Big bag of Random.. the week.

Things to make things better:

- Sweetened condensed milk! It sounds almost creepy, but truly, my coffee and (now) my oatmeal are the better for it. My procrastination of buying regular milk has created a flavor sensation!

- Starting yoga again, via Mpls Community Ed. My body says hurrah!!

- Tuesday had an amazingly fun Mystery Cafe, where I finally met Mr. Larche (who was stunning. And sweet. And you just sit back and go.. wow. It was fun. :) Who told me about the time that Mr. Larche met Mr. Knudson? IT ALL MAKES SENSE.) Then ran like a bunny to Six Ring, where I got to be with Nels as he said wonderful things and got all proud and stuff of my team. Yea!

- Museum adorableness: A little girl pronouncing, as I wheel out the "Riddles of Disease" set at the museum, "Oh! It's a Jesus show!"

- Museum adorableness 2: Another little girl, when asked "What's another use for water?", announces "Tea parties!!!"

- Ka-Baam!!!!!! Whewwwww... And the unexpected friends there (Thank you!!) Went out afterwards, both Herkimer fun, followed by crashing Michael Ritchie's birthday party at Figlio's. Yea!!

- My mom and I get to go visit my sister in February. That's nice, isn't it? (Also, Mom admitted to wanting to go on a cruise, and needing to get her passport. Mom's daughters rejoice!)

Things I didn't need:
- That dream last night, that had so many wonderful moments in it (hey look, turtles! hey look, drinkin' at work! hey look, Ahna!! yeaa!!) and then decided to f my brain with images of large planes dropping on or sliding into large groups of people. My brain decided to fart out details that I (Jen) didn't need to see, topping it off with circa-1880s black and white film/pictures of the survivors taking their pictures next to the piles of dead. In that circa-1880s-taking-pictures-of-dead-people-to-commemorate-the-occasion sort of say. Blurgh. Thanks, brain.

And the neutral...
- Another weird thing my cat will eat: unflavored firm tofu. Really, animal? I support this, along with the avocados, oatmeal and peanut butter he continues to enjoy.

- Heyyyy, I need to memorize a sketch. Hi, sketch. hrmmmm...

- Heyyyy, I gotta take the dog to the dog groomer. Like right now. Literally. After that, it's to the museum to don raindrop helmets. (We've only made one child cry so far)

Onward.

Neil Gaiman won a Newbery!!! And the talktalktalk continues..

Really. I couldn't be happier, in this one little moment.

a) I like Neil Gaiman. The man makes me do happy dances, and has for over 15 years.

b) I have childhood love of the Newbery Medal. You get a Newbery; your book is damned good. (Julie of the Wolves. Bridge to Terabithia. The Hero and the Crown. Holy CRAP, these books were good! A Wrinkle in Time. The King of the Wind. The Island of the Blue Dolphins. More!!)

c) I used to read a lot more as a kid. Argh.

Anywhoo, I am pleased that someone I loved as a teen and continue to love as a grown up, has won something that I loved as a kid.

I am counting blessings and thinking about things that make me happy. These things aren't necessary, but they will probably continue to keep February bearable: crackers, coffee, and gallons of red wine. The red wine is, in a slightly emo-y way, for my heart. And for my cholesterol!

Recent events have brought a continuing theme back to the forefront, and the awesome Nels brought it up again yesterday. Moving sucks, and it's not the answer to everything (I will remain basically the same person anywhere I go, my flaws will be the same, my inability to caulk a tub will be the same).

But I also don't have to stay here. And this is the time of year when Minneapolis and I love and diss on each other. Just like all the other transplants, honestly. I ignore her, she passive-agressively tries to break my car. I become white and blubby, she becomes grey and mean. Where else could a person go (possibly with a small animal or two?)

I don't have a "good" reason to move. Except for that stupid theme that keeps popping up.

My dad told me that problems will be the same anywhere you go, weather or location don't really matter. *sigh* But it's fun to dream..

- Chicago! yes, my Vaudeville is already there. What do I like? I like improv. Chicago, I would be another tiny swimmy fish in a gigantimous ocean of improv. But, I would learn lots lots. It would be hard and cold, but I would probably meet people to hang out with. hrm.

- Portland! Goddamn, Portland is the prettiest of pretty. Right now, it's mired in public official sex scandals. Could a person find a life in Portland? My friends Steph and Dave moved out there about a year ago, and if Facebook picts are any barometer of how happy people are.. I think I could afford Portland.

- People keep bringing up Seattle. Holy crap, I could afford Seattle! And Seattle seems to be an unknown underdognick according to a.. website! It must be true. Huh. According to another website, it rains a REALLY REALLY REALLY lot in Seattle. Again, must be true. But there's coffee and beer to stave off the suicide.

- NYC. Ohhhh, this is Nels'. If I lived in maybe Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx, I could maybe afford NYC. I get speechless when thinking about NYC. It's what you don't know that you don't know.

- L.A. It's warm there. I have a tiny number of connections there. I could find a job and get to know my air conditioner and swim suit. But.. I like southern California. I honestly do.

- Somewhere as of yet unknown!! wwooooOOOOOooooooo

- Minneapolis. Stay here, quit my bitchin', and figure shit out.

I wish I had a trade. Right now, my trade is the ability to talk to strangers in character. And teach 1-2 hour workshops. And who knows what might change. But, again, it's nice to blather.

I'm gonna get off my computer and do stuff. ha! Take that, stuff!

Onward.

I erm back-ish...

No, I really really back. However, I'm experiencing Morning Crappiness, something that hasn't been popping up too much of late.. *sigh*

The traveling was beautiful. Amazing. Astounding. Very much unexpected and ka-pow. Back to the rest of life, get on with it.

While a'traveling, I've been working on "The Black Swan" by Nassim Nicolas Taleb. Even if, yes, some of the reviews say that he's redundant, I say nay. He just approaches the subject from a couple of different views to wallop you with the point. Plus, he's beautifully cranky. A joy to read. Crank crank crank.

Basically, he says that:
a) bell curves are crap
b) people who make predictions are liars
c) you CANNOT predict, but you can generally prepare
d) go to parties. Serendipity happens when you engage with people. If you can't go to parties or don't want to, send a representative that does.
e) live in big cities. This increases you serendipity-through-people quotient.

Neat. Plus, he's super cranky.

Ka-Baamm!! has been a hoot! Yeaa!!! Only two more to go! (b00000!!) Here's hoping for more superhero-y fun. :)

Things are sort of on-hold at the Museum, and in general, for a lot of other things. I'm grumpy today, but it's the morning and I'm still a little jetlagged and a little sad. Things to be focused on for happy:

a) Spring. Only two more months of possible crap. That's not bad. (My sister just says to just "move someplace warm". My sister is very wise.)
b) Cinnamon rolls. I am an emotional eater. Cinnamon rolls and pastries and tea sound wonderful right now.
c) I hope Adorable gets into CIF. It's cool if we don't. But it'd be exciting if we did.
d) Finishing stuff on my house and being excited about it.
e) Figuring what comes next.

I'm achin' to get out of here. But, there's things to be taken care of first. Like a house and kitty cats and dogs and the like. Not that I'm goin' anywhere soon. But it's very satisfying and rash-feeling to be all "f this s#!t". But again, we'll see.

I really want to be somewhere, where it rains. Remember rain? Remember a dew point? I know I'm solar powered, and this sun is nice, but man... moisture sounds awesome. And maybe a tiny little deck off of a brownstone.

Two jobs today, but brunch tomorrow!

Onward.

Good things...

A (poorly written) treatise -

- Martini's with Butch. I always thought it would be Guinness with Butch, but nope! Martini's with Butch is just as good, if not better.

- Mixed Tape! Indeed! These magical audience keep appearing. Justin Pierre of MCST asked the crowd, "Who here was born before 1980?" and maybe 4 people out of 80 raised their hands. Needless to say: a) I am technically fully a person who is technically fully an adult in the eyes of everyone, b) the kids are alright. Thank you, awesome mysterious teens & early 20s who have come to Mixed Tape! :)

- Mystery Cafe cast is the best in the world. Straight on.

- The MC stage manager added some of his own mix to the soundtrack, and not only do we now hear Fleetwood Mac circa 1987 BUT Bruce Springsteen circa 1987. Seriously. "Tunnel of Love" is one of my favorite Springsteen songs. (And "Learning to Fly" one of my favorite Pink Floyd's. It's wrong, yes. But so GOOD!!!) He also played "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. (from Out of Time, an album of much perfection in tiny-me's eyes), which made me laugh as we were in the middle of a big, loud, audience-interactive murder mystery. Can I deeply express how I feel about sexual identity issues while solving pretend crime with sleuth sheets and cheesecake? I say, resoundingly, yes.

- I'm honing my age guessing skills. I've got kids down to about 80% accuracy. People my age - - doin' pretty well. For better or worse, human live about 10 decades, so I have only 10 or so decades to get a handle on, which seems doable. And kind of sad and strange and sweet too. (or.. um, creepy)

- Podcasts. That took long enough. I am a podcast downloading fool.

- I'll be traveling the next couple of days. I am very lucky: it should be amazing, but also bittersweet. It's still not real to me.. at all. But I'm packed, for this very unreal place. More to come! I feel a tad crazy, packing for what I do not know. (it's like creating my own personal bomb shelter, but in carry-on luggage.)

Bisous!

And onward.

These are good ones...

(those aren't my hands, but that does look like Bubba)

Stolen from a stranger...

20. What is the best piece of advice you've ever heard?

You cannot change someone, it is how you react to that person that matters.

21. what is your favorite quote and why?

"nothing can bring you peace but yourself." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Those are pretty good ones..

- We're in "Animal Training" here at the Museum. There nothing that calms you (YOU MUST BE CALM), puts you-in-the-moment or forces you to focus than having a corn snake wrap itself around your fingers and forearms.

- Corn snakes like warmth and dark. Hence, corn snakes like pockets and arm pits.

- I have leftovers! Leftovers galore!

- Life is forcing changes which is sad in ways, but important in others. :(

- Some of these changes will be preceded by unexpected travel! Goodness! More to come!!

Onward.

Pants check! Yes, they're there.

Whoawwwww... It's been a roller coaster of a week, and it's not stopping anytime soon. Thrilling and bumpy and one must check their pants, just to make sure that they're still there. *whimper* I'm just kind of ..tiiiired...

- Twin Cities Live came and videotaped the Everyday Improv I class I'm teaching. John Haynes was there and did AWESOME. And the peeps in the class itself. AWESOME.

- I've taken a break from "Smilla's Sense of Snow", as I fear the way it's possibly messing with my dreams. Maybe it's not the book, just the roller coaster week, but again, my dreams were super vivid last night. Like "here is all you want plus a Hardee's Ham & Cheese" vivid.

- There's a sex act on page 193 (or so, depending on your edition) in "Smilla's Sense of Snow" that I've so far checked with THREE people to see if that's possible. Honestly. Have I not been 'in the know'? Is this act part of what everyone does during, um, stuff? As Steph said, "it sounds like a bladder infection for both people". I agree. But seriously. I will continue asking people and get back to you. Plus, there's no better conversation starter... Or ender.

- Watch "Matchpoint" on Saturday. We thought it was going to be a comedy - - Woody Allen, you know. We guessed wrong. Lovely casting, lovely dialogue - - and much like Smilla's Sense of Snow, you know that after investing in these lovely chatty people, that HORRIBLE THINGS WILL HAPPEN. YEEEARRRGH. Did I like it? I don't know. (Hey look! Brian Cox! Being not scary!) Does Scarlett Johnannsen have really sensual lips? Um. Yes. Woody Allen might really really like Miss Scarlett's lips.

- "Mixed Tape" at ComedySportz on Friday was a hoot! YEAA! Jill & I went to Mortimer's afterwards. I haven't been to Mortimer's in.. um.. years. But we were served possibly the nicest cocktail waittress in Uptown. We visited a friend who was having a birthday, and who was, subsequently, taken town by a train of shots around 1:00 a.m.. NOOOOOOOOOoooo!! (I'm so sorry to have added to the shottrain, and hope that he's okay.)

- Four hours of teaching improv on Sunday was actually great. What a great class. I am stunned. (Four hours of anything usually has me running for the hills.)

- Adorable was up for Improv a Go Go, and I'm still in blurry tears from it. We were super lucky, and had super fun. Thank you all!

Um. Umumum. There's some people I gotta call. And face back up to reality. Not "crazy hot ham & cheese hiding from actual reality" reality. Just gettin' stuff done reality. And the roller coaster of anticipation DOES NOT END. IT WILL NOT END FOR OVER A WEEK. More stuff to come.

Onward.

Aeehhhhhhh!!!

Happy Friday. I guess, Happy Belated Thursday too.

- I'm reading "Smilla's Sense of Snow". My literary selection have at least a decade lag time. It's fabulous. It feels like it should be written in italics, as the writing is always pulling towards the future. It's also playing with my dreams. Yeeearrghh!

- Don't watch the review for the movie. It's shockingly poopy.

- Missed Ka-Baam!!'s opening night. mer. :( However, I did get a natty picture drawn of me, as a superhero! w00t!

- Had a Mystery Cafe show instead, which was nice. But a table of (very cute very cool) kids 12 and under put a damper on our adult-style fun. Once we reached the end of the show however... *whew* Happy relaxed people. Yea!

- I just found that my inner dialogue has a b/p switcheroo problem (is that a stop? the two sounds are made in the same place... I loved my linguistic anthropology class! Why can't I remember what that place is called?!) I'm typing b's when I mean to type p's... *sigh*

- Mystery Cafe folks rock. And they let me horde leftover catered food like a homeless squirrel. I will eat like a king!!!... for at least three days.

- If things can be swung, unthought of things might be possible. These unthought of things could be stunning and very cool.

- Feel very unsettled. Unhinged. Strapped. Stressed. All of temporary, but.. can I repeat mer? It's been kind of an unhappy couple of days. But things are okay. But.. repeat above bullet point. Breathe. Everything's gonna be okay. Right? Right.

Onward.

I will post now!! And then meet the auditor..

Just a quick post, as the world is whispering that it's time to go..

A very full, very lovely weekend! yea!!

Friday - PG wanted to relax, so I bundled myself up and hauled my butt to the BNW's Xmas Show, assuming that all the world would be done with holiday shows. Alas, no. It was sold out, and runs through the end of January. Tricky!

The show was friggin' delightful. Nice work all! They were nice enough to let me play set with them afterwards. Thank you! :)

Miss Crystal was in town!! For this, Lauren then created a caravan to the Front. Ahh, the Front. You make me giggle. It was a good night for dancing, I met two new friends, and DJ Dirty Duke limited his Jackson Five output - - the man believes that, whatever party you're creating, all you need is some Jackson Five. This is a lie, Mr. Duke, despite what you and many many people seem to think. My love for the Jackson Five is tarnished due to over-playing. Yes. Little kids should dance to Jackson Five and be adorable. Embittered drunken 30somethings however... I guess should dance to J5 also... *sigh*

Saturday: Museum was again filled with nice people (yea!), and then PG and I watched.. Dirty Dancing. Oh my god.

- It's been 20 years. Literally.

- Every line in that movie ends with an exclamation point.

- It's SO dramatic!!!

- It actually kept my attention. That Swayze fellow can dance. ...And so can his mullet.

- Why didn't this become a musical? Did it become a musical? Probably. Was it horrible??? Possibly.

- Dirty Dancing is basically grinding and making "sex" faces at each other. And sometimes you wiggle. Got it.

- It was also fun to see 1980s fashion takes on 1960s styles. High waisted jeans, as far as the eye can see.

Sunday - We went cross-country skiing! Oh my goodness! I've been downhill skiing, but the last time was about a decade ago.

- It was fun!

- Another example of how man has strapped himself to simple machines (wheels, elephants) for fun and mobility.

- Lean forward, bend at the knees. Something us humans generally aren't too good at. World peace might be possible, if we all could lean forward and bend at the knees.

- Much like hiking in the Grand Canyon, it's an activity done in beautiful setting, but you have to continually stare at your feet. At least, I do. Arghh!

- I fell down, a lot. I kind of enjoy falling down in moments (i.e. non-cement) like this.

KA-BAAM!! previewed at Improv A Go Go last night!! OHHHHH!!! Huzzah! Good times, true believers.. We open at the Bryant Lake Bowl this Thursday, and run through February 5th! Please come see!

Okay. Time to go, lest my auditor is early.

Onward.

Roman Holiday...

...IS a lovely movie.



Just lovely. Gregory Peck.. *sigh* And a young Eddie Albert with a beard..! I'm gonna say it! Whatta looker!

Before watching Roman Holiday, there was much feasting and laughing at Taste of India. Oh, lovely fun. *grin* We shut that lunch buffet down!! (actually, we did. We were asked to leave.) 10 people, one completely unexpected (happy!), and tons and tons of yummy food.

Before that, there was much lazing about. Delightful lazing about.

Before that, well.. (this blog is a lame version of Momento, ain't it?)

Friend of PG's opened up his house for NYE Celebrations. Huzzah! However, we went totally expecting to be not only wined, but dined. Foolish us. There was pita bread. And lovely dips. Beggars cannot be choosers. We have learned our lesson. Eat before going to the party. Duh.

We also played the game Dictionary, which is secretly the low-rent version of Balderdash (much easier.. all you need is a dictionary, pens and papers.)

And that was the end of 2008. Hoping your NYE's was not only safe, but very very very fun. Here is 2009. So far, pretty lovely.

My goodness, it gets a little busy this weekend. (but not bad, truly)

Onward.