Ah-mayzing.
Next to Steve Ditko (Creator of The Amazing Spider-Man), my family, and Shakespeare…I’ve always had a very stong affection towards the speeches and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In celebration of his birthday, here are 2 of my favorites:
"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say: Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well"
And…
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. "
Good stuff, huh? The 1st time I read those quotes had an immediate effect on me. I’ve always used the 2nd quote as a sort of mantra in my life whenever I’ve felt my personal chips were down.
That being said:
I spent MLK jr day doing manual labor at my folks old house. (One of the meager ways I can show my appreciation for all that they have done for us.) As a reward, I was given permission to use their hot tub (Which. Btw needs to be mine. Oh yes. It belonnnnngs on my patio.) The tub was divine, however I was told that if I wanted to I should try reading something just to let my mind wander. There was a boxed stack of funny books, and as I dug through them I happened upon the August 1978 edition of Playboy.
I opted for the Playboy. Duh. For all of 5 seconds. The pages started getting chloriney.
I hit up my audition for Coyote Ugly on a Fence. (About 6 really cute female bartenders on death row. They get up on top of their cells and DANCE!) and instead of coming home and studying, I wound up watching ½ of War of the Worlds. (Blech. Just, Drecky.) It went fine, so keep your fingers crossed. I’m hoping it’ll at least garner a callback.
2 questions:
I’m painting my roommate’s room. Originally, it was my TV room, and was a very bright crayon-y shade of red. I’m either going to go towards a deeper red, almost merlot, or prime it and paint it royal (almost) navy blue. Discuss. (And future roommate, if you are reading this…Well, this is the story of the color of your room. The end : )
Another painting question: If you could paint a picture of anything- what would you paint? I keep on leaning towards the feminine forms, so if anyone has any idea’s I’d appreciate it. ( I have an easel, paint, canvas, and a kick-ass frame that was from an old hotel in Downtown Mipples. I’m just sort of lacking a muse)
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Night Night...sweet prince.
Well this’ll mark the end of another run, so in true ninja fashion, I’m gonna fill y’all in on the highlights- Which’ll hit you like a maelstrom of shuriken. You've been warned!
The Saturday show was divine. Actually it was one of the more solid shows during the run- my friend Tallen and her boy showed up (Yee haw. *DeeT’s- Remind me to tell you the comment my dad and his friend made: "Hoo-hoo-hooo…..who is THAT, P?" /"Um she’s my friend…and she’s kinda taken, boys. And taken by the worst POSSIBLE man ever...""/"Really? What kind is that?"/"The sonovabitch is one of the nicest guys you’d want to meet. Frass!") Yes, my family (duh) and their close friends came. (Who all loved the show. They told me later that they thought that the gally who played Ophelia was, oooooo what did they say? "Gorgeous AND charming".) Dad later asked where I learned gymnastics: Elementary school. Sorry dad. No big secret.
Rounding out the attendee's were Magrooders (Who came AGAIN!) Ikester (Who loved it. Doi, boy! I told you this was your show!) and their cute friend who hails from Bulgaria…or Iowa. Or BulgIowa. I love my NE family. And, my co-worker the Chubby Corporal (US Army-ret. Hon Discharged) he and his girl braved a long-ass commute from St. Michael which is half a world away.
(*Notable show moments: Um, I punched MD in the face. Annnnnd I think we had a very VERY charged show. Very. Lotsa contact. It was glooooorious, and I wear my bruises as medals.)
Afterwards, I stopped out at Emma’s w/Tallen and her boy (A very nice restaurant, btw. Total date recommendation.) and got this weird celebrity vibe/treatment (DT back me up here) after a couple came up to me and complimented the show…they then proceeded to comment on their disdain towards one of our local rags which didn’t give our show a lick of press. ("We actually had to look in the PRESS to get any information on the show!") You go, my delightful public.
Then, onto a party in the quiet town of St.Paul…where an inebriate CG confessed that had himself some mad-hot monkey sex on Friday the 13th. (Well, at least somebody is, right?) Apparently he plans on bending my ear some day to tell me the correlation between Kung-Fu and Schtupping. I look forward to it, with baited breath.
Sunday brought us to our bittersweet close. Another full house that included some more dear friends of mine (Ry-Gonn and girl, Euge and Brettster, Welltrained Monkey and girl…where TF has HE been? Brandino+Grimes+Carlton. Ugh. How can you not dig on the support?) We stopped down at the Tower for post show libations + Nibbles (I think the fact that we waited out front like lemmings before they opened was HI-larious) Annnnd called it a day. Well, except me. Who went home to study for a test that I failed (Feckers) and made a stop over to Target ‘cause I felt all feisty and stuff. And finally got my big box ‘O bang.
They didn’t even do the embarrassing price check this time. Word.
Comment du juor: I was told "I love it how you switch/get off topics so quickly! It's HI-larious!"
Yeeeahh. I can tell you 2-200 people who'd probably argue the exact opposite.
The Saturday show was divine. Actually it was one of the more solid shows during the run- my friend Tallen and her boy showed up (Yee haw. *DeeT’s- Remind me to tell you the comment my dad and his friend made: "Hoo-hoo-hooo…..who is THAT, P?" /"Um she’s my friend…and she’s kinda taken, boys. And taken by the worst POSSIBLE man ever...""/"Really? What kind is that?"/"The sonovabitch is one of the nicest guys you’d want to meet. Frass!") Yes, my family (duh) and their close friends came. (Who all loved the show. They told me later that they thought that the gally who played Ophelia was, oooooo what did they say? "Gorgeous AND charming".) Dad later asked where I learned gymnastics: Elementary school. Sorry dad. No big secret.
Rounding out the attendee's were Magrooders (Who came AGAIN!) Ikester (Who loved it. Doi, boy! I told you this was your show!) and their cute friend who hails from Bulgaria…or Iowa. Or BulgIowa. I love my NE family. And, my co-worker the Chubby Corporal (US Army-ret. Hon Discharged) he and his girl braved a long-ass commute from St. Michael which is half a world away.
(*Notable show moments: Um, I punched MD in the face. Annnnnd I think we had a very VERY charged show. Very. Lotsa contact. It was glooooorious, and I wear my bruises as medals.)
Afterwards, I stopped out at Emma’s w/Tallen and her boy (A very nice restaurant, btw. Total date recommendation.) and got this weird celebrity vibe/treatment (DT back me up here) after a couple came up to me and complimented the show…they then proceeded to comment on their disdain towards one of our local rags which didn’t give our show a lick of press. ("We actually had to look in the PRESS to get any information on the show!") You go, my delightful public.
Then, onto a party in the quiet town of St.Paul…where an inebriate CG confessed that had himself some mad-hot monkey sex on Friday the 13th. (Well, at least somebody is, right?) Apparently he plans on bending my ear some day to tell me the correlation between Kung-Fu and Schtupping. I look forward to it, with baited breath.
Sunday brought us to our bittersweet close. Another full house that included some more dear friends of mine (Ry-Gonn and girl, Euge and Brettster, Welltrained Monkey and girl…where TF has HE been? Brandino+Grimes+Carlton. Ugh. How can you not dig on the support?) We stopped down at the Tower for post show libations + Nibbles (I think the fact that we waited out front like lemmings before they opened was HI-larious) Annnnd called it a day. Well, except me. Who went home to study for a test that I failed (Feckers) and made a stop over to Target ‘cause I felt all feisty and stuff. And finally got my big box ‘O bang.
They didn’t even do the embarrassing price check this time. Word.
Comment du juor: I was told "I love it how you switch/get off topics so quickly! It's HI-larious!"
Yeeeahh. I can tell you 2-200 people who'd probably argue the exact opposite.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Dag...
I'm going to miss this stupid show. I'm going to miss this stupid silly little show. And I realized this last night. Damn. Just when we're starting to find our feet. Anyway. 'Nough of that.
Teeeeriffic show last night. (I still think that my kung fu sucks comparitively to the rest of the cast. Silly self-deprecating lil' me.) We were at near capacity last night, and I have a feeling that we'll probably have similar shows on tonight and tomorra. Did I mention it sucks to be closing this silly little show? The KFH website has updated it's blog, so you can check out some new P-boys goodness (See above), as well as MD catching some ridiculous air. We're all about cartwheels in this show. If we added a log roll or a pencil roll, we'd practically have a tumbling class.
LSA and hub hub were there, KWT's hub-hub and Franklin (Who be getting so big!), My dear friends TLC and BD, and another pair of ollllld friends SF and CJ. Yeah. I nearly fell apart when I told SF that we've known each other for, oooooo, 15 years now? Frickin' "Oklahoma". Frass.
Afterwards, TLC and weefie met up with the 1/2 of the WW superstars at Rude's for thingytails. (Get your a$$ back from 'Sconnie stat, Redwright) Quick question- when did being cordial and polite translate into being "flirty"? I ask the Rude's waitress what she likes to drink before I order and I'm labeled as being flirty? 'Kay. I meandered over to Nye's to meet the Gung Fu Crew and zen we hit the Front. I had almost forgot how much fun the Front was (It was crowded enough to have some energy, but empty enough to be able to move. Make sense? No? Tough) In the interest of keeping the Akkahol intake low, I opted (primarily) for a couple of Bulls and a couple of D-Coke. HOWEVER, I may as well have been drinking since frassin' 'Bulls were almost $5 a pop. The price I pay to stay caffeinated. It was boo-too fun, hanging with hot wommyn's, big brother, and good people. Yessiree.
1am and I was out. (Hey, I'm still on "old bar" time. Sue me.) Weird thing? My mother, getting off of work decides to do a "drive by" of my house as I'm pulling up in front. Yeah.
"Ummmm, Ma? This is kiiiinda weird?"
Friday, January 13, 2006
Do you miss it?
High School that is. I know a lot of peeps that really didn’t like it. They think of it as a really dark and awful time in their lives. Really Really.
Me? I had a pretty good time of it all. This comes to mind because we took the show to SF HS out in the sticks to perform for the kids. Well, I was under the distinct impression that we’d be doing it for the Glee Club, or the Theatre Geeks.
What I wasn’t expecting was close to 500 kids in a packed auditorium. Yeah.
It was a pretty big space, and most of the action took place down over the covered-pit, which we were informed was "brand new". It was sort of sprung, so whenever I did jumpy-spinny moves I caught a little more air than I’m used to getting at Intermedia. A while ago, I tried doing jumpy-spinny type moves on a trampoline with less than stellar results. (coughcough sprained ankle coughcough) That’ll teach me to try and give the ol’ tramp a stamp before a show. Do with that what you will.
Y’know something? Even though we condensed the heck out of it, we all still enjoyed a pretty smooth run.
Afterwards, we enjoyed a little Q and A with the students, where once again I proved that if I’m given a microphone I’ll use it as an opportunity to blab and blab and blab for days. The questions were cute: We had the teen mumblers ("Uhhhhh, yeah, so like, uhhhhhh, do you like, uhhhhhhh, do Kung Fu for real…Uhhhhhh, and stuff?) We even had "the dude" ask a question (You know "the dude". THE dude. The one in HS that eeeeeverybody wants to sit by during lunch period.) This kid was a smooth criminal, and his comment was: "Uhhhh, this is like, uhhh for Ophelia- I just want to say, uhhhhh, that you have the most breathtaking eyes."* (A response which got the crowd allllll riled up. Lil’ smoothie. And here’s me thinking that I had all the all-new old cheap lines. A new generation of old-school schmoozers cometh.
So, the show was received really well, even garnering the cast a complimentary email from one of the staff. It got me thinking that it’d be cool if this show was picked up and sent on the road. You know. We could do prison shows ala’ 10,000 things. Women’s prison shows even. Oooooooooo, chained heat.
Have a good weekend folks. Remember that most of us have Monday off (YEAH!) and remember above all else the man who’s birthday we’re remembering. One of my hero’s.
*Apparently he’s never seen those breathtaking eyes when they are preparing to engage in FIERCE COMBAT TO THE DEEEEAAAATH! I have…oh yes…I have…(shudders) They still haunt my dreams…
High School that is. I know a lot of peeps that really didn’t like it. They think of it as a really dark and awful time in their lives. Really Really.
Me? I had a pretty good time of it all. This comes to mind because we took the show to SF HS out in the sticks to perform for the kids. Well, I was under the distinct impression that we’d be doing it for the Glee Club, or the Theatre Geeks.
What I wasn’t expecting was close to 500 kids in a packed auditorium. Yeah.
It was a pretty big space, and most of the action took place down over the covered-pit, which we were informed was "brand new". It was sort of sprung, so whenever I did jumpy-spinny moves I caught a little more air than I’m used to getting at Intermedia. A while ago, I tried doing jumpy-spinny type moves on a trampoline with less than stellar results. (coughcough sprained ankle coughcough) That’ll teach me to try and give the ol’ tramp a stamp before a show. Do with that what you will.
Y’know something? Even though we condensed the heck out of it, we all still enjoyed a pretty smooth run.
Afterwards, we enjoyed a little Q and A with the students, where once again I proved that if I’m given a microphone I’ll use it as an opportunity to blab and blab and blab for days. The questions were cute: We had the teen mumblers ("Uhhhhh, yeah, so like, uhhhhhh, do you like, uhhhhhhh, do Kung Fu for real…Uhhhhhh, and stuff?) We even had "the dude" ask a question (You know "the dude". THE dude. The one in HS that eeeeeverybody wants to sit by during lunch period.) This kid was a smooth criminal, and his comment was: "Uhhhh, this is like, uhhh for Ophelia- I just want to say, uhhhhh, that you have the most breathtaking eyes."* (A response which got the crowd allllll riled up. Lil’ smoothie. And here’s me thinking that I had all the all-new old cheap lines. A new generation of old-school schmoozers cometh.
So, the show was received really well, even garnering the cast a complimentary email from one of the staff. It got me thinking that it’d be cool if this show was picked up and sent on the road. You know. We could do prison shows ala’ 10,000 things. Women’s prison shows even. Oooooooooo, chained heat.
Have a good weekend folks. Remember that most of us have Monday off (YEAH!) and remember above all else the man who’s birthday we’re remembering. One of my hero’s.
*Apparently he’s never seen those breathtaking eyes when they are preparing to engage in FIERCE COMBAT TO THE DEEEEAAAATH! I have…oh yes…I have…(shudders) They still haunt my dreams…
Snncxxkxcckkk! A snoring singalong
(ahem) Hug your bed. I did mine. Oooooo, what's that you say? "P...I thought you were sleeping in a van down by the river?" Close.
I got m'self a bed again. Break it down for me fella's (Techno Dance break)
Nstnst nst nst nst nst nst nst (Whoop, Whoop) nst nst nst nst (Whoop) nst nst nst nst...
Not your speed? How about old timey?
(To the tune of the "William Tell Overture")
"Gotta Bed, Gotta Bed, Gotta Bed-bed-bed...
Gotta Bed, Gotta Bed, Gotta Bed-Bed-Bed!"
No?
Maybe Kentucky Bluegrass?
(To the tune of "In the jailhouse now")
"I've got a big kid bed....
I've got a big kid...
Bed.
I've told you once 'er twicet, stop sleeping on the floor and shooting dice...
I'm in a big kid bed..."
Reaching here. Sorry. Excited over the lil' things, you see. Except that it was probably the 1st night in ohhhhhh 39 days that I've slept in a bed. And I slept 8.5 hours solid, uninterrupted, and without the use of sleeping aids.
Brilliant.
More brilliant was MD's ?: "Did you christen it yet?" Funny
Hey. One thing at a time. I got to get the damn thing off of casters and onto something solid or the 1st time I do attempt "naughty-naughty big kid time" we're (whoever the magic "we're" is) gonna slide all over the hardwood floor like we're trying to schtupp on roller skates. (Damn, the visual there must be worth the price of internet) I'll let you know when that happens in, ohhh, a year or so. ; )
I'm just sayin'.
"Gottabed, Gottabed, Gottabed-bed-bed!!!!"
I got m'self a bed again. Break it down for me fella's (Techno Dance break)
Nstnst nst nst nst nst nst nst (Whoop, Whoop) nst nst nst nst (Whoop) nst nst nst nst...
Not your speed? How about old timey?
(To the tune of the "William Tell Overture")
"Gotta Bed, Gotta Bed, Gotta Bed-bed-bed...
Gotta Bed, Gotta Bed, Gotta Bed-Bed-Bed!"
No?
Maybe Kentucky Bluegrass?
(To the tune of "In the jailhouse now")
"I've got a big kid bed....
I've got a big kid...
Bed.
I've told you once 'er twicet, stop sleeping on the floor and shooting dice...
I'm in a big kid bed..."
Reaching here. Sorry. Excited over the lil' things, you see. Except that it was probably the 1st night in ohhhhhh 39 days that I've slept in a bed. And I slept 8.5 hours solid, uninterrupted, and without the use of sleeping aids.
Brilliant.
More brilliant was MD's ?: "Did you christen it yet?" Funny
Hey. One thing at a time. I got to get the damn thing off of casters and onto something solid or the 1st time I do attempt "naughty-naughty big kid time" we're (whoever the magic "we're" is) gonna slide all over the hardwood floor like we're trying to schtupp on roller skates. (Damn, the visual there must be worth the price of internet) I'll let you know when that happens in, ohhh, a year or so. ; )
I'm just sayin'.
"Gottabed, Gottabed, Gottabed-bed-bed!!!!"
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
It's not just fancy
Or maybe it's because I'm a random dork, but...
I've been contemplating getting a Tatt.
I know, I know...you're all saying "Garsh P, you said that you'd neeeeever get a tatt. Some bull-hiney about 'Blah-de-blah-de I like my body the way it is blah-de-blah-de and some other stuff about 'I have freckles and moles, you know? Real biological tattoo's".
Yeah. Well. Yeah.
So. In the interest of jumping on the bandwagon, I plan on getting the Japanese character for the word "No"*. Ehhh? Ehhhhhh? Get it? GET IT?!?!
That's the point.
Right next to my hip bone. I've been informed that it'll hurt. As long as I have someone to hold my hand, I should be golden. I've mulled this over as I don't want to make some half-baked regrettable decision, and honestly? I think I can live w/ a little tattoo right there.
(* Not to be confused with "Noh", the Japanese masked theatre form. Did you know that the lead actors in Noh are called Shite? Do any of my other juveniles think that is some funny shi-...nevermind)
I've been contemplating getting a Tatt.
I know, I know...you're all saying "Garsh P, you said that you'd neeeeever get a tatt. Some bull-hiney about 'Blah-de-blah-de I like my body the way it is blah-de-blah-de and some other stuff about 'I have freckles and moles, you know? Real biological tattoo's".
Yeah. Well. Yeah.
So. In the interest of jumping on the bandwagon, I plan on getting the Japanese character for the word "No"*. Ehhh? Ehhhhhh? Get it? GET IT?!?!
That's the point.
Right next to my hip bone. I've been informed that it'll hurt. As long as I have someone to hold my hand, I should be golden. I've mulled this over as I don't want to make some half-baked regrettable decision, and honestly? I think I can live w/ a little tattoo right there.
(* Not to be confused with "Noh", the Japanese masked theatre form. Did you know that the lead actors in Noh are called Shite? Do any of my other juveniles think that is some funny shi-...nevermind)
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Hot
I love my spartan diet, even if it still gets me ridicule.
"What are you doing?"
"Making my lunch"
"What is it?"
"Hearty Tomato Soup"
"What are you putting in it?"
"Tabasco"
"Why are you putting that in?"
"Did my co-worker suddenly get replaced with a 6 year old?"
"Well?"
"I like the taste. I like hot sauce. Mom used to punish big brother and I with it if we swore. Rubbed it on our mouths. I acquired a taste"
"I don’t think it helped you much"
"Whatthefuckever"
"Doesn’t that make it too hot?"
"Nope. It contains capescin which is good for your metabolism. It helps your circulation."
"You’re gross"
"Your mom is gross"
I guess that little dialogue just "popped in there" when I drove past El Meson the other day. I love that restaurant and it’s been many moons since I’ve been there. I particulary enjoy telling a story about how I used to live 2 blocks away from it. A dear old friend of mine thought we should grab dinner there and as we placed our orders (I had the pineapple chicken and rice, he opted for steak. Honestly, you go to a Carribean restaurant and order steak?) he asked the server if they had hot sauce. The server asked him "How hot ya want it?". He replied "Well I’m from the South, so what’s the hottest you got?" The server presents him with "Ass in the Tub" hot sauce, complete with a little graphic of a donkey sitting in a clawfoot tub. He proceeds to liberally douse his steak with this stuff and hands it to me. I examine the bottle and pay particular attention to the comment "Do not get near eyes, or have prolonged contact with the skin". Hmm. Sounded like a hot ticket. I put a little test dollop on the corner and give it a try. Immediate mouth shock. Bad. No food taste. (insert Ralphie Wiggin-ism) Tastes like burning. I look up at my friend who is currently in the process of emptying my glass of water, slams it down, and then drinks my soda.
"Dude. I think you need milk."
"Ahhhhhhh! P…I can’t HEAR anything"
It was all resolved with a quick jump across the street to the Ice Cream shoppe. I called to check in on him the next day and he informed me that yes…the aftermath was about as bad as the ingestion.
Ass in the tub indeed.
"What are you doing?"
"Making my lunch"
"What is it?"
"Hearty Tomato Soup"
"What are you putting in it?"
"Tabasco"
"Why are you putting that in?"
"Did my co-worker suddenly get replaced with a 6 year old?"
"Well?"
"I like the taste. I like hot sauce. Mom used to punish big brother and I with it if we swore. Rubbed it on our mouths. I acquired a taste"
"I don’t think it helped you much"
"Whatthefuckever"
"Doesn’t that make it too hot?"
"Nope. It contains capescin which is good for your metabolism. It helps your circulation."
"You’re gross"
"Your mom is gross"
I guess that little dialogue just "popped in there" when I drove past El Meson the other day. I love that restaurant and it’s been many moons since I’ve been there. I particulary enjoy telling a story about how I used to live 2 blocks away from it. A dear old friend of mine thought we should grab dinner there and as we placed our orders (I had the pineapple chicken and rice, he opted for steak. Honestly, you go to a Carribean restaurant and order steak?) he asked the server if they had hot sauce. The server asked him "How hot ya want it?". He replied "Well I’m from the South, so what’s the hottest you got?" The server presents him with "Ass in the Tub" hot sauce, complete with a little graphic of a donkey sitting in a clawfoot tub. He proceeds to liberally douse his steak with this stuff and hands it to me. I examine the bottle and pay particular attention to the comment "Do not get near eyes, or have prolonged contact with the skin". Hmm. Sounded like a hot ticket. I put a little test dollop on the corner and give it a try. Immediate mouth shock. Bad. No food taste. (insert Ralphie Wiggin-ism) Tastes like burning. I look up at my friend who is currently in the process of emptying my glass of water, slams it down, and then drinks my soda.
"Dude. I think you need milk."
"Ahhhhhhh! P…I can’t HEAR anything"
It was all resolved with a quick jump across the street to the Ice Cream shoppe. I called to check in on him the next day and he informed me that yes…the aftermath was about as bad as the ingestion.
Ass in the tub indeed.
Hair Bear
I must be...
The only maroon...
Who get's all excitable...
Over haircuts.
Seriously P. WTF? And you wonder why people won't take you seriously?
Whew. I must have lost 8lbs. in "hair weight". Haircuts, Break-ups, and Mono are probably the best weight loss plans I've ever been on.
Speaking of losing some weight: Does anyone know an easy way to delete old posts? I'd really like to remove everything in 2004/05 if possible, and it's taking me forever to do it one by one.
The only maroon...
Who get's all excitable...
Over haircuts.
Seriously P. WTF? And you wonder why people won't take you seriously?
Whew. I must have lost 8lbs. in "hair weight". Haircuts, Break-ups, and Mono are probably the best weight loss plans I've ever been on.
Speaking of losing some weight: Does anyone know an easy way to delete old posts? I'd really like to remove everything in 2004/05 if possible, and it's taking me forever to do it one by one.
Monday, January 09, 2006
That's it...
I have some very specific things I'm a teensy bit OCD about. (Nothing major: Dishes, Cleaning, Taking shoes off before I enter my house, etc.) And there are little dumb things I get weird about too. As an homage to my general depth of character (Which, I'll have you know, is approximately 1 3/8th inches deep. It has been measured. For Measure.) I will inform you of what is now going down in the archives as the "P haircut StressFest"
In theatre, typically they want male actors to try and grow their hair out during the course of the run. The exceptions being when, you know, you're supposed to be bald- Or militant, or if the period setting calls for a shorter "quaffed" 'do. Mostly, it's an effect to make your head appear larger, so that you create a bigger image on the big ol' stage.
I have always kind of wanted flatter, straight hair. Having a big blonde 'fro as a child hasn't helped the cause, and the natural wave tends to take on a life of its own. This can be itinerantly frustrating when it starts to get to "That Length". When the wingers and flippers start making appearances, and no matter how liberally I apply "build-up" inducing hairspray/mousse/gel- It always outpowers the control agents and bursts free from it's shackles. Leaving me with some pretty unruly hair. Big. Not rakish, or billowy. More like Richard Marx circa 1989. Mushroomy.
So, it's cut time. I gotta get some of this shite under control before it threatens my entire way of life. I think I'm the only person in the world who treats getting a haircut as such a life-changing decision. You may say "Farg, P...just go get the shit cut if you want it cut!"
But no...I cling to the brief hope (for 3-4 months) that my hair will look like this. Which won't ever happen,(you know) since I'm not 6'2", mus-clely, devilishly handsome...or Wolverine. I have been known, however, to burst out into show tunes. That's right... Haircut. It's time.
It's not all glamour.
In theatre, typically they want male actors to try and grow their hair out during the course of the run. The exceptions being when, you know, you're supposed to be bald- Or militant, or if the period setting calls for a shorter "quaffed" 'do. Mostly, it's an effect to make your head appear larger, so that you create a bigger image on the big ol' stage.
I have always kind of wanted flatter, straight hair. Having a big blonde 'fro as a child hasn't helped the cause, and the natural wave tends to take on a life of its own. This can be itinerantly frustrating when it starts to get to "That Length". When the wingers and flippers start making appearances, and no matter how liberally I apply "build-up" inducing hairspray/mousse/gel- It always outpowers the control agents and bursts free from it's shackles. Leaving me with some pretty unruly hair. Big. Not rakish, or billowy. More like Richard Marx circa 1989. Mushroomy.
So, it's cut time. I gotta get some of this shite under control before it threatens my entire way of life. I think I'm the only person in the world who treats getting a haircut as such a life-changing decision. You may say "Farg, P...just go get the shit cut if you want it cut!"
But no...I cling to the brief hope (for 3-4 months) that my hair will look like this. Which won't ever happen,(you know) since I'm not 6'2", mus-clely, devilishly handsome...or Wolverine. I have been known, however, to burst out into show tunes. That's right... Haircut. It's time.
It's not all glamour.
Strangeness
So after the matinee, I trucked on down to the ‘Garage to soft pass a script. Many peeps reading the papers will have heard about all of the hard work that SR has put into the place, and does it show. (They even had some pretty cool feckin’ programs.) It was all kind of…humbling, to see it all. So when they all decided to head on over to Rude’s for a postie 2-fer, I naturally said "Yup". Mama 2 was kind enough to point out that I got to sibbye her Rice-liness (Okay, in fairness her man was on the other side) And I be all like: Ooooooo and Gooooo and having a ridiculous time forming complete sentences*. I talked to LSA about it, and she said that her husband does the same dang thing- Getting all flustered. A charming woman, with an incredibly generous spirit.
(*btw, it’s a new P practice for ‘06- Learning to keep my yapper shut. Let that be a lesson to you all- If I look quiet and contemplative, it’s probably because I’m really trying not to sound like an ass.)
To Redwright:
"Psst."
"What"
"She touched my leg"
"I know"
"It was by accident…but still"
At the end of the night, I think I committed myself to go on a portage trip through the boundary waters with her man. I do that a lot. This is the 2nd type of trip like that where I found myself invited without even realizing it. It’s like a drive-by invite. (Which is why I need a tattoo that says "No". Or maybe one that says "It seemed like a pretty good idea at the time")
There is a reason why I surround myself with those folks. They are really good for the soul. And if you get a chance I gotta tell ya: there is a distinct pleasure in obtaining a ssso.*
Later , "I met my ooooolllld lover for a drink last night. She seemed so glad to see me, I just smiled." We talked. We played catch up. We found out what we’d been up to for the last 3 years. The shows, vacations, what was coming up for us…It was good. It was nice.
And then 10:30pm came along, and I turned into a pumpkin. We sat there, very quietly for a few moments. Her eyes flickered over the video crack machine. Mine to the TV on the wall. We smiled at each other again.
"You have a big kid job tomorrow, huh?"
"Yup"
"Better get going"
"Yup"
And I got thinking= 3 years. We covered 3 years in 2 hours. And that was it. There just wasn’t a heck of a lot more to say.
We xchanged our #'s, and said we should get together next week or after the run is over. She gave me a big hug and a smooch. ("Your warm" /"I’m fat"/"Same old P")
And we parted. I don’t know why that just popped in there. But it did.
(*btw, it’s a new P practice for ‘06- Learning to keep my yapper shut. Let that be a lesson to you all- If I look quiet and contemplative, it’s probably because I’m really trying not to sound like an ass.)
To Redwright:
"Psst."
"What"
"She touched my leg"
"I know"
"It was by accident…but still"
At the end of the night, I think I committed myself to go on a portage trip through the boundary waters with her man. I do that a lot. This is the 2nd type of trip like that where I found myself invited without even realizing it. It’s like a drive-by invite. (Which is why I need a tattoo that says "No". Or maybe one that says "It seemed like a pretty good idea at the time")
There is a reason why I surround myself with those folks. They are really good for the soul. And if you get a chance I gotta tell ya: there is a distinct pleasure in obtaining a ssso.*
Later , "I met my ooooolllld lover for a drink last night. She seemed so glad to see me, I just smiled." We talked. We played catch up. We found out what we’d been up to for the last 3 years. The shows, vacations, what was coming up for us…It was good. It was nice.
And then 10:30pm came along, and I turned into a pumpkin. We sat there, very quietly for a few moments. Her eyes flickered over the video crack machine. Mine to the TV on the wall. We smiled at each other again.
"You have a big kid job tomorrow, huh?"
"Yup"
"Better get going"
"Yup"
And I got thinking= 3 years. We covered 3 years in 2 hours. And that was it. There just wasn’t a heck of a lot more to say.
We xchanged our #'s, and said we should get together next week or after the run is over. She gave me a big hug and a smooch. ("Your warm" /"I’m fat"/"Same old P")
And we parted. I don’t know why that just popped in there. But it did.
That was very nice.
A little slow to warm up to- but we did it! The show is up and running. Friday was a little quiet in the house ("Laugh and Clap, Bitches!" was muttered several times.) The ‘ography felt a little stiff, and I was way concerned that my blue bandana was distracting the heck outta the audience. Afterward we played Frogger, hoppin’ from bah to bah, (Finally landing at Barfly. Incidentally, it is feckin’ cool to have a brother who works DT. No Pay For Park! ) Shite. I just realized that I hadn’t been dancing in a goodly while. Probably not since big bro’s wedding. (And you know, I’m thinking that since 1/3 of the audience they were all watching the techniques. They can’t oooo and ahhh when they are focused on the technical piece.)
A tremendous crowd on Saturday (w/Redwright + Magrooders, Kaiser + Joy in attendance. Even Mama-San P showed up as a surprise!) They were hootin’ and hollerin’. The fights were tight, and it was so much fun to see how excited RSVP and MD were after receiving their well -deserved applause. ("Now I know why you do this acting thing, lil’brother!" /"Naw, I do this ‘acting thing’ for the trim. Swear.") It was just a tight show. I ended up hangin’ with the W’s at the Dragon for a minute, met up with TLC and FW (I’m not posting it here, but no Redwright- I’m not letting a brumski go. Well, at least not for another 5 minutes) I was invited to crash the CJ’s party later which was far too nice of him- Enjoyed some pate’ ("Pate’ Schmate’…I know F##king braunschweiger when I see it!" You’re a class act, P. All the way.) And ambled home to bed.
Which drags us to Sunday. I’m really not a yuge fan of Mat’s. Crowds tend to be fickle, sometimes thin, so I was pleasantly surprised that they were as responsive as they were. The crowd had such notables as my once and future roomie DeeT’s, Le Mitch and weef (I swear, if I hear "OMG, You are SO like your BROTHER" one more time. Or, "Which one of you is older?" That’s right batches, I got me some miles.) and the Bob with his loverly lady. Annnnnnnd some old school chums of mine, which is always a pleasure. (More on that in a later post)
So. It was chockablock full of Kung Fooey goodness. The body is welcoming a 3 day respite from full out fighting (My rotator cuffs are the worst. Weird, huh?) and also welcoming a respite from taking anti-inflam’s just to be able to get outta bed. Go here to see us mug: norefundstheatre.com
There you’ll see the coolness that is Wong and the cast. The pigtailedness that is MD. And the hotness that is Ro. (Redwright. He is darker bearded one)
And the dorkiness that is moi. Go see our show, readers.
A tremendous crowd on Saturday (w/Redwright + Magrooders, Kaiser + Joy in attendance. Even Mama-San P showed up as a surprise!) They were hootin’ and hollerin’. The fights were tight, and it was so much fun to see how excited RSVP and MD were after receiving their well -deserved applause. ("Now I know why you do this acting thing, lil’brother!" /"Naw, I do this ‘acting thing’ for the trim. Swear.") It was just a tight show. I ended up hangin’ with the W’s at the Dragon for a minute, met up with TLC and FW (I’m not posting it here, but no Redwright- I’m not letting a brumski go. Well, at least not for another 5 minutes) I was invited to crash the CJ’s party later which was far too nice of him- Enjoyed some pate’ ("Pate’ Schmate’…I know F##king braunschweiger when I see it!" You’re a class act, P. All the way.) And ambled home to bed.
Which drags us to Sunday. I’m really not a yuge fan of Mat’s. Crowds tend to be fickle, sometimes thin, so I was pleasantly surprised that they were as responsive as they were. The crowd had such notables as my once and future roomie DeeT’s, Le Mitch and weef (I swear, if I hear "OMG, You are SO like your BROTHER" one more time. Or, "Which one of you is older?" That’s right batches, I got me some miles.) and the Bob with his loverly lady. Annnnnnnd some old school chums of mine, which is always a pleasure. (More on that in a later post)
So. It was chockablock full of Kung Fooey goodness. The body is welcoming a 3 day respite from full out fighting (My rotator cuffs are the worst. Weird, huh?) and also welcoming a respite from taking anti-inflam’s just to be able to get outta bed. Go here to see us mug: norefundstheatre.com
There you’ll see the coolness that is Wong and the cast. The pigtailedness that is MD. And the hotness that is Ro. (Redwright. He is darker bearded one)
And the dorkiness that is moi. Go see our show, readers.
What year is it?
Another ganked "me-me"
1.What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
Won a trip to Vegas by doing an Elvis impersonation
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t believe in’em. Although I’m doing better on my resolve to get achieve "total wellness"
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Ish. Can you imagine that? You’re on the bus or something and "bawoooosh"! Someone’s water breaks.
(Sorry Kaiser- Funk and Snow had a peanut. Yes they did/)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year
5. What countries did you visit?
Vegas. It’s a foreign territory in and of itself.
6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
A completely finished kitchen
7. What date(s) from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
11/30
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Settling into my house
9. What was your biggest failure?
Heh. Having romance and love prevent me from seeing the train coming before it was 2 inches from my face.
10. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
No. Heartsick was the worst of it. I think I’ll pass on going through that again for a while. Otherwise, I had a case of indigestion after binging on redwrights southern food. But it was worth it.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Ginger-glazed Cathedral-style Maple cabinetry.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The short list: Ro, Mom, Dad, M2, Redwright, Tallen, Nanook, Skilby, Ry-Gonn…That’s the selfish short list. Oh, and I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and say SR. If you know her, you love her. An amazing gal.
Annnnnd I'll stop there.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Yeah. Online is a really wonderful place to air your dirty laundry. I’m a-gonna plead-ah the fifth-o.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Toward fixing up the Casa del P, and the evil plastic empires.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
What don’t I get really really really excited about?
16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
Golddigger
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? I don't feel comfortable answering this question.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. No one likes a skinny Santa
iii. richer or poorer? If wealth were to be determined by the amount of love shown by your family and friends, then I’m gonna have to say I’m making the Forbes list this year.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Theatre (I passed up way too many gigs) Travel. Learning to keep my big mouth shut. Schtupping...
And relaxing. I feel like I spent ’05 perpetually in motion. Does that make sense?
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worry. Cry.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
At the ‘rents during the am w/Ro+Co. It was loverly and low-key. (The night before was queer, but I haven’t spent X-mas at my parents since I was, what, 18?) That night I went to a few dinner parties, which were quite nice as well.
21. Did you fall in love in 2005?
HIT the buzzer. Yeh’ll rue the day yeh croshed me Trebek! (Can one actually type out "Connery-ism's" without them looking goofy?)
22. How many one-night stands?
I only have one nightstand. 3 drawers. No jimmy's.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Noise. I don’t typically watch it.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don’t "hate" anybody. You should be able to tolerate anyone and everyone. Everyone else isn't worth the time and energy needed to think about them.
25. What was the best book you read?
"The Professor and the Madman" and "DaVinci Code". Wonderful stuff.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Re-discovering Project Pat's: "Make that A$$ clap"
27. What did you want to get?
Are these questions here to torture and abuse? A new bathroom, garage, hottub, 4 season addition, deck, privacy fence, a 3rd bathroom...Do I stop now?
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Batman Begins, or SW:Ep III. Yes, pure geek.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
See #20. And it’s not the years, doll- It’s the mileage.
30. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Completing house projects. Meeting incredible people. Annnnd the 3 shows I did/started ("Crimes", "Hank V", and Starting "KFH")
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Taupe, is the new black.
(I’m corporate, yo. I got the khaki’s, so I can score with chicks.) Gap blue jeans and a loose shirt.
32. What kept you sane?
Ro, Mom, Dad, Redwright, Tallen, Nanook, Skilby, Ry-Gonn.
And me. I’m a pretty good "self-convincer"
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ugh. No more fancy. Jennifer Connelly hasn’t stopped calling me, dammit. Oooooo, does SR count, redwright? Damn those super-secret crushes!
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Maybe not political, but dag yo’…Natural disaster’s abound.
35. Who did you miss? Heh. Right.
36. Who was the best new person you met? Not so much met, but getting to know better some of the peeps on the short list better has been nothing shy of spiritual.
And MD + the rest of the KFH yahoo’s are all pretty good eggs.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
That it is ridiculous that so many cliche's are true. (And that love is an incredibly wonderful thing. I am a really moronic misty-eyed idealist, and this is corny as hell but if you look around you can see so many beautiful things. ) Annnnnd I learned how to text-message on my phone. (Even though I can only type in ALL CAPS right now.)
1.What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
Won a trip to Vegas by doing an Elvis impersonation
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t believe in’em. Although I’m doing better on my resolve to get achieve "total wellness"
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Ish. Can you imagine that? You’re on the bus or something and "bawoooosh"! Someone’s water breaks.
(Sorry Kaiser- Funk and Snow had a peanut. Yes they did/)
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year
5. What countries did you visit?
Vegas. It’s a foreign territory in and of itself.
6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
A completely finished kitchen
7. What date(s) from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
11/30
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Settling into my house
9. What was your biggest failure?
Heh. Having romance and love prevent me from seeing the train coming before it was 2 inches from my face.
10. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
No. Heartsick was the worst of it. I think I’ll pass on going through that again for a while. Otherwise, I had a case of indigestion after binging on redwrights southern food. But it was worth it.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Ginger-glazed Cathedral-style Maple cabinetry.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The short list: Ro, Mom, Dad, M2, Redwright, Tallen, Nanook, Skilby, Ry-Gonn…That’s the selfish short list. Oh, and I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and say SR. If you know her, you love her. An amazing gal.
Annnnnd I'll stop there.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Yeah. Online is a really wonderful place to air your dirty laundry. I’m a-gonna plead-ah the fifth-o.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Toward fixing up the Casa del P, and the evil plastic empires.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
What don’t I get really really really excited about?
16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
Golddigger
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? I don't feel comfortable answering this question.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner. No one likes a skinny Santa
iii. richer or poorer? If wealth were to be determined by the amount of love shown by your family and friends, then I’m gonna have to say I’m making the Forbes list this year.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Theatre (I passed up way too many gigs) Travel. Learning to keep my big mouth shut. Schtupping...
And relaxing. I feel like I spent ’05 perpetually in motion. Does that make sense?
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worry. Cry.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
At the ‘rents during the am w/Ro+Co. It was loverly and low-key. (The night before was queer, but I haven’t spent X-mas at my parents since I was, what, 18?) That night I went to a few dinner parties, which were quite nice as well.
21. Did you fall in love in 2005?
HIT the buzzer. Yeh’ll rue the day yeh croshed me Trebek! (Can one actually type out "Connery-ism's" without them looking goofy?)
22. How many one-night stands?
I only have one nightstand. 3 drawers. No jimmy's.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Noise. I don’t typically watch it.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don’t "hate" anybody. You should be able to tolerate anyone and everyone. Everyone else isn't worth the time and energy needed to think about them.
25. What was the best book you read?
"The Professor and the Madman" and "DaVinci Code". Wonderful stuff.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Re-discovering Project Pat's: "Make that A$$ clap"
27. What did you want to get?
Are these questions here to torture and abuse? A new bathroom, garage, hottub, 4 season addition, deck, privacy fence, a 3rd bathroom...Do I stop now?
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Batman Begins, or SW:Ep III. Yes, pure geek.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
See #20. And it’s not the years, doll- It’s the mileage.
30. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Completing house projects. Meeting incredible people. Annnnd the 3 shows I did/started ("Crimes", "Hank V", and Starting "KFH")
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Taupe, is the new black.
(I’m corporate, yo. I got the khaki’s, so I can score with chicks.) Gap blue jeans and a loose shirt.
32. What kept you sane?
Ro, Mom, Dad, Redwright, Tallen, Nanook, Skilby, Ry-Gonn.
And me. I’m a pretty good "self-convincer"
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ugh. No more fancy. Jennifer Connelly hasn’t stopped calling me, dammit. Oooooo, does SR count, redwright? Damn those super-secret crushes!
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Maybe not political, but dag yo’…Natural disaster’s abound.
35. Who did you miss? Heh. Right.
36. Who was the best new person you met? Not so much met, but getting to know better some of the peeps on the short list better has been nothing shy of spiritual.
And MD + the rest of the KFH yahoo’s are all pretty good eggs.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
That it is ridiculous that so many cliche's are true. (And that love is an incredibly wonderful thing. I am a really moronic misty-eyed idealist, and this is corny as hell but if you look around you can see so many beautiful things. ) Annnnnd I learned how to text-message on my phone. (Even though I can only type in ALL CAPS right now.)
Friday, January 06, 2006
It's finally here
I love opening night.
I love it.
"God I love it so..." (Patton)
I also have a tremendous love (sometimes) for rehearsal. (And you know there are days where rehearsal sucks, but you find your love) I find validation being able to make discoveries, find moments, finding your voice. It is amazing to discover who you are when you are onstage.
When someone asks "what is the favorite play/character you've ever done?" I have a hard time answering that (ADHD, you know) I end up talking about a rehearsal when I was running MacBeth at the Paramount in the 'Cloud. I was rehearsing w/Lady MacDuff & son (The scene right before she gets whacked) and it became intensely real for all of 5 minutes before I (Ross) exited. Intense. When we got up for notes, the director was crying, the dramaturg was crying, and our movement coach had left the room. I just didn't get it.
Later, the director promptly changed our tactics and the scene never had the same "Oomph" after that, even during the run. It was like an incredibly fulfilling sexual encounter with a person, only to have the next time (and subsequent follow-ups) be quickies. That's the best analogy I can create. Make sense?
But, I still had the memory of the 1st time. ; 0
I love the nervous energy of being in tech, which creates invariably the (occasional) feeling of being ready to open. (Lord knows many of my gentle readers know the feeling of standing onstage during final dress quietly thinking "Oh fuck...what the fuck are we going to do?") The inevitable shouts of "Focus" and "We need it QUIET backstage, please". I love getting to the theatre early, running my blocking/'Ography/lines before anyone gets there. I love hovering backstage. Talking to my castmates. All the way to moment any incidental closing music starts and you wait offstage for your turn to bow. (On the flip side- for the more lackluster productions, when you think "Thank God, only ___ more performances!" Seriously. A s#ite show that runs for 2 weekends can end up feeling like 3 months in Western ND if it doesn't do anything for you.)
Love it. All.
I also happen to love 'Fu. I'm okay at it. I practice. I have a helluva coach at home. And, if it is all right to say- it's one of the few activities I've been involved in that I feel good at. (See previous comment about having a good teacher.)
So what happens when you mix the two together in a comical little gimmick show? A really good time. I'm awfully proud to have been part of this process and to have been able to meet and work with some really funny and talented people, and some really badass M.A's. And you know something else? It's rare to be in a show with this much support. You wouldn't think it from the outside, but the dude's/ette's in the show are extremely supportive of one and other. And gawdamn, I don't think I'd actually need an audience. Or when Dr. Wong sez something liek "Okay, you have good control on your spins, so I'm going to come in a lot closer. Cool?" Hell yeah. Or from the get go when it wasn't just "Okay, blocking blocking blocking..." when doing stagey combat- It was, ohhhh more like "CLASH" (Quote for the quote board: MD saying "Look you just need to come up behind me and fucking grab me, okay?" Post stronger bear-hug "Yeah, thas' better.") Or going full out in a fight and being asked to "slow it down" Cool.
Maybe that's it. It's effin' Cool.
Most importantly (to me), it's gratifying to be in a show with my big brother. Go figure, the serendipity/kismet/fated moment we're in a show together. (Considering he joined Karate and I hopped on the bandwagon right after. Oh well, you figure if he's going to be in a show- What could be more perfect for him?) And I know that ham is having the time of his life. It's been a painful, bittersweet, organic experience...and a fookload of fun. I really hope that people come and see this bad boy.
That being said, I wonder if I drank a bottle of Dit Da Jao, and started sweating it out my pores during the show- Would it cure all the bumps and bruises from the inside out? Discuss.
Quote for the day: (From the mouth of big brother) : "I fucking love this kung-fu shit!" (At the end of rehearsal) : "I fucking hate this kung fu shit"
Awwww yeeeeah.
(MD looks like she has track marks on top of her forearms. I thought I was getting carpal tunnel until I realized that it was just the numbness of getting whacked.)
I love it.
"God I love it so..." (Patton)
I also have a tremendous love (sometimes) for rehearsal. (And you know there are days where rehearsal sucks, but you find your love) I find validation being able to make discoveries, find moments, finding your voice. It is amazing to discover who you are when you are onstage.
When someone asks "what is the favorite play/character you've ever done?" I have a hard time answering that (ADHD, you know) I end up talking about a rehearsal when I was running MacBeth at the Paramount in the 'Cloud. I was rehearsing w/Lady MacDuff & son (The scene right before she gets whacked) and it became intensely real for all of 5 minutes before I (Ross) exited. Intense. When we got up for notes, the director was crying, the dramaturg was crying, and our movement coach had left the room. I just didn't get it.
Later, the director promptly changed our tactics and the scene never had the same "Oomph" after that, even during the run. It was like an incredibly fulfilling sexual encounter with a person, only to have the next time (and subsequent follow-ups) be quickies. That's the best analogy I can create. Make sense?
But, I still had the memory of the 1st time. ; 0
I love the nervous energy of being in tech, which creates invariably the (occasional) feeling of being ready to open. (Lord knows many of my gentle readers know the feeling of standing onstage during final dress quietly thinking "Oh fuck...what the fuck are we going to do?") The inevitable shouts of "Focus" and "We need it QUIET backstage, please". I love getting to the theatre early, running my blocking/'Ography/lines before anyone gets there. I love hovering backstage. Talking to my castmates. All the way to moment any incidental closing music starts and you wait offstage for your turn to bow. (On the flip side- for the more lackluster productions, when you think "Thank God, only ___ more performances!" Seriously. A s#ite show that runs for 2 weekends can end up feeling like 3 months in Western ND if it doesn't do anything for you.)
Love it. All.
I also happen to love 'Fu. I'm okay at it. I practice. I have a helluva coach at home. And, if it is all right to say- it's one of the few activities I've been involved in that I feel good at. (See previous comment about having a good teacher.)
So what happens when you mix the two together in a comical little gimmick show? A really good time. I'm awfully proud to have been part of this process and to have been able to meet and work with some really funny and talented people, and some really badass M.A's. And you know something else? It's rare to be in a show with this much support. You wouldn't think it from the outside, but the dude's/ette's in the show are extremely supportive of one and other. And gawdamn, I don't think I'd actually need an audience. Or when Dr. Wong sez something liek "Okay, you have good control on your spins, so I'm going to come in a lot closer. Cool?" Hell yeah. Or from the get go when it wasn't just "Okay, blocking blocking blocking..." when doing stagey combat- It was, ohhhh more like "CLASH" (Quote for the quote board: MD saying "Look you just need to come up behind me and fucking grab me, okay?" Post stronger bear-hug "Yeah, thas' better.") Or going full out in a fight and being asked to "slow it down" Cool.
Maybe that's it. It's effin' Cool.
Most importantly (to me), it's gratifying to be in a show with my big brother. Go figure, the serendipity/kismet/fated moment we're in a show together. (Considering he joined Karate and I hopped on the bandwagon right after. Oh well, you figure if he's going to be in a show- What could be more perfect for him?) And I know that ham is having the time of his life. It's been a painful, bittersweet, organic experience...and a fookload of fun. I really hope that people come and see this bad boy.
That being said, I wonder if I drank a bottle of Dit Da Jao, and started sweating it out my pores during the show- Would it cure all the bumps and bruises from the inside out? Discuss.
Quote for the day: (From the mouth of big brother) : "I fucking love this kung-fu shit!" (At the end of rehearsal) : "I fucking hate this kung fu shit"
Awwww yeeeeah.
(MD looks like she has track marks on top of her forearms. I thought I was getting carpal tunnel until I realized that it was just the numbness of getting whacked.)
Because these days, you want to know...
Ask me a question. Any question. And I'll answer it 100% honestly. However in return, I get to ask you a question back which you must answer with honesty as well.Anyone else can join in answering a question as well that has been previously asked, as if the question had been asked to them. They can then ask a question as well. And so on and so forth. Thinking of it as a confessional/get to know people pyramid scheme.Here's your chance, kids. That thing you've either been dying to know, or dying to get me to admit in a public forum. No holds barred, and anonymous comments are fair game.
I s'pose this is kinda dumb, since I am an open book in all things (Well, I reserve the right to withhold 25-32% of my life for privacy issues)
Ax away!
I s'pose this is kinda dumb, since I am an open book in all things (Well, I reserve the right to withhold 25-32% of my life for privacy issues)
Ax away!
Thursday, January 05, 2006
My arm smells like Chinese Food.
Okay, so technically not food.
Our esteemed director brought a bottle of Dit Da Jao to rehearsal last night. For the layperson, it's a potent little mix to be rubbed on bruises and bumps, and is also rumored to "toughen the skin". It is favored by Kung Fu stylists, who tend to spar/practice using boo-too forearm strikes.
After our Hamlet used some on himself, he asked if I needed any (On the aforementioned "Ker-whacked" forearm) I agreed, and he did the applying and the rubbing and the smacking (Kinky, I know.) Ophelia had some put on her bruises (My bad girl. Until ya tell me otherwise I'm still gonna do it that hard. ) aaaaannnnd...
I took a sniff. Hmmmm...this smells like Chinese Food. Well, not exactly like Chinese Food, but you know. Like a poultice-homage to Chinese Food. And even after getting cleaned up afterwards, I still could faintly smell it this morning.
But... my arm isn't sore today. Dit Da JAO!!!!!
Our esteemed director brought a bottle of Dit Da Jao to rehearsal last night. For the layperson, it's a potent little mix to be rubbed on bruises and bumps, and is also rumored to "toughen the skin". It is favored by Kung Fu stylists, who tend to spar/practice using boo-too forearm strikes.
After our Hamlet used some on himself, he asked if I needed any (On the aforementioned "Ker-whacked" forearm) I agreed, and he did the applying and the rubbing and the smacking (Kinky, I know.) Ophelia had some put on her bruises (My bad girl. Until ya tell me otherwise I'm still gonna do it that hard. ) aaaaannnnd...
I took a sniff. Hmmmm...this smells like Chinese Food. Well, not exactly like Chinese Food, but you know. Like a poultice-homage to Chinese Food. And even after getting cleaned up afterwards, I still could faintly smell it this morning.
But... my arm isn't sore today. Dit Da JAO!!!!!
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Kinda reminds me of "Short Circuit"
"# 5 is alive!!!", you know...back when Steve Guttenberg was cool?
I'm going out on a limb by saying 2005 was a re-dick year. Therefore, '06 will be for P:
And most importantly- I'm sinking this introspection trend. I believe that I should take this year as an opportunity to experience the journey, and take a minute afterwards to reflect.
Bogarted from Portana "That which is 5 and good!!!"-
5 Snacks I Enjoy: The cherry at the bottom of a Tom Collins, Pinot Grigio, St.Croix Vineyards Raspberry Infusion Dessert Wine, Yogurt covered Pretzels
5 snacks I actually snack on: Yogurt, Carrot Sticks, Banana's, Fat Free Cottage Cheese, Plain Pretzels. Yeah.
5 Musical Artists I like: Sting (and the Police), Prince, Miles Davis, Sarah MacLachlan, Showtunes. (Read my profile fer pete's sake!)
5 Things I would do with $100,000,000: Ah, dreams. I would do quite a bit more than 5 things. The biggest would be becoming a social crusader. Those who have more, need to give more.
Top 5 Locations I'd run away to: The Maldives, Maui, Madrid, Sydney in the winter, 4 corners...God's Country. Even if you aren't outdoorsy, it is incredibly beautiful.
5 Bad habits I have: Idealistic (It's burned me before, badly. Just don't mistake it for naivety, dig? It's tough to have old-fashioned ideals about love, romance, respect, acceptance, understanding...when there are so many people out there that don't.) ADHD (Yeah. It creates the impression of absent-mindedness, and I have to make sure I say a name over again in my head to remember. I'm better at it than most) Anal Retentive. (No dishes, I like cleaning, dusting, laundry, the works. ) Self-Deprecating (To a fault. Chubs, Ugly, Dumb...I'm my own worst enema somedays. Other days, we're pretty good friends.) Talking too much. (Speaks for itself. I'm working on that. )
5 Things I like Doing: Travel, Cooking, 'Fu, Exercise, and Reading.
5 Things I would Never Wear: A thong. (Once...just once. It's bad enough if I have to wear a dance belt for a show) Pre-ripped jeans (WTF? This is a trend?) Pastel/Pink (Sorry. The last pink shirt I owned was from County Seat Outlet. Ocean Pacific, or Nuovo. Yes, my brother and I loved "Miami Vice") Piercings. (Ummm...it's cool if it works for you. Me? I'm a big nerve ending anyway...and I don't think I need that. Nips, Albert, Nose. I thought about it, and I just don't believe it's me. If there is a me.) Anything See-Through. (You don't wanna see that. More specifically, anything sheer-or like the fishnetty tank tops that were popular with guys circa 1982)
5 TV Shows I like: I'm not a big TV head. Actually it hasn't been on in over 5 weeks.
5 Movies I like: Yeesh. Considering how pop culture topical I am?
Okay: These'll constitute movies I can watch repeatedly, annually. They are like a good book that you know you can always fall back on.
Ghostbusters, Lord of the Rings Trilogy (It's all one story!), Star Wars (HEY, it's all one story!), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002...although this may fall out of the repetoire for a while) and one or all of the following (Not really "1", but I toss them together all the same) Kill Bills, Legend of Drunken Master, The Matrix, Kung Fu Hustle (A gem), Iron Monkey, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Rapid Fire (Seriously- Brandon Lee is one bad mamma jamma. And the Jeff Imada 'Ography is incredible) Best of the Best (So, I only fast forward this to the fights. Only because Phillip and Simon Rhee's Dad founded the concept that my karate school was based on. And the fights are bad-ass)
QUICK POLL!
Red Lobster or Olive Garden. I know that it isn't the Oceannaire or D'Amico Cucina...but work just gave me a $50 gift card for winning a voiceover demo contest and it's redeemable at both. DECISIONS DECISIONS!
(I'm gonna throw my hat 1st towards the 'Slobster. More mileage for seafood, ya know?)
I'm going out on a limb by saying 2005 was a re-dick year. Therefore, '06 will be for P:
- A year of travel (I gotta line on trips, yo. SF, LA, NYC, I may even try Vega$ again...I'm gone)
- Professional Growth (I've got way too many Business Analyst and Ins. Classes lined up. )
- I'm going to get cast in challenging shows. (Not just the one's that beat the tar outta me.)
- More time with Family
- More time with Friends
- More time on House Projects
- More time at the Dojo
And most importantly- I'm sinking this introspection trend. I believe that I should take this year as an opportunity to experience the journey, and take a minute afterwards to reflect.
Bogarted from Portana "That which is 5 and good!!!"-
5 Snacks I Enjoy: The cherry at the bottom of a Tom Collins, Pinot Grigio, St.Croix Vineyards Raspberry Infusion Dessert Wine, Yogurt covered Pretzels
5 snacks I actually snack on: Yogurt, Carrot Sticks, Banana's, Fat Free Cottage Cheese, Plain Pretzels. Yeah.
5 Musical Artists I like: Sting (and the Police), Prince, Miles Davis, Sarah MacLachlan, Showtunes. (Read my profile fer pete's sake!)
5 Things I would do with $100,000,000: Ah, dreams. I would do quite a bit more than 5 things. The biggest would be becoming a social crusader. Those who have more, need to give more.
Top 5 Locations I'd run away to: The Maldives, Maui, Madrid, Sydney in the winter, 4 corners...God's Country. Even if you aren't outdoorsy, it is incredibly beautiful.
5 Bad habits I have: Idealistic (It's burned me before, badly. Just don't mistake it for naivety, dig? It's tough to have old-fashioned ideals about love, romance, respect, acceptance, understanding...when there are so many people out there that don't.) ADHD (Yeah. It creates the impression of absent-mindedness, and I have to make sure I say a name over again in my head to remember. I'm better at it than most) Anal Retentive. (No dishes, I like cleaning, dusting, laundry, the works. ) Self-Deprecating (To a fault. Chubs, Ugly, Dumb...I'm my own worst enema somedays. Other days, we're pretty good friends.) Talking too much. (Speaks for itself. I'm working on that. )
5 Things I like Doing: Travel, Cooking, 'Fu, Exercise, and Reading.
5 Things I would Never Wear: A thong. (Once...just once. It's bad enough if I have to wear a dance belt for a show) Pre-ripped jeans (WTF? This is a trend?) Pastel/Pink (Sorry. The last pink shirt I owned was from County Seat Outlet. Ocean Pacific, or Nuovo. Yes, my brother and I loved "Miami Vice") Piercings. (Ummm...it's cool if it works for you. Me? I'm a big nerve ending anyway...and I don't think I need that. Nips, Albert, Nose. I thought about it, and I just don't believe it's me. If there is a me.) Anything See-Through. (You don't wanna see that. More specifically, anything sheer-or like the fishnetty tank tops that were popular with guys circa 1982)
5 TV Shows I like: I'm not a big TV head. Actually it hasn't been on in over 5 weeks.
5 Movies I like: Yeesh. Considering how pop culture topical I am?
Okay: These'll constitute movies I can watch repeatedly, annually. They are like a good book that you know you can always fall back on.
Ghostbusters, Lord of the Rings Trilogy (It's all one story!), Star Wars (HEY, it's all one story!), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002...although this may fall out of the repetoire for a while) and one or all of the following (Not really "1", but I toss them together all the same) Kill Bills, Legend of Drunken Master, The Matrix, Kung Fu Hustle (A gem), Iron Monkey, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Rapid Fire (Seriously- Brandon Lee is one bad mamma jamma. And the Jeff Imada 'Ography is incredible) Best of the Best (So, I only fast forward this to the fights. Only because Phillip and Simon Rhee's Dad founded the concept that my karate school was based on. And the fights are bad-ass)
QUICK POLL!
Red Lobster or Olive Garden. I know that it isn't the Oceannaire or D'Amico Cucina...but work just gave me a $50 gift card for winning a voiceover demo contest and it's redeemable at both. DECISIONS DECISIONS!
(I'm gonna throw my hat 1st towards the 'Slobster. More mileage for seafood, ya know?)
Damn.
The W.Va mining travesty is absolutely horrible, and in light of a previous fluffy blog I want to add something to my list of fears-
Buried Alive. Horrible. Can't stand the thought. It has supplanted my unnatural fear of being eaten by a great white shark (Which, btw, a friend of mine told me "Would actually be a pretty cool death". Okay. I can dig it.)
During the H'weenie season, the G and G tourguides get to tell 2 really narsty stories regarding live burial/trapped and buried alive, one of which is a natural mining disaster. (Which, if you want to hear them, you'll need to go on the tours. Annnnd, coughcough, the guides would loooooove to tell the Milford Mining story at the Wolf Caves again...I'mjustsayin'. ; ) These are my two favorite stories to tell, and I can sell'em pretty well- but only because of that fear.
I think it originally came to fruition during my childhood. Living in a cul-de-sac, the snow-plows would always push the biggest mound in front of my parents house. It made for perfect "fort building", but there were two times while tunnelling that the sumbitching thing caved in on me, and I had to get pulled out by the heels of my moon boots.
When I was 13 and in the 'Scouts, one of our camping trips was to Eagle Cave out in 'Sconnie. A fantastic time and one of my favorite trips- In the dead of winter, camping in a cave which held the balmy temperature of 52 degrees F. We'd climb around and down and down. Deeper. There were bats, and drips, a stalactites and stalagmites. Chambered rooms where you couldn't touch the ceiling lest it fall.
And even though I had a malleable 13 year olds body (read: Rubenesque), me and the old moobs managed to get wedged in real good while exploring. Facing down. With no room for purchase. Yeah. That fear was pretty immediate, and I remember getting a pretty good scratch around my tummy from freaking out and trying to pull my body out. (Funny that, our Australian scoutmaster told me it kinda looked like a shark bite. So I guess I've already survived that one and no longer need the fear.)
Oddly enough, that same year the Voodoo/Tetratodoxin movie "The Serpent and the Rainbow" came out with that deliciously creepy tag line "Don't let them bury me...I'm not dead!". Yeah. I don't know which gave me worse nightmares: The thought of being drugged up on dried up blowfish and buried alive, or Bill Pullman's over-the-toppedness.
So yeah. There's my fear. My heart goes out to their families during this awful time.
Buried Alive. Horrible. Can't stand the thought. It has supplanted my unnatural fear of being eaten by a great white shark (Which, btw, a friend of mine told me "Would actually be a pretty cool death". Okay. I can dig it.)
During the H'weenie season, the G and G tourguides get to tell 2 really narsty stories regarding live burial/trapped and buried alive, one of which is a natural mining disaster. (Which, if you want to hear them, you'll need to go on the tours. Annnnd, coughcough, the guides would loooooove to tell the Milford Mining story at the Wolf Caves again...I'mjustsayin'. ; ) These are my two favorite stories to tell, and I can sell'em pretty well- but only because of that fear.
I think it originally came to fruition during my childhood. Living in a cul-de-sac, the snow-plows would always push the biggest mound in front of my parents house. It made for perfect "fort building", but there were two times while tunnelling that the sumbitching thing caved in on me, and I had to get pulled out by the heels of my moon boots.
When I was 13 and in the 'Scouts, one of our camping trips was to Eagle Cave out in 'Sconnie. A fantastic time and one of my favorite trips- In the dead of winter, camping in a cave which held the balmy temperature of 52 degrees F. We'd climb around and down and down. Deeper. There were bats, and drips, a stalactites and stalagmites. Chambered rooms where you couldn't touch the ceiling lest it fall.
And even though I had a malleable 13 year olds body (read: Rubenesque), me and the old moobs managed to get wedged in real good while exploring. Facing down. With no room for purchase. Yeah. That fear was pretty immediate, and I remember getting a pretty good scratch around my tummy from freaking out and trying to pull my body out. (Funny that, our Australian scoutmaster told me it kinda looked like a shark bite. So I guess I've already survived that one and no longer need the fear.)
Oddly enough, that same year the Voodoo/Tetratodoxin movie "The Serpent and the Rainbow" came out with that deliciously creepy tag line "Don't let them bury me...I'm not dead!". Yeah. I don't know which gave me worse nightmares: The thought of being drugged up on dried up blowfish and buried alive, or Bill Pullman's over-the-toppedness.
So yeah. There's my fear. My heart goes out to their families during this awful time.
WHACK...
More like a "whaaaack"...but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The air mattress worked its evil wonders on me the other night, and I awoke the other day to a very cranky and stiff neck. I never get these dumb owies, so when I got to rehearsal last night and started stretching I implored my big bro to give'er a push. I've mentioned before that I have a fairly high tolerance to pain, coupled with a very high "ick" factor. (It's the anticipation of pain that I can't quite stomach. Just frickin' do it, and get on with it.) I don't know if years of getting kicked in the gob did it, or if it was the jock-o/suck it up attitude that ma and pa instilled. I just don't mind soreness/dings/etc. And I'm not an awfully big fan of taking NSAID's.
Well. 800mg of Ibuprofen and I'm at rehearsal.
Brother pushed the knot and I felt a very intense and brief explosion throughout my shoulder. White, hot, and cold all at once. It was glorious. And it cleared my brain.
"Jesus _____, there it is. (whispered) is that from sleeping on the air mattress?"
"Naw. That's my twin I absorbed in utero. Well, either that or where my angel wing is gonna pop out"
I'm ridiculous. But, the knot is broken. And there is prolly gonna be a photo of my brother giving me a backrub on the website. I know it. Angelina and her pervy brother got nothing on the P boys.
Which brings me back to pain.
Later, I was whacked over the forearm by a broomstick handle. (Bro said later: "I knew it probably hurt when you didn't make a smart ass comment afterward"). Granted it was covered in foam, but damn. Chowie felt bad. And I started to feel like I shoulda taken out a better insurance policy before accepting the gig.
I get home later- Sweaty, tired, and ready for bed. And as I'm in the shower* letting the hot water do its thing, I realize that it's helping me discover the other little aches...and then let them go. (How does one get a papercut on his foot? Must've been the spike tape. )
It's weird kids, and I'm not even kidding about this: I love it. I am thoroughly enjoying this whole experience as both a performer and a martial artist. Including every ding and scratch. It isn't a creepy feeling of S/M-my naughtiness, pain equalling pleasure, or an excuse to use as a way of forgetting "other things".
It just makes me feel...alive.
Crazy, huh?
* So, I'm shaving in the shower and I forget a part of my neck. Normally no big deal, except (1) I look like I'm trying to grow a mohawk over my Adam's Apple and (2) I have an on-camera today. Riiiiiight. Pretty man, P. Pretty Man. I probably shouldn't be hella worried, since the last on-camera I did was the day after I thought showering in fiberglass insulation was a good idea. (Of course you remember? The day I looked stoned with the little cuts all over my face? The Sherwin Williams deal?)
I really should be banned from home repair projects. And grooming. If you see me again, I'll be at Petsmart getting shaved.
The air mattress worked its evil wonders on me the other night, and I awoke the other day to a very cranky and stiff neck. I never get these dumb owies, so when I got to rehearsal last night and started stretching I implored my big bro to give'er a push. I've mentioned before that I have a fairly high tolerance to pain, coupled with a very high "ick" factor. (It's the anticipation of pain that I can't quite stomach. Just frickin' do it, and get on with it.) I don't know if years of getting kicked in the gob did it, or if it was the jock-o/suck it up attitude that ma and pa instilled. I just don't mind soreness/dings/etc. And I'm not an awfully big fan of taking NSAID's.
Well. 800mg of Ibuprofen and I'm at rehearsal.
Brother pushed the knot and I felt a very intense and brief explosion throughout my shoulder. White, hot, and cold all at once. It was glorious. And it cleared my brain.
"Jesus _____, there it is. (whispered) is that from sleeping on the air mattress?"
"Naw. That's my twin I absorbed in utero. Well, either that or where my angel wing is gonna pop out"
I'm ridiculous. But, the knot is broken. And there is prolly gonna be a photo of my brother giving me a backrub on the website. I know it. Angelina and her pervy brother got nothing on the P boys.
Which brings me back to pain.
Later, I was whacked over the forearm by a broomstick handle. (Bro said later: "I knew it probably hurt when you didn't make a smart ass comment afterward"). Granted it was covered in foam, but damn. Chowie felt bad. And I started to feel like I shoulda taken out a better insurance policy before accepting the gig.
I get home later- Sweaty, tired, and ready for bed. And as I'm in the shower* letting the hot water do its thing, I realize that it's helping me discover the other little aches...and then let them go. (How does one get a papercut on his foot? Must've been the spike tape. )
It's weird kids, and I'm not even kidding about this: I love it. I am thoroughly enjoying this whole experience as both a performer and a martial artist. Including every ding and scratch. It isn't a creepy feeling of S/M-my naughtiness, pain equalling pleasure, or an excuse to use as a way of forgetting "other things".
It just makes me feel...alive.
Crazy, huh?
* So, I'm shaving in the shower and I forget a part of my neck. Normally no big deal, except (1) I look like I'm trying to grow a mohawk over my Adam's Apple and (2) I have an on-camera today. Riiiiiight. Pretty man, P. Pretty Man. I probably shouldn't be hella worried, since the last on-camera I did was the day after I thought showering in fiberglass insulation was a good idea. (Of course you remember? The day I looked stoned with the little cuts all over my face? The Sherwin Williams deal?)
I really should be banned from home repair projects. And grooming. If you see me again, I'll be at Petsmart getting shaved.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Ooooo, Listy McListerson
What's your favorite thing to do when no one else is around? Read. Practice Forms. Try to (gamely) tap. Workout. Vacuum Naked.
Name a guilty pleasure. Reading and writing. I love books, and if I had more hours in a day I would spend hours reading. (From Non-Fiction to Dreck-y Pop Culture rags) And I've been writing shite down for a couple of months now in the interest of either writing a play or just..doing an open mic night.
What's your greatest fear? Moooovin' on. (Mostly growing older alone. I don't fear death. A dumb or accidental death, yes. I also can't stand the thought of falling. Heights, no prob. Falling would suck.)
What's your favorite part of your body? Arms. And pretty eyes. Otherwise I'm pretty milqetoast from an outside perspective.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Somedays...(sighs) it kills me to be so moony/romantic/idealistic. And, I'd give myself a 16 inch phallus. It'd double as a belt.
What's your idea of perfect happiness? Peace of mind. Being content. Loving someone and being loved in return the same way. Daily laughter. Relaxing. Being dressed in sun-god robes while 1,000's of beautiful naked women throw little pickles at me. Am I the only one with that dream?
What's something you're good at that's totally useless? Useless trivia. Which can come in handy when your friend Matt calls you from LA asking "Who sang that lame-o song from the 1993 version of 'The 3 Musketeers'?" (Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting. VO-mit)
What's your favorite album for a night of steamy monkey love? WTF? Nature. Something about being at a cabin with the windows open. Or a late night rainstorm in May.
What was your most memorable celebrity encounter? Gawd. Which one. I nearly spilled a latte' on Denise Richards filming "Drop Dead Gorgeous".
Who would you like to trade places with for a day? Johnny Depp. He's got it pretty good I'd wager.
Who's your favorite fictional character? Atticus Finch.
What Hollywood star would play you in a documentary based on your life? Sean Penn. Doi.
What song(s) best represents the soundtrack of your life? "This Island Earth" by the Nylons. If only for the first line: "Calling all dreamers, and optimistic fools. Don't let go of your dreams make them now, make them all come true. If you believe in a brighter day, you know you will find a way" Yup. Mr. Sensitivity. It was either that or Project Pat's "Make that A$$ clap"
If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
A yeti.
When you were a kid growing up, who did you imitate when you stood in front of the mirror?
So many things. Our imaginations were our best friends. (Me ma tells me that she caught me singing some Roy Orbison song when I was 3)
Name a book you've read recently and liked. I've just started "A Million Little Pieces". It's a pretty engaging read. I think Kaiser would really get a lot out of it.
Name a film you've seen recently and liked. Kong was recent. And decent. (The frickin' bug-pit scene just...ick.)
Name an album you've heard recently and liked. Concert okay? Pat McCurdy
Finish this line: "If we can send a man to the moon, then why... ?" Do I still feel the way I feel?
What will you remember most about the '90's? 90-95 were pretty teen/early 20's angsty. EVERYthing was so fucking serious and life changing. When in truth? It wasn't.
The latter part of the decade was pretty big in terms of personal and professional growth. I took school more seriously, I was single for the 1st time in forevah, and living by myself. So, I learned a lot and wound up figuring out the most important thing: I'm not going to stop making new personal discoveries. (Hopefully I will stop making Hallmark-y comments like that anymore either and just enjoy the quiet satisfaction that these are good life choices to make. )
And 1999, from what I remember, had a very good summer.
Name a guilty pleasure. Reading and writing. I love books, and if I had more hours in a day I would spend hours reading. (From Non-Fiction to Dreck-y Pop Culture rags) And I've been writing shite down for a couple of months now in the interest of either writing a play or just..doing an open mic night.
What's your greatest fear? Moooovin' on. (Mostly growing older alone. I don't fear death. A dumb or accidental death, yes. I also can't stand the thought of falling. Heights, no prob. Falling would suck.)
What's your favorite part of your body? Arms. And pretty eyes. Otherwise I'm pretty milqetoast from an outside perspective.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Somedays...(sighs) it kills me to be so moony/romantic/idealistic. And, I'd give myself a 16 inch phallus. It'd double as a belt.
What's your idea of perfect happiness? Peace of mind. Being content. Loving someone and being loved in return the same way. Daily laughter. Relaxing. Being dressed in sun-god robes while 1,000's of beautiful naked women throw little pickles at me. Am I the only one with that dream?
What's something you're good at that's totally useless? Useless trivia. Which can come in handy when your friend Matt calls you from LA asking "Who sang that lame-o song from the 1993 version of 'The 3 Musketeers'?" (Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting. VO-mit)
What's your favorite album for a night of steamy monkey love? WTF? Nature. Something about being at a cabin with the windows open. Or a late night rainstorm in May.
What was your most memorable celebrity encounter? Gawd. Which one. I nearly spilled a latte' on Denise Richards filming "Drop Dead Gorgeous".
Who would you like to trade places with for a day? Johnny Depp. He's got it pretty good I'd wager.
Who's your favorite fictional character? Atticus Finch.
What Hollywood star would play you in a documentary based on your life? Sean Penn. Doi.
What song(s) best represents the soundtrack of your life? "This Island Earth" by the Nylons. If only for the first line: "Calling all dreamers, and optimistic fools. Don't let go of your dreams make them now, make them all come true. If you believe in a brighter day, you know you will find a way" Yup. Mr. Sensitivity. It was either that or Project Pat's "Make that A$$ clap"
If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
A yeti.
When you were a kid growing up, who did you imitate when you stood in front of the mirror?
So many things. Our imaginations were our best friends. (Me ma tells me that she caught me singing some Roy Orbison song when I was 3)
Name a book you've read recently and liked. I've just started "A Million Little Pieces". It's a pretty engaging read. I think Kaiser would really get a lot out of it.
Name a film you've seen recently and liked. Kong was recent. And decent. (The frickin' bug-pit scene just...ick.)
Name an album you've heard recently and liked. Concert okay? Pat McCurdy
Finish this line: "If we can send a man to the moon, then why... ?" Do I still feel the way I feel?
What will you remember most about the '90's? 90-95 were pretty teen/early 20's angsty. EVERYthing was so fucking serious and life changing. When in truth? It wasn't.
The latter part of the decade was pretty big in terms of personal and professional growth. I took school more seriously, I was single for the 1st time in forevah, and living by myself. So, I learned a lot and wound up figuring out the most important thing: I'm not going to stop making new personal discoveries. (Hopefully I will stop making Hallmark-y comments like that anymore either and just enjoy the quiet satisfaction that these are good life choices to make. )
And 1999, from what I remember, had a very good summer.
It made a noise...
"Tock!" That's what it sounded like.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
1st-Happy New Year. I hope that everybody had a safe and enjoyable NYE surrounded by people you love.* I also wanted to let you know that I may be switching format's here in a couple of weeks. There is quite a bit of archived goodness here that I'm going to need to unload, so you maybe informed of a new and improved weblog/journalishness.
That being said: Things topical.
Kung Fu Hamlet
We open this Friday. Crunchtime. Yeesh. I just started to get saavy on my first fight and last night I finally made it through the "burly brawl" final fight with Hamlet. Opening in 3 days? No problem. Incidentally, read the 'blog on the No Refunds website. HI-larious. If anyone asks, yes we do hit each other sometimes. Hard. The sound effect I mentioned earlier?
Part of my first family fight is a bear hug grab to Ophelia. She's an a very talentd Martial Artist, and to get out of the bear hug, she throws both her elbows back into me then does the whole "Bruce Lee behind the head backfist". Well...P was a little bit tooooo close. And whacko!
I fell. I look up to see Big Bro, the director, and Ophelia all looking down at me. "You okay? Things Swimmin'?" and "P, I heard that across the ROOM! AWESOME!"
All I could think of saying was "That just made me so fuckin' horny right now..."
Real charmer, that's me. Go see my show.
* (emotionally sensitive disclaimer)
I want you all to know, all of you that have listened to me over the past couple of weeks. All of you that have prrrroooobably seen me at a point in my life I that absolutely do not care for the public to see. The lowest of lows. If you've seen me out in public, doing my best to keep it together. Busted! There it is! Twin Cities Bad Boy is a big soft sappy mcsapperson! He cries! A lot!
Anyway, I would like to offer you all my heartfelt gratitude. For those gentle readers who possess the capacity to understand this, not as an ideal or an abstract- but as a gospel which with I try to live my life: You should know that the love you given has brought me the strength and hope during a fairly dark time. Believe it. Truly. Honorable traits that I could never repay, but you should all know that I have a wellspring of love and respect for you all. Cool?
I'm not quite 100% (More like 42% for those who enjoy math) but I'm mending. I'm down about 15lbs. (Which, hah, ever the optimist is sort of a blessing in terms of getting into fighting shape.)
Anyway, I still have that love and passion. In the future, you'll just be reading about it in different ways, that's all.
Happy New Years. May the best days of 2005 be the worst days of 2006.
Oh, in case you're wondering what P was doing until the wee hours. The Fine Line was a good time.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
1st-Happy New Year. I hope that everybody had a safe and enjoyable NYE surrounded by people you love.* I also wanted to let you know that I may be switching format's here in a couple of weeks. There is quite a bit of archived goodness here that I'm going to need to unload, so you maybe informed of a new and improved weblog/journalishness.
That being said: Things topical.
Kung Fu Hamlet
We open this Friday. Crunchtime. Yeesh. I just started to get saavy on my first fight and last night I finally made it through the "burly brawl" final fight with Hamlet. Opening in 3 days? No problem. Incidentally, read the 'blog on the No Refunds website. HI-larious. If anyone asks, yes we do hit each other sometimes. Hard. The sound effect I mentioned earlier?
Part of my first family fight is a bear hug grab to Ophelia. She's an a very talentd Martial Artist, and to get out of the bear hug, she throws both her elbows back into me then does the whole "Bruce Lee behind the head backfist". Well...P was a little bit tooooo close. And whacko!
I fell. I look up to see Big Bro, the director, and Ophelia all looking down at me. "You okay? Things Swimmin'?" and "P, I heard that across the ROOM! AWESOME!"
All I could think of saying was "That just made me so fuckin' horny right now..."
Real charmer, that's me. Go see my show.
* (emotionally sensitive disclaimer)
I want you all to know, all of you that have listened to me over the past couple of weeks. All of you that have prrrroooobably seen me at a point in my life I that absolutely do not care for the public to see. The lowest of lows. If you've seen me out in public, doing my best to keep it together. Busted! There it is! Twin Cities Bad Boy is a big soft sappy mcsapperson! He cries! A lot!
Anyway, I would like to offer you all my heartfelt gratitude. For those gentle readers who possess the capacity to understand this, not as an ideal or an abstract- but as a gospel which with I try to live my life: You should know that the love you given has brought me the strength and hope during a fairly dark time. Believe it. Truly. Honorable traits that I could never repay, but you should all know that I have a wellspring of love and respect for you all. Cool?
I'm not quite 100% (More like 42% for those who enjoy math) but I'm mending. I'm down about 15lbs. (Which, hah, ever the optimist is sort of a blessing in terms of getting into fighting shape.)
Anyway, I still have that love and passion. In the future, you'll just be reading about it in different ways, that's all.
Happy New Years. May the best days of 2005 be the worst days of 2006.
Oh, in case you're wondering what P was doing until the wee hours. The Fine Line was a good time.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Go figure, again....
I loved this movie...'specially when James Hong does that thing with his thumbs? "Ngngngngngngngngngngng"
Yeah...That's cool.
The Pork Chop Express.
Which B-Movie Badass Are You?
brought to you by
Yeah...That's cool.
The Pork Chop Express.
Which B-Movie Badass Are You?
brought to you by
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Oh....Child.
A 4th grade paper, by yours truly. (circa 1984) Feel free to discuss influences. This paper was written in lieu of your typical "What I did on my summer vacation". As it happens, my mom took my brother and I to the theatre to see "Ghostbusters"...twice. I've fixed the paper, in the sense that I've added my teacher's grammar/punctuation corrections, but left others as I felt they were just too cute. The remaining paper remains...in tact. This should give y'all an inkling of the weirdo I was to become.
Thou Self
(Catchy title, yes?)
by ___y____
Gr. 4
Room 12
My name is ___________. I am 9 1/2, going on 10 years old. When I was a child, I had a great feeling that I would be full of creativity in the upcoming years, and so I am.
An elementary student, I have had lots of adventures. In 2nd grade, I made a volcano, and I knew that fame was my destiny. Now in the 4th grade, my new teacher is Mr. _____. Then I learned a lot of martial arts. For instance, Judo, Akido, Ninja, and Karatae.
My favorite food is pizza, and my favorite drink is Mountain Dew. A weak spot is my stomach.
Right now, I am making a movie called Ghostbusters II. I like watching TV. My father's name is _________ (The same as me). My mother's name is ________ and my brothers name is __________. I have one pet and that is a ferret named Grodie. My best friend is Matt. I am the smartest one in my class. My brain rank is #1. I have a very happy, super-duper life.
-Yes, I spelled my 1st name in the kiddie vernacular of "key".
-Yes, I know that I misspelled "karate". It was how it was spelled on the cologne bottle.
-My favorite food is pizza and drink is Mt.Dew? Got that right. This is why I was a titch heavy.
-Funny that Ghostbusters 2 was go released 5 years later. Mine would have been cooler. ; )
-Yes, we had a ferret named Grodie. He replaced the 1st one named "Odie". Ooooooo.
-I think that the idea of my stomach being a "weak spot" was due to a biography I read about Harry Houdini, who it is rumored had died from getting punched in the stomach. Or maybe it was a weak spot because I loved food.
-I wasn't the smartest one, but close. This paper put me in the "creative students media center program". (I think that they wanted me to be in either that, or special Ed. ) Me and a few other 4th grade "indoor kids" took field trips to plays, the Science Museum, a animal dissection lab. I hated it. I faked strep for 3 weeks so I didn't have to go back to school.
It was in the "Creative Students Media Center Program" my mom saved where I found the paper.
That little putz sure thought a lot of himself.
Thou Self
(Catchy title, yes?)
by ___y____
Gr. 4
Room 12
My name is ___________. I am 9 1/2, going on 10 years old. When I was a child, I had a great feeling that I would be full of creativity in the upcoming years, and so I am.
An elementary student, I have had lots of adventures. In 2nd grade, I made a volcano, and I knew that fame was my destiny. Now in the 4th grade, my new teacher is Mr. _____. Then I learned a lot of martial arts. For instance, Judo, Akido, Ninja, and Karatae.
My favorite food is pizza, and my favorite drink is Mountain Dew. A weak spot is my stomach.
Right now, I am making a movie called Ghostbusters II. I like watching TV. My father's name is _________ (The same as me). My mother's name is ________ and my brothers name is __________. I have one pet and that is a ferret named Grodie. My best friend is Matt. I am the smartest one in my class. My brain rank is #1. I have a very happy, super-duper life.
-Yes, I spelled my 1st name in the kiddie vernacular of "key".
-Yes, I know that I misspelled "karate". It was how it was spelled on the cologne bottle.
-My favorite food is pizza and drink is Mt.Dew? Got that right. This is why I was a titch heavy.
-Funny that Ghostbusters 2 was go released 5 years later. Mine would have been cooler. ; )
-Yes, we had a ferret named Grodie. He replaced the 1st one named "Odie". Ooooooo.
-I think that the idea of my stomach being a "weak spot" was due to a biography I read about Harry Houdini, who it is rumored had died from getting punched in the stomach. Or maybe it was a weak spot because I loved food.
-I wasn't the smartest one, but close. This paper put me in the "creative students media center program". (I think that they wanted me to be in either that, or special Ed. ) Me and a few other 4th grade "indoor kids" took field trips to plays, the Science Museum, a animal dissection lab. I hated it. I faked strep for 3 weeks so I didn't have to go back to school.
It was in the "Creative Students Media Center Program" my mom saved where I found the paper.
That little putz sure thought a lot of himself.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Bavarian Walrus Flu....
So. In light of recent current events...I'm still kinda shook up over this "Bird Flu".
Bird Flu. I mean, why couldn't they have given it a really mean and forboding name. Hell, spin the story so that the animal is a bit more menacing. Like "Great White Shark Flu", or "Water Buffalo Flu". Heck.... "Black Widow" flu. I mean, fuck...people are at least scared of spiders.
Frickin' England had Rats spread the plague for cryin' out loud...and rats are at least grody. I mean c'mon? Do you think we'll get it here anyway? I mean, I don't think I'm alone in thinking that the worst season for colds and flu in MN also happens to coincide with our winter. All-8-months of it. All the sick birds will have gone to AZ with the seniors. THAT's where the NIH should be focusing their studies.
And you know, what do those birds chirp to each other when they get sick anyway? They're hanging out at the Pet store, when you hear an avian "AH CHOO", and the Gray African Parrot says to the Cockatiel... "Hey. Jeff? You wanna cover your beak when you sneeze? Seriously, that's gross. Some poor patron get's an eyeful of your bird-boogs and then WHAMMO....W will write a check to big drug companies for $7 bill. Do your part, buddy. Be an American. That money'd be better suited elsewhere"
And seriously...I've never heard a bird sneeze before. (Or a shark for that matter. I bet they don't sneeze because sharks are bad-ass. ) Have you heard one? I mean, if they're gonna watch an animal who (probably) get's bad colds why not watch Arctic critters like polar bears...or Walruses? Walruses have got to sneeze. Gotta. I mean, if there was an animal that would probably be subjected to colds, it'd be them. (Well, it'd suck to be an elephant or an anteater...with their big schnozzes. But those mo-fo's pretty much stay in warmer environs.)
No, the walrus probably shlup shchlup schchlups along on his big ol' flippers, scraping on the cold ground when BA-BOOM. Tusk-rattling sneezes. Tusk...Rattling. And I bet they speak with German accents. "Oh, Oh, Gerta...Mah noss ist zo gestuffen....Ich habs ein cold gerflugen in sie sung alles. Und no heisse bathen to gebathen innen. Und wir sind outs nach zem thera-flu alles nacht. Oooohhhh, meine kliene Valrus Flu gehaben!!!!") Those poor walrus need to join their manatee brethren in FL. Sure, they got the hurricanes, but at least you're in a warm climate! They can sit back poolside with a Hawaiian shirt, Jams, and that funny straw hat with the green tinted visor in the front brim. Sipping a sardine and plankton bloody mary...bits of tabasco and zinc oxide getting stuck in their bushy mustache. "Ahhhh, zis is der life gegangen. Wir sind immer paradise..." Mr and Mrs Walrus can hold flippers and watch the sunset.
There it is...a walrus rant
Bird Flu. I mean, why couldn't they have given it a really mean and forboding name. Hell, spin the story so that the animal is a bit more menacing. Like "Great White Shark Flu", or "Water Buffalo Flu". Heck.... "Black Widow" flu. I mean, fuck...people are at least scared of spiders.
Frickin' England had Rats spread the plague for cryin' out loud...and rats are at least grody. I mean c'mon? Do you think we'll get it here anyway? I mean, I don't think I'm alone in thinking that the worst season for colds and flu in MN also happens to coincide with our winter. All-8-months of it. All the sick birds will have gone to AZ with the seniors. THAT's where the NIH should be focusing their studies.
And you know, what do those birds chirp to each other when they get sick anyway? They're hanging out at the Pet store, when you hear an avian "AH CHOO", and the Gray African Parrot says to the Cockatiel... "Hey. Jeff? You wanna cover your beak when you sneeze? Seriously, that's gross. Some poor patron get's an eyeful of your bird-boogs and then WHAMMO....W will write a check to big drug companies for $7 bill. Do your part, buddy. Be an American. That money'd be better suited elsewhere"
And seriously...I've never heard a bird sneeze before. (Or a shark for that matter. I bet they don't sneeze because sharks are bad-ass. ) Have you heard one? I mean, if they're gonna watch an animal who (probably) get's bad colds why not watch Arctic critters like polar bears...or Walruses? Walruses have got to sneeze. Gotta. I mean, if there was an animal that would probably be subjected to colds, it'd be them. (Well, it'd suck to be an elephant or an anteater...with their big schnozzes. But those mo-fo's pretty much stay in warmer environs.)
No, the walrus probably shlup shchlup schchlups along on his big ol' flippers, scraping on the cold ground when BA-BOOM. Tusk-rattling sneezes. Tusk...Rattling. And I bet they speak with German accents. "Oh, Oh, Gerta...Mah noss ist zo gestuffen....Ich habs ein cold gerflugen in sie sung alles. Und no heisse bathen to gebathen innen. Und wir sind outs nach zem thera-flu alles nacht. Oooohhhh, meine kliene Valrus Flu gehaben!!!!") Those poor walrus need to join their manatee brethren in FL. Sure, they got the hurricanes, but at least you're in a warm climate! They can sit back poolside with a Hawaiian shirt, Jams, and that funny straw hat with the green tinted visor in the front brim. Sipping a sardine and plankton bloody mary...bits of tabasco and zinc oxide getting stuck in their bushy mustache. "Ahhhh, zis is der life gegangen. Wir sind immer paradise..." Mr and Mrs Walrus can hold flippers and watch the sunset.
There it is...a walrus rant
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
10 random things about me:
10. I'm random
9. We never shopped for clothes at "mainstream" stores. Garage Sales and relatives
8. I was in Cub/Boy Scouts until I was 16
7. I've never been fired from a job
6. I have a very high threshold of pain
5. I wrote a story about the MN Zoo opening that got in the MN Star Newspaper (Before it was the "Strib") My picture got in the newspaper, but my story didn't win. It was for the chance to feed the Beluga's. I closed my eyes.
4. I ate the "Mexican Feast" at Little Brooklyn's restaurant, which was: A Chipotle sized burrito, 3 enchilada's, and 6 hard shell taco's. (I had moobs)
3. To keep my mom from spanking me, I'd try to make her laugh.
2. My 2 favorite subjects in all schools have been English, and Social Studies (especially History)
1. Even though I love being an actor, love being on stage, and love being there for that wonderful interaction during a scene...I tend to really not care for my performances in anything I've done. This was reinforced by watching shows that were video taped. *
9 things I want to do before I die:
9. Write a book.
8. Skydive
7. Fall from a tall building into a crash mat
6. Scuba Dive
5. Be out of debt
4. Get paid a living wage to be a perfomer
3. Get married (Or not)
2. See the world
1. Try Stand-Up comedy
8 ways to win my heart/affection/respect:
8. Cast me
7. Be well-mannered and respectful
6. Don't be disrespectful/insulting/hurtful to others
5. Be cool
4. Compliment me. A lot. And be specific. (And laugh with me)
3. Think before you speak (Try to hit the edit button)
2. Have something to say, and It'd be cool if it's funny
1. Have passion in what you do
7 things I'm afraid of:
7. Failure
6. Becoming obese
5. Falling
4. Dying before I get to do the "9 Things" list
3. Hurting someone elses feelings
2. Invasive Goverment
1. Abandonment, and all of it's nasty connotations (The thought of growing old alone always scared me an awful lot.)
6 things I believe in: **
6. Unconditional Love
5. The unbelievable power of the mind- (Your attitude, Healing, your outlook- EVERYTHING!)
4. Reincarnation and Past Life experiences intruding on present times.
3. Change isn't always for the best
2. Loyalty/Honor/Chivalry. How can you not believe those are cool?
1. That things will always turn out okay. Somehow.
5 places I have lived:
5. Brooklyn Park MN
4. Medora ND
3. Park Rapids, MN (White Earth State Forest- Go MANY POINT!)
2. Deephaven, MN
1. Minneapolis MN...SW, Uptown, SE, and currently in the good ol' NE Minneapolis!
4 of my favorite items in my bedroom:
4. DVD player
3.The Bed
2. My books
1. My nightstand
3 things I do everyday:
3. Go online
2. Eat
1. Worry about my personal finances
2 things I'm trying not to do now:
2. Spend extra $
1. Be so hard on myself
10. I'm random
9. We never shopped for clothes at "mainstream" stores. Garage Sales and relatives
8. I was in Cub/Boy Scouts until I was 16
7. I've never been fired from a job
6. I have a very high threshold of pain
5. I wrote a story about the MN Zoo opening that got in the MN Star Newspaper (Before it was the "Strib") My picture got in the newspaper, but my story didn't win. It was for the chance to feed the Beluga's. I closed my eyes.
4. I ate the "Mexican Feast" at Little Brooklyn's restaurant, which was: A Chipotle sized burrito, 3 enchilada's, and 6 hard shell taco's. (I had moobs)
3. To keep my mom from spanking me, I'd try to make her laugh.
2. My 2 favorite subjects in all schools have been English, and Social Studies (especially History)
1. Even though I love being an actor, love being on stage, and love being there for that wonderful interaction during a scene...I tend to really not care for my performances in anything I've done. This was reinforced by watching shows that were video taped. *
9 things I want to do before I die:
9. Write a book.
8. Skydive
7. Fall from a tall building into a crash mat
6. Scuba Dive
5. Be out of debt
4. Get paid a living wage to be a perfomer
3. Get married (Or not)
2. See the world
1. Try Stand-Up comedy
8 ways to win my heart/affection/respect:
8. Cast me
7. Be well-mannered and respectful
6. Don't be disrespectful/insulting/hurtful to others
5. Be cool
4. Compliment me. A lot. And be specific. (And laugh with me)
3. Think before you speak (Try to hit the edit button)
2. Have something to say, and It'd be cool if it's funny
1. Have passion in what you do
7 things I'm afraid of:
7. Failure
6. Becoming obese
5. Falling
4. Dying before I get to do the "9 Things" list
3. Hurting someone elses feelings
2. Invasive Goverment
1. Abandonment, and all of it's nasty connotations (The thought of growing old alone always scared me an awful lot.)
6 things I believe in: **
6. Unconditional Love
5. The unbelievable power of the mind- (Your attitude, Healing, your outlook- EVERYTHING!)
4. Reincarnation and Past Life experiences intruding on present times.
3. Change isn't always for the best
2. Loyalty/Honor/Chivalry. How can you not believe those are cool?
1. That things will always turn out okay. Somehow.
5 places I have lived:
5. Brooklyn Park MN
4. Medora ND
3. Park Rapids, MN (White Earth State Forest- Go MANY POINT!)
2. Deephaven, MN
1. Minneapolis MN...SW, Uptown, SE, and currently in the good ol' NE Minneapolis!
4 of my favorite items in my bedroom:
4. DVD player
3.The Bed
2. My books
1. My nightstand
3 things I do everyday:
3. Go online
2. Eat
1. Worry about my personal finances
2 things I'm trying not to do now:
2. Spend extra $
1. Be so hard on myself
Thursday, October 20, 2005
This'll make less sense/Brother Cool
An excerpt from last nights audition: (Followed by observations...observe)
(2 brothers enter, and bow towards the director)
P: "Brother, how good to see you- now why are you here?"
Ro: "To audition for this show. A role mom says I was born to play"
P: "Ahhhh, so. But did mom give you a permission slip to drive in downtown Minneapolis?"
Ro: ""I, ah, ummmm....she always did like you better- I'm gonna settle this NOW!"
Ro runs towards P, throwing an almost simultaneous punch/front kick. P counters with a high wrist block (Think blocking high with a limp wrist...snerk) and comes down with a palm block for his kick. Ro's next block is countered again with a circle block followed by a double palm strike to his solar plexus
P: "HHHHAAAAADOOOOOKEN!!!" (Yes. Hadoken. From the Street Fighter video game. We're geeks)
Ro pops up to do a posey "Plus 4 lightening kicks" basic kicking a lot on the same leg. P yawns.
Ro attacks again (pissed at my boredom) with a flying Muay Thai elbow strike. P and Ro then engage in a elbow/brush block exercise. This continues about 5 or 6 times before....
Ro: "This blocking drill is both pointless and boring....like my kicks" (pushes away, winds up with an old fashioned "Popeye" punch) "HHHiiiiah!"
(Mikey blocks with "X-Block")
Ro: (Changing his punch into flat-palmed straight-pointed fingers) "PokeMON!"
P: "Pokey-Who"?
Ro: "Pokey YOU!" (Ro thrusts spearhand into P's throat. It is here, that Ro's self control diminishes slightly, and I feel his fingernails poke my chin) P falls to the floor...choking and slapping the ground, ala' pro wrestling.
Ro: (Doing a little victory dance, starts kissing his arms like Ron Burgundy) "Yes, Yes...I love you. Little pretty baby. Are you good? Yessss...you ARE good"
P stands up, does a flourish-y disrobe of his gi top and discards it. P is now standing in a Tank Top- He "tastes his own blood" Like Mr. Lee would do in his movies...then does another grandstandy kung fu arm move into this kinda pose: "The Constipated Van Damme"
Ro: "Damn you and your free weights"
P and Ro back away from each other. P preps both of them by throwing a back leg round kick. Which leads into our "Simultaneous attack"
Ro runs at me, executes a jumping side kick/I run at him, doing 2 tornado kicks and an "Ax Kick" to finish.
Ro: "Wait, there is one more move....in this combination" He punches. P does a circle block of his punch, followed by an elbow to the temple, punch to the groin, and lastly (my favorite) a jump spin hook kick.
Ro gets up again, setting up "Capoeria Combo"
Ro: "I will now try to destroy you, using 'the rhythm of the night'!"
P: "I have also studied El DeBarge!"
Ro sticks an Au Chibara (One handed handstand where you kick over your head simulatneously)
P:"Oooooo, fancypants"
P attacks. Throws one punch but (GASP) Ro traps it. Trys the other arm punch but (GASP) Ro traps that one....He jumps up and WHAMMO head butt to P...sending me spiralling.
Yes, that was the move bogarted from the Matrix tunnel fight. Look for it.
Ro: (Walking over to "finish it"...gloating) "Heh HA HA HA!" P, on the ground, get's him with a groin kick. Ro topples in pain.
P gets up doing a helicopter spin, Ro does a kip up.
We finish with some more honky dialogue about the movie "Road House" then get each other in that corny "throat rip-out" pose that Swayze does. We "Rip out each others throats" simultaneously...then die.
Fin
(2 brothers enter, and bow towards the director)
P: "Brother, how good to see you- now why are you here?"
Ro: "To audition for this show. A role mom says I was born to play"
P: "Ahhhh, so. But did mom give you a permission slip to drive in downtown Minneapolis?"
Ro: ""I, ah, ummmm....she always did like you better- I'm gonna settle this NOW!"
Ro runs towards P, throwing an almost simultaneous punch/front kick. P counters with a high wrist block (Think blocking high with a limp wrist...snerk) and comes down with a palm block for his kick. Ro's next block is countered again with a circle block followed by a double palm strike to his solar plexus
P: "HHHHAAAAADOOOOOKEN!!!" (Yes. Hadoken. From the Street Fighter video game. We're geeks)
Ro pops up to do a posey "Plus 4 lightening kicks" basic kicking a lot on the same leg. P yawns.
Ro attacks again (pissed at my boredom) with a flying Muay Thai elbow strike. P and Ro then engage in a elbow/brush block exercise. This continues about 5 or 6 times before....
Ro: "This blocking drill is both pointless and boring....like my kicks" (pushes away, winds up with an old fashioned "Popeye" punch) "HHHiiiiah!"
(Mikey blocks with "X-Block")
Ro: (Changing his punch into flat-palmed straight-pointed fingers) "PokeMON!"
P: "Pokey-Who"?
Ro: "Pokey YOU!" (Ro thrusts spearhand into P's throat. It is here, that Ro's self control diminishes slightly, and I feel his fingernails poke my chin) P falls to the floor...choking and slapping the ground, ala' pro wrestling.
Ro: (Doing a little victory dance, starts kissing his arms like Ron Burgundy) "Yes, Yes...I love you. Little pretty baby. Are you good? Yessss...you ARE good"
P stands up, does a flourish-y disrobe of his gi top and discards it. P is now standing in a Tank Top- He "tastes his own blood" Like Mr. Lee would do in his movies...then does another grandstandy kung fu arm move into this kinda pose: "The Constipated Van Damme"
Ro: "Damn you and your free weights"
P and Ro back away from each other. P preps both of them by throwing a back leg round kick. Which leads into our "Simultaneous attack"
Ro runs at me, executes a jumping side kick/I run at him, doing 2 tornado kicks and an "Ax Kick" to finish.
Ro: "Wait, there is one more move....in this combination" He punches. P does a circle block of his punch, followed by an elbow to the temple, punch to the groin, and lastly (my favorite) a jump spin hook kick.
Ro gets up again, setting up "Capoeria Combo"
Ro: "I will now try to destroy you, using 'the rhythm of the night'!"
P: "I have also studied El DeBarge!"
Ro sticks an Au Chibara (One handed handstand where you kick over your head simulatneously)
P:"Oooooo, fancypants"
P attacks. Throws one punch but (GASP) Ro traps it. Trys the other arm punch but (GASP) Ro traps that one....He jumps up and WHAMMO head butt to P...sending me spiralling.
Yes, that was the move bogarted from the Matrix tunnel fight. Look for it.
Ro: (Walking over to "finish it"...gloating) "Heh HA HA HA!" P, on the ground, get's him with a groin kick. Ro topples in pain.
P gets up doing a helicopter spin, Ro does a kip up.
We finish with some more honky dialogue about the movie "Road House" then get each other in that corny "throat rip-out" pose that Swayze does. We "Rip out each others throats" simultaneously...then die.
Fin
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Weird P. Blog about your near life experience. Boooooring. I think it had to do w/my waxing on "Acute Pain" to a co-worker. Not "sustained" pain or injury (Although that sometimes follows) I'm talking pain that, for whatever reason, causes remarkable clarity. A "white" moment.
Ex: Barking your shins in the middle of the night. (I forget which comedian said "Shins are God's way of helping you find furniture in the dark") You shuffle along, half asleep, making your way to the loo' for a 2:30 am potty break when WHAMMO! (Or a muffled crack) of your shin barking agains the coffee table. Now, besides uttering a few curses you ever notice that you have a sort of "flash" and everything around you becomes a little clearer? Now I don't advocate hurting yourself or deliberately kicking around in the darker until WHAMMO you connect. But, it always amazes me how immediate and instant pain can cause this. (And it can't be premeditated either. It's the immediate adrenaline shot as opposed to the agonizing slow burn of anticipatory discomfort.)
Other examples:
Getting hit really hard without knowing where it's coming from (Yeah...)
Smacking yourself in the head. (See: Searching under a desk or in a cupboard)
Getting kicked in either the mommy or daddy button.
Waxing/Removing a band-aid
Paper Cuts/Razor nicks
Biting your tongue
Getting your fingers slammed in a car door. (As my co-worker did to me a few weeks ago)
In one of my many old Martial Arts tomes, I read that Wushu practitioners would nick themselves with thorny ash branches prior to engaging in combat. Something about the teeny tiny little cuts helping with clarity and focus. While I personally feel that's akin to the behavior of flagellents or more topically "cutters" (gross) I can sort of subscribe to the philosophy. I used to play hockey and football better when I had a cold/was sick. Even in shows, I get hyper-aware of my mechanics and usually can sing/speak better because I'm actively working on where I breathe from (And who I breathe on. Which, in turn, makes for a better listener.)
Ahhh, just an old man and his queer rantings. Anyone else notice this?
Ex: Barking your shins in the middle of the night. (I forget which comedian said "Shins are God's way of helping you find furniture in the dark") You shuffle along, half asleep, making your way to the loo' for a 2:30 am potty break when WHAMMO! (Or a muffled crack) of your shin barking agains the coffee table. Now, besides uttering a few curses you ever notice that you have a sort of "flash" and everything around you becomes a little clearer? Now I don't advocate hurting yourself or deliberately kicking around in the darker until WHAMMO you connect. But, it always amazes me how immediate and instant pain can cause this. (And it can't be premeditated either. It's the immediate adrenaline shot as opposed to the agonizing slow burn of anticipatory discomfort.)
Other examples:
Getting hit really hard without knowing where it's coming from (Yeah...)
Smacking yourself in the head. (See: Searching under a desk or in a cupboard)
Getting kicked in either the mommy or daddy button.
Waxing/Removing a band-aid
Paper Cuts/Razor nicks
Biting your tongue
Getting your fingers slammed in a car door. (As my co-worker did to me a few weeks ago)
In one of my many old Martial Arts tomes, I read that Wushu practitioners would nick themselves with thorny ash branches prior to engaging in combat. Something about the teeny tiny little cuts helping with clarity and focus. While I personally feel that's akin to the behavior of flagellents or more topically "cutters" (gross) I can sort of subscribe to the philosophy. I used to play hockey and football better when I had a cold/was sick. Even in shows, I get hyper-aware of my mechanics and usually can sing/speak better because I'm actively working on where I breathe from (And who I breathe on. Which, in turn, makes for a better listener.)
Ahhh, just an old man and his queer rantings. Anyone else notice this?
That's new...
(Gasp...Gasp...Huuuhhhwwwwuuhhh. Is it possible? Is my life flashing before my eyes?)
"Again! You didn't have much power that time. Your punch was harder than the kick."
WHHHHOMP, Tap-Tap
(Just, don't ask if I'm okay. If he asks if I'm okay, it'll be a signal of, something...)
"(Insert my first name) Want to (please don't ask if I'm okay) get some water quick?
(Ugh. He called me by my 1st name. Not, "Mr.P", just ___. In karate, they usually dole out your proper name out of respect. While it isn't disrespectful to not use "Mr." when you aren't a black belt, it does tell me: "You still got a loooong way to go, kiddo" )
"I forgot it. " (The one day I want to do curriculum. Not that it's so easy, but I didn't think I'd be losing pints of H20)
'kay. Switch stances. I'm going to come at you with the pad, and I want you to sidekick, punch, and then throw a jump-spin sidekick."
It's been going on like this for the last hour. Class consisted of just-me. So the instructor made it a point to work technique, not curriculum. After the 1st twenty minutes of drills, every breath I managed to draw came in like I was sucking on a blowdryer. After 45 minutes, my vision starts to get swimmy and my technique goes out the door. Vomiting seems like a pretty good idea. I can't hear very well because (a) the rush of blood in my ears sounds like a low-head dam and (b) the sweat has sort of blocked off my ear canal.
After a while I get into a nice groove. I start taking deep "well" breaths, imagining that I'm filling my body with oxygen all the way down to my feet. (Foomp, tap-tap, ...FOOM)
Good. You didn't really throw a jump spin, but you're improvising.
I stop thinking about the crappy day, the shitty flamer e-mails, the dumb ?'s from co-workers, house worries, bills, time...What I start thinking about trying to staying upright. (Don't faint)
This may seem, again, warshed with machismo, but I know what it really is. (And, as it has been explained to me in the past) Because of who my big brother is, they are going to try to work me just as hard as they would have worked him. And, yeah. I don't want to wuss out.
Okay, hand and footpads off. Line up for the end of class. CHARYO, KunYAY! (We bow)
After class, I try to engage in chit-chat which doesn't come out right- I sound like I've suffered a stroke. Getting dressed is a bit of a chore (You're going to be sore tomorrow, so you might want to ice down a bit. I figured since your getting into fighting shape, and since it's you- I'd work you harder tonight, cool?) My shoulders feel like I just finished doing a 2-hour handstand.
It's the Dowling Ave. exit before my swimmy peripheral vision starts to focus. If I was pulled over, they'd give me a DUI. When I get home, I toss my wet gi into the hamper, and fold a dry one and put it back in my workout bag. Back at it tomorrow.
And I don't feel so bad today. Kiiiiai.
"Again! You didn't have much power that time. Your punch was harder than the kick."
WHHHHOMP, Tap-Tap
(Just, don't ask if I'm okay. If he asks if I'm okay, it'll be a signal of, something...)
"(Insert my first name) Want to (please don't ask if I'm okay) get some water quick?
(Ugh. He called me by my 1st name. Not, "Mr.P", just ___. In karate, they usually dole out your proper name out of respect. While it isn't disrespectful to not use "Mr." when you aren't a black belt, it does tell me: "You still got a loooong way to go, kiddo" )
"I forgot it. " (The one day I want to do curriculum. Not that it's so easy, but I didn't think I'd be losing pints of H20)
'kay. Switch stances. I'm going to come at you with the pad, and I want you to sidekick, punch, and then throw a jump-spin sidekick."
It's been going on like this for the last hour. Class consisted of just-me. So the instructor made it a point to work technique, not curriculum. After the 1st twenty minutes of drills, every breath I managed to draw came in like I was sucking on a blowdryer. After 45 minutes, my vision starts to get swimmy and my technique goes out the door. Vomiting seems like a pretty good idea. I can't hear very well because (a) the rush of blood in my ears sounds like a low-head dam and (b) the sweat has sort of blocked off my ear canal.
After a while I get into a nice groove. I start taking deep "well" breaths, imagining that I'm filling my body with oxygen all the way down to my feet. (Foomp, tap-tap, ...FOOM)
Good. You didn't really throw a jump spin, but you're improvising.
I stop thinking about the crappy day, the shitty flamer e-mails, the dumb ?'s from co-workers, house worries, bills, time...What I start thinking about trying to staying upright. (Don't faint)
This may seem, again, warshed with machismo, but I know what it really is. (And, as it has been explained to me in the past) Because of who my big brother is, they are going to try to work me just as hard as they would have worked him. And, yeah. I don't want to wuss out.
Okay, hand and footpads off. Line up for the end of class. CHARYO, KunYAY! (We bow)
After class, I try to engage in chit-chat which doesn't come out right- I sound like I've suffered a stroke. Getting dressed is a bit of a chore (You're going to be sore tomorrow, so you might want to ice down a bit. I figured since your getting into fighting shape, and since it's you- I'd work you harder tonight, cool?) My shoulders feel like I just finished doing a 2-hour handstand.
It's the Dowling Ave. exit before my swimmy peripheral vision starts to focus. If I was pulled over, they'd give me a DUI. When I get home, I toss my wet gi into the hamper, and fold a dry one and put it back in my workout bag. Back at it tomorrow.
And I don't feel so bad today. Kiiiiai.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
You think that this is irrational?
And people wonder why I have an irrational fear of deep deep water....s#it like this
Yeah. That's right. A 26-foot long Architeuthis. That's "Giant Squid".
Thar be monsters...
Yeah. That's right. A 26-foot long Architeuthis. That's "Giant Squid".
Thar be monsters...
Thursday, September 22, 2005
What hasn't changed
(A continuation)
-Still pretty spastic. Can't be helped. I have me a lot of energy, but I think I'm getting better at where I direct it. Namely, my pants.
-Still very polite and respectful of others. Manners count, you know? Pleases, thank you's, How are you/Fine Thank you and yourself, Hold the door, let the next person through. All that jazz. Easy Karma.
-Still keeping an open mind: Mom tells me my teachers were happy that I was so quick to make friends with everyone (Truth is, I wanted everyone to love me. GOT to be the center of attention, don't we all?) and that the kids that most folks wouldn't spend time with-I would. When my dearest friend came out to me, he said that I was the first (straight) person he came out to. That felt really good. And you should always do it, if it feels good. See the correlation?
-Still pretty funny. Lookin' My uncle likes to tell friends and loved ones about how I made up a song when I was 4 years old, entitled "Radioactive Spider-Man Dookie" and sang it all through his wedding. There. You now have the genesis of my need to make-up song lyrics. And yes. Dookie.
-Still climbin. That whole Spiderman thing. Love climbin', but I have a dickens of a time getting back down again
-Still holdin' fast to Those "Olde Fashyoned Starry-eyed Romantic Ideals": like honor/twue wove/loyalty. I know it's a little old Fashioned, and I'm trying to temper it with (a little) more grounding and (a lot) less "wimby-wimby"
-Still have an active imagination. Word booty. But, don't we all. And wouldn't the old employers like it if I used it to do, oh, work? Instead of trying to create witty P-ism's all day
-Still love history. Thanks, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" for that. Did you know that I wanted to be an archeologist for a couple of months after that movie? Until a field trip with the Science Museum proved that real archeologists don't even carry a bullwhip, or fedora. (Most of them wear cowboy hats and carry dirty toothbrushes) And they look like hippies.
-Still love travelling. Thanks, Dad and Mom. I got a whole world to visit
-Still pretty spastic. Can't be helped. I have me a lot of energy, but I think I'm getting better at where I direct it. Namely, my pants.
-Still very polite and respectful of others. Manners count, you know? Pleases, thank you's, How are you/Fine Thank you and yourself, Hold the door, let the next person through. All that jazz. Easy Karma.
-Still keeping an open mind: Mom tells me my teachers were happy that I was so quick to make friends with everyone (Truth is, I wanted everyone to love me. GOT to be the center of attention, don't we all?) and that the kids that most folks wouldn't spend time with-I would. When my dearest friend came out to me, he said that I was the first (straight) person he came out to. That felt really good. And you should always do it, if it feels good. See the correlation?
-Still pretty funny. Lookin' My uncle likes to tell friends and loved ones about how I made up a song when I was 4 years old, entitled "Radioactive Spider-Man Dookie" and sang it all through his wedding. There. You now have the genesis of my need to make-up song lyrics. And yes. Dookie.
-Still climbin. That whole Spiderman thing. Love climbin', but I have a dickens of a time getting back down again
-Still holdin' fast to Those "Olde Fashyoned Starry-eyed Romantic Ideals": like honor/twue wove/loyalty. I know it's a little old Fashioned, and I'm trying to temper it with (a little) more grounding and (a lot) less "wimby-wimby"
-Still have an active imagination. Word booty. But, don't we all. And wouldn't the old employers like it if I used it to do, oh, work? Instead of trying to create witty P-ism's all day
-Still love history. Thanks, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" for that. Did you know that I wanted to be an archeologist for a couple of months after that movie? Until a field trip with the Science Museum proved that real archeologists don't even carry a bullwhip, or fedora. (Most of them wear cowboy hats and carry dirty toothbrushes) And they look like hippies.
-Still love travelling. Thanks, Dad and Mom. I got a whole world to visit
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Now and Then
Things I was better at when I was a kid (Like, 15/16 and under)
Camping/Being outdoorsey. I used to camp all the time and nothing made me happier than being out under the stars with a sleeping bag, ground cloth, and the sounds of nature. Now, I'd probably get so frustrated with putting the tent together I'd karate chop it or something dumb. My family and I camped all the time, from when I was a little-little kid...to the last time I went which was, Ooooooh, 1998? I can still start fires though...buh-wah-ha-ha!
Acting with Reckless Abandon. Teachers, Coaches, other parents...used to call it "Hyperactivity" but I beg differ. And differ to beg. I remember sort of plowing into everything "head first" without threat or fear of personal safety. I don't do that anymore which I guess is called "common sense" but I feels more like a flinch, or like I'm 2nd guessing myself. (This was apparent the last time I was asked by my folks to go up the ladder and onto their roof. "Is the ladder secure?","Dad can you hold it?" "Are there any soft parts in the shingles?" Also the pseudo-vertigo after losing my grip at the top.) Sometimes, I miss that lack of self-awareness...and since going to college and learning about "acting" I am so much more self aware, when I should be back "taking bigger risks"
Shooting things. In Scouts, it'd piss my big brother off to no end that I could do a little better than he would at archery and on the rifle range. (He loved shooting and throwing knives and shit. Except, he wore glasses, so he always had to "over-correct" Get it?) I got merit badges and the offer to join the junior rifle squad, etc.
I haven't fired a gun since High School, and to be honest, I hate them. A lot. I don't think I'd mind getting on the archery range again though.
Hockey. Like I said before, I haven't had a pair of ice skates on in 14 years. Last time I was at my folks, I dorked around with my old hockey stick (Yes, they still had it) and tried to slap shot a stuffed doggie toy, and it wound up on the roof of their house.
( That, Geef, is why it was up there. )
Biking. Again, I may just be out of practice, but since getting my drivers license I've been on a bicycle a total of 6 times. Seriously. I've just been a jogger/runner. And when I was recently given my brothers old bike, I inflated the tires and gave it a test spin. I started to think of the days when I was 12 to 15...and I used to bike EVERY-where. The entire NW suburbs were my turf, and it seemed like it took me years to get from point A to point B. (Even if it was only a handful of miles) And these memories played out like a movie... In the two seconds after I got on the bike and just as promptly fell on my ass. (I blamed the seat)
Drawing: Which I used to do all the time. I just, don't anymore. I took classes and everything...
Things I am better at as I get older
Domestic tasks: Cooking and Laundry. I used to cook like my dad. Everything on the stove with the burner on "Hi". I've learned finesse. And to use other spices besides "Salt" and "Saltier". 12 Spices? There must be doubles... I'm getting better at chicken, grillin, cooking pasta, breakfasts. Practice makes perfect. And, I can do my own laundry now. No mean feat for a guy who wouldn't separate his lights from his darks- unless I had a stick.
Sports: Sure, I don't play unless it's recreational...but the ones I am involved with I'm better at. Something to do with understanding patience and moxie. (Important in 'Fu, since rushing in will generally result in something broken) I throw a football a little better (even though I can feel it in my shoulder the next day) knock the ball a little farther (because I watch the ball) and hit a little harder...because trying to throw as hard as you can or kick as high as you can will never be as effective as throwing faster and with good form.
Singing: Just the breathing and the listening part. The sound is much better, and less forced. Thanks voice teacher.
Exercise: Again, paying attention to form and your mechanics will save your joints in the long run, and make the exercise more effective.
Being cool: This is broad, but I'll try to keep the explanation simple:
I am more self-aware around others, so I've reduced my level of obnoxion.
As a result, I am also trying to be a be a better listener, and not direct all conversations back at me.
I've stopped thinking about my behavior so much in front of others (So that I looked like I was"posing") and now I just sort of "be there".
I've tried to reduce the amount of quick judgements and snappy insults and comebacks which tend to diminish a person (In the interest of empowering the insulter) and tried to replace them with kindness and compliments. (Someone called it cheesy...but I'll take that over being called an asshole) Except with Carlton.
I'm starting to like the calmer, cooler, older me. As opposed to the insulting motormouth dickhead of my early to mid/late 20's. Poorer in wealth, but richer in love. Make sense?
Better lover/partner. A bit better. Slower, Patient, Understanding, not as needy. Getting better too. I hope. And the flirting isn't all "glaharbalaharlhab" and Ooooooo, they kissed me on the cheek and that means they liiiiike me. Nope. Comfortably me. Moxie and Finesse.
Better Eater: I know I get teased about not eating sweets, I know. (Those bike rides I mentioned earlier? Well before puberty and posing, a majority of those rides circa age 13 were to Speedy Market for a Hostess Apple Pie, Frozen-Choco Taco, 2 bottles of Jolt, and gummi worms) BUT, I've become more adventurous in my cuisine. As a kid, I was the one who would go to the Chinese restaurant and get a burger. Or any place that didn't have something that would resemble, said, burger. Now I say "bring it on!"
I can make phone calls now: As a kid, the phone terrified me.
I'm a better nudist: Okay, so as a kid at camp we had to take PI (Poison Ivy) baths and they had to be in the raw. So, you had a bunch of scouts running full bore to the lake with their bars of Fels Naptha soap. (I was nick-named "The White Streak")
This is kinda weird, 'cause when I was a little-little-little tike my mom told me (And tells my friends too. I have destroyed the nude polaroid from my pool party age 5 1/2...Thanks mom, for humiliation.) That I had no problems stripping my clothes off and jumping into peoples pools.
I've come full circle where it is really no big thing. Get it? "No-big"...Hardey Har Har?...grower, not a ?....nevermind.
Mother 2 is thanking her lucky stars that she hasn't seen "The White Streak" bolting up 29th when she's out walking the hounds. My neighbors, however, aren't so lucky.
"_______(My full first name, shouted by J) PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON!!! THE NEIGHBORS ARE OUTSIDE!!!"
This is too long, I should probably put part 3 on a separate post.
Camping/Being outdoorsey. I used to camp all the time and nothing made me happier than being out under the stars with a sleeping bag, ground cloth, and the sounds of nature. Now, I'd probably get so frustrated with putting the tent together I'd karate chop it or something dumb. My family and I camped all the time, from when I was a little-little kid...to the last time I went which was, Ooooooh, 1998? I can still start fires though...buh-wah-ha-ha!
Acting with Reckless Abandon. Teachers, Coaches, other parents...used to call it "Hyperactivity" but I beg differ. And differ to beg. I remember sort of plowing into everything "head first" without threat or fear of personal safety. I don't do that anymore which I guess is called "common sense" but I feels more like a flinch, or like I'm 2nd guessing myself. (This was apparent the last time I was asked by my folks to go up the ladder and onto their roof. "Is the ladder secure?","Dad can you hold it?" "Are there any soft parts in the shingles?" Also the pseudo-vertigo after losing my grip at the top.) Sometimes, I miss that lack of self-awareness...and since going to college and learning about "acting" I am so much more self aware, when I should be back "taking bigger risks"
Shooting things. In Scouts, it'd piss my big brother off to no end that I could do a little better than he would at archery and on the rifle range. (He loved shooting and throwing knives and shit. Except, he wore glasses, so he always had to "over-correct" Get it?) I got merit badges and the offer to join the junior rifle squad, etc.
I haven't fired a gun since High School, and to be honest, I hate them. A lot. I don't think I'd mind getting on the archery range again though.
Hockey. Like I said before, I haven't had a pair of ice skates on in 14 years. Last time I was at my folks, I dorked around with my old hockey stick (Yes, they still had it) and tried to slap shot a stuffed doggie toy, and it wound up on the roof of their house.
( That, Geef, is why it was up there. )
Biking. Again, I may just be out of practice, but since getting my drivers license I've been on a bicycle a total of 6 times. Seriously. I've just been a jogger/runner. And when I was recently given my brothers old bike, I inflated the tires and gave it a test spin. I started to think of the days when I was 12 to 15...and I used to bike EVERY-where. The entire NW suburbs were my turf, and it seemed like it took me years to get from point A to point B. (Even if it was only a handful of miles) And these memories played out like a movie... In the two seconds after I got on the bike and just as promptly fell on my ass. (I blamed the seat)
Drawing: Which I used to do all the time. I just, don't anymore. I took classes and everything...
Things I am better at as I get older
Domestic tasks: Cooking and Laundry. I used to cook like my dad. Everything on the stove with the burner on "Hi". I've learned finesse. And to use other spices besides "Salt" and "Saltier". 12 Spices? There must be doubles... I'm getting better at chicken, grillin, cooking pasta, breakfasts. Practice makes perfect. And, I can do my own laundry now. No mean feat for a guy who wouldn't separate his lights from his darks- unless I had a stick.
Sports: Sure, I don't play unless it's recreational...but the ones I am involved with I'm better at. Something to do with understanding patience and moxie. (Important in 'Fu, since rushing in will generally result in something broken) I throw a football a little better (even though I can feel it in my shoulder the next day) knock the ball a little farther (because I watch the ball) and hit a little harder...because trying to throw as hard as you can or kick as high as you can will never be as effective as throwing faster and with good form.
Singing: Just the breathing and the listening part. The sound is much better, and less forced. Thanks voice teacher.
Exercise: Again, paying attention to form and your mechanics will save your joints in the long run, and make the exercise more effective.
Being cool: This is broad, but I'll try to keep the explanation simple:
I am more self-aware around others, so I've reduced my level of obnoxion.
As a result, I am also trying to be a be a better listener, and not direct all conversations back at me.
I've stopped thinking about my behavior so much in front of others (So that I looked like I was"posing") and now I just sort of "be there".
I've tried to reduce the amount of quick judgements and snappy insults and comebacks which tend to diminish a person (In the interest of empowering the insulter) and tried to replace them with kindness and compliments. (Someone called it cheesy...but I'll take that over being called an asshole) Except with Carlton.
I'm starting to like the calmer, cooler, older me. As opposed to the insulting motormouth dickhead of my early to mid/late 20's. Poorer in wealth, but richer in love. Make sense?
Better lover/partner. A bit better. Slower, Patient, Understanding, not as needy. Getting better too. I hope. And the flirting isn't all "glaharbalaharlhab" and Ooooooo, they kissed me on the cheek and that means they liiiiike me. Nope. Comfortably me. Moxie and Finesse.
Better Eater: I know I get teased about not eating sweets, I know. (Those bike rides I mentioned earlier? Well before puberty and posing, a majority of those rides circa age 13 were to Speedy Market for a Hostess Apple Pie, Frozen-Choco Taco, 2 bottles of Jolt, and gummi worms) BUT, I've become more adventurous in my cuisine. As a kid, I was the one who would go to the Chinese restaurant and get a burger. Or any place that didn't have something that would resemble, said, burger. Now I say "bring it on!"
I can make phone calls now: As a kid, the phone terrified me.
I'm a better nudist: Okay, so as a kid at camp we had to take PI (Poison Ivy) baths and they had to be in the raw. So, you had a bunch of scouts running full bore to the lake with their bars of Fels Naptha soap. (I was nick-named "The White Streak")
This is kinda weird, 'cause when I was a little-little-little tike my mom told me (And tells my friends too. I have destroyed the nude polaroid from my pool party age 5 1/2...Thanks mom, for humiliation.) That I had no problems stripping my clothes off and jumping into peoples pools.
I've come full circle where it is really no big thing. Get it? "No-big"...Hardey Har Har?...grower, not a ?....nevermind.
Mother 2 is thanking her lucky stars that she hasn't seen "The White Streak" bolting up 29th when she's out walking the hounds. My neighbors, however, aren't so lucky.
"_______(My full first name, shouted by J) PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON!!! THE NEIGHBORS ARE OUTSIDE!!!"
This is too long, I should probably put part 3 on a separate post.
Party at the Formal Wear Store!
Last night at work:
3 guh-boys came into the store, 2 of them mid to late 40's. The last, 22-23 years old, if a day. They were in need of a tux for the young'un so they could attend a gala on Saturday. The youngster was a little pretty boy buffster, wearing a tight hot-pink faded t-shirt...raggedy cargo's...and flip flops. As I measured out the young man, he proved to be a bit on the fidgety side, always pulling up his shirt and chatting with the one gentlemen who I figured to be his significant other.
As I got the waist measurement, what to my eyes should appear but the telltale waistband on each side of his hips- Of "Le thong"*
'Kay.
I get 'em his shirt, and point them in the general direction of pants/appropriate coats/and vests, while I go over and help out a dad and his son ("Just joined the HS harmonic orchestra!") get fitted for his big kid tux.
As I finish checking out the father/son duo (A miracle since this kid was a 34 R coat...practically a large kids size. I made a faux-pas by asking the dad if he is going to be a sophomore this year. Nope. Turns out the kid is a senior. That's right, this kid who looked like he was 13 or 14 is entering the 12th grade. Whoops) I couldn't help but notice the dad looked a little uptight. I attributed this to the fact that (A) he's a suburbanite and (B) probably doesn't have much experience dealing with same-sex couples in close quarters. Yeah, it's an assumption, but I work in the 'burbs and hear a lot of crap like that. Not everyone can have an open mind, y'know?
I go over to check on the boys, and I observe a couple of things:
1) There are a couple of tux pants off of the hanger, randomly hanging on the rack. **
2) 22 year old pretty boy was wearing a pair, albeit a little too long
3) 22 year old pretty boys tattered cargo pants were lying across the counter.
Hmmmmm.
I ask if they have any questions, they say "Do you think these are too long" I say "Kinda, maybe you want a little bit shorter" they say "Okay, we have a pair that are the same waist but 2 inches shorter" and hand the shorter trou to the 22 year party boy.
Who proceeds to take of the pants in the middle of the store.
'Kay, 2.0
I quickly turn away to go in the back, creating some business, and over my shoulder I hear one of them say "As you can tell, he's not a big fan of changing rooms"
Not wanting to be a jerk (and, thanking goodness the store was deserted) I said:
"No worries. It doesn't become that kind of store until after 10pm"
They ended up buying $200 worth of merchandise.
The End, or, his End.
ps: To my "Lovers of Tatt's"- He did have the little sunfire tatto around his belly button
pps: These dude's didn't buy my brand of bullshit either. Except when the pretty boy buffster was fidgeting with the jacket, arms both extended outward and I say "Well, I hear the crucifixion pose is quite popular in formalwear this year." (Chuckles)
** The men were kind enough to hang up every single article of clothing they tried on. A rarity, in a store that people sometimes treat as a college student treats their dorm. Again, a generalization, but I appreciated their immaculate tendencies regardless.
3 guh-boys came into the store, 2 of them mid to late 40's. The last, 22-23 years old, if a day. They were in need of a tux for the young'un so they could attend a gala on Saturday. The youngster was a little pretty boy buffster, wearing a tight hot-pink faded t-shirt...raggedy cargo's...and flip flops. As I measured out the young man, he proved to be a bit on the fidgety side, always pulling up his shirt and chatting with the one gentlemen who I figured to be his significant other.
As I got the waist measurement, what to my eyes should appear but the telltale waistband on each side of his hips- Of "Le thong"*
'Kay.
I get 'em his shirt, and point them in the general direction of pants/appropriate coats/and vests, while I go over and help out a dad and his son ("Just joined the HS harmonic orchestra!") get fitted for his big kid tux.
As I finish checking out the father/son duo (A miracle since this kid was a 34 R coat...practically a large kids size. I made a faux-pas by asking the dad if he is going to be a sophomore this year. Nope. Turns out the kid is a senior. That's right, this kid who looked like he was 13 or 14 is entering the 12th grade. Whoops) I couldn't help but notice the dad looked a little uptight. I attributed this to the fact that (A) he's a suburbanite and (B) probably doesn't have much experience dealing with same-sex couples in close quarters. Yeah, it's an assumption, but I work in the 'burbs and hear a lot of crap like that. Not everyone can have an open mind, y'know?
I go over to check on the boys, and I observe a couple of things:
1) There are a couple of tux pants off of the hanger, randomly hanging on the rack. **
2) 22 year old pretty boy was wearing a pair, albeit a little too long
3) 22 year old pretty boys tattered cargo pants were lying across the counter.
Hmmmmm.
I ask if they have any questions, they say "Do you think these are too long" I say "Kinda, maybe you want a little bit shorter" they say "Okay, we have a pair that are the same waist but 2 inches shorter" and hand the shorter trou to the 22 year party boy.
Who proceeds to take of the pants in the middle of the store.
'Kay, 2.0
I quickly turn away to go in the back, creating some business, and over my shoulder I hear one of them say "As you can tell, he's not a big fan of changing rooms"
Not wanting to be a jerk (and, thanking goodness the store was deserted) I said:
"No worries. It doesn't become that kind of store until after 10pm"
They ended up buying $200 worth of merchandise.
The End, or, his End.
ps: To my "Lovers of Tatt's"- He did have the little sunfire tatto around his belly button
pps: These dude's didn't buy my brand of bullshit either. Except when the pretty boy buffster was fidgeting with the jacket, arms both extended outward and I say "Well, I hear the crucifixion pose is quite popular in formalwear this year." (Chuckles)
** The men were kind enough to hang up every single article of clothing they tried on. A rarity, in a store that people sometimes treat as a college student treats their dorm. Again, a generalization, but I appreciated their immaculate tendencies regardless.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Dammit!
I've quite possibly taken the level of personal stupidity to an all new high. I think I scratched my nose with a pen. With the cap off. There is a smudge of ink on my nose right now. It has brought my co-workers untold joy.
I'm seeing how long I can keep it on there.
I have a cold today. At least, I think I do. I'm not the "get sick" kinda guy (Knocks on laminate covered particle board desk) so you may possibly imagine my confusion and chagrin when I wake up and my nose is running like a thief. (Thanks Mama-San 2) I'm going to attribute this to staying up late to make for face time w/my baby and then trying to get up at 5:30am to make the most of the OT my office is currently offering. All while working out and trying to maintain a healthy balance of wine-to-blood ratio. Burning El Candle at the front and back.
Yeah. This is seriously putting a cramp in my (normal) invulnerability. Last time I was sick was, oh, 2002? Last time I was laid out sick has to have been, shoot, I can't even remember.
I even forgot the password to my online benefits provider. Imagine my surprise when I found out I have a doctor right up the street even. Which reminds me...I have my 5 year physical coming due. Yep, the one where they tap your boys and make you cough. Always a steller way to start your day.
Sick. And I hate it. And I seriously do not want to be around self-involved fussybritches tonight whilst managing house. 1st my immune system goes bunk, then my BS tolerance follows suit.
I'm seeing how long I can keep it on there.
I have a cold today. At least, I think I do. I'm not the "get sick" kinda guy (Knocks on laminate covered particle board desk) so you may possibly imagine my confusion and chagrin when I wake up and my nose is running like a thief. (Thanks Mama-San 2) I'm going to attribute this to staying up late to make for face time w/my baby and then trying to get up at 5:30am to make the most of the OT my office is currently offering. All while working out and trying to maintain a healthy balance of wine-to-blood ratio. Burning El Candle at the front and back.
Yeah. This is seriously putting a cramp in my (normal) invulnerability. Last time I was sick was, oh, 2002? Last time I was laid out sick has to have been, shoot, I can't even remember.
I even forgot the password to my online benefits provider. Imagine my surprise when I found out I have a doctor right up the street even. Which reminds me...I have my 5 year physical coming due. Yep, the one where they tap your boys and make you cough. Always a steller way to start your day.
Sick. And I hate it. And I seriously do not want to be around self-involved fussybritches tonight whilst managing house. 1st my immune system goes bunk, then my BS tolerance follows suit.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Prized Possessions
I picked this up from Planetdan.net (He's a guy I went to high school with who is now a photoshop mastah. In a weird co-inky-dink, Jabas was the one that turned me on to the sight. After looking through his pics I soon discovered that "oh, I went to HS with this dude". We were in German together.)
Anyway, with everyone in my family moving/recently moved (And in light of recent tragic events) we've all had to take stock of our stuff and (in an especially painful gesture for my mother) get rid of a fair majority of it. I told my mom "If it is something that you would take from your burning house, or would want buried with you: Take it to the new place. Your 5 cent paperbacks in a box out in the garage do not count." Mother tends to associate her stuff with memories, so parting with it is akin to forced amputation.
So, I put it out there: If your home/apt was going bye-bye due to (Insert catastrophic happening here) what would you save? Try and keep it under 10 items. And pets/loved ones don't count
I'm asking, because I look around my place and it all has value- yet I don't have anything that I'd call intensely valuable. (See Planetdan for that) nothing autographed, nothing rare...nada.
1- My running shoes.
2- My bathrobe
3-My picture box ('nuff said. It's heavy, but they're all in there)
4-My cell phone
5-My ichi-yen necklace. The only lasting piece of jewelry I own. I would destroy my own home to find it, were it lost.
If I wound up in a world ala' "The Stand" and had to travel with a back pack.
(And besides the necessary camping oddities)
-Comfy black walk/run shoes. Ninja shoes, dig?
-Comfy cargo pants. Yeah, I'm kinda Dirk Pitted, so?
-Zippered Hoody
-My Multi-Tool pocket knife
-Gum
-My bathrobe
-Michael Jacksons HIStory (Greatest Hits) Way I see it, Michael Jackson is like the Roman Empire of Pop Music. Rise, Decline, all that jazz. Plus, as I wander the earth like the "Omega Man"...I gotta have something to strut too.
Pretty basic.
Anyway, with everyone in my family moving/recently moved (And in light of recent tragic events) we've all had to take stock of our stuff and (in an especially painful gesture for my mother) get rid of a fair majority of it. I told my mom "If it is something that you would take from your burning house, or would want buried with you: Take it to the new place. Your 5 cent paperbacks in a box out in the garage do not count." Mother tends to associate her stuff with memories, so parting with it is akin to forced amputation.
So, I put it out there: If your home/apt was going bye-bye due to (Insert catastrophic happening here) what would you save? Try and keep it under 10 items. And pets/loved ones don't count
I'm asking, because I look around my place and it all has value- yet I don't have anything that I'd call intensely valuable. (See Planetdan for that) nothing autographed, nothing rare...nada.
1- My running shoes.
2- My bathrobe
3-My picture box ('nuff said. It's heavy, but they're all in there)
4-My cell phone
5-My ichi-yen necklace. The only lasting piece of jewelry I own. I would destroy my own home to find it, were it lost.
If I wound up in a world ala' "The Stand" and had to travel with a back pack.
(And besides the necessary camping oddities)
-Comfy black walk/run shoes. Ninja shoes, dig?
-Comfy cargo pants. Yeah, I'm kinda Dirk Pitted, so?
-Zippered Hoody
-My Multi-Tool pocket knife
-Gum
-My bathrobe
-Michael Jacksons HIStory (Greatest Hits) Way I see it, Michael Jackson is like the Roman Empire of Pop Music. Rise, Decline, all that jazz. Plus, as I wander the earth like the "Omega Man"...I gotta have something to strut too.
Pretty basic.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
"I'm gonna learn jujitsu?"
This post may seem a little boy-centric, so advanced apologies.
So my instructor got himself a wild hair up his butt and after stretching, doing our "Torquemada" exercises (Slow sidekicks with leg weights. They buuuurn.) he decides to spend the last part of class teaching Ju Jitsu concepts. For the Martial Arts Luddite, Ju Jitsu is the style O' Martial art that usually gets showcased in all of those pay-per-view full contact fights. (Ultimate Fighting Championships, K1, etc.) It's a grappling* style akin to wrestling which uses joint and leg locks to help secure, restrain, or otherwise destroy your opponent.
Except when you practice it? Ya look prrreeetttty gaaaay. Gay.
And it took just about all of my self control not to make a comment.
"Okay, Mr. P: I want you to lie flat on your back, and Mr.___ is going to mount you. Mr.___, you're gonna want to kneel a little further up on his chest. There you go, now wrap your legs around his waist Mr.P. Goooooooood. Then you're gonna want to buck your hips...."
Homo-Erotic Imagery abounds. I nearly lost it, but I was able to keep the "tea-bag" jokes in check. Good for me. And, I got to start re-learning ju-jitsu (Our instructor attends the Gracie Seminars in Cali. He has stories of little Brazilian kids who've practiced for years tossing adults around like they were dolls.)
And today? My bruises have bruises. On the back of my calves, no less.
* There are 2 major Martial Art categories: Striking and Grappling and their concepts are exactly as they are titled. Striking primarily focuses on punches and kicks, and Grappling relies on trapping the opponents limbs, redirecting their energy, and choking.
Some Examples of Striking Martial Arts:
Boxing, Karate (and it's sub-styles), Kung Fu/Wushu (and it's sub-styles), Tae Kwon Do, Krav Maga, Kali, Capoeria, Pentjak Silat, Savate, Kenpo (Chi-nese, Japanese, Dirty-knees, Lookit these!)
Some Examples of Grappling Martial Arts:
Aikido, Ju Jitsu, Wrestling, Pankration, Judo, Sumo-tori
Example of Martial Arts before you've had any caffeine: Tai Chi
So my instructor got himself a wild hair up his butt and after stretching, doing our "Torquemada" exercises (Slow sidekicks with leg weights. They buuuurn.) he decides to spend the last part of class teaching Ju Jitsu concepts. For the Martial Arts Luddite, Ju Jitsu is the style O' Martial art that usually gets showcased in all of those pay-per-view full contact fights. (Ultimate Fighting Championships, K1, etc.) It's a grappling* style akin to wrestling which uses joint and leg locks to help secure, restrain, or otherwise destroy your opponent.
Except when you practice it? Ya look prrreeetttty gaaaay. Gay.
And it took just about all of my self control not to make a comment.
"Okay, Mr. P: I want you to lie flat on your back, and Mr.___ is going to mount you. Mr.___, you're gonna want to kneel a little further up on his chest. There you go, now wrap your legs around his waist Mr.P. Goooooooood. Then you're gonna want to buck your hips...."
Homo-Erotic Imagery abounds. I nearly lost it, but I was able to keep the "tea-bag" jokes in check. Good for me. And, I got to start re-learning ju-jitsu (Our instructor attends the Gracie Seminars in Cali. He has stories of little Brazilian kids who've practiced for years tossing adults around like they were dolls.)
And today? My bruises have bruises. On the back of my calves, no less.
* There are 2 major Martial Art categories: Striking and Grappling and their concepts are exactly as they are titled. Striking primarily focuses on punches and kicks, and Grappling relies on trapping the opponents limbs, redirecting their energy, and choking.
Some Examples of Striking Martial Arts:
Boxing, Karate (and it's sub-styles), Kung Fu/Wushu (and it's sub-styles), Tae Kwon Do, Krav Maga, Kali, Capoeria, Pentjak Silat, Savate, Kenpo (Chi-nese, Japanese, Dirty-knees, Lookit these!)
Some Examples of Grappling Martial Arts:
Aikido, Ju Jitsu, Wrestling, Pankration, Judo, Sumo-tori
Example of Martial Arts before you've had any caffeine: Tai Chi
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
3 Part harmony
I'm gonna break this up into three separate and specific posts detailing the weekend. So, check back fur updates.
After work this last Friday, I met w/my extended fam (Dad's side) for dinner at a chain seafood joint here in the 'Grove. (Think about the seafood joint that was made fun of in "My Best Friends Wedding", mixed with Chotchkie's. ) Apparently, my aunt and uncle were visiting from the West Coast and it would be a good chance for me to finally meet my Goddaughter.
Me: "My...Gah, what?"
Dad: "You know you're her Godfather, right?"
Me: "(mumbling)Mmmnauaamonooo...Yes? What's his(zer) name, again?"
Dad: (yelling) "MY FIRST, MIDDLE, AND LAST NAME"!
Anyway, she was a cutie. (Think "Lilo" in "Lilo & Stitch") since both she, and my big bro's Goddaughter being adopted. Very sweet and well behaved. I was also able to see my other Uncle and Aunt (Poor man, having recently been treated to 3 open heart surgeries and the placement of stents. Although he had a seriously bad-ass cane.)
No, my non-plussedness came about (first) because of the food: I was extremely underwhelmed by the Salmon Rockefeller. Everyone else didn't mind their own choices, so, hello. Say Hi to Mr. Oceannaire-Snob. (2nd) The ambience:This place is stuck in 1999. Seriously. The songs "Mambo # 5", "YMCA Mega-Mix", and [shudder] "Macarena" were played very loudly. And the best part? The servers came out and DANCED for you. Fun little "made-up" 'ography that the staff performed with relish.
And with their asses way too close to my head. When I was eating.
"Why are they doing this?" my auntie asks
"They're being punished" was my reply.
Then I mimed swallowing a suicide pill (kept in a ring) and we wrapped up dinner. I brought J home some hush puppies and a crab cake. That's right. $6.99, and you only get a cake. Singular. Not even big enough to constitute "patty" status.
So yeah. It's nice to fraternize with family. Just stay away from restaurants that sound like "Hoe's Flab Tack".
After work this last Friday, I met w/my extended fam (Dad's side) for dinner at a chain seafood joint here in the 'Grove. (Think about the seafood joint that was made fun of in "My Best Friends Wedding", mixed with Chotchkie's. ) Apparently, my aunt and uncle were visiting from the West Coast and it would be a good chance for me to finally meet my Goddaughter.
Me: "My...Gah, what?"
Dad: "You know you're her Godfather, right?"
Me: "(mumbling)Mmmnauaamonooo...Yes? What's his(zer) name, again?"
Dad: (yelling) "MY FIRST, MIDDLE, AND LAST NAME"!
Anyway, she was a cutie. (Think "Lilo" in "Lilo & Stitch") since both she, and my big bro's Goddaughter being adopted. Very sweet and well behaved. I was also able to see my other Uncle and Aunt (Poor man, having recently been treated to 3 open heart surgeries and the placement of stents. Although he had a seriously bad-ass cane.)
No, my non-plussedness came about (first) because of the food: I was extremely underwhelmed by the Salmon Rockefeller. Everyone else didn't mind their own choices, so, hello. Say Hi to Mr. Oceannaire-Snob. (2nd) The ambience:This place is stuck in 1999. Seriously. The songs "Mambo # 5", "YMCA Mega-Mix", and [shudder] "Macarena" were played very loudly. And the best part? The servers came out and DANCED for you. Fun little "made-up" 'ography that the staff performed with relish.
And with their asses way too close to my head. When I was eating.
"Why are they doing this?" my auntie asks
"They're being punished" was my reply.
Then I mimed swallowing a suicide pill (kept in a ring) and we wrapped up dinner. I brought J home some hush puppies and a crab cake. That's right. $6.99, and you only get a cake. Singular. Not even big enough to constitute "patty" status.
So yeah. It's nice to fraternize with family. Just stay away from restaurants that sound like "Hoe's Flab Tack".
Thursday, September 01, 2005
TBYS*
*Think before you speak.
Or before you write something. Or, you know, before you decide to invade a foreign territory. I'm just sayin'.
I had a bunch of really snarky, mean-spirited things written just a few mo's ago. And I deleted'em. They were just too damn dumb.
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"
I can dig it. (Can't say I'm entirely innocent, but yeah)
"There is much power in listening"
Cool. I can dig that too.
"Stop Looking Into things P!"
Right. Best not to search for a deeper meaning when there really isn't one. As my darling fiancee' is wont to remind me. (It keeps me from asking "What's Wrong" if there is more than 2 minutes of silence in our house, you know? THAT would be an annoying habit.)
I am amazed by peoples capacity for kindness and understanding. Under times of stress, I've heard that we are actually at our best.
Similarly, I'm amazed by peoples capacity to limit their own perspective- Even when a person genuinely seems to want to be known as worldly or enlightened. They are fraught with the same sad paranoid judgements that they perceive in those around them. They are the reactionaries, argumentatives, and individuals who make the choice to limit their worldview by engaging in thoughtless verbal sparring for they lack patience. Sometimes, they assume that others don't care as much as they do about a particular issue or concern or topic because they perceive that nothing is being said. They mistake thoughtful contemplation for mere complacency. They rail against the injustice of things...the fairness. Isn't that type of judgement counter-productive? So much easier to just kinda jump into the fray, right?
"Life isn't fair, P. It isn't here to make you feel good. I'm a cop- I've got people making me feel bad every day. The only thing that you can do, is let it go. It's unrealistic to accept those things for what they are. I'm a realist."
(Actually. Dad was more of a pessimist, at least more so than he wanted to believe.)
I mean, look at the terrible situation in N.O. Terrible. The devastation is just overwhelming. Just as terrible as a December Tsunami. Or 800 poor men/women/children getting trampled and drowned because of a rumor. Or a poor man with Downs Syndrome being found at the bottom of a hole in the sidewalk. Terrible situations that break the heart, and too often short-circuit the mind, causing us to speak and write with fury and reckless abandon (Or go into shock). Great things can come of slowly stirring the pot, but more often it exacerbates and alienates both the listener/reader...the speaker/writer. Anger is a natural response to our fears and concerns...sometimes even "righteous" anger. (I'm guilty of it too) Pacifists and those who lean toward agressive behaviors would both agree that there can never any really good decisions made in the heat of an angry moment.
I've never purported to be good at withholding my feelings or thoughts ...and sometimes, the world is too much with me. IT scares me. Makes me fearful. I will not, however, let a world that keeps moving: Stop me. Because I believe in my heart I can find so much more satisfaction by not following the path of least resistance, and continue to challenge myself to rise above the need for immediate gratification (Which is, to say, be a reactionary.) I certainly hope to be consistent at it some day.
And it would be nice if the world could just take a deep collective breathe- And calm down.
Or before you write something. Or, you know, before you decide to invade a foreign territory. I'm just sayin'.
I had a bunch of really snarky, mean-spirited things written just a few mo's ago. And I deleted'em. They were just too damn dumb.
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"
I can dig it. (Can't say I'm entirely innocent, but yeah)
"There is much power in listening"
Cool. I can dig that too.
"Stop Looking Into things P!"
Right. Best not to search for a deeper meaning when there really isn't one. As my darling fiancee' is wont to remind me. (It keeps me from asking "What's Wrong" if there is more than 2 minutes of silence in our house, you know? THAT would be an annoying habit.)
I am amazed by peoples capacity for kindness and understanding. Under times of stress, I've heard that we are actually at our best.
Similarly, I'm amazed by peoples capacity to limit their own perspective- Even when a person genuinely seems to want to be known as worldly or enlightened. They are fraught with the same sad paranoid judgements that they perceive in those around them. They are the reactionaries, argumentatives, and individuals who make the choice to limit their worldview by engaging in thoughtless verbal sparring for they lack patience. Sometimes, they assume that others don't care as much as they do about a particular issue or concern or topic because they perceive that nothing is being said. They mistake thoughtful contemplation for mere complacency. They rail against the injustice of things...the fairness. Isn't that type of judgement counter-productive? So much easier to just kinda jump into the fray, right?
"Life isn't fair, P. It isn't here to make you feel good. I'm a cop- I've got people making me feel bad every day. The only thing that you can do, is let it go. It's unrealistic to accept those things for what they are. I'm a realist."
(Actually. Dad was more of a pessimist, at least more so than he wanted to believe.)
I mean, look at the terrible situation in N.O. Terrible. The devastation is just overwhelming. Just as terrible as a December Tsunami. Or 800 poor men/women/children getting trampled and drowned because of a rumor. Or a poor man with Downs Syndrome being found at the bottom of a hole in the sidewalk. Terrible situations that break the heart, and too often short-circuit the mind, causing us to speak and write with fury and reckless abandon (Or go into shock). Great things can come of slowly stirring the pot, but more often it exacerbates and alienates both the listener/reader...the speaker/writer. Anger is a natural response to our fears and concerns...sometimes even "righteous" anger. (I'm guilty of it too) Pacifists and those who lean toward agressive behaviors would both agree that there can never any really good decisions made in the heat of an angry moment.
I've never purported to be good at withholding my feelings or thoughts ...and sometimes, the world is too much with me. IT scares me. Makes me fearful. I will not, however, let a world that keeps moving: Stop me. Because I believe in my heart I can find so much more satisfaction by not following the path of least resistance, and continue to challenge myself to rise above the need for immediate gratification (Which is, to say, be a reactionary.) I certainly hope to be consistent at it some day.
And it would be nice if the world could just take a deep collective breathe- And calm down.
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