Rumors and Earthquakes and Hurricaines, oh my!

Yes, the play is finally over. The last weekend went well, but I think the audiences on the first weekend were better.

Then on Tuesday we had an earthquake, right here in Maryland. My story isn't as dramatic as other peoples--nothing in my house fell down, my cats were find, my house is fine. I was in my office at the time, on the fifth floor, and once I realized what it was I jumped up and ran for the doorway and braced myself in, but it was over before I could tell the rest of the Marylanders (i.e. people who'd never been in an earthquake before) to join me. Oh well. I guessed it was a 5 or 6, and I was right--it was measured at 5.8, epicenter near Richmond VA. People here thought there were two earthquakes, but it's just that the P waves and S waves travel at different speeds. You kind of get a feel for it when you're in enough of them. And yeah, I like that song by Katie Perry too (it's a guilty pleasure of mine)

Then this weekend we had a hurricaine. Everyone was all panicked, all the water at the store was gone, but it just didn't feel to me like it was going to be a big deal. It was for some people, particularly those farther east than I was, but for me I got a day off. They cancelled church at noon the day before (which I thought was odd, but who am I to say?). So I didn't have to sing in church, I didn't have to lead the music, and while I love Nursery it was kind of nice to just stay home and chill. And read. I finished two books this weekend. I didn't even lose power (which was probably good because all the C and D batteries at the grocery store was gone. So I bought two pints of Ben and Jerry's and decided I'd just have to eat them both if the power went out. :D

The Drama Club has moved on to its next project, a mish-mash of fairy tales that we'll be performing at local libraries and hospitals. It's a lot of fun. And yes, I'm doing the costumes for them as well. We had a cast party for Rumors last weekend and I finally got my thank-you card. And a card to JoAnns. Whoa. And a Darth Maulette. What is a Darth Maulette you ask? Here:

Doesn't he--uh, she look adorable? One of the guy's in the clubs' daughter did the dress herself. Yup, she's on my piano with Briar Rose. Aurora didn't want to be in the picture...

Which kind of brings me to my next goal. If I tell people my goals, it helps me keep them. I want to be Glinda for Halloween. And win the Best Individual Costume prize at the Ward Halloween Party. But only if I manage to lose enough weight and inches to go down a size. Don't you think I'd look cute in this?

And if I make it myself, there's a definite chance, if I work as I should... I'll be making good... ;)

Not just busy, FREAKING busy

I have been so freaking busy. Can I just tell you?

• Wicked at the Kennedy Center: went with friends from the Drama Club. It was so much fun. It was interesting to see a different interpretation, from a different director. Not sure I agreed with the choices that were made, but it could be that I just prefer the Broadway production. It was so fun to go with friends tho.


• "Ghost Story", the next in the Dresden Files series: Finally got it. Stupid Amazon didn't send it to me until TWO WEEKS after it was released. So all, and I mean ALL of my friends that are reading the series have finished it and I've barely started it. Because, of course, it showed up the one week when I had absolutely no time to read.
  


• Tech Week: Dress Rehearsals for Rumors. Plus two performances last week, and two more this weekend. If I didn't invite you, it's probably because there's some--ok, some significant--bad language in it. I got to edit my part so I don't say anything I'm uncomfortable with, but if it were a movie it would be rated R for language (yes, that kind of language, even though its not used in context). I'm only doing this because they needed help, and you know me, I'm a sucker for helping out when I can. I'm also doing the costumes, and those lame people. Everyone else involved in the props, sets, and production crew got a stupid thank-you note or flowers or something. I got a flower for being in the cast, but do they remember that I'm in charge of costumes and might like a thank-you card for that? All the nights I spent making dresses, trips to VA to find tuxedos? No, they don't. Stupid 20-year-old dumb girl-director anyway, and her stupid warm-up exercises. [addendum: the girl doing the posters/programs didn't get a thank-you card either. Maybe we should stage a revolt]



• American Idol Concert: went with Tess to B'more to see this. It was a great show. So much fun. I love James!! Truly, the others are all really talented, but James is the only one who knows instinctually how to work a crowd. I hope he goes far, I just love him. I love Haley and Pia and even Casey too (as evidenced by the autographed pictures I now have of all four), but after the concert James is my favorite.



• Performances of Rumors: Both went really well last weekend. There's something really energizing about having an audience in the theater. Katie, who plays Chris, is so funny. Jeff, who plays Lenny, is really hilarious as well. It's really funny. We've gotten so many compliments; everyone did a simply amazing job. Now it's up to us to do it again this weekend.



• Film Festival: two of my Drama Club friends were in a short film, the screening of which was last night. So we went into Eastern Baltimore (just before the neighborhood turns bad) and watched 11 short films (4-9 minutes long). My friends' film was the last one. It will be up on YouTube later today. Dating Advice in the Apocolypse. Zombies, no women, one guy who just wants a girlfriend, and another guy who gives him advice. It was great. My favorite was probably the one that was a Firefly fan-film. Zoe and Mal and how they first met. Several of the other films dealt with death and odd aspects of death, but probably the other favorite was Corporate Stiffs--a training film all about how to include 'Revenent Americans' in the workforce (aka zombies) As a clue, you are no longer allowed to say, "pick your brain" :) Here's the link to the film my friend is in: Dating Advice

Other than that, work's been pretty slow for me. I have some superviser stuff I need to do as performance reviews are coming up, but it shouldn't be too bad. I have no problem children in my section. Church has been, well, just kinda there. I've been promised a release from one of my callings (I have three, remember, plus Visiting Teaching, and my companion just moved so I've no help there either), and they have someone approved, but that person has to come back from vacation first.

I've been feeling a lot out of sorts lately, probably due to lack of sleep and constantly running my lines in my head. Jeff will steal them if I'm not fast enough. Tuesday I couldn't find my key and badge for work, so had a big LOSER badge on all day long. Turns out it was in my car, between the pasenger seat and the door, where I can't see it from the driver's seat. Should'a just stayed home that day, I think. All I really want to do is go home and read my book, but I'm doing gifts for our wonderful director and production staff (the 'wonderful' is only sarcastic for the director), and then it's time to do costumes for the next project, which we're dry-running next week. Yay. No sleep for Julia. Remember, I had no intention of being in Rumors, just doing costumes. And when the production assistant was unavailable to help the production manager I stepped in to help her. I have got to stop volunteering for stuff. It's making me crazy. But I do feel better now that I've vented a little.