my weekend in pictures

Keeping with the theme... The big grey bridge and, if you look closely, the little red lighthouse. One of my favorite stories as a kid.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

a night at the hockey game

As you can see, my seats left something to be desired.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

new york, new york, big city of dreams

The view from the Staten Island Ferry, one of my favorite tourist diversions in the city.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

routine

As bad as last week was for me, this week has been pretty nice. I joined a gym (because I HAVE to be in great shape for my upcoming show) and I'm pretty much in my show routine, meaning that my day consists of:

waking up around 9:30-10am
surfing the web while drinking green tea
breakfast
going to the gym
lunch
some type of activity (going to a show or working or meeting up with friends)
dinner
come home and unwind
bed around 1-1:30am

It's kind of the way I like to live my life - not too complicated, sort of a loose routine. It feels normal, and these days, that's a big comfort to me.

Off to eat something small before my workout.

thank you

Thanks to everyone who wrote, commented, called, texted, and/or visited me over the past week. The support I received was overwhelming, and I am SO appreciative for it. There's a lot of people that I'm trying to get in touch with, so I promise that you will hear from me soon, if you haven't already.

Most of the doctor visits are finished. The final diagnosis was a bruised retina and a cut under my left eye, both of which are healing quite nicely. And I'm finally feeling close to normal, though I will probably do a short stint in therapy, just to be safe. The NYPD is investigating, and they seem to be taking the case quite seriously, which is awesome. I'll make sure to give you an update if anything happens.

Again, I can't express how thankful I am for all of your thoughts, prayers and good wishes. Just know that it meant the world to me, and I will be eternally grateful for my friends.

random

Because i needed a post, here's some hot sauce.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

master cleanse

scribbled in my notebook in my room during a gathering at my apartment

Anyone done it? Thoughts on it?

It sounds kind of interesting - should I do it? I don't know if I could go for a week without food, and the drink sounds disgusting, but still...

so true

overheard, at a gathering with my family, roommates, Maxine, and Melissa

"She's so angry all of the time. EAT SOMETHING! You'd be happier!"

a text to a friend

written to Snapple, who came to my rescue a couple of nights ago when I was freaking out in the street

I'm sorry that I haven't said this sooner, but thank you SO much for playing with me Wed. night. You really helped me out.

things you never want your eye doctor to say

"OH!"

(silence)

"It's torn."

(silence)

"I'm SO glad you came in today."

my eye

Taken Tuesday morning at 3am. It looks better now; if I wear glasses, you can't tell that anything happened.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

i don't feel like posting today.

I'm only doing it because (1) I have to keep my 365 streak alive, and (2) I don't want any of you to think I'm in the fetal position on my floor.

Today was better than yesterday, but, overall, I'm still not great.

Hopefully I'll write more tomorrow.

the sucker punch

Last night, after my date (see the post below), I was home relaxing when StefStar called. She and her model friend were at one of our neighborhood bars up the street, and they wanted me to come out. Which, of course, I did.

The bar wasn't too crowded. Stef put some dumb Irish hat on me, and we were chatty, per usual. There was a guy, late forties or early fifties, sitting next to her wearing a bright orange shirt (meaning that he's an Irish Protestant, meaning he doesn't really love St. Patty's Day) that kept glaring at us, but I figured he just thought I looked stupid with the hat on.

We moved to a table at the front of the bar, right by the door, exchanging pleasantries with a group of people that were kind of in the way. We sat down on the stools - the table is high and started chatting.

We were seated for maybe a couple of minutes when I felt a large hand forcefully clap me on the back. At first I thought that one of the guys in the group was coming over to join us. When the hand began to swing me off the stool, I then stupidly thought I was being thrown out of the bar for some reason.

Instead I was spun around. Everything happened very quickly:

lights
orange
fist
pressure on cheekbone (no pain)
ceiling
floor
blackness
lying on stomach
pressure on back
punching up
i yelled, "get this muthafucka OFF of me"
pressure gone

I jumped up, ready to square off, but the bartender had already pushed Big Orange out the door. One I got my bearings (when I was laying on the floor on my stomach) I had been fairly calm and clear, ready to fight (and I swear to God that if that man had been standing before me when I got up, I would have gone to jail last night - I'm not proud of that, but it's true), but when I saw the man was gone, then noises began to come back, and I realized that I was bleeding, and I started shouting, "Why did he do that? WHY DID HE DO THAT? WHAT DID I DO?"

The bartender says, "You don't even wanna know, man,"

(which is fucking code, a code i fucking hate, because it's not a code at all, it just means that the person doesn't want to repeat what they heard, because they think my ears will break or my soul will shrivel up, but i'm tougher than that and i've surely heard worse than that)

to which I respond, "Yes, I DO wanna know. What did he say?"

to which the bartender responds, "Racial shit. He said he was gonna knock your teeth out. I asked why. He said cause you were black. So I told him you gotta go, man. And he said ok, and started walking out, but then he grabbed you."

Yeah.

In fucking Brooklyn.

The bar's GM tried to get us not to call the cops, but we did. Six of them showed up. They were all really surprised. My eye was bleeding, and starting to swell, so they called EMS. StefStar and her model friend were great - they came with me to the hospital. We didn't get out of there until 3. I went back to the hospital at nine and underwent a battery of tests on my eye. The doctor told me I was really lucky. I've just got a bruised cheekbone, a sore shin, some cut and sore fingers and a ugly cut under my eye. No retinal detachments, no corneal scratches, no concussions, nothing else. And the cops are on the case - they've already called me today to gather more information. The bar's even got surveillance footage, and they've agreed to give it to me and/or the cops. So we may get the bastard.

You know what?

I'm still angry.

I really hope that this guy doesn't live in my neighborhood. I really really hope he doesn't. Because I don't want to see him again. Because I don't know what I'll do. I might just attack him, do him like he did me. But I would at least call him out, because only cowards sucker punch people.

Of course, that would land me in jail, which would just make me another statistic.

Or I could run, hide, duck out of a bar or store if he's in there, or cross to the other side of the street if I see him coming, because I don't want any more conflict. There's always a risk to fighting, after all.

But then I feel like a wimp, a pussy, a chump. And I have to live with that. I'm already kicking myself for not doing more - not that I reasonably had any chance in that situation.

I keep trying to tell myself that I'm lucky. Lucky that he didn't hit me a millimeter higher, where that cut would have been on my eyeball. Lucky that he didn't hit me two inches lower and maybe break my jaw or knock out some teeth. Lucky that I didn't go after him outside, where I could have hurt him badly, or he could have hurt me badly, or where I could have gotten arrested. Lucky that the doctors at the hospital caught my high blood pressure, or the (potential) warning signs for glaucoma - maybe that stuff goes undiagnosed, and I start having serious health problems.

Lucky.

You know what?

I don't think I buy it.

At least not today.

Ask me tomorrow.

I just want to stop being angry.

in other news...

I DID have a date last night.

I'm trying to think of a good name for her - nothing as of yet. She is, however, the ex-girlfriend of The Traveler (my new roommate - who is a girl). Apparently The Traveler told all of her single female friends that her new roommate was cute and available, and her ex jumped on the bandwagon first.

She's a law student, petite, blonde (yeah, yeah), super smart, passionate. Last night was the third time we hung out, but the first "date". Drinks at a bar followed by dinner. Followed by me walking her home. Followed by a quick good night kiss.

She's going out of town for a week, and when she comes back her schedule is worse than mine, and then I'm going away for a month, but she seems really cool, and we have a good vibe. One red flag, though (besides the fact that she's my roommate's ex) is that the two of them fight like cats and dogs. It's kind of ridiculous.

Overall, though, it's a good thing. We'll see what happens. Looking forward to the comments...

sorry, folks...

...about all of the half-assed blog posts lately. Last week was just exhausting for me. One of my friends and I figured out that I had about six hours of waking leisure time over the past week. The rest were all spent at work, in transit to/from work, and/or working on the fellowship.

I've got a couple of posts for Friday and Sunday to put up; I'll get those up in the next day or two. Nothing spectacular. (The Thursday night Utterz post was from work - I was just trying to demonstrate how obnoxious it can be there.)

I have a date tonight. That's an interesting story. I can already hear some of you crying out, "That is such a bad idea," when you hear the story. But I soldier on. Details later.

smack talk

via text message

LIL' BIT: How does it make you feel that I am ahead in scrabulous? Secure?

ME: I didn't look today. But hey, a stopped clock is right twice a day. :-)

LIL' BIT: You know better than to underestimate me...

ME: Right...

LIL' BIT: Just face the truth.

ME: That I will win? Ok.

LIL' BIT: Um no.

ME: So sad.

LIL' BIT: Yes you are sad.

ME: There are a lot of tiles left. I have you right where I want you.

LIL' BIT: Too bad I am currently AHEAD and you are currently in DENIAL. Talk is cheap

ME: Agreed.

The fuel of champions

Another slow night at work. I have been here entirely too much lately. And i am so tired that i an ready to pass out. So i keep tossin down these.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

the cover to the fellowship

To Whom It May Concern:


My name is The Rover, and I am applying for the Fellowship. Enclosed are the materials for my application. Please feel free to contact me to set up an interview, or with any questions you may have. I look forward to hearing from you.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

i'm hungry...

...and yet I don't want any of the food in my house. Is that strange?

Maybe I should just order a pizza. Of course, I had a pizza last night.

I suppose the easiest thing to do would be to just not eat. But...then I'll be hungry (thank you, Captain Obvious).

These are the days when I just want the food pill, you know? One capsule will satisfy you for hours!

All right, all right. I'll see if there's anything in the fridge.

my statement of purpose

I'm applying for a fellowship that would set me on a course to run a theater. More on the stakes of this later, but I wanted to share what I wrote. Let me know what you think.

I learned three important things from President Reagan growing up.

1. Just say no.
2. Ketchup is a vegetable.
3. The arts aren’t important.

I mean, isn’t that the reason why he continually proposed drastic funding cuts to the NEA every year of his presidency?

I wonder if this laissez-faire view of the importance of the arts is the reason why so many young people (in this context, under the age of 35) seem to have no concept of the magic of theater. One of the things I am most passionate about – and one of the issues that inspires me to become an artistic director – is trying to lure a younger audience to the theater. I am a member of “Generation X”, and I am quite confused as to why my generation and the generation below us – the “Millenials” – do not consider theater as an entertainment option. It is vital that we attract the next generation of theatergoers, but it is equally important that we tell inclusive stories that do not alienate the folks who are already supporting us. I believe we can – and, more importantly, we have a responsibility – to tell stories that speak to a diverse audience.

I consider myself a storyteller. Most of my work in this medium has been on stage, but I have always been interested in the entire process, from the first words written on the page to the removal of the final set piece. I have worked in almost every area of the theater. I’ve made it a point to speak to the artistic directors, educational directors and dramaturgs at the places I’ve worked at, to get a feel for their organizations and what they do. I frequently volunteer to be a reader at auditions, and I carefully watch casting directors and directors, and ask questions when appropriate. I’ve sat on play selection committees and witnessed the give-and-take that goes into putting a season together. All of my experience has been in preparation to one day become an artistic director and lead an organization of my own.

There are other reasons why I would eventually like to run a theater: I enjoy telling stories, and I believe that I can do it more effectively from an administrative post than on stage; I think that my background and my experience give me a unique perspective; I view running a theater as the ultimate artistic challenge. I believe that I have a good skill set for this position, too. I am hard working, a good listener, and I am ready to learn.

I realize that it will be next to impossible to maintain the present status of my acting career if I am chosen as the recipient of this fellowship. I firmly believe, however, that I can continue to pursue local acting opportunities. I also hope to continue pursuing my craft as a director in smaller projects around the city. Learning the ropes and absorbing the lessons taught to me by the (theater company) staff, however, would absolutely be my first priority.

Hey, maybe we’ll all get lucky: I’ll land a commercial, make millions, and fund the theater myself. In our present political climate, that may be what it takes. And I’m committed to making it work.

working on my statement of purpose

Hoping to finish it in time to put it up here for all to see. Keep your fingers crossed.

ay carumba!

How busy is my upcoming week?

Let's put it this way: I am submitting a fellowship application that needs to be handed in by Friday. I have to finish it tonight, because I don't have any other time.

What am I applying for? That's another post in itself.

Guess I should get to work.

lazy Saturday

I don't really want to do anything today. I just want to sit on my couch, pick through the things on my DVR, maybe watch some college hoops (that's what I'm doing right now). But that's it.

I was productive this morning: went grocery shopping, picked up some things at Target, checked out a new eye doctor that's in my 'hood, dropped off some jeans at the tailor. That's enough for one day, right?

I am going to another Knicks game tonight with a friend, and I think that will be a good time. But right now I just want to sit here forever...

i got a job!

Remember the horrible audition I wrote about on Tuesday?

Turns out it wasn't so terrible.

It felt horrific. I left there feeling so bad...and then the headshot thing, of course. But on Tuesday afternoon, I got an e-mail from my agent, telling me to be at the callback on Thursday.

(I double-checked the e-mail, to make sure it had my name on it, etc. - I actually thought the casting director had made a mistake.)

I was worried about working on the piece, but I was able to get some time, strangely, at work on Wednesday night. And then, on Thursday, when I went in there...

I killed it.

It was one of the best auditions I've ever had in my life. I was facile, responsive, open, agile - I mean, I shone. I was great. And at the end, the director looked at me with that little gleam they get in their eye sometimes - that's when you know you've got a shot.

And today, my agent sent me a note telling me that I got the part.

It's a short gig. It doesn't start for a couple of months. But it isn't in the city, which means that I've got to come up with a new pseudonym. I can tell you that it is within a half day's drive, which is exciting because my family can come see it. And it's a big enough role that it's totally worth seeing.

So this has made my weekend. Hopefully yours is as good...

my stomach hurts

I went to an engagement party tonight, and all I ate was cheese, hummus, and brownies. And three glasses of wine. And a beer.

And I feel like all I do all day at my temp job is eat crap. I mean, I have to stay awake somehow...

All this adds up to the fact that I really am feeling like I need to head back to the gym...

A typical night at work for me

Listening to a band I don't like, watching drunk folk stumble to and fro, breaking up fights, getting ignored by hot chicks...yup, this is my life.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

headshots

I need new headshots.

I've been hearing about this for some time, but an experience yesterday crystalized it for me. I finished an audition that, I thought, went horribly. Still, I left the room and prepared to do my normal "hang around" routine, just in case they needed anything else. To my amazement, the casting director came out of the room and headed straight for me.

"ROVER. You have GOT to get new HEADSHOTS. I mean, the ones you have are just AWFUL. They're HORRIBLE. And you're a handsome guy!"

So...guess I'm getting new headshots. Which is a process that I hate. And I don't have any money to pay for them.

But it's better than hearing that again.

apathy, thy name is Knicks fans

Went to see the Knicks play tonight.

Yuck.

To be fair, the team actually played fairly well tonight. They were down 90-88 with just a couple of minutes to go.

They lost 100-88.

Two big observations.

1. Isiah is terrible. He yanked Nate Robinson - who had been playing well all night - with just under two minutes to go. The Hornets then went on a 10-0 run. Game over.

2. The crowd is just pathetic. It's directly related to #1 - Isiah's bad management, coupled with the ineptitude during the Layden years, has really turned the fans off. But it's no wonder the team doesn't have any kind of spark - no one is rooting for them!

Oh yeah, can I add a third comment?

3. Chris Paul is an awesome player. He's also a great person - he spoke to a bunch of us after the game for ten minutes or so, and I was really struck by how nice of a guy he is. Very savvy, and smart. And his game is sick.

I'm kind of getting back into the NBA, so you may have to put up with more hoops posts. Hope you don't mind...

buyers' remorse

I always suffer from it, no matter what it is I buy.

Today it was one of those rolling shopping/laundry carts. I always have too much laundry to carry to the nice laundromat, which is about six blocks away, so it's essential for me to buy one of these. I picked one up at Target about a month ago, but in my moving-crazed hurry, I failed to notice that it was waaaaay too small. (That one wasn't buyers' remorse - it was just me being stupid.)

Today I picked up a cart that was the size I wanted. But my brain already started nit-picking as I walked home: should have gotten it in black, should have gotten one with rubber wheels instead of plastic, paid way too much for it, it's not a quality product, etc.

I do this every time I make a major purchase.

I feel better about it now (except for the wheels; rubber is WAY better), probably because I now have clean laundry and full cupboards, which I didn't have a few hours ago.

All right, TV, dinner, a little rehearsal for my audition tomorrow, then bed. Catch ya tomorrow - maybe I'll be brave enough to write from the temp job...

I tried growing a moustache...

Obviously, it didn't work.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

it's supposed to be a day of rest...

...but I have stuff to say. Can we just agree that I reserve the right to use a day of rest at some point through the year, at my discretion? I mean, we just started two months ago - why take a break now?

Besides, I certainly haven't rested today. I worked all day, from 9am to 10:30pm, and it pretty much sucked all around. I was falling asleep at the temp job, doing the most boring task ever. I burned my eggplant parm in the microwave. We had a crazy night at the club, which ended with me physically breaking up a girl fight and two of our security guys screaming at each other for twenty minutes.

I really need a drink.

I'm hopeful, however, that the weekend will be good. Going to see a friend sing for the first time tomorrow night, and I've got a phat audition to prepare for on Monday. But, mostly, I'm looking forward to sleeping in...

short and sweet

written on a post-it in my room

it's cold

that sucks

Myron Cope 1929-2008

If you're not a sports fan and you're not from Pittsburgh, you probably don't know who this guy is. That's too bad.

Myron Cope was one of the best journalists the sports world has ever had. And that's probably not what he was best known for.

He was the color analyst for the Steelers for over thirty years, and his voice and his sayings were...how to describe them? Distinctive would be an understatement. Shrill and high-pitched, frequently ranting and raving, mispronouncing some words and intentionally "bungling" others, he was hours of pure entertainment for me on Sunday afternoons. Sometimes we would turn down the sound of the TV and tune into the radio broadcast - he was that good. And while I was loathe to miss any part of a Steelers game as a kid, I would always be secretly excited to listen to part of the game on a car radio.

But the biggest thing, for me, is his invention of The Terrible Towel:







I'm not exactly sure how he came with the idea, but it's been embraced by Steeler fans since the mid '70s. And all of the profits go to a school in Pittsburgh that teaches the mentally disabled. How great is that gesture?

Double yoi, Myron! You will be missed.

what i do all day

written at my temp job, in an e-mail to a girl i've gone out on a few dates with

It's pretty boring, just transferring resumes from one database to another. Good times. It's an actor's lot, I suppose.

tempin' ain't easy...

(Boyz II Men song reference)

I'm spending a week temping, ironically enough, at Maxine's place of employment. It's a big company, but I'm in her former department, so that's a little weird.

I also had an audition and a reading today (felt good about both) so I'm pretty exhausted. I'm going to eat, pack my lunch for tomorrow, and go to bed. It's rare when I'm asleep before eleven, but that's a distinct possibility tonight.

Not sure about the quality of posts you're going to get this week, but you will get something every day. Even on the 29th. That's a promise.

Oscar picks

OK, I'm sure that you all really care about my picks...but I'm blogging every day here, people, so cut me some slack.

I'm just picking the big categories:

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Gotta go with Ruby Dee (American Gangster) here - she's the sentimental favorite, of the Academy and for me (she was my dad's Sunday School teacher). I could see Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There) winning, too - she played Bob Dylan!

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men), because he had to live with that haircut. And because everyone is on the bandwagon for that film (which was, admittedly, great). Close second to Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton), who is one of my favorite actors.

DIRECTOR: A lifetime achievement award for the Coen Brothers, who richly deserve it. P.T. Anderson will get his, one day.

BEST ACTOR: A lock. Have you seen There Will Be Blood? Daniel Day-Lewis is probably the best actor alive. Amazing.

BEST ACTRESS: I don't think Oscar voters will be able to deny the symmetry of giving Julie Christie an award 45 years after her first one (where I believe she beat Julie Andrews).

BEST PICTURE: The five nominees, in my order of preference, would be:

There Will Be Blood
Atonement
Juno
No Country For Old Men
Michael Clayton

I think, however, that No Country For Old Men will take the prize. All of the movies are great; I just think that There Will Be Blood is more amazing than the others. (Juno, while a fun film, doesn't really seem like a Best Picture nominee, you know?)

So there's my two cents. Let's see how I do!

a productive early morning

I've had an "adult" day so far.

I set my alarm clock for 8:30 so that I could beat the crowds at the Trader Joe's in Manhattan. (Why go later and risk standing in line for 45 minutes, as I did last Friday evening?) It was like shopping in a crowded grocery store, rather than standing in the middle of a riot. I breezed in and out of there in half an hour.

After returning home and putting my groceries away, I went back out the door and headed for Target to get toiletries, medicine, and a couple of name-brand items I couldn't get at TJ's. It was about 10:30 at this point, and the lines at Target were relatively short, too. At this stop, too, I was able to get what I needed and get out without being hassled.

I stopped off for a cup of (decaf) coffee on the way home, and I was done with all of that stuff before eleven. I called my grandma and talked to Lil' Bit for a while, took a shower, made lunch, and balanced my checkbook. Now I've got a couple of hours to kill before making dinner and going to work, and all I have to do is go over my lines for my audition on Monday.

It's days like this when I feel mature, like an adult. I feel thirty. In a positive way.

Hope everyone's having a good weekend. Oscar picks coming tomorrow.

snow is nice...

...as long as I don't have to go out in it.

It's been a great day so far - I woke up late, poked around on the internet, made breakfast and lunch for myself - dinner will be started in a few minutes. I didn't get around to watching the videos I rented for myself, but that's not surprising. This is why I don't rent videos.

But I've got to leave the house in two hours. I don't want to brave the elements. In fact, if I were just meeting a friend, I would probably cancel. Unfortunately, I'm doing a reading, so I'm screwed.

Good weekend to all.

"change you can Xerox"

Really?

This is what I hate about politics.

tax waiting room

in the waiting room of the Equity building in midtown Manhattan

I'm waiting to get my taxes done at Equity. Normally I make an appointment, but I somehow missed the sign-up day. So I had to get up early (7am) and schlep up here to sit in line. I'm number eight. We've been here three hours, and they're at number four. If I can get out of here before two, I'll be happy.

There is this elderly lady here who won't stop talking! Seriously, nonstop. We've heard two of her cell phone conversations, which have been very loud, and she has also been kind enough to give up updates on the status of coffee ("They're gonna brew a pot in an hour or so, and it will cost fifty cents!"). I have also learned that she's a Citibank customer, she has a daughter, she lives in Riverdale, and she took a car here!

Dear Lord.

I brought a couple of DVDs (the final episode of West Wing, which I couldn't bring myself to watch because I was in denial about the end of the show; and The Wire, which I've been meaning to start forever), but my laptop is low on power and I'm not near an outlet. My life's so bad...

Hope everyone is having a good Wednesday...

cash. i got none.

an e-mail message to a friend of mine

I've been looking for a job for a while, and I literally can't find anything. I suppose I could work retail for $10/hr, but that seems like such a waste of time. Still, I may have to go that route in another month or so.

i had a great day yesterday

1. Made an awesome breakfast - egg white scramble with turkey sausage, spinach, and tomato; toast with strawberry preserves; orange juice. Mmmmmmm....

2. Watched the Sunday morning political programs and PTI.

3. Cleaned up the entire apartment - StefStar and I had been working on that for a couple of days. You could have eaten off of the floors.

4. Open house. We found a great roommate (hereby called the Traveler) as well as someone to sublet when StefStar leaves for the summer. But almost all of the people were cool.

5. Dinner party. StefStar and I had her cousin over, as well as The Hot Wing and another friend. Pasta primavera; tasty salad (made by THW); lots of wine; apple pie with ice cream. Mmmmmmmm....

6. My alma mater won a HUGE basketball game against one of our arch rivals.

That's about as good as a non-football Sunday can get.

My sunday post...

...or what is left of it...

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

that nice clean feeling

I just cleaned my bathroom, and it feels SO good...

I admit that I'm a bit of a neat freak. I also go on cleaning sprees. My mother is famous for them - she'll just exclaim, "I can't take this mess!" and starting picking up and mopping and vacuuming everything in sight. I am the same way.

Anyway, I cleaned the toilet and sink a couple of weeks ago when I moved upstairs, but today I actually got in the tub and started the arduous task of getting rid of mildew. Good times. Then I mopped the floor; I have no idea when that last happened.

It just makes me happy to have a clean house. Plus we're having an open house tomorrow to replace the bad roommate, and then StefStar and I are having a mini-dinner party, so I can't be havin' filth all over the place, know what I mean?

All right. Maxine (who I haven't seen in two weeks due to our travel schedules) is coming over and I'm making her dinner, so I should probably get dressed. See you tomorrow...

My new couch!

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

thanks, NYS

written in a classroom at the New York State Department of Labor building in Brooklyn

I don't know why I'm here.

Look, I appreciate the state of New York helping me out, I do. And the idea of having resources to help people who lack marketable job skills is great. I really believe that.

But see, I have TWO degrees. Not to be a snob about it, but I have to have some basic marketable skills by this point. So why am I sitting in this classroom?

I wish you could see this. It's like being in detention.

Oh! Class has started! I better pay attention...

Dessert

I have been good all week...i deserve something sweet!

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

Obama

I have a new habit.

Whenever there's a primary going on, I turn on MSNBC and I watch their coverage (I'm a big fan of the Olbermann/Matthews team and, strangely, Pat Buchanan). And I wait for Barack Obama to speak.

It inspires me every time. And it trips me out.

I'll be listening to his speech, and every time there's a couple of minutes where I zone out. This happens because I can't believe my eyes. I honestly never believed that I would see the day where someone who looks like me would have a legitimate shot at the presidency of the United States. I can't tell you how proud that makes me, and how good it makes me feel.

Not to get too much into it, but I've spent a lot of my life being told what I could or couldn't do (you should be good at basketball! you shouldn't be getting good grades!), and receiving backhanded compliments for "being different". I didn't have a whole lot of role models. My parents, I guess. The Huxtables. But this...I mean, if Obama can win, I really feel like a Black person could do anything in this country. It's very exciting.

And I resisted Obama for a while because of this. I read his book two years ago (and was blown away), but I had all kind of reasons for not supporting him. I wanted him to wait for Hillary. I wanted him to get more experience. And I definitely didn't want to support him just because he was Black. I think that, deep down inside, I was afraid that he would fail miserably and/or become a joke. But it hasn't worked out that way at all.

But now, I'm on board - been here for a couple of months. Fired up, ready to go, so to speak.

the first day of the rest of my life

That's what today feels like.

I really don't have anything to do. I mean, there are little tasks that I've been working on all day:

- asking people to write me recommendations for a fellowship
- setting up a meeting with my agent this evening
- trying to set up an appointment to get my taxes done
- finding a time to meet with an acting/career/life coach
- looking for a new headshot photographer

But it's all felt very languid, you know? I'm getting this stuff done, but I don't feel any pressure, or urgency. I'm just doing it. It's kind of a nice feeling.

I still have some things to knock off - notably, the area around my kitchen table is a disaster. And I have to clean the entire living room before my pretty new couch comes on Friday. But I'm hopeful that I can tackle those later in the week. I've got an hour before I have to go uptown - maybe I could do it after my shower! We'll see.

That's it for now - must shower before said meeting, and then another fun night at the club. More tomorrow.

keeping my house in order

(Thanks to the owners of "linksys", who are making this post possible from the comfort of my apartment!)

I think I'm finally starting to get my apartment where I want it. Most of the things in my room are put away, the kitchen is taking shape, and the bathroom is almost totally unpacked. The main thing I have to do right now is clean the living room in preparation for the arrival of my couch on Friday - can't tell you how excited I am about that.

(What's wrong with me? I'm excited about getting a COUCH? The Rover has become domesticated, ladies and gents. All without a girlfriend. Amazing.)

There are still some smaller things that I'd like to get for the place (new desk, desk chair, coffee table, flat screen), but all those can wait for a while. For now, I'm just glad that I've got a place for most of my stuff.

Off to do some laundry - yuck.

no internet!

Well, this is going to be a tough week.

My longtime roommate moved out last week, and her name was on a lot of the bills. We were able to switch one of them over, but we had to cancel the other two - it was just easier. It was no problem getting the power hooked up, but due to some weird rules with the company that provides us web access, we're offline at the apartment until Friday morning.

Oh, the humanity!

I'm currently writing this from my local coffee shop; I have a feeling that I'm going to be here a lot over the next week. Fortunately I can check e-mail on my phone. It's kind of a pain in the ass to read it that way, but at least I won't miss anything important. So there will probably be more than a few entries from my notebook coming in the next six days.

I've been at this spot long enough. Time to do some grocery shopping.

I don't know if this is legal or not...

...but i'm proud that i got up at the butt crack of dawn to vote, and i've got the evidence to prove it.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

d-u-n

Finished my last day here at the Alma Mater. It's a good thing, too - my diet has consisted of fried grease and sweet tea. No wonder I gained sixty pounds during my college years (that's not a misprint). I love the South.

I've actually kind of enjoyed my free time in the hotel. It's clean and comfortable, and I really don't feel like I get any quality alone time in my house, so this has been nice. My apartment situation will improve when I get my couch next Friday.

I'm back in New York for about 24 hours, and then I'm going to Pittsburgh to get some stuff out of my parents' basement. (I'm thirty - it's about time.) So you'll be getting lots of travel notes from me this weekend...

just as i suspected

And, of course, note what time I am making this post.

Belle Chanson also had another one of these on her site - again, pegging me perfectly:



Figures. It's totally true, by the way.

Alma Mater

So I'm back in the South, teaching a workshop at my Alma Mater. (I'm not putting the name of the school up here, for my usual reasons, but it's not hard to figure it out if you want to do a little detective work. Or you could just ask me in an e-mail.)

I made one trip back here two years ago, but it was a quick 36 hour job. This time I'm spending three nights here.

It's weird. I spent four years in the community, and was here nonstop from the beginning of my junior year to the end of my senior year; and yet I feel like I don't have any favorite places to go. I was trying to figure out where to eat the other day, and all I could remember were sandwich shops. It's like I've forgotten 90% of my college experience. For such a big piece of my life, there's a lot of chunks missing. Maybe it was all the booze.

It's been great working with the students, though. I'm pretty sure that teaching is in my future somewhere; this experience is just more evidence of that. I've got one more day of it tomorrow - hoping that I can explore campus and maybe talk to some of my old professors.

Right now I'm going to enjoy my Mariott accommodations. So glad I'm earning points for this hotel stay...

yes we can

It's 2:25 in the morning. I'm getting up in three and a quarter hours to go vote before I race to the airport to catch a flight. And it's all because this man has made a believer out of me. I've voted before, but I've never cared this much, or been this optimistic.



He's gonna do it. We're gonna do it. Starting in a few hours...

Big Blue!

Giants 17, Patriots 14.

Wow. What a game.

Super Bowl XLII

This is one of my favorite days of the year - Super Bowl Sunday. As a kid, I actually used to sit down and watch all the pregame and pre-pregame coverage. Even now, I still admit that I get a little excited the night before when I'm laying in bed. Kind of like Christmas.

(Now, if the Steelers are playing in the big game - which has happened twice in my conscious lifetime - it's a completely different story. I'll save that post for another time.)

Today I'm going up to my brother's to watch. I've only seen him once since Christmas, and my sister-in-law not at all, so it will be cool to hang out with their flat-screen HDTV and watch the game. I'm rooting for the Giants (my grandpa used to have season tickets, so I've always had a soft spot for them), but I have a feeling that the Patriots are going to come out uber-motivated because of all of the controversy swirling around them, and will therefore win fairly easily. Let's say 38-24.

Hope that you have a great Super Bowl Sunday!

moved!

So I spent all day yesterday moving upstairs into my new room. It was exhausting, and it wasn't helped by the fact that it was POURING in NYC yesterday - one of those storms where you know that your umbrella is basically keeping your head and shoulders dry, because the wind is whipping the rain around enough to soak the rest of you. My umbrella (ella, ella, eh, eh) turned inside-out two or three times.

ANYWAY, I've got almost everything in here - and out of the basement - and my beautiful new bed is here. I keep joking with my parents that, with the delivery of my bed and the impending arrival of my new couch, I finally feel like a real boy. It's kinda true. And it's about time.

Time to stop procrastinating and get to work; I have a workshop to plan.

Fried Fish #5

I'm busy moving upstairs today, so I gotta make this quick. One of my best friends sent this to me, and I'm scared to click on the link, because I don't think I'd leave my laptop all day. But you should check it out. Basically, this is a site that allows you to play ANY ORIGINAL NINTENDO GAME EVER MADE. It sounds like heaven.


Check it out.

A perfect night...

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

there WAS blood

(See the post below if you're confused.)

The movie was very good. My roommates didn't like it, and I can't really understand why. I don't want to ruin anything for anybody, but Daniel Day-Lewis has got to be considered the best actor alive. Besides me, of course. (Calm down...just kidding...)

All right, off to watch the Challenge w/Snapple. No, we're not dating again, we're hanging out as friends. Yes, I know I said that last time. Yes, I know what I'm doing. Why do you have so many questions?

off to the movies...

...to see There Will Be Blood. Finally.

I'll let you know what I think...

still out of gas...

...but, hopefully, a longer post will come later in the week.

Off to watch election results and prep for a callback...

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

i'm not feeling creative

Wow, this 365 thing is going to be HARD. I don't really feel like posting anything today. I made a commitment, though, and I'm going to honor it.

So...

How are you?

Great.

Me? I'm fine. Keeping busy. Painted my new room today, although I won't move in there until Friday. Did a reading in a HUGE renovated brownstone - so gorgeous. Got dinner from Chipotle.

(sigh)

OK, well, I'm gonna kill some time before bed. Hope you have a good evening! See you tomorrow!

this about sums it up

via text message, in response to a question about my recent mental state

Doing ok...trying to stay out of trouble...

Fried Fish #4

Lazy day today - can't seem to find the strength to get out of bed. So I've been in here for a while with my laptop. Good times.

(I'm actually going to get up in a few minutes, because I'm STARVING.)

Your link for the last Friday in January? A pop culture mix tape from the folks at Pajiba. Enjoy!

i don't care what anybody says

...the hardest thing to do in the world is to leave someone when they are asking you to stay.

seeing a ghost

One thing I forgot to mention from yesterday:

When I do this standardized patient stuff, I play a character with some kind of medical issue. The student comes into the room and is supposed to gather important info to give to the doctor. We do this for about ten minutes, and then the attending physician and I give them feedback. Basically, I'm doing improv. For the students, it's an exercise in developing rapport with patients.

So yesterday, this student walked in. I could tell she was pretty, but I was kind of focusing on something else. But when she sat down to do the interview, she did something kind of unusual (and brilliant): she sat down next to me, instead of across the table. So I was about 4 feet away from her, and so (of course) I could really look at her.

And my heart almost stopped.

Why?

Because she was the spitting image of The One That Got Away.

I dated this woman in high school and college, and, without getting into the whole story, basically blew the one shot I had at making something work. The last time I talked to her was two days before her wedding, to tell her I wasn't coming. She was kind of pissed. And she also kind of rebuked me in her Christmas card that year.

I called her parents (who love me) a couple of years ago to get her number, because I had been dreaming about her for a couple of weeks straight, and I left a dumb-ass message on her answering machine. I never heard back from her. Which is probably for the best.

Anyway, this girl was like a taller version of her, and it totally freaked me out. I was able to hold it together during the interview (though I gave up some info probably before I should have), but afterwards I kind of mock-collapsed and told the people in the room the deal. Fortunately they all thought it was funny.

Heath Ledger 1979-2008

I was really shocked and saddened to hear this news yesterday - it was totally one of those "that's gotta be a hoax" statements. Crazy.

I guess one of the reasons that this hit me so hard is that he was sort of a peer of mine. Granted, he was WAY higher up on the pyramid than I am, but we're all in the same gang, you know?

He was very good at what he did, and it looked like he was just getting started. He will be missed.

up and down day

written on a subway platform in Manhattan

Up and down day today. I'll explain, notes-style:

- Audition for play today. It ended up going two hours, and it was a great experience. I busted my ass in prep for this, working deep into the night and early this morning. They said they wanted to make a quick decision, though, and I didn't hear anything, so my hopes are dim. Still, there's a chance. And the artistic director mentioned that they're doing another play next year that's perfect for me, so we'll see.

- Played with the med school kids, which was a fun experience. Everyone got something out of it, and I actually had fun.

- Got an e-mail from the artistic director of the theater in Rockport (where I spent last summer) telling me that there wasn't a spot for me this summer, confirming my suspicions. I thought I was friends with this guy, but he seems to be doing the opposite of everything he told me he would do. So that means I won't get to play with Fred and Ginger and Power Broker West and Snapple and Big Bird, which makes me sad.

- Work tonight sucked. Lots of angsty teens, and several fights. At one point it seemed like all hell was breaking loose. The cops were called twice.

- Heath Ledger died. I'm strangely very upset by this, maybe because he's only a couple of years younger than me.

- I missed my train, as in it was pulling away as I went through the turnstile. I've been waiting here for 13 minutes.

I'm looking forward to going home, making myself some tea, putting up my feet, and forgetting about everything else.

HERE IT COMES!

here it is

Warning: this will be a long post. And one that will be stream-of-conscious, too, so give me a break if this rambles/meanders.

Sometimes I find it very difficult to be honest on here. It's not so hard with my online friends. It's with the people who read the blog on Tuesday and hang out with me on Thursday. I know that they're going to hold my feet to the fire.

Furthermore, I have a habit of soliciting advice from lots of people before making a decision. I generally tell myself that it helps me to talk out my decisions, and that having different perspectives is always useful. I mean, if I were a politician, I'd govern by consensus. But lately I've come to realize that getting advice from others has become a way for me to make the "politically correct" or "normal" decision. I'm afraid to make a mistake. I don't want to be attacked, or made fun of.

Which brings us to the mystery I mentioned last week. I'm "dating" Snapple again. We were watching reality TV last week, and then we had some drinks and had a long conversation, and it just kind of happened. I realized that I had made some assumptions about her that weren't necessarily true, and she said that she just wanted to hang out and have a good time and see what happened, and said she understood when I told her that I didn't think it was going anywhere, and from there you can probably guess where it went. So it's been almost two weeks, and I'm having a lot of fun with her.

I haven't told many people about this, mostly because the reaction ranges from, "Wow...well, if you're having fun and it's honest..." to, "You're dishonorable and an asshole." But I kept thinking, look, I'm being up front with her, and she seems like she really just wants to hang out and have fun, and at a certain point when someone tells you the same thing over and over again - don't you just have to believe it, and put the rest on them?

It's still been bothering me, though.

And then there's Maxine.

Her reaction was of the "you're an asshole" variety. She's currently not speaking to me, except for short terse e-mails and text messages when she needs info from me. And it's killing me.

She is driving me crazy. 90% of the time I want to be with her. 5% of the time I think she's uptight/picky/anal. And the other 5% of the time I want to throw her out of the window. But I love her. I'm not over her. We've been doing this "will we or won't we" tango for 14 months now, and it's driving both of us crazy. So, even though on Saturday night she said that she's not over the guy who broke up with her a month ago, and even though she hooked up with him in a situation awfully similar to my "reunion" with Snapple, she's furious.

Look, I understand why she's mad. She wants to be with her dude, but he's basically saying, "It's not you, it's me." And then she sees me do the same thing to Snapple. And then, after their encounter, the next time they saw each other he was completely hands off; I, however, am continuing to hang with Snapple. It doesn't take a rocket scientist.

I am just utterly, utterly frustrated.

I know that I have to make up my own mind, that no matter what anybody tells me, I have to come to the decision on my own. I know that I will probably break things off sooner than later with Snapple, because she's a great woman who deserves better, and because I can't live with the guilt.

But I don't know what to do about Maxine. I know that part of the reason I'm reluctant to get back together with her is because a lot of my friends will be pissed (years ago, two of my best friends in the world told me that they wouldn't come to the wedding if i married her - we were all drunk off our asses, but still, that stings). I know that another reason is that she broke my heart four years ago and I don't want to go back to that. I don't know if I could handle that. I know that another reason is that I like being single, and I want to hook up with Trouble when I go visit Valley City, and I don't want to be one of those actors who cheats on his wife in every town.

I also wonder if she's "the one". Like, does that even exist? I keep waiting to meet some woman and have it hit me in the face like a truck, that they are right for me. I thought that I felt that with the Power Broker. I think that, if she ever left her asshole boyfriend, I could get there with the Power Broker West. And I felt it when I first spoke to Maxine. But I don't trust it anymore.

Wow. I'm boring myself with my words. I think I should go to bed. I think that doing this Hamlet monologue tomorrow morning may be the best medicine for me.

Are they really supposed to be crunchy?

That's just wrong.

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.

now that's cold

Listen, folks, if you've ever read my blog, you know that I love football. Love it.

But there's NO WAY that I would sit through tonight's NFC Championship Game if I was given a free ticket.

You know what the temperature is supposed to be tonight in Green Bay, WI (where the game is taking place)?

0.

That's right.

Zero degrees.

Fahrenheit.

With a wind chill of negative fifteen.

That does not sound like fun. That sounds like torture.

And yet, if you turn on your TV at 6:30, you'll see 75,000 Packer fans wrapped in blankets and coats, supporting their team.

That's love.

i am now officially an adult...

...because I just bought a bed. I really wanted a queen-sized one, but it won't fit in my new room, and I couldn't get it downstairs into my current setup, so I have to settle for the full. I'm pretty jazzed, though. Macy's was having a clearance, so I got the bad boy for half off! Good times.

And yesterday I went to IKEA and bought dishes and glasses and mugs with saucers. Add this to my couch purchase, and I am on the way to full fledged adulthood!

(At 30.)

Fried Fish #3...

...and post #500. Amazing. Can't believe it's been that many.

We'll be visiting nos. 600, 700, and 800 before the year is through, believe you me.

Anyway, here's your link for the day: Pajiba's Tearjerkiest Moments of the Last 20 Years, or Scenes That Will Make You Lose Your Shit. Really good stuff. Happy reading/watching!

Mobile post sent by Rover using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

see! i am a nice roommate

written in my living room on my laptop

January 17, 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is The Rover, and I am the leaseholder on the apartment at my address in Brooklyn, NY. I am writing this letter on behalf of my stupid roommate. My stupid roommate is living in my apartment, and has been a tenant at this address since October of 2007. Attached is a copy of my lease. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns. Thank you.

Sincerely,

The Rover

blog housekeeping

My post from Sunday is finally up - sorry it took me forever and a day to transcribe it, but I've had other things on my plate.

I'm looking to change my template. Anyone have any suggestions for me? At first I thought this pukey green color fit well with the idea of collard greens, but now I just hate it.

I'm having girl issues again, but I'm not quite ready to write about it. Maybe tomorrow. That, of course, will answer the mystery question I posed a couple of days ago...

Off to shower and watch this past weekend's football games. Enjoy your Wednesday.

vote for my friend!

So, I have a friend who is a big football fan. (I know, shocking!) He was on his way home the other day and noticed a big Sprint/NFL Tour truck in the parking lot of his neighborhood Best Buy. They have this game where you can get into a booth and do some play-by-play of NFL games.

Long story short, he was picked as one of the top five of the day! Fan voting then determines the winner, who wins a $200 shopping spree at NFL.com, and is entered into a drawing for two Super Bowl tickets. Good times, right?

Anyway, my friend is trying to win the vote, and I mentioned that my blog might be a vehicle for a few votes, if my friends/readers are bored enough. If you want to help my pal out, go over to www.sprint.com/nfltour, and click on the star in the Texas region. Then click on "Watauga, TX 1/13" and look for Joe P. He (and I) would appreciate it.

Maybe, if we're all lucky, he'll buy us a hat or a wristband or something.

oh, man...

I was doing a reading as a favor for a friend, and missed an opportunity to do a reading for a HUGE theater! Darn it...

They did say that they would definitely use me in the future, so that makes me happy, but still...

Oh well. I've been doing a million readings lately, so I'm bound to hit every venue in the city sooner or later.

i'm not late

I did make a post yesterday, off-line. I haven't uploaded it yet because, well... I wasn't at home last night. I didn't get home until 5pm.

Where was I? That's the next post.

I've got a few things to get done here - balancing my checkbook, paying some bills, making a few phone calls - and then I'll explain.

i sound hot

written on a Brooklyn-bound subway train

I just recorded a post on my phone, but in case it doesn't work, here's a back-up.

Headed home from a reading. I was just reading the stage directions (description of the characters' actions, in case you know nothing about theater), which is pretty easy, but apparently my voice wanted a higher degree of difficulty, because only 40% of it showed up. So now I sound real sexy. (This happened to me a couple of months ago, while in Valley City - can't remember if I wrote about it or not.)

(This dude is being real shady, waffling on whether or not to go between cars. Make up your mind!)

I hate to admit this as a trained theater professional, but I kind of like it when my voice goes out for no reason. Unless it hurts. There's just something about the quality that I dig. Is that weird?

Looking forward to getting off the train so I can eat.

shopping spree

I'm about to embark on a shopping spree of unprecedented proportion - at least, for me.

My good roommate is moving out at the end of the month, and she's taking a lot of the apartment with her. After all, she was the one who bought it in the first place. Because the bad roommate is fresh out of college (and therefore could exist with just a chair, air mattress, and television), and StefStar (who is replacing the good roommate) is a transient, it's up to me to provide for my living space.

So, I now have to buy:

a couch (the top item on the list today)
pots & pans
dishes (though I have some in Pittsburgh to rescue from the clutches of my parents' basement)
a kitchen cabinet (we just really need one)
a coffee table
a rug
a bed (because I'm 30, and it's not cute for me to sleep on a futon anymore)

First up is the cabinet and the couch - Maxine is going with me, because I have no taste. ;-) I would also accept donations...

Fried Fish #2

Not sold on the name for my Friday links, but we're gonna go with it for now. Unless you have a better idea.

Today's offering - why I love living in NYC:



Click to expand. Thanks to tuckergurl, who I stole this from.

on location at the job

written at a small studio in Manhattan

Sitting in a studio in midtown, waiting to do a workshop. It's been one of those days, where all of my appointments are two hours apart and fifteen minutes away from each other. I started at 9:30, and I really haven't stopped. I'll be done by nine, though - plenty of time to kick it with Big Bird and Maxine for a couple of hours before passing out.

These workshops are weird. All of these actors, freshly scrubbed and pressed, looking for the tip that will give them a leg up, hoping to meet the person that will give them their Big Break. I have to admit that it's hard to resist the temptation to chat up some of the finer-looking ladies here - there are always a couple that are off-the-charts. I find that chasing girls causes me to lose focus though, so I have to satisfy myself with a glance here and there.

There is one exception to this rule - the assistant to the casting director is close to my physical ideal - she's so gorgeous she makes me a little bit dumber. I don't want to ruin my chances at working with these people someday, but if I get her alone, I'm going to have to ask her out.

One of the annoying things about these things is that there are also quite a few people who are - how can I be nice about this? I can't, so I'll just say it - they're bad. Really horrid. I applaud them for having the bravery to get up here and do this, but I feel bad that casting directors take advantage of people who clearly aren't ready. But hey, what are you gonna do?

I'm 15 minutes away from showtime, so I should look over my lines and focus (as I write this, the hot assistant just walked across my field of vision, along with 2 other beautiful women - this will be easier said than done).

am i a criminal?

Yesterday, I ran out of lip balm. This is a huge problem for me - I need to keep my smackers moisturized, you know? So I stop in a drugstore by the subway.

It's an independent drug store, so there are no signs on the aisles. I cruise down three of them - no lip balm (though I did find a Vitamin Water, my newest vice). Walking by the back register, I found some. Yay!

Except...it was the right brand (Burt's Beeswax) but not the right kind. One had pomegranate oil. One was honey-flavored. One came in those little tins you have to dip your finger in. I just wanted the regular ol' Burt's! But, alas, none in sight. So I bought the one with the fancy oil.

BUT!

On the way out of the store, I wandered down an aisle I hadn't been down - and found a whole stash of lip balm - including my chosen kind! I was happy, but dismayed that I hadn't bought the right one.

So what did I do?

I picked up one of the regular lip balms, put the one I bought down, and walked out of the store.

Does this make me a shoplifter?

Clinton beats Obama...

...and proves, once again, that the pollsters have no idea what they're talking about.

At least it gives the talking heads something to obsess about for the next few weeks.

I have to say, though, I hope this is actually a race with some suspense. This is what I enjoy about politics. (I don't enjoy, "What a great comeback I've made," which we've heard from both winners tonight. Maybe they shouldn't have read their speeches off the page.)

Any predictions for the general election? Of course, tonight proves that you can't take anything to the bank...

Colbert & Stewart

Sorry for the short post below: I wanted to write about those two programs, but they weren't going to end before midnight, and I didn't want to miss my deadline. Hence, those three sentences.

Anyway, I watched them, and it amazes me that the networks want these guys to go back on the air. They HAVE to know that they're going to spend half of their time taking shots at management. It doesn't seem to be the best way to hold your position, you know?

I'm glad that the shows are back, but I don't think they're going to be watchable for very long. Let's hope that this strike can get settled sooner rather than later. Then we can all go back to rotting our brains on TV...um...I mean...the sooner that I can start working in another medium!

quick tv post

Watching Daily Show & Colbert.

I hate the strike.

Thoughts soon.

feeling a bit better

...I guess. Thanks for the sympathy. It's amazing that I can still get this worked up over football, right?

Had brunch with my friend Big Bird, who is in town for a few weeks. He's not a sports guy at all, so we spent two hours talking about our jobs, and my super-fun adventures with the ladies (the two of us went to grad school together, so he's seen it all).

Tonight I'm meeting up with a girl I work with. I'm not sure if it's a date or a "hang-out" situation. I'm going into it with low expectations, but I'm prepared to buy several rounds of drinks. I think she's pretty hot, and she seems nice...I'm just not sure how this will go.

And...well...let's just say that there may be a couple more irons on the fire. I'm accepting nicknames...

As always, full update later.

SO annoyed...

...that the Steelers lost. They got down early, made a HUGE comeback - and got beat by a QB draw on 4th and 2. Unbelievable.

This team was too banged-up to win a championship. But they gave a great effort, and they probably should have won.

I'll be frustrated for a few days...probably don't need to see any more highlights or talk about it at all...

short post

The roommate is leaving on March 1, which makes me happy. I'll get into the story later, maybe on Monday. Still trying to figure out who will take his place - you know anyone interested?

Right now I'm getting fired up for a weekend of playoff football. The Steelers play at 8 - keep your fingers crossed for them, please.

Fried fish

So I've been wanting to do some kind of "link of the week" thing forever. I keep running across these crazy things on the Internets, and I want to share them. Maybe you'll think they're funny. Maybe you'll think they're dumb. But at least you'll be entertained for a few minutes.

Plus, this essentially gives me something to post every Friday. ;-)

So, without further ado (warning - strong language):

offline post rules

I did my first non-Blogger post on the second day of the year. (It's below.) Crazy.

Just to let you know how these will go, I've decided to post any offline entries completely as-is. Then, if I want to fix or add or clarify something, I'll post it in the comments. Feel free to add your own, if you feel like making fun of my poor spelling or crazy talk (like the post below). I'll also put any important information you need to know, like location, in italics above the post.

With that, I'm going to sleep for a few hours. Sleeping upright on a plane does not compare to the comfort of my crappy futon.

seatmate woes

written on a New York-bound JetBlue flight

Didn't think I'd go to the notebook this early, did you? ;-)

The girl next to me - sitting in the middle seat - is getting on my nerves. She asked me to switch to another middle seat so she could sit w/her friend - like that was gonna happen - and then tried to crawl over me. I had been under the impression that our middle seat was empty.

Then she started copying me. Ordering the same stuff, watching the same TV program - it sucks.

Plus, she smells.

4 hours left.

oh yeah

Totally forgot to tell you guys - I solved my apartment woes!

I had a mini-epiphany on Saturday afternoon, after looking at another crappy apartment in a less-than-desirable location. What were the biggest problems with the place I was in now? I liked the location, and I liked the price. After mulling it over, I came up with two:

1. Not enough sunlight.

2. My 22 yr old roommate.

Problem #1 could be easily solved. My cool roommate (a faithful reader of this blog) is moving out next month. I could just move upstairs and take her room. Done.

But what about #2? He's been there since September, and he's been planning to take over the lease. And he's got another friend from college that he wants to move in - and having another one of him would just drive me CRAZY.

Then I realized - he's not on the lease now.

I am.

It's my apartment.

So, I'm going to ask him to leave. Done.

I'll go into further detail about this later (since I'm obviously going to need things to post about).

Wedding of the Century II

I know, I know, you remember me talking about my brother's wedding as The Wedding of the Century. Well, this one was comparable. (Hey, if college football can have the Game of the Century every few years, why can't I do the same?)

The ceremony was the best I've ever been to. They had a slide show, and some friends danced and sang. But the most impressive part was the vows. I've never seen such a raw, honest, naked, eloquent expression of love. Neither one of them was afraid to bare their souls in front of 250 people - but it felt like you were listening to a private conversation. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. (Not that I cried...um...well...it just got a bit dusty in there - you know?)

I've got one more day in San Francisco; then it's a red-eye back to New York, where 2008 begins for me in full force. I'm very excited!