THINGS THAT HELP

(because I need to focus on the positive little things rather than all the obnoxious negatives)

* hug sandwiches!

* random post-its left on my desk

* a certain Famous Actor's faces made while sitting in the far corner during rehearsal

* discovering the backyard had been weeded for me by the complex

* library books on hold

* remembering the number of people who want me to stay sane (vs. the ones trying to drive me crazy) is really quite high

* focusing on being flattered that so many people think I'm the most responsible one to handle their problem

(I'm trying to use Twitter less and blog more. I don't know that it'll help expand anything.)

I love buying a new CD because you get to discover what song you'll be obsessed with for the next few days. (Oh, Sia, why must you be so pretty?)

Further goals for the day: watch some Netflix, accomplish some fix-it stitching on Spotlighter dress options (fun fact: my costume class dress fits me better now than when I made it for a grade), and take care of designer certificates before tomorrow morning.

Hey! Look at me posting again!

There's not a single time I'm at the front of the New Testament and don't think to myself "Matthew-Mark puked on John."

(And then I was chased by bad guys, action movie style, after I'd run into college pal Courtney and her husband, who were in town and are apparently good to have around in an extended chase sequence.)

I dreamed last night that I was in England, took a tour of a giant (outdoor? I think it was outdoor) opera company that somehow allowed me to sit in on a rehearsal with the other techies, and--when they saw that I was instinctively taking down blocking--offered me a job. [Recap: a job, in theater, in *England*] Wow, hugging, joy.....and then I decided that I couldn't actually take the position because I have commitments with my current job.

I don't know that I would be this loyal in real life.


[What's extra interesting about this to me is that earlier in the week when I had made my way to the travel guide section of Borders, like usual, I asked myself where I would go if money, language, whatever was no issue. And then I promptly walked to the Greece section. I'm not sure what to do with that information, except blame an early love of mythology and the Traveling Pants series. Also, who wants to go to Australia while I try to learn Greek?]

on a palm tree plate

Cold piece of pizza, you and this glass of milk are the cool, dairy-licious caper to the end of this very long day. Bless you and your bits of bacon.

"tidbits" should be the name of this blog, since that's what I post in

A bulleted list! Aren't you excited?

* Watching "The Departed" on basic cable just doesn't have quite the same effect as the DVD cut. Such as, you start making fun of Leo and Matt for all their substitute cuss words.

* When you wake up due to an overly itchy bug bite, and the first solution your brain springs up is to chew your finger off, you maybe shouldn't have read the zombie book before falling asleep. (Or, you should stop going outside without bug spray.)

* I imagine my microwavable lunch of today was on sale because it takes 11 minutes to cook. What the what, people. (Note to future self: check cooking times before buying things because they are a dollar.) [Edited after a few bites: actually, it's probably on sale because it's *awful.* Who knew the vegetables would ever be my favorite part of a meal?]

okay, so...life

I got back from vacation a week ago, though the majority of my unpacking boils down to pulling out toiletries and shoes as needed. As much as I like coming back to the routine of work (and I really do), I often feel like fleeing back to where I'd been for the first couple of days. [Side note: it seriously doesn't help this how many people tell me how much they've missed me, especially when it starts coming from those I don't deal with often. I like you all, but you scare me a little when I come back from vacations. Just so you know.]

Of course, who wouldn't trade in sitting behind a desk or running rehearsals for eating homecooked meals, having surprises at pizza parties, shoe shopping, canoeing on the local lake, visiting with college friends, watching my cousin as Elvis, cooking hot dogs over an open flame, rereading childhood books, crafting at 3 a.m., assembling classroom bulletin boards, and discovering Seventeen magazines from over five years ago (or, more specifically, making fun of their Next Big Thing lists). Sadly, none of these things come with a paycheck (maybe the bulletin board thing if I'd worked it right), so back to Texas it was.

Rehearsals have been fine, if a bit dull, so far. We were supposed to start blocking on Tuesday [after the week of read-throughs while I was gone], but have continued to be mainly around the table. It's not like it'll be complicated to block (probably 3/5 happens while seated in a car), but it'd be nice to have something else to do besides keep an eye on the script and make lists. (Getting out early each day has been pretty nice, though.)

Spotlighter is Spotlighter. I did pull rank and decide not to stage manage *and* be the blue bug this year, but that's also somewhat because the earlier entrance (compared to last year) would mean I'd have to call places already in the suit. Amusing, yes. Productive, no. (For once, productive is going to win. Clearly, I'm maturing.)

Things to do the rest of today: unpack, watch Netflix, go grocery shopping, weed plants, bake brownies, clean out DVR.

Texas tree frog says cricky cricky crick

There are too many thoughts in my head to blog properly. (But at least there's now a new nonsense title phrase at the top of the page. No, *you're* welcome.)

chicka-chicka-boom

We're back in Missouri, which is one of those sentences I only get to type about twice per year. It makes me happy, with a twinge of "eee!" attached. (A happy "eee!," don't worry.)

I am concerned with my mother's T key, as it apparently doesn't like life. I'm afraid it might do something desperate if its demands are not met soon.

Ways this was a good day (in no particular order, because I'm getting sleepy):
* steak for dinner (which is a big change from high school Hannah, who wouldn't've come anywhere near such food)

* managing to finish three books before showing up in the world of Babysitter's Club Super Specials, the only thing I seem to read when I'm in MO and have access again

* running into dear Lemon Drop in the Kirksville Hastings, just one week before he flees to Chicago (leaving my college town devoid of the last student person I knew in town). There was lifting-into-air hugging.

* I thought of something else while in the car, but I didn't write it down and it is thus lost to history.

I could do a list of why this weekend has been awesome, but I need to take a shower and go to bed so I can be up and ready for things before eight tomorrow. (Such is my love for my Mom and decorating her school room.) It basically boils down to seeing so many people I haven't seen in ages (some cases years) and getting to sit around eating food and swapping stories with most of them, so you can fill it in for yourself. I'm going to wash out my traveling pigtails, crawl into bed, and read a few more chapters about the BSC's adventures out west.