Why is it so hot?
Why did I eat Qdoba?
Why am I watching the Hills?

So many questions, so few answers.

I'm going to try and go to Yoga tomorrow at 7 am. LET'S SEE HOW WELL THAT WORKS OUT. (A-hole who spent 2-4 am honking this morning, I'm looking at you).

I've also talked to Maren and Rachel in the last two days. Reminding me of home, yes they are. And Brittany is here, but I've yet to actually see her. Let's hope I remedy that before she leaves for London/Turkey.

On a completely different note, why do I have to pay $80 a month on my cell phone. That is beyond ridiculous. I need to find a cheaper plan. The worst is that my plan is supposed to be $61, but with all the surcharges and everything I end up paying a beyond ridiculous amount more. And I need a new phone. One that doesn't shut off, go straight to vm, or just decides to freeze on me.

And to end on the random assortments of thought this post has become, I love this song.

Kathryn ______ (Associate Producer, Company Manager) is thrilled to be involved with DCT and The Pearl Project. A recent transplant from the San Francisco Bay Area, Kathryn has worked as a Stage Manager for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, designer and Stage Manager for Can’t Thread a Moving Needle. Since graduating from Santa Clara University with a BA in History and Theatre, Kathryn has been involved with the Bay Area Theatre Group: Cardboard Box Theatre Project, where she helped design, produce, and stage manage several new productions and has continued her involvement as Social Networking Coordinator. She looks forward to continued involvement with DCT as well as beginning her graduate career with NYU Tisch’s Dramatic Writing MFA.

Say it ain't so, Harry!

It's like my childhood is coming to an end.

Not that I'm saying the adaptations are particularly good (Steve Kloves, I'm looking at you), and not saying that I really even liked Deathly Hallows (which I really didn't...or at least can only remember that damn epilogue, which obscures everything else), but I've grown up with Harry Potter and to see it come to an end...

I remember when the book first came out. I was eleven and visiting London. The Philosopher's Sorcerer's Stone wasn't out in the States yet, but I remember seeing the British edition in the bookstore and wanting it. I had to wait another year for the first two to be available. I can remember when my mom brought them to me at summer school. I was 12. And as the books were published and the movies made, I went through Middle School, High School, College... Now I've graduated, but instead of feeling like it's something that I should be embarrassed for liking, I'm nostalgic.

Really, my age group grew up with the books, more so than for any other. My brother and sister (almost 16) are too young to remember anything before really the Goblet of Fire. Many of my friend's older siblings operated in the "read but don't admit to liking" category. My age, it was okay to read the books and be enthusiastic enough to dress up as characters for parties or midnight showings. I can remember every book coming out, how I stayed up all night to finish them, how i bawled when Sirius (spoiler alert) died, how much I hated Dobby's annoying use of third-person. I can remember reading Order of the Phoenix in the pool, sitting on a floatie with my next door neighbor, our arms out over the pool ledge so as not to get my hardcover copy ruined as we each held a corner. Every film was seen with no less than 6 people, all friends who were just as enthusiastic about something that reignited memories of our childhood as we were about the plot holes or ridiculous acting.


Too bad my computer ate the pictures from where I was dressed as Katie Bell. My sister now wears the shirt I made to sleep

The books got a generation of kids to read again. But not just read, research, learn about history and myths, write... Whether or not you like the books or think they're ~literature is not the point. It was the first series in a long while that got kids excited in reading, but not just about Harry Potter, about The Dark is Rising, about The Golden Compass, about Lord of the Rings (though the movies helped that as well), about The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe, Chrestomanci- books that have repeatedly struck a magical nerve in kids.

They're good books, with a damn solid story and some awesome character development. And the characters are flawed, which is so nice for kids who are often made to feel that it's either the right way or failure. If these protagonists, these heroes, can make mistakes- then maybe it's not so bad for the average 13 year old. And the films, for all their flaws, opened up even more eyes to the books, and by default other books. It let kids have a bit more make believe. I, for one, know it got me to write.

And now we're at the end. The actors are ready to move on, the author's ready to move on, I'm ready to move on.
Though, when the time comes for that BBC 300-hour epic version of the series 15 years from now, I hope they know who to call for the adaption.


Damn, don't I sound like a crazy fan. I swear to God, if you meet me I won't be dressed in a cape. Unless it's halloween...or something. And like I said, it was my childhood..and awkward teenage years. You gotta give me a break.

Tomorrow....

After the England v. Germany* game, and after running to the office and letting in the costume designer's assistant to rummage through boxes (to find suits)... But before running to the Lower East Side to pick up my camera from the bar where my friend works, and before the Argentina vs. Mexico game**... I think I shall pick up some yarn and a needle and do some needlepoint on my new Gap Bag. Mostly because, right now, it looks like a diaper bag. And that ain't cool, yo.



Does this post make sense? If not, then just distract yourself with my favorite ad...ever.



* Will it be a reenactment of World War II? Germany starts off strong, only to become distracted just before half time. Things seem to reach a stalemate until England (with the support of all the forlorn Americans who have now decided to root for them) will make an astounding resurgence, thus proclaiming victory, all the while laughing at Germany as they make their way back to grim faces in Continental Europe.

** Argentinian empanadas are infinitely better than Mexican empanadas. And that's how I decide who to support.

update?

So this week was hellacious. By that, I mean, I walked about in the pouring rain Tuesday night after having a near breakdown. and that's when I said to myself myself, "Self, you are going to chill out. Take a chill pill, kick back, relax...or at least don't act like everything is life or death. Because, guess what... If things are messed up, it's not your fault... and even if they are your fault, it's not on purpose."

Now, that doesn't mean I'm not going to try my damndest (hello, I am Type A and grew up in the Bay Area), but I'm going to take a note from my more chill  Northern California counterparts. I may be in New York, but this whole "moving a mile a minute, holy shit, we're all going to fail because I didn't turn in that one piece of paper on time" mentality just ain't gonna fly. I can't handle that.

Because that is insane.

So I've been leaving the office before 8. That's still about 10 hours a day, but at least I'm leaving at a somewhat reasonable hour. And I'm eating lunch. And I'm cutting back on coffee. And listening to NPR again. And in general TRYING to not be completely insane. It's sort of working, but in my defense it hasn't even been a week.

And then last night I went and saw HAIR again, with a friend. It was awesome because she hadn't even heard the music before I dragged her butt to the show. It's closing sunday night, and while the new cast doesn't hold a candle to the original revival (oxymoron, much) cast, there are a few members who are pretty damn good.  I cried, like I always do, but it was nothing compared to when I saw it last time.   I love that show, for all of it's flaws, and just want to dramaturge the hell out of that thing.

(edit: Once again, I got hippies all up in my grill. Awesome)


This morning, in my continued attempt to achieve a state of peace despite my near manic mind, I went to yoga. Now I thought it would be the "ahhhh, chill out and achieve nirvana" yoga. No. It was the "owwwww,  have the nirvana beaten into you" style of yoga. But it was awesome. For once my mind only slightly wandered back to theatre, and instead I was too focused on the fact that I evidently hold all my stress in my hips, lower back, and shoulders... and that I have the flexibility of an 80 year old.

And nothing will end my day (what? it's only noon!) like a giant street fair outside my window and the US v Ghana game that I'm going to watch.

And just so everyone else can chill out, here's some super mellow tunes.


PS Cross your fingers I get my camera back tomorrow (ahem, Forrest, if you're reading this!)

This week (already), oy vey

Still don't have my camera. It's been taken hostage by Forrest... or at least his apartment has taken it hostage. I was supposed to get it back friday night but no dice. On friday, however, I did skip out of work early (does it count as early if you've been there for 8 1/2 hours?) to see Much Ado About Nothing- which a bunch of the MND cast was in.

It was pretty good, no lie. Much Ado is one of my least favorite Shakespeares, so keeping me relatively entertained throughout the play is quite an accomplishment. After that we went to ye olde Irish Rogue. Fun Fact: Tuesday through Sunday after 11 pm, you are guaranteed to find at least 75% of the people there being theatre folk getting their booze on.

It was fun, hung out for a few hours then made my way home. I did, however, manage to lose my glasses. I've had them for two years and absolutely loved them :( All because I was wearing a mask and the glasses fell out of my pockets. I'm going to go by after work tomorrow and see if they found them, because lord knows I hate wearing contacts all the time. They give me a headache.

Other than that, I have done absolutely nothing. And that's the way I like it. I'm so tired that I feel like I'm back in school and it's that week after a show has closed/finals and you just feel completely dead.

So I'm just going to chill here, watch East of Eden and wait for the next World Cup game.

When it rains, it pours.  And today it was a downpour of Biblical proportions.
The cherry on top of the pos day was when the Scientologists outside of our office berated me for 5 minutes about how stress was destroying my life.
a) I live in New York.
b) I work in theatre
c) I am a control freak.
Of course I'm stressed. And reading your stupid book and trying to cleanse myself of Thetans is going to do jack to help my stress. You know what helps more? Yoga.
And a lobotomy.

And being stuck on the 46th floor of an empty building at 10:30 at night? So not fun. More like the start of a zombie horror film.
*
I'd like to thing I'd survive.

So before I go, here's a song that makes me not want to carpet bomb the world.



*I totally did not take that photo yesterday.

I would update you on my weekend, but I left my camera in Brooklyn.

Suffice to say it consisted of rain, being barefoot in the park, kittens, world cup football, and champagne.
It was really fun, to say the least.


And I really want my camera back.

Dude, I wish.

I need to write more.
Someday...

It's hot. According to thefuckingweather.com (no really, that's the site), it's fucking nice out. Thefuckingweather.com lies. Lieeeeesssssss.

It's humid and gross and my shoebox of a room has decided to hoard heat like the sun's going out of style. Thankfully, I figured out how to make the air conditioning box-thing work slightly more efficiently. Rather than just pushing room-temperature air about the room lackadaisically, it now does so at a slightly chillier rate.

I also pulled my mattress off the loft and am no sleeping with it half against the wall and half on the floor because my ikea Lack tables take up too much space.

And to continue on this complaint spree, it's loud, I can't find my earplugs and I want my mommy the humidity is kicking my ass.

I don't want to go to work tomorrow.
On the bright side, I managed to combine 3 scenes into 1 badass mofo for my play.  I also ate vegan coconut sorbet, which was magical. Little victories, otherwise I'll go insane.