at Albion talked about everyone wearing 'masks'. I think it's true. I try to keep my morals and ideals consistent, but my personality is far different from the ego-driven ass that most people see. I suppose it's a mechanism to keep people at a distance... as I've often said that when I "let someone in," they start taking a lot of my energy. Plus, no one would be attracted to an anal-retentive, low self-esteemed, Star Wars lovin' geek... would they? Would they? *Begin dream sequence... "Hey Natalie Portman. What are you doing here?" "I heard you were an anal-retentive, low self-esteemed, Star Wars lover" [camera focuses in on John's reaction] "Narf?" "Hey John... did you know you're half a year older than I am? But guess who's rich, famous, and starring in Star Wars movies!" wah wah wah waaaah [scene]* (I can't even score in my dream sequences)
To completely change subjects, I had dinner with Randi, Amber, Sarah, and Eli Friday night. Eli and Sarah have been dating for almost *cough* months! Wow... that's a long time! Anyway, it was nice to see everyone again... even if Randi's selling out has grown so big as to now block the suns rays. Amber is keeping herself busy and not sleeping... this is very much Amber. And Sarah seems happy with Eli. I like Eli... I liked him a lot. He had a good sense of humor. I only wish I could've seen him and Sarah interact even more (it was tough to focus on them, since I was trying to catch up with everyone at the same time). I think he treats her well... because I don't think Sarah is the type of person who would put up with any crap; but I won't know for sure until I see it and am satisfied. Sarah must have thought things were going so well that she left me alone with Eli for a few minutes. Yeah. I wouldn't leave my boyfriend with me for any amount of time. You never know what I'll say! But, like most good things, our dinner was brief... and soon we were all on our way to different places. My way was to Kalamazoo to spend time with my sister.
When I got to Karen's, Katie was already there. She was lookin' beautiful as always, and I entertained myself by asking her questions I shouldn't have (nothing illegal, I sware!). We then picked up Cory, Katie's boyfriend, and headed to Meijer for snacks and adult beverages. We then headed back to Karen's and watched Ghost Ship. Wow do I miss watching horror movies with Katie. Hell, I miss watching horror movies with everyone... that used to be one of my favorite things. But, alas, no one will ever pay me to watch a crappy movie and make fun of it, so it must stay a hobby. In addition, despite my best efforts, I am unable to hate Cory. I think he's awesome... he's funny, smart, nice... and I think Katie's happy with him. Alack! The only thing I have over Cory is a better accent... and who cares?! DAMN THE FATES!
Saturday
Saturday Karen let me sleep in. It was about noon before I woke up... and I needed the sleep (I'll be trying to catch up on sleep for a while, I'm sure). We then went to a breakfast place that was nice... and proceeded to Barnes and Noble. Karen wants to learn Spanish, so she bought some guides and CDs and stuff to help her learn. I got myself a book called the "Comic Toolbox" which has been brought up at least a half dozen times in my various writing classes. I also bought a screenwriting book, as I'm getting more and more serious about writing the screenplay that Adam was asking me about. He DID offer to fly me out to Oregon to film it... how can I pass that up?! Yeah... I'm pretty pumped.
We then went to Best Buy... and I ill-advisedly bought an XBox game. I eat and buy things when I'm depressed... neither of which is good if I'm depressed about not having a job (see? because I can't afford it?). Oh well... LOTR:Return of the King was only $20 and it's an awesome co-op hack 'n slash title. Ken and I played it in Vegas... and we loved it.
After that we headed to Chicago. We got here and watched some TV and then called it a night pretty early. We were both very tired... and we had a big day of driving ahead of us.
Sunday
Sunday morning, Karen and I woke up at way early o'clock to drive to the Packers' game. We both started off the day being tired... to conversation was a little lighter than I would've liked on the way there. Don't get me wrong, it was still very nice to have her with me, and we did talk about some awesome stuff... but she seemed preoccupied for a lot of the time.
We got to Green Bay a little less than an hour before kickoff. Having those club seats is like being a VIP... I mean it's an easy drive into the lot, an easy stroll in our own entry gate, and an easy flight up some escalators. It's awesome. And so is being inside Lambeau Field. It's always more awesome than I remembered it. Hmm... then the game started (herein lies a recap of the game... go ahead and skip to the end if you don't like football and are a commie pinko). The Packers' defense looked terrible; just so horribly awful that I couldn't believe it. And, even though we looked crappy the entire first half, the Giants couldn't score and we went into the half tied 0-0. However, after the half Favre got injured and that was pretty much the game. If Brett had stayed in, we probably would have won... but woulda, shoulda, coulda... a loss is a loss. Good Lord we looked terrible.
After the game, I almost successfully navigated back to the highway and started the long drive back. We had to get Karen to KZoo as she had a meeting with an advisor or something Monday morning. The plan was to meet Mom and Dad somewhere in Indiana to save me about two hours of driving. To be honest, I never felt so tired driving anywhere ever in my life. I don't know what it was... but my eyes hurt, my head hurt, and I just wanted to rest for half an hour. In retrospect, I probably do know what it was... we hadn't eaten anything worth eating all day: just junk food. We met my parents in Michigan City and got some food... and that seemed to make the drive back to Chicago easier. I even called Bohne to see how things went with Jennie seeing his show. Then I was back in Chicago to figure out what to do with myself. The End.
Thursday
I left Chicago and headed to Albion. I got into Albion a bit earlier than I needed to be there, so I went to a place that I've missed... and a place I used to spend a lot of time writing. I actually only took one person there, and she loved it.
After my reminiscing, I went to Arby's and ate alone. I feel weird dropping in on people at Albion and just saying "hey, I'm here... let's go get food". Whatever... after dinner, I got to the parking lot near the theatre a little over an hour before the show and ran into Starko. He and I chatted for a while and then he said "come on in and say hello to everyone." I didn't really want to, to be honest. My time bothering the actors and pretending like I was important enough to come and go as I pleased has passed. So I felt awkward going backstage and seeing the actors getting make-up on and getting ready. That's one of the reasons why I didn't say hello to everyone. I did say hi to Bohne... as it was his begging that made me go in the first place. I got a super-enthusiastic hello from Miss Mann... which felt good. And Chelsea Sadler asked simply if I wanted her to kill someone for me. I responded "No, but you could maybe stop being ridiculously hot." If I were Chelsea, it would be understandable if I were a bit narcissistic. I mean, let's face it, masturbation is having sex with the hottest person you know. But I digress. I also got to see Mr. Groggle for the first time since 19-forever. That was five shades of awesome. But what made my night was seeing Miss Chelsey Wagemaker in pig-tails. *drool* I mean, what made my night was seeing Miss Chelsey Wagemaker again. That's what I meant. Right. It was also wonderful to see Katie Aumann again, as I got to sit next to her during the play.
About the play... I know someone says I'm harsh, and they're right. But I'm harsh with myself, too... and that's how I made progress. Anyway... the play was awesome. It really was a fun, interesting, and highly stylized piece. It took me about two minutes of stage time to notice that they must have spent lots of time working on how to stand and move for the period. The make-up was fun, but a little too inconsistent. From the audience, some actors were totally white-faced, while others just had a little more white to their face than normal. The costumes were unreal... totally period and incredible (for Albion College... yes, they were incredible). I thought the set looked very nice as well. As far as the actual script, I'm sure that Royal made lots of cuts-he always does-but it was still a long-ass play. The actors did as much as they could, but it was just a little too long for my taste. As for the individual performances... Mike was hilarious, and even slightly believable as someone who could get chicks (slightly... heehee); Andy was very very good, but was given too many asides (his character kept telling us exactly what was going on... and it got cumbersome. Andy did the best he could with it); Karen was incredible, and even managed to effectively expand her acting range; Audrey was quite good, but was type cast again as the innocent, young girl... I'm sure she's sick of playing that same role over and over again (and she probably really liked Laramie because she got to play other types of characters); Steve Fish has grown on stage since I left Albion, and his performance was good as well; there was a freshman named Jason who was perfect in his role and with that style, I would be interested to see this young man in other roles in the future; and there was another young woman, Alysia (?), who did quite well, as well.
After the play, I didn't have a whole lot of time to meet with people and tell them how they did (because Chelsey needed a ride to Euphonics and she was being impatient). So onto...
Euphonics rehearsal was... interesting. A whole lot less arguing over stupid stuff with the current group. But, Bohne's as "funny" as they get, and if Bohne's the best you can do, you've got problems. I'm totally joking, Chelsey Wagemaker is the comedian of Euphonics now. Anyway, as I was sitting in on practice, Chelsey asked me if I knew Jill. I said that we "go way back", which is what I say when I don't really know someone. Jill then recounted the story of how she got into Euphonics. Apparently, she auditioned while I was still around and didn't make it. The next day I saw her and stopped her in the middle of the street. I told her that I thought she did really well and that it would be a very good idea for her to audition again. She did... and now she's in Euphonics. Do I feel partially responsible? I suppose. Do I even remember doing that? No... but it just shows to go ya that you never know how you can change someone's life quickly, even if you don't know them. Fascinating. The Euphonics were working on *gasp* Crazy Love and Sexual Healing during that rehearsal. They were asked by Issa Beatty if they would come to her wedding (WEDDING!!!) and sing... and she picked those two songs as two songs she wanted to hear. So I sat through the group learning Crazy Love... feeling a bit impatient, as it seemed to take them longer to get it than it should have. Then they skimmed over Sexual Healing, just long enough for me to hear Dan "rap." I jokingly said "Now I'm obsolete"... as Sexual Healing is a song I never wanted the Euphonics to do without me. I thought that song, that ONE song was my song... but, alas, not even my song makes me unique. So it goes...
After Euphonics, I hung out with Maggie and Mike for a while. Then I went to Nick's apartment and spent some time with Nick. Nick's apartment is Chad's old apartment... which made things REALLY weird when I walked in. But that weirdness passed quickly, as I was with my son again. He's on the cusp of being "free" of school... except he's going Super-Senior and staying another semester to teach. I really think teaching is where he'll be comfortable... as it will allow him plenty of free time to write or travel (at least during the summer). At any rate, I kept him up WAY too long talking about himself and the stuff I'm doing and about this young lady he seems to be crazy about. Heehee... oh well, he didn't need to do well on his history test (whoops... sorry Nick).
Friday
I woke up after Nick had already left for his class. I took my time showering and waking up... and then went to the quad and wrote. As I was ironically writing about how few people still remember me, I then had people come up to me to talk. How weird! I then took Miss Karen Rose to lunch. I figured she didn't get out of Albion much, so I would take her to some other town. So to Chicago we went. That's a joke... she's never been to Chicago (or something). We went to Marshall instead... yes, to the Denny's. It was just a lunch full of nostalgia. We talked about all kinds of things, she told me a story, and we had a generally interesting conversation. I'm not sure I want to say much more than that... it was interesting, to say the least.
After my lunch, I headed back to the quad and sat in a little more inconspicuous spot to continue writing. After an hour or so, Nick called me and we headed to Charlie's. I had only been to Charlie's once previously... the Philosophy majors bar night. It was interesting... but I didn't really enjoy it. Being at Charlie's with Nick, however, was pretty awesome. We had an interesting conversation.
He then dropped me off at my car, but I didn't feel like leaving just yet (I had too much time before dinner). I actually called Miss Wagemaker and asked if she had some free time. She did, so I headed to the Mae to chat. We spent about an hour chatting outside in the courtyard. God was it hard to imagine the Mae without Court, Amber, Randi, and Sarah living there... and it was hard to imagine Laura not being in Porter Street... but I tried to let that all slide as we talked. We had a pleasant conversation, except I think Chelsey is still caught up in the "John Steeno" persona that most people seem to believe is who I really am. Anyone who really knows me, knows that there's the front, the act that everyone sees... and then there's me. I forget what class it was, but one of the classes I took at Albion talked about everyone wearing 'masks'. I think it's true. I try to keep my morals and ideals consistent, but my personality is far different from the ego-driven ass that most people see. I suppose it's a mechanism to keep people at a distance... as I've often said that when I "let someone in," they start taking a lot of my energy. Plus, no one would be attracted to an anal-retentive, low self-esteemed, Star Wars lovin' geek... would they? Would they? *Begin dream sequence... "Hey Natalie Portman. What are you doing here?" "I heard you were an anal-retentive, low self-esteemed, Star Wars lover" [camera focuses in on John's reaction] "Narf?" "Hey John... did you know you're half a year older than I am? But guess who's rich, famous, and starring in Star Wars movies!" wah wah wah waaaah [scene]* (I can't even score in my dream sequences)
To completely change subjects, I had dinner with Randi, Amber, Sarah, and Eli Friday night. Eli and Sarah have been dating for almost *cough* months! Wow... that's a long time! Anyway, it was nice to see everyone again... even if Randi's selling out has grown so big as to now block the suns rays. Amber is keeping herself busy and not sleeping... this is very much Amber. And Sarah seems happy with Eli. I like Eli... I liked him a lot. He had a good sense of humor. I only wish I could've seen him and Sarah interact even more (it was tough to focus on them, since I was trying to catch up with everyone at the same time). I think he treats her well... because I don't think Sarah is the type of person who would put up with any crap; but I won't know for sure until I see it and am satisfied. Sarah must have thought things were going so well that she left me alone with Eli for a few minutes. Yeah. I wouldn't leave my boyfriend with me for any amount of time. You never know what I'll say! But, like most good things, our dinner was brief... and soon we were all on our way to different places. My way was to Kalamazoo to spend time with my sister.
When I got to Karen's, Katie was already there. She was lookin' beautiful as always, and I entertained myself by asking her questions I shouldn't have (nothing illegal, I sware!). We then picked up Cory, Katie's boyfriend, and headed to Meijer for snacks and adult beverages. We then headed back to Karen's and watched Ghost Ship. Wow do I miss watching horror movies with Katie. Hell, I miss watching horror movies with everyone... that used to be one of my favorite things. But, alas, no one will ever pay me to watch a crappy movie and make fun of it, so it must stay a hobby. In addition, despite my best efforts, I am unable to hate Cory. I think he's awesome... he's funny, smart, nice... and I think Katie's happy with him. Alack! The only thing I have over Cory is a better accent... and who cares?! DAMN THE FATES!
Saturday
Saturday Karen let me sleep in. It was about noon before I woke up... and I needed the sleep (I'll be trying to catch up on sleep for a while, I'm sure). We then went to a breakfast place that was nice... and proceeded to Barnes and Noble. Karen wants to learn Spanish, so she bought some guides and CDs and stuff to help her learn. I got myself a book called the "Comic Toolbox" which has been brought up at least a half dozen times in my various writing classes. I also bought a screenwriting book, as I'm getting more and more serious about writing the screenplay that Adam was asking me about. He DID offer to fly me out to Oregon to film it... how can I pass that up?! Yeah... I'm pretty pumped.
We then went to Best Buy... and I ill-advisedly bought an XBox game. I eat and buy things when I'm depressed... neither of which is good if I'm depressed about not having a job (see? because I can't afford it?). Oh well... LOTR:Return of the King was only $20 and it's an awesome co-op hack 'n slash title. Ken and I played it in Vegas... and we loved it.
After that we headed to Chicago. We got here and watched some TV and then called it a night pretty early. We were both very tired... and we had a big day of driving ahead of us.
Sunday
Sunday morning, Karen and I woke up at way early o'clock to drive to the Packers' game. We both started off the day being tired... to conversation was a little lighter than I would've liked on the way there. Don't get me wrong, it was still very nice to have her with me, and we did talk about some awesome stuff... but she seemed preoccupied for a lot of the time.
We got to Green Bay a little less than an hour before kickoff. Having those club seats is like being a VIP... I mean it's an easy drive into the lot, an easy stroll in our own entry gate, and an easy flight up some escalators. It's awesome. And so is being inside Lambeau Field. It's always more awesome than I remembered it. Hmm... then the game started (herein lies a recap of the game... go ahead and skip to the end if you don't like football and are a commie pinko). The Packers' defense looked terrible; just so horribly awful that I couldn't believe it. And, even though we looked crappy the entire first half, the Giants couldn't score and we went into the half tied 0-0. However, after the half Favre got injured and that was pretty much the game. If Brett had stayed in, we probably would have won... but woulda, shoulda, coulda... a loss is a loss. Good Lord we looked terrible.
After the game, I almost successfully navigated back to the highway and started the long drive back. We had to get Karen to KZoo as she had a meeting with an advisor or something Monday morning. The plan was to meet Mom and Dad somewhere in Indiana to save me about two hours of driving. To be honest, I never felt so tired driving anywhere ever in my life. I don't know what it was... but my eyes hurt, my head hurt, and I just wanted to rest for half an hour. In retrospect, I probably do know what it was... we hadn't eaten anything worth eating all day: just junk food. We met my parents in Michigan City and got some food... and that seemed to make the drive back to Chicago easier. I even called Bohne to see how things went with Jennie seeing his show. Then I was back in Chicago to figure out what to do with myself. The End.
We've hit one week of unemployment!
Yes, now it's technically Wednesday and I got laid off a week ago. I say laid off, because it allows me to pause and just say that I got laid... a week ago. This is great because we're talking a very long time since I could say that. But I digress... what have I been up to? How goes the job hunt? you ask... it's been non-existent, I respond. I'm still trying to catch up on my writing (obviously), reading, and miscellaneous "house" chores. As soon as I get my apartment in order (which will hopefully be sometime later this week), then I'll start looking around for jobs. But I'm honestly still too busy trying to catch up from all the free time that I lost at my stupid job.
I've also been thinking a lot about going back to school. I have a couple of possibilities of what I would go into... but my dad has started "pushing" again for Law School... and I think I'm actually going to take the LSAT, just to see how well I could do. I'm interested to see if I really have what it takes... and my work "fiasco" has got me interested in being able to use the law to screw good, honest people over like Andrea did (let this be the last time I use her name on this blog: if I refer to her in the future, she shall be called Ms. Johnson). Let's talk about something happier, shall we?
Ken called me from Maryland on Sunday. He was on his way overseas, to an undisclosed location. He keeps telling me not to worry about him because he's "very good" at what he does. That's nice. I'm not worried about him screwing something up... I'm worried about the appalling number of "friendly fire" casualties that the United States seems to have whenever we have a "conflict." I don't know the real numbers, and I don't want to know... let's just say that there are a lot of people over 'there', with a lot of firearms, and I'd rather have Ken state-side where he can bug me about football or tell me about a cool new game or call me pathetic for not talking to women. *shakes head* God bless Ken Huhtala... keep him safe.
What can I do about all this 'military/unnecessary conflict' loot? Well, step one is filling out the Absentee Ballot I just got in the mail. That's right, kiddies... and they make it easy to vote for all Republicans, too (take THAT Rhea! I'm going to vote for Republicans so that all our tax money goes to the military and the wealthy so that the Johnsons will have a properly equipped Police force to deal with me and my dangerous backpack!). I don't know where that came from... but I did want Rhea to know I got my absentee ballot, so she can lay off my freakin' case.
Speaking of that wonderful human being, Rhea and Jean sent me care package! Aren't they awesome (and isn't it awesome that I say "Rhea and Jean" to spite everyone who isn't Jean)? They wanted to send me a nice package of care now that I'm poor and unemployed (they move quickly). They sent me a fabulous package and I'm going to thank them as soon as I've got some free time at night (or this weekend) to call them. Quick sidenote: my phone bill was almost double what I normally pay this past month. If I was still at The Stone, I would ask them to pay at least half of it.
Tonight I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind... and I wouldn't mind getting Kirsten Dunst erased from my mind. Ha! But, seriously, when I think about everyone I've dated, I have to wonder if I would like them to be erased from my mind. If you're reading this, and you're Laura, I don't mean you. But there are plenty of memories from "happier" times which are now just painful. I'm sure everyone has painful memories floating around in their head. Sometimes, it probably would be easier to move on if those "happy" memories were gone. Would I do such a thing? Probably. It's frankly taken me a long time to want to open myself up to the kind of indescribable pain that walks hand-in-hand with an indescribable love. Honestly, I don't even think I'm there yet. Someone asked me if I was interested in "having a girlfriend" again, and I responded that I wouldn't mind having someone to see things with, to go to movies with, and to spend time with. Then I realized that at no point did I mention actually falling in love or being in love. This is where I say it's "too soon", even though it's probably chronologically not too soon, and then you say "you'll never know until you try" and I say "I don't really want to try" and you say "well then we're talking about something entirely different, aren't we?" and I say "what is THAT supposed to mean?" and you say "well, what do you think it means?" and I say "you think you're better than me?" and you say "What? No... that has nothing to do with anything. I just thought...", "You thought, did you? I don't pay you to think!" And so forth. Where was I? Ah yes... I was erasing the memories of someone from my head. I think I would probably be a little like Jim Carey in that, as they were pulling the memories from my head... I would do everything I could to get them to stop. But what would make me happier? Being able to look back on happy times that have long since passed... Christmas trees, Listerine, and cemeteries... but having them squeeze my heart with every thought? Or just not having them up there? It's funny to think how someone can change your life in just a short time... a few months seem like years, and you don't know what your life would be like if you had never met that person. This memory eraser thing is just the ticket you'd need to know what your life would be like if you hadn't met that person. You'd be different... overnight you'd be different.
Yes, now it's technically Wednesday and I got laid off a week ago. I say laid off, because it allows me to pause and just say that I got laid... a week ago. This is great because we're talking a very long time since I could say that. But I digress... what have I been up to? How goes the job hunt? you ask... it's been non-existent, I respond. I'm still trying to catch up on my writing (obviously), reading, and miscellaneous "house" chores. As soon as I get my apartment in order (which will hopefully be sometime later this week), then I'll start looking around for jobs. But I'm honestly still too busy trying to catch up from all the free time that I lost at my stupid job.
I've also been thinking a lot about going back to school. I have a couple of possibilities of what I would go into... but my dad has started "pushing" again for Law School... and I think I'm actually going to take the LSAT, just to see how well I could do. I'm interested to see if I really have what it takes... and my work "fiasco" has got me interested in being able to use the law to screw good, honest people over like Andrea did (let this be the last time I use her name on this blog: if I refer to her in the future, she shall be called Ms. Johnson). Let's talk about something happier, shall we?
Ken called me from Maryland on Sunday. He was on his way overseas, to an undisclosed location. He keeps telling me not to worry about him because he's "very good" at what he does. That's nice. I'm not worried about him screwing something up... I'm worried about the appalling number of "friendly fire" casualties that the United States seems to have whenever we have a "conflict." I don't know the real numbers, and I don't want to know... let's just say that there are a lot of people over 'there', with a lot of firearms, and I'd rather have Ken state-side where he can bug me about football or tell me about a cool new game or call me pathetic for not talking to women. *shakes head* God bless Ken Huhtala... keep him safe.
What can I do about all this 'military/unnecessary conflict' loot? Well, step one is filling out the Absentee Ballot I just got in the mail. That's right, kiddies... and they make it easy to vote for all Republicans, too (take THAT Rhea! I'm going to vote for Republicans so that all our tax money goes to the military and the wealthy so that the Johnsons will have a properly equipped Police force to deal with me and my dangerous backpack!). I don't know where that came from... but I did want Rhea to know I got my absentee ballot, so she can lay off my freakin' case.
Speaking of that wonderful human being, Rhea and Jean sent me care package! Aren't they awesome (and isn't it awesome that I say "Rhea and Jean" to spite everyone who isn't Jean)? They wanted to send me a nice package of care now that I'm poor and unemployed (they move quickly). They sent me a fabulous package and I'm going to thank them as soon as I've got some free time at night (or this weekend) to call them. Quick sidenote: my phone bill was almost double what I normally pay this past month. If I was still at The Stone, I would ask them to pay at least half of it.
Tonight I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind... and I wouldn't mind getting Kirsten Dunst erased from my mind. Ha! But, seriously, when I think about everyone I've dated, I have to wonder if I would like them to be erased from my mind. If you're reading this, and you're Laura, I don't mean you. But there are plenty of memories from "happier" times which are now just painful. I'm sure everyone has painful memories floating around in their head. Sometimes, it probably would be easier to move on if those "happy" memories were gone. Would I do such a thing? Probably. It's frankly taken me a long time to want to open myself up to the kind of indescribable pain that walks hand-in-hand with an indescribable love. Honestly, I don't even think I'm there yet. Someone asked me if I was interested in "having a girlfriend" again, and I responded that I wouldn't mind having someone to see things with, to go to movies with, and to spend time with. Then I realized that at no point did I mention actually falling in love or being in love. This is where I say it's "too soon", even though it's probably chronologically not too soon, and then you say "you'll never know until you try" and I say "I don't really want to try" and you say "well then we're talking about something entirely different, aren't we?" and I say "what is THAT supposed to mean?" and you say "well, what do you think it means?" and I say "you think you're better than me?" and you say "What? No... that has nothing to do with anything. I just thought...", "You thought, did you? I don't pay you to think!" And so forth. Where was I? Ah yes... I was erasing the memories of someone from my head. I think I would probably be a little like Jim Carey in that, as they were pulling the memories from my head... I would do everything I could to get them to stop. But what would make me happier? Being able to look back on happy times that have long since passed... Christmas trees, Listerine, and cemeteries... but having them squeeze my heart with every thought? Or just not having them up there? It's funny to think how someone can change your life in just a short time... a few months seem like years, and you don't know what your life would be like if you had never met that person. This memory eraser thing is just the ticket you'd need to know what your life would be like if you hadn't met that person. You'd be different... overnight you'd be different.
Monday, October 04, 2004
A year in the making... Happy Birthday Blog
(This post is from September 28th)
Before I get into anything, feel free to let me know your favorite rant from the past year... and maybe I'll have something new to say on the subject.
Now, about my trip to northern Wisconsin. The trip took seven hours from Chicago... which was longer than it should have been because of construction in Wisconsin. I ended up using all that car time to call some people and catch up. I called Sarah and Randi and Mr. John Sellers... having pleasant conversations with all involved. Except for Randi, who, despite my best efforts, continues to be a sell-out bastard punk. Heehee... no, it is true, check the footage on this video!
[Video plays]
The cabin was relaxing for the most part. My mother seems to want to be even more like HER mother now... and she's started to stay constantly anxious. From what I hear, she was pacing while I was driving up there... and she was constantly trying to plan what we were doing rather than sitting back and relaxing. This makes me worry, but it also makes me a little happy in that I know mom will find something to keep herself busy after she retires. I mean, I'm sure she's going to be really irritating to my dad, but at least she'll feel like there's stuff to be done. I think that's one of the reasons why people let themselves die when they're older: they feel like there's nothing left to be done, and they effectively give up.
My dad, on the other hand, seems ready to retire. He seems ready for lots of things... and he told me about some of them. He's noticing his body slowing down... noticing more constant aches and pains... and generally thinking more often about his death. That doesn't necessarily surprise me, but he feels that it's a lot more eminent than I want him to feel like it is. My hope is that this new project he's doing will keep him busy for the next few years.
On my way back, I used more car time for more phone calls. This time Ken, Keith, and the Southards/Colleen Kelly got charming and witty conversation. I really enjoyed my conversations with Susan, Adam and Colleen... and I am possibly more in love with Colleen now than before, if that's possible. She asked me when I plan on marrying her... and I said (as totally undesperate as possible) "I would hop a flight to LA right now if you were serious." I believe I called her bluff.
Last night (September 27th) was my Level 5 Auditions. I now have a new respect for those who I previously hated. What do I mean? Remember that Spring semester in Albion when I was a junior, and all the plays were being cast by students and no one cast me in anything? Remember how that made me bitter for a year? Now I realize how hard it is to cast people, especially when your friends are auditioning. It was unfortunate for those who auditioned, they weren't necessarily the most talented people who auditioned. Unfortunately for everyone who didn't cast me, I was the most talented one there (how's THAT for ego?). Oh well... I think the cast is great, and I can't wait to start rehearsals.
(This post is from September 28th)
Before I get into anything, feel free to let me know your favorite rant from the past year... and maybe I'll have something new to say on the subject.
Now, about my trip to northern Wisconsin. The trip took seven hours from Chicago... which was longer than it should have been because of construction in Wisconsin. I ended up using all that car time to call some people and catch up. I called Sarah and Randi and Mr. John Sellers... having pleasant conversations with all involved. Except for Randi, who, despite my best efforts, continues to be a sell-out bastard punk. Heehee... no, it is true, check the footage on this video!
[Video plays]
The cabin was relaxing for the most part. My mother seems to want to be even more like HER mother now... and she's started to stay constantly anxious. From what I hear, she was pacing while I was driving up there... and she was constantly trying to plan what we were doing rather than sitting back and relaxing. This makes me worry, but it also makes me a little happy in that I know mom will find something to keep herself busy after she retires. I mean, I'm sure she's going to be really irritating to my dad, but at least she'll feel like there's stuff to be done. I think that's one of the reasons why people let themselves die when they're older: they feel like there's nothing left to be done, and they effectively give up.
My dad, on the other hand, seems ready to retire. He seems ready for lots of things... and he told me about some of them. He's noticing his body slowing down... noticing more constant aches and pains... and generally thinking more often about his death. That doesn't necessarily surprise me, but he feels that it's a lot more eminent than I want him to feel like it is. My hope is that this new project he's doing will keep him busy for the next few years.
On my way back, I used more car time for more phone calls. This time Ken, Keith, and the Southards/Colleen Kelly got charming and witty conversation. I really enjoyed my conversations with Susan, Adam and Colleen... and I am possibly more in love with Colleen now than before, if that's possible. She asked me when I plan on marrying her... and I said (as totally undesperate as possible) "I would hop a flight to LA right now if you were serious." I believe I called her bluff.
Last night (September 27th) was my Level 5 Auditions. I now have a new respect for those who I previously hated. What do I mean? Remember that Spring semester in Albion when I was a junior, and all the plays were being cast by students and no one cast me in anything? Remember how that made me bitter for a year? Now I realize how hard it is to cast people, especially when your friends are auditioning. It was unfortunate for those who auditioned, they weren't necessarily the most talented people who auditioned. Unfortunately for everyone who didn't cast me, I was the most talented one there (how's THAT for ego?). Oh well... I think the cast is great, and I can't wait to start rehearsals.
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