How Do You Start Your Morning?

Last night, I was the emergency bailout call for a longtime friend of mine who was on a date in SF. At least, I attempted to be the emergency bailout call (D, you need to be able to hear the phone for me to bail you out). Afterwards, during our post-date analysis (as we women are wont to do), D asked me, "after you check your email in the morning, what websites or blogs do you read?". So I pose that question to you - what do you read? (I'm on the hunt for interesting blogs and websites.)

I'll Play Along...

I know this has been going around for awhile, but I've been swamped. Just humor me.

Four Things about me - Things you may or may not have known about me in no particular order.

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Stage Manager
2. Sound Designer
3. Office Manager & Researcher for a consulting firm
4. Educator for a museum

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Whale Rider
2. Mary Poppins
3. Steel Magnolias
4. Star Wars - A New Hope

C) Four places I have lived (in order):
1. Houston, TX
2. College Station, TX
3. Ellenville, NY
4. Houston, TX

D) Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. West Wing
2. Stargate SG-1
3. Battlestar Galactica
4. MASH

E) Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Boracay, Philippines
2. Paris, France
3. Barcelona, Spain
4. Montreal, Canada

F) Websites I visit daily:
1. NY Times
2. Houston Chronicle
3. Manolo's Shoe Blog
4. Gizmodo (pretty electronics!)

G) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Chocolate - in any form
2. Chicken Fried Steak
3. Paella
4. Pho

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Barcelona, Spain
2. New York, NY
3. Shoe Shopping
4. An undisclosed private island with white sand, blue waters and a few cabana boys

Titus Andronicus - Shakespeare's Unintentional Comedy

L: While this is not the WORST show HSF has done, this belongs in the pantheon. This definitely goes on the demo reel.

(Observation made during intermission - that's right, we were only at the halfway mark!)

M: Could you hear us cackling up on the hill?
Me: No, because we were too busy giggling.

(Comment made after the show.)

Nemesis: Look! It's Topsie from Uncle Tom's Cabin!

(Comment made in the first 5 minutes of the show.)

Last night, Nemesis and I attended the Houston Shakespeare Festival's production of Titus Andronicus. For those not familiar with this play, this is possibly the goriest tragedy Will Shakes wrote. Blood, severed limbs, unintentional cannibalism, murder - a definite tragedy. Nemesis and I spent a good chunk of the show giggling and snickering. It was BAD. On so many levels.

I don't think the costume designer liked any of the actors. It seemed like she went out of her way to make the actors look bad. Lavinia (the girl who loses both her hands and her tongue) looked like Topsie from Uncle Tom's Cabin. She was wearing a hoop skirt & black, sausage-curled wig that looked like it was made out of a yarn mop. The chorus looked like they were from Colonial India complete with turbans. Titus' sons and the rest of Roman tribunal wore these hats that must have been swiped from Marvin the Martian. Tamora wore this headpiece that looked like it was borrowed from Nefertiti's wardrobe. Altogether visually disturbing.

The blood. Or lack thereof. All of the murders were indicated (as opposed to weapons actually making contact with the actors) and at the same time, the chorus would parallel that murder with some symbolic action representing the blood being spilt. Like unfurling a red banner above the spot where one of the characters was killed. Or drizzling blood over the newly murdered character (like you would drizzle glaze over a cake). Or dropping an axe on a slab of raw steak (a la Gallagher - just minus the watermelon). But I think my favorite is the murder indicated by the big red ball. Yes, a big red rubber ball. The chorus tossed it around like a game of hot potato and the last chorus member tossed it to the character as his adversary killed him. Nemesis and I were giggling as the emperor's brother caught and collapsed over the big red rubber ball and then tumbled into the pit.

It's shows like this that make me weep for my profession.

This Day In Music

What Was The #1 Song On Your Birthday

The day I was born:
My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings

Sweet Sixteen:
Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler

18th Birthday:
Rush Rush - Paula Abdul

21st Birthday:
I Swear - All-4-One

27th Birthday (first time):
Maria Maria - Santana

27th Birthday (4th time):
21 Questions - 50 Cent

You Must Check This Out!!!

I recently discovered this blog courtesy of Laine. (Thanks!) Here's the warning she posted along with a link:

Warning: You’re going to laugh out loud so don’t read this on a full bladder or you’ll definitely pee in your pants.

She's right!!! Nemesis and I just looked through this blog and we were crying. Here it is, but before you click on the link below, you may want to use the bathroom first.

What Not To Crochet

You Can't Have Your Cake & Eat It, Too

So it's been awhile since the last update. I've been knee-deep in work and rehearsals. We finally opened last week, and the day after we opened, I was sick. I skipped work this past Monday and Tuesday due to my being ill. Not my ideal way of spending days off from work. Tuesday night, I felt the need to bake. I'm not sure whether to attribute this urge to a fever-induced delirium or just the fact that I haven't cooked/baked in a long while (I've been real busy), but I decided I decided I was well enough to stand upright and bake. I baked a lemon pound cake with lemon glaze. It's yummy! It's almost gone. This cake was baked in a 9x5 loaf pan. On Tuesday night. In fact, it came out of the oven about 11:30p on Tuesday night. It's now very, very early Saturday morning. There is about 1.25 inches left from 9 inch cake. I (the one who baked the cake) have consumed about 1.25 inches of this cake since its emergence from the oven late Tuesday night. Apparently, there are gremlins who've been eating the cake in secret because the other 2 (very real) residents in this house have accused me of eating up all of the cake and they've barely had any of this cake. The accusitory tone of their voices would lead one to believe that they have only crumbs. Hardly enough for their taste buds to register anything.

Riiiight...

The last time gremlins resided in this house, they were fighting for space with the bogeyman, the sandman, the scaly green monster and other traditional tenents who take up residence under the bed of a preschooler.

Gems From The 70's!

One of my colleagues found this little gem. We were howling throughout the entire video! An extreme example of why straight white guys shouldn't be allowed to dance in public.

Chicken

I was told (actually, I overheard) that there was to be a game of San Juan today. (For lack of a better explanation, San Juan is a role-playing card game. It's set in one of the Spanish colonial territories and your job is to build up this city from nothing but the natural resources.) My suspicion is that "some" of the other players are too CHICKEN of a little competition and "forgot" to call me.

You know who you are. And so do I.

In the meantime, I'm at Agora - a little cafe owned by a couple of Greeks. This is important, because we are not only in the midst of the World Cup, we are in the elimination round of the World Cup. These Greeks (like most of the rest of the world) are soccer-mad. Both the TV's are tuned to the Portugal-Netherlands game and there are a number of people watching it - the Netherlands fans upstairs and the Portuguese fans downstairs. It's starting to get quite noisy now. Portugal is ahead 1-0 and the people upstairs are on pins & needles.

More On Sleep (Or Lack Thereof)

1) Venus, the Bright Morning Star
2) Breakfast
3) Sunrise

What do all these things have in common? These are all things that should be experienced at the END of the day, not the START. Unfortunately, I had the displeasure of experiencing all three as the start of my Friday.

Nemesis needed a ride to the airport and I obliged. In return, I get to borrow his remote-controlled Matchbox car for the weekend (my car is in the shop and in need of a new engine). The problem was that we needed to leave for the airport at 5:00 am. That's Five in the Morning. That translates to me waking up before the sun rises. Ugh!!!

On the way to the airport, we stop by Shipley's for breakfast. As we're driving along the freeway, Nemesis points ahead and says "I think that's Venus". At the same time, I look east and I say "it's getting light over there. I think the sun's rising". I then remark that while I'm not adverse to seeing Venus, eating breakfast and observing a sunrise, these are all things that should be experienced in their proper timeslots. Breakfast should be eaten as the last meal of the day (that time between the close of the club and bedtime). Both Venus & the sun rising should be viewed on the way home to bed. See, everything in its proper place and time.

To Sleep, Perchance To Dream

The Japanese seem to be at least 2 years ahead of the US in many ways (most notably electronics). Here's another example of how they're ahead of us. Check out this article in the Washington Post

Happy Birthday To You...

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear Felyn...
Happy Birthday to YOU!!!!!!

Sorry about the Oilers, but maybe they can deliver a better birthday gift next year.

In the meantime, have a great birthday!!!

I'm Tired

Let me just say it's been an awful couple of weeks. Work has been piling up in the day job. I'm doing sound design for a musical and it's turned into a much large design than I think anyone has realized. We won't discuss the fact that NO ONE has heard the show all the way through from beginning to end. We won't even mention the fact that neither the music director or I have heard the show sung at performance volume (therefore we can't adjust our levels). Socially, my world has turned upside down. To top it all off, my car died on me. On the way to Texas City. Do you know how expensive it is to tow a car back into town? Let me tell you, it's not cheap.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do for my birthday, but I'm too tired to plan anything. Sometimes I think I just want to turn off my cell, find a rock, and crawl under for awhile. Or find an island with a stretch of white sand, blue waters, a hammock and a few cabana boys to serve me drinks.

In Hindsight...

I realize that the previous post was rather preachy, but I feel strongly about the lack of attention paid the internment of Japanese-Americans and their involvement in WWII. I also feel strongly about supporting Asian-Americans in the arts. Support your local Asian-American artists! (I need new shoes!!!)

Significant Changes Afoot

I haven't blogged about my show lately because it was postponed due to lack of funds. It's still going forward, though. There will be some significant changes that will be happening this week (cross your fingers). I'll be updating when they happen and when they can be public.

The playwright of my play was in town this past weekend. Lane Nishikawa, along with 2 of his actors and his producer, were in town to screen his newest film, Only The Brave. The film is about the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team and their mission to rescue the 141st Infantry Regiment, who were surround by German forces near Bruyeres, France during WWII. The 442nd was comprised of Japanese-Americans from Hawaii and internment camps scattered throughout the interior of the US. It is a war film, but it's a war film that talks about an under-recognized battalion and their valor and loyalty to a country that imprisoned them & their families just because of their ethnicity. It's a period of US history that continually fails to make it in the history books and is rarely taught.

On an artistic end, I thought they did a good job by focusing on the on the individual soldiers as opposed to showcasing epic battle scenes. This was due in part to the limited budget. It allowed us to learn more about the individual soldiers and the families they left behind. The film is not without it's problems, but overall, it was a very good movie. If you get a chance to attend a screening, go!!!

http://www.onlythebravemovie.com/

Just Waiting for Nemesis To Comment...

?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??

Nemesis
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$50 for WHAT???

Dad: Do you have $50 for your niece?

Me: $50 for what?

Dad: She needs a stroller.

Me: Another stroller?

Dad: Not for her. For her dolls.


I've noticed that the word "no" seems to disappear from my parents' vocabular when it comes to my niece. "No" has and is prominent when talking to my brother and I ("Daddy, could you get me this pair of shoes? It's only $350.00." "NO!"). When it come to my niece (aka. The Carry-On, Munchkin, their Only Grandchild), it miraculously disappears. So Munchkin has informed her grandparents that 3 of her dollies NEEDS a stroller. The stroller has already been ID'ed and my parents didn't flinch at the price tag. Apparently, this stroller is NOT $50. That's just my share of the cost. I asked my dad if this stroller came with gold-plated rims or anything special like that. He only laughed and merely informed me that hauling 3 dolls across the house is quite a task and she NEEDS the stroller for her dolls.

Please note 2 exceptional points:
1) Needs. Not wants, but needs. This word came out of both my mom & dad's mouths. (Want = item that's nice to have, as long as someone else is footing the bill. Need = item that is necessary for life to go on.)

2) My father is, while not a cheapskate, fairly tight with his money. Except when it comes to his only grandchild. Not only has he not batted an eye at the price tag of some of his gifts to her, he has actually gone shopping for her! Sometimes of his own accord and sometimes by himself! And unless it's electronics (for himself) or sports equipment (for himself), he HATES shopping! I have seen him go shopping for clothes for his grandchild, by himself!!! He never goes clothes shopping for himself until my mom drags him out.

I think these are some of the signs listed in Revelations forcasting the end of the world.

Where's My Gun???

A friend and I always joke about the stage management gun. This theoretical gun and a number of bullets would be issued to the stage managers, one bullet per cast & crew member plus 2 per director and designer. Now I'm wondering if there needs to be one issued to each designer. I'm currently doing sound design for a comedy. This is not a hard show to run - or as I told a friend of mine, this is not the theatrical version of rocket science. In fact, this is about as easy a show (from a lights and sound end) as possible. Instead, we're having "operator issues" (ie. the stage manager is not calling the show correctly). The lighting designer, stage manager and myself have now had 3 cue-to-cue rehearsals. For the theatrical outsider, cue-to-cues are rehearsals where we go from one sound/light cue to the next, in order, without all of the acting in between. For this show, this means going from the very beginning when the audience files in, to the curtain speech where they tell you to turn off all audible electrical devices, to when the actors first enter the stage. After that, we go to 2 sound effects in the middle of act 1, then intermission. After intermission comes the actors entering the stage for act 2, 6 sound effects, then curtain call. Not that difficult. Did I mention we held 3 cue-to-cues for the benefit of the stage manager? The last 2 were held right before shows with an audience. It's very disheartening to get there early for a hand-holding, private coaching session with the stage manager only to not see and hear any of the fixes during a real show. At this point, it's not a difficulty issue, it's a competency (or lack thereof) issue. This person should not be in the position of stage manager. Heaven forbid this person work on a show that's actually difficult. I think it would drive this person to a sanatorium!

On a different note, I judged a kareoke contest last Sunday (see my Nemesis' blog). I noticed he failed to mention me in his blog. (Ahem, ahem, cough, cough.) Judging the finals (thankfully) meant that I was judging the good singers. It was a tough competition, and as I predicted, I was the Simon of the judging panel. We had each finalist sing 2 songs (one fast, one ballad) and after their second song, we each gave our comments. I thought I was going to be lynched or at the very least, have my tires slashed. Yes, I was very critical (this was the finals, after all), but all of my criticisms were constructive. Let's just say I was not very popular with many of the cheering sections that attended that night. My life and my tires, however, remained intact and I was able to leave in relative safety, if not a little less popular.

Some Of The Greatest Words In The English Language

Open Bar Reception

If one has to commit matrimony, that's the way to go.

Did Y'all Know That PST Is 2 Hours Behind CST?

Monday, 11:30am

Nemesis: What are you doing for lunch?

Me: I have to work through lunch since I'm late.

Few minutes later after I explain to nemesis that I'm waiting for the guy behind me to open the garage gate.

Nemesis: (rolls off his seat with laughter) I thought you got in late. I didn't realize you just got to work!!!

I flew in from LA late last night. (I was in LA for my cousin's wedding - topic for another blog.) Knowing that I would have to get up early the following day for work, I set the alarm on my phone. (My alarm clock needs to be replaced and I haven't bothered to replace it yet.) In fact, I set the alarm and double-checked it while on the airport shuttle back to the car. The one thing I DIDN'T do was set my phone back to CST. For some reason, my phone doesn't automatically update the time. When I woke up this morning, I saw that I had missed a call from my boss. My phone said it was 8:10a, so I couldn't figure out why my boss was calling me so early. I then looked at the clock in the kitchen and it said it was 10:10a and I realized I didn't set my phone ahead!

Yeah, it's gonna be a productive day today!

Munchkin Duty

I took off today because I had Munchkin duty today. My niece (aka Munchkin, The Carry-On) is staying with us till Tuesday because her mom and dad have a wedding to attend. She's at the fun stage now. She can chat up a storm, too. It was a very busy day today. We watched Veggie Tales (for those of you not in the know, Veggie Tales is a show featuring computer-animated vegetables), colored, cooked with her cooking set and wooden fruit & vegetables, hunted down the cat that was trying to avoid her and tried to get the dog to stop licking her. After naptime, we played on the swing and played in the sandbox. I was talking to my friend while we were playing outside (my first conversation with an adult for the day) and he was laughing at me and he kept saying I'd make a good mother. I don't think I can do the stay-at-home thing.

FYI - Calls to England are MUCH cheaper than calls to Saudi!!!