It's Halloween! Remember when it was scary and fun and mystical?!
If I remember correctly I was living here in this same apartment last year and we had zero trick or treat kids. Ah well.
I have a birthday in 3 days. I was almost born on Halloween. I have a childhood memory of my dad saying my name would have been "Goblin" if I would have been born on 10/31. It seems like my dad is now more like he was when I was a kid...a slightly mischieveous prankster. Just slightly. There was a period from my teens to twenties when time was rough...maybe it was two kids and college money. But I remember little tidbits from my youth like that.
My mom used to cut my hair in the kitchen and he would always come in and offer to do it saying he'd give me a buzz cut or a mohawk. Or when we were at the Smithsonian when I was about 5-6 years old. There were skulls in a display case. He said when I died he would put my skull in there and I thought that was the coolest thing. My mom didn't seem to care much for the comment.
I think my dad helped me develop my sense of humor. Anytime I left a light on, left stuff on a desk, or got in his way while the TV was on I got: "Are you in [room with light on that I wasn't in anymore]?"; "The sofa's not a desk."; or "you make a better door than a window." This helped me because I would start coming up with clever retorts to the 'dad burns'.
Now it's come full circle and I usually am telling Deanna to turn lights off or rinse her dishes. Ah well, the legacy continues!
Monday, October 31, 2005
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Great Show!
Had a fun show tonight at IO. Our suggestion was "Ice" and I went into a scene knowing I was Vanilla Ice and I was pissed that my career sucked. Emily pimped me into singing to her and the music that was already playing was soft and ballad-esque as a sort of musical score for the scene. I just started singing Ice Ice Baby but to the music and everyone jumped in and made it this big awesome thing.
I've been going through a phase where I haven't been hungry at all and I haven't been sleeping well. I'm hungry again, but my sleep is still semi-crappy. Every night I go to sleep hoping it will be a good night's sleep. I've been robbed each night...of sleep. No sleep, I guess is what I'm trying to say.
And now Declan has nothing to do.
I've been going through a phase where I haven't been hungry at all and I haven't been sleeping well. I'm hungry again, but my sleep is still semi-crappy. Every night I go to sleep hoping it will be a good night's sleep. I've been robbed each night...of sleep. No sleep, I guess is what I'm trying to say.
And now Declan has nothing to do.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
CORN!
Sunday we went out to a corn maze. It was more than awesome.
I moved here in March of 2003. In October of that year, there was promise of a ComedySportz gathering to go out to a corn maze. I was excited...it never happened.
The following year, remembering the awful cancellation of the prior trip, plans were made again. 10/04 would be TRIUMPHANT! ... No. Didn't happen. A lot of people blamed Shad for no real reason. I was the first and loudest of said blamers.
This year, I didn't get my hopes up. WE DID IT! There were 20 of us all in all. A mix of CSz-ers, friends or family of CSz-ers, and just other improvisors.
10 acres of corn, at night, nearly full moon in a cloudless sky. The first half of the maze isn't haunted...the second half IS!
All sorts of people dressed in dark cloaks, hiding in corn and jumping out. A couple of guys with chainsaws. One Scarecrow who would be up on a stick one minute, then gone then next. And of course...a gorilla. What? Yes...a gorilla. Probably the one that scared me the most too. Deanna got scared a LOT and her back was sore when she got back home.
On the Thursday before the corn, Deanna and I got tickets to see the Second City Mainstage show. Technically it was the last night it would be it's full self. They're starting to work on the next show and that means using the post-show improv sets to work on new material that could get entered into the show as soon as it's good. Luckily they weren't doing this stuff yet, Molly (who graced us with tickets) invited us to do the improv set after their show. The audience is invited to hang out for it.
Deanna and I were a little nervous but we went up there. I wasn't too happy with my first scene, but had fun as an Inuit Psychologist in my second scene.
Good times.
I moved here in March of 2003. In October of that year, there was promise of a ComedySportz gathering to go out to a corn maze. I was excited...it never happened.
The following year, remembering the awful cancellation of the prior trip, plans were made again. 10/04 would be TRIUMPHANT! ... No. Didn't happen. A lot of people blamed Shad for no real reason. I was the first and loudest of said blamers.
This year, I didn't get my hopes up. WE DID IT! There were 20 of us all in all. A mix of CSz-ers, friends or family of CSz-ers, and just other improvisors.
10 acres of corn, at night, nearly full moon in a cloudless sky. The first half of the maze isn't haunted...the second half IS!
All sorts of people dressed in dark cloaks, hiding in corn and jumping out. A couple of guys with chainsaws. One Scarecrow who would be up on a stick one minute, then gone then next. And of course...a gorilla. What? Yes...a gorilla. Probably the one that scared me the most too. Deanna got scared a LOT and her back was sore when she got back home.
On the Thursday before the corn, Deanna and I got tickets to see the Second City Mainstage show. Technically it was the last night it would be it's full self. They're starting to work on the next show and that means using the post-show improv sets to work on new material that could get entered into the show as soon as it's good. Luckily they weren't doing this stuff yet, Molly (who graced us with tickets) invited us to do the improv set after their show. The audience is invited to hang out for it.
Deanna and I were a little nervous but we went up there. I wasn't too happy with my first scene, but had fun as an Inuit Psychologist in my second scene.
Good times.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Halloween = SPIDERS!!!
or "What the short people in front of me don't find with their faces."
It's October, and it's finally starting to feel like it around here. Yesterday Deanna dropped her phone (my old phone that was exactly like the one she had that died) and did something bad to it. So today she bought a Blackberry 7100g for pretty cheap from some guy. Where was this guy? Aurora, IL...that's where. She asked if I wanted to come and I said "No...but I will". I had zero to do today so I figured I'd kill a couple hours. It's about 41 miles away...it's Columbus Day...we left at 1:30 and got back around 6:30. Granted, we did stop to eat, but "see you later, day" *waves*.
She then left for rehearsal and I went to 7-11 for delicious sugar water...Pepsi...which is better than Coke, no matter WHAT Robyn Norris says. I went out the back door and noticed a spider by the light. Then noticed another. I had seen them before and thought "I should get my camera out". So tonight!...I did.
CAREFUL! THEY ARE SPOOKY!
Equally as spooky were the cool shadows cast by this porch light without it's decorative cover.
It's October, and it's finally starting to feel like it around here. Yesterday Deanna dropped her phone (my old phone that was exactly like the one she had that died) and did something bad to it. So today she bought a Blackberry 7100g for pretty cheap from some guy. Where was this guy? Aurora, IL...that's where. She asked if I wanted to come and I said "No...but I will". I had zero to do today so I figured I'd kill a couple hours. It's about 41 miles away...it's Columbus Day...we left at 1:30 and got back around 6:30. Granted, we did stop to eat, but "see you later, day" *waves*.
She then left for rehearsal and I went to 7-11 for delicious sugar water...Pepsi...which is better than Coke, no matter WHAT Robyn Norris says. I went out the back door and noticed a spider by the light. Then noticed another. I had seen them before and thought "I should get my camera out". So tonight!...I did.
CAREFUL! THEY ARE SPOOKY!
Equally as spooky were the cool shadows cast by this porch light without it's decorative cover.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Pet Peeves
I can't remember how these got planted in my mind...be it comedian or someone else's peeves.
Two simple phrases that people use a lot: "To be honest..." and "In my personal opinion..."
1) "To be honest..." or anything like that ("I honestly think...", anything with "honest"). Anytime I hear someone say this I think to myself "so, THIS is the sentence I should trust. All of the other sentences were lies, but THIS one is honest." Let this be planted in your brain and you will hear almost EVERYONE say this at some point. It also can be taken as the opposite sometimes. "Why would he say he's being honest? He must really want me to believe this...I don't buy it."
2) "In my personal opinion..." or even just "In my opinion...". Ugh. Look, you're talking right? I can already assume what you're telling me is an opinion, and if I can assume it's an opinion coming from you that it must be personal.
3) "In my honest opinion..." ... the combo. Not only did I assume it was your opinion 'cause you were telling me, but now I have to determine whether everything you've been saying is a lie.
People are story tellers. People forget things. When we tell a story we heard we make up for what we forgot, usually by embellishing.
Oh
Also
People who dress up their pets, or people who dress their twin children in the same outfits...STOP IT!
Two simple phrases that people use a lot: "To be honest..." and "In my personal opinion..."
1) "To be honest..." or anything like that ("I honestly think...", anything with "honest"). Anytime I hear someone say this I think to myself "so, THIS is the sentence I should trust. All of the other sentences were lies, but THIS one is honest." Let this be planted in your brain and you will hear almost EVERYONE say this at some point. It also can be taken as the opposite sometimes. "Why would he say he's being honest? He must really want me to believe this...I don't buy it."
2) "In my personal opinion..." or even just "In my opinion...". Ugh. Look, you're talking right? I can already assume what you're telling me is an opinion, and if I can assume it's an opinion coming from you that it must be personal.
3) "In my honest opinion..." ... the combo. Not only did I assume it was your opinion 'cause you were telling me, but now I have to determine whether everything you've been saying is a lie.
People are story tellers. People forget things. When we tell a story we heard we make up for what we forgot, usually by embellishing.
Oh
Also
People who dress up their pets, or people who dress their twin children in the same outfits...STOP IT!
Friday, October 07, 2005
Hey...Improvisors
Just updating for the sake of it. I've been getting irritated with improv lately. To the point where I took a break from doing The Beatbox. I see too many improvisors coasting through shows and over loading their schedules...bad combo. Too the point where I started doing it. When I got back from Maine I stopped doing two different shows. That left me with three. Now I'm down to ComedySportz and ImprovOlympic. I can feel something big coming...whether it's good or not I can't tell.
If you're an improvisor, and you read this, and you rely on the same bits to get through your shows, or you have no realization of how the audience is reacting to the energy level of the show while you're in the show...all I ask is that you try something new and think of the audience.
I know too many performers who come to shows like it's a chore...like they'd rather be doing anything. It shows on stage, and worse yet, it rubs off on the other performers. This usually happens in two ways. One, the performers match the crappy energy of the person who doesn't want to be there. Two, the performer notices the crappy energy of the person and the other performers infected and tries to over compensate with super energy. Neither are very effective...sometimes the second one is, but usually it comes across as creepy.
So, if you're doing a show that you don't want to be doing, stop doing it.
To my knowledge I've met one improvisor who can be in a pissy mood pre-show...but manages to not let it totally effect the others, and totally plays an A game when on stage. Kudos to you, unnamed improvisor.
If you're an improvisor, and you read this, and you rely on the same bits to get through your shows, or you have no realization of how the audience is reacting to the energy level of the show while you're in the show...all I ask is that you try something new and think of the audience.
I know too many performers who come to shows like it's a chore...like they'd rather be doing anything. It shows on stage, and worse yet, it rubs off on the other performers. This usually happens in two ways. One, the performers match the crappy energy of the person who doesn't want to be there. Two, the performer notices the crappy energy of the person and the other performers infected and tries to over compensate with super energy. Neither are very effective...sometimes the second one is, but usually it comes across as creepy.
So, if you're doing a show that you don't want to be doing, stop doing it.
To my knowledge I've met one improvisor who can be in a pissy mood pre-show...but manages to not let it totally effect the others, and totally plays an A game when on stage. Kudos to you, unnamed improvisor.
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