Oh...the trip?

Sin City, baby. Ohhhh yeah. (To be truthful, my pop let the cat out of the bag by bellering out the location a week ago.) We cracked outta Dodge early last Friday and plopped our buns behind our rented HHR (And they were charging us for a sub-compact...HA! Eff you, Hertz!) before checking into the Strat-
http://www.stratospherehotel.com/

We napped, explored our lodgings, then gussied before we hit the restaurant at the top of the world for martini's and a PHENOMenal supper and a spinning view of greater Vegas. (Really. It spins.) http://www.stratospherehotel.com/topworld.html (We shared tuna carpaccio over a cake of rare ahi tuna, followed by shared lobster ravioli and roast chicken. Hea. Ven.)

Then a show:
http://www.stratospherehotel.com/bite.html

Big deal. Don't scoff at our love of the Vampire T#tty show. It was pure gold. A live dramatic interpretation can be provided to you by yours truly for one cocktail.

Day two was learning to play craps in the casino, then off to do some strip cruisin. (Is it just me, or did the strip grow two miles? For some reason I remember it being, shorter? And holy f#ck, there are literally 6 new casino's being built. Comedy was seeing the construction workers dressed like they were going on an Arctic expedition while Dorajar and I are in light sweaters and jeans.) That was pretty exhausting. A power nap, workout, and then it was off to the MGM grand to get SOMEone their out of town sushi fix (http://www.mgmgrand.com/dining/shibuya-japanese-restaurant.aspx) I'm not pointing fingers here, just sayin'...and sayin' again that SOMEone also has retired their mama...asking if we could take the table behind ours leftover tempura. (And by leftover...get this: A table of, like, 40 Japanese tourists exits before we're even served. They leave 3, count'em THREE full plates of tempura. I suppose it didn't hurt to ask...but man. There are, like, starving people in Japan and stuff)

Oh, the evening show? "Ka", bitches. http://www.mgmgrand.com/entertainment/ka-cirque-du-soleil-show.aspx Yes, a wirework kung-fu Cirque show. The video clip doesn't even begin to show you the enormity of the space. Holy balls...amazing. More over? When you go up to the bar and order a gin and tonic, ask for the large vs. the small, and walk away with a Big Gulp sized drink...well that's just the way to see theatre. ("Um... he poured half a bottle of Tanqueray into the glass darling.") The night ended with a trip to downtown Vegas where we lost a majority of our dough.

Day Tree was about nature. First, we needed to fill up on buffet food (a bullet point) but decided against the pricier casino's and used our two-for-one coupon for Terrible's Buffet. http://www.terribleherbst.com/casinos/lasvegas/restaurants.html We had a surreal morning of it, befriending a group of 4 senior citizens who told us all about what they either did, or didn't do...and we listened as they coveted dear Pat's monstrous strawberry covered Belgian Waffle.

After making it to the park-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Canyon_National_Conservation_Area (and getting the S#IT scared out of me by the park ranger show and telling with a freaking scorpion!) we relenquished our "Advanced Hiker" card for "Re-ray Hiker" after following the wrong trail, doubling back, and realizing we missed the trail head by 4 feet. It was a gorgeous day (high 50's) and I was inundated by text messages from MN telling me about the shitty weather they were having. I felt awful.

Dorajar started feeling crappy so I took her to Fellini's http://www.fellinislv.com/fellinis_stratosphere.htm for a garlicy dinner and watched as the waiter/owner macked on my Kool-Aid. We meandered a little bit, and then hit the hay.

I got up and left Dorajar to sleep while I hit the hotel gym and realized that I was gonna truly miss the Vegas. We packed, hit the Fashion Mall to humor me (and get some last minnit gifts) then off to visit the Luxor and Excalibur. The Luxor buffet was a three hour wait, so we happied ourselves with "Ex's" which was worth the money...but poor sick baby only could manage some mashed potatoes.

Airport.

Then Home.

Did I mention that my girlfriend is made of awesome?

Late Late Late Late...I knowwwww...

MERRY CHRIBIRFDAY TO MEEEEEEE!!!!!!!


My PC at home is out of commission (cough cough hurry and fixit Biggie cough cough) so I've been negligent as heck trying to post, soooooo rather than make this one epic I'll chunk it up into bite sized morsels, working backwards:

Christmas Tag was wonderful. Just...ugh, so much love. I started EARLY by getting up at 5:54 am (The moment I go from one age to the next) The am/afternoon was a prime rib lunch at ma and dad's, gift giving (Thank you 110 pc Socket Set/New Pots and Pans- COOKING FOR BUDDIES WILL COMMENCE) baby cheek chewing, and general revelry.

Funny. No cake. Only gelato.

The night was revelry at the downtown Hyatt with buddies/Christmas orphan's. The Market BBQ found its way in there somewhere. And when I woke up there was a half empty bottle of Balvenie whiskey, two empty bottles of wine, and one tiiiiiired 33 year old.

Did I mention that? Christmas birth AND turning the same age as Christ's last year. Weird.





And here is your thought for the day, and my hope that it brings you some comfort:

Isn't it kind of nice to know that some where, at any given second there is probably some"one" in the world thinking about you in a positive way?

Sighs...

Don't it feel like that some days?

I guess there was a wizard at rehearsal last night. We're partying in an Uptown church (For the uninitiated, churches often times give micro-theatres in the TC's reasonable deals on rehearsal space. Sometimes free. Sometimes next to AA meetings...which can make you feel bad if you've just came from the Green Mill 2 for one happy hour smelling of gin.)

They're setting up for the press kit photo call, and I guess some dude came entered the church in robes, a high hat, and a staff. One of our actor's thought he was carrying a shovel and came in from the cold...until further inspection revealed what were only described as a flowing grey coat, pointed hat, and "crystals" mounted on the end of old Stormcrow's staff.

Huh. It made me wonder when our little rehearsal space turned into "Hogwarts"?

'Course...if anyone had wandered into our neck of the woods they woulda caught an eyeful of a 6 plus foot man dressed as a woman...IJS

Not too terribly exciting...

But that's rehearsal for ya. Frids- Rehearse. Sats- Rehearse. Caturday night was fajita night + Planet Earth, followed by more ethic cuisine at Tin Roof and FeeJ's joint half b'day party. Happy half b'day's, pretty ladies. Many happy returns. (And I knoooooow the value of a good half b'day. IJS)

Sunday there was no rest for the weary, and I hosted a little soiree' for me family in the early afternoon. Snacks were nibbled. Baby cheeks were chewed. Old photo's were perused. And for some reason, my penchant for taking off my pants was discussed. (Many, MANY photo's of a baby P in his altogether.) I fit a workout in there (Very important, due to the copious amount of cheese consumed) and Dorajar and I ate Thai food and watched "Apocolypto"...a cheery Christmas film. I have concluded, that Mr. Gibson ain't got no momma.

Now I'm back at it- Work and Rehearse until Thursday. Leavin' on a jet plane eeeaaaaaarly Friday morning. Probably having a bloody Mary inflight.

I secondarily conclude, this to be the funniest GD article that I've read in a while:
http://www.cracked.com/article_15744_which-greatest-trilogy.html

Regarding Pogo-Sticks

Cracked.com....on pogo-sticks:

"Instead of joyfully bouncing around in a happy-go-lucky style, the pogo stick compresses down about 9 feet, then shoots off the ground at a velocity approaching Mach 2. Surprised, and sporting a pair of rapidly browning underpants, you release your grip from the handles and try to step off. At this point the stick would inevitably carry on its ascendancy and smash you on the chin with slightly less force than the punch of a super heavyweight boxer."



I had to bury my face in my hands after I had read this. We actually had a pogo stick my mom picked up at a garage sale when we were younger. An old, kinda rusty jobby that had once sported sparkly pinkish glitter (It may have once been red) Although we were never launched to atmospheric heights, I do distinctly remember that it only went down about an inch (due to the aforementioned rust) and...well maybe it was a balance thing, but I took more than my fair share of gravelled face plants on that thing. Step up, then next foot (quickly!) force your body downward ("Reeee-KAH" was the noise. Like a bed in a fleabag hotel) Shlipah (hands OUT!)

Actually, as I just demonstrated my pogo'ing prowess to my co-worker it occurred to me that the pogo didn't even have a one inch compression...so the effect was trying to to bounce on a metal curtain rod with petals.

Picture that one.

Well fine then...

Dorajar frassed at me a minute ago regarding my significant lack of posting over the last couple of weeks. Not a whole shite ton has really happened tho', y'know? I hosted Turkey Day, has fondue night, and have spent the subsequent weeks shaking my fist at the cold.

Well that's not allllll together true.

I joined the club. Dorajar and I went for a week free trial to frassness crossroads and I was sold. It's been a incredible boost for my spirit and soul to be training again that I had forgotten how much I need a club and the equipment as motivation. My bum shoulder has been rehab-ing, it's nice not to have aching joints from running in sub zero temps, I can do back exercises, and shower next to a bunch of naked dudes. Wait...I mean we (and I do mean we) can ogle the Barbie who leads the Runner's Club while she demonstrates squats. Yeah...that's what I meant. Join a gym. I guarantee it'll be the best decision you make.

My car was in the shop again. I need a new one. That'll be an '08 project. But the shop lent me a LOVERLY '90 Celebrity to tool around in. Just...lovely.

I got cast in, then turned down "Hank V". I want to focus on "Normal", and well...yeah.

"Normal" started last night and I'm SM'ing. It's going to be great, and you'll all be vomming with how much I peemp it.

I finished "Special Topics in Calamity Physics", "The Shining", and now I'm onto "Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell". I'm booky.

I did a video shoot for work (I'm slumming) and on the way back from the studio I got ass backwards on the 35 to 62 interchange and wound up in my old neck of the woods from circa 2003-2004 when I rented a house in SW Mipples. I noticed two things: One, it's been rehabbed and two? It's for sale. I never really bought the concept of "McMansion" until I saw it.

Before:http://minneapolis.mn.house.info/2216-house-rent
Now: http://www.edinarealty.com/Listing/ListingDetail.aspx?Listing=20268235

You got $800K to drop, call the realtor. It was like someone plopped the Wonka Mansion in a charming stucco'ed neighborhood. The neighbor did that when I lived there and made an eyesore. When will they learn?

I'm going to be going out of town from the 21st through the 24th on a surprise trip. Then I come home to turn 33 on the day of our lord Christ. Sooooo, that means around April I kick the bucket and come back three days later for ham and mimosa's...If someone see's any Roman centurion's frassin' around Nordeast, couldya call me? I'd like to be out of town. Like, I want to be out of town when the RNC comes rollin' in.