"When life hands you lemons make grapejuice. Then sit back and watch the world wonder how you did it." 118

I hate it when this happens.

For the past day or two I've been without the blag-o-blag, mainly because the interwebs in my room decided to take a vacation. But I kept thinking of things to write about, funny anecdotes, jokes, interesting experiences--you know, the stuff one would normally write about if they write like me. But I get to the library, start up the lappy, and what comes to mind?

Nada.

But no fear, in the time it took to write that paragraph I've remembered some of what I wanted to write about. :)

Last night was opening night! We only broke three things... :)

First casualty: the curtain rod. For those who aren't familiar with the space, we're performing in a mansion, and the room chosen is this beautiful & huge hallway, separated from this conservatoryish area by a wall of glass-paned doors on the side that we're using for a backstage space. It's an alleyway setup, and for an entrance/exit a set of the doors was opened, a set of stairs installed, and a curtain hung from a curtain rod to mask the area. In his enthusiasm, our dear Monty was a little too vigorous in flinging open the curtains, and snapped that rod like a twig. The rest of the first act was passed by our director in holding the middle of the rod up with a long pole, and by actors in trying not to run into the director in our comings & goings. No worries though, it was fixed in intermission!

Second casualty: The desk. Well, the knob of the desk, really. There's a particular scene in which the villain sneaks in & steals the money from the desk (I hope I haven't ruined the show for you--the villain did it! Hahaha!). Well, he was a smidge too excited about it, because he ended up ripping the knob right off the drawer, and he had to open it from the sides instead.

Third casualty: the box. Same actor, same scene, moments after #2. His energy was still a bit too high, apparently, because after prying open the desk he took out the box from whence he was to lift the dough, and yanked the lid clear off its hinges. This made it a bit difficult for the heroine later when she was supposed to take the box out & be unaware of the money's disappearance...

Hopefully tonight we'll break legs instead of other things...

Oh! & I almost fell off the stage in my last scene. There's a bit of a gap between the stage and the wall... and I found it when I tried letting someone into the parlor... thankfully I found the wall as well though, so I wasn't casualty #4.

Yep. In other news: my nephew's birthday was also yesterday, & his party is tomorrow. Woot! :) I get to go too! :D
Also, tonight I'm leaving my SM in charge of Christmas Musical rehearsal. Hopefully by the time tonight is done everyone will have their lines memorized... or be at least a little more familiar with them.

Well, I hafta go get dinner & makeupped & all that. Ciao!

It was a nice idea...

That lovely scheduled plan I went to the trouble of thinking through for today?

Yeah, so it didn't happen. It kind of got rearranged.

A few times.

By noon.

:P

A well, the best laid plans of mice & men... If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.
Forget plans, I think I like to-do lists better.

Well, dinner & rehearsal are still happening. So is writing probably.

I wish I were hanging out with friends tonight. I miss you all so much. <3

"Do what you love and you will find someone who loves the same thing. Don't look for love, beg for love, or suffer for love. Just live."

"Friends are like potatoes: if you eat them, they die."

119

Twice in one day! What's going on?!

Aaaah!

Hehehe... So I thought maybe if I post this I'd be more likely to actually follow through with it. You all have to hold me to this tomorrow list thingummy, 'kay? :)

Let's see... when to start the day...

We'll say 8am. Not too drastic, but plenty early enough. So I'll awake at 8, give myself 2 hours in which I am going to go through the arduous process of becoming a human being, then get into the real work of the day.

What have I got so far...
8am--wake up
8-10--transform into human being

The work of the day is mainly concerned with my room & assisting it in a metamorphasis from disaster incarnate to a clean living space with sealed windows & the ability to use a space heater. (Nothing like a lack of heat to motivate, yeah?) So how long does that last... I'll give it until 3pm.

8am--wake up
8-10--humanize self
10am-3pm (w/ 1hour lunch break)--cleaning

Then I need some solid interwebs time, so we'll say an hour for that...

8am--arise! Thou sluggard!
8-10--It's alive! I think... well, it's getting there.
10am-3pm (d'you think they know about second breakfasts?)--Scour the uncharted territories
3-4--Wifi time at the local of my choosing on the whim to be found then

Then there's actual scheduled stuff that happens, helping at church w/ dinner, getting ready for the show, rehearsal... Oh! I almost forgot, I have to find the Allerton House somewhere in there... Better allot an hour for that, I have a tendency to get lost easily...

8am--pry myself out of my coffin...
8-10--...with the assistance of coffee...
10am-2pm--do battle with mine enemies the riffraff of mine territories
2-3--locate Allerton House, go!
3-4--interwebs hunting!
4-6--help w/ church dinner
6-6:45--make ready for the evening's antics
6:45-7--in transit to the anticsness
7-9--Making a scene... or an act... or two. Yeah rehearsal!
9-10:30ish--familia ness
10:30-whenever--writing! :)

Of course, the last two might not happen, depending on if I find anything else to occupy my time with. But that's likely what will happen.

Maybe with a little self-imposed structure I'll actually be able to accomplish something tomorrow. I'll let you know then, regardless of the actual results!

... Of course, I'm kind of hoping they'll be good ones... :) I do get irritated when I don't get anything done.

"Not all who wander are lost" ~J.R.R. Tolkien.... .....................120 :)

Tiny Marshmallows

One of my favorite ways to stay warm: Hot chocolate, with just a dash of instant coffee for flavoring, & a mound of marshmallows on top. Yay marshmallows!

SO let's see, what's new... hmm....

It's show-week for the MTA's Lily the Felon's Daughter, and wife, and niece, and would-be girlfriend... hehehe... everyone in that family ends up being a felon by the end... Okay, maybe not technically, but almost!

So yeah, show-week, and I'm not going to make it to the rehearsal for The Present is the Future--the kids' Christmas musical--on Friday, because I'll be performing. It'll be fine though, I'm leaving my fantastic Stage Manager in charge, and she'll be grand. :)

Also, reading a new book! God is Great, God is Good: Why Believing in God is Reasonable and Responsible by Chad V. Meister (my philosophy prof. at Bethel) and William Lane Craig--edited and partially written by them, actually. It's actually a compilation of essays by various leading thinkers in cosmology, astrophysics, biology, theology, and philosophy--all written in response to the New Atheism movement and its leaders. So far it's very interesting, but I plan to read more from both sides before drawing conclusions.

Hmmm...

I feel like I should be writing something, but I'm not sure what that something is... So many possibilities, so many ideas, so little structure...

The things I shouldbe doing right now are staring me full in the face... the problem? I don't want to do them. I want to do other things... like write. But writing isn't on my list of things I should be doing, so I don't actually write (well, okay, I write here... does that count?), I just think about writing & am distracted from doing what I should be doing... Whew, vicious circle, hm?

Either way, nothing's getting done.

What I need is structure, a schedule, even if it can't be routine. A time for everything, and everything in its time...

Tonight, after rehearsal, I'm scheduling every minute of tomorrow. Maybe that will help. I'll let you know tomorrow how well I kept it... ;)

I feel like lots of time tomorrow will be cleaning... my room is a disaster area! And writing, I want to write, I miss it!

Maybe tomorrow will also include going somewhere with a reliable wifi connection, instead of the spottiness I get in my room if I sit in a certain place holding my laptop just right. :P

Well, I think that's all for now. Maybe I'll be able to post this today... if the wireless let's me back on.

"Be a Fruit Loop in a world full of Cheerios"

Two Followers!! :)

Huzzah! There are two people officially "following" my blog now! :)

So here I am in Indiana, visiting my alma mater (it still feels weird calling Bethel that...) & all the people here. The occasion of the visit was the phenomenal show I saw last night. And it was truly amazing!

I love theatre, especially the kind done simply for the sake of improving one's own ability to create truly good art. And last night's production was amazing. The first act, a show called Second Chance, was directed by my friend Veronica (the first show performed as a part of the regular season having been directed by a student @ Bethel College!). It was a portrayal of two friends, ages 63 & 68, and their interactions of a particular evening. The actresses, mind you, were both 19. Every one did a grand job though, the acting was very believable, the director remained true to the story (I was very proud of her in that she tried to reign in her comedic tendencies & go instead for true-to-life), the design was simple, but effective. And the story left me thinking, and I will likely be chewing on the themes for some time to come! :)

The second act was Zoo Story, written by Edward Albee & directed by Derrick. Again, everything from the writing, the acting, the directing, to the designs and operating were done very well. I will be thinking about this one for a while as well. The whole story left me deep in thought & I was held in thrall for the whole show.
~~~~~~
'Kay, sorry all, I didn't actually get to publish that before I left Indiana... I was a bit busy. ;)

But to continue, I confess, the show was really fantastic, but it was only part of the reason for going to visit Indiana. The people were really the main attraction! And it was so very wonderful, getting to see friends again. It was... more refreshing than I know how to say.

It was rather interesting to examine a couple of things about my friendships while there... Different people interact so differently sometimes, especially when there's deep affection present. I would die for any one of the people I saw while up there, but no two people are the same--nor is the way I show love to them. I suppose that my new-found "obsession" with this subject has kind of heightened my awareness of its manifestations around me. It was kind of funny, noticing such things.

Love is a poke in the arm,
It's a mischievous grin shot in your general direction, letting you know that something has been done,
It's taking your phone.
Love is a hug between friends that makes the rest of the room fade away,
And it's the rest of the room laughing at how funny and cute that hug is.
Love is a grandpa quietly slipping an envelope of money into your hand and not taking no for an answer,
It's dinner every Sunday afternoon without fail,
And a special bowl of potatoes, set aside.
Love is dinner paid for by friends
Twice,
And an uneaten peanut-butter and jelly sandwich on the passenger seat.
Love is driving four hours to see a show,
and staying to see the director.
Love is talking over dinner,
And laughing over nothing, anything, and everything.
Love is a sympathetic arm around a shoulder,
A shoulder to cry to,
And a box of tissues, placed before it was known they'd be needed.
Love is a walk in the rain,
Not going anywhere,
But just glad for the person walking next to you.
Love is creeping in to bed at 4am
And finding a place to snuggle between two friends who are camping out on the floor with you.
Love is a dance,
And it's one with two index fingers pointed at the ceiling.
Love is scream,
And getting bowled over by a friend who's happy to see you.
Love is watching someone practice their first kiss,
And not laughing at them--but waiting to laugh with them,
And telling them about your own.
Love is a brother,
And when he hugs me I come up to his armpit.
Love is waving a hand in the face,
And punching in the arm.
Love is watching them walk away,
And smiling because I understand why they do,
And it's so very adorable.
Love is an apology
For an offense that had been forgotten already.
Love is a two-minute car ride,
Taken just to catch up on life in general,
And to be in each others company.
Love is chatting about nothing in particular,
But merely being glad to be in the same room while it's happening.
Love is a sympathetic ear,
A warm smile,
And a delighted laugh.
Love is going to church on less sleep than should have happened,
And staying awake the whole time.
Love is sitting on the back row,
Because of who else is sitting there,
And getting just a little distracted from the sermon.
Love is a look,
That says more than words could ever dream of expressing,
And speaks to a place far closer in the heart.
Love is beautiful.

So yeah, that was my trip. :)

Post Number 31! Woot!!

So, life is delightfully sunshiny today. :)

It might help that the weather is warm enough for me to be comfortable in a t-shirt...
And my car is fixed & back & drivable...
And I'm going to see a show this Saturday... hehehe... :)

You know you love theatre when you're willing to drive 4 hours to see a couple of one acts... ;)

Okay, so it might be a little more than the show that's pulling me. Maybe. Possibly.

Did you know that November has another name amongst the writing community? It's also called NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. The idea is that writers across the country (continent? world? idk) spend this one particular month dedicated to "pull[ing] that novel outta that sock drawer!" ("Title of Show" anyone?). The goal is to write 175 pages/50,000 words between November 1 & November 30. No editing allowed! Otherwise no writing happens, or not enough anyway.

The problem is that I remembered about it on the 8th... already a whole week behind!

And I still haven't started...

But hey, nothing ventured nothing gained! Let the noveling (that sounds slightly dirty... :\ sorry!) commence!

Also, something else might get in the way...

I sense a research paper brewing.

Do you realize the injustice of this? I thought my days of research papering were behind me!! I'm graduated, shouldn't I at least make it to a master's program before I start on that again?

Ah well, I'm actually getting the idea I'll enjoy this. I could just stop at researching the topic, and be content with just knowing the info... but where's the fun in that? I feel like I have to document the research I do... is that a symptom of having been in school for all my life? Does that impulse ever go away?

Oh right, the topic is New Atheism. Right now the book I've read is the one I spoke of earlier by Hitchins, but I'm still digging through that one & taking notes. There's a whole host of others I found on the subject... but still need to get my hands on.

As soon as I get any moneys, I'm off to B&N. Maybe I'll put them on my Christmas list... hehehe... I can see it now, asking my sisters for a copy of The God Delusion, that wouldn't raise any eyebrows... ;)

If I do write a paper, or a novel, or both, look forward to some excerpts being posted. In the meantime though, I ought to go home & file some of those loose papers... there's some info in there I need for a job application & I've been avoiding the task. Time to get off my bum & go do it.

Ta ta! :)

Frog!

At least, so says one of my stray socks... I really ought to put that away... hm...

It's been an interesting weekend. I can't really quite say why it's been interesting, but it has. I find myself filling with a kind of quiet desperation. Life cannot continue on the course it's been taking--something will snap if it does, and I don't really want to wait around to find out what that something is going to be.

In other news: I found a wi-fi hotspot in my room! Huzzah! There's no real telling how long it will remain accessible, & I can only access it by sitting in a certain chair in a certain way in a certain spot in the room, but that's a lot easier than running to the library. Especially since the library isn't open at this hour. And since my car is still out of commission.

Yeah, it was the bearing on the left front wheel. Those of you reading this that pray, please pray for my car!

Also, the yard sale is over & done with, & nobody died! Huzzah! Yes, there was actually some doubt that would be the outcome at a couple of tense moments before the end drew nigh, but fear not! All are alive & sound! Well, mostly... ;)

I read White Fang and The Call of the Wild today, and noticed something for the first time. Did you know that Jack London was very much influenced in his writing by Nietzsche? I didn't either, until reading them this last time. I finally made the connection after reading something else by London in a philosophy class about "Nietzsche & the Novelist", and only today made the connection between that book & the Jack London that wrote White Fang... I'm a little slow sometimes, I admit it. But still, it's an intriguing thought...

I find myself at a slight loss for words at the moment, but I'm trying to write something--anything. My Mum, in one of her well-meaning lectures, told me that discipline (especially in writing) was something I am very lacking in. Since that was one of the original purposes in creating this blog, I figured I should apply myself more, yeah?

'Course, now I run into the problem at hand: What do I write about when all that fills my mind is a dull buzzing noise?

Apparently I write about not being able to write & other rambling stories. Well, why not. At least I'm writing something. Perhaps with practice I'll be able to come up with something more... interesting. In the meantime, "dear readers", I'm sorry for the drivel you have to endure. Props to you!

Maybe I'll start posting some of those writing exercises I've read... hmm...

But not tonight. Sweet dreams, all!