We're just a little over 22 hours until we're airborn(-e...you know, that vitamin tab you put in water that not only tastes bad but has also been proven to not really do anything but taste bad?).
Today everyone was way more solid as far as material went. Like I said earlier, you gotta sleep on it to make it stick.
We did a lot more work on the songs and got to run it through from start to finish a few times. We came in at 49 minutes without laughs. For you non-theater folks, holding for laughs will extend the show...it is hard to time that when it is just us going over it for the nth time.
I think we're all pretty solid and luckily we'll have a long flight to memorize anything and look at notes. Last time we only had the length of a flight to Miami, and we were dead tired. Tomorrow...I forget...twelve hour flight? Long. That is what I remember.
I have charged my iPod, Shuffle, and PC. Hopefully between all that and a book I bought I'll be okay. I'm hoping there will be a movie, and even more I'm hoping I sleep a lot.
If you know Deanna personally and want to get her blog, email her.
Other than that...BYE-YIIIIIIIIII!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Holy Crap! and A Follower
You guys...it is Thursday night. We leave in less than 48 hours!
Rehearsals started yesterday. 9am-6pm. So...day jobish. Yesterday after rehearsal we had told a bunch of people we were having a going away party type thing. All of our cast showed up and a nice assortment of mostly improvisor friends showed up. Thanks to everyone who came out, it was great to see you...especially if I knew who you were.
Our show line up includes two group songs that are improv based and those have taken up the majority of our time. The first day we worked part one and pretty much nailed it. Easy as pie. I was kind of thinking "whoa! Awesome! If that was easy the second one should be too!"
Well...
We're definitely getting it, but it was no easy task. Part of the difficulty is that there is a quick little callback to the first song in it which requires us remembering the first four lines. If we nail that...rock stars.
Every part of me just wants to pack and be ready. That will have to wait for tomorrow night at the soonest.
So, one more day of rehearsals that includes more work on the songs then running from open to close a few times. We'll still have some rehearsal time on the ship, but people are itching to get to the ports in Europe.
Also, I have 1 Follower. Hi Mr. B. I don't know who he is but he is listed as a follower of my blog. Yay.
Rehearsals started yesterday. 9am-6pm. So...day jobish. Yesterday after rehearsal we had told a bunch of people we were having a going away party type thing. All of our cast showed up and a nice assortment of mostly improvisor friends showed up. Thanks to everyone who came out, it was great to see you...especially if I knew who you were.
Our show line up includes two group songs that are improv based and those have taken up the majority of our time. The first day we worked part one and pretty much nailed it. Easy as pie. I was kind of thinking "whoa! Awesome! If that was easy the second one should be too!"
Well...
We're definitely getting it, but it was no easy task. Part of the difficulty is that there is a quick little callback to the first song in it which requires us remembering the first four lines. If we nail that...rock stars.
Every part of me just wants to pack and be ready. That will have to wait for tomorrow night at the soonest.
So, one more day of rehearsals that includes more work on the songs then running from open to close a few times. We'll still have some rehearsal time on the ship, but people are itching to get to the ports in Europe.
Also, I have 1 Follower. Hi Mr. B. I don't know who he is but he is listed as a follower of my blog. Yay.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Math
I've been trying to take a nice little chunk out of each day to work on lines. I really don't have all that many lines to memorize when it comes down to it. Our show is on a ship traveling through Europe...so English may still be a majority language from time to time on the ship, but if so...barely. Thus, our running order is more on the side of music and physicality.
I've found that memorization is easier with breaks. If I work on lines a little each day for a week before rehearsals I have the advantage of sleeping at night each day. Every night I sleep after working on lines makes them stick. A much better technique than working on them all day Tuesday (the day before rehearsals). Just like cramming for a test I guess. Sure, you'll remember the answers for the quiz the next day...but what about the next week and the next?
While I was working on lines I started trying to memorize the running order. Sometimes when you're out on stage you don't get the luxury of getting to go backstage to look at a running order and see what is next. I think I'm out for 3 or 4 in a row at one point...which is pretty common. As I was doing this I noticed that I was in a lot...of the 17 things we're doing, I'm not in 4. That's awesome. I also realized that that won't necessarily mean I'm in a majority of the show. Of our 45-50 minute show I'm already guaranteed to not be in 7-10 of those minutes (the Pictionary sketch). So, time-wise it probably works out evenly between everybody.
This time around Deanna and I are doing two contracts in a row for sure. Hopefully more if we're not burnt by then. Strangely, this has become the trend. It used to be the people doing the boats would do one and then there would be a big window of time in between them going on another...OR...it would be one person going for a year straight with some plan in mind of paying off bills and moving to LA or NY.
The current cast on the Gem all resigned on for a second contract (so they have been on 8 months and we're coming to take over). I might be misinformed, but I believe the cast of the Dawn just did the same...at least some of them did.
I'm itching to go.
In other news, my phone is acting like an idiot. I've had to reset it (take off the back, pop out the battery, pop back in) about 5 times today. Good that I won't even be using it in Europe. Also, my laptop (specifically the DVD ROM) is acting up. We bought it when we first went to Maine, so it is getting old. I'd love to pay off some debt before gaining some.
I've found that memorization is easier with breaks. If I work on lines a little each day for a week before rehearsals I have the advantage of sleeping at night each day. Every night I sleep after working on lines makes them stick. A much better technique than working on them all day Tuesday (the day before rehearsals). Just like cramming for a test I guess. Sure, you'll remember the answers for the quiz the next day...but what about the next week and the next?
While I was working on lines I started trying to memorize the running order. Sometimes when you're out on stage you don't get the luxury of getting to go backstage to look at a running order and see what is next. I think I'm out for 3 or 4 in a row at one point...which is pretty common. As I was doing this I noticed that I was in a lot...of the 17 things we're doing, I'm not in 4. That's awesome. I also realized that that won't necessarily mean I'm in a majority of the show. Of our 45-50 minute show I'm already guaranteed to not be in 7-10 of those minutes (the Pictionary sketch). So, time-wise it probably works out evenly between everybody.
This time around Deanna and I are doing two contracts in a row for sure. Hopefully more if we're not burnt by then. Strangely, this has become the trend. It used to be the people doing the boats would do one and then there would be a big window of time in between them going on another...OR...it would be one person going for a year straight with some plan in mind of paying off bills and moving to LA or NY.
The current cast on the Gem all resigned on for a second contract (so they have been on 8 months and we're coming to take over). I might be misinformed, but I believe the cast of the Dawn just did the same...at least some of them did.
I'm itching to go.
In other news, my phone is acting like an idiot. I've had to reset it (take off the back, pop out the battery, pop back in) about 5 times today. Good that I won't even be using it in Europe. Also, my laptop (specifically the DVD ROM) is acting up. We bought it when we first went to Maine, so it is getting old. I'd love to pay off some debt before gaining some.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The "One Week" Mark
Here we are. One week.
The nice thing about this time out on the ships is our flight leaves at 4:30 in the afternoon. So we can sleep normally, get ready, and head out.
Last time our flight left aroudn 4:30 or so...in the morning. I remember getting there and we all decided to check our bags with the sky cab so they would go through faster. There were two guys. Everyone in the cast managed to make it through with one guy while I was helped by the old guy. Let's just say service wasn't speedy.
Shows last night were fun. Crowds were a little lighter than I had hoped, but fun all the same. My secret plan was that if the crowd was rockin' and someone seemed super into it I was going to take the "sports genre" to the next level and throw my jersey to them. I have both of my jerseys still.
Here's a secret game I would play while at ComedySportz to keep players on their toes, and possibly in their heads. If it is a rhyming game or some fast paced talking game, before we start I would whisper in someone from the other team's ear "Don't say AIDS." Or if it was someone next to me in a rap game I might whisper "Don't say SIDS" and then set them up to rhyme the word "kids."
It's psychology. That's all they would think about and they would either fight past it or crumple in confusion at not being able to think of anything else. My favorite time this happened was a game called worlds worst where you try to show the worlds worst thing to do or say in a situation based on the suggestion. We were in an auditorium on a remote and the sound was really echo-y. The suggestion was "teacher" or something...maybe not that. I told Josh "don't say AIDS." He was the first person to step forward and said "Look mom, I got A's!" As in "on my report card." All of the players, because of the echo, heard "Look mom, I got AIDS!"
I thought it was the boldest move to go up and be all "I'm not scared to say it."
Memories.
The nice thing about this time out on the ships is our flight leaves at 4:30 in the afternoon. So we can sleep normally, get ready, and head out.
Last time our flight left aroudn 4:30 or so...in the morning. I remember getting there and we all decided to check our bags with the sky cab so they would go through faster. There were two guys. Everyone in the cast managed to make it through with one guy while I was helped by the old guy. Let's just say service wasn't speedy.
Shows last night were fun. Crowds were a little lighter than I had hoped, but fun all the same. My secret plan was that if the crowd was rockin' and someone seemed super into it I was going to take the "sports genre" to the next level and throw my jersey to them. I have both of my jerseys still.
Here's a secret game I would play while at ComedySportz to keep players on their toes, and possibly in their heads. If it is a rhyming game or some fast paced talking game, before we start I would whisper in someone from the other team's ear "Don't say AIDS." Or if it was someone next to me in a rap game I might whisper "Don't say SIDS" and then set them up to rhyme the word "kids."
It's psychology. That's all they would think about and they would either fight past it or crumple in confusion at not being able to think of anything else. My favorite time this happened was a game called worlds worst where you try to show the worlds worst thing to do or say in a situation based on the suggestion. We were in an auditorium on a remote and the sound was really echo-y. The suggestion was "teacher" or something...maybe not that. I told Josh "don't say AIDS." He was the first person to step forward and said "Look mom, I got A's!" As in "on my report card." All of the players, because of the echo, heard "Look mom, I got AIDS!"
I thought it was the boldest move to go up and be all "I'm not scared to say it."
Memories.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Rizzutto/Rizzuto and Lasts
Tonight is my last ComedySportz show for good and my last Beatbox show until I return. Last night was Deanna's last show and she was a ref. I had mentioned something about doing a few bits for her if she wanted. Basically I was just going to dress like a ref and carry her out at the show opening and start of second half. But, she wanted me to team ref. So I did. She also picked all the games without letting the teams know what they were. Normally they get to pick their own. It was the most playful show I had seen in awhile. Apparently, in an effort to be playful with Deanna and throw her curve balls as well, Jon Forsythe put on a hat and shouted 5 things suggestions from the audience and Deanna didn't notice until the end of suggestions. I was out of the room and missed it.
As for Rizzutto/Rizzuto. There is one place in Italy I need to go to before I die. Calabria. It is where the Rizzuttos are from and there is even a Capo de Rizzuto. Calabria is on the tip of the boot:
(Here is where you would have seen a map, but my dad clicked on it and he got a virus...hopefully you didn't...regardless, BYE MAP!)
It just so happens that our ship goes straight through that passage when we go from Malta to Naples. I'm hoping it will be good enough for pictures. Tamara, I get to see Calabria!
As for Rizzutto/Rizzuto. There is one place in Italy I need to go to before I die. Calabria. It is where the Rizzuttos are from and there is even a Capo de Rizzuto. Calabria is on the tip of the boot:
(Here is where you would have seen a map, but my dad clicked on it and he got a virus...hopefully you didn't...regardless, BYE MAP!)
It just so happens that our ship goes straight through that passage when we go from Malta to Naples. I'm hoping it will be good enough for pictures. Tamara, I get to see Calabria!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Oh no...AND, 9 Days!
9 Days Left! Today I bought a couple of new white shirts...button-down and fitted...for the show.
Other than that, I've been on a root beer kick lately. It started when I saw that Jewel/Osco (grocery store) had Jones Soda root beer on sale. All of their sodas are in bottles by the 4-pack. Lately, instead of just going back there I go to a nearby mart and by a can of A&W root beer.
Jones soda root beer is the best. A&W is pretty good too.
Today, the mart was out of A&W, but had Barq's (Barq's rootbeer has bite...available in your area). So I bought some. Yuck-o. Still able to drink, but nowhere as delicious as A&W or Jones. Surprise surprise, Robyn Norris...it's made by coke. Coca-cola, churning out crappy drinks since Pepsi came around to compare it to.
I don't remember who...maybe Jeremy...but I had a minor debate over whether barq's had caffeine or not and I knew for sure it did because "Barq's root beer has bite...available in your area." That little jingle stuck in my head for good.
9-days!
Part of our show is a song about an audience member with a specific format to it...originally done in a show with Horatio Sanz and Jerry Minor. Jerry Minor was on SNL for awhile (as was Horatio) and then did some other stuff. He has a video on youtube that I will include below. I think it is funny because he is talking hard about all the money he makes from residual paychecks...and then shows the checks and their amounts.
Keep in mind he is doing a character/mockery of typical youtube posts complete with bad editing effects. *WARNING* swears and stuff.
Other than that, I've been on a root beer kick lately. It started when I saw that Jewel/Osco (grocery store) had Jones Soda root beer on sale. All of their sodas are in bottles by the 4-pack. Lately, instead of just going back there I go to a nearby mart and by a can of A&W root beer.
Jones soda root beer is the best. A&W is pretty good too.
Today, the mart was out of A&W, but had Barq's (Barq's rootbeer has bite...available in your area). So I bought some. Yuck-o. Still able to drink, but nowhere as delicious as A&W or Jones. Surprise surprise, Robyn Norris...it's made by coke. Coca-cola, churning out crappy drinks since Pepsi came around to compare it to.
I don't remember who...maybe Jeremy...but I had a minor debate over whether barq's had caffeine or not and I knew for sure it did because "Barq's root beer has bite...available in your area." That little jingle stuck in my head for good.
9-days!
Part of our show is a song about an audience member with a specific format to it...originally done in a show with Horatio Sanz and Jerry Minor. Jerry Minor was on SNL for awhile (as was Horatio) and then did some other stuff. He has a video on youtube that I will include below. I think it is funny because he is talking hard about all the money he makes from residual paychecks...and then shows the checks and their amounts.
Keep in mind he is doing a character/mockery of typical youtube posts complete with bad editing effects. *WARNING* swears and stuff.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
11 Days
Remember how we got our scripts 13 days before we left last time? Well that would have meant we got them on Sunday...but our producer isn't in the office on Sunday. So that would have meant yeasterday, but it was Columbus Day. So, naturally we would get them today, right?
Right.
We did!
There are only two or three repeats from our last cruise. One of which is the scene "Pictionary." This scene is originally from back in the Stephen Colbert and Steve Corell days. We had it in our running order before, but I wasn't in it. It became sort of a joke between me and our friend Mike who has also worked on ships. If you're not in Pictionary (a 7-10 minute sketch that involves 4 people) you have time to yourself. I wasn't in it last time, and Mike has been on ships twice where they had the sketch and he wasn't in it.
Well, it is in again and I'm out again. I'm planning on making little videos backstage during my time so be ready for that.
Right.
We did!
There are only two or three repeats from our last cruise. One of which is the scene "Pictionary." This scene is originally from back in the Stephen Colbert and Steve Corell days. We had it in our running order before, but I wasn't in it. It became sort of a joke between me and our friend Mike who has also worked on ships. If you're not in Pictionary (a 7-10 minute sketch that involves 4 people) you have time to yourself. I wasn't in it last time, and Mike has been on ships twice where they had the sketch and he wasn't in it.
Well, it is in again and I'm out again. I'm planning on making little videos backstage during my time so be ready for that.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Tonight Was Different
I blog simply because today there was a story.
Lately I have been pretty lazy. I'm under two weeks until we leave so I've tidied up my activities...perhaps a bit prematurely. I have some freetime...that's what I'm trying to say.
Today was very lazy. All I had planned was a massage at 4pm. A few things happened that were all lazy in nature. Around 7:00pm Deanna texted me and asked if I wanted to go see some friends who had moved to New York, but were in town. I was nearly asleep and listening to David Cross. I was tired/relaxed, but thought I should get out of the house.
As Deanna and I were walking to the get together we came to an intersection. Diagonally across the intersection was a white guy who started beating up a black guy...well, he looked like a 13-year old from our vantage point. People around him were doing nothing. The white guy's girlfriend was screaming "MIKE! MIKE, STOP!"
I did what I could from the opposite corner and yelled "HEY!" in a loud boom. Mike takes off running after throwing the guy to the ground. A guy in an SUV whips his car around to help not-Mike, all while Deanna is yelling stuff like "oh! Now you're just going to run away?!"
This is when I leave Deanna's side and run after them. I figure I can at least catch up to his girlfriend to get information on Mike if necessary. As I'm running there is a big crowd in front of this club/restaurant called The Spot. They're kind of blocking the way and kind of wondering what is happening. I see the girlfriend way on the other side of the mob still running and yelling "Mike!" I say to the people "That guy just beat someone up!" as I start to weave through them. The bouncer tells me the guy who got beat up had started it all the way back by them. I stop running. "He did?" "Yeah, he was provoking him."
This is when I just walk back to meet Deanna and see if this guy (we'll call him "Idiot"...you'll see)is ok. Idiot is talking to the SUV driver, but kind of getting in the driver's face a little. Saying stuff like he's from the south side and he doesn't back down from anything. Being smart, the SUV guy gets in his car and as he does, Idiot slams the door shut for him. Deanna and I cross the street. Idiot crosses the street.
It is clear that Idiot is under a mix of alcohol and adrenaline. He is looking right at me, with a few cuts on his head and blood coming out of his mouth...but he is looking at me with a fight or flight look in his eyes. More on the side of fight. Deanna says to me "the police are right there", just across the intersection.
I ask Idiot, "are you okay?" To which he responds with "are YOU ok?!" and more of his "I don't back down" talk. Then, he shoves me. Not hard, but enough for me to be through with it. "Police!" I bellow and across they come. As they're pulling up I manage to tell him that the SUV driver and I were just trying to help. Give my side of the story, and carry on.
I'm glad I didn't have to fight him. I wasn't worried about fighting him...probably a little easier to take on a guy a foot shorter than me who is drunk and has already been beat up.
Luckily I've had years of training via walking down Clark street during baseball season.
Lately I have been pretty lazy. I'm under two weeks until we leave so I've tidied up my activities...perhaps a bit prematurely. I have some freetime...that's what I'm trying to say.
Today was very lazy. All I had planned was a massage at 4pm. A few things happened that were all lazy in nature. Around 7:00pm Deanna texted me and asked if I wanted to go see some friends who had moved to New York, but were in town. I was nearly asleep and listening to David Cross. I was tired/relaxed, but thought I should get out of the house.
As Deanna and I were walking to the get together we came to an intersection. Diagonally across the intersection was a white guy who started beating up a black guy...well, he looked like a 13-year old from our vantage point. People around him were doing nothing. The white guy's girlfriend was screaming "MIKE! MIKE, STOP!"
I did what I could from the opposite corner and yelled "HEY!" in a loud boom. Mike takes off running after throwing the guy to the ground. A guy in an SUV whips his car around to help not-Mike, all while Deanna is yelling stuff like "oh! Now you're just going to run away?!"
This is when I leave Deanna's side and run after them. I figure I can at least catch up to his girlfriend to get information on Mike if necessary. As I'm running there is a big crowd in front of this club/restaurant called The Spot. They're kind of blocking the way and kind of wondering what is happening. I see the girlfriend way on the other side of the mob still running and yelling "Mike!" I say to the people "That guy just beat someone up!" as I start to weave through them. The bouncer tells me the guy who got beat up had started it all the way back by them. I stop running. "He did?" "Yeah, he was provoking him."
This is when I just walk back to meet Deanna and see if this guy (we'll call him "Idiot"...you'll see)is ok. Idiot is talking to the SUV driver, but kind of getting in the driver's face a little. Saying stuff like he's from the south side and he doesn't back down from anything. Being smart, the SUV guy gets in his car and as he does, Idiot slams the door shut for him. Deanna and I cross the street. Idiot crosses the street.
It is clear that Idiot is under a mix of alcohol and adrenaline. He is looking right at me, with a few cuts on his head and blood coming out of his mouth...but he is looking at me with a fight or flight look in his eyes. More on the side of fight. Deanna says to me "the police are right there", just across the intersection.
I ask Idiot, "are you okay?" To which he responds with "are YOU ok?!" and more of his "I don't back down" talk. Then, he shoves me. Not hard, but enough for me to be through with it. "Police!" I bellow and across they come. As they're pulling up I manage to tell him that the SUV driver and I were just trying to help. Give my side of the story, and carry on.
I'm glad I didn't have to fight him. I wasn't worried about fighting him...probably a little easier to take on a guy a foot shorter than me who is drunk and has already been beat up.
Luckily I've had years of training via walking down Clark street during baseball season.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
2 Weeks!
Before it turns into tomorrow I thought that I should post about the journey. TWO WEEKS! I checked my emails from last year and saw that we received our scripts 13 days before our departure date...so any day now.
Last night I had my last ComedySportz show with Deanna. We still both have shows next week...just not with each other. Before that show I sat in for someone in the 8pm show. Half to more-than-half of the audience was a tour group of seniors (old people...not 12th graders). Every CSz show has a half-time that lasts about 5-10 minutes. In that show we had said half-time and came back. Pretty much as soon as the second half started every one of the seniors got up and started heading out. The ref and captains were on stage talking about what the first game of the half would be as they always do in the show.
I was on the bench thinking "we have to call this out or wait for it, guys...50 seniors walking out at the same time is going to catch a few eyes." As that was happening, one of the ladies who liked our team and who I had high-fived came over to me on the bench and said "We love the show. We've been going since really early and we're tired. Everyone just wants to go back to the hotel and sleep." So, I stood up, filled in the rest of the audience on the news, and solicited a round of applause for them for at least coming out. Distraction averted. At the end of the show one man said "a the remaining old person in the theater I'd like to tell you you guys did a great show."
Next Friday marks my final CSz show and my last beatbox show as well.
Last night I had my last ComedySportz show with Deanna. We still both have shows next week...just not with each other. Before that show I sat in for someone in the 8pm show. Half to more-than-half of the audience was a tour group of seniors (old people...not 12th graders). Every CSz show has a half-time that lasts about 5-10 minutes. In that show we had said half-time and came back. Pretty much as soon as the second half started every one of the seniors got up and started heading out. The ref and captains were on stage talking about what the first game of the half would be as they always do in the show.
I was on the bench thinking "we have to call this out or wait for it, guys...50 seniors walking out at the same time is going to catch a few eyes." As that was happening, one of the ladies who liked our team and who I had high-fived came over to me on the bench and said "We love the show. We've been going since really early and we're tired. Everyone just wants to go back to the hotel and sleep." So, I stood up, filled in the rest of the audience on the news, and solicited a round of applause for them for at least coming out. Distraction averted. At the end of the show one man said "a the remaining old person in the theater I'd like to tell you you guys did a great show."
Next Friday marks my final CSz show and my last beatbox show as well.
Dear America, We're Idiots
I'd write about what's going on with me leading up to the ship, but I'm distracted. Remember when you realized the country was more than 50% idiot? You will find out for sure in early November. Watch to see the overwhelming logic of the McCain supporter.
She doesn't trust Obama because he's an Arab? AND she read that somewhere?
A) I'm blown away that there are any people supporting McCain at all, especially after picking Palin as a running mate.
B) If you are a McCain supporter and I know you, please don't be as stupid as these people. Don't vote for McCain just because he's white, or not an Arab.
If you're a McCain supporter, do yourself a favor. go to www.hulu.com and look up "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart". Yes it is a comedy show...but a comedy show that researches well. Watch the shows that happened the day after debates. There have been very few times when Obama says something that they can find Obama from the past contradicting. There have been MULTIPLE TIMES when McCain will say one thing and they will show video of him saying or doing the exact opposite.
And I thought the last election was important. And I know we blew that one. Maybe our dollar will be worth something again. Or maybe we get sold into slave labor when Palin becomes president.
She doesn't trust Obama because he's an Arab? AND she read that somewhere?
A) I'm blown away that there are any people supporting McCain at all, especially after picking Palin as a running mate.
B) If you are a McCain supporter and I know you, please don't be as stupid as these people. Don't vote for McCain just because he's white, or not an Arab.
If you're a McCain supporter, do yourself a favor. go to www.hulu.com and look up "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart". Yes it is a comedy show...but a comedy show that researches well. Watch the shows that happened the day after debates. There have been very few times when Obama says something that they can find Obama from the past contradicting. There have been MULTIPLE TIMES when McCain will say one thing and they will show video of him saying or doing the exact opposite.
And I thought the last election was important. And I know we blew that one. Maybe our dollar will be worth something again. Or maybe we get sold into slave labor when Palin becomes president.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Cubs Follow Up
I saw this in Jewel today. $14.95. I think that the publisher might not have been following baseball for the last 100 years.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Open Letter to Jen Shepard
How dare you comment on stuff I haven't even posted. HOW DARE YOU!
(P.S. Deanna has a super cute hair cut that she'll be in charge of posting pictures...check her facebook)
(P.S. Deanna has a super cute hair cut that she'll be in charge of posting pictures...check her facebook)
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Friday, October 03, 2008
Sports...Not Sportz
If you live in Chicago you know about the Cubs and the Sox. There was a lot of talk about "magic numbers" and such. Well, I barely follow baseball. I check on the cubs games anytime I need to travel through/near Wrigley Field.
I HAVE been privy to the Trail Blazers though. They won in '76. I know because everyone was listening to the game on their radios...at least our red VW Bug and the car that hit us/we hit. Not too terrible of an accident. I was young, but I remember it knocked one of the shiny chrome hub caps off and I saw it rolling around out the window. Oddly enough, that is the only memory I can think of with that car.
I digress. Trail Blazers...they drive me nuts. Not so much them, but the fans. A.K.A. Blazer Belivers. If you don't follow sports like I don't follow sports you kind of get a sense for whether a team will actually pull through. The Blazers made it to the playoffs or finals a few times, but I knew they wouldn't win. I was right.
Now the cubs are in the playoffs. It is exactly 100 years since they won the world series. Everyone is excited and extremely superstitious.
I gotta tell you...I'm not feeling it. I haven't the whole year. And what happens? They have lost their first two play-off games.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't mind sports...it's the fans. I can chose to watch or not watch sports. Easy choice. What's harder is being around the people who talk about it constantly, especially at this time of year when "they could go all the way."
I read a lot of different friend's blogs and there are about 4 that I just sort of skim through now 'cause it's all cubs stuff.
22 days.
Also, I did my last ComedySportz remote last night. Did I mention I'm stopping CSz? I am. It is time. Will I do it again when we finish doign boats? Who knows. I don't think so, but who knows where we and things will be.
I HAVE been privy to the Trail Blazers though. They won in '76. I know because everyone was listening to the game on their radios...at least our red VW Bug and the car that hit us/we hit. Not too terrible of an accident. I was young, but I remember it knocked one of the shiny chrome hub caps off and I saw it rolling around out the window. Oddly enough, that is the only memory I can think of with that car.
I digress. Trail Blazers...they drive me nuts. Not so much them, but the fans. A.K.A. Blazer Belivers. If you don't follow sports like I don't follow sports you kind of get a sense for whether a team will actually pull through. The Blazers made it to the playoffs or finals a few times, but I knew they wouldn't win. I was right.
Now the cubs are in the playoffs. It is exactly 100 years since they won the world series. Everyone is excited and extremely superstitious.
I gotta tell you...I'm not feeling it. I haven't the whole year. And what happens? They have lost their first two play-off games.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't mind sports...it's the fans. I can chose to watch or not watch sports. Easy choice. What's harder is being around the people who talk about it constantly, especially at this time of year when "they could go all the way."
I read a lot of different friend's blogs and there are about 4 that I just sort of skim through now 'cause it's all cubs stuff.
22 days.
Also, I did my last ComedySportz remote last night. Did I mention I'm stopping CSz? I am. It is time. Will I do it again when we finish doign boats? Who knows. I don't think so, but who knows where we and things will be.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Ok...It Is Starting To Hit Me
Today, as I realized it is now October, it started to hit me.
We leave in just over 3 weeks. I've been playing video games and chillin' mostly. Soon it will be scripts and rehearsals.
While packing I found 4 various notebooks filled with either sketch/comedy ideas, stuff I saw in airports or other locations that struck me as odd enough to be potentially used for something, notes on improv shows I coached, and other various things.
In the "stuff I saw in airports" I wrote "two twins trying to eat each other."
I couldn't remember the memory at first and it seemed like an odd thing. Then I remembered it was two toddlers. Still...what the hell.
We leave in just over 3 weeks. I've been playing video games and chillin' mostly. Soon it will be scripts and rehearsals.
While packing I found 4 various notebooks filled with either sketch/comedy ideas, stuff I saw in airports or other locations that struck me as odd enough to be potentially used for something, notes on improv shows I coached, and other various things.
In the "stuff I saw in airports" I wrote "two twins trying to eat each other."
I couldn't remember the memory at first and it seemed like an odd thing. Then I remembered it was two toddlers. Still...what the hell.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
26 days to go
Not much of note here. Last night I played Dungeons and Dragons for probably the 4th time in my life. Although this time was different because we'll be playing again in two weeks...continuing the adventure we left off on last night.
Normally it has been a patience tester. Darrin Tyacke...who you may remember from previous posts...was the DM (Dungeon Master) on that fateful "My Name Is Ted/Tex" day. At the end when we were all kind of getting bored he said "Tiamat attacks you." This was back when the D&D cartoon was on Saturday mornings and we all knew Tiamat was the five headed dragon.
Another time I played later in life Doug was falling asleep on the couch while we were setting up. to the point where we put lollypops in his pockets and, remember that really sour gum? Warheads I think? That sour gum had sour powder that would come off in each individually wrapped piece. We sprinkled some of that powder on his lips. When he woke up he did that weird lip smacking thing people do when they wake up to a taste that isn't normal. Hilarious. Trust me. And then towards the end of the game Doug and Aaron's characters fought each other and we called it a night.
So, that is what happened in my life that was exciting and different.
Still know scripts or running order, but those should be up in a week or so. Rehearsals start on the 19th I think.
It finally started getting cold. We had a pretty easy summer if I think about it. No days over 100 degrees. A lot of humid days, but a good share of not-humid days.
Oh, and I went to a birthday party for a one-year old. I'd like to thank all of my friends who went to my 1st birthday. It must have been an awesome and wild time because I don't remember it at all.
Normally it has been a patience tester. Darrin Tyacke...who you may remember from previous posts...was the DM (Dungeon Master) on that fateful "My Name Is Ted/Tex" day. At the end when we were all kind of getting bored he said "Tiamat attacks you." This was back when the D&D cartoon was on Saturday mornings and we all knew Tiamat was the five headed dragon.
Another time I played later in life Doug was falling asleep on the couch while we were setting up. to the point where we put lollypops in his pockets and, remember that really sour gum? Warheads I think? That sour gum had sour powder that would come off in each individually wrapped piece. We sprinkled some of that powder on his lips. When he woke up he did that weird lip smacking thing people do when they wake up to a taste that isn't normal. Hilarious. Trust me. And then towards the end of the game Doug and Aaron's characters fought each other and we called it a night.
So, that is what happened in my life that was exciting and different.
Still know scripts or running order, but those should be up in a week or so. Rehearsals start on the 19th I think.
It finally started getting cold. We had a pretty easy summer if I think about it. No days over 100 degrees. A lot of humid days, but a good share of not-humid days.
Oh, and I went to a birthday party for a one-year old. I'd like to thank all of my friends who went to my 1st birthday. It must have been an awesome and wild time because I don't remember it at all.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Getting Closer
We're at 29 days until we leave now. Less than a month (except February). Last year when we were this close Deanna and I were freaking out when we got down to a month left. We hadn't received scripts and it freaked us out for some reason.
This year is so much different since it isn't our first time out. We're very calm and know that when we get our scripts we get 'em. When that happens we'll memorize them. Easy livin'.
Over the last month Deanna and I (and other people) have been working for the Red Ball Project (www.redballproject.com). I'll have a few photos up from that soon.
In other news, Deanna and I used to have a couple different bank accounts at different banks. I had a personal account at a bank that doesn't reach the East coast and Deanna and I had a shared account at a local Chicago bank. Needless to say it was diffcult to get things done in Florida. So, this year we switched banks to have all of our accounts in a more national bank. That bank? Washington Mutual. You know...the bank that just failed today and got bought up by JPMorgan & Chase? Yeah...so...yeah.
This year is so much different since it isn't our first time out. We're very calm and know that when we get our scripts we get 'em. When that happens we'll memorize them. Easy livin'.
Over the last month Deanna and I (and other people) have been working for the Red Ball Project (www.redballproject.com). I'll have a few photos up from that soon.
In other news, Deanna and I used to have a couple different bank accounts at different banks. I had a personal account at a bank that doesn't reach the East coast and Deanna and I had a shared account at a local Chicago bank. Needless to say it was diffcult to get things done in Florida. So, this year we switched banks to have all of our accounts in a more national bank. That bank? Washington Mutual. You know...the bank that just failed today and got bought up by JPMorgan & Chase? Yeah...so...yeah.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Move Accomplished
The move went off real swell. We were afraid the movers would be done before the storage place opened...they were not.
Deanna was a real trooper with the cleaning. We were able to start cleaning the night before and that helped us tremendously.
Now we have a bunch of crap at Rene's and we need to go through and find out what we won't actually need until we leave so we can put THAT in storage too.
We gotta run...handing out stuff for www.redballproject.com.
Deanna was a real trooper with the cleaning. We were able to start cleaning the night before and that helped us tremendously.
Now we have a bunch of crap at Rene's and we need to go through and find out what we won't actually need until we leave so we can put THAT in storage too.
We gotta run...handing out stuff for www.redballproject.com.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
And Away Goes the Rain
The Rain finally died down and the temperature dropped. It is like instant Fall.
I took the car to one of those automated car wash places. Not automated as in you just drive through, but as in everything in coin operated and not run by an actual person...besides you, holding the hose and what not.
Did you know the vacuums there are wet vacs? Neither did I...maybe neither did they...maybe they aren't supposed to be. But, they worked.
I saw a couple of vacuums that offered steam shampoo AND vacuum, and those looked like the other standard vacuums they had around.
I don't know where the leak in our car is coming from. Our AC stopped working this summer and that might have something to do with it. While I was vacuuming I noticed that there were vents for heat right down there. Maybe it is coming through there. It still doesn't explain why it only comes in on the passenger side. Any car geniuses out there?
We have very little left to pack and the movers will be here in 12 hours...our storage place opens in 13 hours.
Recap for the stuff we were selling. We still have our TV. I threw away our computer monitor and a stool. Actually, I threw away the stool first and don't recall seeing it back there when I threw out the monitor. So it went to a good home hopefully. I think our stuff will fit in the storage place. The next challenge is re-going through the stuff we have packed to take to Rene's to see what we actually need to take with. Right now I have too much.
I took the car to one of those automated car wash places. Not automated as in you just drive through, but as in everything in coin operated and not run by an actual person...besides you, holding the hose and what not.
Did you know the vacuums there are wet vacs? Neither did I...maybe neither did they...maybe they aren't supposed to be. But, they worked.
I saw a couple of vacuums that offered steam shampoo AND vacuum, and those looked like the other standard vacuums they had around.
I don't know where the leak in our car is coming from. Our AC stopped working this summer and that might have something to do with it. While I was vacuuming I noticed that there were vents for heat right down there. Maybe it is coming through there. It still doesn't explain why it only comes in on the passenger side. Any car geniuses out there?
We have very little left to pack and the movers will be here in 12 hours...our storage place opens in 13 hours.
Recap for the stuff we were selling. We still have our TV. I threw away our computer monitor and a stool. Actually, I threw away the stool first and don't recall seeing it back there when I threw out the monitor. So it went to a good home hopefully. I think our stuff will fit in the storage place. The next challenge is re-going through the stuff we have packed to take to Rene's to see what we actually need to take with. Right now I have too much.
Fists of Fury
Today has been nothing but infuriating. The complete opposite of yesterday.
We have now been getting the leftovers of Hurricane Ike. It rained all day yesterday (while Ben picked up our bed...I got soaked helping out with that but it was a fun kind of "well I'm soaked, I'll hang out here a bit because it is at least cooler than the muggy apartment." way). The kind of rain where everything starts to soak up moisture. Deanna had to print a huge script and the printer kept jamming because the paper was warping. I have these mints from Starbucks that are small and normally hard...now they're a little mushy.
Normally the cool thing about rain in Chicago is that is means an end to the humidity in the air. I can't recall being here when it has been raining and still felt gross and muggy.
So, after helping move the bed and getting soaked I decided to do our final loads of laundry. Guess what? The dryer is broken...just the heat part. Our landlord was nice enough to take our stuff over to his dryer and dry it for us. But today is still nothing but rain and I have some wet clothes that would go perfect with a dryer.
PS...that doesn't even scratch the surface on today.
So this is our final day to pack. We needed a couple bigger boxes and we had stuff to drop off to Brown Elephant (Goodwill-ish for you portlanders). I took a bunch of stuff down and put it in the trunk...no problem. I took some stools down to put in the back seat...problem.
Our passenger side (front and back) of our car has started becoming slightly damp. We could never place it. There was never any visible sign of leaking from the roof or window, and it was never a big amount. It just stinks a little and is damp. On Friday we did a remote show in Michigan...it was raining off and on. When we got out Brett's foot was all wet. I still wasn't sure whether it was water coming in from the weather or something leaking...but this lead me more towards it being water leaking in. Cut to me putting stools in the backseat. Easily one, possibly two inches of water in the front and back of the passenger side. And we found this out right before I needed to take Deanna to a script reading she was doing.
The other added bonus of this leak is that it fogs the windows. So, I drop off Deanna, head to Brown Elephant to unload. I step in a huge puddle and soak my shoe that I had previously gotten mostly dry from being soaked the day before. Temper rising.
Drive home with thoughts of stopping at Jiffy Lube to see if they have a wet vac and hit a big pot hole...not a normal one, but one that sounds like it did damage to our already crappy shocks that became crappy from all the potholes in Chicago. Temper hit the roof.
Get to Jiffy Lube. No wet vac. Could care less. I could have left the car idling there and walked away from it if I didn't have boxes in the back.
So, now I sit amongst the remains of our packing with a half flooded car and rain that should be non-stop until 10pm or so. If you're looking for items that are slightly rain damaged you might want to check our garbage tomorrow. You'll probably find a computer monitor, a stool...maybe even a Jetta. Check it out!
We have now been getting the leftovers of Hurricane Ike. It rained all day yesterday (while Ben picked up our bed...I got soaked helping out with that but it was a fun kind of "well I'm soaked, I'll hang out here a bit because it is at least cooler than the muggy apartment." way). The kind of rain where everything starts to soak up moisture. Deanna had to print a huge script and the printer kept jamming because the paper was warping. I have these mints from Starbucks that are small and normally hard...now they're a little mushy.
Normally the cool thing about rain in Chicago is that is means an end to the humidity in the air. I can't recall being here when it has been raining and still felt gross and muggy.
So, after helping move the bed and getting soaked I decided to do our final loads of laundry. Guess what? The dryer is broken...just the heat part. Our landlord was nice enough to take our stuff over to his dryer and dry it for us. But today is still nothing but rain and I have some wet clothes that would go perfect with a dryer.
PS...that doesn't even scratch the surface on today.
So this is our final day to pack. We needed a couple bigger boxes and we had stuff to drop off to Brown Elephant (Goodwill-ish for you portlanders). I took a bunch of stuff down and put it in the trunk...no problem. I took some stools down to put in the back seat...problem.
Our passenger side (front and back) of our car has started becoming slightly damp. We could never place it. There was never any visible sign of leaking from the roof or window, and it was never a big amount. It just stinks a little and is damp. On Friday we did a remote show in Michigan...it was raining off and on. When we got out Brett's foot was all wet. I still wasn't sure whether it was water coming in from the weather or something leaking...but this lead me more towards it being water leaking in. Cut to me putting stools in the backseat. Easily one, possibly two inches of water in the front and back of the passenger side. And we found this out right before I needed to take Deanna to a script reading she was doing.
The other added bonus of this leak is that it fogs the windows. So, I drop off Deanna, head to Brown Elephant to unload. I step in a huge puddle and soak my shoe that I had previously gotten mostly dry from being soaked the day before. Temper rising.
Drive home with thoughts of stopping at Jiffy Lube to see if they have a wet vac and hit a big pot hole...not a normal one, but one that sounds like it did damage to our already crappy shocks that became crappy from all the potholes in Chicago. Temper hit the roof.
Get to Jiffy Lube. No wet vac. Could care less. I could have left the car idling there and walked away from it if I didn't have boxes in the back.
So, now I sit amongst the remains of our packing with a half flooded car and rain that should be non-stop until 10pm or so. If you're looking for items that are slightly rain damaged you might want to check our garbage tomorrow. You'll probably find a computer monitor, a stool...maybe even a Jetta. Check it out!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
2 Days Until 5 Weeks Until We Leave...also GENIUS!
Today is Saturday...Movers come on Monday morning at 8:30am to move our stuff into storage.
One very nice thing about working on the NCL cruise ships for Second City is you learn to live in effectively a New York studio. Sure, you have the whole ship to enjoy...pretend that is the city of New York. But your living space is enough room for a bed, a little table to be used as possibly a desk, a bunch of shelves, a closet, and a bathroom. Tiny.
As a recap for those who haven't been following since way back, Deanna and I left last winter around 11/15...our landlord would only let us extend our lease to 9/30 so we stayed with awesome friends Joey and Heather. This meant putting most of our stuff in storage. We paired down a little, but most everything went in. Over the 4 months on the ship we learned to live out of 2 suitcases. We came back and stayed with our friend Rene, finally deciding to find an apartment. When we moved in even the movers said "you guys have a lot of stuff."
We got rid of a bunch of stuff, and now that we're going out again we're getting rid of more. Our goal was getting rid of our couch, bed, and TV...three bulky items. Couch is gone. Bed will be gone within the hour...still have the TV. Want to buy it? 32" Sony Trinitron KV-32S42. Contact me.
So we'll be moving in with Rene and staying with him until 10/25 when the grand journey begins.
In other news. If you use an iPod you should really update your iTunes application. Genius is the best. Genius shows you a list of your songs...you choose a song and puts together a playlist of 25, 50, or 100 songs that go well with that song. So far, it is right. "Why would they make an application like that?" Well, it's cool...but another thing it does in iTunes is recommend songs that you're missing that would go well with it. So that is probably their financial angle. I love it. I highly recommend it if you haven't used it yet.
One very nice thing about working on the NCL cruise ships for Second City is you learn to live in effectively a New York studio. Sure, you have the whole ship to enjoy...pretend that is the city of New York. But your living space is enough room for a bed, a little table to be used as possibly a desk, a bunch of shelves, a closet, and a bathroom. Tiny.
As a recap for those who haven't been following since way back, Deanna and I left last winter around 11/15...our landlord would only let us extend our lease to 9/30 so we stayed with awesome friends Joey and Heather. This meant putting most of our stuff in storage. We paired down a little, but most everything went in. Over the 4 months on the ship we learned to live out of 2 suitcases. We came back and stayed with our friend Rene, finally deciding to find an apartment. When we moved in even the movers said "you guys have a lot of stuff."
We got rid of a bunch of stuff, and now that we're going out again we're getting rid of more. Our goal was getting rid of our couch, bed, and TV...three bulky items. Couch is gone. Bed will be gone within the hour...still have the TV. Want to buy it? 32" Sony Trinitron KV-32S42. Contact me.
So we'll be moving in with Rene and staying with him until 10/25 when the grand journey begins.
In other news. If you use an iPod you should really update your iTunes application. Genius is the best. Genius shows you a list of your songs...you choose a song and puts together a playlist of 25, 50, or 100 songs that go well with that song. So far, it is right. "Why would they make an application like that?" Well, it's cool...but another thing it does in iTunes is recommend songs that you're missing that would go well with it. So that is probably their financial angle. I love it. I highly recommend it if you haven't used it yet.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Darrin Tyacke: The Follow Up
Awhile back I posted this. Just recently...out of the blue...it was commented on by none other than Darrin Tyacke (notice the corrected spelling).
A) I haven't heard from him in years, so that was fun. We didn't hang out much in High School...just Jr. High. Although I do remember driving out of some parking lot of some store in Tualatin and glancing in my review mirror to see him with who I assumed was his wife and 1-2 year old child.
B) If you read his post you'll notice he is even more like Hilary Clinton. He remembers conceeding that it was "Ted" just like she remembered dodging sniper fire. If only CNN were covering the D&D event so we could look at the tape. Oh well. Darrin, you are no Sarah Palin...and that's a good thing. Let's agree on that part, okay?
In other news. We are exactly one week away from moving out. We'll be staying with Rene until our departure on 10/25. When people move under normal circumstances they probably box everything up and maybe set aside a change of clothes, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. Well, we have to set aside everything we want to take on the ship...and my photography stuff for remaining headshot shoots. It is a little more complex.
I'll probably be updating more frequently.
A) I haven't heard from him in years, so that was fun. We didn't hang out much in High School...just Jr. High. Although I do remember driving out of some parking lot of some store in Tualatin and glancing in my review mirror to see him with who I assumed was his wife and 1-2 year old child.
B) If you read his post you'll notice he is even more like Hilary Clinton. He remembers conceeding that it was "Ted" just like she remembered dodging sniper fire. If only CNN were covering the D&D event so we could look at the tape. Oh well. Darrin, you are no Sarah Palin...and that's a good thing. Let's agree on that part, okay?
In other news. We are exactly one week away from moving out. We'll be staying with Rene until our departure on 10/25. When people move under normal circumstances they probably box everything up and maybe set aside a change of clothes, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. Well, we have to set aside everything we want to take on the ship...and my photography stuff for remaining headshot shoots. It is a little more complex.
I'll probably be updating more frequently.
Friday, September 05, 2008
For the Improvisors
We're packing...well...I'm starting to pack my stuff a little.
As I was going through things I found some old pads of paper. Portland, old. A bunch of stuff written in Korean from my Tae Kwon Do days that I no longer understand. Some very important video game notes, but best of all...my first improv notes.
Well...I took improv in college before getting an office job that led me to taking improv classes that led me to Chicago.
In my first improv class (where I met Deanna btw) I apparently took minor notes on how the game "Zip Zap Zop" was played. 9/14/98. 10 years ago almost. I don't remember if we did that game in college, but it is a standard one that I have near "first time" documentation of.
When was your first Zip Zap Zop?
As I was going through things I found some old pads of paper. Portland, old. A bunch of stuff written in Korean from my Tae Kwon Do days that I no longer understand. Some very important video game notes, but best of all...my first improv notes.
Well...I took improv in college before getting an office job that led me to taking improv classes that led me to Chicago.
In my first improv class (where I met Deanna btw) I apparently took minor notes on how the game "Zip Zap Zop" was played. 9/14/98. 10 years ago almost. I don't remember if we did that game in college, but it is a standard one that I have near "first time" documentation of.
When was your first Zip Zap Zop?
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
I'm Food Famous!
Well...kind of. Today I had a photo shoot and Deanna was the stylist. After we did the shoot I suggested going to Jai Yen (http://www.jai-yen.com/index.html) for lunch. We hadn't been there in awhile since we no longer lived in the area. I opened the menu and saw some familiar pictures.
In 2006 I went in and offered to take some pictures of their food because I hadn't really done that much and they arranged things nicely when they served food (they plate well). At least 50% of the pics in the menu are mine! So if you go there, the edamame is for sure mine, and the crab rangoon...there are other things I photographed that I don't remember the names of. Baby bear maki maybe?
I know I included their link...but those photos are not mine. Mine are similar, but those ones aren't them.
Also, Deanna and I saw most of the movie Step Brothers. I say "most of" because we left. Don't waste your time or money. Boo, I say...boo.
In 2006 I went in and offered to take some pictures of their food because I hadn't really done that much and they arranged things nicely when they served food (they plate well). At least 50% of the pics in the menu are mine! So if you go there, the edamame is for sure mine, and the crab rangoon...there are other things I photographed that I don't remember the names of. Baby bear maki maybe?
I know I included their link...but those photos are not mine. Mine are similar, but those ones aren't them.
Also, Deanna and I saw most of the movie Step Brothers. I say "most of" because we left. Don't waste your time or money. Boo, I say...boo.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Just for mom
This post is purely for my mom.
Mom! I went and saw the movie Tropic Thunder and bought the soundtrack simply because of one song.
As the song started playing in the movie (a scene where they're all actors playing soldiers in the Viet Nam war, and they're flying in helicopters) it was as if I recognized it but I couldn't tell why...until they hit the chorus. Ball of Confusion.
As I listened to it on my iPod I realized pretty much all of it except the line about the Beatles is pretty current with the 2008 situation.
I've listened to the song about 10 times now and I'm about to listen again as I walk to the bank and get coffee.
Bye mom!
Mom! I went and saw the movie Tropic Thunder and bought the soundtrack simply because of one song.
As the song started playing in the movie (a scene where they're all actors playing soldiers in the Viet Nam war, and they're flying in helicopters) it was as if I recognized it but I couldn't tell why...until they hit the chorus. Ball of Confusion.
As I listened to it on my iPod I realized pretty much all of it except the line about the Beatles is pretty current with the 2008 situation.
I've listened to the song about 10 times now and I'm about to listen again as I walk to the bank and get coffee.
Bye mom!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Change #1
Last night was the last show for Johnny Roast Beef, my iO team. iO Chicago has a training center that leads to being on a team that performs, if you're good or lucky.
I moved here in March of 2003 and started taking classes. In May I was put on The Lottery...a show that randomly chose one student out of each of the five class levels. They would perform every Tuesday for 8 weeks and each time there would be different veteran guests. I had no idea what The Lottery was when I got the call that I was on it. It was fun. Andy, one of our coaches, liked me and put me on a team he was coaching called Miss Texas. I never really got to know the team very well as we were cut at the end of the schedule. Around September of 2003, as Miss Texas was having our last show and I was entering level 5 of iO, Andy became the coach of a team called Johnny Roast Beef and wanted me to be on it. And on it I have been for just under 5 years.
This is a rarity in iO. Teams are built. Teams are destroyed. It is just how it is. I guess it was always easy for me to accept the process even though we never got cut. There were a few times when we were on the chopping block and made a stand. This time just felt like it was more right than the others.
I'll miss having an easy opportunity to perform with all of them, and have missed playing with those who had moved on to other parts of their lives before we got cut. It's been great.
Since we leave for the ship in less than 2 months I will probably take a break from getting on another team. We'll see.
I moved here in March of 2003 and started taking classes. In May I was put on The Lottery...a show that randomly chose one student out of each of the five class levels. They would perform every Tuesday for 8 weeks and each time there would be different veteran guests. I had no idea what The Lottery was when I got the call that I was on it. It was fun. Andy, one of our coaches, liked me and put me on a team he was coaching called Miss Texas. I never really got to know the team very well as we were cut at the end of the schedule. Around September of 2003, as Miss Texas was having our last show and I was entering level 5 of iO, Andy became the coach of a team called Johnny Roast Beef and wanted me to be on it. And on it I have been for just under 5 years.
This is a rarity in iO. Teams are built. Teams are destroyed. It is just how it is. I guess it was always easy for me to accept the process even though we never got cut. There were a few times when we were on the chopping block and made a stand. This time just felt like it was more right than the others.
I'll miss having an easy opportunity to perform with all of them, and have missed playing with those who had moved on to other parts of their lives before we got cut. It's been great.
Since we leave for the ship in less than 2 months I will probably take a break from getting on another team. We'll see.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
So It Begins
We leave on October 25th to head back out on a ship for Second City. We've learned a few lessons from last time and are kicking into gear with our preparations.
Part of this meant telling our landlords we were going to sublet. I remembered conversations with them pre-renting and they said they needed to be included in finding a tenant. So, I let them know the news. Apparantly he remembered thinking we were done with ships. I don't remember that part. Regardless, they've offered to let us out of our lease instead of subletting...which is great by us. But we have to be out by 9/15 if we want any of our security deposit back.
See, it is hard to rent the closer you get to winter. I'm comfortable with this idea only because we dealt with the exact same thing last time we left.
So, do you need a couch or bed? We're selling.
Liquidation!
Headshots have been picking up...just in time for us to leave. If you need headshots you have just under 2 months to get in here. Don't wait until the very end!
Part of this meant telling our landlords we were going to sublet. I remembered conversations with them pre-renting and they said they needed to be included in finding a tenant. So, I let them know the news. Apparantly he remembered thinking we were done with ships. I don't remember that part. Regardless, they've offered to let us out of our lease instead of subletting...which is great by us. But we have to be out by 9/15 if we want any of our security deposit back.
See, it is hard to rent the closer you get to winter. I'm comfortable with this idea only because we dealt with the exact same thing last time we left.
So, do you need a couch or bed? We're selling.
Liquidation!
Headshots have been picking up...just in time for us to leave. If you need headshots you have just under 2 months to get in here. Don't wait until the very end!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Home Run
So, I'm in Portland! This weekend will be the ComedySportz National (World?) Tournament. It happens every year and each year in a different city. Last time it was in Portland was 1999...about a month or two before I started playing for Portland. Now we're back and I will be reffing the first Friday show and playing for Chicago in the second friday show (see www.portlandcomedy.com for more info).
This week is going to be super busy with ComedySportz stuff, headshots, and sadly...a funeral. I'm just glad that it worked out that I was in town for the funeral because I wouldn't have been able to make it otherwise.
If you live in Portland and you know me, come see the Friday night show!
This week is going to be super busy with ComedySportz stuff, headshots, and sadly...a funeral. I'm just glad that it worked out that I was in town for the funeral because I wouldn't have been able to make it otherwise.
If you live in Portland and you know me, come see the Friday night show!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Event-full
Little things going on.
Most recently, we've been having some mom-worthy storms come through (my mom likes storms) and tonight and last night were no different. We woke up around 5am to what seemed to be lightning striking right outside (probably within 500 feet for sure). We also woke up at 8am to a car that will pull up to a house across the street and honk their horn until the person who they are giving a ride comes out. The person getting the ride is never ready and waiting. This will end soon hopefully either passive aggressively or I will actually buy them something at RadioShack like a radio-controlled rape whistle or something. Something that will make loud noise happen just inside that house.
Back to storms. Deanna and I had the 10pm CSz show tonight and then I had a Beatbox show. We rode our bikes. When we left there were probably 10 drops of water on my bike. I had to adjust my seat and that meant getting pliers from inside. By the time we were just about ready to go we saw a flash of lightning in the distance. We start peddling. It starts to lightly rain. We peddle harder. The rain stops. FLASH! 8 seconds until thunder. Heavy rain starts. We got soaked. The thunder and rain just stopped, but will probably be back.
Earlier in the day I had two photo shoots and the weather cooperated nicely for them.
Wednesday Deanna and I did our Silent Treatment form for iO's Better Half series. It went ok as far as our STs go. We used the soundtrack to the JARs Cirque Bijoux show. We realized there wasn't enough slower stuff. We have a new idea for music though. Keep up-to-date for details!
Oh! I also saw the movies Hancock and The Incredible Hulk. Both were fun movies...especially if you're not expecting much. Actually, I was kind of hoping Hancock would be good and I still liked it so expect away.
Most recently, we've been having some mom-worthy storms come through (my mom likes storms) and tonight and last night were no different. We woke up around 5am to what seemed to be lightning striking right outside (probably within 500 feet for sure). We also woke up at 8am to a car that will pull up to a house across the street and honk their horn until the person who they are giving a ride comes out. The person getting the ride is never ready and waiting. This will end soon hopefully either passive aggressively or I will actually buy them something at RadioShack like a radio-controlled rape whistle or something. Something that will make loud noise happen just inside that house.
Back to storms. Deanna and I had the 10pm CSz show tonight and then I had a Beatbox show. We rode our bikes. When we left there were probably 10 drops of water on my bike. I had to adjust my seat and that meant getting pliers from inside. By the time we were just about ready to go we saw a flash of lightning in the distance. We start peddling. It starts to lightly rain. We peddle harder. The rain stops. FLASH! 8 seconds until thunder. Heavy rain starts. We got soaked. The thunder and rain just stopped, but will probably be back.
Earlier in the day I had two photo shoots and the weather cooperated nicely for them.
Wednesday Deanna and I did our Silent Treatment form for iO's Better Half series. It went ok as far as our STs go. We used the soundtrack to the JARs Cirque Bijoux show. We realized there wasn't enough slower stuff. We have a new idea for music though. Keep up-to-date for details!
Oh! I also saw the movies Hancock and The Incredible Hulk. Both were fun movies...especially if you're not expecting much. Actually, I was kind of hoping Hancock would be good and I still liked it so expect away.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
CSz Banquet
Tonight was the ComedySportz Banquet. This happens every year...except when we're trying to find and build a new space. So, it didn't happen in '07.
In 2006 I won trophies for Best Ref and Things (5 Things...but the trophy said "Things"...I won for Things!).
I think I'm a pretty good ref. If you read Eric's blog he thinks he is too. I'm sure everyone up for everything thought they were good at what they were nominated for. For whatever reason, ref was more important to me than any of the others. I feel like I've come a long way with reffing and like doing it.
Today Matt (the artistic director) txts me and asks if I'll present the awards for these since I won them at the previous banquet. I txt back "Sure. So I guess I didn't win them, huh?" or something along those lines. He says "Yeah. Better luck next year." It bummed me out just a little...but there was still a part of me that suspected a prank.
Well, turns out it was a prank. I didn't pick up 5 Things, but I did walk away with Best Ref, Best Object Work, and Best Captain. Sam Super got 5 Things, Most Supportive, and MVP. By my count that is 6 trophies for the Oregon boys. Way to go, northwest!
The categories were (and I'll probably forget some) the ones named above plus Best Genre Work, Best Attitude, Best Gibberish, Best Sound (Mr. Voice), Best Customization Use, and Best Music. Maybe I missed one or two.
If you win a trophy three years in a row it is named after you until someone else does the same. I was pushing for ref to get named after me since I held the last trophy for two years (since there wasn't a banquet in '07). It is currently the Kyle Kissier Best Ref Award. I have no idea who that is.
Click on the link by the photo to see more banquet photos...and if they aren't there currently, they'll be up in a few days.
In 2006 I won trophies for Best Ref and Things (5 Things...but the trophy said "Things"...I won for Things!).
I think I'm a pretty good ref. If you read Eric's blog he thinks he is too. I'm sure everyone up for everything thought they were good at what they were nominated for. For whatever reason, ref was more important to me than any of the others. I feel like I've come a long way with reffing and like doing it.
Today Matt (the artistic director) txts me and asks if I'll present the awards for these since I won them at the previous banquet. I txt back "Sure. So I guess I didn't win them, huh?" or something along those lines. He says "Yeah. Better luck next year." It bummed me out just a little...but there was still a part of me that suspected a prank.
Well, turns out it was a prank. I didn't pick up 5 Things, but I did walk away with Best Ref, Best Object Work, and Best Captain. Sam Super got 5 Things, Most Supportive, and MVP. By my count that is 6 trophies for the Oregon boys. Way to go, northwest!
The categories were (and I'll probably forget some) the ones named above plus Best Genre Work, Best Attitude, Best Gibberish, Best Sound (Mr. Voice), Best Customization Use, and Best Music. Maybe I missed one or two.
If you win a trophy three years in a row it is named after you until someone else does the same. I was pushing for ref to get named after me since I held the last trophy for two years (since there wasn't a banquet in '07). It is currently the Kyle Kissier Best Ref Award. I have no idea who that is.
Click on the link by the photo to see more banquet photos...and if they aren't there currently, they'll be up in a few days.
Monday, July 07, 2008
I Have a Bag...
...and there used to be a cat in it.
Deanna and I have been selected to go back on a ship for Second City again.
WE DON'T LEAVE UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER...so...settle down, y'all.
For those of you who remember the last ship, we'll be with almost entirely the same cast. But one person will not be there and another will be in their place. I won't say who yet because maybe their cat is still in their bag.
We'll be heading out on the NCL Gem this time. Our Jewel contract consisted of 4 months of the same two itineraries all porting out of Miami. THIS time we start of in Europe for a month, then to New York where we'll do a month of Florida cruises, then two months of the caribbean. Fresh and new!
If you're reading this and you need headshots, plan ahead and get ahold of me.
Other than that, tomorrow is the CSz banquet. We used to have one every year. It has been a couple years now what with all the moving around while we were building our current theater. There are some fun things planned. Joey, Rich and Tara usually plan the event. I help out with graphic stuff and this year is no exception. Each year they get more fun to do.
Deanna and I have been selected to go back on a ship for Second City again.
WE DON'T LEAVE UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER...so...settle down, y'all.
For those of you who remember the last ship, we'll be with almost entirely the same cast. But one person will not be there and another will be in their place. I won't say who yet because maybe their cat is still in their bag.
We'll be heading out on the NCL Gem this time. Our Jewel contract consisted of 4 months of the same two itineraries all porting out of Miami. THIS time we start of in Europe for a month, then to New York where we'll do a month of Florida cruises, then two months of the caribbean. Fresh and new!
If you're reading this and you need headshots, plan ahead and get ahold of me.
Other than that, tomorrow is the CSz banquet. We used to have one every year. It has been a couple years now what with all the moving around while we were building our current theater. There are some fun things planned. Joey, Rich and Tara usually plan the event. I help out with graphic stuff and this year is no exception. Each year they get more fun to do.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Fun Times in Days Gone By
So...long story short...there is a group on Facebook.com called the "I Hate Rance Rizzutto Fan Club." It started as a joke and then I threatened to actually start the group myself so I could be the president, but the CSz stage manager, Jen, beat me to the punch.
It has 23 members so far. There have been fun posts about how mean I am...mostly in jest. And then Tamara posted one about how I stole her hat (she left it in the theater) when she went to Europe, sent it to L.A., and wrote a blog as her hat, and secretly returned the hat in a White Elephant xmas party without letting her know who had it.
She knows now...and has for awhile. But it reminded me of the fun I had arranging that. She even had the address to the blog. Enjoy.
http://discardedhat.blogspot.com/
It has 23 members so far. There have been fun posts about how mean I am...mostly in jest. And then Tamara posted one about how I stole her hat (she left it in the theater) when she went to Europe, sent it to L.A., and wrote a blog as her hat, and secretly returned the hat in a White Elephant xmas party without letting her know who had it.
She knows now...and has for awhile. But it reminded me of the fun I had arranging that. She even had the address to the blog. Enjoy.
http://discardedhat.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
If You Haven't Already Figured It Out
Life is more constant and less noteworthy now. I spend most of my weeks catching up on projects for photography, scheduling headshots, going to rehearsals, coaching rehearsals, performing, or buying coffee. Rinse and repeat.
I recently updated my headshot website (www.rancerizzutto.com). The headshot gallery now has been split into male and female.
Big news, eh?
Deanna and I will be doing our two person show...89% chance it will be Silent Treatment...on 7/9 at iO...11pm. It's part of the Better Half series that they are doing while TJ and Dave are on summer break.
If you don't know what Silent Treatment is, we don't talk. We have music that inspires silent scenes. There was a two person show contest called the Dual Duel last year, and we won. It is a really fun form. We try to listen to the music as little as possible if at all before the show so it is a surprise to us. Usually Deanna gives me 15 minutes of songs and I pick 15 minutes of songs and mix them together. From there I only listen to the beginnings and ends to get rid of excess dead air.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ANY PERFORMERS WHO HAVE WORKED ON THE NCL JEWEL. Looking for nostalgia? If we end up doing Silent Treatment (89% chance) it will be to the Cirque Bijoux soundtrack. Excited? You should be. I just have to make sure it will be loud enough on the iO sound system.
In Other News:
ABC...home of America's Funniest Home Videos (my favorite show)...is now more awesome. Last night they debuted two shows that are great.
1) Wipeout. Basically a huge obstacle course with mud and water and people getting hurt. There is a show on Spike called something like Maximum Extreme Challenge...it is a Japanese show where people are doing these same things, but dubbed in english (which makes it more funny). Wipeout is that show without the dubbing. Still good. I hope that it later airs in Japan with Japanese dubbing over the English.
2) I Survived a Japanese Game Show. 10 people arrive at LAX get on a bus that takes them from the national terminal to the international terminal. They then find out they're going to Japan...and that is all they know. Their first full day they get a "tour of Tokyo" and go to a famous TV studio. They all walk in to find out they're part of a Japanese Game Show called Majide. Hilarity ensues.
Both shows look great and the first episodes were hilarious. One of my favorite parts of AFV is when you see a lady getting ready to go on a rope swing. Especially if that lady is overweight. See, in that lady's head she may remember being on a rope swing 20-30 years ago...so her head says "yeah, I remember this. All I gotta do is pull myself up and hold on. This is EASY!" But the shy quiet part of her head that gets ignored is saying "umm, you weigh 170 and don't have any upper body strength. You weighed 65 pounds and you were 10 last time you did this."
So, at the end of the first elimination challenge they had to swing on a rope swing...this is after doing three things that pretty much were impossible and meant you would fall in mud and have to lug your way out. This one lady. Older...overweight...tired...pretty much held onto the rope and fell immediately, but she still was holding the rope. A slow slide down the take off ramp and into the water she went.
Good work ABC.
I have some old photos I'll probably have put up that should show up below in older slots.
I recently updated my headshot website (www.rancerizzutto.com). The headshot gallery now has been split into male and female.
Big news, eh?
Deanna and I will be doing our two person show...89% chance it will be Silent Treatment...on 7/9 at iO...11pm. It's part of the Better Half series that they are doing while TJ and Dave are on summer break.
If you don't know what Silent Treatment is, we don't talk. We have music that inspires silent scenes. There was a two person show contest called the Dual Duel last year, and we won. It is a really fun form. We try to listen to the music as little as possible if at all before the show so it is a surprise to us. Usually Deanna gives me 15 minutes of songs and I pick 15 minutes of songs and mix them together. From there I only listen to the beginnings and ends to get rid of excess dead air.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ANY PERFORMERS WHO HAVE WORKED ON THE NCL JEWEL. Looking for nostalgia? If we end up doing Silent Treatment (89% chance) it will be to the Cirque Bijoux soundtrack. Excited? You should be. I just have to make sure it will be loud enough on the iO sound system.
In Other News:
ABC...home of America's Funniest Home Videos (my favorite show)...is now more awesome. Last night they debuted two shows that are great.
1) Wipeout. Basically a huge obstacle course with mud and water and people getting hurt. There is a show on Spike called something like Maximum Extreme Challenge...it is a Japanese show where people are doing these same things, but dubbed in english (which makes it more funny). Wipeout is that show without the dubbing. Still good. I hope that it later airs in Japan with Japanese dubbing over the English.
2) I Survived a Japanese Game Show. 10 people arrive at LAX get on a bus that takes them from the national terminal to the international terminal. They then find out they're going to Japan...and that is all they know. Their first full day they get a "tour of Tokyo" and go to a famous TV studio. They all walk in to find out they're part of a Japanese Game Show called Majide. Hilarity ensues.
Both shows look great and the first episodes were hilarious. One of my favorite parts of AFV is when you see a lady getting ready to go on a rope swing. Especially if that lady is overweight. See, in that lady's head she may remember being on a rope swing 20-30 years ago...so her head says "yeah, I remember this. All I gotta do is pull myself up and hold on. This is EASY!" But the shy quiet part of her head that gets ignored is saying "umm, you weigh 170 and don't have any upper body strength. You weighed 65 pounds and you were 10 last time you did this."
So, at the end of the first elimination challenge they had to swing on a rope swing...this is after doing three things that pretty much were impossible and meant you would fall in mud and have to lug your way out. This one lady. Older...overweight...tired...pretty much held onto the rope and fell immediately, but she still was holding the rope. A slow slide down the take off ramp and into the water she went.
Good work ABC.
I have some old photos I'll probably have put up that should show up below in older slots.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Nielsen Ratings and Why They Suck
Everyone knows about the Nielsen boxes, right? I know enough to know that there are certain homes that have boxes that keep track of what is watched in that home and thus the Nielsen ratings happen.
My favorite shows seem to get killed by low ratings. Arrested Development and Firefly were two big ones. And now Mystery Cove, in it's third season, is on the chopping block. The producers are apparently trying to save it and push it a little more online.
http://mysterycove.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=350645
Here is their podcast.
My favorite shows seem to get killed by low ratings. Arrested Development and Firefly were two big ones. And now Mystery Cove, in it's third season, is on the chopping block. The producers are apparently trying to save it and push it a little more online.
http://mysterycove.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=350645
Here is their podcast.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
I Was Right About Myself
I've always said I like the cold better than the heat. Coming back from the ships into the long tail end of a Chicago winter was tough. Having spring weather followed by a day of snow was tough. But it wasn't sweaty.
We've had humid, hot weather the last couple of days. I think I can deal with the heat part, but I'm not a fan at all of the humidity.
It's gross.
We've had humid, hot weather the last couple of days. I think I can deal with the heat part, but I'm not a fan at all of the humidity.
It's gross.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Antsassination
Anyone who really knows me knows I hate ants...HATE them. I think it all started when I would work at Outdoor School and we would have those big black carpenter ants (I've never seen them do carpentry) that would sometimes end up in my sleeping bag.
I hate them.
I'm not scared of them. I don't even have a problem with them outside. When they're in my house I get enraged.
A few weeks back the little ants showed up in our kitchen. Not too many, but enough to have started a sparse line back and forth. I bought some traps and some Raid. I let the traps sit overnight and the next morning they were still pretty much walking around the traps.
So, lemon-scented raid to the rescue. Fin.
Yesterday I left the house around 6:15 pm. When I came home the neighbors had cooked fish. I could tell because the back stairway smelled heavily of cooked fish. Apparently this smell attracts ants. Apparently the ants thought it was coming from our kitchen. They were ALL OVER the counter, sink, and stove. No time for traps.
Raid to the rescue. Today, no sign of them. I laid waste to them and Deanna was kind enough to clean up the battlefield this morning before I had a chance.
I understand their "job" in the world and the good they do for airating (sp?) the soil...but there is no soil in my second floor apartment...only death.
If you're reading this and you're an ant, spread the word.
I hate them.
I'm not scared of them. I don't even have a problem with them outside. When they're in my house I get enraged.
A few weeks back the little ants showed up in our kitchen. Not too many, but enough to have started a sparse line back and forth. I bought some traps and some Raid. I let the traps sit overnight and the next morning they were still pretty much walking around the traps.
So, lemon-scented raid to the rescue. Fin.
Yesterday I left the house around 6:15 pm. When I came home the neighbors had cooked fish. I could tell because the back stairway smelled heavily of cooked fish. Apparently this smell attracts ants. Apparently the ants thought it was coming from our kitchen. They were ALL OVER the counter, sink, and stove. No time for traps.
Raid to the rescue. Today, no sign of them. I laid waste to them and Deanna was kind enough to clean up the battlefield this morning before I had a chance.
I understand their "job" in the world and the good they do for airating (sp?) the soil...but there is no soil in my second floor apartment...only death.
If you're reading this and you're an ant, spread the word.
Hillary Clinton = Darren Tyacke
Ok. So, you may not know who Darren Tyacke is but this may make sense in the end.
I was just checking the math on the delegates needed and such. As it stands...according to the CNN delegate calculator...Obama needs 42 super delegates. Or at least 42 total. There were something like 197 superdelegates left.
42!
And Hillary is STILL running. She could win both states today, get 150 super delegates, and NOT win. Why is she still in this? This has gone from an "I won't give up" attitude to "I'm blind to reason and what I say goes no matter what" attitude. Is that what we want in a President? Let me take this one...no.
"But Rance, why is she like Darren Tyacke?"
Because, even though the facts are right in front of her, she is denying them. There was even a breaking story today:
"Officials of Hillary Clinton's campaign say she will concede tonight that Barack Obama has the delegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination."
...followed immediately by:
"Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman denies an AP report Clinton is ready to concede the Democratic nomination tonight."
"But Rance...Darren?"
Oh yeah. So, in 8th grade I was hangin' out with this guy named Darren Tyacke. I think on this particular day it was myself, Scott Minor, Mike Ruff, Darren, and Darren's sister Stacey all getting ready to play some good ole fashioned D&D at Darren's house. We were listening to the radio and this song "I Wanna Be A Cowboy" came on. You may know it. "I wanna be a cowboy. And you can be my cowgirl." Do you?
The final or near final line of the song is "My name is Ted, and one day I'll be dead. Yo yo yo." Very clearly that is what the line is. It is easy for everyone to hear and know...except Darren thought it was Tex instead of Ted. I told him it was Ted. He said no. I couldn't believe it! So I did the only thing an 8th grader can do in that situation...I called the radio station.
After a while we got through and he was on the other phone while I talked. "You know that cowboy song you just played? Does he say 'Ted' or 'Tex' in the end?" The nice lady DJ said "Ted" to which Darren hung up the phone and said "NOPE! It's Tex."
See?
Even though the answer is right in front of her, it's not the answer she wants.
At this point, for me at least, the worst thing Obama could do is make Hillary is running mate. It could probably seal the deal, but I can only imagine what crafty things she'd be doing as a VP to try to control things.
Give up! Honor, anyone?
I was just checking the math on the delegates needed and such. As it stands...according to the CNN delegate calculator...Obama needs 42 super delegates. Or at least 42 total. There were something like 197 superdelegates left.
42!
And Hillary is STILL running. She could win both states today, get 150 super delegates, and NOT win. Why is she still in this? This has gone from an "I won't give up" attitude to "I'm blind to reason and what I say goes no matter what" attitude. Is that what we want in a President? Let me take this one...no.
"But Rance, why is she like Darren Tyacke?"
Because, even though the facts are right in front of her, she is denying them. There was even a breaking story today:
"Officials of Hillary Clinton's campaign say she will concede tonight that Barack Obama has the delegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination."
...followed immediately by:
"Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman denies an AP report Clinton is ready to concede the Democratic nomination tonight."
"But Rance...Darren?"
Oh yeah. So, in 8th grade I was hangin' out with this guy named Darren Tyacke. I think on this particular day it was myself, Scott Minor, Mike Ruff, Darren, and Darren's sister Stacey all getting ready to play some good ole fashioned D&D at Darren's house. We were listening to the radio and this song "I Wanna Be A Cowboy" came on. You may know it. "I wanna be a cowboy. And you can be my cowgirl." Do you?
The final or near final line of the song is "My name is Ted, and one day I'll be dead. Yo yo yo." Very clearly that is what the line is. It is easy for everyone to hear and know...except Darren thought it was Tex instead of Ted. I told him it was Ted. He said no. I couldn't believe it! So I did the only thing an 8th grader can do in that situation...I called the radio station.
After a while we got through and he was on the other phone while I talked. "You know that cowboy song you just played? Does he say 'Ted' or 'Tex' in the end?" The nice lady DJ said "Ted" to which Darren hung up the phone and said "NOPE! It's Tex."
See?
Even though the answer is right in front of her, it's not the answer she wants.
At this point, for me at least, the worst thing Obama could do is make Hillary is running mate. It could probably seal the deal, but I can only imagine what crafty things she'd be doing as a VP to try to control things.
Give up! Honor, anyone?
Sunday, June 01, 2008
All Together Now (All Together Now)
On Thursday my parents arrived. That day consisted of meeting up with all of us at Giordano's before they came to check out a ComedySportz show. Giordano's promptly brought out all of their food and as they did the waiter said "and you had the chicken parm sandwich" in a way that told me "I'm just now remembering that you ordered food too."
Our call was at 7:00. My sandwich wasn't there by 6:30 so I told him to take it off the check and not bring it. It would have been too much food to have that close to a show.
We did a fun show with fun people. I invited a ton of people to come so the house would be full. Two people showed up, but two people who are important to me...so it was all good. One of the hardest things about being friends with nothing but performers is that we all perform...so it's hard to go to someone else's show if you're also doing a show.
Friday was "photo day". We had planned to go to Millenium park and take photos, but it was rainy and windy. I took a few pictures inside a hallway in the Cultural Center (no photos allowed in the exhibits). At least we got a pic or two.
Seana and Jason took off that night. We got them to the train to go to the airport since they were leaving at the start of rush hour.
The rest of the weekend was walking around or just hanging out.
It was good to see all the family again. Rare. And it wasn't even Christmas or anything!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Feh, Mai Ly.
Word pun..."Family", get it?!
So my sister and brother in law came out on Sunday and stayed through Friday. We hung out with them mostly on Sunday and Monday and didn't see them again until Thursday.
They ate expensive food mostly because Jason loves food and now Seana does too.
We went to the zoo, butterfly museum, RJ Grunts where we got a caraf of water with a straw in it, and saw "That's Weird, Grandma" by Barrel of Monkeys.
We met up with them again on Thursday and then Friday. Friday was supposed to be a day for family photos...more on that later.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Family Guy
My family is finally all coming to Chicago! My sister and brother-in-law have been here since Sunday (I have some pics that I'll put up). We hung out a little on Sunday and then for a good portion of the day on Monday. I have had rehearsals or shows on Tuesday and Wednesday so I haven't heard from them.
They've hopefully been off enjoying the city and food.
Tomorrow my parents get here and we'll all go to eat dinner and they'll take in a CSz show. Friday will supposedly be hanging out in Millenium Park...but it is supposed to be a mess o' thunder on that day. We'll see what happens.
In other news, I love my iO team. If you seem them together or individually make sure you say "Rance thinks you're aces!"
They've hopefully been off enjoying the city and food.
Tomorrow my parents get here and we'll all go to eat dinner and they'll take in a CSz show. Friday will supposedly be hanging out in Millenium Park...but it is supposed to be a mess o' thunder on that day. We'll see what happens.
In other news, I love my iO team. If you seem them together or individually make sure you say "Rance thinks you're aces!"
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Spielberg and Lucas: More Bad Movies, Disected
Movies directed by Spielberg that I liked:
Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hook, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal
(there were others on the list that I either didn't care for or didn't see...I didn't see Munich or Amistad(maybe I saw Amistad))
Movies written by Lucas that I liked:
Willow, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars IV-VI, American Graffiti
When you look at Spielberg's work it is pretty diverse and there is a lot of great stuff.
When you look at Lucas' work from the 80s on it is pretty much all Star Wars. He BLEW IT with Star Wars I-III...why are we still letting him try to write sequels to stuff? He gets an idea and milks it too much and with too much space in between.
I have three things to say to lock my case against Lucas' writing and give me the win:
-Jar Jar Binks
-Count Dookoo
-Mutt Williams
Rance wins.
Spielberg? Well...I still like him. Even if he did have crappy lighting...but, c'mon man!
Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hook, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal
(there were others on the list that I either didn't care for or didn't see...I didn't see Munich or Amistad(maybe I saw Amistad))
Movies written by Lucas that I liked:
Willow, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars IV-VI, American Graffiti
When you look at Spielberg's work it is pretty diverse and there is a lot of great stuff.
When you look at Lucas' work from the 80s on it is pretty much all Star Wars. He BLEW IT with Star Wars I-III...why are we still letting him try to write sequels to stuff? He gets an idea and milks it too much and with too much space in between.
I have three things to say to lock my case against Lucas' writing and give me the win:
-Jar Jar Binks
-Count Dookoo
-Mutt Williams
Rance wins.
Spielberg? Well...I still like him. Even if he did have crappy lighting...but, c'mon man!
More Bad Movies
Someone commented lately that Knocked Up, Juno, and Walk Hard are all good movies. I liked Knocked Up, haven't seen Walk Hard, and Juno is still a piece of crap. What movie then is just slightly better than Juno? You may be asking.
Indiana Jones and the This Movie Should Have Come Out 10 Years Ago (or something about a crystal skull). A friend of mine had an extra ticket to see the midnight showing of this on opening night. What does the ghost say? The ghost says "boo." And so do I to this film. On many levels. The lighting...particularly in the beginning...was AWFUL. Although they did come back to have a cool lighting effect in the tent when Indy is hostage...you'll know it if you see it. Mutt Williams is the character name of Shia LeBouf...Mutt. Indiana Jones...Indiana is the dog's name according to his dad, so why would Shia's character be Mutt?
Lucas and Spielberg have lost it...well...Spielberg may still have it. I'll need to see something recent of his to prove it. Lucas wrote Indy 4 and Spielberg directed it. Lucas' writing for this movie is right on parr with Star Wars I-III.
You'll probably go see it, but it is advised to at least wait for video. I don't know if there was anything after the credits because at that point I didn't care.
"But wait, Rance. You said 'slightly better than Juno' right?" Yes. I could at least sit through the awfulness. Juno made me want to shut it off so many times.
If you like shots of Indy's hat and of him putting it on then you will LOVE Indy IV.
I'm going to get on IMDB.com and find out what Lucas and Spielberg movies are recent.
Indiana Jones and the This Movie Should Have Come Out 10 Years Ago (or something about a crystal skull). A friend of mine had an extra ticket to see the midnight showing of this on opening night. What does the ghost say? The ghost says "boo." And so do I to this film. On many levels. The lighting...particularly in the beginning...was AWFUL. Although they did come back to have a cool lighting effect in the tent when Indy is hostage...you'll know it if you see it. Mutt Williams is the character name of Shia LeBouf...Mutt. Indiana Jones...Indiana is the dog's name according to his dad, so why would Shia's character be Mutt?
Lucas and Spielberg have lost it...well...Spielberg may still have it. I'll need to see something recent of his to prove it. Lucas wrote Indy 4 and Spielberg directed it. Lucas' writing for this movie is right on parr with Star Wars I-III.
You'll probably go see it, but it is advised to at least wait for video. I don't know if there was anything after the credits because at that point I didn't care.
"But wait, Rance. You said 'slightly better than Juno' right?" Yes. I could at least sit through the awfulness. Juno made me want to shut it off so many times.
If you like shots of Indy's hat and of him putting it on then you will LOVE Indy IV.
I'm going to get on IMDB.com and find out what Lucas and Spielberg movies are recent.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Birthdays and Terrible Movies
Two major developments. First, I had a Johnny Roast Beef show tonight at iO. Our team has a group email that we use to communicate to each other, but Jim's birthday was today! I had reminded everyone last week that my calendar said Jim's birthday was today and that we should do something. Brendan made cupcakes and we planned to not say anything to him at all until we got on stage. Once we got on stage the plan was for none of us to step up to get a suggestion, know that he would. As soon as he did we all sang happy birthday.
However, while we were singing he was turning to us and saying "it's not my birthday." We figured he was lying. He wasn't. After our show we had a chance to check the facts. I said "I don't know what's up! My calendar said it was today...see? Oh." My calendar ACTUALLY said 5/28. So, I had been instrumental in organizing a birthday surprise...that was two weeks away from the actual date. It was funny though and we decided it would be fun to do in the future. So, any show could end up being a "birthday."
In other news, I've been waiting to see the movie Juno. We kind of missed it while we were on the ship and all the buzz was happening. I had heard it was great. I like Michael Cera and Jason Bateman a lot. It won an oscar for original screenplay, so...I waited. It finally was released on DVD so I put it in my netflix queue.
Michael Cera is the ONLY reason I watched this all the way through. The worst thing about this movie was...oddly enough...THE SCREENPLAY. The writing was awful! It started off with teens saying stuff I've heard NO ONE IN MY LIFE every say. Not dirty, just "this is how I imagine the kids talk today" stuff. Boo. Then the adults ended up having weird dialogue as well. It tapered off a bit as the movie progressed, but every time it came back it was like a slap to the face.
And it wasn't just the language...this sixteen year old girl is an expert in music knowledge AND classic horror films AND ancient pop-culture references? No way. Deanna was wayyyyyy less forgiving than I was. I gave it a chance, but I had my breaking moment where I was only watching the movie for Michael Cera moments, or the end. There is this other girl that Michael Cera's character would never date because she and her house smells like soup. BUT, he ends up inviting her to the prom. As Juno goes off on him she reffers to his date as Soupy Sales.
.
.
.
Soupy Sales. If you are a high school student who knows who Soupy Sales is AND knew who he was before Juno came out, please let me know. But I'm pretty sure that there is NO WAY IN HELL she should know that.
In comedysportz we do buyout shows for high school groups sometimes. Something I find hilarious is when someone drops a reference from before the kids were born. Usually it involves the high school audience giving the suggestion of "the 80s" and then not understanding any references to the 80s except "rubik's cube." But once in a show...I think last year...someone on stage actually said Soupy Sales (or maybe it was Nipsy Russell) and got ZERO reaction. Zero. Which is as it should be.
Like watching movies that seem pretentiously written? Watch the first 5 minutes of Juno and decide to carry on or not. You realllllllly need to like Arrested Development or Super Bad to go further than that.
However, while we were singing he was turning to us and saying "it's not my birthday." We figured he was lying. He wasn't. After our show we had a chance to check the facts. I said "I don't know what's up! My calendar said it was today...see? Oh." My calendar ACTUALLY said 5/28. So, I had been instrumental in organizing a birthday surprise...that was two weeks away from the actual date. It was funny though and we decided it would be fun to do in the future. So, any show could end up being a "birthday."
In other news, I've been waiting to see the movie Juno. We kind of missed it while we were on the ship and all the buzz was happening. I had heard it was great. I like Michael Cera and Jason Bateman a lot. It won an oscar for original screenplay, so...I waited. It finally was released on DVD so I put it in my netflix queue.
Michael Cera is the ONLY reason I watched this all the way through. The worst thing about this movie was...oddly enough...THE SCREENPLAY. The writing was awful! It started off with teens saying stuff I've heard NO ONE IN MY LIFE every say. Not dirty, just "this is how I imagine the kids talk today" stuff. Boo. Then the adults ended up having weird dialogue as well. It tapered off a bit as the movie progressed, but every time it came back it was like a slap to the face.
And it wasn't just the language...this sixteen year old girl is an expert in music knowledge AND classic horror films AND ancient pop-culture references? No way. Deanna was wayyyyyy less forgiving than I was. I gave it a chance, but I had my breaking moment where I was only watching the movie for Michael Cera moments, or the end. There is this other girl that Michael Cera's character would never date because she and her house smells like soup. BUT, he ends up inviting her to the prom. As Juno goes off on him she reffers to his date as Soupy Sales.
.
.
.
Soupy Sales. If you are a high school student who knows who Soupy Sales is AND knew who he was before Juno came out, please let me know. But I'm pretty sure that there is NO WAY IN HELL she should know that.
In comedysportz we do buyout shows for high school groups sometimes. Something I find hilarious is when someone drops a reference from before the kids were born. Usually it involves the high school audience giving the suggestion of "the 80s" and then not understanding any references to the 80s except "rubik's cube." But once in a show...I think last year...someone on stage actually said Soupy Sales (or maybe it was Nipsy Russell) and got ZERO reaction. Zero. Which is as it should be.
Like watching movies that seem pretentiously written? Watch the first 5 minutes of Juno and decide to carry on or not. You realllllllly need to like Arrested Development or Super Bad to go further than that.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
SPACE TULIPS!
I've never seen a tulip like this...until now of course. A majority of the yards in our neighborhood have tulips. One yard in particular has this one pointy tulip just hanging out with other normal tulips. It's from space.
Going to the Chapel...
Our friends Shad and Kate got married today. It was a grand gathering of improvisors from all over the town. AND it was on a Saturday. I'm not sure how any shows actually happened.
It was a great time and great to see everyone there.
Congrats to Shad and Kate!
It was a great time and great to see everyone there.
Congrats to Shad and Kate!
Friday, May 09, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Christmas Bonus
I had a little bonus when I went to Starbucks. You know how sometimes you get coffee and you're like "this is good and everything, but I really want to be able to chew on something or feel like I was at the beach swimming with my eyes shut and my mouth open when a wave pushes me face first into the sand"? Well, Starbucks gave me that sensation we all dream of. A big mouthful of grounds.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Memories
So, before we left for our ship adventure we had to pack up everything and put it into storage. During this packing process we sold a lot of stuff as well as throwing away junk.
I went through all of my cassettes and kept one. A cassette that has been with me for 2/3 of my life at least. I got it as a Christmas present with my first walkman when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure we were even having Christmas at Grandpa Vernie's in Bend. It was the year I started listening to the radio. Music started being more important.
Start trying to guess. What cassette do you think is important to a kid that has some song he heard on the radio?
(continue once you have a guess)
.
.
.
.
.
.
NOPE! The album is Meco Ewok Celebration. Yes, Meco...the group(? guy?) who did the disco versions of the initial Star Wars songs.
Why keep that, Rance? Because it was the first song I memorized (no English) and I STILL remember all of the words of the weird C3PO rap part...I just don't know if I have them in the right order.
So you kept it for one song? No, there's more! There were only so many songs from Return of the Jedi that were repeats of songs from the earlier movies (Imperial March, etc.) so the first side of the tape has Ewok Celebration and Lapti-Nek (a song from Jabba's Palace/Saloon) from RotJ and Main Title, The Land of the Sand People, Princess Leia's Theme, The Last Battle, and End Theme...all from Star Wars. That's just side one.
The other side, just as you would imagine would come with Star Wars songs, has the following:
Nights Are Forever from Twilight Zone: The Movie
Theme from Simon and Simon
Maniac from Flashdance
Love Theme from Superman III
and Themes from Wargames
It is a crazy mix up jubalee that makes no sense...and I'm keeping it. I don't have a cassette player, but I have this cassette.
And, as I typed this, I cannot shake the saxaphone solo from the Simon & Simon theme. It will be in my head for a while.
I went through all of my cassettes and kept one. A cassette that has been with me for 2/3 of my life at least. I got it as a Christmas present with my first walkman when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure we were even having Christmas at Grandpa Vernie's in Bend. It was the year I started listening to the radio. Music started being more important.
Start trying to guess. What cassette do you think is important to a kid that has some song he heard on the radio?
(continue once you have a guess)
.
.
.
.
.
.
NOPE! The album is Meco Ewok Celebration. Yes, Meco...the group(? guy?) who did the disco versions of the initial Star Wars songs.
Why keep that, Rance? Because it was the first song I memorized (no English) and I STILL remember all of the words of the weird C3PO rap part...I just don't know if I have them in the right order.
So you kept it for one song? No, there's more! There were only so many songs from Return of the Jedi that were repeats of songs from the earlier movies (Imperial March, etc.) so the first side of the tape has Ewok Celebration and Lapti-Nek (a song from Jabba's Palace/Saloon) from RotJ and Main Title, The Land of the Sand People, Princess Leia's Theme, The Last Battle, and End Theme...all from Star Wars. That's just side one.
The other side, just as you would imagine would come with Star Wars songs, has the following:
Nights Are Forever from Twilight Zone: The Movie
Theme from Simon and Simon
Maniac from Flashdance
Love Theme from Superman III
and Themes from Wargames
It is a crazy mix up jubalee that makes no sense...and I'm keeping it. I don't have a cassette player, but I have this cassette.
And, as I typed this, I cannot shake the saxaphone solo from the Simon & Simon theme. It will be in my head for a while.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Finally, Right?
So, I've been slacking on the blog. Not like Jen does, but enough.
Things have fallen into a steady pace here. Not a steady pace like the ship where its "I eat, go to gym, eat, go to snorkel in beautiful water, eat, go to show, eat." But more boring stuff.
I added a bunch of posts (5 or 6) below dating as far back as 4/11/08. Mostly just little blurbs with some photos, but they're there.
We're still working on moving in. Almost have everything accounted for. We have everything unpacked, but a lot of crap that we don't want is lying around. Which means craigslist and Brown Elephant (like Goodwill, for you non-Chicagoans) are a heavy part of our routine.
Um, I guess that is it.
I'm going to go have some popcorn that I love to eat.
Things have fallen into a steady pace here. Not a steady pace like the ship where its "I eat, go to gym, eat, go to snorkel in beautiful water, eat, go to show, eat." But more boring stuff.
I added a bunch of posts (5 or 6) below dating as far back as 4/11/08. Mostly just little blurbs with some photos, but they're there.
We're still working on moving in. Almost have everything accounted for. We have everything unpacked, but a lot of crap that we don't want is lying around. Which means craigslist and Brown Elephant (like Goodwill, for you non-Chicagoans) are a heavy part of our routine.
Um, I guess that is it.
I'm going to go have some popcorn that I love to eat.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Quickly
On my way to writing class and wanted to get a quick update in. It got warm!...for a couple days at least.
Um...I like all of the movies Deanna picks from NetFlix.
Um...I like all of the movies Deanna picks from NetFlix.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Yep...one of THEM
My day usually begins with a coffee from Starbucks. I'm the only one, right? No one else?
Their coffee doesn't leave me as jittery as others. In my head I believe it is because I use the raw sugar. I do like Dunkin Donuts too...when I say "coffee with cream and sugar" they always have the right amount of both...always. But I'm too jittery with theirs sometimes.
Everytime I get a Starbucks coffee I also get one of their new tomato danishes.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Spring Time Fake Out...1 of ?
One day in April it pretended it was Spring...before it got cold again.
Warmth? What's that?
One thing our new apartment lacks is heat. I'm trying not to worry about it much since summer is coming soon (winter goes straight into summer here) but I'm sick. I mean c'mon! It's April. Last night I woke up at 4am to cold, cold feet. MY cold feet.
On the flip side, today I got a new parking sticker and zone sticker for the car. We never got a city parking sticker (you're supposed to have one on your car if you park in the city...pretty sneaky, eh?) last year. The new ones come out in June and there is a late fee for getting one later than June. To get a city sticker and zone sticker (for parking on our street) costs $98...and we'll need to get new ones on 6/1. We were going to try to get by with temporary zone stickers and no city sticker until June...but we also got a ticket for no city sticker. $120. YIKES! So, $98 is cheaper than risking another ticket or two in the month and a half left.
I also put air in my bike tires and rode to Chipotle! It was THAT WARM! At least 55 degrees...maybe even 60.
Then Prouty and Kunkle came over for a couple of games of Settlers of Catan. Prouty had never played and was a little sideswiped by all the rules. But then he did better in game two and was one development card away from winning. In the end, he liked it.
The apartment is taking shape. If we do nothing else I try to got through a box a day. Shouldn't be long now.
I wish these birds would shutup, I hate birds and I hate sounds.
On the flip side, today I got a new parking sticker and zone sticker for the car. We never got a city parking sticker (you're supposed to have one on your car if you park in the city...pretty sneaky, eh?) last year. The new ones come out in June and there is a late fee for getting one later than June. To get a city sticker and zone sticker (for parking on our street) costs $98...and we'll need to get new ones on 6/1. We were going to try to get by with temporary zone stickers and no city sticker until June...but we also got a ticket for no city sticker. $120. YIKES! So, $98 is cheaper than risking another ticket or two in the month and a half left.
I also put air in my bike tires and rode to Chipotle! It was THAT WARM! At least 55 degrees...maybe even 60.
Then Prouty and Kunkle came over for a couple of games of Settlers of Catan. Prouty had never played and was a little sideswiped by all the rules. But then he did better in game two and was one development card away from winning. In the end, he liked it.
The apartment is taking shape. If we do nothing else I try to got through a box a day. Shouldn't be long now.
I wish these birds would shutup, I hate birds and I hate sounds.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Google Maps
Here is a combo photo. The google maps street view image along with the actual headshot from that location on that day.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Feh.
It snowed yesterday. Snow and rain. I'm sick. I wish "Chicago Weather" was a person so I could punch him.
Stupid weather.
Stupid weather.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Forgotten Videos: 12/5/07
Thanks to Sam Super for compressing these videos so I could upload them to YouTube.
Dear Everything, C'MON already!
Dear cable, why can't you just be plugged in right? C'mon already!
Dear weather, you and I both know the ground hog has no say in what you do...granted. But, it was supposed to be just SIX weeks. Give it a rest. C'mon already!
Dear our stuff, you're fat. There is too much of you. Go on a diet. C'mon already!
Dear fluish cold, hey...what are you doing back here? Do you just hang out when the weather sucks? Take a vacation away from my face and sinuses. C'mon already!
I actually don't mind having this cold I have right now.
Dear weather, you and I both know the ground hog has no say in what you do...granted. But, it was supposed to be just SIX weeks. Give it a rest. C'mon already!
Dear our stuff, you're fat. There is too much of you. Go on a diet. C'mon already!
Dear fluish cold, hey...what are you doing back here? Do you just hang out when the weather sucks? Take a vacation away from my face and sinuses. C'mon already!
I actually don't mind having this cold I have right now.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Will the REAL Safety Message Please Stand Up
Here is what the actual emergency sign on the L looks like. Just to give you an idea of the oddity of those stickers from my previous post.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
DESTROY THE EVIDENCE!
I bought a new shredder right before we moved in. Our old one was built to go on top of a garbage can we didn't have and kept falling into the can we had for it. Plus, if you put three pieces of paper in at the same time they would come out as three pieces of paper with weird lines on them.
Our new one kicks ass. FIVE pieces of paper, AND it doesn't just shred paper into strips...it chops both ways making pieces. PIECES!
Don't put your tie in it though.
It is not a place to store your ties.
Our new one kicks ass. FIVE pieces of paper, AND it doesn't just shred paper into strips...it chops both ways making pieces. PIECES!
Don't put your tie in it though.
It is not a place to store your ties.
Forgotten Posts: 3/30/08
Spring? I saw was I assumed was discolored snow chunks on the ground and took a picture to get a science prize for "Best Discovery of Odd Snow."
Turns out it is plants growing. In THIS WEATHER!?
Crazy.
Turns out it is plants growing. In THIS WEATHER!?
Crazy.
Forgotten Posts: 4/03/08
Deanna and I were walking from iO to ComedySportz I assume (south on Clark for sure) and these drunken douche bags were across the street screaming at each other...the two on either side of the guy in the white shirt.
The black guy punched that sign on the wall really hard right before he took off his coat and they started fighting. Everyone else in the picture was trying to break up the fight. The black guy fell down, they got separated, they got back on their feet, and the black guy hit the sign really hard again.
All good fights begin and end with a "you see this? This is your FACE! BAM!" show of force on an inanimate object. Basic rule. If you want to fight someone, always prove it on a stationary object first.
The black guy punched that sign on the wall really hard right before he took off his coat and they started fighting. Everyone else in the picture was trying to break up the fight. The black guy fell down, they got separated, they got back on their feet, and the black guy hit the sign really hard again.
All good fights begin and end with a "you see this? This is your FACE! BAM!" show of force on an inanimate object. Basic rule. If you want to fight someone, always prove it on a stationary object first.
Forgotten Posts: 3/31/08
This is my writing teacher, Michael McCarthy. He came to class, well, dressed like the classroom. That's him all blended in with the wall.
Forgotten Posts : 3/27/08
We were riding home on the El and people started pointing and laughing at the poster in the car. The poster is in EVERY car, but this one had new pictures. The text on the poster was unalterred.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Holy Crap...get me on a ship...or gimme money
So. The cable guy finally showed up. Our landlords told us two things when we moved in regarding cable, "don't let them run new wires." and "don't let them put holes in the wall."
So the guy gets here...he has a think Mexican accent and is very hard to understand. He can't find the connection. He says something I DEFINITELY understand, "I need to get at the wires in the walls to see."
Now, this place that we moved to was rehabbed and all new cable was put in. I was leery about having him go digging, but I also wanted cable. I called our landlord to see if he knew what the problem was. Well, the cable guy opened a panel and found a splitter with no cables attached. That is a problem. He reattached them but still no signal from the outside. We DID have a signal running into our office.
The other landlord is the one who knows the most about the cable in the walls so he is going to check it out...hopefully.
We ended up getting our internet and phone set up in the office, and the cable box activated in the office. Now we just need the signal to go through to where the TV actually is.
In other news, we had writing class today. We had to write two scenes. I think I am much better at coming up with stuff that is visually funny than verbally funny. I'll keep at it. My problem is when I write one draft I call it a day and think that is the end of that sketch.
I love white chocolate.
So the guy gets here...he has a think Mexican accent and is very hard to understand. He can't find the connection. He says something I DEFINITELY understand, "I need to get at the wires in the walls to see."
Now, this place that we moved to was rehabbed and all new cable was put in. I was leery about having him go digging, but I also wanted cable. I called our landlord to see if he knew what the problem was. Well, the cable guy opened a panel and found a splitter with no cables attached. That is a problem. He reattached them but still no signal from the outside. We DID have a signal running into our office.
The other landlord is the one who knows the most about the cable in the walls so he is going to check it out...hopefully.
We ended up getting our internet and phone set up in the office, and the cable box activated in the office. Now we just need the signal to go through to where the TV actually is.
In other news, we had writing class today. We had to write two scenes. I think I am much better at coming up with stuff that is visually funny than verbally funny. I'll keep at it. My problem is when I write one draft I call it a day and think that is the end of that sketch.
I love white chocolate.
The Waiting Game
It is 8:36am. I'm usually up around 10:30 for whatever reason. The last three days I've been up at 9:00 to go to various things (shows, photoshoots, etc.) but today...Monday...I had to get up at 8:00am.
"But, Rance, why?"
Today we are getting cable, phone, and internet installed. All three from the same place. The beauty of it is we chose the 8am-11am window. Everything else they had available overlapped something we were doing.
It's a no win situation...kinda. If I get up at 8:00am (like I did) they will probably show up at 10:55. If I would have slept in they would have been buzzing the door at 8:00 on the dot.
Anyhow. Here I sit, syphoning a wireless signal from someone nearby.
"But, Rance, why?"
Today we are getting cable, phone, and internet installed. All three from the same place. The beauty of it is we chose the 8am-11am window. Everything else they had available overlapped something we were doing.
It's a no win situation...kinda. If I get up at 8:00am (like I did) they will probably show up at 10:55. If I would have slept in they would have been buzzing the door at 8:00 on the dot.
Anyhow. Here I sit, syphoning a wireless signal from someone nearby.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Moving Update
I think we made some major scores today on the moving front. Deanna is temporarily working in the office at ComedySportz...so she's there all day. I woke up and spent a little time unpacking stuff before leaving to go get lunch and do a workshop at CSz. Deanna and I team taught some high school kids.
After that I came back home and had 2 hours until I needed to leave again for a show. More unpacking.
There were three major things we were hunting for: our sheets, our shower curtain rings, my external hard drive.
All accounted for. The sheets were in a thin plastic tub that was a the bottom of a stack. The hard drive was in a card board box...at the bottom of a stack. I left for my shows without finding the shower curtain rings. Deanna said she would buy some. When she got home with her purchased rings and unfolded our shower curtain she found she had left them all attached to the curtain. Too smart for herself!
The next three days will be peppered with photo shoots, shows, teaching, and hopefully...time to write for our Monday class.
After that I came back home and had 2 hours until I needed to leave again for a show. More unpacking.
There were three major things we were hunting for: our sheets, our shower curtain rings, my external hard drive.
All accounted for. The sheets were in a thin plastic tub that was a the bottom of a stack. The hard drive was in a card board box...at the bottom of a stack. I left for my shows without finding the shower curtain rings. Deanna said she would buy some. When she got home with her purchased rings and unfolded our shower curtain she found she had left them all attached to the curtain. Too smart for herself!
The next three days will be peppered with photo shoots, shows, teaching, and hopefully...time to write for our Monday class.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Google Map...You've Done It!
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That image...if you can see it...is actually Google Maps in Street View. Google has added street view to their maps (recently?). Someone on a forum posted a link to some street in Chicago where the street picture actually captured a drug deal or something goin' down. A guy outside of a car giving a big wad of cash to a guy in a car.
This got me thinkin'. I went and checked out our old address and saw our car in the parking lot we used to be in AND Sam Super's car too. I told Sam. This was a week or so ago. He replied today saying something along the lines of "forget our cars...YOU GUYS are on it." If all worked out right above, you should see Deanna and I and a third person. This is one of the nooks I would use for headshots. I will look up his shoot (it's on external hard drive) and post that shot too.
Speaking of external hard drives...WE MOVED! We are in our new place right now. It all happened today. AND there is an external hard drive somewhere in all of these boxes...hopefully. I still haven't found it. We haven't found our sheets yet either. Things are still a mess, but I feel like I've skimmed all the boxes. We'll see.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Only Four Days?
It feels like about a year since I last blogged. I have a lot going on. Most of which I can blog about...there is one crazy part (bad crazy) that I can't. How's that for set up, no pay off?
Today Deanna and I signed our lease and we move into a place on Thursday. When I say "we" I mean "Deanna has cashed in her moving karma from September and will be nowhere near the storage facility or apartment during the process." You may or may not remember that I was in Maine when the movers came.
I have some photos that I'll post later with little stories about why I took them. And when I say "Photos" I mean "two photos".
Want to help me out? Go to my flickr photos (link over there to the right and down a little...or click on any of the pics in other posts), look over my photos and comment on your favorites. I'm planning to start putting images on other web galleries like betterphoto.com and would like to add stuff that other people like.
I had six ComedySportz shows this weekend and reffed twice. I like reffing. For those not in the know, reffing at CSz=hosting. It's like you're in control of the show, but not expected to do funny things...at least from the audience subconcious. So, when you do funny things it seems more funny...maybe? Or maybe I'm just really hilarious (the words "really Hilarious" said in the voice of Neal Hamburger).
Cubs season started yesterday. LETS....GO....CUBS...to hell. I hate the walk from the El to iO through the seas of drunken asshole Cubs fans. How much? I walked the 10+ blocks home from iO instead of getting on the El. Take THAT!
It is 39 degrees today...maybe more by now. Dear Jewel cast and JARs, I miss you guys.
Oh! It's April Fool's day. I've decided that on April Fools day I will be brutally honest instead of trying to do standard "lie-jokes." Except for my standard blog rules.
I like wine.
Today Deanna and I signed our lease and we move into a place on Thursday. When I say "we" I mean "Deanna has cashed in her moving karma from September and will be nowhere near the storage facility or apartment during the process." You may or may not remember that I was in Maine when the movers came.
I have some photos that I'll post later with little stories about why I took them. And when I say "Photos" I mean "two photos".
Want to help me out? Go to my flickr photos (link over there to the right and down a little...or click on any of the pics in other posts), look over my photos and comment on your favorites. I'm planning to start putting images on other web galleries like betterphoto.com and would like to add stuff that other people like.
I had six ComedySportz shows this weekend and reffed twice. I like reffing. For those not in the know, reffing at CSz=hosting. It's like you're in control of the show, but not expected to do funny things...at least from the audience subconcious. So, when you do funny things it seems more funny...maybe? Or maybe I'm just really hilarious (the words "really Hilarious" said in the voice of Neal Hamburger).
Cubs season started yesterday. LETS....GO....CUBS...to hell. I hate the walk from the El to iO through the seas of drunken asshole Cubs fans. How much? I walked the 10+ blocks home from iO instead of getting on the El. Take THAT!
It is 39 degrees today...maybe more by now. Dear Jewel cast and JARs, I miss you guys.
Oh! It's April Fool's day. I've decided that on April Fools day I will be brutally honest instead of trying to do standard "lie-jokes." Except for my standard blog rules.
I like wine.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Settlers of Catan
This post is mostly for Jen, but also for anyone who recently started playing Settlers or don't really know the rules right (like me and anyone who's played with me...read on).
Rene, who we're staying with, recently found out Settlers is available for download on xbox live (Listed only as "Catan"). So he set his xbox up for xbox live and downloaded the demo. I then logged in and upgraded his demo to full version via my account.
I mention this because you can learn things from the electronic version of games.
Jen and Larrance...here are the things that are contrary or new:
1) you CAN play a soldier before you roll the dice to free up your "awesome" hex.
2) if your road ends at a point where someone crossed their road in front of you, and that spot is blank, AND it is two away from another settlement or castle you can BUILD in that spot...RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR ROAD!...AND!!! It cuts their road in two! I had a 10-long road (and longest road) and the computer built right in the middle of my road AND my longest road was listed as 7 long.
Strategy galore!
I like bees.
Rene, who we're staying with, recently found out Settlers is available for download on xbox live (Listed only as "Catan"). So he set his xbox up for xbox live and downloaded the demo. I then logged in and upgraded his demo to full version via my account.
I mention this because you can learn things from the electronic version of games.
Jen and Larrance...here are the things that are contrary or new:
1) you CAN play a soldier before you roll the dice to free up your "awesome" hex.
2) if your road ends at a point where someone crossed their road in front of you, and that spot is blank, AND it is two away from another settlement or castle you can BUILD in that spot...RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR ROAD!...AND!!! It cuts their road in two! I had a 10-long road (and longest road) and the computer built right in the middle of my road AND my longest road was listed as 7 long.
Strategy galore!
I like bees.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Not THAT Bad
bah...I had a great post and the computer ate it. I'm sitting here eating eggs, yogurt and oatmeal. I HATE eating the same thing over and over.
Oh C'MON!
Remember how I said it was getting warmer? Remember how I said I got on facebook.com (did I say that part? maybe not...I'll start there)
I'm in a writing class (which I know I've mentioned) and I had an idea for one of the assignments that involved facebook...but I knew nothing about it. So I joined. If you have no idea what it is, it is like myspace.com. If you don't know what myspace is, it's like hanging out with your friends, but you just do bits and show each other pictures...AND all of your friends will suddenly try to sell you something without even knowing it.
Anyway. I added a bunch of friends on facebook last night. One feature you can do is change how you "feel"...essentially change text that shows up after your name. Right now mine says "Rance does headshots...make him prove it."
Well, I'm sitting here...haven't really got up and about yet, but I'm thinking "it was getting warmer yesterday. Maybe I'll go for a run! Let me just look at facebook since I have my computer on." And new friend, Nicky, set her text to "Nicky is about to trudge out into the glorious snowy spring day! C'mon Chicago get with it already!" I'm thinking she must have written that on that day it snowed a lot...and then I see she typed it 29 minutes ago.
I look out the window.
It's snowing.
I only eat April snow.
I'm in a writing class (which I know I've mentioned) and I had an idea for one of the assignments that involved facebook...but I knew nothing about it. So I joined. If you have no idea what it is, it is like myspace.com. If you don't know what myspace is, it's like hanging out with your friends, but you just do bits and show each other pictures...AND all of your friends will suddenly try to sell you something without even knowing it.
Anyway. I added a bunch of friends on facebook last night. One feature you can do is change how you "feel"...essentially change text that shows up after your name. Right now mine says "Rance does headshots...make him prove it."
Well, I'm sitting here...haven't really got up and about yet, but I'm thinking "it was getting warmer yesterday. Maybe I'll go for a run! Let me just look at facebook since I have my computer on." And new friend, Nicky, set her text to "Nicky is about to trudge out into the glorious snowy spring day! C'mon Chicago get with it already!" I'm thinking she must have written that on that day it snowed a lot...and then I see she typed it 29 minutes ago.
I look out the window.
It's snowing.
I only eat April snow.
Things...more or less than 5.
Well, it was kind of warm out today...I didn't have to wear my hat.
What's been going on? Well, we definitely have a place to move into and will probably move on the 3rd or so (so we probably won't be to bh this time around, declan...but I didn't think I was coming last year...we're very fluid).
On Monday night I had an idea. "I want to play Settlers of Catan! Rene is gone, Deanna is leaving soon for an audition...I'd better call the calvary." So I tried first getting in touch with Ben and Shad. I knew they would play! All we need are three! Ben, in. Shad, out. I then sent a barrage of text messages and emails to find at least a third player if not a fourth. No one. Zero. This was around 5pm. Ben and I gave up and then good ole Jon sends a text around 7:20. I get ahold of Ben again...and we're on! We played two games...one regular and one Cities and Knights. Ben won both. It was glorious.
Side note, today I was in Staples and they had a "secret safe" type thing. It was designed to look like a book, but not...you know. The only problem was this book was probably 2.5-3" wide on the bridge, but easily only 8" tall. Why is this a problem for me? The "book" title was "World Atlas". Not US or State...World. Every...and I mean EVERY World Atlas I've seen has been at least 11x14 if not bigger, and DEFINITELY not as small as this safe. I think if I had never seen this contraption, and I walked into someone's den and saw this tiny little World Atlas I would be COMPELLED to pick it up. "War and Peace" I would have bought.
What's been going on? Well, we definitely have a place to move into and will probably move on the 3rd or so (so we probably won't be to bh this time around, declan...but I didn't think I was coming last year...we're very fluid).
On Monday night I had an idea. "I want to play Settlers of Catan! Rene is gone, Deanna is leaving soon for an audition...I'd better call the calvary." So I tried first getting in touch with Ben and Shad. I knew they would play! All we need are three! Ben, in. Shad, out. I then sent a barrage of text messages and emails to find at least a third player if not a fourth. No one. Zero. This was around 5pm. Ben and I gave up and then good ole Jon sends a text around 7:20. I get ahold of Ben again...and we're on! We played two games...one regular and one Cities and Knights. Ben won both. It was glorious.
Side note, today I was in Staples and they had a "secret safe" type thing. It was designed to look like a book, but not...you know. The only problem was this book was probably 2.5-3" wide on the bridge, but easily only 8" tall. Why is this a problem for me? The "book" title was "World Atlas". Not US or State...World. Every...and I mean EVERY World Atlas I've seen has been at least 11x14 if not bigger, and DEFINITELY not as small as this safe. I think if I had never seen this contraption, and I walked into someone's den and saw this tiny little World Atlas I would be COMPELLED to pick it up. "War and Peace" I would have bought.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter
It is Easter. The day our lord and savior found eggs...right? I think commercialism may have confused me a little. I know there are baskets...that I know.
In other news. I still haven't gone to the gym since I've been back. My DAD however has been hitting the gym like a f***ing champion! Good work, dad.
All through growing up I know my dad's back has hurt...and got progressively worse as years went by. On the cruise ship my folks got VIP treatment which meant free access to the spa. My dad went to the spa and use the steam room or sauna or something and said he had the first pain-free day in a long time.
Does he just walk away saying "Well, that was good...I'll miss it." NO! He got a gym membership and is there not just using the steam room, but working out.
I'm proud of you, dad. You too, mom...but for different stuff. ;) Seana...we'll see (BURN!)
Eat eggs for Jesus everyone!
In other news. I still haven't gone to the gym since I've been back. My DAD however has been hitting the gym like a f***ing champion! Good work, dad.
All through growing up I know my dad's back has hurt...and got progressively worse as years went by. On the cruise ship my folks got VIP treatment which meant free access to the spa. My dad went to the spa and use the steam room or sauna or something and said he had the first pain-free day in a long time.
Does he just walk away saying "Well, that was good...I'll miss it." NO! He got a gym membership and is there not just using the steam room, but working out.
I'm proud of you, dad. You too, mom...but for different stuff. ;) Seana...we'll see (BURN!)
Eat eggs for Jesus everyone!
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