A recent account of my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, days.

Taking a Stand

2008-12-06T20:34:43Z

That's right, this is the month I am taking a stand against the forces of busy, work, don't-have-time, and can't-be-bothered. I hope to thwart the impending arrival of i-just-didn't feel- the-spirit- this-year, and it-all-went-by-so-quickly.

Yesterday, I decorated. The whole whoop te do. I bought a live tree, did up the house, with centerpieces and hangings, handmade a stocking for Greg, and baked cookies. I have actually got a start on Christmas Cards! And there will be at least one, if not two, holiday gatherings hosted by yours truly this season.

Take that!

Transitioning

2008-09-08T19:19:03Z

I suppose this is a good time to come to this realization.

So, I hate Kansas City. I have hated this place since I moved here in 1999. The geography is uninspiring, the climate demoralizing, the flora gives me allergies, and the fauna includes countless varieties of bloodsucking, disease carrying parasites. The whole state is infected with religion, the blind-worshipping non-thinking kind. The majority of friends that I made in 1999-2003 engaged in a mass exodus between 2003 and 2005 and there is nothing to do here except drink and eat (and the salads SUCK).

Well strike that last bit about there being nothing to do. I have, perhaps, been a little foolish. I mean, one knows that working in the entertainment business means that on my off days, there generally isn't much to do because when I am off, so is all the entertainment. But I never really thought it through. When I leave town for all of those other, exciting cities I am on vacation. Of course there are things to do! I go on Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays! I see plays I have nothing to do with, wander into adventure with an explorer's interest and not the blind eyes of a local. Even the move to Kansas City was a big transition from one sort of life to another. Moving here I gave up hobbies I had had to bury myself in school and later, work. I resigned myself to never being able to participate in any regular, scheduled group activities again (classes and choirs mainly). Perhaps I was too extreme, and I blame the trauma of that transition on Kansas City. So am I work, work, work, then vacation, then work, work, work a result of moving to Kansas City or moving into my career?

Maybe if I tried to swing the pendulum back a little bit to who I was, I'd find a whole different life. I am happy to at least be asking these questions. I know this all seems very simple and evident, hardly worthy of an epiphany but for some reason I am having one, so just ride with me, please.

Ok, joyous revelations aside, Kansas City doesn't have a good place to go dancing. And maybe I haven't been all unreasoning in my hatred--it is possible that things are picking up around the ole Metro. Whatever the case, I just wanted to report, the other night I went to the Crossroads Music Fest. And in one venue I heard two good bands, watched a bellydancing show and a Burlesque show. I missed because of work the dance fusion show. Tonight, I am going to see a staged reading of "The Princess Bride". There is a local group that now does staged reading of movie classics with local actors on a regular basis. Tomorrow I have a class.

I don't know if Kansas City is changing or if I am coming to the realization that nine years is a long time to be somewhere temporarily. Perhaps knowing I can get out of town whenever I like takes the pressure off. I don't know. I'm just glad that there seems to be more to do around here.

Wedding Stuff

2008-09-02T22:37:53Z

I totally found the place where the wedding is to be. It's a bit out of town, and a little on the smaller side but those are minor flaws. The woman who runs the place is a genius, she's very theatrical and her designs and decor are out of this world.

Eh, I'm rambling, let me begin again.

The venue is called "A Frog Prince" http://www.afrogprince.com/AFrogPrince/Wedding_Garden_Kansas_City.html or http://afrogprincewedding.com/index.html and it's about 30 miles outside of Kansas City. It's basically a B&B/Restaurant that does weddings. The woman in charge of the place is also the resident artist. She has crafted this house and grounds into a kinda Renfesty atmosphere. There's an outdoor area with a lovely arbor to get married under, a lovely little pond, and beautifully landscaped nooks and crannies. Inside, the bridal prep room is one the the most gorgeously decorated rooms I have ever seen, it's full of light, done in grass green with pewter accents and is absolutely sumptuous. I'll probably take the wedding pictures there. The rest of the place is done in a sort of deluxe 1940's style---everything black and white an silver. It's easy to see that she really prefers these colors, but she seems very flexible. She said that she has a large stock of flowers and drape in all different colors. The place where the reception will be is an outbuilding. What I found most appealing is that it's basically a shed. It has a concrete floor and walls, there's a bar and tables and stuff, but---and this is very important, when she showed it to me it was halfway dressed for a wedding in a few days. I could see what the shed looked like, and what it was going to look like when finished. It was incredible. She drapes and swags all the walls and designs the centerpieces and it's completely customizable and looks so lovely. As a theatre professional I absolutely appreciated going from a bare stage to something that looks completely finished and gorgeous especially under the right lighting, and I can't think of a better venue for two stage hands. Another great thing about the venue is its affordability. She does the food, cake, china, silverware, linens, centerpieces, decorations, wedding and reception for one price. The minister is included. There's even a decent sound system.

I am very excited to finally nail down a date!

July 20th 2009.

Oh Hell

2008-09-01T15:19:14Z

I made cheesecake for a friend's birthday. For some reason, this time around I had a lot of leftover cheesecake (batter? Stuff?). I conceived the brilliant idea of taking a muffin tin, lining the little cups with crust, filling them with berries and then pouring the cheesecake mixture over the berries and baking.

The result was incredible.

Greg and I are going to die exceptionally fat and happy.

The Great Western Tour 2008

2008-07-25T02:44:38Z

Well, we leave on Sunday.

We're going to drive up to South Dakota, camp there and spend a day at the badlands and Devil's Tower. Then we'll drive to Montana and spend two days with the Swanniks--some of Greg's oldest and dearest friends. They live near Missoula. Another day of driving will take us to Oregon where we'll spend five days paddling and visiting with friends both his and mine. Around August 7th we'll drive down the California coast communing with the redwood trees, stop in San Francisco for some good chinese food. The next day we cut east to Nevada and spend two days with my folks. After that, it's over the Rockies, through Kansas and back home.

Two more days and I feel healthy as a horse. I have been running, trying to get in decent shape to keep up with greg mountain biking.

I am really looking forward to this trip being everything I wanted the Tahoe trip to be. Fresh air, sunshine, hiking, paddling and biking.

Let it be, let it be.

me

2008-07-22T20:12:47Z

Trying to update more. I did MySpace, and I don't mind, because it makes it easy to find the bands I like in town and see who's playing where on any given evening, tried Facebook and got caught up in the shiny interface and cute little apps, but I think at the end of the day, I'm a LiveJournal person. I like being tucked away here, hard to find by the people I see and work with everyday, typing out my thoughts semi-anonymously.

One thing I have been considering is making a different livejournal for some of my thoughts. Less a day to day/theatre review/travel blog like this one, and more of a, "here is an interesting thought I had, what does the world think of it". I would make it a different livejournal because some of the things I want to write about are contrversial, and I am not interested in getting negative messages here on my real journal.

Of course it might not go well. Generally I think up brilliant and witty thoughts when I am at work with no one to share them with, and dry up when I get home in front of a keyboard, but perhaps with practice, that won't happen so much.

Taken from my MySpace Blog

2008-06-17T20:11:20Z

Update
Current mood: determined

Not much to say. June is going to be very busy. I'm designing a show and cramming it into a full schedule at the Folly. I don't expect to be hanging out or having much fun in the month of June.

July though, July is another matter.
July 1st through the 8th my nephew is coming to visit. I have such plans!! We are going to take a train to St. Louis to see the arch and City Museum. City Museum is just about the coolest place in the United States in my opinion. http://www.citymuseum.org/phototour.html. We will be going to Oceans of Fun, taking a tour through the Kansas City Star's printing presses, going to the College Basketball Experience, seeing the Bodies exhibit, mountain biking, and of course, blowing up fireworks on the 4th of July. I am really looking forward to it.

Then in late July Greg and I are taking off. We're driving to Oregon by way of the badlands, Mt. Rushmore, and Devils Tower. We are stopping in Montana to visit friends. We will paddle a few days in Oregon, visit more friends, then drive down the coast of Northern California. We will brave the backroads of Nevada, stop and visit my parents, then come up over the Rockies, through Kansas and back home again.

I'm very excited.

02 Jun 2008

Update to the Update
Current mood: blissful

City Museum is having sleepover night on July third!!!! We get to spend the whole night!! I am SO buying tickets for me, Greg, and Jake.

26 May 2008

The suspense is over
Current mood: accomplished

For those of you waiting in suspense to know what my Christmas tree design is this year, I finally have it

(trumpet flourish)

The Santa Tree.
Every ornament on this tree will be a Santa figurine.

That is all. But before I go, let me take a moment to fondly remember other Christmas tree triumphs of the past.

The edible tree
The origami tree
The ribbon tree
The chandelier tree
The dried flower tree
and, most famously,
The wedding tree.

Next year, I promise, the electronic components tree. I just need a coupla years to collect stuff.

19 May 2008
Sound effects

Went to a very big Civil War Reenactment yesterday with the 722. Impersonated a press person, got escorted off the battlefield---normal for one of my sound gathering expeditions.

(To get the sounds I want I use an off-the-cuff combination of really nice airhead, and better-to-beg-forgiveness. If I think asking someone will get me closer to the sounds I want, I ask. If not, I just go after the sounds and if I get caught I play dumb and really nice.)

Highlights include a really irritated horse from about two feet away. A brigade marching by, and some decent artillery.

One thing I don't understand. I did the medieval recreation thing for some years and the whole point was to sort of lose yourself in the time. I guess that must not be a priority for the Civil War guys. They ran bus service 10 past the battlefield all day long. Not to mention to water trucks, motorized golf carts. . . . it was incredibly noisy. OTOH I suppose they do more of the other stuff after hours.

In other SFX news. I recently got some good recordings of ballet classes and pointe shoes on marley.

MySpace is sneaking up on me

2008-06-17T20:08:36Z

I know I haven't posted here for a while. Apparently I only have so much posting goodness inside of me, and when it is used up it is all gone. I have been posting on MySpace, and alas, not here. I think I will begin copying over the stuff from there so I can have witty and entertaining stuff over here too.

I have been pretty busy living life. I can't even begin to describe what it feels like to me. It's summer and for the first summer In three years, I am not sick with some mysterious debilitating virus that effectively turns me into an invalid. I can be out! I can mountain bike and learn to kayak and go on hikes! I can take extra projects and do things with Greg! It's warm and sunny and I feel light and free.

So. . . . .yeah. Just happy to have a good life.

Too much

2008-04-04T00:31:01Z

I am growing rapidly alarmed at both the amount of books I have moved to Greg's house, and the amount of books yet to be moved to Greg's house. The built-in bookshelves in the office really did me in. Although I have moved 10 bookshelves to Greg's house, I really can't pry the built-in's from the wall and take them with me now, can I?

Vacation

2008-01-09T18:10:00Z

Whew! It was quite a vacation! We arrived in Mesquite on the 30th, and spent the evening resting, relaxing, and playing with my nephew Jake, who was visiting my parents.

On the 31st Greg, me and Jake drove to Valley of Fire National Monument and hiked for four hours. I tried my hand at identifying desert flora for Greg (Mohave desert is quite a bit drier with less diversity than Sonoran desert). We looked at petroglyphs, played hot lava with Jake, made believe we were walking on Mars and hiked deep into one rugged canyon just in time to see the sun set and light up the red and yellow sandstone.

We went out to dinner and a movie that night.

The next day, New Year's, we drove to Hoover Dam and took the tour. We actually got to go down into the dam and look out the side of it. We got to see the generators in the powerplant and we were innundated with facts and figures. For example: Lake Mead is the largest man-made lake in the country. It is capable of holding 28 million acre feet of water. The generators in the dam produce more than four billion kilowatt hours a year. However, the docents took great pains to explain that although the sale of electricity since 1936 has more than paid for the cost of the dam, generation of power is ancillary to the reservoir and flood control functions of the dam. Simply put, electricity is a mere by-product. On the day we visited, only four of the 17 generators were running because they were only releasing a minimal amout of water.
We got to see models of how the generators work, and walk in one of the four original diversionary tunnels, left over from when they built the dam. I also got the answer to a question that has been bothering me for years, "What happens to the fish"? It turns out that the intakes for the turbines are located 250 feet under water, and the fish in Lake Mead only swin to a depth of about a hundred feet, generally.

Anyway, it was a fun trip.

On the 2nd Greg and I got up and drove to Brian Head in Utah to ski. I have limited knowlege of ski resorts as I have only skiied one other time, and that was last winter at Snow Creek here in Missouri (an eeny weeny hill). Forging ahead through my ignorance, I dare to say, that Brian Head is a really cool place to ski. There are two mountains linked by lifts. One is almost entirely easy and intermediate, and the other is intermediate/expert. Since it was not the weekend, the place was uncrowded, rates were reasonable, lines were short, and I got a lot of practice.

Poor Greg was very patient with me. I took a turn or two down the lower slopes and then demanded we go all the way up. When we got to the edge and looked down, I froze. He had to talk me down the mountain. It took half an hour. One thing that really helped, other than Greg's tireless paitience and understanding, was watching the three and four-year-olds who were taking lessons. They skiied all the way down, fearlessly, no poles. I kept telling myself I could do better than a four-year-old and eventually I got going. The next trip down was a little slow, but by the third time, I was whizzing along. Towards the end of the day, Greg and I split up. I wanted him to have a chance to have some fun without babysitting me. So he went off to the intermediate slopes, and I kept practicing, up and down the mountain. I fell once or twice, nothing serious, until the last run. Those damned kids did me in. So there I was hurtling down the mountain, and I wanted to drop some speed. Unfortunately, I couldn't make any wide sweeping turns because there were six or eight kids spaced out along this steep part all along the edges and I didn't want to hit them. So my turns were pretty narrow and I wasn't killing speed. Finally, I decided to just brake as hard as I could and right at that instant my ski caught on something and I went bouncing and cartwheeling down the mountain. I know I was very entertaining for the people on the chairlift right above me because when I finally slid to a stop on my back they told me so, with cheers and applause.

At that point there were about ten minutes until the lift closed. I finished going on down, but decided that was my last trip for the day.

I really enjoyed skiing, and can't wait to go again! Some things Greg and I learned: Brian Head is about 2 hours from my parent's house. We played it safe and rented a room in Cedar City which was a good deal because the motel offered a decent ski package. However, on future trips, we decided we can just drive, ski, and drive home and save that money. We did love our motel which is the Crystal Inn, Cedar City. They had a lot of amenities, free internet terminals in the lobby, hot tub, snack store, friendly staff, excellent hot breakfast free, etc.

One thing we really enjoyed was the restaurant attached to the motel, called the Bard something or other. Cedar City, Utah is home of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, which does some really good theatre. It's winter now, and they are between seasons, but as a result of the town's exploitation of all things Bard related, our motel has a British food, Shakespeare-themed restaurant attached to it.

As a rule, despite both heritage and upbringing (my mother is British, I was born in England, and spent considerable time there as a child), I cannot stand British cuisine. Living in Germany for nine years gave me a taste for an undending diet of pork, onion, and potato, probably helped alot by my paternal genes, but the British food just didn't take. I watched in horror as Greg worked his way through a huge plate of bangers and mash, but I chose the American and very tasty, pasta dish.

Looking over the menu, the food for the most part seemd very authentic; there were pastys and shepards pie, trifle and bread pudding. I did order the scones for dessert and enjoyed them tremendously, despite the lack of cream. They were big lumps of dough with jam and butter, and seemd authentic enough. I swiped a menu for my mother in case she ever goes to Cedar City.

The next morning we drove to Zion National Park one of the most beautiful parks in the country. I have camped there before and dream of doing so again. Now that my parents live so close, I will be packing my tent when I come to visit. In summer the main drive is closed to vehicles. Shuttles only ferry people through the park. In winter the road is open so we drove the main sceninc drive of Zion. We hiked the Emerald Pools trail, some three miles each way, I think.

The trail takes you by the lower, middle, and upper pools, and is a sort of a loop. The first trail took us to the lower pool, after which the trail was closed because to continue further would be to walk under a frozen waterfall that was dropping pieces of ice as big as my head. We hiked back to the parking lot and started the trail again, this time going left instead or right. That trail enabled us to see all three levels, and I am very glad it did. Three miles later and several hundreds of feet up, we came to the upper pool where the water initially seeps out of the rock. It was all frozen; the water hanging in huge icicles four to six feet in length about a hundred and fifty feet above us. Because of the warmth of the day, the icicles were melting and breaking. About every two or three minues, one would snap off and plumment to the ground below. The crash bang echoed off of the rocks around. It was very riveting. We spent at least half an hour sitting and watching. In all that time we had the little box canyon all to ourselves. It was perfect.

That evening we spent with my folks. Dad, and Greg, Jake and I went to the movies, while mom stayed at home. This whole trip, the scheduling was working out really nice. My dad has been working nights, so Greg and I do our little day trips and get home right about the time Dad is waking up. We spend the evening with him and Mom for about five hours, and then he goes to work and we go to bed.

But now we were embarking on a bit of a road trip. The morning of the fourth we get in the car and drove to Flagstaff, a five hour drive. Mom and Jake drove to Phoenix, a six hour drive. Once in Flag, we got a room and I got to see my best friend from high school, Amy. We spent the afternoon with her before my mom arrived from Phoenix with Jake and Patricia. We all went out for dinner together, then hit the sack. In the morning, mom headed back to Mesquite whilst Patricia, Jake, Greg, and I go play in the snow. We drove out of Flag in the middle of a snowstorm to one of the area's snowplay places. The kids sledded, and we all got in a snowball fight, then we headed back into town to the Lowell Observatory to take the tour. Greg and I had hoped to go the evening before when they opened their 24 inch telescope to the public for viewing, but the storm was already moving in by that point and it was too cloudy to observe. It's a small hill from downtown to Lowell observatory, but it was not plowed and Greg and I both had opportunities to nearly go off the road!

After the tour we drove to Phoenix with Jake and Patriciato drop them off and visit my sister. Debi had to work late that night unfortunately, but I cooked dinner (schnitzel) and invited Matt and his girlfriend over. We made a merry evening. My sis got home around nine and we spent some time together before bed.

So up the next morning and back to Mesquite. Nothing of note there except between Kingman and Hoover dam on 93, Greg and I left the freeway searching for a ghost town. We didn't find it, but after some hiking we ame across an abandoned mine and expored a bit.

On the 7th we rested. We meant to go to St. George and rent mountain bikes, but all the driving caught up with us. Instead we explored the desert behind my parent's house. My parents live on the Nevada-Arizona borderand the fence of their backyard is the state line. That part of Arizona is BLM land, so as soon as that line is crossed it goes from town immediatly to desert for miles. We hiked around for an hour or two. That night my parents took Greg and I out to dinner to celebrate our engagement. The restaurant was a very swanky steakhouse. Dinner was amazing. I had tempanade bruschetta for the appetizer, and filet mignon for the main meal. The chef even cooked it enough for a change! Dad chose the wine and it was excellent. Dessert was chocolate mousse with whipped cream and a chambord sauce.

God I love food.

The next day we got on a plane and came home.

The End.

The Best Christmas Ever

2007-12-27T03:41:03Z

The best Christmas ever started almost a week ago, although I didn't know it at the time.
It was a typical day, nothing out of the ordinary except a little surprise Greg concocted. He hustled me out of the living room with orders not to return until he called for me. A few minutes later, I returned to find that he had purchased four stockings, two regular-sized red and white ones, labeled "Greg" and "Donna" in gold paint and two mini red and green stockings labeled "Squeaky" and "Cricket", and hung them up. I thought that he was being so cute! We rushed out to buy stocking stuffers for the cats.

A day or two later, I placed some Christmas goodies in his stockings and called him up to tell him not to poke or look at his stocking as the goodies weren't wrapped. He pointed out that my stocking had also grown a suspicious looking bulge and then the conversation devolved into a silly discussion about the parameters of how I could look at my stocking, which made us both giggle ("You can touch the stocking, but only with two fingers, open palm, no squeezing or lifting") but would probably bore you, dear reader. I touched, no, I fondled the stocking, concluded it was big, warm, fuzzy socks and moved on.

So we get to Christmas Eve. We both work all day, get home, shower; I make a nice Christmas Eve dinner. (Glazed Ham, Potatoes au Gratin, new peas, cucumber salad, wine, and a medley of berries swimming in eggnog), and we wine and dine. I spent a week teasing him into letting me open one present on Christmas Eve, while he was pushing for opening the stockings, but I wasn't interested in those because I knew he got me socks, and I got him pastries and candy. So we open a present each, and after the paper tearing, cats playing, oohing and aahing and appropriate thanks I ask him if he wants to go ahead and do the stockings. Cool as a cucumber(exclamation points in retrospect!!!!!!!) he says "nah, we can wait until morning", but he eventually changes his mind and we get the stockings down off the hooks. His is barely in his hands when I pull out the socks, prepared to admire (I love socks). But wait, what is this lump in my socks? I'm feeling the lump not even noticing him manuvuering me around so that the chair is behind me, and right about the time I pull out a little box he pushes me into the chair, gets down on his knees and proposes.

So after a blissful evening, (during which time his stocking eventually gets opened) we awake bright and early Christmas morning to do presents. I think it's funny that Greg and I both have the same habit of writing down who gave us exactly what so that we can remember months and years later who to be grateful to for each gift. For Christmas Greg bought for me:

An iPod Classic
An iPod docking station/clock radio
a scarf
a fleece neck warmer
gloves
waterproof ski pants
dress socks
cabin socks (we are planning on going skiing next week).

I got Greg:

A new DVD player (his broke)
3 pairs of pants
Underwear
a cyclocross DVD called "Pure Sweet Hell'
A book of cyclocross tips and techniques
a DVD called "Sing Faster". It's a documentary of the San Francisco Opera doing the Ring Cycle, shot from the stagehand's point of view.
an astronomy handbook to keep in the car with star and galaxy charts.

There's more. For Christmas we drove down to Lake of The Ozarks to visit Greg's father. We wee able to give him the happy news. For Christmas Greg got him a TV DVD combo, and I brought along a six pack of DVD musicals, which he really seemed to enjoy. We spent the night down there and got back to day. On the 30th we leave for Nevada, my family, and skiing.

ok, so I can't help it but OMG I GET TO MARRY GREG AND LIVE WITH HIM FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES. I GET TO HOLD HIM AND LOVE HIM EVERY NIGHT AND RAISE CHILDREN AND GROW OLD AND GREY ALWAYS LOVED ALWAYS CHERISHED. I GET TO WAKE UP NEXT TO HIMAND LAUGH THROUGH THE DAYS WITH HIM AND CRY ON HIS SHOULDER AND HOLD HIM WHEN HE CRIES AND KISS OUR ENDLESS KISSES FOR A LIFETIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

how did I get so lucky?

The bard

2007-11-10T17:36:44Z

I had to. Thanks Shannon, Gene, and Dan for showing me this fun meme.

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite donna.

Which work of Shakespeare was the original quote from?

I'm not pregnant

2007-11-01T19:36:59Z

Week long nausea and fatigue = viral inner ear infection.

Whew!

(Kids, when 'they' say it's all downhill after 30, 'they' ain't kidding!)

Stuff

2007-10-22T20:25:12Z

Things have been going along fairly well. The problem with being desperately in love with someone is that the time seems to pass even faster when you are with them and happy. Thus, I am wandering around thinking it is still August. And the weather doesn't help.

I have been playing around with sound effects again recently. I even did one really cool session where I broke $30 worth of thrift store glass and window panes. It was fun! Greg is starting to get a wary look in his eyes whenever I mention SFX recording. I can't say as I blame him. Sometimes my sessions don't really go as planned. When one is in the middle of a dark field on a moonless night with a herd of stampeding horses all around, or hiking back to the car in 2 feet of snow after falling through the ice into a lake, staying home with a nice mug of tea really seems like the saner choice.

I have bought my tickets to Mesquite for Christmas. This is the year it begins. My parents have moved, and several of my best firends have moved, and there is just no way I'm going to get to see everyone this holiday. Hell, I ma just see my parents. Phoenix is a six hour drive from Mesquite. One the plus side, Greg and I will enjoy exploring northern Arizona and southern Utah.

The Sprint Center has opened and it really is a nice looking arena. I have yet to do a show there, but I did go nose around on "open to the public" day. I took full advantageand gave myself a nice self tour of the luxury boxes. It's not like I'd ever get to hang out in them under normal circumstances, ya know? I do feel a faint sense of pride and ownership looking at the big-ass speaker clusters I helped hang. They look pretty good.

And that's about it.

Well, weller, wellest

2007-08-27T16:49:14Z

Ok, now that I feel I can number myself amongst the living again, I am ready to post. It's amazing how cranky recurring, lingering, illness can make one, isn't it?

So, some silver linings from Tahoe, just to wrap things up:

1. I really enjoyed having my family together for vacation, and I honestly feel that everyone had a good time, and appreciated the beauty that was Tahoe.

2. Greg fit in fantastically with my family. He has a good enough sense of humor to embrace and enjoy their craziness. They, in turn, embraced Greg.

3. When you don't eat for a month, you lose 15 pounds. Hey, I'll take it however I can get it.

4. Sadly, I'd have felt worse if I missed a months worth of work rather than a week or two of vacation. I know that's a horrible thing to say, but it's true. I am actually gratefull that I have been sick during the summer lull, and that I as I have been slowly gaining in strength, so has the work been increasing.

I still haven't posted about Greg, and that's because I can't find the words to convey his amazingness. I have never felt this way about anyone. . . . . which is to say, I want to marry him. Yes, there are ISSUES, but I honestly think we can work them out. It's not so much the me 30, he 50 as it is the kids vs no kids, Kansas City= beloved home/ Kansas City = 9th circle of hell. I am serenely confident that we'll settle these petty little details all in good time.

Fuck

2007-08-01T21:02:23Z

THE NEGATIVE

So towards the end of June, beloved boyfriend Greg goes camping in Colorado. Two days after he leaves, I'm not feeling so hot. The feeling grows and grows until my throat is incredibly swollen and sore. Now, I've had strep before, and always, as a last resort, if you needed a few hours off, you could take a lot of ibuprofin and it would cut most of the pain. This time, no dice. It barely took the edge off for maybe an hour or two. As the week progresses, leading up to the 7th of July (my 30th birthday), I am waiting for the throat to pass and get better. It never does. Instead, small cuts and scabs begin developing in my throat, and the pain is incredible.
So 'round about the 5th, with two days to go until I have to get on a plane to fly to LA for a wedding, I pop into one of those minute clinics run by a nurse practitioner. I need to do something, it had been well over a week and the throat continued unabated. She did a swab for strep and it came back negative. Since her opinion was, "there's something growing back there", she gave me a prescription for antibiotics while we waited for the throat culture to come back (5 days). She gave me a lecture about the overuse of antibiotics, told me she thought I had mono, and then told me that it was up to me whether or not to take them. She then started to do a test for mono, then changed her mind, said she was so convinced that she didn't need to test me, and sent me on my way. (HUH??)
So I left, and started taking the pills. I spent my 30th birthday at a wedding in LA, sick and achy and miserable. I flew out there to spend four hours at the weeding before crawling back to my hotel room hours before everyone else.
By Monday the throat began subsiding, which lets me notice all of the other bad things that are happening to my body. I feel tired all the time, and queasy, like I'm constantly carsick. I have three sets of swollen lymph nodes in my neck, I get dizzy when I stand up, periodic fevers, and last but not least, I have no appetite.
This is nothing like the mono I had two years ago.
So I drag my ass through the week getting ready to go to Tahoe. "Tahoe", you ask? "Did you go to Tahoe?"
Oh yes. For my 30th birthday I had plans, grand plans. I knew the party of my dreams wasn't just going to spontaneously appear (I don't think my friends are really into surprise parties). So for my 30th I decided to do something really special, something selfishly just for me. I wanted to have a family vacation. You know, like normal families. I wanted the Miller family to travel somewhere for the sheer fun of being somewhere else. Not because we had to, to visit relatives, or because Dad got assigned somewhere, but just to hang out together and it seemed like the perfect occasion.
My parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in May, my 30th was in the beginning of July, and my sister's 35th was at the end of July. I reserved and rented the condo almost a year ago. I saved, bit by bit, the $2400 to pay for the stupid thing. I pored over plans for hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and any activity my family even mentioned they might find interesting. I dreamed Tahoe for months.
I was fucking sick for the whole trip. I was sick the week leading up to it. I was sick the two days Greg and I spent in Vegas. I was reaaaaaaly sick the nine hour drive from Vegas to Tahoe. I spent the whole goddamned, cocksucking, shitty, motherfucking, trip on a chair watching everyone else coming and going and having fun. Keeping "a brave face" on, so I didn't ruin anyone else's good time. If I rested 22 hours a day, I could just marshall my resources to do one thing. So I went on one kayaking trip on the lake. I did one short hike. I did one quick sail (and slept though it). I went to the beach exactly once. I went to the top of a mountain on a gondola, but was unable to do anything but sit there, and then ride back down. This trip was a shadow of what it was supposed to be, a mockery.
I return from Nevada, and go right to work. We do Art Garfunkle and everyone is staring at me because I sound like a lung cancer patient on my last legs (the last day or two of Tahoe I picked up a head cold that my boyfriend had, so now on top of everything else, I can't stop coughing). We do that show and another two days later. In between I go to a real doctor. He decides I have mono and does a bloodtest, which comes back negative. He explains that there are different strains of mono and does a test for another, CMV, which isn't due back for several days yet. Meantime, he prescribes me antibiotics for a sinus infection I don't think I have, and tells me how to make my foot stop hurting (it has been bothering me for a few months).
So now, I have three weeks ahead of me with no work at the Folly. I could take the entire three weeks off if I had to, but do I need to? Nope, the day I went to the doctor my appetite came back, the lymph node swelling began to go down, and I lost the nausea. All that's left is a bit of a cough, and the tendency to tire easily.

And rage. . . . ..

There will be a post on the positive. I just need time to find my silver linings.

Follyisims

2007-06-17T15:31:59Z

It has come to my attention, that those of you who work at the Folly from time to time (and that's none of you on this list, lol), have been confused and baffled by a 'secret code' the full time Folly staff members seem to speak. So, for your enjoyment and edification, I present the following lexicon of words common at the Folly Theatre, with their approximate meaning.

The Tower of Power= Dave Tebow, our Technical director, before his engagement.
The Stagehand Formerly Known as the Tower= Dave Tebow after his marriage.
The Leaning Tower= Dave before his hip replacement surgery.
Tower Clearance= Dave's Permission.

38.5= Coffee

Level= 60%
Level Level= 60%!!!!

Extra-vaganza= Any production presented at the Folly, that involves lots and lots of light cues, and glitter.
Also, used to convey that a program falls into that category NB "Order up some extra vaganzas boys, it's gonna be a big one"!

Mega-Vaganza=Any production at the Folly involving fog, a mirror ball, and multiple simultaneous fly cues.
See: .

Dance Competition= $$$

The Quaff=Lunch
The Quaff=Dinner
The Quaff=Beer

Doctacular= So clean it would pass a white glove test.
Millerific= Usually involves cables, and a mess, but the shit works.

"D"=Me
"D"=Doc
"D"=Dave
Used in a sentance, "Yo, D!"

The Blond in the Blue Dress= One item out of several identical items that we are somehow supposed to tell the difference between from 150 feet away.

To get along at the Folly, one must be familiar with at least several of the more common "Folly Songs" that we sing as we go about our daily business.

The Hemp-Set Song
To the tune of 'Do Your Ears Hang Low'

Do your bags hang low?
Does your scenery not go?
Do you have to tie a knot,
Do you have to tie a bow?
Do you have to tie a sunday*
Where you'd rather just not go?
Do your bags hang low?

* Aka a Prussic Hitch

The Genie Pushing Song
To the tune of "The Gambler'

You've got to know when to roll it,
Know when to hold it
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run.
You never get some coffee
'Til you're sittin' on the table
There'll be time enough for coffee
When the rollin's done.

Doc's Song
To the tune of "Strangers in the Night"

Doo be doobie doo
(insert some line here that's topical to what we are doing; Doc likes to improvise)
Doo be doobie doo
(insert some line here that's topical to what we are doing; Doc likes to improvise)

Donna's Version of Doc's Song
Doo be doobie doo
Doc's always singing
Doo be doobie doo
He keeps on singing
Doo be doobie doo
It drives us maaaad. . . . . .

Several other of Doc's Songs beginnings only:

"Here comes the tower, the mighty, mighty tower. . . "
"My name is Lisa (insert some line here that's topical to what we are doing; Doc likes to improvise)"
"I'm a sound girl and I don't care, I leave my cable anywhere. . . "

The Decline and Fall of Civilization

2007-05-23T18:22:59Z

Wow. So I recieved an e-mail from a company I run my IRA through. After reading it, I became suspicious. First, because they appear to be asking me for forms I am sure I have filled out and sent, and secondly because of the incredibly poor grammer typical of a phishing attmept. So, I forwarded the e-mail to the company as a heads up that someone may be using their information for phishing..

They wrote back telling me that indeed it was a legitimate e-mail, actually from them. I am just flabbergasted. If a reputable brokerage can't find applicants with a reasonable command of the language, then really, what are we coming to?

Here is a copy of the e-mail.

> Dear client:
>
> We are writing to inform you that your account
is restricted from doing business due to missing
the following paperwork:
>
> - IRA Online Service Agreement
> - IRA Beneficiary Designation Form
>
> The forms needed attached. For us to release
your account, please print the attached files,
complete, sign and send them back to us by email,
fax or mail.
>

>
> Please be noted that fail to submit the
required account paperwork before 6/15/07 will result in
cancellation of your account.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Should you have any additional questions,
suggestions, or comments please feel free to contact
us.

Hey, that's new

2007-05-22T19:02:52Z

I was going to post about how in love I am, and how great my new. . . (SO? Boyfriend? Other Half? Lover?) . .Lover then, it just has to be lover, it can't be boyfriend because he's a little old for that, and besides he's a lover in every romantic sense of the word. Tender, caressing, sensuous. etc etc.

Ok, so I was going to post about this relationship that has been going on for half a year now. The ups, the downs, how wonderful he makes me feel, what a fanstastic kisser he is, and so on. But when I went to post, I saw an icon to embed Media. I have never seen thaat before. Does that mean I can embed audio clips? How cool is that?!

So the "Greg is the most amazing man ever" post will have to wait, because I really want to try out this function.
This in no way is meant to be insulting to Greg, rather, it expresses my confidence that I will still be deeply in love with him, next week, or next year; whenever I get around to posting again.

Ok, so I just discovered that I can't just upload files. They have to already be at a URL. Hmmmm.

And the URl's I post don't seem to be working.

Never Mind.

It's been a while.

2007-04-17T15:04:30Z

Well it's been a while.

Once upon a time I vowed to do more short entries instead of the occaisional long entry. But, well, you can see where that didn't work.

So, since Christmas, some stuff has happened.

I took a job as the mixer for the KC Rep's production of Love, Janis. There were many good and bad elements to my decision. The bad: mixing Janis did not release me from the responsibilities of my real job at the Folly, and the scheduling became very, very, hectic. John and I were both optomistic when we looked at the scheduling, assuming a fairly hassle free show. On the other hand, I learned to budget at least 30% more time the next time I undertake to do two jobs at once. Also in the not so good: this job was audio boot camp. I have never worked on a show that was in one place for so long that has so many equiptment failures. Brand new amplifiers went down, the board had to be replaced during tech. DI's and other sundry accessories failed left and right. To add insult to injury, whenever we'd have a representative from the install company out to replace and amp (did I mention 6 BRAND NEW AMPS failed?) he'd invariably fuck with some other piece of equipment and cause me grief. Like the time he decided to zero out the board that was running all of our backstage monitors, or the time he decided to update the firmware on a all of the amps.

Although I hate to say it, working on a show with so many problems caused me an odd feeling of satisfaction. I really got to use all of my knowledge and skill, not only that, but during tech, to use it in the company of two other sound professionals--to measure my skill against theirs. I was pleased to find that I performed quite well. I found and fixed every problem sent my way.

I met a new sound designer, who seemed pleased with my work. I interacted with an almost entirely female crew, which was certainly a change from the routine for me! (Local 31 is more than 90% male). It was interesting to mix the same show for over 70 performances. I was able to get the sound of the band into my head. I swear, by the end of the run, any deviation in band, instrument, playing, amp, whatever, I could spot in moments. That really came in handy considering nearly 20% of the shows had a backup amplifier. You see, the manufacturing company had a produced a bad run. They and the install company knew it. Rather than replacing all of the amps at once, they refused to replace each amplifier until it died. Thank god, they all did so during sound check and not an actual show. But the proceedure was, I'd find a bad amp, take it out of line, patch in a backup amp (diffrerent manufacturer) match levels and what not, call the company, and their tech would come out and swap amps, (generally fucking up something else as he did so). I'd patch the new amp in, wait for another amp to go down, and the proceedure would repeat.

If it semms like I'm harping on this bad amp thing a bit, that would be because I'm incredibly bitter about it. It's nerve-wracking to mix every show wondering if a speaker, or worse, a pair of speakers is going to quit any second.

So back to the good things. I got to spend 2.5 months on a Yamaha DM2000. Now, although this is not exactly the flagship of Yamaha boards, since they build them all with the same protocols, the experience enriched my understanding of other, better, Yamaha boards considerably. So I was happy for that. You see, over in the Folly when I rent a board, it's for a one-off; a one day event. Which means we come in at 9, load in the gear and set it up, sound check at three or four, eat dinner, do a show, and take it all apart and put it on the truck by midnight or one. This schedule doesn't give me time to get intimitly familiar with a board. Especially since I have a cardinal rule to never, ever, muck about with settings after sound check, before a performance, (and only cautiously during a performance).

So that was Love, Janis. Everyday I'd come to work, boot up the system, running through my exceptionally long and detailed pre-show list. (i'm not knocking it, I made the damn list on the theory that the best defense is a good offense). I'd get a half an hour break and get some tea and hang out in the green room. Then we'd sound check, whic was really fun as I don't require them to do a song from the show. As long as all of the instruments get used, I'm happy. Did I mention we had two amazing singers? Mary Bridget Davies and Kacee Clanton. They alternated nights as it is ver ydifficult to be Janis Joplin for 8 performances a week. Hell, I'm not sure how they managed it for four each. Then back to the green room full of young and interesting people. (again, I'm not knocking my two old buddies at the Folly. I love those guys. It was just nice to change for a bit). Then we'd generally do a loud, rockin' show that would blast the socks off of thee audience, pack up, and call it a day. On two show days we'd have themed potlucks, and there were parties and such to go too.

It was a great experience, and I am really glad I did it. I liked meeting new people, and appreciated the contrast between one-offs and a long run. I felt I got to hone my mixing skills and I never got bored with the show which was very well performed. But best of all, when the show was done, I got to go home to the Folly.

Same old New Year

2007-01-01T06:59:02Z

So, the day after Christmas me Dad and Dave went Minigolfing. Then the day after that was a day of vegging around the house eating chocolate, and a few miles of rollerblading.

Hmmm, I took my nephew to play lasertag (and came in FIRST, my third game). I went to a party and had a real good time. I went dancing and had a certified It's A Small World After All (TM) moment when I ran into someone I met 1200 miles away who lives 140 miles away who decided to go dancing at the same time and place that I did. (And boy was he drunk).

Yesterday morning Dave and Gene and I piled into my Dad's Prius for a roadtrip to the Grand Canyon. We stopped on the way at Montezumas Castle (Sinagua ruins c.1400). Then headed to Flagstaff to pick up Amy. We were basically retracing the circuit of my college senior year freedom ride--nothing here was new to me. I was doing this for three reasons. 1. For David's sake; I want him to see something other than Phx when he comes to town every year. 2. For the opportunity to roadtrip with two of my all-time best friends, Gene and Amy. Our friendship has been in a bit of a rut lately--the past few years we just get together to share a meal and reminisce about old times. But without new experiences to share, it's not a friendship; it's a fossil paleontologists haven't named yet. 3. I am always game to see AZ, retread notwhithstanding.

So we zoomed through Flagstaff, snaked a long arm out the window and grabbed Amy. We got a late start and I was anxious to hit the Grand Canyon at sunset. We almost didn't make it, and I had to restrain my impatience at slow, plodding, dullards who deserved my wrath for holding us up several times. Fortunately we made it in time, and I got some nice shots of Dave and Gene cavorting amongst the rocks while Amy and I yawned and played old hands (this was my ninth trip, and Amy'd been a half dozen times for her geology classes).

The itinerary called for us to leave Flagstaff at 8 AM. The morning dawned way too freaking cold. We got in the car to head over to Amy's to get breakfast. I turned the key in the ignition and--DISASTER. The engine stalled out (not unusual in a hybrids it's supposed to do that) and a big ugly warning filled the screen. Dave looked up the message in the manual and it translated to "Take the car immediately to the dealership, do not pass go, do not collect $200"

This made me very sad. I could see my plans for the day going *poof*. I called the local dealership, to no avail. A Sunday, and New Year's Eve to boot. The next day was New Year's Day which is a holiday to many people. I didn't see me getting out of Flagstaff before Tuesday. This presented many problems as Gene had to be back in Phx by five Sunday and Dave had a plane to catch on Monday at four. I started the car again and left it in park, the engine stayed on this time so I just let it run. I had a suspicion that the electric battery motor thing was throwing a tantrum in the cold. I decided to go ahead and get breakfast before I worried about the issue further, so we walked to The Place for a hearty meal. Amy was heading to the valley later that day so I was going to put Gene in the car with her (she had one seat open) and put Dave on a Greyhound and stay over til Monday or Tuesday. Fortunately when we got back from breakfast, the error message was gone--the car had warmed sufficiently. So we said goodbye to Amy and piled in the car to get while the gettin' was good.

So we struck out west on 40 heading towards Winslow. The last time I took that drive, in '99 I swore to myself that the next time I took that drive I would have the appropriate music. That stretch of 40 used to be Route 66, and heading east across the desert with the San Francisco Peaks rising behind you just screams for some Eagles, early Steve Miller, Fleetwood Mac. . . you get the picture. Well, best laid plans, sand through the hourglass and all that. I did not have the music I wanted. But it didn't matter, a song was in my heart because my itinerary was not all fucked up.

So we impacted Meteor Crater, and proceeded to Winslow Arizona where the cheese factor of our trip positively quadrupled.

Sigh.

Yes, we all had our pictures taken "standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona".

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Gene was not familiar with my digital camera, so my picture was not actually taken. But I got good ones of Gene and Dave.

On my trek in 99 I proceeded eastward on 40 to Holbrook, Canyon de Chelly and points beyond. On this trip we turned south on 87 for the scenic drive down to Phoenix, I take this route anytime I have to drive KC to Phx or back, so more retreads again. But I love that drive.

We stopped near Payson to frolic in the snow in our T-shirts (it's an Arizona thing) slid into Mesa and hopped on the 101, to arrive home around 4.

Some thoughts about the trip.
First, I am always worrying about Dave seeing the charms and sights of Arizona, but why have I not been worrying about me seeing the state I love???

Every trip home it's Phoenix, Phoenix, Phoenix, the most unattractive part of Arizona and getting more so by the moment. No wonder I feel like my soul is dying a little more every day. It's important that I get out and see the state I love every trip. Every. Single. Trip. I thirst for the purity of the high desert, the sights and scents of a nice little sycamore canyon. This needs to be a priority. It's like Ellesmere Port. Everyone knows I have a low opinion of England, land of my birth, and it's for much the same reason. England for me is not Stratford-on-Avon, London, Stonehenge, or charming little country cottages. It's dreary Ellesmere Port, industrial pollution and stultifying boredom. I can't let Arizona get that way for me.

However, industrial pollution leads me to my next observation. Almost the entire state is covered in smog. It is drastically worse this year than last. My parents live in Sun City, and I can barely make out the White Tanks (consult a map to see how obscene that is). The scene over the Grand Canyon? Smog. Even at Meteor Crater, in the middle of nowhere, if you turned to the south, it was clear. But if you turned to the north and the Navajo reservation, with its two coal-fired electric plants, in a low line a long the horizon, you guessed it. Smog. In Tucson the Rincon's and Catalina's are misty and indistinct.

Now I know some of this is the whole winter inversion, temperature differential thing, but the rest. . . . .

The population of Arizona 1990 (according to the US Census Bureau): 3,665,339
The Population of Arizona 2006 (est) 6,166,318

HAppy Holidaya

2006-12-27T19:06:49Z

It has been a pretty relaxed and down home trip so far. I remember last time I was home in July, Mom and Dad's home was just a place to crash, a respite from my whirlwind of socail activities. This time around I am spending quite a bit of time at home and with the family. My first night here, the evening of the 19th, I just hung out with Dad. Bright and early on the 20th we shopped for food and Christmas. That night I made spaghetti sauce, and went to visit my friend Gene. It was nice to see him. I was happy to hear him sounding like his old self. He had been sort of walking through life the last couple of years, but this time around he had a zest and zing that warmed my heart.
The next day, Dad and I drove up to Wickenburg. Finally, finally, I got to eat at the German restaurant that everyone in my family goes to twice a year.---It was fairly good, but not as good as the one on the other side of Phoenix that closed last year. We also drove to the German bakery and stocked up on some essentials, like rye bread. This evening I went over to Dave and Hercs house. I haven't seen them in over three years. So many changes! Herc is engaged, David is working on a film project. I am not sure how it was that I stopped including them on my visits home. I'm sure it was around the time that Grandma was sick. It just got to be too much to see everyone. I cut waay back on on my list of friends to see that year. I have slowly been building back up, but it's such a shame that I waited so long with Dave and hErc.
The next day I took my Nephew to the Phoenix Central library branch and the Heard Museum. The Heard Museum archives the history of the various Native American tribes in Arizona. It also has several art galleries of contemporary works. Jake wanted to go, so I took him. But the visit led to some thoughts:
Recent studies suggest that we have all been pronouncing Hohokam wrong, that it should more properly be pronounced and spelled Hoohoogam (altho I saw a third alternate spelling at the museum). So everywhere in the museum the exhibits have been corrected to reflect the change. But what about in Greater Phoenix at large? It was still the Hohokam Expressway the last time I drove down it. Which leads me to my second thought. A few years ago, the governnor of Arizona pushed through an initiative to rename Squaw Peak Parkway (and I assume, also Squaw Peak) Piestewa Parkway, after a female Native American soldier who was killed in Iraq. The decision to name it after her caused some controversy because there is a specific naming protocol that states that the individual so honered must be dead for a specific amount of time, and this naming was rushed through. However I think most people agreed that Sqaw Peak was an outdated and offensive name that needed to be replaced. However, I find myself still calling SR51 "Squaw Peak" and I just saw an advertisement on TV for "Sqaw Peak Daycare", suggesting that the various businesses that derived their names from their location did not change their names.
And on and on. . .the Papago Tribe (translation:bean counters), had that name slapped on them by the US governmnet sometime in the distant past, and have returned to their roots and are called the. . ...hmm I may have forgotton from the museum, so don't take this as gospel. I believe that thye are the O'Odtham tribe, with the Tohono O'Odotham residing near Phoenix and the Akhim O'Odotham residing somewhere near Tucson. Yet the state still has a Papago Peak.
So what is the point of all this? I don't have one really. It's just going to take a long time for names to change, and I think some of them never will.
So that night, I picked up Dave from the airport, and took him bowling. I hate bowling, but this was my only chance to meet Genes new love interest. Also I got to see Doug whom I hadn't seen for many years also. We had a great time.
Let's see, the next day I spent more time with my sister. We went grocery shopping for Christmas. That evening Dave and I went with Matt over to Noahs to play card games. I am really happy at the way Dave has been opening up with other people. Oh also on that day I took Dave to Gameworks in Tempe where we slaughtered a million Zombies in House of the Dead IV.
On Christmas Eve Matt came over for dinner. We made potroast with potato dumplings, and cucumber salad. Then we all went to see A NIght at The Museum and ended up staying out way too late, until about one Am considering that we had Christmas the next day.

Ok Im going to stop here and update it, typos and all, because my dad is pressing me to go somewhere.

A quick update

2006-12-21T18:12:35Z

So here I am, back in Phx.
Yes, now that you mention it, I do spend a lot of time visiting home. What's it to ya?

Mom's in England, but I have Dad, Deb, and the kids to celebrate the holidays with.

Hmmmm. Still feeling too episodic to write a really coherent post. Work has been great, as usual, with the exception of one really bad day with amps blowing up, mics failing, and losing power to my board. The flip side of that is maybe, just maybe, the Folly might buy some more sound equipment so that we don't have to depend on rental gear. I am very hopeful and excited.

Some highlights of the past month include: Rolando Villazon. Very, very, hot, and a damn fine tenor.
Rock U, a school for young musicians. I think they take from ages 7 to 17. This was their end of the year concert. 10 bands all making like rock stars. It was surprisingly good. The kids were much better behaved than many of the dance groups we have in. The guy in charge of the school was very nice, and the kids could actually play quite well. The downside: 10 bands, four hours. I felt like my ears were bleeding by the end of the night. But the kids had a really good time, they were totally getting into it. After each band went they would retire to the shareholders room to sign autographs. One singer had prearranged with her friends, that during her set, she went over to the edge of the stage and swan dove into the crowd, they caught her and put her back on the stage.
Yes it was campy, and cheesy, but it was all in good fun, and I know it was an experience that they will never forget.

The Moscow Ballet came and did their version of the Nutcracker. The dancers were all very good, and very, very, young. The drops were gorgeous, layered and textured and hand sewn. The tech crew, the SM/TD and the lighting guy, were the weak points. They pretty much wanted to do just the barest minimum to get the show up and running and nothing more. The lighting consisted of a faintly tinged pink wash and a faintly tinged blue wash. The could have done some much more just using the house hand, and we had a few hours to do so, but their view was, the dancers were lit, end of story. The troupe made use of many local kids in their production. Basically they dressed them up in beautiful costumes and strew them about the stage as mobile set dressing. Simple, but effective.

Socially, life has been a little slow. I feel like the only time I get to see my friends is if I go to see their shows. Friendship is expensive.
Now I know that this is just me. I need to call around and rustle up people to do things since I am the unpredictable one, the one with the fucked up schedule. I will work on that more in January.

It's like Christmas

2006-11-08T15:17:28Z

Those of you who follow my sordid adventures, may, from time to time, have heard me complaining during election season, that everything I vote for or againstswings the other way, when the votes are tabulated. This causes me frustration, yet I continue to cast my ballot faithfully.

And finally, the payoff.

Everything I voted for or against on the ballot went my way this election.

Every. Single. Thing.

I can hardly comprehend it.

Lions and Tigers and stalactites. Oh my!

2006-10-31T14:51:24Z

I suppose, what with the THREE DAYS OFF I am currently undergoing, I can spare ten minutes to update my livejournal.

Last week, I traveled down to Rogers, Arkansas to do an install at some mega-church that is being built.
The work was stupidly heavy, everything was made out of steel, and all and all it was more work that this lazy sound-chick normally likes to do. However, the pay was great, and the company was fun, so I'll not complain too much about it. Also, I did like the sense of accomplishment I felt when we finished the job. I have never built anything that big before; or heavy, did I mention heavy?

It has been a long month. I have been scoring half days at best. The very last night before my three days off was the my work's 25th anniversary gala. Our featured speaker was Walter Cronkite. I did not know that he was a native of Kansas City. I had some clue that he was influential in saving the theatre lo those many years ago, as there is a dressing room named after him but I was unaware of the strength of his commitment. Our main act was Bob Newhart, who is quite a bit before my time. I have vague memories of the Bob Newhart show from when I was about six, and that it wasn't very funny. I guess I was just too young to appreciate the comedy. Mr. Newhart was very funny. I really like his dry delivery, and he does fantastic impressions. We were at the theatre from 9 AM to 1AM, non-stop. It was not a well planned event in my estimation so things kept cropping up. By the time midnight rolled around I wanted to lie down and die. Altho it has been a year and a half, I still feel the after affects of the mono if I push it hard enough--sore throat, cough, lassitude, and they were creeping up on me.

But my whining is beside the point. What I really wanted to talk about were my adventures in cave land.
Last summer I went to Eureka Springs with my niece to go camping and canoeing. While we where down there, we decided to take a cave trip. We hit the cave at a good time, for some reason there was a lull and we were the only ones on the tour. We had a smart, funny guy named Kevin as our guide, and all and all it was a great time. However, during the tour Kevin thunked on one of the stalactites and it made a tone. Excited, I asked him if all of the stalactites do that. So we had a very interesting conversation about stalactites and the sounds they make and it turns out there's a whole other section of the cave that hasn't been developed where you can get a private cave tour which is full of stalactites which all make sounds.

I returned to Kansas City, fully intending to get back down to Eureka Springs and record those stalactites. But as the summer waned, I got busy and just shoved it to the back of my head. And then I got this job in Rogers which is about 40 miles from the cave.
So I called up Kevin (who had no idea who I was and thought I was crazy) and arranged a "wild cave tour" and borrowed a portable recorder and some mics and I was good to go.

The thing I remember most about the trip (and what shows up in the recordings) is that I kept laughing. I was having such a great time that the laughter would not stop bubbling out of me.
I had my hardhat, and my miners light, and my recorder, and down we went into the dark, wet, cave. It was truly a wild cave tour. We climbed, crawled, and sometimes slithered through the mud. They said before the tour that I would get dirty. Me, I envisioned some dirty knees and a few scuffs on my shirt and snickered inwardly (I get dirtier than that every day at work). But by dirty, they meant DIRTY. When I left that cave I was COVERED in red clay. But, I was talking about the cave. We got to the place with the stalactites and I set up for recording. Kevin was very patient, and really into the whole recording thing. I made him do each one several times. At first I was trying different mallets, but I soon picked one I liked. Even so we took several strikes per tone, just for safety's sake. After we finished recording, Kevin insisted on giving me the full tour, which was above and beyond. We turned out our lights and just listened to the water drip for a while, he let me catch the water drips off of a stalactite on my tongue, we saw some bats and a blind cave salamander. Overall, we spent about four hours in the cave. I did get some other recordings while I was in the cave, hard hat on stone, feet on rock, that sort of thing, but soon I became reluctant to take the recorder and mics out. It was getting harder and harder to keep the clay off of the gear.
After-wards I stripped and put all my clothes in plastic bags. Fortunately, I had changes because I had been in Rogers all week. Also, they let me use a shower there, which was really nice.

I am totally psyched to go back another day. And I have a whole slew of ideas for recording, and how to protect the gear better. And I think there will be less water dripping if I go when it hasn't been raining for a week. But whether I go to record again or not, I just want to go and climb around again. If not in that cave, than in another. Something about it just hit a chord. I mean , I have always like caves, and I have been in many. Colossal cave in AZ, Mammoth Cave in KY, Carlsbad Caverns in NM, and a slew of minor sites in the midwest. But going on a cave tour on smoothed out, well lit, pathways is an incredibly dull and drab experience compared to really experiencing it down and dirty. . . . . .