Hi all, well finally got a full free weekend. I really hadn't done decent chores, laundry and the like since Pericles opened and I worked the show every weekend. But it has now gone off to theater memory and I can relax a bit, of course the actors and everyone else can relax MORE but this post is about ME damnit! So I cleaned, did laundry, ate normally..this rocks.

Anyways, I am enjoying the simple things, a nap with my cat, a lovely tuna salad I made with chopped nectarines. I am reminded of a story that my Mom told me once. When she was young she and her cousin and some others went out for a ride and the car broke down. Everyone was very angry and annoyed but her cousin...he sat quietly. When my Mom asked him why he said "Well I spent 2 years in a Japanese prison camp...this seems FINE to me" So it's all relative.
I am not complaining, and really taking it all in.

Tonight I am taking my dear friend Nena to see Full Monty at Masquers Theater in my town square here for her birthday. We will have wine and some gelato first. I am getting the GOOD gelato too, from downtown Berkeley. I am really into giving people a good time instead of more "stuff" for gifts.

Speaking of "stuff" I did need some things but happy to say I found it ALL at the local goodwill. So no NEW stuff came into my home. I needed to toss some chipped plates and I found some replacements there. I needed ice cream bowls for tonight and I found two lovely ones, 99 cents each. I also need some t-shirts for summer, and I got some great ones for a buck. So see I can be practical AND cheap! That works for me!

He makes me want to be a better man.
Carlin may rest in peace, but the rest of us shouldn't.

I have been really touched by our loss of George Carlin. Someone you just thought would always be there to remind us how silly our lifestyles are, how inane many of our goals are, and how empty our horizons can be. That is unless we chuck it all like on some level you felt he did. He said on Charlie Rose that once he stopped caring about outcome he was set on a path. Attachment to outcome, one of our primary empty goals in our culture. Where Europeans are burnt out after world wars on their soil over religion or other Zeitgeists, the Americans still cling to it. I still chuckle when I think of his rant about our houses being a "places for our stuff" etc. In fact that coupled with an episode of "Northern Exposure" where Dr Joel is told the "richest man is the one who has the least" is then forced to get rid of things. Which he rebels against (being Dr Joel) but eventually relaxed into and was better for, inspired me to get rid of many things in my latest move. There was little that survived, seriously. And I rarely shop anymore. Unless I need to replace something and I mostly go to Thrift stores.

Carlin has also said his passion is with the little screwed over guy. I love the thought of him getting kicked out Las Vegas (only reason Vegas would kick out ANYONE is if you did something smart....) He didn't hide disdain for the hypocrites. Where others fell for the persona of Reagan he knew what criminals they all were, what smoke and mirrors it was (many don't realize that it was rare to hear that back then...)

Anyways, well I am now inspired to express my own voice more. Be honest, be clear. That's all we can do.

So George you rest in peace, I certainly won't anymore.....I really miss you and was so looking forward to your honoring at the Kennedy center for the Twain award.

Yay, I am going to Shakespeare Santa Cruz in August as part of a blogger outreach program.
I am very excited and will post about it as that's the idea. They are doing Burn This which is a favorite play of mine and also it's Marco Barricelli's first season as AD. Always been a fan so this is great.

Why We Fight

This is my first day off in a bit. I have been working constantly. I did my regular job then Friday and Saturday I did Front of House at Calshakes and then Box Office in the evening. What is this you ask? If you don't know for the summer months I do front of house at the theater. Front of House is anything from running their little store to coordinating entry way, to just captaining the house. You deal with ticket issues etc, anything that comes up. Things to make customers happy. Saturday for instance was very hot so we had a patron keel over. I did first aide etc. This year I added Box office cause..>I am insane, (don't tell anyone) It's easier in some ways but harder in others. Why do I do this all? Well I do love theater as you know and I love to support it. I also get reciprocal walkin privileges at other theaters, can attend at different times. And although we have our ups and downs, the staff does bond over the years. The house manager and I have worked together for 9 seasons. Also the meager funds I do earn go toward extra curricular activities such as vacation.

It's also just fun most of the time. I mean you really give people a good time, you enjoy the evenings and if the show is good, you get the see the show regularly. I recall a moment in 02 during the production of The Seagull, I was watching when a very touching moment occurred and I saw the scene and the hills in background and I felt very privileged to be there even though I was working. I still remember that moment clearly.

I also find ways to amuse myself. For instance as many of you know I wrote a short play about
the rehearsing of a play which I mostly gleaned from stories I heard up there, seriously all second hand stuff. Another is things like there is a certain actor who is notoriously gay up there and when working box office I note that any man that even HINTS of being gay walks up, I assume it's a friend of this said actor and I am mostly correct. This is what happens when you work box office cause you get so busy you just make these quick assumptions and find more and more your instincts are honed. So I wrote some song lyrics about this said phenom. I call it "(submit actors name here: That's a whole lotta gay") Actors name rhymes with gay by the way. I put the lyrics to "YMCA" and sing it in my head all night for fun. See, I am insane!

Anyways, it's all good.