Well.. it’s like this...

It's the slow part of the avanlanche. Things are just about to go blewy, and I keep watching my calendar like a hawk. December approaches. So does a mortgage payment (dammit). December will be full of goodness (I think and hope), and it will be full of stuff to get done. All at a pace.

I'm spending time with middle school students, lately. 7th and 8th graders have officially restored my faith that awkward a$$ age. Gack. 6th grade seems to be the trial-by-fire of the junior high world. If you can survive that, you can survive anything. So, my time with the 7th and 8th graders was like having coffee (knock on wood for next time). My time with the 6th graders has been like climbing Mt. Everest blind. Every once in a while, I tell Mt. Everest to sit down or kick Mt. Everest out of the classroom. The truth is, Mt. Everest is a nice mountain, just like all the other mountains. Mt. Everest is just more challenging. Mt. Everest is helping me build a) character, b) a mean teacher voice, c) a fine drinking tolerance.

(I told Butch and Josh about Mt. Everest, and the both had this smiling moment of recognition. "That was totally me", paraphrased Josh. "I would have left you crying in a corner, and then high fived my friends because of it", said Butch. Butch and Josh rock my socks. *grin* I know what I'm up against. I may still kick Mt. Everest's a$$ out of the program though. Depending on how Sherpa-ish I feel.)

Tomorrow, I am off to Iowa City to visit my sister and brother in law. This hopefully will smack of awesomeness. Next week, I get to talk about Nanoscale Science education in Boston. W00000!... I hope w000000. I'm gonna go w0000 anyway. w000000!

Onward!... yes. onward.

Hangnails take the fun out of touching stuff

We did it! I headed down for Sioux City for my family's first "winter" holiday without my dad. We, honestly, were just so happy to be together, there wasn't much room for melancholic sadness. It's still there, sneaking it's head around the corner, but my sister and mom and I were just happy to be in the same room, and chitterchat. Brother in law Ben has aces and gold stars waiting for him in heaven, as he survived all three of us, two cats, and a manic schnauzer. Thank you, Ben!

While in SUX, saw awesome friend Harrison, and we went to a local live production of "The Wizard of Oz". It was insanely Sioux City... endearing but weird and a little wrong and sometimes brilliant!

a) Wrong but also brilliant: 10 year old boys in HUGE fake mustaches, talking in funny voices
b) Wrong but also brilliant: Everyone copying the voices of the actors in the movies
c) Wrong but also brilliant: An adult man in a full zip up lion outfit and full face make up
d) I could go either way: Scarecrow was super GGGggAY! I've never thought of the scarecrow like this, and I kept thinking about Micheal Jackson in "The Wiz" and... I think it works!
e) I could go either way: Saying your line, having a flash pot go off, and then turning around and then awkwardly leaving stage. (also, when you're melting, pushing your witch's hat back up onto the platform when it starts to fall down the hole after you)
f) Simply brilliant: Fake noses of the winkies (the Wicked Witch's guard) 12 people in identical fake noses moving in unison
g) Simply brilliant: the level of non-ironic commitment everyone had to dressing up in these head to toe costumes
h) Simply brilliant: the four feet the poor kid in front of me jumped when the WWW appeared.

So... Commitment! That's what I learned about in SUX. Bless 'em.

Last night, I had my 3rd experience with Guitar Hero II. Joe - - I think I can play it now. Can I come over and be part of your band? Love, Jen

Bah. Bah bah bah. But I can tell you this other stuff...

Thank you all to sent hugs and listened and such. I'll blather about that stuff later, cuz I don't feel like blathering about it now.

It's been a Monday. At least that's what my calendar says. I dunno. Yesterday didn't feel like a Sunday (at all), despite having BNI Youth (aWWWesome!!) and IAGG... Yea for IAGG and yea for having a set. We were okay, and felt pretty good about it. Overall - super fun night. :)

Today involved getting up at 7 a.m. to be at the Science Museum by 8 am., to be in Blaine by 9 a.m..We did an outreach-thinger that:
a) Involved a high school, IN A MALL
b) I kept wanting to tell them.. do you realize that your high school is in a mall?
c) This mall not only had a Karmelkorn, but also a Waldenbooks, a Claire's, and a Vanity (Jesus! A Vanity!) This mall was the bizzaro Southern Hills Mall of Sioux City, IA.
d) It also had a Steve and Barry's. I'll admit it. I throughly enjoyed Steve and Barry's. I also enjoyed SJP's (Sarah Jessica Parker, cuz those are her initials) Bitten line.
e) I DID NOT enjoy the looping Sarah Jessica talking in unclear sentences about the under-priviledged women of the world, and that fashion wasn't a priviledge, but a right.
f) That being said, I think her line of clothes is very smart, usable and cheap. (damn you, SJP!)
g) I ate at Taco John's.
h) There was no monkey.

The outreach actually went pretty well (YEAA!! Thank you!!!), and then off to another suburb to go spent some time with some 6-8 graders. We went over some rules to the class, which included me shouting "No Swearing!!", which was then answered by a very short, very funny 6th with "But I'm Irish!!"... Touche'.

I'm now a little tired, but 'will purchase coffee. 2/3's of Adorable will be at the Beat Coffee House, 7:30 p.m. show TONIGHT, $2!. Josh - - please get well! We love you super big. :)

And then I said the wrong thing...

Welcome back. I only went maybe two places yesterday, but the last place was of some note...

The Sciece Museum was fine - - I finished painting DNA! Whoop! And got trapped on one of the most awkward elevator rides ever. YEAAA!!

Then, Steph and I went to an East St. Paul bar called Governors. Governor's:
a) 'had $1.50 Pigs Eye on tap (there's so much wrong about that entire sentence)
b) 'had waittresses that were small, petite, and teeth-less
c) 'had a older gentleman come up to me with a yellow sheet of paper, with names of vegetables and fruits followed by prices, some crossed out. (for example, the Roasted Peanuts, which are neither a fruit or a vegatable, were crossed out). He said, "take a look at this, tell me what you'd like, we're out of the roasted peanuts" and walked outside... I said okay, and realized that this bar was not only a bar, but was also some sort of psychic grocery store. How did he know that I needed baking potatoes?

He came back and said "We're out of the roasted peanuts.", "Could I get the baking potatoes?", "We might be out of those.. we're out of alot.. you want some onions? I've got some nice onions. Where are the roasted peanuts? Yeah, we're out of those"

And so I purchased onions and potatoes and shared them with Steph.

d) 'had my friend from the Saints!!! I haven't done Saints baseball games for over three years, but he remembered me!! Scott is awesome, and would buy the ushertainers little gifts. He is made of hearts and gold.

And then I realized that Steph and I had more beers than was necessary on a Wednesday, took Steph home, wrote awkward emails, and fell asleep at 9:30 p.m.. Classy!

Thursday holds doing shows and hopefully getting stuff done. Hopefully. Not much else to say, but, love and onward!!!

It’s strange to be back... re-calibration.

Yea for Mondays. I work for about the rest of the week, so it was nice to have a Monday-day full of internetting. I think I did other things, but it's questionable. There was a 4:30 p.m. which was good, and teaching at 7:30 p.m (last class of level 3! Full of joy and people being large screaming birds - gold star!), dinner at Common Roots before class, where I had not gone before. (Bagels and Lox are delish.. and they serve Surley beer.) After class, Davey and I met with up with the awesome Harrison, where he would tell us about something wonderful and positive in his life, and we would completely and totally interrupt him and blather about last weekend. ... I swear we can actually have a simple, MN-based conversation, but probably not for a little bit.... thank you, Harry. You rock for putting up with us.

Back to the Science Museum and Six Ring rehearsal today. I am a little beside myself and a little sad, but also a lot happy. I'm trying to figure out what to do next. While that is going on, I'm going to start walking for "fitness"... doesn't that sound exciting? Again, it means I'm 62 years old.

December is getting g'damned busy! Thanksgiving is not this weekend, but next. Jezus! Onward!

Thank you to all!

Thank you to all!

Yes yes! Thank you to all who put up with us and supported us and supported people you don't even know in NOLA. You are amazing. Thank you so much!!

I am so glad we had that set. It felt (in a tired and shakey way) necessary. I was all full of stuff that I wanted to say, and it wanted to come bursting out and I don't know if it was good, but... it felt good.

(and Davey was a total badass. I wanna hug him like nuts. He had that look after the set. The exhilarated look of saying exactly the right thing in exactly the right way and getting the exactly right results, but no clue as to how that happened or what monster/spirit possessed him, when, truly, it was all him.)

Davey and Jill were the best traveling partners ever.

I think I will begin the listing of stuff we did soon, but... there's alot. Some highlights:
- I saw my first street lizard. (here, we have street chipmunks. There, they have street lizards.)
- I know I mentioned it before, but if you have a pet in NOLA, it seems you found it on the street, dying. Or you purchased it from guy on a bike for $10. Animals who need you, find you, in NOLA.
- My shins hurt. We walked alot.
- The sidewalks in NOLA are like rollercoasters. I don't know how the money with money and shoes walk on Magazine street. Tree roots grow under these sidewalks, and then push up.
- French Quarter was funny. It was best at night, walking away from it, to bars on the side. Checkpoint Charlie's had THE BEST music. Our Bar made me feel like a rock star.
- I met a bartender named Remy. There was a little girl named Adele. We met someone named Duke, and someone named Cubis. (I think). We also let a leather-clad lesbian who walked up and down the street and into bars in the baddest-assest way possible, screaming "I'M RICK JAMES, BITCH!!!" This was awesome and hilarious. Unfortunately, when asked about it, she gave up the bit. Sadness.
- I think I may start talking like I'm supposed to now. I'm supposed to talk like I'm from the upper Midwest. It's coming back.

More later, I promise. I haven't checked my email or paid bills for four days. This fills me with a little bit of dread... You know. Onward! :)

We demand more porn!!

Sunday ended up just fine. Stayed at home and raked leaves, made curried tofu (put block of curry stuff in pot, add tofu), and went to BNI Youth. BNI Youth were awesome, and then, from there, Davey was awesome enough to come to the 331 Club with me, to check out the Sunday Night Lit 6 Story Stage (whew!). Things I learned:

a) Alot of the Lit 6 peeps are Hamline grads (interesting!)
b) Experienced writers use themes. And call backs. Yes, it is a LITTLE like improv.
c) Not many people truly wanted to write about porn. Alot of what we heard was "I can't write about porn". Heh. If they weren't as good of writers as they were, this would have been cause for rebellion. However, for the most part, they were all lovely! ...And funny.
d) I don't know what to say after someone does a reading. I tried "Nice job!", but that seemed to go over in a lame albatross sort of fashion. "Good set!"? "I like art!"? Mer.
e) I wish I had read my stuff, just so everyone could say "Whatta hack", and then when I read again, think about how I had improved. This is how it would have been in my mind.
f) Kurt Weil does out best on a slightly out of tune piano.

Brian Beatty was fantabulous. Awesome. Funny. 'Got to chat and dish after the readings too, which was great. :) Much fun. Nice group of people. Good food (Reubens!.. like the producer) and drink. Davey and I drank our $2.50 tall boys and wandered away. Yeaa!! Success!!

Clairol has a little web machine that you have to give your life away to access (but maybe they'll send me free stuff), but it's just like your own realty make-over show, but trashier.

See?!!?

.. ..

[ermm... it seems myspace won't let me self-reference my own photos. Oh well...]
Now, go! Go trash yourself out! Feel mildly disgusted and share it with your friends! Excellent!
Onwardandlove.

I’m still crapped up...

Last Wednesday was brilliant! Last Wednesday, I felt about 90%! I said 'watch out world! I am healthy!' - - and the world laughed. Basically, I'm golden in the morning and crap as soon as dusk hits.

Yesterday was the 12 hour day -- a fine day, not too pressed up for time, but lovely coffee meeting at 9 a.m. (all meetings should be happily held over coffee), teaching with Haynes at 10 a.m. (which was great), work at the Science Museum at 12noon (hi Levi!), and then off to a Whodunnit Murder Mystery thingie at the College of St. Catherine's. It was fun. This was the first Whodunnit show I've ever done, and I have absolutely no idea of how I did, or if I helped this whole 'murder mystery' thingie along. But I had fun, which is nice. I met some new people, and colleged-aged girls who go to all-girl's colleges in St. Paul Minnesota are friendly and fun, and generally are willing to talk to people in strange strange "1950's" costumes.

And then - - kapow! 12 hours of work kicked my a$$. Dammit. snifflesniffle prone on the couch.

Pluses!:
a) I finished Phillip Pullman's "The Subtle Knife" in about four hours... OMGWTF!?!?!? AGHHHH!!!! This whole world is falling apart!!! AGHH! I can't believe I'm reading a novel and things are happening at a comic-book rate - - aghhh!!! Fingers are falling off!! JESUS!!! IT'S SO GOOD!!!!
b) I... ate lunch.
c) There are kleenexes in the house. This is unbelieveably positive.

So - - Improv Partner Davey and I leave for New Orleans in about four days. (Bwahaha... uh. Oh shit.) Wish us luck.

Loveandonward.

Really?... really.

Really?... really.

Hey ho, gorgeous people. it's just that sorta day.

Thank you everyone who has attended "Whistling Past the Graveyard" - - you rock you rock. Thank you so much! We have one performance left (tonight at 7:30 p.m., Lowry Lab Theater, St. Paul); it took me two weeks to figure out how to stand in a rubber masks in heels for three minutes without falling over. Yea Jim!

Yesterday was appropriately Halloween-filled. Work (where I attempted a "Boo-ology" version of one of the demonstrations, and sort of barfed all over the audience. Sorry, guys.) was followed by a trip to the Salvation Army on Dale and University, where there were two different people I knew. This doesn't happen at the Salvation Army in Minneapolis. We were all either shopping for Halloween costumes or filling time while our baby-mama slept. I have a mini-crush on that Salvation Army, for it:
- Provides familiar friendly peoples!
- Offered up a halloween costume
- Presented the opportunity to purchase a velvet jesus.

No, I'm not terribly religious, and no - - velvet painting kitsch is not exactly my particular brand of kitsch, but... it's so pretty. Jesus is doing a catwalk on water at night, and he's happy. He's smilin' at all the little fishies in the waves, taking notes for later. Where to hang this velvet jesus?! I'm hoping it will look cool and kitschy, and not crazy-lady-goes-to-the-salvation-army. ...It's probably a little of both.

My partner in crime and I attended a lovely party last night at the Nick-Katie-Matt household. There we met my other P.I.C.- - yea for good people!

I decided, given that I found a little thing of baby powder in the bathroom, to go as a coke-head for Halloween. (Classy!) The morning after, I have found that even if you pretend to be a coke-head, you best be ready to experience some of the after-effects of continually throwing white powdery substance at your nose. (sore throat, you smell like diapers) In other words: kids, don't do drugs. Even fake drugs. (although, now, I kinda wish that I went as a coke-head cheerleader... still trouble)

After the party, there was a trip through the Dinkytown McDonald's drive-in, which was googly amazing. Lots and lots for girls, between the ages of 18-21, dressed as sexy-cowgirl, sexy-dorothy, sexy-slutty-thingie, and freezing their bare and slightly sad little tucuses off. Saw a couple of sexy-bumblebees - - both looked cold and stressed and a little determined (probably the current state of most real bumblebees - - so - - very timely!). On the guy side, saw at least three "Dick in a box"es, which may have been timely about a year and a half ago (but I was dressed as a coke-head, and have no room to squabble). Also saw a couple of superheroes, two leprechauns, and one freshman in a very cool and simple and well done Link costume. Well played!

Today involves work, and then the last Whistling Past the Graveyard!!! YEAAA!!! And then Adorable goes up at Improv A Go Go! Please come! It will be a night of madness! Madness!!!

(Last Friday... Creature Feature was a blast. I can't stop from giggling if Butch and I are making 'make-out' faces at each other. I know it's been said before, but - - DAMN! Survivors of the Undead Plague had a awesome set. They made me cry, those bastards. Happy funny happy!... Don't you want to come see it all this coming Wednesday at 8 p.m.?! Creature Feature and Survivors!? Yes you do!!!)

It's sunshiney out. Onward.

This blog is almost two years old...

And that's ridiculous.. There's alot of crap from two years ago that I'd rather not revisist.. and so...

Watching "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner"

It's suitably fantastic. I'm only watching it cuz I've seen a single clip of it 100's of times at the history center. Oh man, here comes the bad parts :( But it's great, honestly. Every stinking actor in it is WONDERFUL. :) If I age as well as Katherine Hepburn, happy jenny. :) How can you not like Sydney Poitier? Poor poor Sydney Poitier... :)

Yesterday was painful. Poisoned mysef something fierce through either booze or poor choice of Taco Johns. BLEAGH. Prom was fine and fun though.

Party after Prom on Friday was good. Great. Necessary and good. Laughed alot. Watched a teaser trailer for the prom (no Mrs. L... sadness..) :)

Still in my bathrobe and its 2p.m. and I don't have to do anything except practice some accordian.. YEA!!! :)

BY THE WAY, Mark Mallman's "Mr. Serious" is my new favorite album. Damn straight. Fabulous. Listened to it numerous times on the way to and from Sioux City. Full of wonderful guilty pleasures - sometimes he sounds like Weird Al's little brother, sometimes he sounds like Joe Cocker, sometimes like Billy from Green Day, sometimes like TMBG, there's the appropriately dumb 80s tribute song, there's piano ballads that you shouldn't like - horrible guilty pleasures. :)

This weekend was...

one bingo, two proms, one pizza jam, one class.

Really not that much, nor that bad.

I'm exhausted though.

Toughen up. Home to Sioux City for food, support and comfort... in the form of food (and support and comfort).

Things that currently made me cry

The trailer to the Narnia movie.
Kodak commercials.

Friggin' Kodak commercials. They've done that for years. They've hit it perfectly. And also, now, the theme of the current commercial is basically what I've been presenting as an interpreter at the Historical Soceity.

My god, if you haven't been, go to the History Center, pay $8, and go check out the Pulitzer exhibit. It's hard to get through, but very important. I don't say that about many things. Also, it's view of the 20th century is razor sharp (we are not a kind people, but sometimes we are...) and it makes me wish that this silly collection/prize had begun before 1941 (and so thankful that it exists.)

Improv Class (awesome.) Jasmine Deli soup (goooood.) Hearing about how the Chicago speech tourny is going (yeaaa!!!) Watching a bit of 16 Candles (I'm cool with that) Falling asleep before 11 p.m. (sweet) Having to wait for my sister to get out of the bathroom (suck) Buying things on the internet (guilty pleasures). I can't wait for my music to come in.

Was I beat up? Is that what happened?

Woke up on the edge. Probably went to bed on it too. That eyes dried out what took a pounding feeling is back for this Monday. Seemingly a regular occurence. WHATTHEFUCK?

Looking at Palm Pilots and mp3 players. Threadless.com has gone offline with its $10 sale (whine). Gave blood today and that was a very nice thing. Lovely nurse Bev suggested that I should have an ultimate dream ("broadway?", she suggested) A lovely thing. I like and loathe goals.

There were other very important and deep things I was going to post from this weekend, but they've all left me. hmph.

Hells bells, might as well post it here..

Survey - or - 10 mins i'll never get back

Three Names You Go By
1. Jen
2. Stretch
3. Jennifer if you're nasty
(4. Slut if you're Tom Pepper)

Three Parts of Your Heritage
1. Irish
2. German
3. Norweigan

Three Things That Scare You
1. Violence
2. People
3. Fender Benders

Three of Your Everyday Essentials
1. My Calendar/Planner
2. My Honda
3. Distraction

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now
1. My new salvation army sweater
2. Hanes White T-shirt
3. A half smile

Three of Your Favorite Bands or Musical Artists
1. The Stars
2. Neutral Milk Hotel
3. uh... it changes. We'll say The Owls for now... (I'm hoping it will be The Grabs by the end of today, however)

Three of Your Favorite Songs - at the moment
1. Measuring Cups - Andrew Bird
2. Hudson Tubes - Robbers on High Street
3. Calendar Girl was my song for all of Aug. & Sept. :) How about..

Three Things You Want in a Relationship (other than Real Love)
1. Comfort
2. Support
3. Patience

Two Truths and a Lie
1. I am grey-ing like a mofo'
2. I have fake teeth
3. My Philipino Pool boys are striking

Three Physical Things about the Opposite Sex that Appeal to You
1. Face
2. Legs
3. Back

Three of Your Favorite Hobbies
1. Cooking!!!! I'll also accept Eating!!!! for $1,000.
2. That damned Salvation Army on 10th (oh how I love thee!)
3. Reading when time permits.

Three Things You want to do really badly right now
1. Eat those Shindler's Nachoes at Eli's (yumyumyum - they are some Nachoes)
2. Visit my friends in New York, visit my friends in San Fran
3. Re-fucking-lax

Three Places You Want to go on Vacation
1. New York
2. Great Britain
3. Anywhere connected to the Pacific

Three Things You Want to Do Before You Die
1. Live with, or make, children
2. Write a one-woman thingie that I can perform which is actually good
3. Live sure-ed-ly, balanced and unafraid

Three people I would like to see take this quiz
1. My friend Sue
2. My friend Dave
3. More lovely people.. :)

Survived Cinderella

Yea!!! And lovely Prommers came and saw, which was so huge (thank you thankyou). Rather proud and still exhausted (my body is falling asleep any chance it gets at eyes being closed.)

Took at storytelling workshop yesterday by chance. (given by woman from Guthrie - who works with Kevin Kling - yea! - who was brought in by the Historical Society. Very very cool. Bruce, naturally, who does storytelling for a living, was bored out of his brain and had no qualms about expressing this to me, hey, but.. fuck you, other people had fun.) Storytelling is writing stories but with the visceral bits thrown in, as far as I can tell.

Still traumatic blogging.

Awesome level 1. The group is huge but fun. (knock on wood) So lucky.

oh i give up

Everything's breakable, but most things aren't non-fixable.

I just sewed animal ears on three hats. I am a horrible seamstress.

Next, to shower and to Wisconsin! Ye ha!

My brain and retention and understanding has melted. Literally.

Now I can swear alot!

I really feel the urge too. YEAAAAAA! Private swearing!

Oh. Saw Scrimshaw show last night also. Damned Funny. Joe is such a damned good writer. So good to see Jimmy Desimone. To quote: ha! Got to hold babies. Got to feel akward. Got to feel tired.

Have to steal Jon Cazares's Waldo costume. :)

The Video that was shot at the house came out beautifully. Well done, boys. :)

Welcome to the Jungle

Cinderella tonight. No Six Ring. No Sunday rehearsal. Sunday performance. Sunday meeting. Cinderella tomorrow. Messed up rehearsal times. Improv rehearsal last night. Prom rehearsal. No Prom rehearsal. Head might go boom. And I've got Shakespeare couplets dancing through there, unasked for.

Saw Jon of Jon Ferguson at the Workshop last night! Just a delight. He saw me walk in, and then walked in himself. Asked if he could watch class. I would love for him to. However, it was the first day with a bunch of level ones (and I sound like just a jackass saying that.)

Hey! I think I'm understudying for "We Gotta Bingo!" YEAAAAA! *grin* More soul-sucking interactive theatre, but I don't mind. And very lucky to have the chance to work with such lovely folks.

Starting to concentrate on work rather than worry. Work is good. Work keeps my mind focused and not draining on other stuff. And also, feels like I'm accomplishing something with that silly Cinderella. Once this weekend happens, I will feel the goodness, I hope.