Least intellectual is my category

Laziness has been ruling me lately. (and some out you out there, I can hear going, "lately?" SHUDDAP) From turning down dinner invitations to ignoring phone calls to wearing my hooded sweatshirt and workout pants all weekend, it is REALLY nice to be a slacker/slob. I have subjected myself to multiple watchings of HP5, sleeping in, staring at the tv-in fact, the most strenuous thing I've done recently was create 3 posts in one day on Polyvore.

Thank goodness for recommendations.

Yesterday, after brunch with Bunnyrillo - I got my butt around to answering a call from Dario, who told me that his friend was looking for actors to fill in for a reading of 'the Diviners'-a Depression Era play about a young boy and an out of work preacher who comes to town and changes lives ala 'Of Mice and Men'. This friend? Happens to be directing the A.C.T. MFA first year class. Oh yeah, and also directed Mr/Ms Bird last year in the show that I couldn't stop talking about.

What am I, retarded? Of course I went.

Not without fear or trepidation of course. Or personal expectations. Or total numbing shock that when we started, everyone was reading with backwoods, 'country' (Indiana) accents. And the people in the room? Read like a who's who of Bay Area Theater. I felt so fucked (like in a Bridget Jones'-"not up to competition standard" way). I got cast as the Bible-thumpin', save-these-sinners, maiden aunt. (that's pretty good actually, it's a friggin' awesome role-but hello Asian?) Two unlucky actresses were late and got cast in male roles. See, the thing about casual readings like this are, you're not just reading just to hang out and have fun. Even though, that's what you're supposedly going for. You're ALSO reading as an improptu extended audition for the director. And I've had a lot of respect for this particular director after watching FPS last year.

Thank god for babies, who are the ultimate ice-breakers.

Whew. In the end, I'm pretty sure I got out of it ok. I showed up on time, hit all the marks and jokes, didn't schmact or kiss ass too much. (at least I think) didn't overstay my welcome.
So here's my question to all you people out there; even though I believe I had the least amount of lines-the character had one of the strongest, most impactful roles in the play. So are you happier being someone who does little but makes a huge impact or does a lot and makes the same impression?
huh? huh?

Surf's up.

Sometimes, I think that I'm crazy.
Or totally spirit driven
Or both.

So I put this idea out to the Universe, because I have learned-just from today-that great things happen when you put your faith in something larger. You can call it god or spirit or the universe or ohm or mana; but greater things exist. Things that are bigger than you. And the more you ask for help-the more you shall receive.

Manifest, manifest, manifest.

Bat Boy is probably one of Broadway's greatest "cult" musicals-it's funny, sweet, ironic and also has great music. I've long wanted to play 'Meredith Parker' - the proud, loving matriarch - but I'm not a person one would generally cast for that role. The more I've talked about it, the more people have come to share their love for 'Bat Boy'. In fact, enough people to basically generate an entire cast.

Which was when a concert version of the show came into play. Only problem? We have no money, no director and no venue. Well, lo and behold, I attend Bunnyrillo's church service today and well...to sum up.

Miracles are waiting to happen people.

I might have found the perfect venue. For very very very cheap. It's a gorgeous space and the organizers were more than amazing. I'll let you know how it all goes. It's a little scary right now, but ride the wave my surfer. Ride the wave.

2 more hours...

Remember when the Food Network used to run this show called, "The Two Fat Ladies"? The hosts were two jovial British birds, Jennifer and Clarissa, who smoked, drank and cooked all with the same reckless abandonment. Sort of the anti-Julias (Child). My parents used to be REALLY into that show which would often start with one of the ladies going:

"So you take 3 pounds of butter..." or "Take half a cup of lard."

The Fat Ladies did not take modern calorie counting or fat content into any consideration whatsoever and often ended up creating dishes that looked and sounded delicious (buttered spatchcock, cooked in an oven covered by slices of buttered bread)-but were definitely not endorsed by the Heart Association in any way. The show only ran for three seasons (when one of the hosts died), but put its own indelible mark on British cuisine for decades to come.
Now Adam from SeriousEats, does his own assessment of the American version; Paula Deen-who recently posted a recipe for fried butter/cream cheese balls. FRIED. BUTTER. - WHAT THE HELL?! It's funny: Paula Deen Is Trying to Kill Us




holy....when people are bored, they find a lot of extra shite to do with their time. It's a bento box site, using album covers (called Jacket Lunch Box). Instead of Hello Kitty we have a bunch of 'Rage Against the Machine' covers. heh. Serious Eats Link.


Today:

Sugar: This is the best shopping center EVER! I'll tell you what's there. There's a Kragen auto parts, woodworking store, West Marine, Harbor Freight tools and a nudie book store.
Pen: ahah...so it's a MAN center?
Sugar: Yeah! You know like they have those huge Asian centers? This is like THAT!

I just spent 1-1/2 hrs at the Man Center with the boys from work. I was convinced to go. We ate at Wendy's-it was aight.

Stickin' it to the man

Awww...so cute! WANT. Arg...stupid Amsterdam only website. PLEASE, please sell in the States!

Wall Decals/Stickers from Vynil - you can get the 'Spirited Away' coal balls!
And to think, I used to get busted for putting stickers on the wall when I was younger. Turns out, I was just way ahead of my time.

You can stick em, and then restick em to your heart's content. Perfect for decor indecisive people like me.

Both of these designs are from a Japanese Team called Tado (Tadao? Feel free to correct me) and are just cute and glee enducing. There are some US based companies that will also provide wall graphics, like Blik, but it seems that the Europeans, once again, are three months ahead of the Americans...as usual. Where is Lance Armstrong when you need him?!

I will expect packs of these in Urban Outfitters across the continental US in the next 8months to a year.

This cracks me up, a description blurb from another French wall sticker site: ActeDeco

Liere

I came in and all was already flowered, damn, blast , shit! How could I explain that, I just see abracadabra or perhaps once upon a time. The bird in the cage has smiled, if you need some reason or other, just take mashed potatoes and ham!

What? oooohhhh...kaaayyy...mashed potatoes...mmm.

I psych myself out - All the time - Weird isn't it?

Spin me right round baby.

Something interesting I just read from Shannanigans

or maybe they don't wonder about me. i wonder if i piss some people off just by being there. you know how you see someone and automatically you're like 'ooh, we would NOT be friends' in your head and you don't even know them. sometimes you come home and you tell whoever is at home about your day and the people you passed; aren't you curious about how many people are telling the people in their homes about that girl they passed today who seemed like such a bitch and it was you? it can be a kind of disconcerting thing to wonder, like when one thinks too much about gravity.

So I was just sitting on Bart this morning (seat next to the door); and the municipality has decided that it will stop running longer Pittsburg Bay Point trains in the morning now- which means passengers are a little more squooshed together. Did you ever notice that you operate by an unspoken heirarchy? Like on Bart, I prefer: empty two-seaters as opposed to an occupied one, the seat by the back door (in between cars), sitting next to women rather than men. If I have to sit next to a guy, I prefer one who is reading, sleeping or on his laptop/crackberry. I also prefer sitting next to people who look like they're having a good time minding their own business rather than people trying to have a conversation or start something. I like to be left alone to my own devices when riding Bart. (surprise)
But with the shorter trains comes a variation on my seat picking heirarchy, and today, I took the empty seat by the entry doors. About two stops down, a couple of people get on and one of them-young working-class male pungent with cologne, sits next to me. Part of me (ok, a huge part of me) gets annoyed for no good reason. But I think the smell doesn't help. What also doesn't help is that I'm writing in my journal and he stares at what I'm writing until I look up, directly at him at which point he averts his eyes. Another part of me tries to calm the annoyed part down. But AnnoyedPen wins out and starts to shift uncomfortably, shifts the journal and writes the following:

"Please don't look at what I'm writing - your endless scrutiny bothers me - as if I were a mixture of components for you to stare at and not a whole person. Not just breasts. Or not just weird-but a whole person who is sickened by your voyeurism. I don't want to get you off. I want you to leave me alone, your smell is rank and over powereing. Your culture of machismo is degrading. Are you a father Husband? Son? I am unsure and unclear how men detach themselves so easily from personal life - how little they feel for women - any woman who is not some combination of virgin whore. They are capable of lusting forever afer something they cannot have and then destroying it once they do. Shiva should not be a woman. Women are not the destroyer but merely devices through which men chose to blame their own destructive tendencies upon."

Where did this come from? I'm no rampant feminist; years of being friends with men has taught me that they often treat you much more fairly than your female peers. Being soft, enveloping, gentle; it's part of my nature, whether or not I acknowledge it or not. He's just a guy, on his way to work-on a semi crowded train. And I wonder how his rapt fascination would translate to inner monologue.

"Please don't take offense to my looking. It's just that...my mother wrote. Beautifully. Poetry and prose. I can't even write a grocery list; your handwriting is eh. I don't know anything about your world; but I've had to work all my life. I live with four other guys in one room and we know nothing of softness. Sometimes, it would be nice to stop talking about beer, balls and pu**y. I'm not scary. I'm not even that big. Women are not destroyers; even though I'm tempted by my lack of them often. A beautiful girl once told me she loves a man with a smell; smell makes you memorable..."

but all in Spanish.
Often we are so wrapped up in thinking about ourselves and how other people affect us. We rarely think about how we are affecting others. How what we do and what we say, or even how we smell - can change others on a daily if not hourly basis. Even you, gentle reader, are you moved? Indifferent? Inspired? Angered?

5 Favorite Pies (in the spirit of March NaBloPoMo)

• -Banana cream. It's sort of a nostalgic favorite. Every summer from when I was 5 or 6-possibly younger til I was 14, my family and my best friend's family would go for a week, up to a family camp near Yosemite. I would look forward to it every year, and the days of hanging out at the lake, horseback rides, campfires, hay rides, and the delicious food at the dining hall. One year, we got obsessed with the banana cream pie and made up a song about it. It was damn good pie though.


• -Chicken pot pie. If you have just escaped from a deserted island or are pregnant, get the one from Max's. It's HUUGE.


• -Apple, it's yummy delicious. Classic. Americana. Double crust of course.


• -Fried pie from McDonald's. Remember when they used to fry the pies? They still do in Hawaii apparently.


• -Berry pie...I dunno.

List I

According to NaBloPoMo: March is 'Lists Month', without further ado...

Top 5 Two Letter Word Scores in Scrabble/Scrabulous:
5. JO (as in Jo-jo? Like the Trader Joe's faux oreos?)
4. XU (Xu you buddy...heh heh)
3. QI (I use this one a lot)
2. XI (possibly a dynasty?)
1. ZA (nobody knows what the hell it means. Not even SquirrelMonk, and she's wicked smart. Oh ok, she postulated it might be short for 'pizza' and I say..who shortens PIZZA?!?)

I actually have some very good lists written down at work from: Top 5 Salumis to Top 5 Guilty Guy Pleasures, etc. but right now I'm working on going to bed early. So off I go, whee!

quick notes

Went hiking in the Marin Headlands today with Nim. The weather nearly begged for it. Sunny, warm, bright. Strolled up the hill to the bunkers, took in the sites-was constantly heard saying, "It's so PRETTY!". Had a boba tea. Recently, I have been perfecting the art of doing nothing. Which is really rather quite nice. I have some loose plans for the next couple of weeks-maybe see a show, go to pilates, work on some new material, but really, I'm loving getting back into enjoying life.

Which brings up a new point; maybe it's an after effect of stage managing, but I found myself recently OVER planning. Instead of living-all I was doing was scheduling, making lists and jotting down notes. Planning what I was going to say to people before I even said it. And that's sort of the funny thing; life-for all the craziness it is, deserves to be lived. Picnics in the park. Playing with dogs. Dancing. Naps in the sunshine. Singing my guts out and being a part of something that takes my breath away.

So I have a few more friends I want to cross off the list. A few more restaurants to visit and a few more pounds to shed. (counteractive I know) But most importantly; I want to become excited about life again. Interested and involved and less...dull. Less self-involved. More serene.

Peace be with you this week
and always.