Thanks, Ugly Betty green screen, for sort of showing London.

I ordered new glasses this afternoon, and would happily post pictures here if I could get the website to save a large enough clip. They both meet Stormy approval, so you know they must be good.

If nothing else, it'll be nice to wear glasses with both nose pads, no scratches, and unchipped edges.

I made the Weatherly potato soup recipe tonight, and it probably wouldn't turned out better if I had actually followed it as written (rather than mixing everything at once, leaving little flour-butter clumps). The extra cheese was a good idea, though, as it always turns out to be.

Excuse me while I try to finally (finally FINALLY!) finish writing an overdue letter. (It's all drafted, Sad Monkey, I just have pull it all together into one place...preferably with a stamp on it.)

It's Rex Manning Day!

(Actually, it's Dog the Bounty Hunter Day at the local Borders, but (1) I've wanted to watch Empire Records for several days now and just haven't taken the time, and (2) I don't really fit with the Dog crowd anyway, judging by the folks wandering around the store, killing time after picking up their book signing copy of his latest.)

I'd already promised myself an end-of-run present for the delightful PITLOWV, though the Miller performance went so well today was its own bonus. (Sidenote: if an actor is going to sweat out his mic pack, at least it allows me to be on both headset and crew walkie-talkie, live mixing mic sounds on the not-quite-quarter of a million dollars sound board. It's nice to have stage managment rock star moments to remind me that I do love what I do, long hours and all.) After spending nearly two hours there, some things to love about the local Borders:

* 40% off coupon in my inbox the same day I was going to buy something no matter what? Don't mind if I do.

* Live Flogging Molly? On sale? The only thing better was the cashier, who will be purchasing his own copy. Also, I should apparently listen to more of the Pogues and Dubliners.

* Hurrah for the last copy of Fantastic Mr. Fox, the actual reason I was in the store!

* Props to Steve and Mark, who told me to walk off with the mislabeled to $9 CD when I took it to them (with a properly labeled $19 one) in honor of Dog the Bounty Hunter Day. Congratulations, you two are the reason I bought an extra CD.

this is called "I couldn't sleep anymore, but I certainly wasn't getting out of bed yet"

Just one day left of the prairie, which is probably good for my sanity. If this company has taught me anything, it's that maybe I wouldn't enjoy stage managing the same show for twenty years. (Also, it's taught me how *not* to be able to call shows like a regular SM anymore, as I'm used to running lights and only calling sound....and then have a brain freeze whenever I get to call two things at once.)

If I wasn't going to (hopefully) spend the afternoon after today's show asleep somewhere in the theater, I'd write down everything helpful about taking a show to Miller. If I can save someone (not even myself, but someone) a bit of the stress I've had this week over how things were going to go down, that'd be lovely. Apparently the only thing I really retained in the two years since we were last at the outdoor theater are the faces of the two sound guys, where the dressing rooms are, and that stage hands enjoy sassing the stage manager. (One of these I knew before, since they also enjoy it when the stage manager sasses back.)

"Maria! Try and forget you're a stage manager for once!"

Why am I watching something on TV that I have on DVD? Becuase I don't have the energy to leave my couch for the bookshelf ten feet behind me. I had forgotten how much I love "Slings and Arrows." (Season Two, when the apprentice SM is reading all the stage directions, including "long pause," is hysterical because I used to be that person.)

My online account is telling me that I blew through my text messages through the month already. It reset two days ago. I guess it counts each text per receiver, and not the individual text itself? (That's okay, I'll eat the extra five dollars to upgrade in honor of Jaydan Zachson, 9lbs. 10oz. and his crazy complicated labor this weekend.)

(Incidentally, I seem to always be referring to him as "Jaydan Zachson, 9lbs. 10oz.," and I'm not sure why.)

Like (somewhat consistent) magic, it seems St. Luke's won't give up the Rotunda on the last weekend of February again....which should coincide with Oscars weekend once more.

Excuse while I [1] finish this season of Slings and Arrows (Season 2! Mackers!) and [2] finish a letter I've been putting off for two months.

welcome in, welcome in/shame about the weather

I keep thinking I hear someone else in the theater with me, clunking doors and walking about. Instead of checking, though, I just blast my music louder to try and drown out, I don't know, the sound of ghosts or whatever. If someone actually is hear (and somehow reading my blog at the same time), please just let me know you're here. I don't really care enough to check, but it'd be nice to know.

I love finding the sour cream pocket of the Jason's baked potato. Also, kudos to my brain for requesting extra cheese, meaning I can add it in after the layer of toppings has already been consumed. High five, self!

My phone now plays the "We Just Got a Letter" song from Blue's Clues whenever a text comes in, so I've listen to a lot of Steve lately. If only he could finally release his next (not children's show) album, I could rock out to that instead of British boys.

scuttlebutt

I'm probably at the point where I should perhaps do something real about my shoulder, as this is the umpteenth time I've sat on the couch with a heating pad balance somewhere between shoulder blades and neck. (P.S. - thanks for the heating pad for Christmas, Grandma!) When brushing your hair causes shooting pain, no matter where, you probably need to bring about some changes in your life.

Things to change: stop shuffling set pieces, stop carrying heavy bags to and from various locations, remove permament resident stress monster (hi, Leroy!)

What I'll do instead: eh, maybe get a new ringtone

toasted not fried

The veggie chips aren't nearly as good as the sour cream and onion ones.

I feel like I'm on cough syrup, which would be awesome if I actually were. Most of the afternoon has been a strange, turn-your-head-too-fast-and-wait-for-your-brain-to-catch-up-again haze. It made some parts more entertaining, and it made some parts want me to burst into tears. Funsies, as Deb would say.

This is two days in a row that I've used the Foreman grill that I received for Christmas years ago. That makes it two more times that it's been used since Jessica moved out. I would've enjoyed it more if I felt inclined to do more than lay on the couch sipping milk and watching whatever's in from Netflix (or else Wonderfalls, haven't decided yet).

fun fact: I named my poor unused guitar Julia

Abby told me I should post about my dream about Colin Firth and the vampires, but now it's entirely too late/early, and all I really want to do is listen to The Beatles' Julia on repeat until I fall asleep in, hopefully, two minutes.

Because all that reminds me...I sort of want to save into one big word file all the blog posts, Facebook statuses, and Twitter tweets I've ever created, all in chronological order, just to have one huge record of my life the past eight or so years that I've been documenting my life online. Clearly I don't have enough to do already.

(hit repeat button [again] on player, press publish button, put laptop into sleep)

"and off to his lair each child he'll drag"

Fun fact: for most of the past month I've had "The Green Eyed Dragon," a song I sang for high school district music contest, stuck in my head off and on. While I remembered a remarkable portion of the music (working up a solo for Mrs. Cox will do that to your brain, even eight years later), it wasn't until today that I managed to track down the missing line mid-chorus that I've been hehmm-hum-hmmm-ing three times per song.

Further fun fact: somehow most internet folk lyric sites leave out the same three lines in the chorus, which just happen to include the line I've been missing, despite the fact that it would screw up the entire rhythm of the song

Furthest fun fact: you can probably catch me singing it to myself every morning, around 8:30ish, as I prep the Rotunda for the morning show.

Did anyone else notice that I apparently used Twitter today to have conversations with people while sitting in the box office?

I'm not quite certain how or why my entire self (physical and emotional) took a nosedive yesterday evening around five, but it certainly did and I apologize to all those who had to deal with me.

Because, interestingly enough, there is no situation in which I can't make myself feel worse, a brief list of all the ways that led to me hugging a manatee in a dark living room yesterday evening: feeling too bad to go to church, feeling bad about not going to church, getting emotional while reading a book about discerning God's will (to make up for not being at church), putting off dinner, discovering I'm likely too short to be a flight attendant (did anyone else know this was plan B?), the reminder that most stage management jobs are freelance and not a solid gig like I currently have, picking at the same scab, realizing I needed something to hug and only having access to a manatee. So, sadly, that's why I wasn't at an Oscar party; I would've been the one in the corner, crying every time I saw one of the Pixar people wearing their adventure badges.

Despite the lovely paragraph above, I'm feeling quite better today, though somewhat perplexed at what brought on the hurricane of emotions at all. Perhaps the popcorn gut of the day before had worked its way up into my brain?

Unrelated, but related in helping me feel better: how great is it that Joy Sikorski has a new book?

Noisettes - Never Forget You (on repeat)

I love it when you know just one song from a group, chance the odds and pick up the CD, and it turns out AWESOME. Way to be, Brit rockers.

The problem with having internet connection at home (however spotty it may be) is that you no longer have an excuse to not notice work emails outside of the office. The problem with spotty internet connection is that it sometimes eats your blog post the first time you draft it.

Anyway.

Is "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" the most ridiculous movie of the past year? Please check one of the following:
* Yes.
* Yes.
* Did you see Megan Fox and her pet Decepticon-turned-Autobot? YES.

Oh, the things I get to see when fulfilling my goal to watch as many Oscar noms as possible. The only amusing thing was Rainn Wilson, and his four minutes was a very brief part of this 150+ running time. Shia LeBeouf, I expect better from you.