Comparing and Contrasting

South Florida is like DC in many ways. And I don't mean that literally. Sure, the weather here is warm year round and if you were searching for an adjective to describe it, you would come up with something like "awesome" or "kick ass" or "warm". But there are some key differences.People my age or younger: Most of Florida, especially Miami, is really, really good looking. Someone once

Thoughts from a warmer place.

Palm Beach Florida is like the rest of Florida, except older...a lot older. There's a reason that some people (i.e. me) refer to this place as death's waiting room. As I left this morning for the airport (at 7 am!!!) , I almost slipped and fell on the rainy, icy stairs, so it's nice to be running around now with a t-shirt on. Still, my family is enough to drive anyone nuts, and I have several

No Cake for Hitler

Firstable, I don't know who names their kid "Adolf Hitler". It's hard enough making it through gradeschool without the kids finding some reason to pick on you, so you shouldn't make it easy. If this kid was born with a name like Ralph, I would feel sorry for him, but Adolf Hitler? Really? That's practically child abuse. I hope you can take a punch, kid, because you're in for a rough ride. You

Holidays

It seems like just last week that I got back from Florida (probably because it was last week). But I have to back again for Christmas with the family. Things I am looking forward to:1) food: The food is way better and there is way more if it than when I cook.2) Neices and Nephews: I only get to florida about twice a year, while my brother and sister are there year round. That means that it's

Free Plug Friday

Because it's Friday and I don't feel like being creative for your amusement, I will use the power of the internet and garner and focus the power of my tens of readers and support a friend with our latest edition of free plug friday (TM). (YEs, I am really trademarking that, so if you want to use it, that's fine, but pay me for it...you can pay me whatever you think is fair, unless you are cheap,

Back from Key West

I just flew in from Key West and boy are my arms tired. HAHAHA!!! Okay, maybe that's not funny. And you know what else is not funny? Coming home to a house where the temperature is 44 degrees farenheit. Before I left for my trip (future recap post coming) I replaced my old fashioned thermostat with a new fancy schmancy digital programable thermostat. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to

Where's My Bailout?

The "Big 3" US auto makers (who are the business equivalent of your neighbor's heroin junkie brother in law) got turned down when they flew to Washington in their private jets and asked for $25 Billion so they can keep making cars that nobody wants. So they did the logical thing, they went home and came back asking for $34 Billion. Wow. Just. Wow.I think I'm going to walk into my bosses' office

Ahhh the Holidays

I'm looking forward to a little mini vacation in Key West with the girlfriend, but soon after I'll have to return to Florida and spend some time with the family for Christmas. Since I've discovered internet shopping, it's now a lot easier just to order stuff online, have it shipped directly there and not worrying about last minute Christmas presents or lugging lots of toys in my luggage. That

My foot job

I'm gonna admit something now, because I'm sure people will find out eventually, so by coming clean and mocking myself, it will have no power over me. Ready for it? You sure? Okay here goes: I got a pedicure the other day. Now, before you say anything, you should know that I am straight...as straight as they come. In fact, I made sweet, sweet love to my hot girlfriend before and after the

When it's time to back away from the computer

If you think Americans are weird, you're right. But people in other countries can be just as weird and pathetic as our homegrown dorks. Sometimes I like to read newspapers from other countries like the Great Britain (because FoxNews is like watching the Hitler propoganda channel), so I'll read stuff from BBC online, or...The Sun, which is like the National Enquirier, but with British spelling

Two Economists Walk into a Bar...

Q: What's the difference between a recsession and a depression?A: A recession is when your neighbor loses his job, a depression is when you lose yours.The NY Times ran an article recently about how even the big law firms had it rough these days and were laying off assoiciates. Now, THAT'S scary. The reason I went into the law was for job security (also for money and so that I would be able to

My White Trash Halloween...with Photos

This year I thought for sure I would win best costume. My friend had her annual Halloween party at her huge (7 Bedroom) house out in Fairfax county. Seven Bedrooms? Wow, I'm in the wrong business. I thought I had it locked down with my costume: White Trash. I couldn't find the gold teeth grill that I had bought for my costume, but I thought the other white trash elements (tattoos, long hair,

Don't Forget to Vote

I'll put a halloween post in the next couple of days (I'm busy now), but in the meantime, don't forget to vote tomorrow, even if you'll only be doing it for one of the lesser of two evils. Also, if you're in a state that's solidly blue or red, and you don't think your vote will matter, try voting for a third party candidate so that one day we might have real choice in this country. Also, Ron

I call B.S.

I call bvllshit. If you really are giving up on practicing law, burning your Harvard Law degree and leading a simple life (have fun living in a group house till your 50, hippie), then why would you blot out your name on the diploma? Newsflash, you can get another copy of your diploma for $25, so you don't lose anything by burning your diploma. Think about it: if you lost your diploma, does

I'm Back

I can't believe it's been this long since I've posted. I didn't miss it, to be honest. I haven't felt like doing it. It's like trying to get George Bush motivated about reading.Updates? I've lost over $100k in the stock market and haven't made any progress on the house. Also, someone was shot on my corner last night. I think he may be dead because the cop cars were still there this morning. I

Scariest Movie in Years

Well, I went to another movie preview for a movie that's opening soon, Quarantine with my hottie. Now, I'm not scared by most "horror" movies. Most of them I could watch while doing my taxes. But whollyfreakinbejesusonastick this movie is scary!!! If you go watch this movie, maybe you should bring a change of underwear because you may just sh1t your pants...and not in a kinky way either. Also.

Friday Stuff

Well I missed the vice presidential debates last night where Senator Biden debated a former TV Weather girl (has politics really come to this?). Not surprisingly Dems thought he won and Republicans thought she won. Expectations were so low for her that as long as she showed and and stuck to her soundbytes, no matter what question she was asked, she wouldn't embarrass herself. The recaps were

The evil fortune teller...and the evil smoothie woman

Last weekend, I went to the Adams Morgan Day festival with my dog who hates all other dogs (and isn't afraid of voicing her hatred) and the girl I'm dating. For those of you who don't live in DC, Adams Morgan is to DC as Greenwhich Village is NYC. Well, it's like Greenwhich Village, except smaller and lamer, but with less hipsters and more low lifes. It was hot and tiring, but it was the only

Mo' Money...

I got a quote to fix the "issue" with the bricks in the basement (i.e. that they have no mortar and a few are sticking out). The price was $3200, which includes filling in and parging (sp?) 3/8" thick cement over about 250 square feet of bricks to even it out, and pulling out loose bricks and putting them back in. It would be nice to sleep nights without worrying if my house will fall down on

Surfer Dude is a Super Dud

I saw the world's worst "comedy" movie last night, Surfer Dude. It was so bad, that I had to go home and look on IMDB just to make sure that it was a comedy. Prior to this, the two worst "comedies" I have ever seen were Lightning Jack and SpaceBalls. I laughed twice during Lightning Jack and once during SpaceBalls. I didn't laugh even once during Surfer Dude. Spaceballs was made after Mel Brooks

Update

Thanks for concern about me beeing shot. I don't know if I'm paranoid, but I think the pellet is still in my arm. I'm reluctant to take a day off work and go to the doctor just for that, but what happens if I leave it in there? Lead poisoning? Mental retardation? Voting republican? In other news, I had a foundation guy come in and look at the bulging wall in my basement. He said the bricks

that time I got shot with a BB gun...

I haven't posted the follow up because I've been too lazy, to upload the picture. I like to think of it as being busy, but I'm sure catching up on Flight of the Conchords on DVD doesn't qualify me as a mover and a shaker in the corporate world. Donald Trump is not looking over his shoulder and worrying about me, which is fine by me. When my lotto tickets hit, he won't even see it coming.So...the

The world's worst driver

I spotted this car on Florida Avenue and 17th street. There were no other cars involved in the "incident". Sometimes people back home in NYC think I'm kidding when I tell them how bad the drivers are in DC. When I tell them that it snows half an inch and the entire city shuts down (no, really!), and people here don't even know how to drive in the rain. (maybe you should stay in Arizona or

Busy Weekend

This weekend I was shot by BB gun while walking my dog and my date had her car broken into; I went to two clubs, 4 bars, an art show, a bar be que, a dog adoption event, and an improv comedy show. I'll post some pics of my "gun shot wound" with the recap tomorrow, but I'm tired right now and I have a headache. I don't have mixed feelings about gentrification because when my neighborhood looks

There's no Place Like Fridays...and a free plug

I got back into town a few days ago. Attending a vegetarian wedding, it turns out, is as strange as it sounds. I liked the wedding, except for the no-meat thing. I like hummus as much as the next guy, but if I go 24 hours without eating meat, I'll probably bite someone. The ninja clan hails from South America where people sometimes eat meat at all 3 meals. And sometimes during snack time.If my

Yes Man

What happens when you say yes? A friend was telling me about a book called YES MAN (See the link in the sidebar), where the author decides to say yes to everyone for a year. He says yes to people offering him pamphlets on the street, and inviting him to attend a cult meeting where people believe aliens built the pyramids in Egypt. Along the way he wins the lottery (and loses the money) and

Extreme Foreclosure: Home Edition

I hate watching Extreme Makeover, because it bugs me to see a crew of people do more to a house in a week than I have done to mine in 3 years. Plus the background stories are really, really sad and if I wanted to watch something that made me cry, I would just do a google search for nekkid pictures of Rosie O'Donnell. Jus' Sayin'.Maybe it's a symptom of the real estate bubble, or a metaphor for

Omen or Karma?

Sometimes it's hard to interpret random signs. Is it an omen? A test? A couple of days ago when I was walking my dog (not a euphemism for masturbation) I saw a cat pounce on a mouse and bite it to death as it was screaming. Is that a sign? If so, what does it mean? A month ago I was at a bar and I ordered a drink, payed for it with a $10 bill, but the bartender gave me change for $20. Since

What I don't need to read.

When I read about a string of robberies in my neighborhood in broad daylight, I am not happy. Especially when one of them was on my block. From growing up in NYC, I think I can tell when someone is up to no good. Rather than wait for them to commit enough crimes that they eventually get caught (the DC Police Department sucks more ass than deviant anal p0rn) and maybe go to jail, I think the

Odds and Ends

I haven't done anything major around the house because I'm lazy and I'm saving the money I should be spending to make sure my house doesn't fall down in order to plan for my Thailand trip. One (of many) thing(s) that bugs me though, is the amount of debris I have in the basement (pieces of wood, scraps of drywall, dead hookers etc.). It's not nearly enough to rent a dumpster, but too much to have

Odds and Ends...and a Batmobile

Well, the winner of my "where am I going with this" post is Dara from Blah Blah Blog, who correctly guessed "Thailand" (and incorrectly guessed a few other places). Since she's local, she's entitled to my microwave, which isn't the greatest microwave in the world, but it's free and I have no use for it since I installed the new microwave above the stove. If she doesn't want that, she can have

Where am I going with this?

My new passport came in the mail yesterday. The paperwork I filled out said it would take 4-6 weeks, but arrived about a week and a half after I dropped it off at the passport headquarters (which is very near my gym in Downtown DC). This is the first time I have EVER seen a government beaurocracy operate efficiently. Contrast this with the FIVE times I had to go to DC's DMV to get my license

Some people should never have kids

This is either the funniest or the cruelest practical joke ever. And if you think it's funny, maybe you shouldn't be having kids...or baby sitting...or playing with sharp objects...psycho! It reminds me, sadly, of the infamous Mazinga toy incident, when I was a child. I still haven't forgiven Santa for that one, and one day I'll come accross Santa in a bar after he gets off work at the mall and

Wedding Crasher

I inadvertently crashed a wedding last weekend. I was going to a friend's wedding at a swanky place in Georgetown on 28th and Q st. I didn't know there were two swanky places there (one on Q st and the other around the corner on 28th street). So, of course, the cab driver drops me off at the wrong one. The people at the first wedding seemed a little too douchebaggy to be friends with my

Wow, Gasoline Really IS Expensive

On Friday I realized how expensive gas has really become. After the gym, my friend Uncle Rico and I were having beers at my place before we went out. When we went to our vehicles afterwards, Uncle Rico's truck smelled like a gas station. He has a pickup truck that's pretty high off the ground. When we looked underneath it, we saw that someone had cut his fuel line and stolen his gas! Now this

hurtin'

I'm not 22 anymore. It used to be that I could go out drinking till 4 in the morning and be walking around like nothing happened by 9 am. But your 30s are different from your 20s, and not necessarilly in a good way. My friend Dirty Dave, who I've discussed here and here, is in town for a couple of days. We went out drinking (bad idea number one), and did more drinking (still a bad idea) and

updates and such

Well, I'm planning on taking it easy this weekend. Maybe some tidying up around the fortress, but no actual work. I'm trying to get a couple of foundation guys to come in and take a look at my basement brick "issue" next weekend, so thinking about my house falling down and burying me alive while I curse the heavens, or me spending lots of money to keep it from doing so hasn't inspired me to do

miscellany

I had a couple of contractors in to take a look at my basement. I've gotten such aggravation out of the top two floors, that I really don't want to mess with the basement so I was toying with the idea of hiring someone to do the whole basement. I have someone in mind for that, but the guy doesn't do foundations and he pointed out something that he thought I should get checked out before he

The Time I weighed my Poop

I'm beginning to have sympathy for what you women go through. I always hear women complain about trying to lose weight and I never gave it a second thought because after being forced to watch a few Sex and the City episodes I realized that women can complain about anything. ("these shoes are ugly; these shoes look nice, but they are uncomfortable; I don't have enough dates; I have too many dates;

Miscellany

Okay, the results of last post's poll are in. Usually I don't give any weight to polls posted on my site because the results don't come out the way I wanted them too (for the record, my sweater was NOT gay, and neither is any dog, no matter the size). But surpisingly, by a narrow margin, the voters on my site (unlike the voters in the last two presidential elections) showed some sense and decided

You Be the Judge

A few months ago I spotted what may or may not be George Clinton in my hood. I walked in front of him to make sure, then I snapped this pic with my old camera phone. I didn't speak to him because, well, because he's George Effing Clinton and you just don't go up to him unless you've got something to say (or some free pot). And I was coming home from work (wearing a tie!) and I didn't want him

Return of the Mouse Commandos

The Fortress has been mice free for a year and half. I hoped that by killing all of them with the precision that only someone like me that is 1/4 German and all ninja could do, that it would forever deter others from ever trying to come back. Unfortunately, mice have a short memory. I don't think I cook enough in the fortress for a mouse to survive on my leftovers, but I do live in a townhouse

Free Plug Fridays...on a Tuesday

I usually wait until thursday to plug stuff for which I don't get paid, but one of the things I'm plugging is on thursday, so the effort will be useless if I do it on friday, unless you have a time machine...but if you had one of those, I am sure that you have better things to do with your machine, like travelling backin time to kill the scientist who came up with the idea for the super particle

Grrrrrrr....

Someday someone will invent a device that allows you to punch someone in the face over the telephone. When that day comes 1) he or she will be very, very rich; and 2) I will buy the first device (even if it's still in Beta testing). Yes...it's one of those days, and no, I can't give specifics. But now I judge Russell Crowe less harshly for throwing a phone at someone in NY. I'm not saying

The night is made for infomercials

If each of us has some kind of internal clock that tells us when to wake up and go to sleep, then the warranty on mine must've expired. Either that, or it was manufactured in Turkey by illiterate toothless hillpeople who were hired to make it when the factory relocated from Vietnam because the hillpeople were willing to work for ten cents an hour less than the barefoot former vietcong in

Speechless

There are very few things that leave me speechless. I'm a lawyer, so words are the tools of my trade. Like a carpenter's hammer, a surgeon's scalpel or a trophy wife's breast implants, words are what I use to earn money to keep a roof over my head. So it's not often that I forget how to use them.However, yesterday I was driving to my meditation class and I saw the funniest thing i've seen since

Thoughts About Home Prices and Shark Attacks

Unless you run a drug smuggling ring, human trafficking operation, or some other criminal enterprise like a church, the purchase of your home will probably be the biggest financial decision you ever make in your life. That's why the news about the housing market is so depressing. It's like getting married in Vegas to a hot girl and then finding out that she used to be a man. Okay, maybe not

plays selection

I had a board meeting at the theatre tonight. It was a great meeting and afterward the script selection committee met for about an hour to discuss the direction we wanted to go for next year's season. I have several scripts to read, but if anyone out there in cyberspace has any thoughts on a good play for a community theatre with a small stage, feel free to share!

work

Today, I accepted delivery of all my project "stuff." Two kinds of t-shirts and nail aprons, to be added to the items I already had and stuffed into a goody bag for each volunteer. We are still a bit shy of the number of volunteers we wanted, but we can do our work with the number we have, so I'm not too worried. Now if only half of the ones who signed up actually come, then I'll be worried! I don't anticipate that happening, though.

Dog Update

Well, I didn't mention it before, but my foster dog got adopted. I miss the goofy mutt, but in a way it was good to have my life back. Plus, the guy who adopted him lives next to a dog park (which is great for the dog) and he's going out of town a few times this summer and asked if I could dog sit. Which is awesome for me. That's like breaking up with an ex and having her get married, then having

Aside from That Mrs. Lincoln, How Was the Play?

I noticed quite a few police cars with sirens on my way home from work yesterday. I assumed it was because yesterday was Free Ice Cream Day at Ben and Jerry's, and they couldn't contain their joy. But no such luck. I was about two blocks from the Ninja Fortress and I asked someone who apparently saw what transpired.Guy: There was a gunfight, right here. [points to where we're standing]

project preparations

Things are getting very, very busy at my office! It's great, though. I'm really enjoying the anticipation and the planning. This week is going by so quickly! It's a blur of activity and phone calls and following up on all the plans. Before I know it, the project will be here!

status reports

I looked at some houses and some property this weekend, but didn't find anything acceptable. This house hunting thing is going to be interesting, isn't it? I've decided I will either buy one or find some property and have one built. I'm leaning toward having one built right now, because I can be part of the decision making process rather than having to change things when I move in, and also if I'm the first one to live in it, I know everything that has happened to the structure and I know it's been taken care of the way it should be. I know that sounds strange, but I've heard horror stories about people buying a house and then finding out that there is structural damage or that there was a flood or something, or mold in the walls, and that really freaks me out!

On Friday, I came home to two packages, and since I was only really expecting one - a swap package from my Ravelry swap partner filled with some amazing goodies - I was a little shocked to see two. I thought maybe I forgot that I ordered something. That wasn't the case, though, and the second package contained a pleasant surprise! I won a Microsoft contest and the prize was Microsoft Office Professional 2007! I haven't loaded it onto my computer yet because I'm trying to decide if I want it on my desktop or my laptop or if I can actually load it onto both with the license I have. That would be ideal, but there may be restrictions, although there was no fine print or anything.

Journal topic: Love

What do you do to let others know you love them?

This is an interesting one. The way I like to show love is different depending on the person and the situation. I love to hug people, but will only do it if I know the person is okay with that kind of physical contact. I have one friend that I hug everytime we see each other, and one friend that I've only hugged maybe twice in 20 years of friendship. I hug my parents all the time. Other than physical contact, I like to show love in lots of ways. I use words and actions as much as possible to show that I care about people. I tell them I miss them when they are not around, I care about what they have to say, I ask about their lives. I support them in times of need and give advice when they ask for it.

I think showing love is one of the best gifts we can give each other, and I always try to show the people I love just how much they mean to me. Of course, I don't always do it enough, but I do try. I hope that counts for something!

DC Frustrations and the Jedi Mind Trick

I don't want to turn this into an anti-dc blog, but if you've read this blog for any length of time, you'll know that I have no love for the DC police department, whose mixture of incompetence and laziness is only rivalled by their stupidity.This weekend I'll be helping a friend of mine move. Being from the midwest, he probably was underestimating how dangerous his neighborhood would be. But

10 Things I Have Learned From Girls I Dated

The girl on Sex and The City with the horse face is Sarah Jessica Parker. (women like her because she has a horse face but wears nice clothes and dates lots of guys);If a woman sees you holding a baby and not looking terrified, it's better than foreplay (the key is to wear your terror on the inside);If you ask a girl what's wrong and she says "nothing", she is lying (that's why you should

Funerals can be funny after all

Theatre 98 successfully opened its second show of the 2008 season last weekend to applause and a lot of laughter. Comedy is what this little theatre does best, and it truly delivers with Dearly Departed, a story about a Southern family dealing with the death of their father.

Led by director Timothy Guy, this cast made up of newcomers and Theatre 98 veterans truly embody the spirit of a Southern family. Dearly Departed stars Becky Thornton, Joshua Pirtle, Angie LoPresti, Catherine Phillips, Randy Hicks, Leslie Herring, Anthony Lee, Marcus Willis, Haley Moore, and Jennifer Spruiell. Special attention should be paid to Becky Thornton as the mourning (and somewhat relieved) widow. She plays the part beautifully, with the right amount of force and warmth, reminding me a bit of my own grandmother before she passed away. Also watch for the comedy of Marcus Willis as the Reverand, Angie LoPresti as the extremely religious and completely hilarious Margarete and Haley Moore as Delightful and Nadine. At the heart of the story, though, is Catherine Phillips as a woman who married into the Turpin family. She and her husband have been trying to have children, but she can't seem to carry a baby to term. She is the one who takes care of the entire cast when things go wrong - mothering them in such a way that makes her inability to have a child even more tragic, in my opinion. This sadness does not drag the story down, but gives it even more depth and heart, as she comes to realize her family is complete without a child, but does that realization come a little too late? These particular characters stood out to me, but other characters will resonate with other audience members differently, I'm sure. The acting is superb from the entire cast and much credit should go to director Timothy Guy and stage manager Hilary Martin for their attention to detail. By the way, the set is beautiful - this is a very colorful and vibrant show!

Dearly Departed opened at Theatre 98 on April 18 at 8 p.m. Upcoming showtimes are: April 23-26 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 27 at 2:30. Tickets are $15 per person or $10 for students. Prorated season tickets are still available. The box office opens on Monday, April 14 and the hours are 5:15-7:15 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Please call 928-4366 for tickets.

Argosy Blanket

I frogged my first sweater because I decided I didn't like the yarn after all. It was pooling in a must unusual way and I couldn't imagine wearing it. All is well, though - because I found a very cool asymmetrical blanket pattern that I really like, so I've decided to use the yarn to make it instead. Who cares if a blanket pools, right? It just has more character if it does. Anyway, the pattern is so much fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks when it is complete. Here's a picture of my progress so far:

I am really enjoying the little squares and I love how you add one to each side by casting on - it's just enough to keep the pattern interesting, and the yarn overs are a great break in the stockinette stitch pattern. So yeah, I'm really enjoying it and I'm glad I frogged the sweater. It's not sweater weather anymore anyway!

life decisions

I've made a very important decision. I'm going to really watch my spending and focus on paying off some debt. My student loan goes to the second tier of repayment in October, so the payment will double. Luckily, there are only two tiers and I'm making more money now so it won't really affect too much, but I've been thinking about something lately that will be a lot easier if I don't have a lot of outside debt. I think I want to buy a house. Either a house or a condo - but I really want to own something. I figure if I really save and pay lots of extra payments on my car and get rid of the credit cards, I can be debt free (except for the student loans, of course, in a little over a year. Then, I can find the perfect house - or have one built. I'm very excited about this idea. Of course, it means I won't be able to go on shopping sprees when I get paid anymore, but I can live with that!

Argh!

I accidentally deleted my 101 in 1001 blog tonight. I was trying to delete a different blog that I had just created but can't take the time to update and still update this one as much as I want, but I accidentally clicked on the 101 in 1001 blog instead. My fault, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have. So yeah, I have to start it over. I'm not sure I even remember all of the tasks I listed, so it may be very different. Well, that's a fun project to do someday soon, I guess! I think I should have integrated it into this blog to avoid having so many blogs floating around. I'm all about simplifying things these days. And speaking of blogging, I posted a review of Dearly Departed on The Casual Critic.

that was fast

I found out this week that the woman who replaced me at my previous job just resigned. That didn't take very long. I know the natural thing in this situation is to be smug and say "I told you so," but it really just makes me sad. Things are not going well at the organization and I hate that because their mission is very good. I hope they can work things out soon. The flip side of this whole thing is the fact that I'm insanely happy at my new job and I actually feel a little bad about that because my former coworkers, who I'm proud to call friends, are so unhappy. I'll send positive thoughts their way and hope things get better.

Fairhope Film Festival Winners

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
Grand Jury Award"Racing Daylight" Directed by Nicole Quinn
Best Feature Film"Cold Play" Directed by D. David Morin and Geno Andrews
Best Documentary Film"In the Wake of the Assassins" Directed by Robert Clem
Best Short Film"The Gift Wrapper" Directed by Daniela De Carlo
Audience Choice Award"All Along" Directed by Robert Masciantonio
Special Mention Best Cinematography"A Thousand Hills" Directed by Mary Allison Wilmarth
Honorable Mention Creative Romance"Boyfriend Latte" Directed by Mark Sanders
The Heart of Fairhope Award"Jim and Jung" Directed by Matt Paulson

Vision Quest Meets Rocky

Well, I continue to search for things that I suck at, but I am so awesome that it's difficult to find anything. Let's add submission grappling to the list. But first...some background.I started learning karate when I was about 12. Only it wasn’t just karate. The school was taught by an old school karate master and an old school judo and jiu jitsu master who thought that by combining grappling

Dearly Departed photo session

I took these photos tonight at the last rehearsal of Dearly Departed. The play opens Friday at Theatre 98 in Fairhope, and if you are around, you should absolutely come join the fun! I'll review the play at The Casual Critic this weekend.

Fairhope Film Festival Recap

Stop by The Casual Critic for my very late review of the Fairhope Film Festival. Also, please vote in the poll at the top of the page on that blog, because I want to redo some things with it and whatever opinions I get will help me do that!

Coming soon...

I think it's been more than a couple of weeks since my last post, but I'm not dead (knock wood), just busy. I had hoped that this year would be the first year in a long time when I filed my taxes on time without asking for an extension...but apparently next year will have that honor.Ironically, I have been trying to get my sh1t organized for some time, and at a party a couple of months ago I

Journal Topic: Growth

Who supports your growth?

This will be a fairly easy one. My family and friends support my growth. They always support me no matter what, and are always there to encourage me when I'm feeling down. In particular, my mother is very supportive of my growth and often tells me that she is supportive and proud. My dad is supportive and proud too, but he doesn't often say it. He does show it in other ways, though. He tends to show his feelings by teasing or joking with people, so when he jokes about how I should know something since I'm going to be paying for my college education until I'm 50 years old, I know it means he's proud of me for graduating from college.

My friend Chris, who is really more like a soul mate, although not in the traditional sense of the word, is totally supportive of my growth. He's so supportive of it, in fact, that he often nudges me toward things that would accelerate growth when I'm not sure I can do it. He has more faith in me than any other person on the planet, and for that I will always be grateful.

There are so many others in my life who support my growth as a person, as a professional, as a writer, and as a Christian. These are all important areas in my life that I want to see grow and thrive, so it's nice to know that I have support from all these people to help make it happen.

Dearly Departed test audience

I got to be a test audience member tonight for the upcoming production of Dearly Departed. It seems that the director wanted to make sure the actors got used to people laughing during the show, so he asked some people to come and help out. I asked Marcus to come with me and happily he did. I think he had a great time.

This show is so funny - seriously, I have never laughed so hard! I'll review it at some point, but if you're in Fairhope and love Southern comedies, you have to call the theatre immediately to get tickets! The box office opened today!

lying in the hammock

Almost four years ago, I purchased a hammock at a silent auction. It came in a package with everything you need to make really good margaritas and a beach umbrella. The umbrella has been used so much it fell apart last summer and I took the margarita stuff to a party held by a Jesuit Volunteer who was working at my former place of employment while I was still there, so that took care of that. The hammock, however, has been sitting in the closet in the front room, waiting to be used. Yesterday, I bought a hammock stand and today I set the hammock stand up in my back yard and had a very nice afternoon reading outside in it. I remembered why I paid for the thing in the first place - I love them! I had just purchased "No Nest for the Wicket," the next book in the Meg Langslow mystery series by Donna Andrews. I love those books! Anyway, this one is screamingly funny and a perfect book to read outside, as much of it takes place during an extreme croquet game.

It was a lovely afternoon, and as the weather continues to warm up over the next few weeks, I look forward to many more like it!

Work doesn't have to be horrible

Just dropping in to say something very quickly. I've come to the realization that work doesn't have to be horrible. It is entirely possible to really enjoy your job. I know I do now, and it makes all the difference in my outlook, my mood, and my ability to enjoy life in general. It's great to be in a good place again!

counterpane 1

It's been a busy week, both at work and after work. I've been spending about an hour a day writing after work, which has been working out very well. I'd update the progress bar, but I forgot where I got the code and I can't find a good progress bar anywhere! I'll do some searching this weekend.

I've also been working on a very fun knitting project! My aunt gave me a ton of Christmas yarn last December, leftovers from her crocheted Christmas throw, and I finally found a pattern that I want to use. It's a counterpane square pattern, and I'm using some of my extra acrylic to test knit a square. Here it is:

The squares are large, so you only need four of them for a small throw. The first time I saw a complete version of the blanket, I thought the leaves all coming together in the center looked a bit like a flower, so I decided to make it a poinsettia. It obviously won't look exactly like one, but it'll give a nice impression of one, especially if I do the leaves in red and the background in green. The pattern has some clearly defined sections, so I'm changing colors in the logical places and will hopefully use up most of the yarn my aunt gave me. It'll probably end up being a gift for my mother, because she saw the pattern and loved it. I'll see how I feel about it after it's finished. I may love it too much! It's quite easy and quick, which kind of shocked me. I expected it to be very difficult. Well - we'll see how I feel when I get to the next section!

what a weekend!

I'll be posting about my film festival adventures on the Casual Critic blog probably this evening. A more detailed description of the weekend will be there, because most of the weekend was spent participating in the festival and then spending time with the kids.

In case you were wondering, I decided not to participate in Script Frenzy this year, mostly because I... um... forgot about it! I was going to prepare and do an outline and everything, but in all the insanity surrounding getting a new job and everything, it just slipped my mind. Oh well... I didn't have a good idea anyway, so it's not a loss. What I am going to do is to concentrate harder on the Draha outline because it is taking FOREVER to complete! It's my fault, I haven't been committing the time I need to commit to it and it is suffering as a result. I will recommit to it and finish the entire detailed outline (all 5 books) by the time NaNo rolls around. I'm not sure how other writers do this, but my detailed outlines tend to be a chapter by chapter summary, including major plot points and scenes that are important to the chapter, so each chapter may have several long paragraphs describing what happens in it. Of course, this often changes, but it's so useful to have that framework. If it is done sooner, I will go ahead and start over on the first book (so much has changed from the original draft!) and do the second for NaNo. If not, I'll do the first book during NaNo and continue with the others at a pace similar to NaNo (with the detailed outline, that is usually possible) until all five are in first draft form. At least, that's the plan.

I just started a new knitting project that I find very exciting! Details and pictures later.

The View

No, I'm not talking about the TV show... the view from my desk in my office. Check it out, isn't it cool?? I love my office, I love my job and I love my view. I eat lunch at my desk every day just so I can spend lunchtime looking out the window at the cars that zoom by on the Interstate. It's nice. Most of the time I have the blinds only slightly open because of the intense amount of sunlight that comes in, and also because I don't want to be distracted by the view, but at lunchtime, I like to open the blinds and let the sunlight come in. It's a nice way to spend a lunch break.

feeling better

Thanks for the kind words, both of you! I'm feeling better now, although not 100% yet. I decided to give my back one more night of rest before diving back into the exercises, but I did do a bit of yoga today and it felt really good to stretch out those muscles!

I'm completely exhausted tonight. Not sure why, but I am. I think I'll make a nice cup of hot tea, take a steaming hot bath and go to bed early. What an exciting life I lead, right?

weekend in pain

I've hurt my back. I'm not sure how it happened, but it probably has to do with either the intense exercise I did on Thursday or the fact that I tripped over a curb on Friday afternoon and fell on my face. Well, not on my face exactly, I caught myself, but I would have fallen on my face if my arms hadn't taken most of the punishment! So I spent the weekend on a heat and massage mat, taking Advil and wishing for something a bit stronger. It's feeling better today, but still not 100%.

I did manage to do some knitting while lying on the heat/massage mat, and because of the wonderful laptop purchase, I was able to do a little writing too! Not nearly enough, but it wasn't a completely nonproductive weekend.

So it's Monday and I'm heading to work in a few minutes. I'm taking publicity photos for the theatre tonight, so I'll get to see how the show is coming together. It's always fun to see show during the rehearsal process.

the best laid plans...

I planned to come home after work, make a nice dinner, eat while watching a couple of things Tivo recorded for me, and then work on the Draha outline. I planned to do these things, but none of them happened. I actually came home, made a sandwich (peanut butter and honey) and then went to my sister's house to collect some clothes for the kids so they could stay with me tonight. She's really going through a rough time and is having trouble sleeping. I think she just can't stand to be in that house without her husband. He's a jerk, but he lived there for five years and I remember exactly how horrible it was to come home to that empty house, at least at first. It's comforting to be in a house with other people, so I understand why she would rather be here than there. Plus, her house is a bit creepy. I wouldn't want to sleep there!

Anyway, I think the stress is getting to her. I'm not sure what to say other than that it does get easier. I can't really compare my divorce to hers, because she has three kids to consider, so any wisdom I may have about the situation wouldn't really apply. All I can do is be there for her, which is absolutely the plan.

So things didn't go as planned, but hopefully I can get things done tomorrow.

Little Lucy

I just had to post this, mostly because it's too cute! Noah got a new puppy. Her name is Lucy. They tell me she won't get much bigger than she is now, which is really hard to believe because she's so tiny! I really want one, but I have allergies, so I'll have to go on some kind of medicine before I get a pet, plus my current residence doesn't allow pets, so I'll get one when I move (someday...)

A little taste of Spring

I just wanted to share the pictures I took of the flowers in my front yard this afternoon. After tonight's cold snap, they will probably die, so I wanted to take pictures today to show how lovely they were. Enjoy!

This last one is in honor of the childhood memory story. This wisteria bush isn't nearly as big as the one that covered the tree I talked about in that post, but it is still beautiful.

Easter Sunday

Today was wonderful. I got up, got ready and went to church. When I got there, someone was sitting in my usual seat. I looked around and realized there were no seats available in my usual section, so I walked all the way to the front (You know what they say about Backrow Baptists? Every person who goes to my church is a Backrow Baptist, so the front rows are always free!) I sat down and looked up at the choir, wondering who they were gesturing to and why - and then realizing they were gesturing to me! The director's daughter was waving her hands and mouthing something to me and my mother was motioning for me to come up there. Well, it was in the middle of announcements, so I couldn't do that, but then I realized what they were saying. They wanted me to put on a robe and sing with them.

They were doing an Easter Cantata a little later in the service and the choir was looking a little slimmer than usual. They wanted me to sing with them! The fun part was, I hadn't even opened the book, much less learned the songs. I motioned back to them that I didn't know the music, and they motioned back, come up anyway! So I slipped out, ran to the back, put on a robe and arrived at the door to the choir loft just in time to slip in, unnoticed, as the congregation participated in fellowship time, which is a time when the pianist plays a hymn and everyone greets everyone else and says how happy they are to see each other. It's a very friendly church.

So gasping for breath, I took my place beside my mother, wishing I had spent a little more time on my hair and makeup now that I was standing in front of everyone, and quickly looked over the cantata music. It looked fairly easy, so I knew I should be able to sight read. And so that's exactly what I did. (Thank you to my Sight Reading and Ear Training instructor at the University of Mobile back when I was a voice major! Your lessons served me well yesterday!) The first time I heard the music was when I was trying to sing it, and didn't do a terrible job, if I do say so myself. It turns out that the director was so nervous about the choir being small that he called his two adult daughters and asked them to sight read the canata too. So there were at least three of us up there who had absolutely no idea what was going on! It was a lot of fun!

After the cantata, my sister took the kids to their dad's family for their Easter celebrations and I was alone in the house at last! I did laundry all afternoon and into the evening. I still have one load to do, but I can do it tonight. It's so nice to look in the closet and see all your clothes hanging there, and to look in the laundry hamper and see no dirty clothes to wash. I do hate doing laundry, but it's one of those things that must be done.

Saturday: On the Hunt

Late this afternoon, after I spent most of the day in bed with a crushing migraine and then zombified by the migraine medicine, we had an Easter egg hunt in my front yard. Noah and I hid eggs (half real, half plastic filled with candy) for the little ones to find. Kohl and Hannah were precious, looking all over for the eggs, missing the most obvious ones and finding the more difficult ones, running around the entire yard, trying to beat each other to the same egg. Kohl still likes to follow his sister around, so he kept missing eggs because he is always a couple of steps behind her, but we encouraged him to go out on his own a bit, in a different direction, and he found some eggs by himself. That seemed to help him know that doing it alone is better, so he started being more independent. I love when something clicks in a child's head. You can actually see that light in their eyes turn on when they really get a concept. I could see the light go on inside Kohl when he realized he needed to hunt alone.

After their search, they decided to hide eggs and Noah and I had to find them. We raced across the yard "looking" for the eggs that were hidden in the most obvious places. The only bad thing was that Kohl thought it would be great to hide one of the real eggs under the house, so he tossed it under there. We had to crawl under the house to retrieve it, otherwise the smell in a few days would drive me away from my home! That would be bad, wouldn't it?

After Noah and I finished our hunt, the kids ate the real eggs and then decided to hide the plastic ones around the interior of the house for several hours, alternating who got to hide and who got to search. It was adorable.

A truly Good Friday

As always, when I spend time with my sister's kids, the days turn into a blur of activity, laughter, and fun. I was the only family member who didn't have to go to work today (yay for my job!) Rather than sitting around the house all day, I decided to have what was later dubbed "the day of awesomeness" by my 12 year old nephew.

We started the day with some errands (yeah, fun... but they had to be done) we went by the bank and then to the post office so I could mail out two swap packages for Monthly Adventures on Ravelry. One was sadly overdue but the other was early, so hopefully that will redeem me in the swap keeper's eyes.

We had pizza for lunch at my favorite little pizza place. Noah wanted a sandwich, so I sent him to the sandwich shop next door with some money and he brought his food back and ate it with us.

After that, we went to the movies to see Horton Hears a Who, which was entertaining to all of us, despite the range of ages represented. We chose that one because my youngest nephew (who is a rambunctious 4 year old) has crazy love for elephants and when he saw the previews for this movie his eyes sparkled the way kid eyes do when they are excited about something. I had to take him after that, it's such a beautiful thing to see! Anyway, he sat still through the entire movie, eyes glued to the screen. He never sits still, so I know he enjoyed it.

After the movie, I took them to the community park in Fairhope. There's an ice cream place just a block away, so we walked over and bought some ice cream. It's actually frozen yogurt, but they think it's ice cream, so I'm not going to tell them it's not! Anyway, it was about 80 degrees outside, so a perfect day for ice cream. They played in the park for several hours. I played with them for awhile and then sat down to work on something new that I am knitting for yet another Ravelry project. The place can take over your life if you let it, trust me!

We went back to my house at around 5 p.m. because they were getting hungry and I didn't want to buy dinner after spending so much money already! So that ended the "day of awesomeness." It was a lot of fun, and gave me the periodic taste of motherhood that I need to satisfy that particular craving for awhile. One thing having the kids around all the time has done for me is to make me realize that being a mom is great, but it also changes everything about your life. It has also confirmed what I've thought all along - I'm not ready for it! Also that I don't want more than one or two if I do ever have any. I think that's why being an aunt is so great for me. I love them as if they were my own, but because they are not mine, I don't have to do any of the difficult parenting stuff. It's a good position to be in, I truly believe that.

Strange Days

I haven't been myself lately. I've been busy...very busy, and a little edgy lately. Last week I almost got into a fist-fight at 3 am with a drunk. I am usually pretty laid back (partly it's zen, and partly it's that I don't give a sh1t), but something just set me off. I came back from a club and it was late, but I still had to walk the dog so that he doesn't pee on my floor and then act like he

Journal Topic: Childhood Memories

Explore a memory from childhood, finding all the details you can.

We never really liked sitting still, especially in my grandmother's house. The grownups all talked about their illnesses and their problems. We didn't care about such things and were unable to sit still through all of it, especially without squirming, snickering, and making faces at each other. We were required to sit there for a few minutes at least. Mom called it "visiting" and we were glad when our few minutes of visiting ended. We could go outside and play after answering a few questions about school and homework, soccer and softball. My sister and I felt free when we opened that screen door and ran out into the front yard. It was the perfect yard for children, complete with a huge oak tree right in the center with branches low enough for us to climb if we gave each other a boost and a lift. My sister would go up first. I would help her up from the ground and then she would take my hands and lift me onto the branch. From the highest branch that we could reach, we could see the whole neighborhood, which was more a little collection of homes than a real neighborhood, one of which belonged to our aunt and uncle. Our two cousins lived there, and we would usually meet up with them and play in the yard until our parents were finished visiting.

It seems half of my childhood was spent in trees. The tree from my grandmother's yard was one, the tree in my cousin's backyard was another. We built a tree house in that one, and would collect what we called "dirt bombs" which were really just clumps of dirt from a nearby field, and we would wait for my older cousin to walk by and pelt him with the dirt bombs. It was especially fun for me because I really, really didn't like him. Another significant tree from my childhood resided in my own front yard. I named him Bob (I have no idea why) and he was magnificent. His trunk was so large that I could never manage to put my arms all the way around it, although I did try many times. I even asked my dad to try and he couldn't either. It was the only way I could get him to hug a tree, and then we called him a "tree hugger" for days afterward. I think my love for the environment and my desire to protect it came from loving that tree. Bob had weathered Hurricane Camille, and as a result, was slanted at a fairly severe angle for a tree, roots showing above the surface of the ground. A wisteria bush was planted there, tangled in the roots, and when spring came every year, the vines that wrapped around Bob, all the way up to the topmost branch, would explode into beautiful purple blooms. Sometimes, when the wind would blow hard enough, you could stand under the tree and be showered with the blossoms. The scent on the air during that time of year was amazing. I'm pretty sure that's why Spring is my favorite season to this day.

I wouldn't trade my memories of playing in my grandmother's tree, or my cousin's tree, or Bob in my own front yard for anything. However, I do wish I had spent more time visiting with my grandparents. When they are gone, you can't visit with them anymore.

I'm fairly certain this isn't exactly what the topic meant by exploring a childhood memory. I know it probably meant one specific memory, but I chose to treat it like a writing exercise just to let my mind wander and see what came out. And how appropriate that my mind would wander to trees and flowers on this day, the first day of Spring!

Randomness

I was off yesterday and I went to Ikea for the last things I needed to finish my kitchen. It's not as loathesome a place during the week. On the weekend there's always thousands of people there and every single one of them is in my way. But if you go during work hours, the silence is deafening.When I bought the kitchen cabinets from them several months ago, they supposedly sold me everything I

An Irish Blessing

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! In honor of my Irish roots, I'm posting this blessing to all who may stumble upon this blog today.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

We sang a lovely arrangement of this blessing when I was in high school concert and show choir. We always ended every concert with it. I absolutely loved the arrangement and have loved the sentiment since first hearing it. Have a wonderful day and don't forget to wear green!

the joy of family

One thing about family. They are there to pick you up when you fall. They did it when I had difficult times, and now it's my turn to do it for someone else. My sister is getting a divorce. It's really about time, I've been hoping she would do it for ages now. She will be better off without him, that's for sure.

My sister and I have never been really close. She tends to keep people at arm's length, especially people who are in her family. In recent years, we have formed a better relationship, but still there was always distance. We are really different people and have very different lives, but we are sisters and nothing will change that. This weekend she reached out, and it was a truly amazing experience for me. I think what she is going through right now will help us grow closer, because I will be there for her throughout the ordeal and beyond. Hopefully we can be the sisters I've always wanted us to be.

I spent a lot of time with Noah this weekend. We didn't do much, just went to see a movie and then played computer games while watching Psych (my newest TV obsession) on DVD, but it was great quality time. That kid is growing up to be an awesome person. I can't wait to see what he becomes.

happy at Habitat

Work is still great! I love Habitat and I love my position. We are interviewing people for a new position in my department, which is very exciting. I will have two people in my department when we hire this one. That's quite a change from being in charge of an intern or two, but I know I'll be able to handle it! I'm also looking into certifications in my field. There are two that I can get, but I still have to wait two more years to apply. I'm going to use those two years to study and become proficient in all areas of fundraising and public relations, so that when it's time to take the tests for APR and CFRE, I'll be ready!

new stuff

I worked on two confidential knitting projects, finishing one and getting about halfway on the other. Ravelry is so awesome, I'm part of a group that swaps once a month and it's really helping me branch out with my knitting.

I bought a laptop this weekend! I've needed one since the first one I bought crashed (after about 5 years of solid use, so that's pretty good) and I happened to have the money for a very nice one that I found on sale. It is great, and will do everything I need it to do, especially for my writing and for the times when I have to go out of town for work. It just about killed me to be without a computer last week while at the conference.

dreams

I worked on the Draha outline over the weekend, but haven't updated the progress bar. Another really important breakthrough came in the form of a dream on Friday night. I remember most of it, but I need to really reach back into my memory and see if I have all the details. It was great and I want to make sure I get it all down on paper.

Free Plug Fridays

Although this is St. Patricks Day weekend, you don't need to wear a green t-shirt and make a drunken ass out of yourself with all the rest of the aging frat boys trying to re-live their college days. ("you don't know, man, it was willlld, my boyz can DRINK, man, you don't know, you have no idea how fcuked up we used to get every weekend"). So I'm going to give you some other things to do with

Blog Thoughts...the spinoff

I've been thinking about starting another blog. Not like the stock picking blog, which nobody reads, but a secret blog that nobody reads. I was talking to my sister the other day and it turns out she found out about my cyber outlet for life's frustrations. At first I tried to deny it.Sis: [cousin] told me about your blog. It's hysterical.Me: I don't know what you're talking about...I don't have a

Fairhope Film Festival!

See my (sadly neglected) entertainment blog, The Casual Critic, for details about the first annual Fairhope Film Festival, taking place in April of this year! The official website of the festival is here. I am so excited that there is going to be a film festival in my beloved town. It really is a great destination for such an event, and I hope it becomes a very successful yearly event for the town. I'm thinking of volunteering in some capacity, but because of work commitments I may not be able to do it this year. But regardless, I will find the time to attend as much of the festival as I can, because I think it could be a wonderful thing for my little town!

Fairhope Film Festival announced!

I totally just copied and pasted the press release from their website, but I figured they would be okay with the free advertisement. I am SO excited about this festival, as it is being held in my hometown! I will absolutely be a part of this festival as much as I possibly can! I do hate that it's being held on a Thursday - Saturday because I will most likely miss most of the Friday daytime films, but I will attend as many as I can. Fairhope is an amazing place to visit, so if you are looking for something to do in April, consider the first annual Fairhope Film Festival!

2008 FAIRHOPE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES COMPLETE LINEUP

FAIRHOPE, AL. – February 29, 2008 – The 1st Annual Fairhope Film Festival (FFF) is thrilled to announce the complete lineup of films slated to screen at the event, April 3-5, in Fairhope, AL.
This new festival has received numerous entries from all over the world and has selected 15 great pictures that boast a wide variety of dramatic, documentary, short and student films. Among these films, 5 of them are World Premieres; 2 Features, 1 Documentary and 2 Short Films. The FFF is also proud to showcase "Racing Daylight", an Independent Feature staring Academy Award Nominee David Strathairn, as our Opening Night Premiere Film (Thurs., April 3rd).

Visit www.fairhopefilmfest.com for more information; updates regarding film schedules, venue locations, and tickets will also be found on the website during the next few weeks.
The complete lineup, by section and with synopsis descriptions, follows below.

Features:
"Racing Daylight" is a ghost story, a murder mystery and a love story which crosses time; told as three short films in two different times (1860s/present), and from 3 points of view, it stars Academy Award Nominee David Strathairn (Bourne Ultimatum, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Good Night and Good Luck). Dir. by Nicole Quinn

"All Along" - Richard Harrison has a wife, job, and two teenagers. While every midlife working stiff descends into daydreams in order to escape mundane reality, Richard doesn't merely scratch the surface of his fantasies, he physically enters them for moments at a time, until he's forced to snap back into reality with humorous results. This film stars Krista Allen (Final Destination 4 "filming", What About Brian "TV", Feast "Project Greenlight"). Dir. by Robert Masciantonio

"Cold Play" is the psychological suspense story of a trophy wife's desperate attempt to break free from her dangerously possessive husband. Cold Play is tense, sexy, psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns and a shocking ending. Dir. by D. David Morin and Geno Andrews *World Premiere*

"A Thousand Hills" - Awkward 13 year old David tries to save his family's farm from an evil land-developer using the only thing he has - his voice - to make a CD and to win the heart of Kelly, the prettiest girl in school. Through many ups and downs he learns who he can trust and who he can't as he grows from a boy into a young man. This film is based upon true events. Dir. by Mary Allison Wilmarth

"Train Master" is the tale of a grandfather (Jeremiah) who works for Western Railroad in the Northwest; his two grandchildren share his passion for trains. A wealthy heir to a railroad line on the East Coast purchases Western Railroad and kicks Jeremiah out of a job, leading him to despair. The two grandchildren along with a few friends end up on a runaway train; the grown men are forced to make amends and strategize a solution to save the kids. The film tells of an adventure between friends, family and the value of respecting others. Dir. by Phil Bransom

Documentaries:

"Forgotten Coast" - On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf. You may think you know about the effects of this storm, but you are wrong. This is about the people of the Mississippi and Alabama coasts, struggling to reconstruct their lives and adjust to their rapidly changing culture along the Forgotten Coast. Dir. by Jamie Christensen Johnston

"In the Wake of the Assassins" - In the mob-controlled town of Phenix City, Alabama in the 1950s, a crusading lawyer is assassinated after he is elected attorney general on a platform of 'Man Against Crime'. His son reluctantly takes his place, vowing to clean up Phenix City and find his father's killers. Dir. by Robert Clem *World Premiere*

"The Reckoning – Remembering the Dutch Resistance" - The Reckoning is not only a true and historic documentary about courage in the face of extreme prejudice and war, but it's also about a love story within this genocidal madness that ends in tragedy at a German concentration camp. Dir. by John Evans

Short Films:

"Jim and Jung" - Quirky, paranoid and obsessed with fortune cookies, Jim is forced to face his fears after a fortune prophecies of his certain doom. However, when challenged by his equally underachieving yet loyal friend Frank, Jim finds courage, love, and life where he least expects it. Dir. by Matt Paulson

"The Gift Wrapper" - The Gift Wrapper is a Christmas Tale about a girl who wraps gifts with lots of love and care, until one Christmas love finds her and that becomes the best Christmas gift one could ever get. Dir. by Daniela De Carlo *World Premiere*

"Boyfriend Latte" - A sassy young female executive has a deep desire for a boyfriend who will be honest, true, faithful and passionate, but can a woman and a take-out coffee have a real long-lasting relationship? Dir. by Mark Sanders *World Premiere*

"Creepers" - A group of clumsy rainforest creepers secretly become super heroes who stumble through rescuing their fellow creatures from the sabotage of the sinister creeper at the local festival. (Animation) Dir. by Mark Simon

Student Films:

"Dark Devotion" is a story about Emily who is in a dream world. She is overcome by her past and must face the emotional cancer of her mother, if she is to have any hope of waking from her deep coma. Dir. by Jordan Kamellard

"Taste of June" - A young girl falls in love with the boy of her dreams, much to her overprotective mom's chagrin. Dir. by Amirah Hakim-EL

"Finding Harvey" - A couples' heartfelt attempt to restore what was rightfully theirs flirts with the felony of kidnapping and also paves the boundaries to adulthood. Dir. by Dina Kadisha

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS
At the heart and soul of every festival, you can find the volunteers. The FFF truly believes that Volunteering is extremely important and we are currently looking for more people willing to be part of this new and exciting film world and culture. Please visit www.fairhopefilmfest.com for more info on how to become a FFF Volunteer.

About FFF
The Fairhope Film Festival (FFF) is striving to create a truly unique experience in the world of cinema. The FFF will bring a collection of films to the local community on the Gulf of Mexico; movies centered on a central theme..."Romance". The FFF is also determined to become an ongoing, annual tradition showcasing talented filmmakers from around the world. The FFF is committed to giving filmmakers the best experience possible: extensive promotion of their films which are screened several times in theatres packed with attentive audiences, while enjoying the hospitality of the staff and volunteers in a storybook type charm destination which Coastal Living Magazine described as one of their top 10 most Romantic Destinations.

FFF Mission

The Fairhope Film Festival is dedicated to presenting independent film and providing cultural and educational events in the gulf coast region year round.

This festival will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2008 – Saturday, April 5, 2008. For those who are not able to attend the festival, the top 2 films will be shown on Sunday, April 6, 2008 after the festival is over.

back again

I forgot to write that I would be at a conference Monday and Tuesday of this week. I'm back now and I feel like I learned a lot at the conference. There is so much that I want to do in my position, so much I want to accomplish. I know some of the things I learned at the conference will help me with that. I also met some great people that I can't wait to get to know even more, especially our closest affiliate. They are actually located in the county where I live, and I'm going to meet up with their volunteer coordinator and talk with her about the various ways we both recruit volunteers. We sort of share a volunteer base, so it's nice to be able to talk about that and help each other.

So today it's all about catching up and getting things accomplished. I have an application to finish and a few packets to create.

Tonight I have to create and send the publicity for the next show's auditions and I need to schedule a photo session for the current show. It'll be a busy week of catching up, that's for sure!

Irony, thy name is Spitzer

What's happening to Elliot Spitzer is ironic. He prosecuted money launderers and prostitution rings, and he gets caught because of suspicious bank transfers which leads authorities to his whore mongering. To make matters worse, Spitzer signed a law that increased the penalty for sleeping with hookers from 3 months, to one year in prison.Unlike Alanis Morissette, I can use the word ironic in a

family drama

There's more family drama happening. I'm not really sure what is going to come of all this, but I know what I'd like to happen. It's completely frustrating when you know that someone is not doing what is best for them (and their family) and you can do absolutely nothing to convince them that they need to make a major life change. I've tried, but it's like talking to a brick wall. Unfortunately, the decision (or indecision in this case) is hurting more than just the person in question, it is affecting the lives of others. I just have to do what I can and not worry about the rest.

Today is Noah's birthday. He's 12 years old! I love this kid more than anything else in the world. I hope he has the best birthday ever and that the rest of his life is filled with love and laughter, because he has done so much to fill my life with those very important things. Isn't he beautiful?

Be Kind Rewind

Interesting fact. I no longer own anything that can rewind. It's true. With the addition of my new Tivo to my entertainment center, I got rid of my VCR. My stereo doesn't even take cassette tapes! But even though I no longer rewind, I still thoroughly enjoyed the film, Be Kind Rewind when I saw it on Tuesday night.

One thing I really liked about this film is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. With Jack Black and Mos Def leading an ecclectic cast of characters, you can't expect it to be serious, right? When Black's character Jerry tries to sabatoge a power plant that he believes is trying to control him through microwaves, he gets more than he bargains for - he gets magnetized. The next day, when he enters the failing video rental shop where he and his friend Mike spend most of their time, he inadvertently erases the video tapes in the shop. The store has been left in Mike's hands while the owner, Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover in a wonderful performance) is otherwised engaged, so Mike and Jerry have to figure out how to keep the very few customers happy until Mr. Fletcher returns.

The plan is born out of that despiration - they will shoot the movies themselves and rent them to an unsuspecting public. They were not prepared for the popularity of these "sweeded" versions of popular films, however, and they soon receive a lot of requests for a variety of different films.

I'll be honest, the plot surrounding the sweeded films was not as fun to watch as the films themselves. I died laughing at their rendition of Ghost Busters, and the very small piece they showed of their version of Men in Black was hilarious as well.

As it turns out, renting sweeded versions of movies to the public is a violation of copyright, which creates a snag they were not expecting. Their attempts to save the video store from demolition and to save the owner from prison and fines for copyright violations seemed inadequate until the community got together and created their own film.

It is surprisingly touching in the end, but what I personally remember most about the movie is how much I enjoyed the sweeded movies. Back in high school, some of my friends did this to amuse themselves. Who knew that years later someone would make a movie about it?

Journal topic: Strengths

This is the first of the journal topics, which I found here and copied over to my blog to make it easier for me to go through one at a time. I'm going to try to do at least one a week, maybe more, in an attempt to write more here on the blog, even if my daily life isn't interesting! I find sometimes that my days are similar and I hate to write about the same thing every day, so these journal topics are my attempt to mix it up a bit and gain some insight into myself at the same time. My version of the list can be found here, but go here for the entire list and more topics.

Today's topic: What strengths have you developed over your life?

I thought about this a great deal while interviewing for jobs. You know the drill, "what are your strengths and weaknesses." For work, I always say things like: multitasking and the ability to handle stress and deadline pressure. These are great strengths in the workplace and are characteristics that serve someone well in my field, where there is always deadline pressure and stress is a part of the daily routine. I also usually try to fit in there somewhere that I can improvise when things do not go as planned. This is something I've picked up just recently with my previous job experience and I think it's a pretty good skill to have, especially as it translates into daily life. But what do I consider my real strengths? The non-job interview answer is that I'm a survivor. Who could have imagined when I was 18 that I would have to handle a divorce at 23? I know, it happens all the time, but it wasn't something I was prepared to deal with, and it wasn't something I could talk to anyone about because nobody I knew had endured a similar situation.

Another strength I have is that I don't give up easily. When I got the phone call from the stage manager for the current play at my theatre, she said "I hope this won't discourage you and keep you from trying out for other plays." That thought never crossed my mind, really. A few failures do not discourage me from doing what I love, whether it is acting or writing. I was talking to my mother a few weeks ago and I made the comment that everything I love to do, everything that means a lot to me, comes with a certain amount of inevitable rejection. She said that she wasn't sure she would keep doing it if she had to deal with that kind of rejection, but I have learned that it's just a part of the process and if you love something enough, you will handle the rejection the best way you can and keep going. In fact, you find a way to use that rejection as motivation to try harder, to keep trying, and to never, ever quit.

So that this won't turn into a lovefest from me to me, I'm going to stop now, but it was a great topic and a wonderful chance to look inside myself and see the strengths that I have developed, just in the last 10 years or so. It's nice to look back sometimes and see how far we've come. If you decide to use this journal topic, leave me a comment - I'd love to read what you wrote!

Geeks pour one out for their homie

I saw on the news that Gary Gygax died yesterday. If you don't know who that is, it's probably because you were getting laid in high school. Gary Gygax is the guy who created Dungeons and Dragons. You see, before the internets were created, there was no such thing as World of Warcraft and movies like Harry Potter. Special effects were so rudimetary that film studios had to rely on cheap gimmicks

knitting disaster!

I finished my swap hat and for some reason it came out way too small! I'm not sure what happened, but there's no way I can give it to my swap partner. I sent a message to the leader of the swap telling her that I was going to be a bit late sending mine off because of the disaster and I started over. This time I did a gauge swatch and changed needle size. I think that's why it was wrong. So now I'm freaking out a little because the deadline is tomorrow and there's no way I'll get it finished by then! Yikes!

I do hope the swap master is understanding about it. I'd hate to be banned from the swap because I messed up my gift and wanted to start over.

No big news otherwise.

Almost famous

A nice article about the opening of Target tomorrow in my ghetto...errr, neighborhood. On saturday, I was interviewed by Channel 9 news about the development by the metro, and I was on TV at 6 and 11. I told a few people I know about it, but I didn't tape it with my old school TiVo (i.e. my VCR) because, honestly, I only have a couple of VCR tapes (I'm not a caveman, afterall), and I didn't want

outlining, outlining, outlining

I worked on the Draha outline over the weekend, but I don't have a word count. I'll update it later today or tomorrow. The framework of the story is really coming along. I'm glad I decided to start over and outline. It's really helping me organize my thoughts. I'm happy with the new direction and I think it'll make things so much easier when I'm finished with the outline and I actually start writing. My goal now is to finish outlining all five books by October and start over on the first one, probably for NaNo this year. The NaNo goal is only about half of the first novel, but it'll be a good start. Maybe I'll push myself and do NaNo pace through December too, that way I can finish the first book by the end of the year. It's so much easier with an outline, so I know I'll be able to do it. The first NaNo I won was actually easy for me because of the detailed outline I had already created for the story. There are a few other stories dancing around in my head right now, but this one takes priority.

swap hat

I did some knitting this weekend. I need to finish my swap hat. It's not a difficult pattern. I chose the only hat pattern I've done before because I know I can do it and it will look decent. I don't want to try a new pattern when I'm making it for someone else. It may turn out to be a disaster and then what? So I'm sticking with something I know I can do. I got to the point in the pattern where the knitting goes fairly quickly, so I should be able to finish by the deadline, which is this week sometime. I'll have to check to make sure of the date, but I know it's this week. I might sit out the next swap, just to give myself a break and work on some of my other projects. I still haven't finished the purse I've been working on forever. I really want that purse, so when I'm finished with the swap hat, I'm going to concentrate on it.

the kids

I got to spend some time with my sister's kids this weekend, so that was good. They were with their dad on Saturday, but yesterday, I picked them up and took them shopping. Noah's birthday is Friday, he'll be 12 years old, so I thought it was time for him to have a grown-up bicycle. He picked out a great one, and rode it around my front yard for about 30 minutes before I had to take him (and the bike) home. I think he's going to enjoy it. He has a lot of room to ride it at his house, and he has a friend who lives about half a mile away from him down a small gravel road that no traffic ever goes down, so he can ride it to his friend's house when they are going to hang out. He lives close enough to the high school that he could actually ride it to school when he goes to 9th grade, but that road has a lot more traffic, so I'm not sure if it's the best idea for him to do that. It's ultimately up to my sister, but if it were up to me, I would have to really think about it first. On Friday, we made a date to go see a movie. He's having a party Saturday, but I wanted to have him on his actual birthday. That will be fun, I'm sure. He's a great movie buddy!

here we go...

This week marks the beginning of the intense work on the upcoming work project. It's going to be great! I always love being busy at work. I can't stand having nothing to do. That's why I always hated all those retail jobs I had before finishing school. There were times every shift that would be so dead that all you could do was stare around the store looking for something to straighten or clean. But of course, there's only so much of that, so once you go over the entire store, if you still don't have any customers, you're back to staring around looking for something to do. Boring! Anyway, jobs like the one I have now are so much more interesting, because there's no such thing as being bored!

Suck It Bernake

This is why people need to vote for Ron Paul. Do you think any of the empty suits (McCain, Clinton, Obama) could lift Dr. Ron Paul's intellectual jockstrap? I didn't think so. As a homeowner who has a great deal of my net worth tied up in a house whose value could decline as the result of idiotic actions by Bernake and his predecessor, the moron who shall remain Greenspan, I'm glad that

clear blue sky

I realized today that I haven't posted a picture in a long time, so I wanted to fix that right away! I need to start carrying my camera everywhere again. I've missed some amazing sunsets these last few weeks. Anyway, I took this picture on a nature trail in Gulf Shores. The beach is about a mile from this spot, but the trail takes you right to it. There are so many amazing trails in this area - I don't think I'll ever manage to cover all of them! I'm going to try, though.

going to do better

There was a time when I posted every single day. I'm going to get back to that now, I promise! I guess I haven't really felt like I had anything interesting to say lately. For awhile there, I couldn't say much about anything. At first, I didn't want to say anything during the job search because I was afraid that prospective employers might read something into what I said and not hire me! Then, when I got the job I have now (which I love, by the way) I didn't want to say much in case it didn't work out. Now that I've been in the job for almost a month, I feel a lot more confident about it and I feel like I can say something about it.

Did I even say where I'm working now? I can't remember if I covered that here or not. I'm the new Resource Development Manager of the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. It's a step up, career-wise, and it's a truly great organization. I like my coworkers a lot, although I haven't had much of a chance to really get to know them. That will happen, though.

So what else is going on? I watched a new show last night. My Tivo recommended it. It's called quarterlife and I found it interesting. I'll watch another episode or two. I googled it after it was over and found that it actually started online, so now I'll have to check on that and see what it's all about. I used to know all this stuff, I was really up on everything that was going on - but now it seems that I'm more focused on the local happenings. I guess that's good, in a way, but it's also bad because I like knowing what's new in entertainment. Must make an effort to stay informed. Anyway, the show was interesting and I kept wondering how I knew the main actress. Turns out she was on an episode of Moonlight for about 3 minutes. Funny that I would remember her from that!

I'm still having fun with my Tivo. It recorded 4 episodes of The Outer Limits as a suggestion and I had a blast watching them last night. I have an inexplicable love for that show. It's a guilty pleasure. However, it also recorded an episode of Tyra Banks. I guess it can't be perfectly accurate all the time, can it?!

Gas prices are going up again. It's insane how much they are allowed to raise them without any kind of regulations. We are being taken for a ride, quite literally, by the oil companies. I really should have bought the hybrid version of my car. If I could do it over again, I would. The other alternative is moving closer to work, and once I've passed my three month mark, I will. I'm already looking at apartments. We'll see what I can afford when my student loans double in a few months. Stupid loan company.

Future Ninja?

The kid's got skillz, yo!

On Target?

I am hungover today, but I received some good news today (and no, it's not that Hillary Clinton has Syphilis). When I first bought the impenetrable ninja fortress, "they" said that a Target store was under construction and would be open "soon". Well...it's been three years and finally I can go get some slightly-better-than-walmart stuff without having to drive to Virginia for it. Oh yes, now

At least it's not syphillis

Sometimes when someone says something, you hear something completely different. I'm not talking about some kind of Freudian thing where you misheard something, like if a cute girl says "wait a sec" and you hear "wait for sex", but the other kind of thing where you hear the words, but the message is something different, like if a cute girl says "hi" and you hear "I want to marry you and have all

things happen for a reason, right?

I just got the call saying I was not cast in the play. That was fast, huh? I'm wondering if my one role was just a fluke and I'm really not very good, or if it's just a case of me not being right for any of the parts. Most of the roles in this show are outside my age group, as I mentioned before. So maybe that's the reason. I had a nice comment from the stage manager, who I am honored to call a friend. She really is an amazing person. She said between auditions for the show I was in last year and auditions for this show, she saw a lot of growth in me, especially in my confidence onstage and my ability to do some character work on the spot. It was nice to hear that. It cushioned the blow of not being cast in this show, and she reminded me that we do have the musical coming up, which is the one I really want this year. If I don't get a part in the musical, that's when I'll be crushed. The thing I regret most about not getting a part in this play is that I'm fairly certain some of my friends are going to be in it, and I hate to miss being a part of a cast with them! But maybe next time, right?

But at any rate, it looks like I'll have lots of time to concentrate on Draha, which is really what I need right now. I haven't done any real writing in quite awhile and I miss it. Oh, I know the outline work has to be done and I'm doing it very faithfully, but I miss writing dialogue and detailed description. I'll concentrate really hard on getting the first book's outline finished so I can start doing some actual writing. It's too bad I'll have to scrap most of my NaNo work and start over. It made good background, but it wasn't quite right. I know that now, and can use some of it, but I'll be starting the wordcount over and rewriting most of what I plan to keep.

I know it sounds like I'm just trying to make myself feel better about not getting a part, but it'll be nice to have my evenings free for writing and knitting. I'll have free time from now until late June, when we audition for the musical, because I'm skipping the third show. I have too many work commitments during the rehearsal time that would really cause trouble. In fact, I think I would pull out all my hair and have a nervous breakdown if I tried to be in a show at the same time as this massive work project that is coming up in May. (I can't talk about it yet, but it's going to be extremely exciting!!)

crazy

Can I just say that I think I have gone completely insane? Insane, I tell you! The two nights I had off from Misery, I spent at the theatre auditioning for the next show. That's right. I went to auditions Monday night and was called back for tonight's auditions. We were there for about three hours each night, each person reading different parts with different people. It was unlike any audition I've ever experienced - and it was the most fun I've had in a long time! Did I get a part? I have no idea. I'm sort of on the edge of the age groups needed for the various female characters, but there's one really good one in my age group that I'd enjoy doing. I'd prefer one of the older roles, just because it would be an absolute blast to play, but I think he's going to stick pretty close to the suggested ages. We'll see what happens. I know one thing, I don't harbor any delusions that I'll get a part because I know the director and stage manager. They will cast who they think is right for the parts, regardless of whether they know them or not. And that is how it should be.

Anyway, we had about 50 people audition during the two nights. It was pretty amazing! I was happy with the turnout, especially considering the dreadful turnout for Misery. I felt responsible for the poor turnout for Misery because it was my first time doing publicity for a theatre activity. It turns out that people just were not interested in being in a two person show. This time, they poured into the theatre. I really enjoyed watching everyone read. I don't envy Tim the job he has of casting 17 roles from the 50 people who read.

Tomorrow starts our final week of Misery. Three shows down, 5 to go...

Moonlight Shines on CBS

First of all, how in the world did I miss this show? How? Given my interest in shows of this nature, it should have been on my "must see" list from the beginning. Alas, I just found it last week, but I am making up for it now!


First, the technical details. The show can be seen on CBS on Friday nights when it airs, but because of the strike, it was placed on temporary hiatus until more shows could be written and produced. Now that everything is solved and the writers are back at work, new shows will air beginning April 11. All previous episodes can be downloaded from iTunes for under $25, and I would recommend doing this because it's a great way to catch the overall arc of the show. I love watching a show in order without any long breaks between, because you can really sense the continuity that way. So get the previous episodes and catch up before April 11, and you will certainly join the ranks of "willing freshies" who love this show with all their hearts!


Now, the story. Mick St. John is a private investigator in LA. He's intense, gorgeous, broody, and clever, but there is also a sense of humor and wit about him that really makes him a special character. Oh yeah, he's also a vampire. He was "turned" by his new bride - talk about a wedding night surprise - and is reluctant to embrace his dark side. There have been glimpses of his past, however, and they indicate that this was not always the case. He even states in one of the show's well-placed voice-overs (which remind most fans of old detective films) that he was once like most people, looking out for himself, but one case made him see that he needed to turn his life around and help people. As far as I can tell, they never truly explain what about that case made him turn into a "good vampire," but I think it was that he saw how inhuman vampires can be and he vowed not to be that. I won't go into details about the case because it was one of the early reveals in the show and I don't want to spoil it for any virgins out there.


So we meet Mick while he is going about the normal business of being a private investigator in LA, following a case of a girl who has puncture wounds in her neck, which explains his interest. We also meet Beth Turner, a reporter for an Internet news outlet called BuzzWire. There was a little nod to Lois Lane in one of the episodes, where the editor says something about how Beth should have been able to spell the word "predator" by now. I loved it. :) Beth and Mick meet in the first episode, but there are hints that they have seen each other before.

That's it for the intro, but I'll be back to review each of the first 12 episodes in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, download this show from iTunes. You will not regret it.

Opening Night

Theatre
Tonight is opening night for Misery, and if someone had told me last week that we would be ready, I would have called them a liar. Last night's invited dress rehearsal, however, proved to me that this cast and crew can pull it off after all. The show was far from flawless, but it worked. The audience was interested and not a single one said anything negative as they left the theatre. When I'm running lights, I can wear anything I want, so I don't look like I'm involved with the production. I use that to my advantage and listen to people as they leave to see what they really thought about the show. Usually, I hear comments about what they liked or disliked, but last night I only heard good things.

Writing
I managed to get some work done on Draha while waiting up in the booth for the set crew and actors to figure out set changes this week. We had several long rehearsals, and when your only responsibility is to turn the lights on and off, you tend to have some down time. I took a different approach to it this week, and I think it's working out really well. I wrote "book 1, book 2, book 3, book 4, and book 5" across the top of a piece of paper and put lines between them to create columns. I then created rows across the page so that I had something like a huge spreadsheet. I identified things I needed to know about each book and wrote each thing down in the appropriate box. While doing this, some great ideas came to me, especially in the row for identifying characteristics of each island. I can't say more than that, but trust me when I say it's going to be very cool!

Knitting
I signed up for another swap on Ravelry, and this time I'm making a hat for someone. I have to go get the yarn today or tommorrow. It won't be on the progress bar because it's a surprise for my swap partner, but I'll post photos after it has been sent to her. Now to find a good pattern...

Family
My sister is looking for a new job. She called me today to see if I knew of anything, but since I'm not looking anymore, I've been out of the loop on the job situation here. I'll need to check on that this weekend and see what I can tell her.

Entertainment
I finally broke down and bought a Tivo. It came by UPS two days ago, but because of the show I haven't been able to hook it up. I'm going to buy the cables tonight and will hook it up tomorrow, just in time to test it out on some shows that will be on while I'm at the theatre tomorrow night. I've already made a list of all the shows I'm going to "Season Pass," so I'm excited about that. I just discovered a show on CBS called Moonlight. Because I tend to like dark stories, I've really been drawn in and can't wait to see what the writers are going to do with it. The last episode before the strike really begins to weave some interesting mythology that I think could be an intriguing overall arc for the entire series. I haven't really been "addicted" to a show in awhile, but for some reason, I can't seem to get enough of this one. Hopefully, it will be picked up for a second season.

Work
The new job is still going well. Things are going to get hectic pretty quickly because of a big project that we have coming up, but that's the way I like it! I'm looking forward to seeing how everything comes together.