happy new year!

Having a delicious dinner at Melissa's house. Hope that everyone has a safe and healthy New Year.

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an explanation

If you scroll down the screen to December 20, you will notice a post entitled: in '09, i'm going to usher the following things into my life. An explanation is in order.

I have a friend who, every year, has a Solstice Party. There are several rituals involved in this party, but my favorite one is when people write down a list of things that they want to bring into their lives the following year. I guess it's sort of like a more abstract version of a New Year's resolution. You are not supposed to look at the list until the Solstice Party the following year, when you read the list and are mortified that you forgot all about learning to ice skate - or are pleasantly surprised that you did land an agent like you thought.

Anyway, I've been going to this party for years, and I always assumed that I had posted my goals for the year, but this is the first time that I've put them up on the blog. The list is here, and hopefully this will inspire you to make your own list. Enjoy.

headshot madness

via e-mail, giving Trouble advice about her headshot outfits

I say stick with the magenta/fuschia/pinky red color.

i really enjoyed this game

via text message with Snapple, who has a rooting interest in the Philadelphia Eagles

ME: The eagles are awesome.

SNAPPLE: what happened?

ME: They are BLOWING out the cowboys 44-3!

SNAPPLE: yay playoffs!

ME: Exactly. At minnesota next week.

i feel like warmed-over death

Just a suggestion - if you're going to have multiple drinks - like, say, more than five - you might want to try eating something before your beverage consumption. Otherwise you could end up feeling like me.

Ugh.

a new york meme

Name: The Rover

Job: Actor

Age: 31 (sigh)

Neighborhood: Big ups to Brooklyn!

Who's your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
This is a great question.

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer.


What's the best meal you've eaten in New York?
Generally, the last one. I did have a fantastic dinner with Maxine a couple of weeks ago at Blue Water Grill in Union Square, so I'll go with that.


In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
In between surfing the internet, texting friends, watching TV, talking on the phone, I tell stories - or look for new stories to tell.


Would you still live here on a $35,000 salary?
That would be a raise for me, so yes.


What's the last thing you saw on Broadway?
The Little Mermaid. I know someone in the show. It was pretty good, actually.


What's your drink?
It changes, depending on the time of year. In the summer, I prefer a hefeweizen. Winter demands Irish Whiskey or Scotch. If I'm "watching my figure", I'll go with the vodka tonic. And if I need dessert, I'm not above ordering a Kahula or an Amarula. But, generally speaking, I'm a beer guy.


How often do you prepare your own meals?
When my life isn't too chaotic, I'd say 90% of the time. When I'm in tech, or hopping from place to place, it's more like 40%. I prefer to cook for myself.


What's your favorite medication?
The prescription-strength Pepcid that keeps my acid reflux at bay.


What's hanging above your sofa?
Nothing. Which reminds me, do you want to buy my sofa? It's too big to fit into my studio...


How much is too much to spend on a haircut?
$20. But I'm kinda cheap.


When's bedtime?
Ideally? 1 am. Usually? 2:30.


Which do you prefer, the old Times Square or the new Times Square?
I guess new, but there really are no winners with this question.


Do you give money to panhandlers?
No. I subscribe to a bastardized version of the viewpoint discrimination theory: either I give to everybody, or nobody. I'm poor, so right now it's nobody.


What do you think of Donald Trump?
He uses too much gold in his buildings. Otherwise, I think he's hilarious.


What do you hate most about living in New York?
The price tag.


Who is your mortal enemy?
I don't know that I have one right now.


When's the last time you drove a car?
Yesterday.


Who should be the next president?
The guy we elected. YES WE CAN!


Times, Post, or Daily News?
Times. Not even close. Although I do enjoy seeing the front and back pages of the tabloids every day.


Where do you go to be alone?
These days? The bathroom.


What makes someone a New Yorker?
A healthy disdain for tourists. That, and being able to give a person multiple routes to get to the same place.

christmas dinner

This is the third of three meals we've made from scratch today. I'm not in shape to eat this much!



Here's hoping that you and yours have a very Merry Christmas!

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i thought she was serious for a minute

via text - Maxine is home for the holidays visiting her mom

ME: How was shopping?

MAXINE: Well, i'm done so i'm happy!

ME: What did you buy me? ;-)

MAXINE: Hah! Cowboy boots!

ME: Great! I needed brown shoes...

MAXINE: Oops, well, i hope you like crocodile.

not enough time!

I'm having one of those frustrating days where it just seems like I don't have enough time to get anything done. You know what I mean?

I promised my roommate that I'd go help her out at 3:30. When I made that commitment, I realized that I wouldn't have enough time to go to the gym and shower.

To kill the gap, I made a couple of phone calls I needed to make and took care of some paperwork. I figured that I would have enough time to knock out a couple of episodes of my addiction du jour (the HBO miniseries "John Adams"). But, alas, now it's almost 2:30. I can't even get that done.

This vacation has not been very relaxing.

fam comes first

via e-mail to one of my co-workers at my side gig

Could you check with [the guys] and see if they want to pick up my shift on Sunday December 28? Trying to squeeze out a bit more family time before I take off again. Let me know...thanks much...

post-game texting

text message sequence between my father and I after the Steelers' loss to the Titans

ME: Boo.

SANDWICH: Yes but now they do not play Baltimore in their first playoff game

ME: [My brother] says, "Yes. Now they can play them in the AFC Championship Game."

SANDWICH: Probably

in '09, i'm going to usher the following things into my life:

- committing to my relationship (and/or committing to moving on from it, if necessary)

- continuing my climb out of debt

- work hard, work proud, no matter where
(acting, auditioning, gym, love, temping, fun)

- remember your friends - keep the bonds strong

- keep your word

- be the best person you can be

- do what's best for you, no matter how hard

- you can always be compassionate, though

- these (last) 2 things do not have to be mutually exclusive

- honor

- help Barack! the work is not yet done...

- own your career - The Rover's best agent is The Rover

- a continuously flattening stomach

- no regrets

- great sex. not good. GREAT.

- love, be generous

- make your new apartment your home

- family

- God - love, trust, believe, do not be afraid

slyde (an itunes meme)

A meme I got from a friend on Facebook; thought I'd do something that requires little effort. I don't know what it is about snow, but it makes me want to do absolutely nothing...

1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 12 friends who might enjoy doing the game as well as the person you got the game from. (I'm not tagging people, but feel free to do this.)


IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Can U Handle It? (Usher)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Blow It Out (Features)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Jam (A Tribe Called Quest - what does that even mean?)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Otherside of the Game (Erykah Badu - the actual music definitely fits my mood today)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Each Hour Each Second Each Minute Each Day: Of My Life (Maxwell - wtf?)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
The Best of Both Worlds (R. Kelly & Jay-Z - I can get behind this one)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
This Ain't Sex (Usher - ouch)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Steve Berman (skit) (Eminem - this is stupid - let's try this again:)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Living For The City (Stevie Wonder - much better...and quite accurate)

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
In Our Time (Nancy Sinatra - she's basically saying we have better things to do)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Oh (Dave Matthews)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
That Time (Regina Spektor - ok, I can go with this one)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Guide For I And I (Thievery Corporation)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
When The Music Stops (Eminem - um, ok)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Wade In The Water (Eva Cassidy)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Suicidal Thoughts (Notorious B.I.G. - let's hope not!)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Stormy Love (Rick James - that would certainly be an interesting, depressing wedding)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Jaspora (Wyclef Jean - not if I have anything to say about it)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Do You Know What Time It Is? (Kool Moe Dee)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Time Stops (Explosions in the Sky)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Always On The Run (Lenny Kravitz - that's probably what THEY think of ME)

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Piggy Bank (50 Cent)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Stir It Up (Bob Marley & The Wailers)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Pay No Mind (Snoozer) (Beck)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Gotta Get My Roll On (Montell Jordan)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Lost And Found (Will Smith - I do hate losing things)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Missy's Finale (Missy Elliot - again, this is no kind of answer...let's try again)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
My Lover's Gone (Dido - well, that's an answer that will depress my girlfriend, but at least it's an answer)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Every Time You Go Away (Brian McKnight)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Lady (Regina Spektor - no comment)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Satyam Shivam Sundaram (Thievery Corporation)

WHAT WILL YOU REPOST THIS AS?
Slyde (Bilal)


What did I learn from this? I have WAY too many songs on my computer. And this isn't very accurate. But I did get to listen to some cool tunes...

next year's top movies?

Pajiba always has some interesting articles, and today they've got their stab at the top movies of 2009. Can we agree to meet back here in a year and check their answers?

The thing that excites me most on that list? A film adaptation of The Time Traveler's Wife - such a kick-ass book. I'll be seeing that on opening weekend.

dinner plans

Is it appropriate to have Trader Joe's Spinach and Artichoke Dip as your dinner? Discuss.

a quick post behind enemy lines

At Maxine's house - while she knows that this blog exists, she still doesn't have the address. Not sure if I'm ever going to clue her in on that one.

A good night tonight - hung out with a kick ass friend - we gorged ourselves on Thai food and Belgian beer. Excellent combo, although I can't say that I feel the greatest now. Hopefully a couple of tall glasses of water fixes that...

i'm trying to eat better

...but it's hard when they're buying you dinner at work.



This is what's left. Notice that my willpower is no where to be found.

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inside joke

Saw this in a Manhattan bookstore and had to send it to my castmates. We use this phrase all the time.

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football comes first

via e-mail - turning down a party invite because i can't miss a big Steelers game - pathetic, right?

How goes it, man? Hope that life is treating you well. It doesn't look like I'm going to be able to make the party tomorrow - I have to do something at my brother's [house], and I don't think I can get back before 9:30 or so. Thanks much for the invite, though - hopefully we can catch up at some point and grab a drink or something...

xmas in the city

So nice to be home!!

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i am freezing

For some reason, the heat isn't working too well in my apartment.

I'm ready to move! Hurry up, building people!

did you see this story?

Allegedly...a girl from Cleveland was on a class trip and lost her virginity. She got really excited and decided to text her friend. She accidentally sent it to her father.



Story is here. As someone who recently got a touchscreen phone, it's way too easy to send a text to the wrong person. So...the story isn't impossible.

The best part about this? The creativity on the web. Someone decided to create some other "embarrassing" texts - hilarity ensues.

getting on my nerves

I'm on vacation this month. Because I am on vacation, all I really want to do is sit around and do nothing - you know, catch up on TV, read some books and magazines, see some friends, and (most importantly) not spend too much money.

Unfortunately, the people putting together my new apartment building are taking their sweet time, so I'm forced to house-hop for the month. StefStar is trotting all over the globe in December, and is being kind enough to let me stay in my old room. I guess it is technically still my room, since my stuff is in boxes all over the place and my name is still on the lease, but I did a pretty complete mental divorce when I left for Bluff City in October. Still, it's a place to stay out of trouble, so that's where I spend my downtime.

I've had it up to here, however, with my current roommate.

I said, half-jokingly, to a friend the other day, "I have no problems with someone who wants to lay around the apartment all day - as long as that person is me." And that's pretty much the issue. He monopolizes the living room. He frequently turns on the TV (which is always tuned to ESPN) and walks away from it. He constantly talks to you when you are watching TV.

He's not as bad as this roommate, thank God.

I know that the real issue is that I need to live in my own place and have my own space, and I'm super frustrated that I've been waiting for six months to move into this place. I logically know this. And yet I'm still enraged when he watches SportsCenter and surfs the internet at the same time, and I'm secretly thrilled when I enter the apartment and he's not home.

Does this make me a bad person?

you want me to fly when?

via text message - my castmate and i found out that the theater wants us to get on a plane at 9:30am on New Year's Day

CASTMATE: 9 in the mornin fo real

ME: Um, no. I can't leave any earlier than 1. It just won't happen.

CASTMATE: Hehehe

ME: Did you talk to her yet? I'm about to call her back...

CASTMATE: Yes

ME: You agreed? Ouch...

CASTMATE: I'm leaving early from JFK

ME: Boo...

CASTMATE: LGA had two stop but you can go out of Newark

(five hours later)

ME: I'm on the same damn flight.

CASTMATE: Yay for me boo for you

ME: Yeah. I'll sleep

CASTMATE: I'll wake you up when we get there

ME: And for the layover too, please.

CASTMATE: I thought we were flying direct which is why we were taking that early one

ME: No. We have to take a separate flight...

Needless to say, we're not happy.

they leave me speechless sometimes

via text message to my father, after the Steelers scored 17 points in seven minutes to come from behind to beat the Cowboys

Wow.

see this play!

I highly recommend it.

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lazy

That's me.

Too lazy to work out.

Too lazy to buy food.

Too lazy to upload my blog posts to the internet.

I think that I'll be over this in a couple of days. I think.

like coffee? you'll love this

via e-mail to Maxine - she is a coffee enthusiast

This is about coffee. I think that you will, at the very least, appreciate it, and you may in fact love it.

http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/coffee/?em

Bon appetit.

trying to lock down this place

via e-mail, to the lady who's in charge of getting me this apartment

Just making sure that you got my income breakdown. Let me know if it's ok, or if I need to make any changes. Thanks.

trying to get my friend an agent

via e-mail with my friend Suri, formerly of Cowtown - trying to get her the hook up

Keep some time on the 10th open for my guy. Not definite yet. I'll keep you posted...

home again!

The view from my cab, on the BQE.

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leaving Bluff City

Leaving Bluff City tomorrow morning. If you're struggling to remember anything fun about this place, you're not alone. Easily one of the most nondescript places I've been to. The theatre is pretty good, but I don't have a burning desire to return here any time soon. Of course, I'm not really in a position these days (and in this economy) to be turning down any offers.

Back posts will go up later today (if I get my packing done early) or tomorrow (more likely). I've got one month to go with 365, and I'm looking forward to not having a life revolving around a blog. I seriously thought about quitting at the end of the year, but instead I'm going to commit to making one quality post a week. I think I can handle that.

Onwards and upwards, people.

grandma's rolls

Should have brought some of these home...

a mostly good Thanksgiving

Back from my quick jaunt to grandma's for Thanksgiving. It was excellent. We kept my cousin away from the turkey, and it was delicious. We also had nine desserts, for fourteen people. A bit excessive? Maybe.

The only thing that sucked was listening to my blowhard cousin and his wife tease me and Maxine about not being married. I wanted to smack him. Actually, I wanted to put him in his place, but I didn't want to ruin Thanksgiving for everybody. Sometimes I hate being an adult.

Pictures coming soon.

So now I'm back in Bluff City - for three days. Back to NY on Monday, just in the nick of time.

my Thanksgiving work

I seasoned her myself. Isn't she beautiful?

Deep frying is the ONLY way to eat turkey. Trust me.

i had planned to write an open letter

I came home from a museum jaunt (nothing else to do in this town, I swear), and there was a mysterious package hanging from my door knob.

Of course, I immediately thought, "Someone's trying to poison me!"

When I worked up enough courage to open it up, there was a plastic cup full of blueberry cobbler. Still warm.

I decided that good cobbler > being poisoned. I ate it. It was delicious. I decided that I was going to thank the mysterious cobbler-donor on the blog.

But then I found out that Mama made it. (Of course - who else would have done it?)

So, THANKS MAMA!

i am a survivor

I could survive for 1 minute, 35 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Created by Bunk Beds.net

takin' care of bizness

via e-mail, approving headshots and bios:

Looks great - thanks very much!

a questionable Facebook conversation

I became a fan of In-n-Out Burger on Facebook. The following is the exchange that took place with a friend of Ginger's (who flirted shamelessly with me at her wedding).

THE FLIRT: awe, you and i share the same passion! i eat there about once a week. are you [out west]????

ME: [Bluff City] right now, unfortunately...so far away from my beloved In-N-Out. How are you?

THE FLIRT: great, thanks! are you in a show there? what are you up to now? come to cali and get out of the cold and enjoy some in and out with me. :)

i got a new phone (again)

I wish i could actually take a photo of the phone itself...it's pretty sweet. I think the quality of my mobile posts is about to improve...

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my letter to myself

At the camp I work at in Sleepy Hamlet in the summer, we make our students write letters to themselves three months in the future. They're usually writing these letters on the last night, and it provides a nice pick-me-up down the road when they get these great messages from their confident selves.

My kick-ass camp friend and I decided to participate in the exercise as well. Today, my letter arrived. Here's what it said.

[R] -

How's Bluff City? I'm sure that you're having a fun time w/the show, having the ol' crew together. And I'm sure that you're a bit frustrated at only working a little bit each night.

Remember how many people are proud of you.

Remember how much support you have from your friends and family.

Remember how all these students looked up to you.

Remember that you're doing exactly what you want to be doing. Not temping. Not checking IDs. Not sitting at home. YOU'RE AN ACTOR.

Now, save some $, read some books, call your mother and your grandmother, and keep your head up. And keep the faith.

- [The Rover] 8/15 lounge, next to my kick-ass camp friend

ps - only 2 1/2 more months of blogging left! you can do it!


Good advice. It's been a tough couple of days, and that definitely helped.

good night for Pittsburgh

via text message to my brother, after a Steelers win

Pens won, too. Good night!

bug spray prep

Question for the group:

Have you ever had to empty all of your cabinets when the exterminator sprays in your house?

The building that I live in requires us to empty EVERY kitchen and bathroom cabinet. I have six cabinets full of stuff. Where the heck am I supposed to put it? I'm leaving here in ten days - can't they just wait until I go?

The worst thing about all of this - I don't even have roaches! Grrrr.

currently, I'm...

...waiting to go on stage...

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our audience is dead

I mean, nary a peep out of them. And this is not a "passive" show, either.

Hey, you win some, you lose some.

Intermission is here.

it is too cold here

via text message; responding to a message from a friend bragging about the weather in southern California

I hate you. I am now going to go build an igloo.

long weekend (not the good kind)

Oh, nothing drastic happened. Just five shows in two and a half days. Not much fun.

Too tired to type. Going to check out a museum tomorrow - nothing wrong with getting some culture.

questions you ask your friends in my line of work

via text message

Hey, did you ever do a show called MANSWERS?

what i do

via text message, to a friend in Bluff City about my part in the play

My role isn't super huge, but my shoes are so clean you could eat off them. :-)

i hate my work internet connection

Is it too much to ask to have a reliable wireless connection at your place of employment? One that won't drop a signal every five minutes? Come on.

(OK, some of this frustration may be related to my inability to stream NFL football or Hulu movies and TV shows to my computer in the dressing room. But, is that a crime?)

my opening night haul

Always nice to get things from people on opening night. I usually wait until I get home to open all of the cards, but I think tonight I'm going to make an exception and get right to it. I'll let you know if I get anything good...

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my grandma is awesome

It's her 81st birthday today, and I just got off the phone with her. I haven't talked to her in a few weeks, so there were two big things to go over.

First, G'ma broke her leg pretty severely back in early August; she was in the hospital for a few weeks before moving to a rehab center. Yesterday, she was finally allowed to go home. And, believe me, she was thrilled. Having privacy, and being able to prepare her own meals...I know she's excited about that.

Second, of course, was the election. My grandma's mind is sharp - better than mine, actually - and I always love hearing her take on things. She was very excited, of course. She said that she hadn't seen crowds like that in Times Square since "the end of the war" - meaning World War II (I found out she was in the Square when that happened). She also talked about the changes she's seen in her world, from seeing "Colored Only" signs and not being served in restaurants and stores to being forced to sit at the back of the bus. "I never thought I'd live to see the day, but I always hoped that you and your brother and your cousins would," she said. It was pretty moving.

She's an amazing woman, and I love her very much.

stuffed

I had dinner five hours ago, and I'm still in a food coma.

There's a woman in the cast we all call Mama ('cause she plays a mother), and she loves to cook. She loves to cook so much that she will throw dinner parties on her day off so that she has someone to cook for.

Tonight, the entire cast reaped the rewards.

We had cheese and crackers and chips and olives and fried chicken and baked chicken and greens and red beans and rice and yams and cornbread and fried catfish and lemon meringue pie and peach cobbler and wine and cider.

Soooooooooooooo good.

Thanks, Mama!

i am re-addicted...

...to Friday Night Lights. I got season 2 on Netflix, and I've been watching one episode before I go onstage, and one episode after I'm finished. It's very weird to be watching DVDs in the dressing room (or using a computer, for that matter, like I'm doing right now) but I need something to kill the time - I just don't have enough magazines!

Anyway, there are a few shows that I really get into (Kitchen Nightmares, Chuck, The Office, 30 Rock) and one that I absolutely LOVE (Mad Men). FNL was one of those shows that had fallen by the wayside for me (like Heroes or ER or Lost). But now...the love is back, baby. Not quite at the Mad Men level, but I am definitely enthralled.

All right, I need to start getting ready to perform. Sounds like a good house tonight.

i like this drawing

Drawn by Patrick Moberg

getting another chance

written in my journal

Just finished my work for the evening. Oh, the show still has an hour or so to go, but my character is gone. I've been in the last scene of most of the recent plays I've done; I'd forgotten what it feels like to be finished and have the story continue.

Tonight was our first audience; waiting backstage before my first entrance, I heard the familiar music. and I was immediately transported back to Steak City. I remember, during that last show, trying to capture that moment, because it would never be recreated. It's very rare for this kind of thing to happen. But I'm so glad to be a part of it, despite all of my prior complaints.

Back to my phone - I get the NFL Network on it, and the Browns and Broncos are starting the third quarter shortly.

what now?

I've dreamed about this day for a long time, and I've been thinking a lot about what I would have to say. I think that this e-mail I wrote to my girlfriend (who is in Chile with her father for a couple of weeks) earlier today sums up most of my feelings pretty well.

[Maxine] -

It's only now, half a day after the fact, that I'm able to gather myself enough to string together a few sentences to you. And that, quite frankly, is still difficult.

I just feel so full today, of life, of energy, of optimism (and, unfortunately, of alcohol - we really cut loose last night), and for so many different reasons. I think we elected the right person for the job. I'm excited that our country has a chance to regain our standing in the world (although your article pointed out that we have a tough road to hoe). I still can't believe that someone who looks like me will be leading this country - my country. I feel an ownership of America that I've never quite felt before.

They always say that it's darkest before the dawn. And I don't want you to think that I'm thinking of Obama as some sort of Messiah or something (although my father made a great analogy about following Jesus Christ "no matter what he looks like" last night), but the last eight years have been as bleak as you can get, with hijackings and bombings and wars and the economy in freefall and unchecked greed...it's been very, very dark. Last night, I think, was the crack of light appearing in the east, the one that leaves you breathless when you see it.

[One of the guys in the cast] sent me a text this morning: "What now?" which I think is the perfect question. I think that the only way that Obama fulfills his promise is if WE all band together and help him, you know? It's going to require sacrifice and dedication and hard work from the entire country to pull us out of this mess, and I just hope people are as committed to what comes next as they were to getting us to this point. I think it just might happen.

One last thing. [Our director] yesterday came into the dressing room and said something to the effect of, "Hey man, we don't have any excuses anymore! We got to pull ourselves together," which was super ironic, because I had been having those exact thoughts the other day (and [the director] and I NEVER agree on anything). I'm really interested to see where my people go from here, whether we can use last night as a springboard to propel ourselves forward or not. Judging by the faces and emotions I saw last night, I think this could be a seminal moment in black history.

OK, enough pontificating. What a day yesterday was! It was funny to get all sorts of messages yesterday from people. [A friend] said there were people cheering in the streets, and apparently 125th Street was crazy. [Two other friends] said that Brooklyn was jumping. [A third friend] was chest-bumping [a very famous actor] (he's got a recurring role on [a tv show] this season, as if I needed another reason to watch it).

I was sitting at tech all day yesterday, not being used (GRRRR), trying unsuccessfully stream TV coverage on my laptop (GRRRR) before watching a crappy feed on the phone. I don't think I started crying until I started thanking God.

[My castmates] and I raced back to my apartment to watch Obama's speech and have some celebratory drinks, and then we went out and drank too much. But I still feel great. I'm excited for you to come back so that I can see you face to face and you can pinch me and tell me that this isn't all a dream.

so close

written in my journal

I'm at tech for [my show] in [Bluff City], sitting in my dressing room frantically trying to keep up with election results. I just got off the phone with my brother, who told me CNN says there's almost no way McCain can win. Still, my guard will stay up until Obama reaches 270.

I feel as though I'm about to burst with so many different emotions.

election eve

It's finally here.

After all of the speeches and attack ads and pundits and town hall meetings and debates and SNL sketches, we have arrived.

It kind of feels like Christmas Eve, you know? I have the same kind of anticipation bubbling in the pit of my stomach. It's a good thing that I have tech tomorrow, because I couldn't take sitting around in my apartment all day.

I am a little sad that I'm on the road for this. I would love to be watching this with my parents, or my brother, or my girlfriend. The cast is great (and they certainly have an understanding of what's at stake), but I would really like to be with people I love tomorrow. It will be a little lonely if I'm watching election results alone in my apartment.

Tomorrow, it ends. And begins. I am looking forward to it.

by the way

I am officially up to date with my back posts. As I've explained before, there are some days where I decide that I'm going to use text messages as my post, and my phone has a habit of eating my messages. It's happened seven times, and I have a reservoir of links for those purposes.

So...58 days left. I've already decided to take a week off of blogging after 365 is over.

this. fucking. election.

This just about sums the whole thing up.

Brilliant.

ah, soul food

The rest of it had been fried chicken and collard greens. Mmmm...

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getting caught up, slowly

written in my notebook in the back of the rehearsal hall

Couple of posts I wrote a while back that I just got around to posting the other day. I think they're worth a look, so check 'em out.

September 27: debt

October 9: only in new york

Happy birthday, mom!

when will i be back home?

via text message

I'll be there all dec. Leave jan 1.

now i miss her

My girlfriend is currently sitting in an airport in Toronto, waiting to board a plane that will take her to Chile for three weeks. I will, most likely, not speak to her while she is gone, and will only have sporadic e-mail contact.

Is it strange that now I really miss her? I mean, there isn't that much difference between hundreds and thousands of miles practically, but psychologically it's a big difference.

this show

I find myself thinking about the past a lot these days. The show I'm working on now is a remount of the show I did in Steak City a couple of years ago. I also worked on a production of this during my Sleepy Hamlet days. I was also supposed to do a production of this show in another city, but I ended up backing out a couple of months before. I even drew up a set design for this play in a class back in undergrad.

Obviously, I have a long history with this play.

I don't have a very big role in the show, which means I spend most of my time at rehearsal watching and waiting. I always feel pressure from others in the room to watch the play, but, frankly, I can't do it. It isn't that the play is bad (it's great, and this group does an amazing job). It's just that I can't ride the emotional roller coaster six days a week, and I have no interest in hearing debates about character that I've heard before.

I spend a lot of time wishing I could play the lead (which I'm still too young to do, although the place I turned down wanted me to play that role) or direct the play myself when I'm in the room. It kind of drives me crazy. So, instead, I download music, or surf the internet, or read my magazines.

Or write blog entries.

movie monday

Another Monday, another movie. Yesterday I went to see Miracle at St. Anna. The movie definitely has its flaws (very slow at points, somewhat formulaic), but overall I enjoyed it. It tells a side of World War II that doesn't get enough play.

Next week I'm hoping my local theater has Zach and Miri Make a Porno. I love Rogen & Banks. Any other suggestions?

my hero

It's like someone read my mind and stole all of my tactics. Uncanny.

a depressing day

Steelers lose.

Mad Men has its' season finale.

Sad.

big game decisions

via text message, to a friend of mine who is from southeastern PA

So, which would you rather watch tonight: the phillies or penn state?

friday night

Sitting in my apartment, bored.

Just finished dinner (a meal from Whole Foods, good but way too expensive).

Bored.

I am soooooooooo cool.

a very short story through Facebook status

written on my Facebook page

12:55pm
THE ROVER is wondering when his absentee ballot will arrive.

6:43pm
THE ROVER got his absentee ballot today - no need to panic. Democracy wins again!

you know what drives me crazy?

When I'm taking a shower, and the water goes from "pleasantly warm" to "scalding" with no warning. I actually jump out of the way. I'm afraid that one of these days I'm going to slip and fall.

I think, however, that may be the only complaint I have about this place. Well, that and my five inch television. Otherwise, it's Kool and the Gang.

pity party

How long should I let someone (specifically, my girlfriend) wallow in self-pity before telling her to snap out of it? I mean, while annoying, these aren't huge things that are happening to her...

W

Just saw it. Um...I'm not sure what to say yet.

Josh Brolin is spot-on.

It was kind of like watching a history lesson.

I think...that...I liked it.

Anyone else seen it?

my favorite tree

This is in my backyard at home. There are a bunch of trees in my yard, but unlike the rest of them, who were shedding their fall foliage all over the yard (and giving my father a bit of work-out and forcing his to contemplate, for the umpteenth straight year, whether or not to buy a leaf blower), this one was clinging to what was left of the warm weather.

I remember when it was ten feet tall. Now, it's twice as high. It's almost like we've grown up together.

must see tv, sort of

via text message to Maxine

Palin is supposed to be on SNL tonight. Think I'm going to watch her segment. Can I call you after?

Mmmm...

Coming home is nice!

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housekeeping note

My beautiful laptop is looking not-so-beautiful these days, so she's going to the Apple spa for the weekend. So you probably won't get any posts from me for a few days. (I am spending the weekend at my parents', though, so I may be able to sneak online for a few minutes.)

Hopefully all of the back September posts will be up in the next week. I have to transfer everything from my cell phone, which can be a time consuming process. :-(

Hope that everyone has a great weekend!

reprieve

I was supposed to rehearse today from 1-7.

In these two scenes we are rehearsing, I am onstage for ten minutes.

Thus, I was preparing for a lot of downtime today. I was bringing food, magazines, my computer - if it would entertain me, I was bringing it. Because there's nothing worse than watching the same ten lines thirty times, no matter how good the play is.

So I was pleasantly surprised this morning when my stage manager called me and said that she goofed, and that I didn't have to come in until 5:30! Yay!

Um...

...now what am I supposed to do?

my new favorite things

Mini bell peppers from Trader Joe's. Cheap! Tasty! Cool!

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the new (temporary) digs

ok, we're back

written at a cute coffee shop around the corner from my apartment

I've been SUCH a slacker at getting my posts up lately, and that's probably because I was doing a thousand things. Between working two jobs, and hustling for more jobs, and packing for Bluff City, and packing to move in December, and trying to spend quality time with my friends, and trying to spend some type of quality time with Maxine...well, it's no wonder that I was ready to get out of New York.

But now I'm on the road.

I kind of love being on the road.

First of all, my apartment is AWESOME. It's kind of an old '50s style building, with wood floors and old appliances. It's the perfect sized place for me. The TV could be a little bigger, but otherwise I have no complaints.

Mostly, though, what's nice about coming on the road to do a show is that I can completely focus on what's important, on the task at hand. The only job I have to do is the show. Everything else is secondary. There are no distractions - friends wanting to hang out or make out or whatever. I LOVE that. My life becomes very simple - eat, work out, watch TV, surf the internet, rehearse/do the show, drink, sleep. Rinse, repeat.

Hopefully, for at least the next couple of months, you'll see daily posts actually appearing the day I wrote them. So it's ok to come back here on a daily basis again. ;-)

Happy Monday to all!

bluff city

I'm here. I'm exhausted, but I'm here.

Seems like a nice place so far. I did see a woman with a full out mustache in the grocery store - like, thicker than what I can grow in a couple of weeks. And, when I went to the deli counter to get a half dozen fried shrimp, the guy working there kept loading them in the container (I think I ended up with ten or so), saying, "I ain't even countin', 'cause that's just how we do things 'round here."

More stories to come, I am sure. Now I'm going watch some Sunday Night Football (it's been a CRAZY day in the NFL so far) and sleep. I totally busted my ass this weekend.

Super-Bam!

Saw this image while out on a scavenger hunt. Fitting.

the moon

Weird to see it in the city.

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only in new york

I'm walking by Madison Square Park, headed home, and I keep seeing these flashes. At first I think that maybe I'm catching the headlights from an oncoming truck - the flash would be after something passes between me and the light, right? But then I start to realize that they're still coming. Maybe I'm tired from work, from not sleeping enough, from too much stress from packing. Maybe I'm losing my mind.

Then there's one right in front of me. POP! It's dazzling. And I realize that I was right, it was a flash, there is a guy standing on the fucking street corner at 23rd and 5th with a camera and a huge flash thingy, shaped like an umbrella, facing uptown.

And what is he taking a picture of?

I look to my right, across the street, just in time to catch a glimpse of a woman in a trench coat and heels. She's wearing a bikini. Actually, to be more accurate, she's wearing what appears to be bikini bottoms, and a tube top, which she has just pulled up over her breasts.

Yup.

Naked pics. On a busy intersection, at eleven fifteen on a Thursday night, with traffic streaming by and a barrage of cops not even half a block away. Probably watching the whole thing.


It's times like this that I love my weird, wild, crazy city. Going to Bluff City on Sunday sure will be a letdown.

a bathroom sign at my temp job

In their defense, people at this company have REALLY bad aim.

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oh dear

I really am a bad blogger.

In my defense, though, I've got a lot going on.

In case you don't remember, I'm leaving on Sunday for what I'm going to call Bluff City. I'm doing a show there for seven weeks. So I have to pack for that. And, theoretically I'm moving into a new apartment when I get back in December. So I also have to pack for that.

That's a lot of packing.

Add to it temping (which I've been doing about 20 hours a week for the last couple of weeks) and working at my other job (10 hours) and trying to see my girlfriend...well, let's just say that a lot of my blog posts are sitting in my notebook. Or on my phone.

Fortunately for the two or three of you who have hung in there with me, I'm going to have LOTS of free time in Bluff City. So that means more posts! (I think.)

OK, I have to go do some laundry - so that I can continue to pack.

anyone wanna buy a couch?

Like new! $500!

how do i react to a steelers win?

via text message to my dad

YES!

another boring night at work...

Thank God I'm leaving town soon...

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it's hard to communicate with texts - no tone

via text message; my response to an unusual birthday gift

That's weird...um, is that some kind of inside joke?

debate frustrations

via text message to my father and girlfriend, about Palin's performance during the VP debate

she's not answering any questions!

receipts!

I'm drownin' in 'em.

For tax/record purposes, I try to catalog every dollar I spend. This is not easy. Usually I enter everything into my computer every week or two, so I don't have a whole mound of paper to deal with.

Unfortunately, I'm TWO MONTHS behind.

And I'm leaving in ten days.

I have NO idea when it will get done.

their anniversary

via text message, to my brother

By the way, it's mom and dad's anniversary today. 35 years!

steeler anxiety

written via text message to my brother before a Steelers MNF game

I'm nervous. I'm not gonna lie.

my fortune

from my after-dinner fortune cookie

"Don't waste time on what might have been."

debt

Reading about our economy going into the tank - something I've been doing a lot the past couple of weeks - has me thinking a lot about my own financial situation. You see, I have a lot of debt.

Like, a lot.

Like about six figures bad.

Most of my debt is "good" debt, from grad school. I have no idea when that will be paid off. My parents are helping me with some of it, but it's going to be a long time before I pay that off.

I do, however, have a sizable credit card debt. I've been trying to pay it off for almost ten years, but it keeps growing. I made a real dent in it 2 1/2 years ago, but it's swollen up again, to unprecedented levels.

Watching the government struggle with debt makes me realize that I have to get serious about paying mine off. I know that part of the problem is lack of steady work, which shouldn't be a problem for the next few months - but I also need to make some lifestyle changes, and make paying debt as much of a priority as paying my rent, or my phone bill.

I know I am capable of doing it. I just need to focus.

bathroom woes

written via text message

ME: any news on the bathroom?

MY ROOMMATE: kinda, waiting for a roofing guy to come by tomorrow.

ME: Awesome. And by awesome, i mean this sucks.

bite

I have a HUGE spider or mosquito bite on my right arm, just below the elbow. It's really like eight bites; either some insect decided to feast at Chez Rover, or I rolled over it in the night and it was trying to escape.

Either way, it (a) grosses me out, and (b) itches like a sonofabitch.

i forgot my cell phone at home today

...and I felt so lost.

Cut off from the world, even.

Now, I was at the gym for two hours - where I wouldn't be using my phone anyway - and then I worked for five hours - where I couldn't use my phone all that much - but still.

I kept hoping that I wouldn't come home and find out that I had missed a super important crucial message. Then I would figure that I wouldn't have any messages at all. (For the record, I missed four calls and one text; there are two voicemails that I have to listen to.)

Leaving my phone behind also meant that I haven't checked my e-mail in six hours (because I sneaked a peek at the gym).

Looking at these statements, it's amazing how plugged in I am. Maybe I should try to take a break occasionally...

a new voting tactic

This is...um...mildly disturbing, I suppose, but kinda funny. Enjoy.

i must be getting old

...because my gym workout this evening felt like the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. At the end, I had nothing left.

You know how they talk about athletes gutting something out, scoring a goal or a touchdown because they wanted it more?

That was me.

Off to see my girlfriend.

31

Another year older, another year wiser.

I had a good birthday - went to see my sister-in-law in her Broadway debut, following by dinner with her and my brother and Maxine and one of my best Sleepy Hamlet friends. The only fly in the ointment? The Steelers lost. But that's how it goes.

I'm hopeful that 31 will be as good as 30 was. We'll see...

crack heads

Due to overwhelming demand...

I don't live in a "bad" part of Brooklyn, by any means, but it could be said that I border some "questionable" areas. Generally, the biggest problem in my neighborhood is the sheer amount of trash that is everywhere. It drives me crazy.

Lately, though, we have had a number of crackheads patrolling our streets.

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of dealing with someone who is on crack, it is quite an experience. Basically, they're like human zombies. They're totally operating in their own world. They're constantly in search of money for their next high. And a lot of them will do...um...let's say "inappropriate things". For example, one time I was on a subway somewhere in America, and a crackhead was violently scratching her crotch and/or masturbating on the train. For twenty minutes.

It's quite sad.

Anyway, I've had two encounters with crackheads lately. The first was at one of my local cafes. I was ordering something at the counter when a crackhead came in asking for something: money, food, I can't remember. The guy at the counter said no. The crackhead then flipped out, yelling and stomping her feet. She then defiantly walked over to the spot where all of the coffee accessories were laid out, pulled out a bunch of sugar packets, and ran out.

The counterman's response to all of this? "She comes in here every day. And every day it's the same thing."

The second experience was far more disturbing. There's a fast food restaurant on the corner of my block, and I generally cut through the parking lot on my way to the subway to save a minute or two. Occasionally there are people leaned up against the building, or sleeping somewhere next to the restaurant.

HOWEVER:

the other day, as I turned the corner into the parking lot, there was a man laying down, half on the sidewalk, half in the drive-thru lane, slowly rolling from his back to his right side. He was mid-roll when I saw him, and the first thing I noticed was that his pants and underwear were pulled down to about mid thigh. When he started over towards his side, however, I noticed the truly disgusting part - a sticky brown line extending from the pavement to his buttocks.

The man was taking a dump.

Next to the restaurant.

While lying down.

It may have been the grossest thing I've ever seen.

And that, folks, is my neighborhood. No wonder I'm psyched about moving.

par-tay!

(I can't put the pics up until I blur out some faces - you're gonna have to be patient)

does this belong to you?

Trying to find the owner...

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i feel like the worst blogger ever

Every day I think of these great ideas that I'm going to post. And then I forget to write them down. Then I try to send people clever texts so that I have something to put up. Cheap.

Sorry. I'm tired.

I'll have a better story to tell tomorrow, like the one about the guy taking a shit in the street in front of me the other day...

trying to get the hook up

a e-mail to a book agent friend

What's doing? How's your life? Hope everything is a-ok. I'm treading water until my next job, just hanging out and living the dream.

I wanted to ask a favor of you. My friend wrote a novel a few months ago, and he's just now starting to show it around a bit. I've read it, and I think it's pretty good. Would you take a look at it, or hand it off to someone who could? I can provide you with a plot summary, if you want.

I'm around until October 12 - let's get drinks before then...

one of the stranger moments i've had recently

...is watching your little brother ride off on a motorcycle. It's so cool...and a little terrifying, honestly.

He really is a grown-up.

another cheap post

an e-mail to my girlfriend - probably the only thing i actually wrote that day

spiegeltent - When are you going there? I can get discount tix for this on Goldstar...

Fried Fish (the missing link edition - pt 7)

Leftover from the writers' strike, but still worth checking out, I think.

speechlesswithoutwriters.com

Fried Fish (the missing link edition - pt 6)

This is something called The Ladder Theory. It is supposed to explain attraction in some way - but I don't get it. Check it out and let me know if you do.

www.laddertheory.com

based on a true story

written in a workshop - i had to tell a quick story about injustice

Once upon a time there was a handsome young black prince who wanted a romantic date for the prom.

He first asked a girl he was seeing. She said yes, but three days later her evil father said no, because the prince was black.

He then tried another girl, but her evil parents said no for the same reason.

So the prince ended up going to the ball with a boring girl that he didn't really like.

The end.

story of my life

an e-mail to my agent

subject: i'll deliver the headshots on Monday

Sorry - I got tied up with a lot of random crap today. Unless you guys have a mail slot or something I can leave them in this weekend...

seven years later

written in my journal, in my room

I don't write much in here anymore (much of that is due to the fact that I'm blogging every day) but there's something about today that makes me want to put the pen to paper, like I did seven years ago.

I can't believe it's been seven years.

It feels like so long ago, but when I start watching the news, seeing the parades and the speeches, the gathering of the families at Ground Zero, the Democratic and Republican candidates paying their respects together, the reading of the names and the pictures of the dead; and then, the footage.

It all comes rushing back, all of those complicated emotions, guilt and sadness and fear, and I don't know quite what to do with myself.

You know the thing that really drives it home for me? The lights, that emanate from from the footprints and go up forever, just like the Towers seemed to do. I look forward to their presence every year - but seeing them makes me ache for what we lost that day.

utility woes

My utility bill is normally in the neighborhood of $80.

So why, last month, was the bill $185.89?

That's one hundred and eighty-five dollars.

I was gone for most of that month. What were my roommates doing? And how badly am I allowed to hurt them?

trade talk

via e-mail - probably not interesting if your fantasy team wasn't involved

The problem is that your needs and my needs don't seem to match up.
Every scenario I look at ends up being some complicated 7 or 8 player
deal, and I'm just not sure that I'm going to get an even return.
I'll tell you that the 2 guys I'm looking closest at are Colston and
Graham. But I just don't see fair value on your roster for Anderson.

Would you trade Graham for Anderson, straight up?

it's ba-ack...

And they won, too. I love NFL Sundays...

monday morning must reads

an e-mail to my brother; I'm explaining to him where I go to get all of my NFL info on Monday AM

Peter King's Monday Morning QB is at www.si.com

Archives at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/writers/peter_king/archive/

Michael Silver writes for Yahoo! Sports; he writes a couple of columns a week. The Monday one is called the Morning Rush. You can find it at http://sports.yahoo.com/

Archives at http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/expertsarchive;_ylt=AtWDbyJx2tn..Oe5JeaI15.r0op4?author=Michael+Silver

And, of course, there is the fantastic http://www.profootballtalk.com/ - use it, love it. There may be more - I'll send them to you if I think of them. But these guys are the two best.

hot streak

This is the second week in a row that I've gone to the gym six times. I've also been remarkably consistent in my healthy food consumption. Honestly, I look like a new man.

Still, they say it takes 21 days to form a habit...

bathroom woes (visual evidence)

enough politics

Thank GOD this is the last night of convention coverage. I can't take them anymore.

a day at the beach

Ah, Coney Island.

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my super sucks

My bathroom had a leak a couple of weeks ago. Now the leak has gotten worse. There is no water in my bathroom yet, but you can hear the constant patter of the water in the ceiling. And now the ceiling is starting to show signs of water damage, and plaster is actually falling.

I waited around ALL DAY today, because my super said that he was going to come by and check out our bathroom. I had several errands to run, but because he said he was coming by "first thing in the morning", I decided to wait.

It's now six thirty in the evening.

Have I seen him?

No.

He's an asshole.

I did call my landlord and complain, though. I feel a tiny bit better knowing that the landlord will chew the super out. But I'd feel a LOT better if someone would come fix my bathroom.

my other fantasy football team

QB J Cutler; D Anderson
RB M Jones-Drew; T Jones; J Stewart; S Slaton
WR L Fitzgerald; S Smith; D Driver; L Evans; J Porter
TE T Heap; J Carlson
K J Scobee
DEF Giants

(the teams look pretty similar, no?)

fantasy football rulez!!!!

Just had my second of four fantasy football drafts - the first one I was able to do live - and I'm totally excited. I feel good about my team - stuck to my draft board, didn't really reach for anyone, and got a lot of exciting young players. I think that DH is the only one that might care about this, but I ended up with:

QB D Garrard; M Schaub
RB R Grant; B Jacobs; J Stewart; M Forte
WR R Moss; B Marshall; L Evans; J Porter; S Rice
TE T Scheffler
K J Scobee
DEF Patriots

This is my big money league; I've won it twice, but taking the crown this year would mean a very nice Christmas. Keep your fingers crossed for me this year!

(Yes, folks, I am a closet nerd.)

sage advice

via text message, to a friend driving on too little sleep and too much caffeine

Don't die. Being a martyr is overrated.

post DNC critique

Ginger and I exchanged text messages after hearing Obama speak at Mile High - she has important friends

ME: Did you see [our friend] on TV?

GINGER: Yep! Cool, huh? I got my aunt a ticket at the last minute. She now owes me for life!!

ME: Nice work. Did you go?

GINGER: No. It meant more to [my aunt]. But I watched. Great speech.

ME: Yes. Even pat buchanan was gushing.

GINGER: Nooo!

ME: Yeah. Shocking.

GINGER: It definitely showed that we would have a strong president with him.

ME: Exactly. Very presidential. And nice job going after mccain.

GINGER: I would have been able to get you a ticket, but it would have been last minute.

ME: I would have loved to be there, but I was just too exhausted to be on the road any longer.

GINGER: He made McCain look like a doddering nice old fool. S'okay. Maybe we can get u into the inauguration! :)

ME: That would be the best! [Our friend] should start pushing for a job...

GINGER: He doesn't want it. [His friend] will likely get it though.

ME: Meaning that he will move up. Why does he not want it?

GINGER: I think he lies. I think he'd take it in a heartbeat.

ME: I would. I'd run through a brick wall for that man.

GINGER: Maybe he should join Team [Rover].

ME: We are always looking for good people...

not official yet, but still exciting

I alluded to this in one of my infamous text-message posts last week. I was kind of hesitant in sharing before anything became official, but indications I have received this week have shown me that the letter I received last week is all the "official" notice I need.

I'm moving!

(Actually, I suppose it would be more accurate to say that the place I call home is shifting. Semantics.)

I'm getting a studio apartment in another neighborhood in Brooklyn. It's a brand new building with tons of amenities, blah blah blah. Because they're still finishing things up, I'm not really sure when I'm moving in, but it should happen before the end of the year.

I've really been wanting my own place for almost a year now. My roommates now are fantastic, but I find myself getting irritated over typical roommate things that usually just roll off my back. And I'm going to be thirty-one next month. I know that New York is expensive, but I think that at a certain age, a man is just too old to have roommates, you know? I'm very much looking forward to having room in the fridge, having my own space, watching the television when I want, and finding my things in the same place I left them.

The irony of this is that I'm working a ton over the next six months, and I won't be spending a whole lot of time in New York. Furthermore, when I'm on the road, I'm living by myself anyway. It's an opportunity that I couldn't pass up, and I'm very excited!

OK. Off to watch yesterday's PTI and then to the gym.

it's finally official

Barack Obama has won the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. I'd feel much better about Obama's historic victory today if I hadn't seen this quote:

"A lot of white workers ... and quite frankly a lot of union members believe he's the wrong race," AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka told a breakfast meeting of Michigan delegates.

Can't I enjoy this for even an hour before the naysayers chime in? Thanks a lot, Richard Trumka. You're off my Christmas list.

why i love pittsburgh sports

If you're not a sports fan, you have my permission to skip this post.

If you're a fan of any of the Pittsburgh sports teams (or a native of western Pennsylvania), this is required viewing.

back, for a while

Finally at home, after a whirlwind of activity the last few days. We had some rental car drama and some plane drama, but it's all in the past.

Now I'm home, and back into my looking-for-a-job-and-working-out routine. It's actually nice. I'd really like to make some money, but I would be ok for doing this for a month or two.

Now I'm off to pick up a chicken for dinner! Back posts coming in the next day or two.

(My life will be more exciting than this, I promise.

my family's ritual

via text message

DAD: We are home

ME: Good! Talk to you soon...

an homage to MIKE JONES

via text message

281-330-8004! Back then hoes didn't want me! Now I'm hot, hoes all on me!

the skies are friendly again

written on a plane

Out of the goodness of my heart I decided to give up my seat on the cross-country flight home, so that one of the stand-by passengers could get on the plane.

Of course, another way of putting it would be to say that I cashed in my miles and upgraded to business class. ;-)

They actually talk to you! And I was offered champagne! And there are real pillows! And blankets!

For the first time in a long time, I am actually excited to fly.

headed home

Finally.

Great times with the kids at camp. Great times with the peeps in Sleepy Hamlet.

Currently I'm sitting at the Sleepy Hamlet airport, waiting to board a plane to take me to a bigger city, where I can get on a plane to go home to New York. So close, yet so far away.

There's a TV in the waiting room. This isn't a big religious area, but it's some kind of Christian program. I love God, but these kind of programs get on my nerves.

I'm also really hungry. And there's no food here.

Sorry about the complaining. I'm exhausted, and I just want to go home.

Looking forward to regular online posting again...

drinking at the same place never gets old

via text message

company bar in 45 min

big news

via text message to The Hot Wing

Looks like i'm going to be your neighbor.

More on this later.

happy days are here again

written in the passenger seat of my friend's car

With the exception of four or five people, all of the important people from my Sleepy Hamlet days are back. It feels awesome, like I never left. Last night we were at our favorite watering hole, drinking and dancing and carrying on. As usual, we were loud. As usual, I ran into ex-girlfriends. As usual, we closed the place down.

I know that it is impossible to travel backwards in time. But, last night, my friends and I did just that.

what the hell?

via text message, in response to a message a day or two earlier

ME: Glad that you're enjoying the best city ever!

LIL' BIT: Hell yeah. Ps my mom is totally going to (the show)...she does consulting for (a company)...

ME: Well, I'll be there...along with (my friends)...

LIL' BIT: Well if you see her say hi...she will probably lose it if the cool kids recognize her. :-D

ME: I will!

LIL' BIT: Thanks! Ps are you back with Maxine?

ME: Yes. Officially, two months. Unofficially, five.

LIL' BIT: Okay. Cool. Just want to avoid the rumor mill.

ME: What rumor mill?

LIL' BIT: It is just always best to go directly to the source. I'm sure you had a reason for not telling me.

ME: I know that i mentioned this before.


She didn't write back.

sleep deprived

So tired, folks.

Camp ended today. I'm now staying at my friend's place, a huge one bedroom that any New Yorker would drool over.

I'm finally on vacation. I've got peeps coming into town tomorrow, and we will make merry until Friday morning, when I head back east.

I've got a bunch of text-posts to put up from last week. And I'm probably going to scratch in my notebook for the most part this upcoming week. So expect a series of new posts to go online in about a week.

(I will, however, be writing every day, as stated under the rules of 365. Don't worry about that.)

Now, let's see if I can stay awake through an episode of Mad Men. Either way, I am the winner.

getting excited for my peeps

via text message

It's going to be awesome...

how hot is it?

via text message

Hella hot. Like one o five. My balls are melting.

the reason for my angst

Two months ago I was offered a job, which I accepted. It's a mini-tour. It starts in mid-October and ends in mid-April 2009.

Good times.

Last week, I was offered a role in a play in the Northeast. It starts in early September. It ends in mid-October.

A week after the tour starts.

Whoops.

No worries. My job in the six-month long show is small, and I've already played that role...with that cast...with that director. And the role in the Northeast show (one that I've also done before) is the lead. Surely the tour crew would let me out for one measly week, right?

Uh, no.

And why was I not allowed to do both shows?

Because the director of the mini-tour wants to have the cast together for the first week...even though he's not even going to be there!

Bullshit.

But what can I do? It's 24 weeks of theater versus eight. Major theaters versus a minor one. It's a no-brainer.

That doesn't mean I have to like it, though. And I don't.

i need a break

written in my notebook

Did I say yet that I'm ready to go home?

Well, I am.

I'm working at a great camp, with an exceptional group of students and a talented and amazing staff in a charming town.

But I'm feeling like I need some alone time. Which is hard to get here.

There are more complications, but it's too much right now, especially since I'm in the middle of working things out. Plus I'm writing this in a notebook.

the secret of my success

written in my notebook

Coffee makes me creative.

news?

Hopefully I'll have a better idea of my September/October schedule at this time tomorrow. Because I am NOT a patient person, that annoys me. If you want to be an actor, however, you've got to accept that you don't have control over a lot of things. What are you gonna do?

I really haven't had too much time to worry about it, though, because camp is keeping me busy. The kids are great. It's kind of cool to see that "aha!" moment, when something clicks in for them. Sometimes I miss learning.

Off to another event.

sucky sleep again

Is it a rule that dorm rooms have to have sucky beds? I don't remember my undergrad having such pitiful mattresses. Or maybe I'm a princess, and there's just a pea under my hip somewhere.

I actually had to resort to the sleep mask last night. And guess what? It didn't help.

I guess I'll just have to go to my back-up plan: frequent napping. I've only got a few days left; I think I can make it.

i hate text message posts

...but, quite frankly, they're all I have time for nowadays.

Generally, things are good. Waiting to hear about a job (as usual). Trying to hold off giving too much more info until I hear about that - because I'll have a lot to say, either way it comes down.

Bed.

a compliment

via text message

MAXINE: (A friend) said you're a catch! And i had to agree.

ME: Oooh! I'm flattered...

i'm back (again)

via text message

MY FRIEND: I just saw someone that looked like you. What's loose?

ME: Hi sister! Did I forget to call you back? I'm in Sleepy Hamlet!

MY FRIEND: No. I have retardation. When are you coming back? Tell everyone I said howdy!

elation

via text message, to Maxine

I'm getting (the job)!

a near quote from my childhood

A quote from Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark (from this NY Times article) really hit home for me:

He said passages about Obama’s youth in Hawaii had reminded him of his own experience with subtle racism in the affluent, mostly white suburb of Harrington Park, N.J. “You know, what it’s like growing up every single day and having people ask to touch your hair because they’ve never seen hair like that,” Booker said. “To have the entire class laugh and giggle when somebody pronounces ‘Niger’ as ‘nigger.’ The constant bombardment of that kind of thing really affects your spirit, and it’s every single day. Like when people want to come back from a vacation and compare their tan to yours and joke about being black.”

It's like he's talking about MY public school experience.

If you've got twenty minutes, you really should read this article. It's fascinating.

giving notice

via text message

Seeing your shows tomorrow and thursday nights. I'll call you tomorrow. I'm exhausted...