Wow, looks like it's been a couple weeks since I updated this blog. I'd say that it's because I've been busy, but it's really not true. Sheer laziness.
I had my party a few weeks ago, and recovered from it. Myrna, one of the newest Meetup folks, dropped me a line and let me know she was interested in throwing a party of the same ilk. Excellent, thought I, and promptly set to helping her with all the little details thereof. Of course, I did as I always do and went overboard on details, as did she, but it made for a really nice party. We made eggrolls, drank, and watched movies. About 60 people crammed into her parents' place, and a good time was had by all.
I've been having a hard time sleeping lately. Usually, I like to get my lazy ass up early and hit the gym, so I feel better throughout the day, and so I have no end-of-day excuse to not work out. I've been missing it the past week or so, because I sleep later than I intend, and haven't gotten to sleep nearly as quickly as I'd like. Stress? I'm not sure.
Maybe it's because I've been staring at a computer screen all day long (work has been incredibly slow this week, and while I like my job, it's a pain in the ass when it's slow. I'd rather be insane-busy with near-mandatory overtime than have absolutely nothing to do.), and when I get home I plunk down in front of the computer and watch episodes of whatever TV show I'm catching up on (finished season 1 of Dark Angel, and working my way through season 2 of Alias- oh, what, oh what will that Rambaldi have done next?). I'm sure that's not helping.
Maybe it's the mouse I saw in the house. Not kidding. The furnace crapped out a couple weeks ago, and our landlord (promptly, I will say, which is a point in his favor) got a repairman out to fix and then completely replace the furnace. What he neglected to tell me was that they saw a mouse (attracted, no doubt, by the remains of the party I'd yet to completely clean up) around, and that they'd likely had the front door to the apartment open all day. So I'm sitting on the couch one night watching some show or other, and what should my eyes appear but a little skittering rodent making its way across my living room floor, bathed in the Dirty Jobs light.
I, of course, manly man I am, decided it needed to be stomped to death, and promptly smashed it with my first, waving it triumphantly in the air and smearing its blood on my cheeks, as a warning to other rodents.
Like hell. I screamed, "what the fuck?!?!" and jumped on top of the couch like a housewife in a Tom & Jerry cartoon. It skittered back under the coffeetable, then under the couch. As I sought around for something to hit it with or cover it with or... whatever, it ran into the kitchen.
Suffice it to say, I spent the rest of the night not quite enjoying my television, and listening for skittering mice. When I did finally see it again (actually, it took a few times of seeing it before I figured it out), I had a pot in hand, cornered it in the bathroom, and when it came darting out, I tried to drop the pot onto it, and hit it. A screeching mouse is not a pleasant sound. It dove into a hole in the wall behind our washer, and was gone.
After I informed our landlord of the problem, he put down some traps and poison, and yesterday I found our little friend with his neck neatly snapped. But for the whole week before, every sound I heard, every rustle of a leaf outside my bedroom window... sounded like some rodent coming to get me. Stupid, I know, but hey, that's how my brain works at 3 in the morning.
Why do I share this? Because if I have to wake up in the night to every little sound, so do you, dear reader.
My Carrot
I was heading to pick up my final paycheck from my temp agency a couple weeks back, and I noticed a sign for CareerBuilder at a bus stop. It said, "Dangle Your Own Carrot". It struck me as intriguing, for whatever reason. Were I of a Facebook-tool-making mind, I'd be inclined to turn that into something interesting for others to use.
But, seeing as how I'm not, I've considered getting myself a corkboard and mounting a carrot (for some reason, it's a shiny painted steel carrot, in my head) on it. Maybe hanging it somewhere prominent in my room, so I see it when I wake up in the morning.
On this corkboard, I'd mount images of things I want. Carrots. If I had the architectural sketch my friend Mike made for me, years ago, of the ideal improv theater space, I'd hang that on there. I'd hang a photo of me, built like a bronze statue. A stainless steel fridge. A new TV. Contact lenses. Nice clothes. Stuff I'm aiming for.
On the flip side of the corkboard would be (I guess, since it completes the dichotomy) my sticks. A real photo of me, to get my ass to the gym. (though I was given the unsolicited compliment by two different women at Myrna's party that I "look much better than" my photos reveal. Nice ego-boost, but y'know, you still want to get in better shape). Photos of real things in my life that need fixing.
I dunno, the second part sounds a little less inspiring.
Punishment Gluttony
Having helped Myrna with her party, I embarked upon the next set of planning, for more parties. I must have a screw loose, or I simply need to get all the Theatre Momentum ducks in a row, because I've got some sort of party-planning itch I've been scratching lately.
I, cheap bastard I can be, started a new meetup called "Free & Cheap Culture & Night Life". While admittedly, this is a not-so-transparent excuse for me to post stuff about WiP and TM and the like, it's also a good place to post other events, and to keep myself from spending an arm and a leg to go out. As one of the Assistant Organizers put it, "It's expensive to go out in Chicago!"
Already, though, I posted a "Gloriously Bad Movie Night", which will likely become a more regular thing (and for which I need go buy a new [used] bigger TV), and a two-parter party comprising a "Finger Food Potluck" and a "Mixer Party"- the latter being a party in which I teach people how to mix drinks.
I swear, I must be off my bolt.
TM...
I love Theatre Momentum. It's just the sort of company I've always wanted to be in charge of. I write about it constantly, so I'm sure ya already know that.
Well, we've been on a bit of a break the past few months, and we're finally looking to get things going. No, for serious. I put out feelers to the original cast of Fugue to see who wanted to remount the show, and so far 5 out of the 8 have said yes, with one being unreachable so far, and two stepping out (two who I will dearly miss, since I had a great chemistry with them- the best scenes I did during the run were with them). But, it's in motion.
I had a meeting at the Bailiwick to see about renting their space for the showcases and a remount of Fugue, and for generally just making their space our new home. Though there will, of course, be obstacles, the opportunity arose to more or less take over their loft space, which will be a nice break in rent from what we paid last year, and which will give us quite a chance to make a space our own. Still talking right now, though- nothing is set in stone. Hell, aside from Fugue, we still don't even know what shows we're going to mount yet.
When I was talking with the Bailiwick rep about the space, it sounded lie we'd need to put in some basic lights to light the space. Kismet! I met someone the week before who told me he was looking to get rid of some old instruments he had from when he worked lights. Maybe the gods of theatre are shining down on us, for once.
Meeting with Don this week to talk about show forms we've come up with, and gotta get things in motion with directors, auditions, rehearsals, etc. So much to do, but I apparently need that production-y fix. As much as I absolutely love performing and directing, I think there's something innate in me that just loves so very much when a plan comes together. The more complicated the plan, the bigger the fix. And more and more, the shows we're developing in WiP are just begging to be produced. Don put it well the other day when he told me that he'd stack up most of the WiP regulars against just about anyone, performance-wise. It's a good group. They need an outlet. Gotta get the ball rolling.
Gotta get back to work now. Gotta make a carrot cake tonight (for serious, not being ironic), buy some new pillows (for comfy sleeping), and hit the gym in the morning.
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