22 November 2007

Glutony

Cheese and crackers
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
Vegan Sourdough Dressing
Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing
Cranberry Relish
Green Bean, Fennel, and Onion Relish
Applesauce
Peas and Pearl Onions
Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes with Cheese and Sour Cream
Homemade Rolls
Lentil Loaf
Turkey
White and Red Wine
Red Tea
Coffee
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie with Sherry/Contreau Whipped Cream
Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

I took a walk in between dinner and dessert and got a side cramp, and I feel a little like my eyes are going to pop out.

I am thankful for my roommates, and I am thankful that my roommates know how to cook.

18 November 2007

A Christmas. . .

I'm in a musical.

What?



This is my first foray into musical theatre since. . .when?

Oh, yeah. Guys and Dolls, 2000. Does anyone actually remember me singing in that show? Yeah, that's because I didn't.

Needless to say, not usually my cup of tea, but you know, I'm hitting those notes better than I ever would have guessed. And rehearsals have been making me laugh a lot, which is certainly something I've been in dire need of.

The music is adorable, the show is charming, and we're a cute, weird, ragtag band of actors. If you live in the Twin Cities, I think that you're pretty much morally obligated to come and see it.

If not, I'll be taking requests when I hit the road for my holiday travels.

10 November 2007

People I Like

As the week comes to a close, I've discovered myself on the blogroll here AND here!

!!!

07 November 2007

Shame

I just posted a comment on one of my new favorite blogs, and as I was pressing the 'submit' button, realized that not only did I split an infinitive in an atrocious manner, I also changed tense mid-sentence. There's nothing I can do to take it back, my cheeks are burning, and I know, I just know, that the smart kids at Iceland Spar will never love me now.

We are a special breed, we who suffer guilt and shame and general physical discomfort for grammatical mistakes we make on the Internet.

It's been a weird day.

02 November 2007

Ace of Cakes

They just made Scrabble edible.

Board, letters, score cards, timer (a regulation Scrabble game is 25 minutes - whoa), and Scrabble dictionary. All edible.

Those guys are my heroes.

01 November 2007

Barrage

Okay, I've gotta make up for some lost time. Okay, 'some' may be an
understatement.

I've come back into the blog-fold for a few reasons: 1. I finally
read Kevin's travelblog, and it nearly had me in tears. Inspiring.
2. MegaClar asked me if I'd given up my blog, and she said she kind
of missed it. I like to make her happy, and since I can't manage to
pick up the phone and call her with any regularity, I thought I would
do this for her. 3. Joseph commented on my blog out of the blue,
without me having posted anything, and I thought, 'okay, now I have a
number 3 in my list of top 3 reasons to start blogging again.'

Plus: I really need a hobby.

Things I Think You Should Know About, If You Do Not Already

The healing power of The New Pornographers.

I've been really grumpy for about a month. All the time. I feel
sorry for everyone who's around me. For the most part, I think I keep
it to myself, but I know that at least my roommates know, because I
can't keep myself from banging around really loudly in the morning to
vent my frustration at life. Well, I'm kind of clumsy anyway,
especially in the morning, so maybe it doesn't seem any different than
regular morning-me. However, I know that I'm clomping on purpose.

Yesterday, when I was walking home, feeling a little like I was doing
the Charlie Brown walk, I put on The New Pornographers' Mass Romantic,
which I had forgotten has some sort of magical quality – I used to
listen to it over and over when I was in New York, I couldn't stop
myself, it just made the world seem to make so much more sense. My
mom was talking to me a few nights ago about learning to live in the
moment – a great idea in theory, but so hard to do – she said
something like "Am I okay right now? Yes, I am." A fruity
affirmation in writing, but if you know my mother, you can imagine her
voice, and it sounds pretty reasonable when you hear it from her. But
I digress. I put on Mass Romantic, decided that Halloween is fine day
to look like a crazy person walking down the street, and started
walk-dancing my way down Central Avenue. When I got home, I bought
their 2003 album Electric Version on iTunes (because I didn't want to
wait another day for my life to be so much better – sorry, Local Music
Store), put on my headphones, and cleaned my room (gasp). While I was
listening, I realized I must have heard the album before, though I
don't know where, because I knew some of the refrains before they
happened. It felt like fate.

I cannot tell you how much better I feel today. Thank you, New Pornographers.

Minnesota Public Radio Membership Drive

If you agree to let them thank you on the air, and fill in that bit in
the online form on why you've contributed (or, I assume, tell your
operator when you call), they will, in fact, read it on the air. I
got this message on callboard from someone I only vaguely know: 'you
didn't happen to just donate to NPR during their membership/fund drive
did you?

If you did, I TOTALLY heard them mention your name AND tell us why you donated.'

Be careful what you write on the internet. It may end up broadcast on
regional radio. (I'm totally putting that on my This American Life
application. Watch me.)

***Update: Nathan Keepers and Dominique Serrand also heard me mentioned on NPR. I'M FAMOUS.

Deep Trance Behavior In Potatoland

Richard Foreman's newest work at the Ontological. I'm pretty stoked
(did I just type that word? Who am I today?); I just have to decide
when I can feasibly arrange a trip to the Big Apple, what with my
vacation time not technically kicking in until March. I kind of want
to go to opening weekend. . .we'll see.

The big news (news to me, anyway): two of my fellow interns are in the
show this year! I'm totally delighted, and a little bit jealous
(apparently my stand-in work for the Aviator last year didn't capture
Richard's soul to quite the extent I might have hoped.) Caitlin and
Fulya both seem to have an appropriate presence for Richard's stage,
not to mention they know exactly what to expect in rehearsals. GO
INTERNS! Way to get paid a little to be there. That's what I'm
talkin' about.


The Deception




Holy crap, is this show beautiful. I wish that everyone could see it.
I wish that everyone in Minneapolis WOULD see it. Come on, people,
you don't have much time left.

Strange Love

I would pay money to watch Charles Campbell point and scratch his
head. In fact, I think that I have (Elliott's piece in Capture!Rama),
and I would gladly do it again. Strange Love, though, was so much
more than that. The first part – The Device – was a stark labyrinth
of surveillance and old, broken things that seemed to have secret
lives as instruments of torture – I wished that I hadn't been warned
not to take too long in the labyrinth, because then I took note of
everything quickly, and once I was through, I felt like I couldn't go
back. I also had a strong reaction to going through it with other
people. For some reason I felt like I wouldn't get the desired effect
if I experienced with other people, so I spent too much time worrying
if I was alone. Which was, in itself, part of my experience, so I
can't knock it.

The eventual (solo) performance was like nothing I've ever seen,
really. I've never seen someone playing a variety of characters, not
specifically for comic effect, or within a narrative (see: Spalding Gray) or to some undesired comic effect (see:
High School Dramatic Interpretation). His changes between characters
were subtle yet clear, always surprising but never inappropriately
jarring, and always in some kind of communication with what was
happening on the video screen behind him. One of the best uses of
video in theatre I've seen. And the few times that he entered into
the theatrical conversation as himself, specifically after the planned but unrehearsed interruption of a different guest artist each night (in my case a hula dancer playing a ukulele), were especially surprising and delightful.

Skewed Visions is trying to put together a grant for a residency, and if they work that out, I'm going to be the first in line.

The Dark Side of the Brothers Grimm

Don't let the name fool you - it was awesome.

Puppies In the Workplace

As long as they aren't a certain small dog that likes to bite girls that aren't their own, unprovoked, cute puppies in the workplace is a day maker. I'm waiting for Rico and Zach to have a playdate in the office. I plan to do no work that day, but play with puppies.

I can't believe I like dogs now. I blame Chuck from Dooce.com.



Whew. I think I'm done. Next time: A Gift from Planet BX63, and Why I'll Never Look At Ladybugs the Same Way.