| GAY MARRIAGE! |
[15 May 2013|02:23am] |
So gay marriage is legal in MN now. I am so freaking overjoyed. I honestly didn't think it would happen; it was one thing to defeat the one man/one woman amendment last year, another thing to pass gay marriage itself. It helps, I suppose, that a constitutional amendment required a popular vote, and gay marriage was just a law that the legislature could do on its own. But really, yeah. I expected this one to get close and fail. Nope. Nope, here we go. As of the first day of Fringe this year, my long-married gay friends will start becoming my legally-marriage gay friends. Just... just so amazing to me.
Some historical events, I remember where I was. Yeah, cliche, just go with it. I remember where I was when Princess Di died (well, I better remember how much it affected my stepmom). I remember 9/11. When Obama was elected. When Obama was re-elected. When the 35W bridge fell. I've forgotten the moment I learned of the Challenger disaster, the Berlin wall falling, every other presidential election. Now, I remember where I was when gay marriage in MN became legally inevitable.
In my new apartment, lying on a bed with no sheets, skimming down Facebook on my iPhone liking every single post, and crying.
( The List, Day 133 (5/14); 8/101 DoneCollapse )
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| 5/5th, celebrity culture, moving boxes |
[10 May 2013|11:11pm] |
Still busy busy month, quick entry though.
Moving continues. I've bought a new bed and set it up in the new place, and since I can sleep on the couch in the old place, I can habitate at either. Next up, transferring the internet, and then I'll be living in the new one and clearing the old one out. Making progress, though slower than I'd like. Nonetheless, I've got three more weeks, so I should be fine. Changed my driver's license address today, and I've moved about half of the furniture I can do on my own, as well as nearly emptying the storage room. Plenty of books yet to go. Next big project: breaking down the old bed, see if I can transport that solo, and leave it in the new storage room until Emily returns.
Oh yeah. Emily left. I mean, by plan. This isn't a surprise or anything. But she's gone to Seattle for 3 months for her externship for a veterinary tech degree. This was planned long before we met, so yeah, no surprise. Still kinda sucks, though. We'll make it; she'll be back for her cousin's wedding next month, and I'm planning to visit her, and she'll be back about halfway through Fringe. I'm not even missing her too badly yet; I've just been far too busy. Hard to mourn not having your partner around when you have zero free time to spend with her anyway. But I do miss her, and can't wait to see her again. I hate phone calls.
Still, things are starting to lighten up, a bit. Five-Fifths of The Terminator performed on Monday, and was a rousing success all around. Tedious Brief's portion was well received, and I got good laughs on some parts that I wasn't certain would land. So go us. All five parts, though, were really good, and I can't wait to see the video taken, especially since I was backstage for a couple of them. Best of all, Mainly Me managed to wrangle a celebrity guest- Vikings punter Chris Kluwe!
...who I had never heard of before! Because I do not care about sports. But the room freaked out, and my fellow cast members freaked out, and I met him briefly and he was incredibly nice and friendly, and he played a comedic Terminator and kicked ASS at it. Plus, he was wearing a Penny Arcade t-shirt. So, jock wearing nerd shirt does theatre geek activity. He's a Nexus, is what I'm saying. I've since learned that he'd been cut from the Vikings THAT MORNING, so to head to a theater and do a great job at something he doesn't normally do is damn impressive to me. Then, the next day, he sent out an e-mail via Minnesota United for Families in support of the gay marriage vote. Then, had a funny Twitter war with The Onion over an article they wrote after he was cut. So yeah. I am now a certified Kluwe fan.
Oh yeah. Same-sex marriage passed in the MN House, not overwhelmingly, but by a comfortable margin. It goes to the Senate on Monday, which I've heard is a safer bet than the House was. I hope that's not just rumor, because I know for a FACT that the governor supports it, so if it passes the House then Minnesota allows gay marriage. Which is... oh man, please. That would be AMAZING. SO MANY OF MY FRIENDS WOULD GET MARRIED THIS FALL, YOU GUYS.
...okay, that entry ended up longer than I thought I had in me tonight. Off to pack more!
( The List, Day 129 (5/10); 8/101 DoneCollapse )
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| Moving! Also, a brief aside of Weather Goes Insane |
[27 Apr 2013|01:31am] |
So, I'm moving again. But first!
Weather is weird blah blah blah late winter blah blah this week there was a day that opened with a huge snowfall that was almost melted by the end of work because it was in the high 50s. It was like Every Season Day. Neat. Seems to finally be spring now, although it'll get colder again, but I think the snow is finally stopped.
Also, I'm moving! Finally got the keys today, after expecting them on the 7th. Been vaguely packing stuff up this evening, got a medium carload ready to go. Might yet move it tonight. I have until the end of May, after all. Now begins the gradual process of moving my life, changing utilities to my name, cleaning the crap outta this place, and simplifying my belongings as I move them.
I hate moving. Aside from the pain-in-the-ass aspect of it, I end up flushed with stupid bursts of nostalgia that make me second-guess my decision. And at this point, second-guessing gets me nowhere. The new lease is signed. My old apartment is rented. This is happening. I just have to do the steps to make it happen. But I'm leaving Uptown, technically, and I like being able to walk EVERYWHERE I need to go. Now I'll have to drive in. Stupid, little things like that ruin my day. I just need to get into the new place and start FEELING its advantages, rather than just knowing them.
One thing I will truly miss, though. On my walk to work from here, ever since I moved in, there's been a series of Goobahs painted on the sidewalk. I'll miss fake jumping on those.
( The List, Day 115 (4/26); 7/101 DoneCollapse )
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| Repeating myself |
[19 Apr 2013|07:06pm] |
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Soooo I got cast in the Much Ado About Nothing I mentioned a couple entries ago. As Dogberry. Woot! Now, to work on not doing a Michael Keaton impression. And, if I see it before I play it, not doing a Nathan Fillion impression.
All my history considered, I've performed in ten of Shakespeare's plays (not including remixes), and this will be the first one I've done twice. Not as the same character, but in the same plotline (before I was Verges). I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I've been having flashbacks to the previous production since callbacks; it was a great show, and I'm proud of the job I did in it. So I want to exceed my work from then. But I have a more challenging role, and there'll be zero overlap in audience, so no one can compare what I did other than me. Maybe it's because I'm acting so seldom these days. If this is to be my only full 2013 production, I want to make it worth it. Whatever the cause, I feel strange. Nostalgia and excitement and dread and pride. It doesn't start rehearsal until after Fringe, and doesn't perform until October, so I have more than enough time to sort that out.
Plus, now I have extra incentive to bang out a draft of "The Tragedy of Don John". If we can get a reading up during a dark night of Much Ado, I can ruin the play for the rest of my cast. Undermining!
( The List, Day 108 (4/19); 7/101 DoneCollapse )
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| Project Zero Two (The Reckoning): Day 100 Checkin |
[11 Apr 2013|06:10pm] |
Oh, right, this part. Probably keep basically the same format as previous checkins. Don't have any introduction really to make here. So, uh, list.
( Updates since last postCollapse )
( As it stands, Day 100 (4/11); 7/101 DoneCollapse )
Overall, good start. Nabbed a bunch right out of the gate, but it's slowed down since theatrical projects started eating more and more time. (For more info on those projects, see literally every other journal entry of the last couple months) There's a few more targeted hits coming up in the next few weeks, though, and I'm establishing routines for the long-term goals. We'll see how it continues, but I like how it's started.
( Completed GoalsCollapse )
Long-term list items (percent to go):
19. Origami Cranes (0/1000 - 0%) (haven't started, but I bought the paper and found the directions)
44. Pulp magazines (200/212 - 94.33%) (a good start, and have established a routine)
48. VHS (47/48 - 97.91%) (and another 18 on the shelf to be done; just don't have time to watch 'em)
49. mp3s (297/300 - 99%) (just need a long, boring Saturday)
65. Sushi (78/79 - 98.73%) (ah, the impossible dream...)
82. New DVD shelf (40/41 - 97.56%) (see rationalization for #48)
94. Caching Difficulty/Terrain (19/34 - 55.88%) (frozen lakes were a BOON for high terrain difficulties; will probably slow down now, but I have targets in my sights)
95. Caching Date Found (35/118 - 29.66%) (finishing the winter streak made a huge difference; no more possible dates until the end of July, but I have high hopes of finishing this off by the end of the year)
Not claiming specific targets for the next checkin. I mean, I have targets, but listing them here never actually made me better at getting them done. Maybe if I had enough spare time on a regular basis that I needed to find things to do, but nope. That's never a problem. I'll just hit them as I go, as always. And maybe get closer to the person I feel that I am. That's everyone's goal, right?
Onward and upward.
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| Auditions and legitimacy |
[10 Apr 2013|01:37am] |
Several auditions in the last few days. One of them mine for a fall show, two of them working the table for The Final Act. Hey, here's some thoughts on that why not.
Auditioned for Six Elements, for Much Ado About Nothing. Got a callback, too. Auditioned with a new sonnet, and the situation was pretty casual (two friends), so I don't feel like I brought my best game, nor knocked it out of the park. But I did well, got a callback out of it. I'm debating whether to confine my eligibility for this one; insist on Benedick or Dogberry or naught. I'm transitioning to primarily a writer now; I feel like I should only tread the boards again for a part I really want. Eh, we'll see. At the least, it gives me an excuse to scale back on Haunted Basement this year, and maintain more of my sanity. And hey, I memorized a sonnet for audition in about four days. That's pretty good.
As for Final Act, I spent Sunday running the front for auditions, and today doing the same for callbacks. I would have loved to be behind the table for the auditions themselves, but there was nothing I could really contribute there, and I was needed up front, so there you go. And I got a lot more perspective from up front than I thought I would. It's amazing, watching actors nervousness from the outside. A solid half of the people I led in beelined straight to the presumed audition spot, then had to course-correct when they realized Carin shakes hands with those who come to see her. I did my best to help keep confidence shored up; I'd glance at resumes as I waited for them to be ready inside, and if I had a personal connection or something to say I'd try to throw a compliment their way. I have nothing to do with casting anyway, and it's to my advantage to have them relaxed and giving their best. Overall, we got a great crowd of talented people wanting to be in our show, which is always humbling and amazing to me. We also got a couple of real screwballs, which are good for the stories. And, best of all, barring last-minute adjustments and confirming with people, the show is cast. Wild!
Best of all, I'm seeing a whole bunch of audition class platitudes being proved true. First off, that the auditioners want you to be good. Obviously, and I've seen that before. But I was really trying to encourage people before they went in. We want them to be GREAT. We want GREAT choices for our show. But, for the first time, I saw the truth in a good audition meaning more than this show. I was in the room for part of the director and SM's discussions about casting. Not contributing, of course; even if I had seen the auditions it wouldn't have been my place. But I'm not in the running for this show; no time at the least, even if there had been a part clearly for me. So I didn't feel awkward about being around, watching the process. And I saw more than one person discarded from consideration for Final Act, but mentioned as a possibility for future shows the director is doing. I saw invitations to audition being born. Again, it's something I've known for a long time, and I never doubted its veracity, but it's the first time I SAW it happen. People who auditioned well but just didn't fit, being thought about for the future. Wild, again.
Ego boosts from both audition experiences. My audition, I get a callback without feeling like I nailed it. Either I'm better than I think, or I'm better known and appreciated than one decent-but-not-great audition. Or I'm a friend, and not judged the same. Or the pickin's were slim. Or or or. I choose, for now, to take the compliment, and we'll see how the callback goes.
Healthier ego boost from Final Act auditions. People like the script. People are impressed with the concept. Yeah, it's still easy to find the undermine point; people are complimenting the writers of the show they're trying to get into. But hey, I wouldn't be an artist if I didn't know the way to find a compliment and undermine that compliment in the same breath. We're doing well, and people are impressed. I am pleased.
Progress elsewhere as well. Meeting about Fringe Orphans has set our next round of deadlines and goals. Got the venues and schedules for both Fringe shows. Emily's birthday was Saturday; we went to a movie and grabbed food after. Nothing big, but she didn't want anything big. Closed out my geocaching streak at 131 days; no more calendar dates to score until August. Need to memorize Terminator lines. Got ideas for a storytelling piece and a short play; no idea when I'll have time to write 'em. On we go.
( The List, Day 98 (4/9); 7/101 DoneCollapse )
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| King of the Celts |
[01 Apr 2013|01:42am] |
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And and more occurs, and I'm still feeling on top of it. Barely, sometimes, but I'll take what I can get.
Trip with Emily was fantastic. Drive up, night, full day there, drive back. Great hotel, did a fair amount of winter geocaching together, a couple good restaurants. Forced together for several days, and it was great. No fights, one potential conflict avoided with honesty and communication. This is just... it's lovely.
On that note, though, FUCK WINTER GEOCACHING. I am SO done with this. Fortunately, I've had great success filling the calendar dates up; four more days, and I'm set until July. I'm going to let my streak lapse, too. I'd half-debated trying for a 365 streak, since winter is arguably the hardest part, but I'm sick of forcing easy grabs to keep it going. Quality over quantity for a while. And, hey, I am pretty busy. That said, I cleared another state park on the trip, just passed 1000 (a memorable find with  purplesquirrel), and I'm making solid progress on some tough challenges. With two planned trips this summer (one, while visiting Emily in Seattle, to Groundspeak HQ; and the other with purplesquirrel up north to visit the oldest cache in the state), an Earthcache half-planned, and two or three other planned caches to place, I won't be at a loss of things to seek even if I let my streak lapse.
Sporadic updates:
--Final Act workshop went really, REALLY well. We've got some editing and redrafting to do, but not to the basic plot structure, which is a huge relief. I got the closing sonnet rewritten for the workshop, and while it still doesn't feel exactly right, it's much better than the first one, and it was well-received in the room. I've also managed to get out of work for the auditions, so I'll be there, either behind the table and watching or running the front desk. Wherever Carin says she needs me more. Missed the photo shoot today for the publicity image; really excited to see what we have to work with.
--Ye Olde Terminat'r and Fringe Orphans are in basically the same place as last update, although the Fringe has announced that we can pick up our venue assignments and schedules next on Friday, so Orphans is just in a holding pattern until I get that info. Then, meeting with co-producer, and we move on to the next step.
--Great RHPS performance last night; huge crowd, I did director announcements without much warning, and two or three folks came up after with interest in auditioning. Doesn't mean any of them will actually follow through, but considering the number of cast shakeups we have coming up this year, I'm hoping a few of the interested parties from yesterday show us their stuff.
--Recorded two podcasts yesterday. One was the second (although it'll be first to air) Double Bill episode, about Manhunter and Red Dragon. Haven't heard it yet, obviously, but hopefully it'll be interesting. We have a cool theme song now, at least. I'm hosting the next pairing, although it looks like we'll be watching them separately. Not what I'd like, but I paired Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven. That's a long double feature. We three are simply not available at the same time for that length of time for a couple of weeks, and we want to get a few more podcasts in the bag before we start posting them. So, time takes precedent over companionship. I think we'll survive.
--Finally in misc updates, the other podcast I recorded was for Six Elements' Human Combat Chess. I couldn't audition for this year (just imagine adding a combat performance this summer... I shudder to imagine how explosive the nervous breakdown would be), so I'm taking part in the podcasts that envision the league season leading up to the final bout. So now, officially, I'm the King of the Celts team. Which means I'm part of the mythology, apparently, and will have my own wiki page. I'm in favor of this. This is, in point of fact, wicked super cool.
One bit of new business. I'm moving in May. Leaving this apartment, which has treated me well, and moving into a friend's subletted condo (eyv's, not that he's posted in the last four years or so). A couple of reasons for this, but the big impetus to move now is that I want to get a cat. Current place doesn't allow pets, so new place needed. Easy as that. New place is more expensive, but comes with a few other perks; diswasher, washer/dryer in unit, underground parking space. Plus, renting from a friend. Plus, PLUS, overlapped move-in month has turned into overlapped move-in 7 weeks. Plenty of time for an easy move, and plenty of cleanup on the current place. Which, judging from the rest of my schedule, is the only possible way I could handle it this year. Nonetheless, a big change, and after a bit of adjusting, I feel ready for it.
I've been wondering lately... do I get this busy because of a fear of being lazy? Leftover guilt and fear from childhood and past relationships that ended due to my 'lack of ambition'? Or do I get this busy because awesome things keep happening, and I really can't say no to 'em?
( The List, Day 89 (3/31); 7/101 DoneCollapse )
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| Get out of town |
[18 Mar 2013|04:15am] |
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Heading out of town for a few days tomorrow with Emily. Taking a trip to Two Harbors on the north shore, which is the first town north of Duluth. Yup, middle of nowhere, and it's supposed to snow tomorrow. This oughta be fun. There's a... bed & breakfast? Hotel? I dunno the term they use, a 'place you stay overnight' that she knows of that's a converted boxcar. Plus, since it's off-season, it sounds like we'll be the only people there. A good mini-vacation, well-needed for both of us, plus our first trip together. I am so damn excited.
Progress otherwise... we've got the first draft for Noirlowe written, as well as a title- The Final Act. First workshop is a week from Tuesday, auditions are scheduled and nearly full, and the crew roster is almost filled out. A few more tweaks and changes that I want to make before the workshop, mainly a rewrite of the closing sonnet, but I've got until Wednesday to get that done, and hopefully will be able to focus on writing on this trip.
We've also completed the draft for our 1/5 of The Terminator, entitled Ye Olde Terminat'r. It's pretty ridiculous, y'all. It'll be performed by we four company members, which means I get to play all the parts that aren't The Terminator, Sarah Connor, or Kyle Reese, which means I get to die twice and still have stage time. It should be pretty fun, and hopefully will jive well with the audience. Now, on to memorizing lines. Huh. I am freaking busy; I totalled up the projects I'm doing recently for some catchup time with friends, and I got to two full hands of fingers counting off what I'm doing. But this is the only one that involves line memorization. Weird. Retro.
Other stuff. Got the DVD for my Double Bill episode. Mikey's is next, though, and that's scheduled for Friday. Great Transvestite Soup video review yesterday; productive, actually had people there. Good times. Actually had an Upright Egg meeting, for the first time in... either a few months or over a year, depending on if you count the bruch last November as a 'meeting'. We need to figure out what we are now, and we've made important steps in that directions. I still feel overloaded with all I have to do, but manageably overloaded. I have checklists now!
Still finding time to geocache; have taken more caching days than is probably productive now, but it's keeping me sane. My numbers are jumping, too; I'm currently on day 112 of a streak, and plan to hit cache #1000 on Saturday. To do that, I'll have to clear about 23 caches on this trip, which shouldn't be difficult, considering the number of state parks and such to hit on the way.
Fortunately, Emily is game for the caching. She's not falling wildly into it, but she loves state parks and hikes and such, so caching is very simpatico with her interests. And she's already tolerated me on several caching outings that would try many folks' patience. So it's working. It's... okay, here's an example. We're both introverts to some degree, and so we need solo recharging time. And so far, we've found a way to have that time while still being around each other. It's a simple thing, but necessary for my sanity, and hers as well. It's just one of the little ways that this is working. It's lovely. We've been dating just over two months, and already taking a trip together. It just feels right. Lovely.
On we go.
( The List, Day 75 (3/17); 7/101 DoneCollapse )
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| cresting the first hill |
[01 Mar 2013|02:35am] |
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Still just as busy. Arguably busier. But it feels like Round 1 is coming to an end, which is a good time to take a breath.
Had another Transvestite Soup show. Had an audition for Columbia, too, which passed and got hired. So being Assistant Director proceeds, and no huge problems yet. The other day I had a mini-freakout, where I felt completely overloaded, and decided that this one was the least important one on the docket so it would have to go. The immediacy of that feeling passed, though. Something else came to mind. I'm allowed to make mistakes here. That's okay. Now, more than ever, I'm allowed to screw up. What matters is, if that happens, I learn from it and fix it. But I don't have to be all-knowing and perfect from the get-go. I'm okay. It's important to remember that.
Next hill! Tedious Brief's Fringe show, shorthand called "Noirlowe", is nearly finished in first draft form. We each took three scenes, I've finished a draft of 2 & 1/2 of mine. What I've written needs a going-over polish before I bring it to writers' meeting, but it mostly exists. We plotted it out, created a damn fine story with a good twisty noir plot, and it mostly exists in its baby form. Which is so TRIPPY, EVERY SINGLE TIME IT HAPPENS. Even straight adaptations... this thing did not exist, and now it does. That amazing... birth, just always blows my mind. And it's no different this time. I hope that feeling never goes away.
Also, we have a director and a sound designer and workshop times and audition times and nearly a fight choreographer and a dozen other of the little things you need on the way to having a show. It's growing. Writing it feels like the easy part. We're just so damned GOOD at this part. Now, we just have to get it as close to perfect as reality can be. I love this job.
And! Another cool thing added to the plate! Tedious Brief Productions has been asked to be a part of the MN Fringe's Five Fifths this year. It's a fundraiser, where they take an existing play or movie and split the script into five parts, then give each part to a different theatre company to adapt for the stage. Five different flavors, five different styles. We'll be doing the second fifth of The Terminator. Hell yeah. Awesome for two reasons (beyond the obvious); first, a couple of years ago, I'd talked about getting our names in for doing Five Fifths. I spent a little time trying to think about whose ear I should put a flea in, then just sort of let it go. Didn't want to seem pushy, I guess. It's so much sweeter being asked without suggesting yourselves. Second awesome reason; Aaron has been pushing this adaptation for a while. He has some scenes written. Which makes this a better fit than, say, Princess Bride or Wizard of Oz, or the other choices of previous years. So this is happening. And doing the writing? Doing this casting? This is gonna be a joy.
Last 'cresting the hill' moment... recorded the first podcast of Double Bill yesterday, and even though I was coming down with a cold, I managed to not sound like an idiot. Go team me! Will pass the link on once it exists.
Next hill... second draft of Noirlowe (oh, and a final title), collating the Fringe Orphans interest and setting the next deadline, figuring out what crew Fringe Orphans needs and lining them up, more Transvestite Soup work, scheduling next Double Bill viewing, ordering the DVD for my first Double Bill hosting. Onward we go.
( The List, Day 58 (2/28); 6/101 DoneCollapse )
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| 2013 Fringe, and consequential self-importance |
[06 Feb 2013|01:43am] |
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Fringe lotto last night- both balls drawn. (sidenote: HEE HEE BALLS) So both Tedious Brief Productions and Fringe Orphans shall be represented at Fringe this year! Presuming we manage to build our shows, of course.
So for those of y'all keeping track, theatrical/creative endeavors now include: 2 Fringe shows, one co-writing/co-producing, one co-producing/curating; transitioning to cast director of Transvestite Soup (for Rocky Horror Picture Show); a play I need to draft by June for a possible fall production; a play I want to draft by the end of the year to finally have it written; a possible podcast of movie reviewing; starting to write stuff to submit for cracked.com; a play reading tomorrow; a summit meeting to figure out the future of Bard Fiction and Pulp Shakespeare as separate entities; submitting work for national production (Tempests is going to have a performance at Brown University next month!); and probably more.
The weird thing? What an incredibly small percentage of that huge paragraph involves acting. I got into this gig for acting. Writing and creation, though, appears to be the part that's sticking. I'm just having more success on that end, no two ways about it. I've done some amazing performance, played a few leads, and I still feel like I have a good Hamlet in me. But Universe has been guiding me towards writing, and that seems to be what I need to do. Freakin' weird. Now I just have to, y'know, actually write. I formed that FB group, at least. Now, to set up some meetings.
I was worried about Fringe Orphans. Aside from the fact that it's my baby, and therefore worthy of all worry I can spare, it got quite mixed reviews last year. So I had concerns that maybe it should have been called a noble experiment, lessons should be pulled from it, and then it should be allowed to become part of the past. But recent events reassure me more and more that it still has room to grow, and become even better than it's been. Since the ball-drawing (HEE HEE BALLS), I've got several messages from several folks expressing interest in creating a scene or performing for this year, I got a few spontaneous compliments of the idea during the Fringe lotto, and when the number was called the room gave a cheer. Now, admittedly, there's alternate explanations for all those events. I'm being realistic here. But I'm excited for what's to come, and think that this year, Fringe Orphans can pull off better reviews and a larger Fringe presence. Maybe this can become a local franchise; something to look forward to from year-to-year, for people who aren't me and my circle of co-conspirators. A boy can dream. Worst case, I think I have the next two sequel titles in mind already.
All this makes me feel, kinda... I'm kind of a big deal, y'all. Now brace yourselves. Because I am on stage, motherfucker, and I am going to JUSTIFY my presence!
( The List, Day 35 (2/5); 6/101 DoneCollapse )
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| projects |
[30 Jan 2013|12:40am] |
Life has metamorphosed lately. Used to be, I'd go stir-crazy if I wasn't in a show, since that meant I had nothing theatrical to fill my time. But I haven't been in a proper play since Valhalla last year, and I've only had a couple of auditions since. Yet somehow, no less busy.
Fringe and Haunted Basement I've talked about. But Rocky Horror has taken a turn for the responsible. I joined the shadow cast last year; have played Riff-Raff many times since. And I just passed my audition for Dr. Scott/Eddie. So I can look forward to pulling that off. But the real news is that a couple of months ago, the cast director approached me with a proposition. She's been wanting to retire for a while; still act, but not run the show. And she asked if I was interested. We're doing a transitional period now; I'm going to be assistant director for the next couple of shows, then we'll swap and she'll be assistant director for a few shows, and then it'll be my role completely. It's not what I envisioned when I joined; I just enjoy the show, never gave a thought to RUNNING it. So we might get through the transitional period, and not proceed farther if I decide this isn't what I want to do. But I feel that it's something I CAN do. Not to mention the ego trip of being the boss.
It's also looking like I'll be co-hosting a podcast of movie reviews. That sort of sprung from nowhere, but sure seems like fun. More as it develops!
Otherwise, Fringe lotto is next week, as is a play reading I'm taking part in, and I'm forming a FB group for writer's gettogethers. It's always more effective for me to write in the company of others, since then I have to actually WRITE instead of getting distracted. And one of my back-burner projects has a good chance of getting produced this fall if I can get a draft banged out by June. Which is close enough to spur me into motion, but far enough away to be realistic. So yeah. I don't feel the need to force another acting project into life if it isn't perfect for me. I'm busy enough.
( The List, Day 28 (1/29); 6/101 DoneCollapse )
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| beginnings |
[20 Jan 2013|11:31pm] |
So second date went well. AMAZINGLY well. Third date too. Fourth date is planned, but I should probably stop numbering, because I think we've shifted into bf/gf labels.
Which is... well, amazing. I'm hesitant to talk about it, because I very much believe in jinxing, but it's been EASY. We're each looking for the same thing, and so far, we've found it in each other. We jive together very well, on more levels than I'd have guessed. I don't know how much road we're going to travel together, but I look forward to finding out. Because although we've only been dating just over a week (hell, we met only 3 weeks ago), this already feels really special.
God, beginnings are WEIRD. I've written and deleted a half-dozen sentences about Us, since they all seem wrong, and there's that jinxing fear. So I'll just mention the one thing I always find weirdest when I start dating someone. Yesterday I went to a caching event, met some folks, and one of them was a really cute girl who was being friendly. I couldn't tell if I was getting a vibe or not, and wondered if she was single, and then had to forcibly remind myself that it's completely irrelevant whether there was a vibe or whether she's single, because I'm not single. There's just been such a long habit of vaguely wondering and occasionally trying that it's hard to remember that the game has changed. Now it's one person. And it's seeing what we mean together, and having a great time doing it.
So really, only one question remains. How long do we wait before we tell Facebook?
( The List, Day 19 (1/20); 4/101 DoneCollapse )
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| LJ catchup- Haunted Basement summary |
[05 Jan 2013|08:57pm] |
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mood |
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 nostalgic |
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Playing catchup! It's hard to believe that I haven't talked about the Basement yet this year... that's a lie, I know exactly why I haven't talked about it, I'm lazy as hell. BUT, i like talking about it, so I just have to make it coherent and semi-interesting in writing. Let's find out if I can!
This was my third year of performing in the Basement, and my second of being a stipend actor with at least 10 shifts. This year I did 4 partial shifts (dress rehearsal week- 2 hours tops), and 14 actual shifts. Which is a lot. A LOT. ~6 hours performing, plus 2 hours called before, and probably a half-hour to clean up before heading home. Worked full time within, and had a Rocky Horror show within. Busy, busy October last year. And it was awesome.
This was the first year that I really plugged into the social side of the Basement. I pretty much just showed up and later left my first year... made maybe two friends. Second year, I was more around, but can still count the friends I made on one hand. This year, I truly became a Creep. Joined the private FB group, went to outside kareoke and parties, dozens of new FB friends, two people I sort of asked out and sort of got turned down by, a real feeling of belonging. And a sense of... expertise? I've got a rep down there. I impressed people, people worthy of impressing. I felt authoritative, which is something I'm not used to, and is TRIPPY. I had ideas for room techniques that were powerful, and picked up and used days later by people I didn't know. I terrified patrons in new and unique ways. I put myself through the grinder (once, literally) and came out feeling powerful. Definitely doing this again next year. In the meantime, keeping up with the Creeps group, and attending mid-year events. Because Hallowe'en doesn't come but once a year. If we keep it in our hearts all year long, we never have to stop terrifying strangers. Creep on!
( The List, Day 4 (1/5); 3/101 DoneCollapse )
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| Project Zero: Round Two |
[03 Jan 2013|04:39am] |
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mood |
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tired |
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Yup, doing this again. Posting the unedited one first; there's already updates, and it's only day one. Saved about 3/4 of the leftovers from the last list, re-added a few that had been completed (after two and a half years, the storage room needs cleaning out again). Most of the totally new ones are of the less ambitious sort; books to read, restaurants to try, &tc. Generally speaking, that's because most of my big ambitious ideas were on the previous list, and not many more have come to mind since. But there's a few big ones on there; in order to get a cat, I have to move to a place that allows pets. In order to cache in another country, I have to renew my passport, then GO to another country. So they ain't all easy gimmes.
This list is divided into sections, because I've seen others do so, and I liked it. Now... to learn how to fold origami cranes, and to buy a huge pile of paper for it.
1. Finish List
**Health/Wellness
2. Work out once a week for 3 months
3. Fix Teeth
4. MD Checkup
5. Neti Pot daily for 2 weeks
6. 3 Day Juice Cleanse
7. 10 Day Master Cleanse
8. Sleep Apnea Study
9. Visit Allergist
10. Rehab shoulder
**Self-Improvement
11. Cook 10 New Dishes
12. Learn Welsh
13. *private*
14. Didgeridoo
15. Quit all FB games
16. Meditation class
17. Dance class
18. Read The Lotus Sutra
19. Fold 1000 Origami Cranes
20. *private*
**Theatrical
21. Get brianwatsonjones.com up and running
22. See plays by 4 established Twin Cities companies that are new to me
23. See 6 plays that don't have any friends involved with them
24. Get an agent
25. Develop Hallowe'en show
26. Finish first draft of Tunesville
27. Write something for cracked.com
28. Buy season tickets for a theatre company; use them all
29. Perform with a new (established) company
30. Get reviewed by name in a paper (in any capacity)
31. Draft one-man show idea
32. Get a play produced by submitting to an out-of-town contest
**Default World
33. New day job
34. On time to work for two straight weeks
35. Write Will
36. Pay off credit card
37. Finish dirty dishes
38. Clean out storage room
39. Help 5 friends move
**Long Overdue
40. Empty "get-rid-of" tub
41. Beat "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess"
42. Sell Monsanto
43. Get a tattoo
44. Finish pulp magazines
45. Read "Gargantua and Pantagruel"
46. Read "The Pickwick Papers"
47. Take an IQ test
**Replacement/Upgrade
48. Phase out VHS
49. Legalize mp3s
50. New bed
51. New boots
52. New crock pot
53. New mesh grocery bag
**Fun (or, because I want to, and I can, which means I should)
54. Eat Rattlesnake
55. Sky Dive
56. Flirt with a stranger
57. Visit L.A.
58. Write fan letter to Terry Pratchett
59. Ax-Man trip
60. Absinthe party
61. Canoe Lake Calhoun
62. Visit Russian Museum
63. "Ancestral" tartan
64. Kiss on NYE
65. East sushi 79 times
66. Revisit Burning Man
67. Read "The Illustrated Man"
68. Read "I, Robot"
69. Walk on an iced-over lake
70. Attend an opera
71. Do Dark Side of the Oz
72. Learn Greek letters
73. Learn military letter callsigns
74. Learn Cockney rhyming slang
75. Do a pub crawl
76. Restaurant: It's Greek to Me
77. Restaurant: Ichiban
78. Memorize The Raven
79. Get 8 hours of sleep a night for one full week
80. Go skiing
81. Celebrate Festivus
82. Empty new DVD shelf
83. *private*
84. *private*
85. Visit NYC
86. Ride Light Rail
87. Watch Doctor Who
88. See Aurora Borealis
89. Visit Spam Museum
90. Hobbit birthday
91. *private*
92. Get a cat
93. Get Asian wooden bell
**Geocaching
94. Complete the Difficulty/Terrain Grid
95. Complete the Date Found Grid
96. Find Alvin's Phone Line
97. Cache in a new state
98. Cache in a new country
99. Find a Webcam cache
100. Find a Whereigo cache
101. Achieve Earthcache Platinum status
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| Project Zero: Conclusion |
[22 Dec 2012|08:38pm] |
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And that's 1001 days. Man. I've never kept with anything for so long, while counting its passage so closely. I mean, obviously. Why would I?
Got about half done. The last couple hundred days, I've definitely been focused elsewhere, so I could have gotten a lot more done than I did. But I think I'll make a new list anyway. Because why not, really. A few of the uncompleted things from the old list will be discarded, a few kept. I have a couple dozen ideas for things to add to the new list that I've been gradually compiling. If I've learned nothing else in the last year, it's that I should pay attention when I'm subconsciously planning something. If I'm having ideas for the next list, well, then clearly I've already made the decision to do another list. It was useful, despite my neglect lately. I'll probably make New Year's Day the goal to have it finished and start it up, because... well, why not. Odometer syndrome.
( Update since last postCollapse )
( List ResultsCollapse )
Long-term list items (percent to go):
mp3s (300/404 - 74.2%)
VHS (48/87 - 55.1%)
Sushi (79/100 - 79%)
So. Much left to do. But I'm farther along than I was 1001 (well, 1002) days ago. And I'll be farther still in another 1001 days.
More entries due before the list is done. Got to talk about Haunted Basement, holidays, ennui... normal journal stuff. 'Til then, the four people who read this.
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| Attachments |
[15 Oct 2012|08:18pm] |
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mood |
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relaxed |
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I'd intended my next entry to be about the concept of home, especially since I had two dreams last week that dealt with home (one, I was arrested in the yard of my childhood house while releasing a frog/mouse thing hurt during remodeling; the other, I was moving to a new apartment in NE Minneapolis, sight unseen, with one friend and two people I hadn't even met). Both dreams also seemed to be saying something about change- remodeling, moving. And I remember dreams so seldom, so anything that remains after I awaken is significant.
Then, Friday, I acted in a Haunted Basement role that had pockets. Wait, that'll make sense. If I have pockets, I carry my phone. If I carry my phone, it increases the chance that I'll forget to take it with me. And, if the costume designer wants to get a head start on the laundry, and the pants get thrown in there, it means my phone gets submerged in water for a while before I remember and go back.
Yup, fried.
This has happened before. Well, not THIS. But my last couple of phones broke before I replaced them. And, if I remember right, I freaked out at those points. I was concerned about this one, but didn't freak out. Not in the immediate moment, not afterwards at home. Now, part of that is doubtless because I have a major crush on said costume designer (seriously, DAMN), and so I don't want to give off the "whiny bitch" vibe. But it also didn't feel... catastrophic. Now, I've done this before. I know how to fix it. I feel CAPABLE of fixing it. I went without phone for a couple days, now I have a new phone. Hell, now I have an iPhone. I finally got the excuse I needed to join the 21st Century. I have the old phone buried in rice to dry it off; I managed to get my contacts off the SIM card at the AT&T store, so I'm not starting over, but I'd like to get my saved texts if possible. Nothing's concluded, but the problem's basically solved, and I knew I could do that.
Something else surfaces, more important. I feel a connection here, between home dreams and phone frying.
My religion is many religions, but Buddhism is a big core part. And I felt a lack of attachment to the "thing" of the phone. Even to the texts, many of which were precious memories of love lost and great moments. I want those back, and if I can't have them, life will go on. Same with home. Lately, the fear of moving has abated. Not just apartments, but cities. If I moved to a new area, I'd have to start over, with all the fear and irritations that come with that. But I feel capable of it. I've built a wonderful home, and web of relationships, in the Twin Cities. And if need be, I could do that again, in Portland or Austin or San Francisco or New York or Chicago or Toronto or London or Reykjavik or somewhere else.
I have no plans, but I have one less wall, and feel the freer for it.
Also, fancy new phone. Shiny!
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| Spiders |
[14 Sep 2012|01:27am] |
Man, okay. I'm good with nature. I grew up in the country, I know how to survive in... okay, maybe not actual pure nature. I'm no survivalist. If I get lost in the woods, I can find my way to a road, and then from there to my car or house. But if there's no road nearby, I probably won't last more than a few days. But I'm very good at surviving in the space where nature meets manmade. Trails, sidewalkless roads, remote cabins. I'm good with that. I can build a fire, cook food, bushwhack between paths on a mountain. Scare off a bear, climb a tree, navigate by the sky and the stars. I'm pretty decent at these things.
But. THERE ARE SO MANY FREAKING SPIDERS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. I live in MN right now, whose climate isn't all that different from New England. The winters tend to be the same, and although there's regional variation day-to-day, the overall weather pattern average is pretty close. But there are fifty times the spiders here. They're in corners, their webs are between curtains and windows. I was at a comic book/used DVD/CD store the other day, my brother took longer to ring out than I did, so I was wandering outside looking around. The outside windows were covered in spiders. I tried to count; one corner had at least 15. From tiny little deer tick-sized ones, to ones with a half-inch long body and the resting leg diameter of a half-dollar. I visited a friend later, and she showed me a box spider under the eaves of her house that was the size of a mouse. These things are freakin' everywhere.
Anyway. Start the drive home tomorrow. Plenty of sleep, some writing done but not as much as I'd hoped, and some visits with family and friends. Maybe a fuller entry later. Maybe.
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| Project Zero: Day 900 Checkin |
[10 Sep 2012|06:32pm] |
This one'll be shorter, since I'm in NH and don't feel like spending the time. No updates since last post, nor completed goals since last checkin; the list has fallen off my radar lately. Too busy with other stuff. Nonetheless!
Long-term list items (percent to go):
mp3s (300/404 - 74.2%) (Nope!)
VHS (48/87 - 55.1%) (Whoop, only one)
Sushi (81/100 - 81%) (num)
( As it stands, Day 900 (9/10); 50/101 DoneCollapse )
So. For next time, uh, care again? I'm sure I can fit a couple in. Mostly, though, cull the goals I no longer care about and create the next list. My priorities have changed over the last two and a half years. But I think I can create a list I care about for the next couple years.
Onward and upward.
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| New Hampshire trip 2012 |
[06 Sep 2012|04:25pm] |
I grew up in the country. In some ways, that will always be my home. But enough of me is native to the City that I manage to forget exactly what it's like out here. It's so QUIET. Occasional car noises, certainly a plethora of insects and frogs and wandering mammals and birds. But there isn't the bustle of human noises that every city night holds. No sirens, no hum of streetlights, and while there are cars, each one is separate enough to be distinct. In the city, they meld together into a constant white noise, split only occasionally but someone whose music is strong enough or whose muffler is weak enough to stand out. Not so here.
And the stars... oh, the stars. I feel fortunate. As Cities go, the Twin Cities are marvelous for stargazing. You can actually see some. On good days, you can even make out Orion, or maybe the Great Bear. The brightest stars, the touchstones. But every now and again, I get out to somewhere with little to no light pollution, and I remember what the stars should really be. Here, they're scattered across the sky. It's full; there are constellations there, but the sky seems too busy to try to order it. Out in the Black Rock desert, before Burning Man was fully set up in 2009, I saw the Milky Way again. Last time I did. Can't quite see that here. I need to get somewhere truly remote, preferably high, and wait for a clear night, and truly see that again.
I drove through Manhattan on the way here. I'd intended to see a friend's show, but I arrived much too late for that. Instead, I simply drove through. Past familiar names, familiar sights, remembering all the times I've had there before. I have to get back, for enough time to count. FEEL that energy again. I don't think I'll ever live there. That had been the plan. The plan feels broken. I don't know if I CAN live there. But I miss it. The bustle, the edge, the promise of everything possible; your heart's desire, and everything you fear, all in the same night. My heart's desire would be to find a place there, to BELONG there. I've found a place in the Twin Cities. I matter. That world has a niche just for me. Does that mean it's time to leave?
Gemini again. I must live as a hermit, so remote that the world disappears and the Universe resounds. And I must live in the middle of it all, where the river bucks and flows, so that I may ride with it and draw from it and give to it. I must do both, and neither.
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